A viral clip of a pastor describing what he believes Jesus endured after the crucifixion divides Christians on social media — and highlights an ancient Christian debate.
A sermon by Otha Turnbough, pastor of Lionheart Church in Austell, Georgia, has spent the past week circulating across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, drawing accusations of heresy from other Christians online. The clip focuses on what Turnbough believes Jesus experienced during the three days between his crucifixion and resurrection — a period the pastor described in graphic terms, including sexual violence at the hands of demons. Turnbough has since addressed the backlash directly in a follow-up sermon posted to his church’s YouTube channel.
By Turnbough’s own account in his follow-up remarks, his original message argued that Jesus’s suffering did not end at the cross. Instead, Jesus then endured three additional days of torment in hell — fire, decay, and what Turnbough has acknowledged describing as sexual assault by demons. The assault, according to Turnbough, was because Jesus had to fully “pay the price” for every sin humanity would ever commit, including sexual sin.
Online Responses
Reactions to Turnbough’s claims were swift and largely negative, with critics accusing him of promoting doctrine unsupported by Scripture.
Christian commentary channels on YouTube framed the sermon in similarly stark terms, with one widely shared video asking whether Turnbough had crossed an unrecoverable line and another calling it one of the most blasphemous sermons its creator had encountered. On Facebook, the ministry page Chrisagis Brothers Productions publicly broke with Turnbough, writing that it had previously agreed with him — presumably on other matters — but now considered his teaching on Jesus being tortured in hell as false.
The Georgia pastor addressed his initial remarks in a Sept. 9 Bible study that the church titled “Jesus Being Extremely Tortured In Hell” on YouTube. In his message, Turnbough presented an elaborate scene that none of the four Gospels — or any other biblical book — include or even allude to. “Jesus is down there in hell being molested,” he said, before diving into how the Christian Savior purportedly endured sexual abuse by demons for three days. Turnbough linked those imaginary punishments to sexual sins committed by human beings and said Christ “had to pay the price” for every kind of sin.
In comments under Lionheart Church’s Sept. 9 video, several viewers pointed to Jesus’ declaration from the cross that his work was finished. One wrote that Christ’s body lay in the tomb while his spirit liberated captives, adding that demons could not overpower him. Another cited 1 Peter 3:18–20 and John 19:28–30 and urged listeners to test the sermon against Scripture.
Other viewers defended Turnbough. One commenter argued that Isaiah 53 supports the idea that Jesus experienced human wickedness in his soul, even if his body did not undergo those punishments after death. Supporters also praised Turnbough’s ministry and said the sermon intensified their appreciation of Christ’s sacrifice.
The video had over 100,000 views at the writing of this report.
What the Bible Says and Word of Faith Links
Several New Testament passages have contributed to the belief that Christ descended to the dead, although theologians across Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions disagree about what Christ’s descent accomplished.
In Acts 2:24–32, Peter applies a psalm about not being abandoned to Hades to Jesus’ resurrection. First Peter 3:18–20 says Christ was put to death in the flesh, made alive in the spirit and proclaimed to “spirits in prison.” Ephesians 4:8–10 refers to Christ descending to “the lower parts of the earth,” though interpreters disagree over whether that means the incarnation, burial or the underworld.
Christians have not agreed on every detail of biblical interpretation. Some understand 1 Peter to mean that Christ proclaimed victory to rebellious spiritual beings. Others believe he announced liberation to the righteous dead. Still, others read the passage as describing Christ preaching through Noah to people who were alive before the flood.
What the passage does say plainly is that Christ “suffered for sins once for all.” What it does not say is that demons defeated, assaulted, or punished him.
The Gospels are similarly silent about any post-crucifixion torture. Jesus tells the repentant criminal in Luke 23:43 that they will be together in paradise. In John 19:30, Jesus declares, “It is finished,” before dying. And texts such as Colossians 2:15 and Hebrews 2:14–15 portray the cross as Christ’s defeat of hostile spiritual powers and of the devil’s power of death.
Some teachers associated with the Word of Faith movement have taught that Jesus “died spiritually,” suffered in hell, and then emerged victorious.
William P. Atkinson’s scholarly study The “Spiritual Death” of Jesus: A Pentecostal Investigation examines versions of that doctrine in the teachings of E.W. Kenyon, Kenneth E. Hagin and Kenneth Copeland. According to the book, this theology of Jesus dying spiritually, “incorporates three elements: in this death, Jesus was separated from God; partook of a satanic nature; and was Satan’s prey.”
Turnbough’s sermon is more closely aligned with that Word of Faith stream in terms of linking the atonement from the cross to Jesus’ punishment after death. However, the Lionheart Church pastor is alone when it comes to his sexualized details about what Jesus would have suffered in hell.
Otha Turnbough’s Background
Turnbough and his wife, LaRonna, are the founders of the nondenominational, Pentecostal-leaning church located outside Atlanta. Their church emphasizes supernatural encounters with God, including spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues.
According to a CBN profile, Turnbough previously served as an assistant pastor, continued volunteering for years after losing the paid position and later moved with his family from Detroit to Atlanta to start Lionheart. The congregation initially met in a room of an old movie theater. The profile says the theater’s owner later gave the church the building.
The church’s own statement of faith cites 2 Timothy 3:16, which says Scripture is perfect and useful for doctrine, correction, and instruction. Applied to this controversy, that commitment raises a major question: Should a preacher present a vision of Christ suffering in hell as Christian teaching when Scripture itself never describes it?
This is not the first time Turnbough’s teaching has drawn public criticism. In January 2024, it was reported that Turnbough had told his congregation about a conversation he had with a demon during a deliverance session and presented what he learned from it as theological fact.
Editor’s note: This article was compiled by AI and re-written, verified, and and edited by a human.
