When I was going to my old WOF (Word of Faith) church, I was in charge of doing recordings on the computer so I can now go back and study some of the aberrant teachings. Lets take a look at the heresy that Jesus died spiritually in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Matthew 26:37-39 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”
He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

Here is the false doctrine being taught that is straight from the teachings of the Word-of-Faith proponants such as Copeland, Hinn and others:

“When Christ was in the garden (of Gethsemane), when He died His spiritual death, he died physically on the cross… people say he never died (inaudible), sorry He did, He died for three days, He died physically on the cross. But before that, He died spiritually in the garden. He said, ‘Father not my will…but thy will be done’. He didn’t want to go. He knew he had to but that man on the outside didn’t want to go. He said, ‘Father if there be any other way…’. Let this cup pass from me. He said, ‘but nevertheless, not my will but thy will be done’.1

The Bible does not say that Jesus died spiritually in the garden (or any other time), nor does it suggest He did. If Jesus died in the garden, then why did he say:

Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.‘” Having said this, He breathed His last.

Why, if Jesus died spiritually in the garden, would he give up His spirit again? Also, wouldn’t Jesus cease to be God if he died spiritually? Scripture tells us differently:

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The same. Jesus was not fully God and fully man one day, then only man the next.

John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

Jesus is God. God is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If the ’spirit’ of Jesus died, would this not mean that the Holy Spirit died?

John 4:24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Isaiah 42:1 “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.

Christ suffered once for all…

1 Peter 8:28 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, (emphasis mine)

Romans 6:10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

Additional Resources:

• Was Jesus Separated from the Father? Did Jesus Die Spiritually? – Apologetics for Christians
• The Jesus Died Spiritually Heresy – An excellent article on this topic… Very detailed.
• Dare to Test the Spirits – Covers this and other aberrant teachings of the WOF movement

References

1. Pastor Rick McDanial, Living Waters Ministries. July 30, 2006