Nielsen’s Nook

Parts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Translation

on the third day he was raised [1] from among the dead, was taken up [2] into heaven,

[1] ἀναστάντα (ἀνίστημι) in this passive participial form is not used in the NT. Polycarp in his Epistle to the Philippians (9:2) writes οὐ γὰρ τὸν νῦν ἠγάπησαν αἰῶνα, ἀλλὰ τὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀποθανόντα καὶ δι ̓ ἡμᾶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀναστάντα (They [the Apostles] did not love this present age, but the one who died for our sakes and who was raised by God for us).

[2] ἀνελθόντα (ἀνέρχομαι) It should be noted that this may be a continuation of the passive aorist participle form that has been used of the other verbal elements in the Creed; however, it may also be functioning as a deponent, meaning middle/passive form serving with active meaning. Ambiguously, Jesus either ascended into heaven or was taken up to heaven. Given that the passive is used throughout the Creed, it seems that the former possibility is the better translation. Much like the ambiguity in John 3, when Jesus answers Nicodemus, the prefix ἀνα here can augment the type of going/coming to mean “to return” or “to go up.” In a very real since both are true, Jesus is confessed to be the incarnate God come from heaven, now returned. In terms of the hierarchy of places in the Fallen scheme of things, heaven is indeed a step up. The NT uses the word in speaking of ascension in elevation (in a clearly active aorist form). ἀνῆλθεν δὲ εἰς τὸ ὄρος Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἐκεῖ ἐκάθητο μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ, But Jesus went up on the mountain and sat there with his disciples (Jn 6:3). When speaking of traveling to Jerusalem NT writers would speak of going up to it (again active aorist). οὐδὲ ἀνῆλθον εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, neither did I go up to Jerusalem (Gal 1:17). This is also true in the LXX (active aorist). τὴν ὁδὸν, ἐν ἧ ἀνῆλθεν, the way by which he came up (3 Kings 13:12 LXX, 1 Kings 13:12 English). See also Josephus, Antiquities 6.314.