paration of soul and body: the body returns
to earth as it was (Eccl. xii. 7), and the spirit, or soul, returns to
God who gave it. Resurrection is when the soul and body are reunited.
While we are alive there is a continual change of particles which form
the body; yet it is the same body. Similarly after death the particles
decay, but the body of the Resurrection will be in that sense the same
body (1 Cor. xv. 38). When we say that Christ was buried, we mean that
His Body was buried, and in this Creed we add that He descended into
hell: and we mean that His Soul went to the place of departed spirits,
which are waiting for the Judgment. The word, Hell, has no meaning
here of punishment. In Anglo-Saxon, helan=to cover, and hell=a covered
place. In some parts of England we still _hele_ (=cover) _over_ roots
to keep off the frost. Thus hell is used to translate Gehenna in S.
Matt. v. 22, and also Hades in Acts ii. 27, 31, which last is the
meaning here. This Creed should be compared in parallel lines with the
Nicene Creed, in order to see what phrases are here which are omitted
there. We shall notice the following: conceived, born, dead. He
descended into hell, from the dead. It is clear that the Nicene Creed
was framed to express more clearly the _Godhead_ of Jesus, which had
been denied {110} by Arius. The Apostles' Creed, on the other hand,
expresses more clearly the true human nature of our Lord: His Birth and
Death are more definitely stated--either because His Resurrection from
the dead had been doubted, or because the verity of His human nature
was not well understood. The words, _He descended into hell_, complete
the statement that he died as truly and completely as other men die.

The passage, 1 Peter iii. 19, 20 has often been quoted as indicating
that, in His death, He had a work to do amongst those who had died
before He came on earth--viz. to carry to the blessed dead the glad
tidings of His Conquest of Sin, whereby they, as well as others after
them, are saved.

_Note_ iii. Among early heretics were some who thought that Jesus,
being truly God, could not have died except by a substitute--that he
_seemed_ to die. They were thence called Docetae (from _dokein_ _to
appear_). In like manner, many people have since attributed His
Perfect Holiness to His Godhead only, and not to His human victory over
real temptations. This Creed sets forth the Bible doctrine of His
Manhood more particularly. B