In his translation of the fourth century Jerusalem Georgian Chantbook, an early Christian hymnal, we find the following affirmations of the descent of Christ into Hades (cf. 1 Pet 3:18-22; 4:6) and how it was not a proclamation of condemnation, but instead, it was redemptive/transformative for those in Hades:
Hymns of the Resurrection: First Plagal Mode
Vespers
On the third day you
shone forth from the tomb, O Christ God,
And those who were sleeping in hell, the condemned,
You brought them from darkness into light.
Therefore, we sing to your resurrection,
O Lord, glory to you. (Stephen J. Shoemaker, The First Christian Hymnal: The
Songs of the Ancient Jerusalem Church [Eastern Christian Texts 10;
Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press, 2018], 147)
Matins
Christ has risen from
the dead
And raised up with him Adam,
Who had fallen through his error.
We sing to him, the Only one. (Ibid., 155)
Hymns of the Resurrection: Second Plagal
Mode
Vespers
The Author of our
life (cf. Acts 3:15),
Christ, arose from the dead,
And he raised up with him Adam,
Who had fallen through deception.
Therefore we the faithful sing to the Lord our God,
For he is gloriously glorified. (Ibid., 195)
Hymns of the Resurrection: Fourth Plagal
Mode
Vespers
He who was placed in
a new tomb,
And took hell captive,
And brought those who were in darkness into the light,
Together we cry out to him and say:
Glory to your resurrection
You who arose from
the grave,
And illuminated all and delivered us,
Glory to your power, O Christ our God. (Ibid., 257)
At: “Praise . . . “ (Ps. 148)
The Lord descended to
hell,
The Creator of all things,
He triumphed over Adam’s transgression by the resurrection. (Ibid., 293)
