What Does 'He Descended into Hell' Mean?

This line in the Apostles’ Creed—“he descended into hell”—puzzles many, so it helps to say first what it does not mean. It does not mean Jesus went to hell to be punished or to suffer more. The suffering for our sins was finished on the cross; there Jesus cried “It is finished,” and told the thief he would be with him in Paradise that day. The descent is not an extension of the passion. Christ’s atoning suffering ended at Calvary.

So what is it? The Lutheran understanding, drawn from Scripture, is that the descent was an act of victory, not defeat—a triumphant proclamation of Christ’s conquest over sin, death, and the devil. Having died and been made alive, Christ descended and “proclaimed” to the imprisoned spirits (1 Peter 3:18-19). This was no plea for mercy but a herald’s announcement of a battle already won. The cross and empty tomb had defeated the powers; the descent published the verdict in the enemy’s own stronghold. Paul captures the tone: God “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them” (Colossians 2:15).

Understood this way, the descent belongs to Christ’s exaltation—the first step of his victory march, not the last step of his humiliation. It declares that there is no domain, not even the realm of the dead and the demonic, where Christ is not Lord and Victor.

Christians have differed on some of the details, and Scripture speaks of it only briefly, so we hold our specifics humbly. But the comfort of the confession is sure and immense: your Savior has planted his flag in death’s own country. Every power that could threaten you—sin, death, hell, the devil—has already been faced down and defeated by the One who went there and came back reigning. “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).