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While this reference to spirits in prison is not completely natural, this view fits better with the other considerations. It also is supported by 1 Peter 1:10-12, which speaks of the Spirit of Christ in the prophets who spoke. While none of the interpretations is totally without difficulty, one might conclude that this is the most adequate reading of the relevant data.

Robert Mounce, in his commentary Living Hope, says that the 1 Peter 3:18-20 passage is "widely recognized as perhaps the most difficult to understand in all of the New Testament." Even if one holds that Jesus did descend into hell to offer salvation to those who had lived on earth before him, this special effort does not apply to those who lived and died later.

There is one thing of which we can be certain: Jesus' death was a literal event, not some temporary state of unconsciousness. Hence, in his resurrection, Christ did indeed conquer death—both in its spiritual and physical forms.

Bible-believing Christians can allow themselves to differ on the nature of Jesus' descent into hell. Some will be able to recite this part of the Apostles' Creed with conviction, while others may choose to remain silent.Millard J. Erickson is Distinguished Professor of Theology at Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University.

Millard Erickson also answered the question "Is Hell Forever?" in Bibliotheca Sacra.

Erickson's Postmodernizing the Faith: Evangelical Responses to the Challenge of Postmodernism was discussed in a recent Christianity Today article by John G. Stackhouse Jr.

The article, "The Perils of Left and Right | Evangelical theology is much bigger and richer than our two-party labels," appeared in the August 10, 1998 issue of our print magazine.Earlier "Good Question" columns include:

• Are Christians Required to Tithe?
• Is Revelation Prophecy or History?
• You're Divorced-Can You Remarry?
• If Grace Is Irresistible, Why Evangelize?
• If I'm an Evangelical, What Am I?
• A Cracked Code
• Committing the Unforgivable Sin
• What Bible Version Did Jesus Read?
• Did God Die on the Cross?
• You Must Be Born Again-but at What Age?
• Was the Revolutionary War Justified?
• Can the Dead Be Converted?
• Cloaked in Mystery
• Is Hell Forever?
• Denominations: Divided We Stand
• Did Paul Baptize for the Dead?
• Do Demons Have Zip Codes?
• Doubting Thomas's Gospel

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February 7 2000, Vol. 44, No. 2