Dake Bible Discussion Board ⇒ Comparative Soteriology: Stanley, Copeland, Hagin, & Dake

[Spiritblade Disciple]

What the NASB calls "in the Spirit", the KJV says is "by the Spirit".
"... being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;"
The subject is the Spirit, by which Jesus was both made alive, and by which He had preached through the prophets to the long dead, in the times of, among others, Moses.
1 Peter 1:10-12, and 1 Peter 3:20 refer to that past age.

You're likely not alone in that view.

[macca]

The word of God does not teach JDS, as taught by Copeland and others.
It has been added to the bible.
Even the Christian singer Don Francisco has a song that espouses this addition to the word of God.
The bible teaches the death of The messiah on the cross was sufficient.
If it is not in bible it comes from man, not God.

[Hill Top]

What the NASB calls "in the Spirit", the KJV says is "by the Spirit".
"... being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;"
The subject is the Spirit, by which Jesus was both made alive, and by which He had preached through the prophets to the long dead, in the times of, among others, Moses.
1 Peter 1:10-12, and 1 Peter 3:20 refer to that past age.

You're likely not alone in that view.

I hope so.

[Spiritblade Disciple]

I asked Grok to compile the strongest arguments that Copeland and Hagin have presented for the "Jesus Died Spiritually" doctrine.

Here's what Grok wrote:

The strongest arguments advanced by Kenneth E. Hagin and Kenneth Copeland for the claim that Jesus died spiritually

These rest on a specific chain of biblical interpretation, logical necessity, and substitutionary reasoning. They present these as the only way the atonement could fully address the human condition created by Adam’s fall.

1. Spiritual death is the real problem; physical death is secondary
Hagin repeatedly argues from Genesis 2:17 (“in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die”). Adam did not drop dead physically that day; therefore the death God threatened was spiritual—separation from God plus the infusion of Satan’s nature. Physical death later followed as a consequence.
Because the root problem is spiritual death (a change of nature), only a corresponding spiritual death by the Substitute can reverse it. A purely physical death would leave the spiritual problem untouched. Hagin states that Jesus “took upon Himself our sin nature, the nature of spiritual death, that we might have eternal life.” Physical death alone (even of a sinless man) could never remove spiritual death.

2. 2 Corinthians 5:21 requires an actual change of nature
“God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us.”
Both teachers insist this cannot mean merely that Jesus was treated as if He were sin or offered as a sin-offering in a legal sense. It means He actually became sin—He took the sin nature itself into His own spirit. Hagin: “He became what we were.” Copeland goes further: Jesus “accepted the sin nature of Satan” and “the light was turned off.” Only by becoming the very thing that separates man from God could He then be the source of the opposite (righteousness and eternal life) for those who believe.

3. The cry of forsakenness proves the spiritual death occurred
“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46 / Psalm 22:1).
They treat this as the moment the spiritual death took place. The unbroken fellowship of the Trinity was ruptured; the life of God departed from Jesus’ spirit; He was left as a mortal man under the dominion of death and Satan. Copeland has claimed Jesus told him that “it was a sign of Satan that was hanging on the cross” and that Jesus accepted spiritual death in His own spirit. This is presented as the decisive transfer of nature.

4. Physical death alone is insufficient—anyone could die physically
Copeland’s blunt formulation: “It wasn’t a physical death on the cross that paid the price for sin… anybody can do that.” Abel, the prophets under the Abrahamic covenant, or the two thieves could have died physically. What made Jesus’ death unique and efficacious was that He voluntarily entered the same spiritual death Adam entered—by choice rather than by treason—so that the legal claim of spiritual death over the human race could be broken.

5. Jesus had to go to hell and be “born again” there
Because spiritual death is the nature of Satan and of hell, Jesus’ spirit had to descend into the prison house of suffering, experience the full penalty, and then be justified/made alive again in the spirit (they cite 1 Timothy 3:16 “justified in the Spirit” and 1 Peter 3:18). Hagin and Copeland teach that Jesus was reborn in hell; only after that regeneration was He raised. The physical resurrection is the outward evidence that the spiritual work in hell was completed. Without the spiritual death and rebirth in hell, the physical death would have been incomplete.

6. Substitutionary logic demands exact correspondence
Man is a spirit who has a soul and lives in a body. The real man is the spirit. Therefore the real atonement must occur in the spirit realm. Jesus, as the last Adam, had to experience in His spirit exactly what the first Adam experienced, so that the new birth could reverse it. Anything less would leave humanity still spiritually dead. This is why they insist the cross was not the finish line; the three days in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:40) completed the transaction.

7. Supporting texts they lean on heavily

• Isaiah 53:9–12 (especially the plural “deaths” in some readings and “his soul an offering for sin”).
• Hebrews 2:9 (“taste death for every man”)—they insist this is spiritual death.
• Hebrews 9:26 (“put away sin by the sacrifice of himself”)—sin as nature, not merely acts.
• Psalm 88 and other “lowest pit / darkness” passages applied to Jesus’ experience between death and resurrection.
• The claim that Jesus “put Himself into the hands of Satan” when He became obedient unto death (Philippians 2:8 interpreted through the spiritual-death lens).

These are the core, strongest arguments they advance. They present them as the necessary outworking of a consistent substitutionary atonement that matches the nature of the Fall. The physical cross is essential but incomplete without the spiritual death, the descent, the suffering under Satan’s dominion, and the rebirth in hell that restores the divine nature.

I also asked Google Gemini what the strongest case is for Copeland and Hagin's position on "Jesus Died Spiritually."

Here is what Gemini wrote:

The strongest case for the teaching that Jesus died spiritually—often associated with Word of Faith ministers like Kenneth Copeland and Kenneth E. Hagin—rests on a specific literal interpretation of substitutionary atonement, the nature of spiritual death, and key New Testament passages. Proponents of this view argue that physical death alone was insufficient to pay for human sin, meaning Jesus had to suffer the exact spiritual penalty due to humanity: separation from God.

1. The Principle of Exact Substitution
The core theological foundation is that Jesus was a perfect substitute for humanity.

• The Penalty: Scripture states that the ultimate penalty for sin is spiritual death, defined as separation from God (Genesis 2:17, Romans 6:23).
• The Logic: If human sin produces spiritual death, a Savior who only died physically would not have paid the full penalty.
• The Conclusion: To completely redeem humanity, Jesus had to experience spiritual death, taking our exact place under wrath.

2. The Cry of Dereliction (Matthew 27:46)
On the cross, Jesus cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

• The Argument: Word of Faith theology takes this as a literal description of an event.
• The Interpretation: At that moment, the unbroken, eternal fellowship between the Father and the Son was severed.
• The Impact: This total abandonment by the Father is viewed as the definition of spiritual death.

3. Becoming Sin and the Curse (2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13)
Proponents heavily rely on Paul's letters to describe the mechanics of the crucifixion.

• 2 Corinthians 5:21: Paul writes that God "made him who had no sin to be sin for us." Word of Faith teachers argue this was a literal, spiritual transformation where Jesus absorbed the nature of sin.
• Galatians 3:13: Scripture states Christ became "a curse for us." Because a curse implies spiritual ruin and alienation from God's blessing, they argue this marks a spiritual transition rather than a purely physical one.

4. The Firstborn from the Dead (Colossians 1:18; Acts 13:33)
To explain how Jesus overcame this state, proponents point to His resurrection as a spiritual rebirth.

• The Title: Jesus is called the "firstborn from the dead" (Colossians 1:18). Proponents argue this does not just mean physical resurrection, as others were raised physically before Him (like Lazarus).
• The Rebirth: They interpret Acts 13:33 ("You are my Son; today I have begotten you") as the exact moment in hell when Jesus was spiritually regenerated, or "born again," making Him the blueprint for the Christian new creation.

5. Prophetic Language in Isaiah 53:9
Proponents look to the Old Testament for prophetic validation.

• The Text: The Hebrew text of Isaiah 53:9 literally reads, "And they made his grave with the wicked... although he had done no violence," where the word for "death" is plural (bemotav, meaning "in his deaths").
• The Interpretation: Word of Faith theologians interpret this plurality to mean Jesus suffered two distinct deaths on the cross: first a spiritual death when sin was laid on Him, followed by His physical death.

[Spiritblade Disciple]

The bible teaches the death of The messiah on the cross was sufficient.

So, you're saying that the resurrection of Jesus was unnecessary for our salvation?