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or, ” \u201cWho will descend into the abyss?\u201d ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Jesus Christ is God and He is risen from the dead!<\/p>\n The word translated \u201cabyss<\/span>\u201d is the Greek word abussos<\/em><\/span>, from which we get our English word, abyss. It is made up of the privative a<\/em><\/span>, meaning \u201cnot\u201d or \u201cwithout\u201d and a form of buthos<\/em><\/span>, which refers to \u201cthe bottom or depth of something.\u201d Hence, this word properly means \u201csomething that is so deep as to be perceived as bottomless.\u201d In the New Testament this word is used to refer to the depth of the oceans, but it is also used to refer to the bottomless pit in Hades where spirit beings (like fallen angels) are incarcerated. This word is only used two times outside of the book of Revelation, here and Luke 8:31<\/strong><\/span>.<\/p>\n \u201cBring up<\/span>\u201d is from the verb anag\u014d<\/em><\/span>, which is made up of ana<\/em><\/span>, meaning \u201cup, again, or away\u201d and ag\u014d<\/em><\/span>, meaning \u201cto lead or to bring.\u201d<\/p>\n This part of Paul\u2019s reference to the Old Testament is not identical to what is contained in Deuteronomy (either in the Hebrew version or the Septuagint), but the sense of it is the same. Moses referred to going to the region beyond the sea. In the time when Moses made this statement, sea travel was very difficult, and to travel to the region beyond the sea was a task of nearly infinite proportion. Also, the ancients believed that the ocean was bottomless. Moses was telling the Israelites that the commandment (that which could bring righteousness) was not far away from them, and it did not require a huge effort to obtain it. He was referring to faith, not a task to be done.<\/p>\n What Paul is saying about the righteousness of faith is essentially the same thing; it is not far away and it does not require huge effort to obtain it. However, since sea travel in Paul\u2019s day was far easier than in Moses\u2019 day, a direct quotation of Moses would not carry the impact that it did in Moses\u2019 day. Instead, Paul uses the concept of descending into the abyss. Since Paul is talking about bringing Christ up from the dead in this verse, he obviously is referring to Hades. Note that Paul is not saying that someone has to go down and bring Christ up from the dead because He has already risen. In fact, only God could accomplish this. Paul\u2019s statement is that we don\u2019t have to do this impossible thing in order to obtain faith. As in the previous verse, the monumental task of bringing Christ up again from the dead could not produce righteousness. In fact, it\u2019s just the other way around, only the righteousness of God in Christ could raise Him from the dead.<\/p>\n It is interesting to note that the two primary attacks against our faith are in regard to these two aspects of Christ. Attackers say that He is not God (He did not come down from heaven) and He is not alive today (He has not been raised from the dead). We can\u2019t prove these two facts, we can only accept them by faith, the faith which produces righteousness.<\/p>\n Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. He is 100% God and He is 100% man. As such, he completely satisfied God\u2019s law of righteousness and then voluntarily gave his life for us, proving His righteousness by rising from the dead. Amen!<\/p>\n In God\u2019s service, for His glory,<\/strong><\/p>\nTruth to Learn<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Behind the Words<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Meaning Explained<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Application<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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