The Article was intended to refute an Anabaptist error that after the Resurrection our Lord’s humanity was absorbed into His divinity.  It asserts that He rose and ascended with ‘all things appertaining to the perfection of man's nature.’

(3) ‘Wherewith He ascended into heaven.’  Immediately we begin to discuss the life after death we are faced with the inadequacy of language.^[1]  Every word which we use in speech or writing has a definite meaning associated with this earth, and is therefore totally inadequate to describe a different mode of existence.  Hence we can only describe our Lord’s Ascension with the aid of metaphors and symbols.  In this age of Earth Satellites and Moon Rockets it is important to remember the limitations of language when we speak of ‘going up’ to heaven.  ‘We are not to think of the Ascension of Christ as of a change of position, of a going immeasurably far from us.  It is rather a change of the mode of existence, a passing to God, of Whom we cannot say that He is ‘there’ rather than ‘here’, of Whom we all can say ‘God is with me’, and if God then Christ Who has ascended to the right hand of God.  When therefore we declare our belief in Christ’s Ascension, we declare that He has entered upon the completeness of spiritual being without lessening in any degree the completeness of His Humanity.’^[2]  The Gospels are primarily concerned with our Lord’s earthly life and only refer incidentally to the Ascension.^[3]  Some such event was necessary to indicate that the post‑Resurrection appearances were not to continue indefinitely.  But the writers of the Acts and Epistles emphasize its greater significance as God’s exaltation of Christ^[4] and His coronation.^[5]  He is now ‘King of Kings and Lord of Lords.’^[6]  Much of the Epistle to the Hebrews is concerned with the High Priestly life of the Ascended Lord.^[7]  ‘His presence in the Holiest is a perpetual and effective presentation before God of the sacrifice once offered.  He offers Himself as representing to God man reconciled, and as claiming for man the right of access to the Divine presence.’^[8]  His Ascension was ‘expedient’^[9] for all His disciples, for His new position of authority and power enables them to do ‘greater works’^[10] through His grace and abiding Presence^[11] with them.

(4) ‘And there sitteth.’  As in the Creeds, the language is metaphorical^[12] and means that the Ascended Lord has been raised to the position of supreme authority and power.^[13]  Though He is described as ‘sitting’ He is not inactive.  He shares all the experiences of the Church, even in persecution.^[14]  He bestows the gift of the Holy Spirit.^[15]  He is our Mediator,^[16] Intercessor,^[17] and Advocate^[18] with the Father.