О пятом члене Символа веры
The Foundation of Our Resurrection
Christ's resurrection serves as the essential foundation for our own future resurrection.
Why are the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ saving for us? Because He rose from the dead, and in doing so, laid the foundation for our own blessed resurrection. “Christ has risen from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have died” (1 Cor.✦1 15:20).✦
The Descent into Hades
Between His death and resurrection, Christ descended into Hades to proclaim victory and deliver the faithful.
What state was Jesus Christ in after His death until the resurrection? The state in which Jesus Christ remained after His death until the resurrection is described in this church hymn: “In the tomb according to the flesh, in Hades with the soul as God, in Paradise with the thief, and on the Throne You were, O Christ, with the Father and the Spirit, filling all things, O Uncircumscribed One.”2 What do we mean by the word "hell"? In Greek, hell refers to a place deprived of light. In Christian teaching, this term is understood as a spiritual prison—3 that is,4 the state of souls who, because of sin, have been cut off from the vision of God and from the light and blessedness united with Him (see5 Jude 1:6; the Octoechos, Tone 5, stichera 2, 4). Why did Jesus Christ descend into hell? The Lord Jesus Christ descended into hell in order to proclaim even there the victory over death and to deliver the souls who with faith awaited His coming.✦ Holy Scripture provides the following testimony on this: "For Christ also suffered once for our sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, through which He also went and preached to the spirits in prison" (1 Pet. 3:18–19).
According to the Scriptures
The events of Christ's death and resurrection were foretold in the Old Testament and confirmed by the Apostles.
Where do the words “who rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures” come from? The words of the Creed, “who rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures,” are taken from the Epistle to the Corinthians: “For I first delivered to you what I myself also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor.6 15:3–4). What do the words "according to the Scriptures" mean?✦ The phrase "according to the Scriptures" means that Jesus Christ died and rose again exactly as the Old Testament books prophesied.✦ For example, in chapter 53 of the book of the Prophet, the suffering and death of Jesus Christ are depicted in many detailed features: “He was wounded for our sins and tormented for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we were healed” (Isa.✦ 53:5). Regarding the resurrection of Christ, the Apostle Peter cites the words of Psalm 15: “For You will not leave my soul in Hades, and You will not let Your Holy One see corruption” (Acts7 2:27). Are there indications in Holy Scripture that the Savior was to rise on the third day? In the Old Testament there is an indication that Jesus Christ was to rise precisely on the third day. The prophet Jonah provides a figure of this: "And Jonah was in the belly of that whale three days and three nights" (Jonah 2:1).8
Witnesses to the Risen Lord
The resurrection was verified by multiple witnesses and followed by forty days of instruction on the Kingdom of God.
How did people come to know that Jesus Christ had risen? The soldiers guarding the tomb were terrified to learn of Christ's resurrection when the Angel of the Lord rolled away the stone sealing His tomb, accompanied by a great earthquake. Angels announced Christ's resurrection to Mary Magdalene and others, and Jesus Christ Himself appeared to many on the day of His resurrection: to the myrrh-bearing women, to the apostle Peter, to two disciples walking to Emmaus, and finally to all the apostles in a house with the doors shut. Afterward, He appeared to them many times over the course of forty days; on one of those days, He appeared to more than five hundred of the faithful at once (1 Cor. 15:6). Why did Jesus Christ appear to the apostles for forty days after the resurrection? After His resurrection, Jesus Christ appeared to the apostles for forty days in order to continue teaching them the mysteries of the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3).
Read the original Latin
Почему страдания и смерть Иисуса Христа для нас спасительны? Потому, что Он воскрес, и этим положил основание нашему блаженному воскресению. «Христос воскрес из мертвых, первенец из умерших» (1Кор. 15:20).
В каком состоянии пребывал Иисус Христос после своей смерти до воскресения? О том состоянии, в котором пребывал Иисус Христос после Своей смерти до воскресения, говорится в следующем церковном песнопении: «Во гробе плотски, во аде же с душею яко Бог, в раи же с разбойником, и на Престоле был еси, Христе, со Отцем и Духом, вся исполняяй Неописанный».
Что мы понимаем под словом «ад»? Ад по-гречески значит место, лишённое света. В христианском учении под этим названием понимается духовная темница, т. е. состояние душ, грехом отторгнутых от лицезрения Божия, света и блаженства, соединенных с Ним (см. Иуд 1:6; Октоих, глас 5, стихиры 2, 4).
Для чего Иисус Христос спускался в ад? Господь Иисус Христос нисходил в ад для того, чтобы и там проповедовать победу над смертью и избавить души, которые с верой ожидали Его пришествия.
Об этом в Священном Писании есть следующее свидетельство: «Потому что и Христос, чтобы привести нас к Богу, однажды пострадал за грехи наши, праведник за неправедных, быв умерщвлен по плоти, но ожив духом, которым Он и находящимся в темнице духам, сошедши, проповедал» (1Пет 3:18–19).
Откуда взяты слова «Воскресшего в третий день по писанию»? Слова Символа верыВоскресшего в третий день по писанию взяты из послания к Коринфянам: «Я первоначально преподал вам, что и сам принял, то есть, что Христос умер за грехи наши, по Писанию, и что Он погребен был, и что воскрес в третий день, по Писанию» (1Кор. 15:3–4).
Что означают слова «по писанию»? Словами по писанию обозначается то, что Иисус Христос умер и воскрес именно так, как о том пророчески написано в книгах Ветхого Завета.
Например, в 53-й главе книги Пророка многими и подробными чертами изображены страдание и смерть Иисуса Христа: «Он изъязвлен был за грехи наши и мучим за беззакония наши; наказание мира нашего было на Нем, и ранами Его мы исцелились» (Ис. 53:5). О воскресении Христа апостол Петр приводит слова псалма 15: «Ибо Ты не оставишь души моей в аде и не дашь святому Твоему увидеть тления» (Деян. 2:27).
Есть ли в Священном Писании указания на то, что Спаситель должен воскреснуть в третий день? В Ветхом Завете есть указание на то, что Иисусу Христу надлежало воскреснуть именно в третий день. Образ этого дан пророком Ионой: «И был Иона во чреве этого кита три дня и три ночи» (Иона 2:1).
Каким образом люди узнали, что Иисус Христос воскрес? Воины, сторожившие гроб, с ужасом узнали о воскресении Христа, когда Ангел Господень отвалил камень, которым был закрыт Его гроб, и при этом произошло великое землетрясение; ангелы возвестили о воскресении Христа Марии Магдалине и некоторым другим; Сам Иисус Христос в день воскресения Своего явился многим: мироносицам, апостолу Петру, двум ученикам, шедшим в Еммаус, и, наконец, всем апостолам в доме, двери которого были закрыты. Потом Он многократно являлся им в продолжение сорока дней; в один из дней Он явился более чем пятистам верных вместе (1Кор. 15:6).
Почему Иисус Христос после воскресения являлся апостолам в течение сорока дней? Иисус Христос по воскресении Своем являлся апостолам в течение сорока дней для того, чтобы продолжать учить их тайнам царства Божия (Деян. 1:3).
Scripture echoes
- ↩1Cor.15.20 — But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
- ↩1Cor.15.20 — But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
- ↩1Pet.3.18-1Pet.3.19;Eph.4.9 — For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God — put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit. 1Pet.3.19 — in which also he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, Eph.4.9 — Now "he ascended"—what does it mean except that he also descended into the lower regions, the earth?
- ↩1Cor.15.3-1Cor.15.4 — For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. 1Cor.15.4 — and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
- ↩1Cor.15.3-1Cor.15.4 — For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. 1Cor.15.4 — and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
- ↩Isa.53.5 — But he was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Notes
- 1 ↩Scripture quotation and citation are split across s3–s4 in the source; English keeps the same break.
- 2 ↩Неописанный is rendered Uncircumscribed One, the usual Orthodox theological English for the divine attribute of not being limited by place; Boundless One is also possible.
- 3 ↩Source ends mid-abbreviation «т.» of «т.е.» (то есть, 'that is' / i.e.); continued in s4–s5.
- 4 ↩Standalone «е.» completes «т.е.» begun in s3; not an independent clause.
- 5 ↩«лицезрение Божие» rendered as «vision of God» (beholding God's face), not mere sight.
- 6 ↩Source runs Символа верыВоскресшего together; translated as Символа веры «Воскресшего…» (Creed + quoted Creed clause).
- 7 ↩Psalm 15 follows Orthodox/Septuagint numbering (Hebrew/Protestant Psalm 16). «аде» rendered as Hades; «тления» as corruption (bodily decay).
- 8 ↩Source cites Jonah 2:1 (Slavonic/Russian numbering); many English Bibles place the parallel at Jonah 1:17. Wording follows the Russian quote (кит = whale).
Catechism of the Orthodox Church (Longer Catechism) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit