Sect. 203The State of Christ Between His Death and His ResurrectionThe State of Christ Between His Death and His Resurrection
I. The Son of man after death “descended into hell,” thus sharing to the end the common lot of His brethren. But although His body and soul were separated from one another, they both remained united to the Divine Person. Even after death Christ possessed a body and a soul, and thus was still man in a fuller sense than the other dead. The Person of Christ was at the same time in Limbo and in the sepulchre; yet all that belongs to His Person was in neither place.
II. The entombment of Christ confirms His death, and so shows the miracle of the Resurrection in a clearer light. It also symbolizes the death of sin in the baptized (Rom. 6:3, 4). Corruption did not contaminate the Divine Body, and His sepulchre was glorious, as prophesied by David and Isaias (Ps. 15:10; Isa. 53:11).
III. The dwelling place of the souls of the departed is called in Scripture שְׁאוֹל, Ἅιδης, infernus, the lower parts of the earth. All these and similar names connote some space outside of, and opposed to, heaven, the dwelling place of God and the Angels. As to its situation, we are completely ignorant, and of its nature we know but little (infra, Book VIII.).
1. The fact that the soul of Christ descended into this place, is set forth in the various creeds, and has expressly been defined in the Fourth Lateran Council. Scripture and Tradition abound in corroborating evidence (Acts 2:24, 31; Eph. 4:8–10; 1 Pet. 3:18). The substantial, as opposed to potential, descent was denied by Abelard, whose doctrine a council of Sens censured, and Pope Innocent III. condemned. The opinion that Christ only stayed an instant in the lower world, either immediately after His death or before His Resurrection, was advanced by Nicephorus, but never found any supporters. According to the common belief, He remained there all the time between His death and Resurrection. It is certain that Christ, having consummated His sufferings on the Cross, did not go down to Sheol in order to partake of the pains of the damned, or of those in Purgatory. He dwelt with the souls of the just detained in “Limbo”—the Border of Hell—so called to distinguish it from Hell and Purgatory. That such a place existed may be gathered from many utterances of the Old Testament. The New Testament clearly mentions it in the parable of Dives and Lazarus. But even the just who rested in the bosom of Abraham, though free from pain and in possession of a certain beatitude, did not enjoy the vision of God. Such is the constant explanation given to Heb. 9:7, 8: “The way into the Holies was not yet made manifest, whilst the former tabernacle was yet standing;” and 9:15–17: “He is the Mediator of the New Testament, that by means of His death … they who are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where there is a testament, the death of the testator must of necessity come in. For a testament is of force after men are dead.…” Besides, the gospel was preached as the good tidings of the coming kingdom of heaven. As a matter of fact, it was not becoming that those redeemed by Christ should enjoy the full fruits of Redemption before the Redeemer Himself.
2. In the lower world Christ brought to a close His mission to mankind. The Redemption He had preached on earth was now an accomplished fact; the souls of the departed just were to reap its fruit. In all probability the Beatific Vision began for them at the moment when the Saviour appeared in their midst. Limbo then was changed into Paradise, and the promise made to the Penitent Thief was literally fulfilled. It is certain that the Beatific Vision was not delayed beyond the moment the souls left Limbo with Christ. The apparition of the Saviour in Hades was probably made known to all who dwelt therein—to the evil spirits and the souls of the damned, as well as to the souls of the just already purified, or still being purified. To these latter the coming of Christ was no doubt the occasion of a total or partial remission of their pains. The damned and the devils “bowed the knee” to confess “that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of the Father” (Phil. 2:10). By leading away the captive souls (Eph. 4:7) Christ gave Satan a first proof of His victory, and a pledge of future triumphs.
I. The Son of man after death “descended into hell,” thus sharing to the end the common lot of His brethren. But although His body and soul were separated from one another, they both remained united to the Divine Person. Even after death Christ possessed a body and a soul, and thus was still man in a fuller sense than the other dead. The Person of Christ was at the same time in Limbo and in the sepulchre; yet all that belongs to His Person was in neither place.
II. The entombment of Christ confirms His death, and so shows the miracle of the Resurrection in a clearer light. It also symbolizes the death of sin in the baptized (Rom. 6:3, 4). Corruption did not contaminate the Divine Body, and His sepulchre was glorious, as prophesied by David and Isaias (Ps. 15:10; Isa. 53:11).
III. The dwelling place of the souls of the departed is called in Scripture שְׁאוֹל, Ἅιδης, infernus, the lower parts of the earth. All these and similar names connote some space outside of, and opposed to, heaven, the dwelling place of God and the Angels. As to its situation, we are completely ignorant, and of its nature we know but little (infra, Book VIII.).
1. The fact that the soul of Christ descended into this place, is set forth in the various creeds, and has expressly been defined in the Fourth Lateran Council. Scripture and Tradition abound in corroborating evidence (Acts 2:24, 31; Eph. 4:8–10; 1 Pet. 3:18). The substantial, as opposed to potential, descent was denied by Abelard, whose doctrine a council of Sens censured, and Pope Innocent III. condemned. The opinion that Christ only stayed an instant in the lower world, either immediately after His death or before His Resurrection, was advanced by Nicephorus, but never found any supporters. According to the common belief, He remained there all the time between His death and Resurrection. It is certain that Christ, having consummated His sufferings on the Cross, did not go down to Sheol in order to partake of the pains of the damned, or of those in Purgatory. He dwelt with the souls of the just detained in “Limbo”—the Border of Hell—so called to distinguish it from Hell and Purgatory. That such a place existed may be gathered from many utterances of the Old Testament. The New Testament clearly mentions it in the parable of Dives and Lazarus. But even the just who rested in the bosom of Abraham, though free from pain and in possession of a certain beatitude, did not enjoy the vision of God. Such is the constant explanation given to Heb. 9:7, 8: “The way into the Holies was not yet made manifest, whilst the former tabernacle was yet standing;” and 9:15–17: “He is the Mediator of the New Testament, that by means of His death … they who are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where there is a testament, the death of the testator must of necessity come in. For a testament is of force after men are dead.…” Besides, the gospel was preached as the good tidings of the coming kingdom of heaven. As a matter of fact, it was not becoming that those redeemed by Christ should enjoy the full fruits of Redemption before the Redeemer Himself.
2. In the lower world Christ brought to a close His mission to mankind. The Redemption He had preached on earth was now an accomplished fact; the souls of the departed just were to reap its fruit. In all probability the Beatific Vision began for them at the moment when the Saviour appeared in their midst. Limbo then was changed into Paradise, and the promise made to the Penitent Thief was literally fulfilled. It is certain that the Beatific Vision was not delayed beyond the moment the souls left Limbo with Christ. The apparition of the Saviour in Hades was probably made known to all who dwelt therein—to the evil spirits and the souls of the damned, as well as to the souls of the just already purified, or still being purified. To these latter the coming of Christ was no doubt the occasion of a total or partial remission of their pains. The damned and the devils “bowed the knee” to confess “that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of the Father” (Phil. 2:10). By leading away the captive souls (Eph. 4:7) Christ gave Satan a first proof of His victory, and a pledge of future triumphs.
Seção 68% da obra, de A Manual of Catholic Theology (Wilhelm & Scannell, sobre a Dogmatik de Scheeben). Ver o original.