Apostle Peter deems it so critical regarding the descent of the living Jesus Christ into Hades that he teaches on it twice (once again in 2 Peter 2). This is one of the core beliefs of the early Church, finding its way into the Apostle's Creed in mid-3rd Century as part of the summary of orthodox beliefs for the Church. This is a passage that has been much argued over. We want to understand Peter's preaching here, not what theologians have presented.
