(And that, He ascended, what is it except that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
Truth to Learn
Our Lord experienced physical death for us.
Behind the Words
The word “first” is translated from prōton, which is based on the superlative of pro (toward or forward). Thus, prōton refers to “that which is the forward-most, or first.” It can refer to “first in time” or “first in position.”
“Descended” is from the Greek verb katabainō, which is made up of kata, meaning “down” and bainō, meaning “to come” or “to go.” It is expressed here in the aorist tense, indicative mood which indicates an act that occurred at a point in time in the past.
“Lower” is translated from katōteros, which is the comparative of katō, which means “below.” Therefore, we see that lower is an accurate translation of this word.
The word “parts” is from meros, which refers to “a part” or “a share.”
The word “earth” is the translation of the Greek word gē, which refers to “soil,” “dirt,” or “ground.” It is also used to refer to a country, a region, a territory, a land, or the earth.
Meaning Explained
Today’s verse is a continuation of a subject that Paul introduced in the previous verse. In that verse he was quoting from Psalms 68:18:
You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts among men, even the rebellious, that the LORD God might dwell there. (Psalms 68:18)
In order to fully grasp what is being said in these verses we need to understand a little about one of the customs of the times in which these verses (both Old and New Testament) were written. It was common for a conquering king to distribute gifts to his subjects upon his return from conquering his enemy. Here we have a picture of our King of Kings returning from His victory over Satan and death. Upon His return to His land (Heaven) He distributed gifts to His subjects.
In today’s verse Paul is making a point that He who ascended had to first descend. In his gospel account, John quoted our Lord saying essentially the same thing:
And no one has ascended into heaven but the One having came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. (John 3:13)
Some have argued that the expression “descended into the lower parts of the earth” is a reference to Christ having left Heaven and having come to earth as a lowly servant. However, a literal reading of the verse says that “He descended into the lower parts of the ground.” That can only be a description of His descent into Paradise (within hades/sheol) immediately after having given up his life on the cross.
Application
Jesus Christ did not simply pass-out on the cross. He experienced physical death and was taken to the place where all souls go upon death. The glorious news is that He didn’t stay physically dead. He rose from the dead! He is now enthroned in heaven. Hellelujah!
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved