I think this statement will
be thoroughly borne out by some of the translations I will quote.
I have thus been moved to give some instances of mistranslation. Since
writing the foregoing I have met with a treatise by Rev. Arthur
Chambers, an English Episcopal minister, in which he quotes a great
number of these. A number of them bear so directly on the matter we are
treating that I feel that I cannot do better than quote some of them
here. And in order to do this author justice, I will give also some of
his own comments.
Mr. Chambers writes:
THE MEANING OF THE WORD "HADES."
The Greek language contains two words which are used many times in the
New Testament--"Gehenna" and "Hades."
When the Greek New Testament was translated into English, one English
word'--"Hell"--was, very unfortunately, made to do service for the two
Greek words named above. "Hell" was used to express both the place of
future punishments, and also the abode of those, who having departed the
Earth-life, are existing as disembodied spirits, physically disembodied.
As was to be expected, confusion of ideas soon arose in consequence, and
ordinary readers became bewildered.
Such a passage is Acts ii. 31: "His soul was not left in Hell," and the
clause in the Apostles' Creed--"He descended into Hell"--instead of
being understood as expressing that Christ at His crucifixion entered
into Hades, seem to teach that He went into the place of
punishment--Hell; where He never went.
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