The second reading at mass today included 1 Peter 2:18-21

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he may bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and preached to the sprits in prison who formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, etc.

Evodius wrote to Augustine and asked what this meant. Augustine responded that the passage was difficult.

The problem, therefore, is this: If, when he died, the Lord preached in hell to the spirits held in prison, what good did they alone merit who were unbelievers when the ark was being constructed? For after the time of Noah so many thousands from so many nations died up to the passion of Christ whom he could have found in hell. Or, if he preached to all of them, why did Peter mention only these, while passing over so countless a multitude of others.

(It seems obvious to me that Peter mentioned them, because he wanted to liken the ark to the Church and the flood to baptism. But this was not obvious to Augustine because of his habit of mind that wanted to limit salvation.)

Evodius and many others thought that the passage meant that Christ had emptied hell when he descended into it.

Augustine wrote that he would like to think that the upright philosophers and good men of the pagan world were loosed from the pains of hell (Acts 2:24), “if human sentiment did not differ from the justice of the creator.”

Augustine admits that the whole Church believes that Christ took Adam from hell. Augustine says that hell did not include the bosom of Abraham, were the patriarchs waited.

Augustine tried various explanations, but finds the passage obscure, and ends by telling Evodius

Let anyone who is displeased with this explanation of the words of Peter or who, even if not displeased, stills finds them insufficient, seek to understand them in relation to hell. If anyone can solve these problems by which, as I mentioned, I am disturbed, so that he removes all doubts about the, he should share the solution with me.

Augustine privileges within the canon of Scripture the passages that seem to limit salvation, and understands any universalizing passages within the restrictive passages.

I presume Hans Urs von Balthasar and Augustine and Peter have already had a conversation about this.

My erudite wife informs me that the passage from Peter has almost no influence in Western art, but I believe it has an enormous influence in the East. The icon of the Anastasis, the Resurrection, shows Christ descending into hell and rescuing Adam and Eve. The feet of Christ burst asunder the gates of hell and and scatter every imaginable type of lock, bolt, bar, handcuff, shackle, and fetter. Now that is powerful preaching. She informs me that much of what we know about locks in antiquity comes from this icon.

The Anastasis in Phokis Hosios Lukas monastery.

And with even more energy (note the contrapposto which indicates movement even while standing) the Anastasis of the Church of the Holy Saviour at the Monastery of the Chora.

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