DOES EPHESIANS 4:8 TEACH THAT CHRIST TOOK PEOPLE "CAPTIVE" AND LED THEM TO HEAVEN?

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Ephesians 4:8: “Wherefore he says, When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” 

Does this verse teach that Christ takes people “captive” and leads them to heaven? How does Christ lead “CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE”? What does this short phrase mean?

The great universal church teaches that this is a reference to LIMBUS PATRI—meaning the place of limbo occupied by the fathers (Old Testament fathers like Abraham, Moses, David, Samuel, Isaiah, etc.). Their idea asserts that these men were captives trapped in limbo before Christ “ascended” to heaven and made it possible for them to go there, too. In this way, Christ supposedly led “captivity (the fathers) captive” to Himself and took them to heaven. 

This whole concept seems silly—when one thinks of men trapped in captivity in some vague spiritual “neverland” or “prison” for thousands of years until Christ could “free” them. 

The real meaning here is simply that those who serve sin are captive to it and are its servant or slave (Rom. 6:16-19), until they repent. Christ ascended to heaven, to become our High Priest (Heb. 4:14-16). At conversion, Christians become captives of Christ (instead of sin) and servants (slaves) of righteousness.

Ephesians 4:8 references conversion, not salvation. Romans 6:17-18 states, "But God be thanked, that you were the servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart...Being then made free from sin, you became the servants of righteousness." When this occurs, one is no longer captive to sin-and Satan (ll Tim. 2:26)!

Also, the point in the latter part of Ephesians 4:8 is simply this - as a conqueror at a triumph gets gifts to distribute, so Christ, on his resurrection and ascension, got the Holy Spirit to bestow on His Church.

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