Letter From Kenneth Copeland Ministries

October 29, 1996

Dear David,

    Thank you for writing. We appreciate this opportunity to minister to you.

    We are writing on behalf of Marty Copeland, Brother Copeland's daughter-in-law. She received your letter which included references to several men who have written books in oppostion to Brother Copelands's teachings.

    To gain a unbiased opinion on any subject, it is advisable to consider a variety of viewpoints. Several Christian writers have addressed these charges and their books are available at local Christian bookstores. One such author is James R, Spencer, whose books Heresy Hunters and Bleeding hearts and Propaganda, contain some thought-provoking statements. Spencer refutes the charges as having been taken out of context, then addresses the subjects using additional quotes by brother Copeland to prove that his statements have been misconstrued. For better understanding of Brother Copeland's teaching, we suggest you read Spencer's comments in Bleeding Hearts.

    Brother Copeland has made it a policy not to respond to or debate with anyone about their disagreements with him over the Word of God (Titus 3:9; 2 Tim 2:23-26). He believes in most cases no one changes their beliefs and a even greater division is created in the Body of Christ. However, Spencer suggests a response is needed, not for the accuser but for the sincere person who has heard only one side of the story. At the suggestion, we are sending some material which we trust will more fully explain some of Brother Copeland's statements.

    You asked if Marty believes as Brother Copeland does that God failed or is a failure. Let us assure you Brother Copeland does not feel, think or preach that God has failed or that He is a failure. Confusion has resulted from his statement which has been taken out of context. Let us clarify this misunderstanding.

    Brother Copeland stated that looking in the natural, it appears God was the biggest failure ever. God lost the Archangel assigned as a covering to the Glory of God and leader of worship and praise to Him, when he became corrupted with sin. God lost one-third of the angels who became corrupted along with Lucifer. God lost Adam, the man created to fellowship with God, when he fell into sin and chose Satan over God. When Adam sinned, God lost all mankind, sin becoming lodged in man's nature. At that time God lost all earthly creation also. To bring mankind back to Him, God sent prophets, priests, judges, kings and ministers, most of whom were rejected and killed. God lost His only begotten Son, turning His face away from Jesus as He bore all the corruption of mankind at Calvary. In the natural it looked like God had failed at every attempt.

    Brother Copeland was then very specific when he,said, "But God is not a loser. From the very beqinning He had a plan and knew what He was going to do. It was through the sacrifice of Jesus that He redeemed to Himself all mankind who would receive salvation, and regained the world over which Jesus will reign when He comes back to set up His Kingdom. God won back all his losses when Jesus was raised from the dead and seated in the Heavenlies far above all principalities and powers and above every name that is named. It has been accomplished and soon we will see in the natural all things restored to Him.

    Concerning Jesus going into hell, Brother Copeland has never implied that Satan is our co-redeemer or that Jesus' death on the cross was not enough. The blood of Jesus ratified an eternal covenant with us which He will never end. Neither does Brother Copeland believe we are gods who command God to obey us. There is One Supreme and Sovereign God Who we worship and serve--the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

    The responsibility of the Body of Christ is to love and encourage one another, pray for one another and make the effort to come into the unity of faith (John 13:34-35; James 5:16; Ephesians 4:3,13). Our faith is through Jesus Christ and His shed blood. Kenneth and Gloria Copeland and the KCM staff all love Jesus as our Savior and want to see souls saved. we stand in agreement and prayerfully uphold all those who also believe that.

    May the Lord continue to bless you with everything that pertains to life and godliness through Jesus Christ.

    Margaret Fendley Prayer Minister

    SL:MAF Enclosure : Jesus In Hell, Are We Gods

Are we Gods?

    Are we gods? In John 10:34-35 Jesus asked why He had incurred the wrath of the Jews by claiming to be the Son of God when the Psalmist had referred to ordinary judges saying " .Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High (Psalm 82:6). In Hebrews 1:8, God is speaking to His first begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and He calls Him God. Jesus is declared God, and He is God':

    In reference to us; when we are recreated, we are created "in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:10). If we are "in Christ", we are in God (2 Corinthians 5:17). The great mystery (Ephesians 5:30-32) is involved: God in us, us in God. We have God-given capabilities. We have His faith (Mark 11:22, literal translation; Romans 12:3). Jesus said all power is given unto me; therefore, you take it and use it (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-18, Luke 10:18-20). Jesus said that the Holy Spirit will show us God's power, abilities, resources and supply, and make them available to us (John 16:13-15).

    When God formed man out of the dust of the earth and imparted life to him, the result was perfection. God made this man in His own "image" (Genesis 1:26). From the word "image", we could say this man was as close a copy of God Himself as His own shadow. That is the Hebrew definition of the word "image". The level of communication between God and His man was the highest level, the spirit-level. Above all, God gave Adam (man) a will, the capacity to decide and choose. Adam pleased God because he operated by faith (Hebrews 11:6).

    Think about that: God intended man to rule the earth together with Him! He gave Adam the mental ability to name every living creature. God is the Creator of the universe. He is the Creator of light, and that is how we measure the universe. Jesus called us the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). The Creator and Lord of the universe lives and dwells within us (2 Corinthians 6:16). He gave us dominion and power to use over all the power of the enemy, both in heaven and earth (Matthew 18:18). We have His Name and His Word. The Lord of ALL dwells within us and uses us to rule in the affairs of life (Romans 5:17). He does this through us because we are His Body here on earth. We are in Him and He is in us (John 17:21).

    God has dominion over the entire spiritual realm. Man (the believer recreated in Christ Jesus) is intended to dominate the physical realm. Together with God, we are to have dominion over it all.

JESUS IN HELL by Kenneth Copeland

    Acts 2:27, "Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."

    (New Berkeley)...Thou wilt not abandon my soul to the realm of the dead.

    (Weymouth) For thou wilt not leave me in the unseen world forsaken...

    (Amplified) For you will not abandon My soul, leaving it helpless in Hades (the state of departed spirits)... (Rotherham) Thou wilt not abandon my soul unto hades... (Translator's NT)...you will not abandon my soul to Hades...

    The key to the significance of this verse in our study is found in the work "leave." W.E. Vine, "leave:" Greek ENKATALEIPO --to forsake, abandon, leave in straits, or helpless, said by or of, Christ, as in Matthew 27:46, 2 Timothy 4:10,16 and Hebrews 13:5. Those in paradise or Abraham's bosom were comforted, not abandoned or forsaken (Luke 16:22-26). Jesus was in the ungodly side.

    Matthew 12:40, "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

    (Good News) In the same way that Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the whale...

    Since Jesus' stay in the hea:rt of ihe earth (not the grave) was like Jonah's stay in the belly of the whale, what was Johah's experience like? This would tell us something of what Jesus' experience was like.

    Jonah 2:1-6, "Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly. And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about; all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. The waters compassed me about, even to the soul; the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God."

    Notice the terms "affliction," "the deep," "floods," "billows, "waves," "cast out," "the depth," "weeds," "corruption" (margin: the pit). Jonah did not have a restful, paradisetype experience to say the least.

    (GNB) From deep in the world of the dead I cried for help and you heard me. I thought I had been banished from your presence and would never see your holy temple again. I went down to the very roots of the mountains into the land whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O Lord my God, brought me back from the depth alive.

    (Basic English)...out of the deepest underworld I sent up a cry, and you gave ear to my voice....you have taken up my life from the underworld, 0 Lord my God.

    (Masoretic OT) Out of the belly of the netherworld cried I...Yet hast Thou brought up my life from the pit... (Rotherham)...Then didst thou bring up--out of the pit my life. . .

    (New American)...From the midst of the nether world I cried for help...the abyss enveloped me...the bars of the nether world were closing behind me forever, but you my life up from the pit...

    (Berkeley)...From the innermost part* of Sheol I cried for help...*or "womb."

    Psalm 88:4-8,11-12,16, "I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength: Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah. Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up; and I cannot come forth

    ''Shall thy lovingnindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction? Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in destruction? Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

    "Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off." (Knox)...a man past all help, there among the lordless dead... I lie in a prison whence there is no escape.

    (Basic English) My soul is among the dead, like those in the underworld, to whom you give no more thought; for they are cut off from your care.

    (Jerusalem) You have plunged me to the bottom of the Pit, to its darkest, deepest place, weighted down by your anger, drowned beneath your waves.

    (Moffat) In the nethermost pit thou hast placed me, in abysses dark and deep; thy wrath lies heavy upon me, thyvaves all overwhelm me...I cannot escape from my prison...thy faithfulness in the world below.

    (New American) You have plunged me into bottom of the pit, into the dark abyss.

    (New English) Thy burning fury has swept over me, thy onslaughts have put me to silence.

    Romans 10:6-7, "But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)"

    The Greek word for "the deep" is ABUSSOS. W.E. Vine's definition for "abussos" is found under "bottom, bottomless" and reads: "bottomless...is used as a noun denoting the abyss (A.V. 'bottomless pit'). It describes an immeasurable depth, the underworld, the lower regions, the abyss of Sheol...the reference is to the lower regions as the abode of demons, out of which they can be let loose, Revelation 11:7,17:8. It is found seven times in the Apocalypse, 9:1-2,11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1,3;..." See also Luke 8:31.

    Colossians 2:15, "And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it." This is what happened in the abyss, the abode of demons. "In it" is the Greek EN AUTO--"in Him," not "in it". Thus verse 14 is parenthetical, and verse 15 goes with verse 13 which says we were made alive together. In other words, verse l5th took place after He was quickened, not at the Cross.

    (Knox)...the dominions and powers he (God) robbed of their prey, put them to an open shame, led them away in triumph, through him.

    (Alford)...stripping off from himself the principalities and the powers, he (God) made a show cf them openly, triumphing over them in him.

    (Conybeare) And he (God) disarmed the Principalities and the Powers (which fought against Him), and put them to open shame, leading them captive in the triumph of Christ. (Phillips) And then, having drawn the sting of all the powers ranged against us, he exposed them, shattered, empty and defeated, in his final glorious triumphant act! (Weymouth) And the hostile princes and rulers He shook off from Himself, and boldly displayed them as His conquest... (Barclay). .he stripped the demonic powers and authorities of their power, and made a public spectacle of them, as if they had been captives in a victor's triumphal procession. (Wand)...he stripped away like a cast-off garment every demonic Rule and Authority and made a public exhibition of them...

    (Noli) He despoiled the infernal dominions and realms. He dragged their rulers as captives in procession...

    The word for "spoiled" is ENEKDUO from EKDUO. Under "strip", W.E. Vine's definition for EKDUO is "to take off, strip off, is used especially of clothes."

    Romans 5:6, "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."

    Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

    If He died for, that is, on the behalf of or in the stead of the ungodly (not just the righteous dead in Abraham's bosom), then He suffered the consequences of death for the ungodly. He went where they would have gone.

    The most common objection to all of this is taken from Luke 23:43, "And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise."

    The Greek word for today is SEMERON. Bullinger's Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament says: Semeron when it comes after a verb, belongs to that verb, unless it is separated from it and thrown into the next clause by the presence of OTI (that), e,g..

    Luke 19:9, "(oti) this day is salvation come."

    Luke 4:21, "(oti) this day is the Scripture fulfilled." Mark 14:30, "(oti) this day before the cock crow you will deny me."

    Without OTI:

    Matthew 21:28 "go today." . Luke 22:34

    Luke 23:43, "Verily to thee I say this day, with Me shalt thou me in Paradise . " The words "today" being made solemn and and emphatic).

    (Tomanek) Indeed today I say to you, you shall be with Me in paradise.

(Lamsa) Truly I say to you today, You will be with me in Paradise.

    This is in harmony with countless Old Testament passages: Deuteronomy 6:6; 7:11; 8:1; 10:13; 11:8,13,28; 13:18; 19:9;
27:4; 41:2, etc., where the Septuagint corresponds to Luke 23:43. Other references: Matthew 6:30; 16:3; 21:28; Luke 5:26; 12:28; 13:32-33; 19:5; 23:43; 24:21; Hebrews 3:7,13,15; 4:7; 5:5; 8:8: James 4:13.

    Notice That the thief's request was, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." Jesus seemed to be saying, "I'll do more than remember you at some future time; I give you My word this very day that you will be with Me in My kingdom."

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