Beware! Word-Faith Atonement Theology ----------------------------------------------- So when Jesus received the sour wine, He said, It is finished! And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (John 19:30) In reference to John 19:30, Copeland claims that, When Jesus cried, It is finished! He was not speaking of the plan of redemption. There were still three days and nights to go through (In hell) before He went to the throne....Jesus death on the cross was only the beginning of the complete work of redemption. (Kenneth Copeland, Jesus -- Our Lord of Glory, Believers Voice of Victory, April 1982) Factually, when Jesus spoke the words, It is finished! He sacrificed Himself as a sin offering; bore our iniquities and paid the debt for our sins on the cross (Matt. 26:28; Eph. 5:2; Heb. 10:5-18). The single Greek word for It is finished is tetelistai, which does not mean It has just begun and will continue later, but rather is defined as fulfilled, completed or paid in full. The Bible does not denote any other incidents continuing thereafter that contributed to our salvation. Continuing in their resistance to truth, it is argued by Word-Faith teachers that Jesus closing words It is finished is referring to the termination of the Abrahamic covenant. There are no scripture references; however, that provides credence to this. On the contrary, it was the Mosaic covenant with its sacrificial laws that was fulfilled by the atoning death of Christ (Matt. 5:17-19; Col. 2:13-14). The completion of Christs work on the cross and the issuing in of the new covenant is made evident by the instantaneous splitting of the temple curtain (Mark 15:38). The conclusion of Christs work on the cross is also demonstrated in the account of Luke 23:46 where Jesus stated, Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit. There are no scripture passages in the Bible that indicate Jesus submitted His Spirit to Satan in hell. The truth of mankinds redemption is clearly seen on the cross, not in the unrighteous regions of hell as inferred by Copeland and other Word-Faith advocates. Paul, the apostle, stated, God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ... (Gal. 6:14). He most certainly did not ever speak of a magnificent redemption achieved in hell. It was in the glory of the cross that he alluded to. Nothing is ever mentioned in the Bible that salvation was completed in hell. Word-Faith teachers misconstrue carefully selected passages of Scripture while ignoring other passages which clearly teach that believers are made righteous by Christs physical death on the cross.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 15:43:06 +0000
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