Did Jesus preach to demons between His death and resurrection?
Question 08087
The idea that Jesus preached to demons during the period between His death and resurrection has a long history in Christian thought and is closely connected to the interpretation of 1 Peter 3:19. Did Jesus descend to the realm of the dead and address demonic beings, and if so, what was the purpose and content of that proclamation?
The Creedal Background
The Apostles’ Creed includes the phrase “He descended into hell” (descendit ad inferos), which has been interpreted in various ways across the history of the Church. Some traditions understand this as a literal descent to the place of the dead, whether to proclaim victory, to liberate Old Testament saints, or to preach to imprisoned spirits. Others understand it simply as a reference to the reality of Christ’s death and burial, His genuine entry into the state of death. The creedal phrase itself predates the specific interpretive debates, and its meaning must be determined by Scripture rather than by tradition.
What Scripture Actually Describes
The key text is 1 Peter 3:18–20, discussed in detail in Q08086. Christ, having been “put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” went and proclaimed (ekeruxen) to “the spirits in prison.” If the spirits in prison are identified as the fallen angels of Genesis 6, then the proclamation is a declaration of Christ’s victory made to confined angelic beings. The timing, “made alive in the spirit,” most naturally places this proclamation after the resurrection rather than during the period between death and resurrection, though this remains debated.
Ephesians 4:8–10 is sometimes brought into the discussion. Paul writes: “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men. (In saying, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?)” The ESV translation renders “the lower regions, the earth,” treating the phrase as a genitive of apposition: the lower regions that is the earth. This reading refers to the Incarnation, Christ’s descent to earth, rather than to a descent beneath the earth. Alternative readings take “the lower regions of the earth” as a reference to Sheol or Hades, but the Incarnation reading is well supported and avoids importing a descent narrative that the passage does not clearly require.
Did Jesus Preach the Gospel to Demons?
The answer is no, if by “preach” we mean an evangelistic proclamation offering salvation. The word in 1 Peter 3:19 is kerusso, meaning to herald or to announce, not euangelizo, meaning to bring good news or to preach the gospel. Christ made a proclamation to these imprisoned spirits. The content of that proclamation, though not explicitly stated, is naturally understood as a declaration of triumph. The one who was crucified has been vindicated; the powers of darkness have not prevailed; the purpose of God in redemption has been accomplished. This is an announcement of victory, not an invitation to repentance.
Demons are not offered salvation anywhere in Scripture. The redemptive work of Christ is for human beings, made in God’s image, for whom He took on human nature. Hebrews 2:16 states: “For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham.” The Incarnation was specifically a taking on of human nature for human salvation. Fallen angels are not included in the scope of redemptive provision, and nothing in any New Testament passage suggests otherwise.
The Theological Significance
What Christ’s proclamation to the imprisoned spirits demonstrates is the comprehensive scope of His victory. His triumph at the cross is announced to the very beings who had sought to corrupt and destroy humanity. The principalities and powers have been publicly disarmed and put to open shame (Colossians 2:15). The proclamation to the spirits in prison is one expression of that comprehensive triumph. It is not a rescue mission to the underworld; it is a victory announcement to defeated enemies.
So, now what?
The pastoral relevance of this passage, written to suffering believers under pressure and persecution, should not be missed. Peter’s point is that Christ’s suffering led to vindication, and so will theirs. The one who endured the cross now stands as the proclaimed victor over every hostile spiritual power. Believers who suffer for righteousness are not on the losing side. They belong to the one who has already declared His triumph in the very strongholds of the enemy. That is not a marginal comfort; it is the foundation on which endurance is built.
“He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” Colossians 2:15
