Reading this quotation slowly. But I came upon a question immediately. What does this statement mean? " "The soul when it was deified descended into Hades" Is there a moment that Jesus was not deity???
"But I came upon a question immediately. What does this statement mean? " "The soul when it was deified descended into Hades" Is there a moment that Jesus was not deity???"
The translation isn't the best, but likely the best that can be done in English. Two things are being said. First, that it was the Divine Soul of Christ which descended to the place of the Dead, having been released from the Body and second, that this is the one instance in history where we can say that God died (the converse, of course, is that we find in the person of Christ the one instance where we can say that man is eternal).
I forgot to add that I also earlier posted a link to +Athanasius on the Incarnation which also speaks to the meaning of the Sacrifice on the Cross within the context of God's plan advancing through the Incarnation.