What happened to Christ's spirit after the crucifixion? Did Jesus really descend into hell after His physical body died?

Christians agree that Christ's body was taken from the cross and placed in a tomb, where His body remained for three days. But they do not agree on where His spirit went during that time for one simple reason. The Bible does not tell us what happened.

Still, religious scholars have advanced numerous theories in the past 2,000 years. We will look at some of the prominent ones and then see what most experts believe happened.

Did Jesus really descend into Hell?

Some biblical experts believe Jesus descended into hell after death. Others disagree, and the scriptures relating to what happened are not always clear.

The Bible says in 1 Peter 3:19-20, for example, that Christ preached to the spirits that were "in prison" for disobeying and rejecting God during the time of Noah.

The term "in prison" is open to interpretation, as are many verses about that first Easter weekend.

Theories About Jesus' Possible Descent into Hell

Some Christians think Jesus descended into hell in order to fully experience the impact of humanity's sin and fully atone for it. But many others believe He paid the price for sin with His death on the cross, and there was no need for additional atonement.

Still others say that Christ descended into hell to preach to the unsaved dead, release Old Testament saints and other righteous people, and/or proclaim victory over Satan, Satan's demons and death.

Did Christ descend into a literal place of torment called hell, or were hell and Jesus' descent symbolic? Perhaps, but another theory is that hell refers to death and separation from God rather than a fiery lake of fire or other forms of torment.

Jesus descended into hell physically as well as spiritually.

According to this theory, Christ's physical body and spirit descended into hell to confront Satan and possibly free God's children. Again, the Bible does not provide specific information on whether Christ descended into hell in any form.

The Apostle's Creed confirms Christ's descent into hell.

The Apostle's Creed is a formal statement of core Christian beliefs that many denominations include in their worship services. According to early church tradition, Jesus' disciples wrote the creed in about the first century, though scholars say it was not created until around 390 A.D.

Some modern-day Christians recite a version of the creed that says Christ descended into hell after His death. Others repeat a version that omits this statement, and some do not recite any creed.

Many theologians argue against looking to the Apostle's Creed for answers. They believe we should use the Bible as our source of information. They also remind us that the Bible makes no mention of Christ descending into hell.

There's another issue concerning the statement, "He descended into hell." The meaning can change depending on how we define the word "hell."

Jesus did not descend into hell. Rather, he descended into a place called Hades.

Some Christians believe Jesus did not descend into the place of suffering that we think of as "hell." They say Christ went to "the place of the dead." They believe this realm – called Hades -- is a temporary place between heaven and hell where the dead go to await final judgment.

The words "Hades" and "hell" are often used interchangeably in modern times, but they shouldn't be. As some scholars point out, the biblical use of "Hades" refers to a place of the dead rather than a place of torment.

They point out that early Christians may have defined hell and Hades differently than we do. In ancient times, people may have seen hell in more general terms and thought of it as a temporary place. Today, many of us translate the word "hell" to mean a permanent place of torment.

Part of the confusion about Hades may have developed because It has two sides. One side is a place of suffering, while the other is comfortable and joyous. According to many Christians, the latter place, known as "Abraham's bosom," is where Christ went after death. Some believe that righteous people who died before Christ's birth and resurrection await final judgment in Abraham's bosom.

Jesus went to heaven after he died.

According to some Christian scholars, Jesus' own words indicate that He immediately went to heaven after dying. In Luke 23:43, Christ tells a repentant thief being crucified next to Him, "Truly I tell you today you will be with me in paradise." In this verse, paradise means heaven.

But what does Jesus mean by "today?" Was He saying the thief would be in heaven within a few hours, as in a 24-hour day? Or did he mean something else? We cannot be certain of the answer.

Clearing Up Some Confusion

The Bible uses several words to depict various realms in the afterlife. Because they are somewhat similar, they sometimes cause confusion. The following words appear in Scripture, and it's helpful to understand their meanings.

Hell is a place where sinners who rejected Jesus suffer eternal punishment, torment and separation from God. It should not be confused with Hades. The Bible depicts hell as a real place and modern theologians generally believe that it is a logical and likely destination for people who reject God.

1. Gehenna is the Greek word for hell. It appears in the New Testament, which was primarily written in that language.
2. Hades is an intermediate place where the dead go until the last judgment.
3. Abraham's bosom is a place of comfort where righteous people go after they die. Many Bible scholars believe Christ entered this realm after His death on the cross.
4. Sheol, which is used in Hebrew scriptures, is a temporary place where the dead await final judgment.
5. Lake of fire is where unbelievers will suffer eternal punishment.
6. Tartarus is a place where wicked people go for punishment after death.
7. Prison may mean "hell" or merely a temporary place where people go after death.
8. Paradise is another word for "heaven."

Most scholars believe Christ went to Abraham's bosom, which is the comforting, peaceful and joyous realm of Hades. They also believe He remained there until His resurrection three days after He died.

Jesus then spent 40 days with His disciples and ascended into heaven, according to the Bible.