Ephesians 4:8-10

"Therefore it says, 'WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.' (Now this expression, 'He ascended,' what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)" NASB

this is just one of many verses that i am struggling with the meaning. when i ask a preacher, deacon, the internet, etc. what it means, it says that when Christ died on the cross, he went down to "paradise" and emptied it and brought them to heaven with Him.
that's the jist of it...

the gifts are obviously the gifts of the spirit. but i don't understand how we get from point a to point b.

in order for Christ to fulfil the law, He had to die. Which would be the descended. to the grave. after a few "sightings" he ascended... He paved the way into heaven, but i don't get that He brought the dead saints with Him. but that's just me...

so it't tough to shed what we have been told that scripture means.. it causes a bias when we read.. i want to be able to read the scripture with a fresh mind. that's what i'm praying for...