第五条：「他降在阴间，第三天从死里复活」
Article 5: “He Descended into Hell. On the Third Day He Rose Again”
631耶稣「下到地底下。那下来的，就是那升上高天之上的。」以弗所书 4:9-10。使徒信经在同一条文中宣认基督降到阴间，第三天从死人中复活，因为正是在他的逾越节中，他从死亡的深渊中使生命涌流而出：
631Jesus “descended into the lower parts of the earth. He who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens.”Eph 4:9-10. The Apostles’ Creed confesses in the same article Christ’s descent into hell and his Resurrection from the dead on the third day, because in his Passover it was precisely out of the depths of death that he made life spring forth:
基督，那晨星，从死者中归来，将他平安的光芒洒向全人类，你的儿子，他永生永王。阿们。《罗马弥撒经书》，复活节守夜礼 18，《欢呼颂》。
Christ, that Morning Star, who came back from the dead, and shed his peaceful light on all mankind, your Son who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.Roman Missal, Easter Vigil 18, Exsultet.
第一段、基督降到阴间
Paragraph 1. Christ Descended into Hell
632新约中频繁地宣称耶稣「从死人中复活」，这预设了被钉十字架的耶稣在复活之前，曾在死人的境界中居留。徒 3:15；罗 8:11；林前 15:20；参希 13:20。这是使徒们在宣讲中首先赋予基督降到阴间的意义：耶稣像所有人一样经历了死亡，他的灵魂与其他人一同进入了死人的境界。但他是以救主的身份降到那里，向被囚禁的灵魂宣告福音。参彼前 3:18-19。
632The frequent New Testament affirmations that Jesus was “raised from the dead” presuppose that the crucified one sojourned in the realm of the dead prior to his resurrection.Acts 3:15; Rom 8:11; 1 Cor 15:20; cf. Heb 13:20. This was the first meaning given in the apostolic preaching to Christ’s descent into hell: that Jesus, like all men, experienced death and in his soul joined the others in the realm of the dead. But he descended there as Savior, proclaiming the Good News to the spirits imprisoned there.Cf. 1 Pet 3:18-19.
633圣经称死者的居所，就是基督降到的地方为「阴间」——希伯来文的Sheol或希腊文的Hades——因为那里的人都被剥夺了看见神的机会。参腓 2:10；徒 2:24；启 1:18；弗 4:9；诗 6:6；88:11-13。所有死者，无论善恶，在等待救赎主时都是如此：这并不意味着他们的命运是相同的，正如耶稣通过穷人拉撒路的比喻所显示的，拉撒路被接到「亚伯拉罕的怀里」：参诗 89:49；撒上 28:19；结 32:17-32；路 16:22-26。「当基督降到阴间时，正是这些在亚伯拉罕怀抱中等待救主的圣洁灵魂被基督救赎了。」《罗马教理问答》I，6，3。耶稣降到阴间不是为了拯救被定罪的人，也不是为了毁灭地狱，而是为了释放在他之前的义人。参罗马大公会议（745）：DS587；本笃十二世，《Cum dudum》（1341）：DS1011；克勉六世，《Super quibusdam》（1351）：DS1077；托利多四世大公会议（625）：DS485；太 27:52-53。
633Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, “hell” - Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek - because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God.Cf. Phil 2:10; Acts 2:24; Rev 1:18; Eph 4:9; Pss 6:6; 88:11-13. Such is the case for all the dead, whether evil or righteous, while they await the Redeemer: which does not mean that their lot is identical, as Jesus shows through the parable of the poor man Lazarus who was received into “Abraham’s bosom”:Cf. Ps 89:49; 1 Sam 28:19; Ezek 32:17-32; Lk 16:22-26. “It is precisely these holy souls, who awaited their Savior in Abraham’s bosom, whom Christ the Lord delivered when he descended into hell.”Roman Catechism I, 6, 3. Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him.Cf. Council of Rome (745): DS 587; Benedict XII, Cum dudum (1341): DS 1011; Clement VI, Super quibusdam (1351): DS 1077; Council of Toledo IV (625): DS 485; Mt 27:52-53.
634「就是向死人传福音。」彼前 4:6。降到阴间使福音救恩的信息得以完全实现。这是耶稣弥赛亚使命的最后阶段，这个阶段在时间上很短，但在实际意义上却是巨大的：基督的救赎工作传播到所有时代、所有地方的所有人，因为所有得救的人都分享了救赎。
634“The gospel was preached even to the dead.”1 Pet 4:6. The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfillment. This is the last phase of Jesus’ messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the spread of Christ’s redemptive work to all men of all times and all places, for all who are saved have been made sharers in the redemption.
635基督降到死亡的深处，为使「死人要听见神儿子的声音，听见的人就要活了。」约 5:25；参太 12:40；罗 10:7；弗 4:9。耶稣「生命的创始者」，借着死亡毁灭了「那掌死权的，就是魔鬼，并要释放那些一生因怕死而为奴仆的。」希 2:14-15；参徒 3:15。从此，复活的基督拿着「死亡和阴间的钥匙」，叫「一听耶稣的名，天上地上和地底下的万有都要屈膝。」启 1:18；腓 2:10。
635Christ went down into the depths of death so that “the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.”Jn 5:25; cf. Mt 12:40; Rom 10:7; Eph 4:9. Jesus, “the Author of life”, by dying destroyed “him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and [delivered] all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.”Heb 2:14-15; cf. Acts 3:15. Henceforth the risen Christ holds “the keys of Death and Hades”, so that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”Rev 1:18; Phil 2:10.
今天大地上一片寂静，一片死寂和平静。一片死寂，因为君王睡着了。大地战栗，又归于平静，因为神在肉身中睡着了，他唤醒了自从世界开始以来所有睡着的人。……他去寻找我们的始祖亚当，如同寻找迷失的羊。他渴望探访那些生活在黑暗和死亡阴影中的人，他去解救被捆绑的亚当，和被掳的夏娃脱离悲伤——他是他们的神，也是夏娃的儿子。……「我是你的神，为了你的缘故，我成了你的儿子。……沉睡的人啊，我命令你醒来。我创造你，不是让你在地狱里做囚犯。从死人中起来吧，因为我是死者的生命。」《古圣周六颂词》：PG 43，440A，452C；《日课》，圣周六，朝颂。
Today a great silence reigns on earth, a great silence and a great stillness. A great silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. . . . He has gone to search for Adam, our first father, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow Adam in his bonds and Eve, captive with him - He who is both their God and the son of Eve. . . . “I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. . . . I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead.”Ancient Homily for Holy Saturday: PG 43, 440A, 452C; LH, Holy Saturday, OR.
综述
In Brief
636藉着「降到阴间」这句话，使徒信经宣认耶稣确实死了，并且借着他为我们而死，战胜了死亡和「那掌死权的」魔鬼（来2:14）。
636By the expression “He descended into hell”, the Apostles’ Creed confesses that Jesus did really die and through his death for us conquered death and the devil “who has the power of death” (Heb 2:14).
637在基督神性位格所结合的人性灵魂内，死了的基督降到死者的境界。他为在他之前去世的义人开启了天国的大门。
637In his human soul united to his divine person, the dead Christ went down to the realm of the dead. He opened heaven’s gates for the just who had gone before him.