Tag: angels

Did Jesus Go to Hell? Clearing Up a Common Misunderstanding

Brent Pollard

How often we hear it said—in songs, in sermons, even recited in ancient creeds—that Jesus “went to hell” after His crucifixion. The phrase rolls off the tongue with such familiarity that few pause to question whether Scripture actually teaches such a thing. Yet here is where we must be careful, for familiarity can breed assumption, and assumption can obscure truth.

The reality is both simpler and more glorious than the popular notion suggests. Yes, Jesus descended somewhere after His death—but it was not to the hell of eternal punishment. The confusion arises from a tangle of translation issues, historical traditions, and well-meaning but imprecise language. However, God’s Word speaks with unmistakable clarity once we understand what terms like Hades, Sheol, and Gehenna actually mean.

Let us think clearly about this matter, for the truth of Christ’s death and resurrection deserves nothing less than our most careful attention.

The Root of the Confusion: Words Matter

Much of our confusion stems from a problem as simple as translation. Scripture employs three distinct words to describe the afterlife, each with its own meaning:

  • Sheol (Old Testament): The realm of the dead—a shadowy place where all departed souls once dwelt
  • Hades (New Testament): The Greek equivalent of Sheol—the temporary abode of the dead
  • Gehenna: The place of final, eternal punishment—what we properly call hell

Here lies the problem: older English translations, particularly the King James Version, routinely render all three of these words as “hell,” even though they carry distinct meanings. Imagine the muddle this creates! It’s rather like using the word ‘home’ to describe a house, a hotel, and a prison all at once.

Consider Acts 2.27, which in the King James reads: “Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell.” But the Greek word Peter quotes from the Psalms is Hades, not Gehenna. Peter is declaring that God would not abandon Jesus to the realm of the dead—the temporary holding place of departed souls. He is not saying Jesus entered the fires of eternal judgment.

This distinction matters immensely. To collapse these words into one English term is to blur what God has made clear.

The Apostles’ Creed and Historical Development

Many point to the Apostles’ Creed, which states that Christ “descended into hell,” as proof of this doctrine. But even here, history reveals something important: this phrase did not appear in the earliest versions of the Creed. When they first added the term, they translated it as “Hades” instead of “hell.” This translation emphasizes that Jesus did not suffer punishment; instead, He truly died and entered the realm of the dead.

The Creed intended to combat early heresies that denied Jesus’ full humanity. The Creed was saying, in effect: “He really died. His death was no illusion.” This statement is orthodox truth. But somewhere along the way, “descended into Hades” morphed in popular understanding into “descended into hell,” and theological precision—accurately understanding and articulating biblical truths—gave way to theological confusion.

Medieval Imagination and the “Harrowing of Hell”

If you’ve seen medieval art or passion plays, you’ve likely encountered dramatic depictions of Jesus storming the gates of hell, releasing captives, and binding Satan in chains. These images are vivid, memorable, and deeply rooted in Christian culture. There’s only one problem: none of it comes from Scripture.

The so-called “Harrowing of Hell” developed from apocryphal writings—texts that early Christians never accepted as inspired Scripture. These stories captured the imagination and found expression in art, literature, and liturgy throughout the medieval period. They tell a good story, but they are not God’s story.

Here we must be discerning. Just because something appears in Christian tradition does not mean it appears in Christian Scripture. We honor the past, yes, but we bow only to the authority of God’s revealed Word.

What About 1 Peter 3.19–20?

Some appeal to 1 Peter 3.19, where Peter writes that Christ “went and preached to the spirits in prison.” At first glance, this might seem to support the idea that Jesus descended into hell to preach. But look closer.

Peter never uses the word Gehenna here. He doesn’t say Jesus entered the place of eternal punishment. The “spirits in prison” likely refers to the fallen angels of Genesis 6 or to the souls of the disobedient from Noah’s day. And the “preaching” mentioned is not an offer of salvation—it’s a proclamation of victory.

Think of it: Would the triumphant, risen Christ journey to hell to offer redemption to those who had already rejected God? This concept contradicts everything Scripture teaches about the finality of death and judgment, which means that once a person dies, they face judgment (Hebrews 9.27). What Peter describes is not an evangelistic campaign in the underworld, but a declaration of Christ’s conquest over sin, death, and the powers of darkness.

Where Did Jesus Actually Go?

Scripture answers this question with beautiful simplicity:

  • His body was laid in the tomb (Matthew 27.59–60)
  • His spirit went to Hades—specifically to Paradise, the place of blessing for the righteous dead (Luke 23.43)
  • God did not abandon Him there (Acts 2.27, 31)
  • He rose victoriously on the third day (1 Corinthians 15.4)

Notice what Jesus promised the thief on the cross: “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23.43). Not hell. Not torment. Paradise—the blessed side of Hades, where the righteous awaited the resurrection.

Hades is the temporary realm of the dead, not the final hell. It is the waiting room, not the eternal chamber. Jesus never set foot in Gehenna, the place prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25.41). To say otherwise is to add to Scripture what God never said.

Why This Matters

Why be so careful about these distinctions? Because truth matters. Because God’s Word deserves precision. Because the gospel itself is at stake.

If Jesus suffered the fires of hell as part of our redemption, then His sacrifice on the cross was incomplete. But Scripture declares that on the cross, Jesus cried, “It is finished” (John 19.30). The payment was complete. He accomplished His work. He descended into death, yes—but not into damnation. This reaffirms the fullness of our redemption and the security of our faith in Christ.

God’s sovereignty shines through this truth. He orchestrated redemption exactly as He planned—through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son. Jesus conquered death by entering it and emerging victorious. He didn’t storm the gates of hell; He broke the chains of death itself.

Conclusion: Death Conquered, Not Hell Invaded

The belief that Jesus “went to hell” is born from translation confusion, historical development, medieval imagination, and misinterpreted Scripture. But when we let God’s Word speak for itself, the picture becomes clear: Jesus entered Hades—the realm of the dead—and triumphed over it.

He truly died. He truly descended into the domain of death. And He truly rose again, bringing life and immortality to light through the gospel (2 Timothy 1.10).

What practical difference does this make? Everything. Because Jesus conquered death—not hell—we can face our own mortality with confidence. “Because I live,” Jesus said, “you also will live” (John 14.19). That’s not just doctrine; that’s hope. That’s victory. That’s the gospel.

So let us speak carefully about these things. Let us honor Scripture’s precision. And let us marvel at the One who entered death’s dark valley and emerged with the keys of death and Hades in His victorious hand (Revelation 1.18). He didn’t invade hell—He abolished death. And because He lives, we shall live also.

Angels In The Old And New Testaments

Angels are so often misrepresented and misunderstood. A lot of our “theology” about them come from religious error and even Hollywood (wings? women? children?). What does the Bible teach us about them?

Dale Pollard

Old Testament Role

In the Old Testament, angels serve, for the most part, as divine messengers and “secret agents” of God’s will. They appear in human-like or supernatural forms to deliver God’s messages, guide, protect, or even execute His judgment.

Here are some examples: 

1. Messengers: Angels communicate God’s instructions, such as the announcement to Abraham and Sarah of Isaac’s birth (Genesis 18:1-15) or God’s commands to Moses (Exodus 3).

2. Protectors & Guides: Angels protect individuals or Israel, like the angel guiding the Israelites during the Exodus (Exodus 14:19) or protecting Daniel in the lions’ den (Daniel 6:22).

3. Agents of Judgment: Angels carry out divine punishment, such as destroying Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19) or striking down the Assyrian army (2 Kings 19:35).

4. Worship & Service: Angels are depicted as part of God’s heavenly court, praising Him (Isaiah 6:2-3) and serving His purposes (Psalm 103:20-21).

The various types of angels include cherubim (guardians, Genesis 3:24) and seraphim (worshippers, Isaiah 6). Angels are subordinate to God, and their appearances are often horrifying as those they visit are often terrified (Judges 13:21). 

New Testament Role

We find that angels continue as God’s messengers and servants but are now closely tied to the life of Jesus and His church. Here are some examples of their role in the New Testament: 

1. Announcers of Christ: Angels herald Jesus’ birth (Luke 1:26-38, Gabriel to Mary; Luke 2:8-14, to shepherds) and resurrection (Matthew 28:2-7).

2. Ministers to Jesus: Angels support Jesus, such as after His temptation (Matthew 4:11) or in Gethsemane (Luke 22:43).

3. Guides & Protectors: Angels assist believers, like freeing Peter from prison (Acts 12:7-11) or guiding Cornelius to Peter (Acts 10:3-7).

4. Angels of Judgment: Angels are prominent in Revelation, executing God’s judgments (Revelation 8-9), gathering the elect (Matthew 24:31), and fighting demonic forces (Revelation 12:7-9).

5. Worshippers: Angels praise God and Christ (Revelation 5:11-12) and are part of the heavenly host.

Angels are clearly seen as subordinate to Christ (Hebrews 1:4-14). They inspire awe but— not to be worshipped (Colossians 2:18).

Origen’s “On First Principles” (Preface 5-6)

What did those believers in Christ close to the days of the apostles understand and teach concerning major theological topics. While these words are not inspired, they are very insightful. Two related topics are discussed by Origen in today’s blog post.


Gary Pollard

5. The apostles also taught that our soul has a form and life force of its own. Once it’s free of this body it will get what it deserves. We’ll either gain immortality and happiness, or we’ll be punished forever with fire. This all depends on how we live our lives. The apostles also said that there will be a day when all people come back to life. When that happens this body “which was planted in the grave and will ruin and decay” will be “raised to a life that cannot be destroyed.” And the dead body that “has no honor” will be “great and glorious” when it is raised from death. Another thing that is clearly taught in every church is this: Every person has the power to choose what they do. Every person is involved in a struggle against the devil and his angels and anti-virtues. They try very hard to make every person do all kinds of bad things. But if we’re trying to live the right way, we should determine to fight off these things. We understand that no one’s forcing us to do anything against our will — right or wrong. Even if we have full control over ourselves, some influences may convince us to do something bad. Some may also help us do the right thing! Whatever it is, we’re not forced to do the right thing and we’re not forced to do the wrong thing. Some people think we are forced to do right or wrong based on the positions or movements of certain stars. They think we’re totally powerless to act against whatever these astrological positions determine. Getting back to the ‘soul’ topic: We don’t have enough information to be dogmatic about it. Does it come from our parents or genetics and is fundamentally part of our physical bodies? Or does it come from somewhere else? We don’t know if we get it at birth or if it’s given to us by an outside source. 

6. About the devil and his angels (and “anti-virtues”), we don’t have good information either. The churches have only told us this: They exist. Aside from this, we haven’t gotten any clarification about what kind of body they have or where they come from. Here’s what most people seem to believe, though: The devil used to be an angel and he rebelled against God. When he did this he convinced a lot of angels to fall with him. From the time he did that until today they are called “the devil’s angels”. 

Ghostly Apparitions

How do you talk to a people about spiritual reality and was takes place in the invisible realm who can watch CGI, have AI, and experience things (like flying and global communication) which most of history never experienced? The Bible is a timeless book…

Gary Pollard

Our technological advancements over the last two or three centuries (particularly the last century) have distracted many from a fundamental truth: What we call “spiritual” is an inseparable part of reality. We have been able to rely on means of transportation, subsistence, medical care, and exploration that would’ve historically been considered supernatural (eg. flight, drought and famine-resistant farming, robotic surgery, genetic manipulation, space exploration). We can travel in airplanes. We drive cars. We communicate instantly across vast distances. Organ transplants are a thing. These no longer exist only in our imaginations, they are right in front of our eyes. For many people the spiritual has become something either to reject or to relegate to an entirely different reality (often called the “spiritual realm”). 

As I have mentioned (perhaps ad nauseam) before, the way “spiritual” is used by the world and by many believers does not necessarily reflect the understanding our ancient believing predecessors had. It could mean wind, influence, message, teaching, breath, manifestation of power, etc. It was used of people whose concerns transcended earthly pursuits. It was used of a class of beings who inhabited the air. Its conceptual meaning seems to be something like, “Invisible force with visible effect.” Concepts are not visible, as they exist only in our minds. But bringing a concept into “reality” means making visible what existed only in our minds. Our minds are still part of this physical universe, and we don’t banish them to a parallel realm or universe because of their invisibility. In the same way, God and his servants are invisible (except for Jesus, Col 1.15), though they can and have certainly taken visible forms. I have yet to encounter any compelling evidence of these invisible powers occupying a reality outside of our own (though I’m open to the possibility if any such evidence appears). They may not be visible to our physical senses, but they are no less a part of our world. 

It may be helpful to see how many of the ancients viewed our relationship with the invisible powers of this world. I will include quotes from non-biblical writers after some New Testament passages. This is not to communicate a teaching but to get an idea of how these were understood by believers in the past. 

“You should pray this way: ‘Our father who is in heaven…” (Mt 6.9). 

“Be careful. Do not disregard these little ones. I tell you, their angels in heaven always have the attention of my father in heaven” (Mt 18.10).

“When you are praying and remember that you are angry with another person for something, forgive them. Forgive them so that your father who is in heaven forgives you” (Mk 11.25).

“When it says ‘he went up’ what does it mean? It means that he first came down low to earth. So Christ came down, and is the same one who went up high above to fill everything with himself” (Eph 4.9-10). 

“Masters, in the same way, be good to your servants. Don’t say things to scare them. You know that your master and theirs is in heaven and he treats everyone the same” (Eph 6.9).

“Our fight is not against people on earth. We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness. We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph 6.12).

“And you began waiting for God’s son to come from heaven, the one God raised from death. He is Jesus, the one who is rescuing us from God’s coming anger” (I Thess 1.10).

“Those beings, whom other philosophers call demons, Moses usually calls angels; and they are souls hovering in the air. And let no one suppose that what is here stated is a fable, for it is necessarily true that the universe must be filled with living things in all its parts, since every one of its primary and elementary portions contains its appropriate animals and such as are consistent with its nature — the earth containing terrestrial animals, the sea and rivers containing aquatic animals, … It is therefore necessary that the air should be full of living beings. And these are invisible to us, inasmuch as the air itself is not visible to mortal sight. But it does not follow, because our sight is incapable of perceiving the forms of souls, that for that reason there are no souls in the air” (Philo: On the Giants II.6-9).

“Go, say to the watchers of heaven, who have sent you to petition for them: ‘You should petition for men, and not men for you. Why have you left the high, holy, and eternal heaven, laid with women, defiled yourselves with the daughters of men? … But you were formally spiritual, living the eternal life, and immortal for all generations of the world. So I have not appointed wives for you, because the spiritual ones of the heavens belong in heaven.’ Now the giants, who are produced from the spirits and from flesh, will be called demons on the earth, and on the earth shall be their dwelling. Evil spirits have come out of their bodies, because they are born from men; yet from holy watchers is their beginning and primal origin. They will be evil spirits on the earth and they will be called demons. As for the spirits of heaven, in heaven will be their dwelling, but as for the demons of the earth, that were born on the earth, on the earth will be their dwelling” (I En 15.2-10).

Judicial Hardening

God’s Righteous Judgment on the Unrepentant

Brent Pollard

The Bible can offer insights into how our spiritual lives work, giving us glimpses into the hidden world where God interacts with good and evil forces. However, due to the limitations of our senses, caution is essential in exploring this area. We can’t learn about the unseen realm without God’s revelation, even though we walk by faith, not sight (2 Corinthians 5.7).

Because of our limitations, we are grateful for Scripture’s fleeting insights. One intriguing view into the third heaven illustrates the principle of “judicial hardening.” Judicial hardening is God’s sovereign, holy decision to withdraw His restraining grace from persistently unrepentant sinners, allowing them to carry out their sin and unbelief through a spiritually hardened, truth-blind condition. 

Generally, we think of the pharaoh of the Exodus as a prime example of judicial hardening. We aim to comprehend the events behind eternity’s veil, leading us to attribute the pharaoh’s judicial hardening solely to God’s actions. It’s similar to describing electricity using only a lit light bulb for illustration. In other words, the electricity is there, but what causes the bulb to light up when we flip the switch?

In 2 Thessalonians 2.11-12, Paul warns the first-century Christians about the man of lawlessness who comes after apostasy. 

“For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness” (NASB95). 

In contrast to the pharaoh, whose heart both God and pharaoh hardened, Paul specifies that God sends the “deluding influence” after the impending apostasy. This prospect would be highly unsettling were it not for the example of Ahab in 1 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 18. Elijah previously prophesied that God would destroy Ahab and his household (cf. 1 Kings 21). Rather than repent and accept God’s mercy, Ahab persisted in sinfulness. 

When the time came to engage in war with his Aramean neighbors, Ahab requested Judah’s king, Jehoshaphat, to join him in battle. The good king, Jehoshaphat, stated his willingness to do so as long as Ahab consulted God’s prophet. Ahab balked at the idea, given that the only true prophets of God in Israel would not prophesy favorably. We note that Ahab had already called for 400 false prophets to persuade Jehoshaphat. 

Upon Jehoshapahat’s insistence, Ahab summoned Micaiah. Ahab told Jehoshaphat that he didn’t like Micaiah because he always prophesied against him. When the messenger summoned Micaiah, he told him to go along with the words of the other so-called prophets. Surprisingly, Micaiah did so. Ahab knew Micaiah was insincere and told him to speak God’s real message. Micaiah told Ahab and Jehoshaphat that their efforts against the Arameans would fail.

As Ahab reiterates to Jehoshaphat how Micaiah always prophecies against him, Micaiah continues, informing his sovereign audience of what events took place in heaven, leading to the moment they found themselves. Note 2 Chronicles 18.18–22.

Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left. The Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this while another said that. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘How?’ He said, ‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You are to entice him and prevail also. Go and do so.’ Now therefore, behold, the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, for the Lord has proclaimed disaster against you.” (NASB95)

In other parts of the Old Testament, like in Job, the heavenly beings are depicted as gathered before God, including Satan among them. However, to implement His judgment upon Ahab, God wants to know who will use Ahab’s wicked nature to facilitate his downfall. Ahab desires to confront the Arameans, while God has foretold the destruction of Ahab and his household. So, God needed a volunteer to execute His judgment. A spirit volunteered, saying he would serve as the deceiving spirit in the mouth of Ahab’s prophets.

No, this does not make God a liar. God is truthful and does not deceive (Titus 1.2; Hebrews 6.18). And men sin when lust draws them away (James 1.13–16). In conclusion, it is essential to remember key aspects of this example of judicial hardening. 

The “lying spirit” does not speak falsehoods but amplifies and vocalizes the lies or delusions held by unrepentant sinners because of their hardened hearts against the truth.

Secondly, God does not directly speak or endorse the lie; instead, He permits the unrepentant sinner to fall prey to the deceptions they have chosen through their persistent rejection of the truth. 

Thirdly, this may be an anthropomorphic representation of how God employs secondary causes or agents to induce judicial hardening or blindness in those who deliberately reject Him rather than God directly originating the deception. 

Lastly, “spirit” could denote an impersonal force or influence from God rather than specifically a personal angelic being conveying a direct falsehood.

The account of God permitting a “deceiving spirit” to influence Ahab’s prophets vividly demonstrates the concept of judicial hardening. God judges those who repeatedly reject the truth by allowing them to succumb entirely to their chosen lies. This truth does not imply that God is untruthful; instead, He withholds grace from the unrepentant, leading to the hardening and deception of their hearts. While our knowledge of the spiritual realm is limited, stories like this assist us in grasping how God interacts with intentional sinners. He demonstrates His justice by hardening the disobedient but also shows patience by repeatedly presenting the truth before judgment arrives. For us, the challenge is to accept God’s truth humbly and keep our hearts responsive to His grace.

The Identity Of Unclean Spirits

Friday’s Column: Brent’s Bent

Brent Pollard

The TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) version of this discussion is that when angels mated with human women, they produced abominable offspring whose spirits God refused to admit into the realm of the dead after He destroyed them in the Flood. The wandering spirits eventually possessed some people in the first century whom Jesus and the apostles were able to exorcise. These were the unclean spirits. Because of the power of Christ’s Gospel, they no longer have the ability to hijack our bodies today. If they are still present, they can only help to facilitate situations of temptation. But they cannot touch us or make us sin.  

For those willing to understand how I arrived at the above summary, please keep reading. 

Allow me to begin by indulging in a little inside baseball. In that case, I’ll start by highlighting one of the differences between my brother’s and my time at Faulkner University: two different godly men led the V.P. Black School of Biblical Studies. My brother had the opportunity to sit at the feet of the late Wendell Winkler, whose background was in preaching schools. Meanwhile, when I graduated, the late Kenneth Randolph was the dean. Brother Randolph decided he wanted students to build their libraries and encouraged instructors to assign textbooks to our classes whenever possible. 

I studied hermeneutics under the late Martel Pace. When is an Example Binding? by Thomas B. Warren was the actual text. However, brother Pace insisted on us purchasing Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart’s How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. When the class began, brother Pace directed us to a sentence in Fee and Stuart’s book. That sentence stated that novel interpretations are incorrect. It is erroneous if no one has ever interpreted Scripture in a given way in over two thousand years of church history. With that clarification, brother Pace told us we could throw the book away as he didn’t want us to learn how to interpret the Bible from Fee and Stuart’s liberal hermeneutic. 

Although I felt cheated at the time for wasting money on a book I wouldn’t use, brother Pace’s point has stuck with me. When I approach a Scripture or text and want to understand what it means, I first consult other Scriptures. Then, when I finally turn to human scholarship, I always look for the oldest interpretation of the Scripture. With this method, it is surprising how much of the doctrine taught in contemporary Christendom dates back less than 200 years. Other false doctrines may have origins in the 1500s, during the Protestant Reformation. Others emerged before 1000, eventually leading to the establishment of the first apostate church. 

Despite being accurate regarding salvation, we sometimes see deviations from original thought in issues of Christian judgment. For example, I’ve been thinking about angels and demons. I’ve often said that much of what people believe they know about the subject finds basis in Milton rather than Scripture (e.g., the war in heaven). The Bible is silent on angels, including their orders and responsibilities. When asked who the archangels are, you will hear names other than Gabriel and Michael (i.e., Raphael and Uriel). According to some, an archangel by the name of Lucifer fell. From whence does this extra information come? The accepted canon of Scripture does not include it. 

On the other hand, the apocryphal Book of Enoch is one source having a lot to say about angels. The Book of Watchers refers to the first thirty-six chapters of the Book of Enoch. The author of Watchers claims to explain things like how angels fell. Given that Jude quotes from the Book of Enoch, this source is more interesting than you might think. Jude quotes the apocryphal book in verses 14-15. This inclusion by the Holy Spirit does not imply that the Book of Enoch is anything other than apocryphal, but rather that this widely read book from before the first century AD still got a few things correct, precisely what Jude quotes. Although it is not a direct quotation, Jude verse six parallels ideas found in the Book of Watchers, namely that the “angels who did not keep their own domain but abandoned their proper abode” (NASB1995) refers to angels who chose to leave heaven to intermarry with human women. 

It took a long time for me to accept this. I was of the school of thought that interpreted Genesis 6’s “sons of God” as the descendants of Seth, who began calling on the Lord’s name (Genesis 4.26). That was a more recent interpretation contradicting the phrase “sons of God,” which almost always referred to angels. Even so, I would never teach what I am about to discuss as doctrine because it may confuse some. However, if one considers the context of Jude, one will notice that the sin of verse six is akin to that of Sodom and Gomorrah (Jude 1.7). In other words, it was a matter of immoral sexual behavior. It was never in God’s plan for angels to have companions. They are presumably “complete,” lacking nothing in their distinct being. In response to the Sadducees, this is why Jesus stated, “…in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven” (emphasis mine—Matthew 22.30 NASB1995). 

I’ve heard it preached that Jesus said angels can’t get married, but He said they don’t get married in heaven. It is not a giant leap to conclude that if angels took on a form with a digestive system (cf. Genesis 18.5ff), being able to eat, they could also take on a reproductive system commensurate with the masculine forms assumed in their interactions with humanity. Furthermore, Paul warns us that the devil can disguise himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11.14). So, it appears God endowed angels with such abilities implied by taking on an assumed form. 

But how does this relate to unclean spirits? What does this even have to do with Faulkner University and hermeneutics? Following the Scriptures, I will consult other scholarship sources; the earlier, the better. So, I went back and read what early Christian writers like Justin Martyr and Origen had to say about the subject. Justin, in particular, confirmed Jude’s message that the angels’ transgression was sexual. According to Justin, angels fell in love with human women and decided to copulate with them, the latter giving birth to the “mighty men of old, men of renown” (Genesis 6.4). These deviations resulted in conditions that caused God to regret creating man. One of the things that the Book of Watchers says that Justin seems to accept is that these fallen angels taught men how to make weapons of war and fight one another. Have you ever thought about Genesis 6.13? God saw the earth filled with violence. That is an intriguing coincidence. 

As a result, God destroyed all except Noah, Noah’s family, and the animals aboard the ark with a Flood. But what became of those who died in the Flood? Would Ecclesiastes 12.7 not be applicable? Their “dust” was returned to the earth, while God received their spirits. But what if among the dead were spirits inhabiting bodies that God did not sanction, a cross between fallen angels and humans? Would He let those spirits into Sheol or Hades? Wouldn’t they be punished like the fallen angels for whom God created hell itself (2 Peter 2.4-10)? 

It appears unlikely that the “unclean spirits” mentioned in the Gospels and the book of Acts are the spirits of evil, departed men. A teacher once told me that Legion hung out in the cemetery (Mark 5.1ff) to linger near their former bodies. In other words, whoever the Legion demons were, they were all former humans doomed to spend eternity in hell. But why would God choose to isolate the miraculous period of the first century to allow some evil deceased spirits to remain and not send them immediately into the realm of the dead, as Ecclesiastes 12.7 suggests? Of course, God could direct every such person into the path of Jesus or the apostles for exorcism, but it seems strange to defy nature just to read about a few exorcisms in the Gospels and Acts. Indeed, the ability to raise the dead alone could serve as the ultimate form of confirmation of the Gospel. Moreover, since the power of sin is death, raising the dead would still prove our Lord’s power of the kingdom of darkness (1 Corinthians 15.51-57).  

Examine how Jesus interacts with these unclean spirits (aka demons). In Matthew’s account of Legion, another demon-possessed man accompanies Legion (Matthew 8.28). Both possessed men were violent and would not let anyone pass. The ones inside these men recognized Jesus as the Son of God and wondered if He had come to torment them ahead of time(Matthew 8.29). They asked Jesus to send them into an adjacent herd of swine if He was going to cast them out of those men (Matthew 8.31). When Jesus granted their request, the demons caused the herd of pigs to jump into the sea and drown (Matthew 8.32). Why not send them to Hades if these were the departed spirits of evil men? Why put them in pigs? 

These unclean spirits knew God would destroy them, but they thought the time was too soon. Of course, we know that those in Tartarus, the place of torment within Hades, like the rich man, immediately knew their eternal fate, but how else would these possessing living men in the first century know such things? They had probably never experienced Tartarus’ torment because they were free to roam (cf. Matthew 12.43-45; Luke 11.24-26). Again, it would appear to be inconsistent with what we know about our existence following death. It makes more sense, however, if there have been spirits of grotesque angel-human hybrids roaming the earth since the Flood. 

Let us look at some examples of demon exorcism in Acts to illustrate these fascinating phenomena further. First, Paul cast out an unclean spirit from a young woman who had been following him around Philippi, proclaiming him to be a servant of the Most High God and preaching the way of salvation (Acts 16.16-21). Paul became irritated with her and rebuked the spirit in Jesus’ name, causing the demon to flee. The event that led to Paul and Silas’ imprisonment in Philippi was this exorcism. When Paul expelled the evil spirit, he took away her divining ability that her owners exploited to make money. Then, in Ephesus, Paul exorcised demons without even being in their presence. People took handkerchiefs that Paul had touched, which were enough to heal and drive away the evil spirits (Acts 19.12).  

This display of Jesus’ power prompted some of Paul’s opponents to try to imitate him. Finally, Acts 19.13-16 contains a humorous account of a failed exorcism. Sceva’s seven sons took it upon themselves to exorcise an evil spirit in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches. The demon said it recognized Jesus and Paul but wanted to know who these men were. The possessed man then leaped on them and thrashed them mercilessly. It caused quite a stir in Ephesus and inspired both Jews and Gentiles to exalt Jesus’ name (Acts 19.17). 

There are no further references to unclean spirits after Ephesus. We know Paul told the Corinthians that the miraculous age would end when the perfect (i.e., complete) arrived (1 Corinthians 13.8-12). By the end of the first century, God had completed His revelation to mankind. And then there was the New Testament. But what about the spirits? Origen, a Christian who lived near the end of the second century, observed that the demons vanished along with the ending of the spiritual gifts bestowed by the apostles through the laying on of hands (cf. Acts 8.14-17).  

In other words, Jesus Christ’s power defeated the kingdom of darkness. Those spirits, if still present, could no longer possess people or cause mischief as they did during the brief period described in the New Testament. This statement does not imply that Origen did not have some ideas. He did. Since, as James stated, our lusts entice us, allow our desires to conceive, and give birth to sin (James 1.14-15), the remaining unclean spirits serve as “midwives,” facilitating our sin. This truth does not absolve us of our guilt, but it may point to perpetrators in the unseen realm who are more than willing to assist us. 

The Fall Before The Fall

Tuesday’s Column: Dale Mail

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Dale Pollard

The Bible indicates a battle between Satan and his rebellious followers in several key passages. The reason for this spiritual spat is not given to us in great detail but we are told that it began after they abandoned their rightful habitation (Jude 1:6). While many have speculated as to what and how this happened, we simply aren’t told. Some have also made the argument that this event took place after the Creation of the world, but this is also not certain. Genesis 2:1 says, “the heavens and the earth were completed and all their hosts.” While that may seem to clearly indicate that angels must have been created alongside everything else, Job 38:7 states that angels gave “shouts of joy” after the creation of stars.

The spiritual conflict ended with Satan and his apostate followers cast from the heavenly realm (2 Peter 2:4, Rev. 12:14, Jude) just before, it seems, the creation of earth with the Archangel Michael taking a significant role in his defeat and expulsion. 

Satan seems to have been at one time a high ranking Angel who thought he somehow stood a chance against his very Creator. That is a ridiculous thought! The application of this historical (pre-historical?) event is evident. Nobody, whether Angel or man, can win against God’s will. It’s mind boggling to imagine taking on God Almighty in some kind of battle, yet Paul tells us in Romans five that we were enemies of God at one point while living in sin, and are currently waging a war with God if we are living in sin. We should let that long ago battle in the heavenly realm be a reminder to us that God always wins the war. He’s already won! Now is the time to make sure that you’re on the side of the truth and triumph and not the devil and the defeated. 

 

The Power Of The Word

Wednesday’s Column: Third’s Words

Gary III

Gary Pollard

Angels are not the dainty, long-haired Western Europeans they’re often depicted as being. In Matthew 28, their appearance was like lightning and they had white clothes. Evidently their appearance was other-worldly enough to frighten these soldiers almost to death (28.4). Whether this was some cardiac event or simply shock we cannot know. But to frighten someone that tough to that extent would take something pretty crazy. 

But some of these same guys still went straight to the chief priests and took a bribe to keep quiet and spread disinformation (28.11-15). After what they had just seen and experienced, you’d think they would run to a therapist and not the chief priests to help perpetuate something they knew to be false. 

We can be tempted sometimes to think that evangelism requires more than just showing someone the word. We might think the miraculous or incredible could persuade even the most stubborn non-believer. The power of our job (making disciples) is in the Word and in faith. The Bible has many accounts of people seeing incredible feats of supernatural power with their own eyes and still rejecting God. Abraham informed the rich man in Luke 16.29-31 that God’s Word is what saves; if that is rejected, no miracle will change this. 

If we place our faith in the power of the Word and work to deepen our understanding of the Word, we have all we need to show the power of Jesus. 

The Angels’ Struggle (And Ours)

Wednesday’s Column: Third’s Words

Gary III

Gary Pollard

We sometimes have a tendency to give up when we mess up spiritually. We’ll think, “Guess I blew it, there’s no point in trying now.” Guilt or frustration over the difficulty of living for God and falling short is a powerful Achilles Heel of ours. Paul describes our struggle with sin as combat with self (Romans 7). 

A Christian who is fighting to follow God is still going to sin at some point. We sometimes allow the loss of that battle to drag us into a pattern of sinning solely because we’ve become discouraged that we even allowed that sin to happen. 

I’d like to point out that we aren’t alone in that struggle. Consider Job 38.7: angels – who do not need faith because they live in the presence of God – were up close and personal to the creation of our incredible universe. They watched in awe as God fabricated the stars. They heard those stars sing, which means that they were amazed by the sheer power and majesty of what we can only hear as obscure signals. They were right there! 

Some of those same angels were caught up in sin (II Peter 2.4ff; Jude 6-9). Satan currently has followers who were at one time up close and personal to the Power behind our existence (Romans 12.7ff; Matthew 25:41). 

If an angel, a being who does not serve God based on a mere belief in His existence, but because they were originally created for the sole purpose of carrying out His will, and who are eyewitnesses to His existence and unlimited power, can be tempted to the extent that they are willing to abandon the presence of God and forfeit ever seeing His face again, who are we to think that our struggle is that defeating? 

God does not have a salvation plan for angelic beings (II Peter 2.4). When they breach their boundaries, that’s it. The moment they act outside of God’s will is the moment they forfeit the presence of God for eternity. 

We are lower than angels on the creation totem pole (Psalm 8.5), yet we have Jesus as a mediator defending us before God (I John 2.1) and constantly making us sinless in God’s eyes when we’re doing our best to live for Him (I John 1.7). We have a gift that angels do not enjoy: we get extra chances. As long as we are willing to wage war with our sinful desires, as long as we are striving to be like Him, and as long as we are trying to incorporate the word of God into our lives, we have grace. 

We’re stepping out of the concrete and into conjecture, but there is at least some evidence that lust (Genesis 6; II Peter 2; Jude 6-9) and perhaps tragedy (Matthew 18.10) are enough to make an angel forfeit their home. Again, this is pure conjecture but it has, at the very least, some scriptural evidence to suggest legitimacy. 

When we sin, we need to take a step back and get some perspective. We must not brush off sin as being inconsequential, but we also must avoid allowing a mistake to send us into a dysfunctional pattern just because we think, “I’ve blown it, there’s no point in trying now” or, “This struggle is too great for me.” If angels aren’t immune, why on earth would we think that we are supposed to be? 

The beauty of Christianity is found in God’s grace. It is understandable, seeing how some have abused the subject, to want to avoid the topic altogether. How many, though, have found themselves trapped in sin because they did not understand or believe in the power of God’s continual forgiveness?

Understanding what we have when we make a concerted effort to follow God is of the highest importance. We will sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are liar and there is no truth in us (I John 1.8). When we do sin, let’s remember that not only can we have forgiveness if we’re walking in light, we’re not especially awful just because we find ourselves falling short. If even God’s angels can be tempted to the point of leaving His presence forever, so can we who have not seen His face. And let that cause us to seek His face with even more enthusiasm than before! 

I Corinthians 10.13

II Peter 3.9

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God’s Spiritual Stimulus Plan

Wednesday’s Column: Third’s Words

Gary III

Gary Pollard

Many Americans have recently been recipients of a stimulus check. Quite a few have taken that and made some big purchases or padded a savings account or used it for much-needed relief. Whether or not this stimulus was an economically sound decision, most have seen it as a well-timed gift that – at least in the short term – has lessened some of the difficulties of this pandemic. It was designed to bring relief, and for many it has. 

We often look at salvation as something we received at baptism (which we did, I Pt. 3.21, Acts 2.38, Col. 2.12-14). We are grateful to have grace and a mediator for when we fall short as Christians, and this gift is not something we should ever take for granted. 

When we think about how we got salvation, though, we don’t always think about the enormous amount of preparation that went into it. The ability to have our sin problem erased (Colossians describes it as a certificate of debt with legal demands in 2.14) is no small gift. 

I Peter 1.10-12 says, “As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from Heaven – things into which angels long to look.” 

Briefly, I’d look to look at how this passage brings out the enormous value of salvation. Firstly, ancient prophets were told that this salvation was for future generations. They wrote about this while living under a far more difficult system of godly living, knowing that they would not be beneficiaries of that salvation. 

Secondly, the early church benefited from the sacrifices and hardships of those who brought the message of salvation to them. It was valuable enough that those men were willing to assume that risk to give it to others. 

Thirdly, angels – who, like the early prophets, are not beneficiaries of this salvation – were extremely interested in salvation. 

If two of the groups mentioned here were not even beneficiaries but strongly desired to know more about it or recorded it for all time, what does that tell us about salvation’s value? Peter set up its value this way to encourage the early church to live holy lives. 

Knowing just how valuable our salvation is should push us to live like we appreciate it! Not only does it have enormous value as a gift, the One who gave it wants us to have it. With that in mind, let’s cultivate greater appreciation and godliness because of the awesome gift of salvation. And if we know anyone who could use it, let’s pass the good news on to them, too. 

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Singing With The Understanding: “Beneath The Cross Of Jesus”

Neal Pollard

Most of us have favorite songs and hymns. My favorite category of hymns is songs about the cross. I love the somber, dramatic feel of Beneath the Cross of Jesus, a hymn penned right after the close of the Civil War by Elizabeth C. Clephane and one set to the music we sing with it by Frederick Maker a dozen years later in 1881. The cross of Calvary is treated as a metaphor of protection for one in a wilderness. One might envision the wandering Israelites making their way to the Promised Land and apply that, figuratively, to our journey through this world of sin toward heaven. But the song will change scenes multiple times until, in the last verse, it is a most personal challenge to each of us to be faithful disciples of this crucified Lord.

The first verse introduces the foot of the cross as a shadow of a mighty rock where we find relief and a home to rest in from trials and difficulties while pilgrims in a weary land (the world). We might easily think of Israel’s exodus from Egypt. Some songbooks have a notation to define “fain,” a word used in the first line. It means “gladly.” I am happy to shelter behind Christ’s cross in adversities.

The second verse builds upon the metaphor of the first verse, then subtly shifts to an event from the book of Genesis. The cross is, again, a shelter and refuge. But, then, he shifts to an allusion to Jacob’s dream (Genesis 28:10ff). He has left his father’s house and his brother’s wrath and beds down near Haran. He lays down, using stones for a pillow, and falls asleep. Moses writes, “He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.  And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants” (12-13). This is where God reaffirms the promise He had made to Jacob’s grandfather and father to make of them a great nation. It symbolized hope, reward, and heavenly assistance. The song writer says the cross is just like the ladder in Jacob’s dream, except that I ascend to heaven by way of the cross. Again, Clephane uses a poetic, if obscure word, in this verse: “trysting.” The word means “meeting.” At the cross, God’s perfect love and justice meet. His love is shown and His justice satisfied by Christ’s sacrifice.

The third verse becomes a straightforward look at a literal remembrance of the graphic, horrific suffering of Jesus on the cross. She focuses on what our reaction should be–a smitten heart, tears, and a proper conclusion. How great is His love! How unworthy I am that He would demonstrate it to me (cf. Romans 5:8).

The last verse is the challenge to respond to that sacrifice. We are to live in the shadow of the cross, daily reflecting upon it and letting it affect how we live. We are to ignore all else to focus on Him. Clephane seems to allude to Paul’s words in Galatians 6:14, if ever so subtly. Too, there’s a challenge to not be ashamed of Jesus and the cross, but reserve our shame only for the sin in our life that made the cross necessary.

It is beautifully and intricately woven. Despite some unfamiliar, even archaic, poetic words, it is powerfully written. What a great song to prepare our minds for the Lord’s Supper or to sing when our motives gets clouded and our priorities get muddled. May we take the time, when we sing it, to consider the truth it teaches and the challenge it contains.

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