Expositio super symbolum Apostolorum

He descended into hell, on the third day rose again from the dead.

This whole passage, according to some, pertains to one article, and it was composed by John the Evangelist. But it is asked how these things pertain to one article, since they do not cohere with each other, nor do they pertain to one condition of Christ's human nature but to two. To this we say that they are said to pertain to one article for this reason: that what follows, namely "on the third day he rose again from the dead," is joined on in order to explain what was said, "he descended into hell," namely lest anyone believe that Christ so descended into hell that a return to the world above was not open to him.

Since, then, what follows is set down to weaken an error that could arise from what was said, "he descended into hell," it is said to pertain to this; or rather, what was said pertains to the preceding article, where it was said "was crucified, died, and was buried." For all these pertain to the death of Christ and thus to one condition of Christ's human nature.

And in the Nicene Creed, "he descended into hell" is passed over in silence.

He descended into hell,

however, according to the soul, which was united to the person. For from the time the Son assumed a body and a soul, he did not lay aside body and soul. For just as he is said to have been in the tomb by reason of the body, so he descended into hell by reason of the soul, and consequently:

Rose again from the dead,

that is, from the state of the dead, that is, from death, or from the dead, that is, from the number of the dead, because he himself was free among the dead.¹

On the third day,

because he rose in the morning of the third day. Hence it is said, "Rising in the morning of the first day of the week, the Son of God." And in the psalm, "I will rise at dawn."² And elsewhere, "Weeping shall tarry in the evening, and in the morning, gladness."³ And this is what is said in the Nicene Creed, "And he rose again on the third day according to the scriptures." Some interpret this wrongly, expounding Christ's resurrection thus: "according to the scriptures," that is, according to what was prophesied in the scriptures of the Old Testament, as it is said in the psalm, "I have slept," etc.⁴