Jesus Did Not Die Spiritually Pt 3 – KAU#025

It has been noted that Jesus did not suffer in Hell:

Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

There was no time for Him to do so. Jesus would be in the Paradise side of Hell that very day. There is therefore no time for any suffering. Furthermore, we have seen that the Scriptures clearly teach that Jesus died physically to redeem mankind, and that His death took place on a material tree:

1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Notice the above verse says “body on a tree.” It does not say “spirit” or “Hell.” The above arguments should be enough to convince anyone not to add to God’s Word and go beyond what is clearly written therein in regard to
the death of Jesus. Any other Scriptures that appear to imply a spiritual death or suffering in Hell should be interpreted by the above facts. Nevertheless, let us deal with some of these Scriptures that are used by Kenneth Copeland:

Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

This verse says that the Lord’s “soul” would be made an offering for sin. This is interpreted to mean hrist’s “spirit” had to die. Although the Bible sometimes uses “soul” to refer to both the “soul” and “spirit” (the whole inner person), it never uses “soul” to refer to the “spirit.” Man is in three parts, body, soul and spirit:

1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, the charismatic doctrine would have to maintain that Jesus died in BOTH soul and spirit to even begin to use Isaiah 53. On the other hand, the entire New Testament knows nothing of the Lord’s “soul” being made an offering for sin. It refers only to the Lord’s physical body dying:

Hebrews 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

What then can Isaiah be referring to? It plainly states that the “soul” of Jesus was made an offering. The mistake here is one of the greatest and most common in Bible interpretation. It is made continually in regard to numerous doctrines. It is the mistake a child makes when he asks his mother:

“Why does the Bible say fowls fly in HEAVEN? Do birds fly where God’s throne is (Hos.4:3)?”

Of course, the wise mother will answer that the word “heaven” refers to more than the place of God’s throne. The sky is called a “heaven.” Outer space is also called a “heaven.” And neither of these refer to the third Heaven of the Lord’s throne.

This is the same mistake that is made with Bible words such as salvation, justification, damnation, condemnation, kingdom, etc. Many people do not grab a good dictionary and study the context of various Bible words. The Bible teaches that the servant of God is to “rightly divide the Word.” Christians would do well to rightly divide the “words” that make up that Word.

Let us notice the word “soul.” Webster 1828 lists “life” as one definition. The Lord’s “life” was indeed made an offering for sin:

Matthew 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

However, the Lord gave only His PHYSICAL life for sin. Does the Bible itself reveal that the word “soul” can ean “physical life”? Notice the following Scripture:

Leviticus 7:25 For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people.

It says “the soul that eateth it.” Was it the inward part of man that could sinfully eat this fat or the outward? Certainly the verse is not referring to a non-material part of man! Notice another verse:

Genesis 12:13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.

Could the Egyptians have killed Abraham’s non-material being? Of course not. “My soul” must refer to Abraham’s physical life. This is the only thing man could kill:

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

The Lord Himself teaches that man cannot kill a non-material soul. Yet, man can take a “physical life.” This brings up an interesting point. The Bible teaches that only God can kill a non-material “soul.” Did the Father kill the inward “soul” of Jesus? Men certainly could not have slain it. When the physical body dies, the “soul” lives on until it is placed in either the realm of life or death (Luke 16:22-25).

Many Christian leaders have embraced the doctrine that Jesus died spiritually, although they reject Copeland’s idea that Jesus suffered in Hell. Yet, man cannot kill the non-material part (soul or spirit) of man. Only God can kill a soul or spirit (Heb.4:12, Mtt.10:28). A non-material soul cannot be crucified on a tree. Thus, these evangelicals who have embraced the JDS doctrine while denying the Copeland doctrine are in a confused position. Although it is heretical, the Copeland idea is at least here a bit more reasonable in one aspect. They rightly see that a non-material “soul” cannot be slain on a tree. Therefore, they have Jesus “spiritually” dying in Hell. It is not logical to have Jesus dying on the cross “spiritually.” That idea is absurd. A tree cannot slay a non-material part of man. Will these evangelicals hold that God the Father killed Jesus after He died physically on the Cross?

The inward “ghost” of man does not die when the body dies:

Genesis 25:8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.

Matthew 27:50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

Notice the “ghost” is given up. It does not die unless it is then placed in the realm of destruction. Abraham’s ghost went to Paradise (in the heart of the earth) when he died:

Luke 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

The Ghost of Jesus went to the same place. That the non-material being (soul, ghost or spirit) of Jesus did not die can be proven from the same Scripture that proves He did not suffer in Hell:

Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be wih me in paradise.

When did the non-material soul of Jesus die? Jesus said He would be with the thief on the cross that very day in Paradise. The whole inner being of Jesus (spirit and soul) was in Paradise ALIVE that very day. Do any imagine that Jesus was in Paradise in the heart of the earth without a soul or spirit? His body was in the tomb. There could be no “Me” to be with in Paradise if the “Me” did not refer to Christ’s whole inner being. The Ghost of Jesus was alive and well in Paradise with the thief and Abraham.

In conclusion, a soul or spirit cannot be slain by man on a tree. And the inward Man of Jesus was alive and well with the thief in Paradise that same day. There is nothing mentioned, nor is there room for some imaginary “soul” death of Jesus. Isaiah therefore refers to the “physical life” of Jesus.

From: KA Update #25 pt.2 (7-17-99)