Does the Nicene Creed Mention Hell?
Does the Nicene Creed Mention Hell?
The Nicene Creed is one of the most important confessions of faith in church history, yet many people mistakenly believe it contains a reference to hell. The truth is clear: the Nicene Creed does not mention hell at all.
What Does the Nicene Creed Actually Say?
The Nicene Creed, written at the councils of Nicaea (325 AD) and Constantinople (381 AD), affirms the Trinity, the incarnation of Christ, His death, resurrection, and future return. The most relevant line says:
“He suffered and was buried, and on the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures.”
That is the full statement regarding His burial and resurrection. No mention of hell. No reference to eternal torment. No doctrine of annihilation.
Where Does “He Descended Into Hell” Come From?
The phrase “He descended into hell” does not come from the Nicene Creed. It comes from the Apostles’ Creed, which developed later in the West.
In the original language, the word used was ᾅδης (Hades), meaning the grave or the realm of the dead, not “Gehenna,” which Jesus used when referring to destruction. Over time, this was mistranslated into “hell,” and later fueled medieval imagery of fire and torture.
In other words, when the Apostles’ Creed said Jesus descended into Hades, it simply meant He went to the place of the dead, not to a place of eternal torment.
Why the Silence on Hell Matters
The Nicene Creed’s complete silence about hell is telling. If eternal conscious torment were truly the centerpiece of the gospel, the most universal statement of faith in church history would not ignore it. Instead, the Creed focuses entirely on the death, resurrection, and victory of Christ.
This silence undercuts both Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT) and annihilationism. The Creed affirms resurrection and judgment but says nothing about endless suffering or the obliteration of souls.
Christ’s Descent Was Victory, Not Torment
The descent of Jesus was not to suffer more but to conquer death. Scripture declares, “O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?” His victory was over Hades itself. He entered the grave, broke its power, and rose again.
This truth aligns with the hope of Universal Reconciliation: Christ did not go into eternal flames but into the very realm of death to defeat it and bring life. The Creed rightly proclaims resurrection, not eternal torture.
Conclusion
The Nicene Creed does not mention hell. That phrase belongs only to the Apostles’ Creed, and even there it originally referred to Hades, the grave, not fiery torment.
The early church centered its confession on Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and coming return, not on endless punishment. This is why the Nicene Creed remains a testimony to the gospel of victory: death defeated, life restored, and Christ reigning forever.
