FLC HEARD AN ATC CLRNC TO DSND; READ THE CLRNC BACK TO THE CTLR; BEGAN THE DSCNT AND WAS THEN ADVISED BY THE CTLR THAT THE DSCNT CLRNC WAS NOT FOR THEM.

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ON JAN/XA/99; ACFT #1 IAD-GSO; GSO HAD BEEN FOGGED IN. THE RVR HAD BEEN BTWN 1600-2000 FT. WE NEEDED 2400 FT RVR FOR THE APCH TO THE ILS RWY 5. THE LOC FOR RWY 23 WAS OTS. AFTER BEING VECTORED FOR SOME TIME AND FINALLY REACHING OUR DECISION FUEL; WE OPTED TO GO TO OUR ALTERNATE; WHICH WAS RDU. WE RELAYED THIS TO THE CTLR; WHICH IN TURN STATED OUR CALL SIGN; 'ACFT #1; TURN L HDG 080 DEGS; DSND AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT.' THE FO READ BACK THE CLRNC AS WELL AS I DID TO THE FO. I BEGAN DSNDING; BUT UPON REACHING 4500 FT MSL; THE CTLR CALLED OUR CALL SIGN AGAIN; 'ACFT #1 MAINTAIN 5000 FT' AND THEN STATED 'YOU SHOULD BE AT 6000 FT.' WE QUERIED THE CTLR ABOUT THE PREVIOUS CLRNC AND HE STATED THAT IT WAS NOT FOR US. WE IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO 6000 FT MSL WITHOUT INCIDENT. MY FO AND I HEARD OUR CALL SIGN AND CLRNC DOWN TO 3000 FT. THE FO READ IT BACK AS WELL AS I DID TO MY FO. WE FEEL THIS COULD BE A MISTAKE BY THE CTLR. THE COCKPIT WAS BEING RUN VERY SLOWLY AND METHODICALLY SO AS TO MAKE CERTAIN EVERYONE; IE; COMPANY; PAX; AND ATC TO BE KEPT IN THE LOOP. SHOULD ANYTHING ARISE FROM THIS; I WOULD LIKE THE TAPE TO BE PULLED AS EVIDENCE IF POSSIBLE.