en i was growing up I went to a church that confessed the Apostles' Creed. There we stood, speaking the words in unison. I was nodding in agreement. That is, until we came to this line: "He descended into hell."
He what?
Never in alll my years of church-going had a preacher ever talked about that. Was this actually in the Bible?
Peter wrote, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison..." (3:18-19). These imprisoned spirits are further described as those who did not obey in the days of Noah (v. 20).

First, the sequence. Jesus was "put to death," "made alive," and then proclaimed. So this proclamation took place after his resurrection, though exactly when and how, we are not told.
Second, where did this happen? Peter says it was "in prison," using the same Greek word (φυλακή) that John uses in Revelation for the place where Satan is imprisoned (Rev. 20:7). I do not take this to mean simply "the place of the dead," but rather hell itself (compare 2 Pet. 2:4).
Third, what did Jesus do? He proclaimed (κηρύσσω in Greek).
Fourth, what did he proclaim? Peter doesn't tell us explicitly. But allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture, I understand Jesus to be proclaiming his resurrection victory to the rebellious demonic spirits, like a conquering king marching through the streets of a defeated enemy. This is the victorious Christ who has "bound the strong man" (Matt. 12:29).
Today, when we confess that Christ "descended into hell," we no longer ask, "He what?" Instead, we smile, knowing that Jesus has conquered every foe, proclaimed their defeat to their face, and filled us with the comfort that his victory is also ours.