What is the Soul?
In our survey last Sunday, the results were overwhelming to continue our Old Testament study by continuing with Leviticus.
However, there was a request that we do a study of “the soul.” I tried to narrow down the question, but we will proceed to study the soul.
There is much confusion about the soul, so let’s begin with this scripture:
(1 Th 5:23) Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is truly an interesting passage because it talks about the preservation of three aspects of our being, and that they all “be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Of these three, our body is perhaps best understood, and yet many misunderstand the body and even deny its resurrection.
As we study the body, let’s consider the great “resurrection chapter,” I Corinthians 15:
(1 Cor 15:42-44) So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown [buried] in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. {43} It is sown [buried] in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown [buried] in weakness, it is raised in power. {44} It is sown [buried] a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”
The passage concludes with this thought: There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”
The natural body we understand the best of anything we are discussing here tonight, so we will move on to the second statement:
“there is a spiritual body.”
It clearly says, “Spiritual body,” but many want to translate this to be a spirit. It does not say we will become a spirit, or that our spirit will be resurrected. We are speaking of spirit, soul, and body, and we are concentrating first on the body part—the “Spiritual body.”
What do we know about this “Spiritual body?”
(1 John 3:2 NKJV) Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
Do we know anything about a “Spiritual body?”
My question is this: When Jesus was raised from the tomb, was He given a “Spiritual body?” Apparently He was! If we study the accounts of what He was like after His resurrection, it’s clear that something has is different about His body!
(Luke 24:30-31 NKJV) Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. {31} Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.
“and He vanished from their sight:” Nothing is said of His opening a door or leaving in the way the rest of us do: He vanished from their sight:”
Well, did he have a body? Yes!
They took him to be just an ordinary person:
(Luke 24:18 NKJV) Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, "Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?"
It is clear to me that there was nothing out of the ordinary about the appearance of His body, but it was different now. He never “vanished from their sight” before, and now He does.
Now let’s do the reverse of this:
Let Him suddenly appear without opening the door:
(John 20:26-27 NKJV) And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!" {27} Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing."
Let’s look at Luke’s Account
(Luke 24:36-40 NKJV) Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you." {37} But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. {38} And He said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? {39} "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have." {40} When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.
What was the point? A spirit cannot be handled
We are not immortal now! This is a teaching of the Roman Catholic Church which many Christians have adopted, but the Bible never teaches that immortality is something we have now. It is something that will be given later. – At the last trumpet! What does the Bible say about immortality?
(1 Tim 6:16 NKJV) [God] who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.
Am I correct in inserting [God]? Consider what is said: “dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see.”
If only God has immortality, then obviously we do not now have immortality.
Will we become immortal?
(1 Cor 15:51-57) Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed; {52} in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. {53} For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. {54} So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." {55} "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades [grave], where is your victory?" {56} The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. {57} But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
But what about the soul and the spirit?
nephesh (Hebrew from Old Testament)
BrownDriverBriggs Definition:
1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion
1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man
1b) living being
1c) living being (with life in the blood)
1d) the man himself, self, person or individual (Notice how it is used)
(1 Pet 3:20) who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls [or eight people], were saved through water.
Now let’s go to the New Testament (Greek)
ψυχή psuchē
Thayer Definition:
1) breath
1a) the breath of life
1a1) the vital force which animates the body and shows itself in breathing
1a1a) of animals
1a1b) of men
1b) life
1c) that in which there is life
1c1) a living being, a living soul
2) the soul
2a) the seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions (our heart, soul etc.)
2b) the (human) soul in so far as it is constituted that by the right use of the aids offered it by God it can attain its highest end and secure eternal blessedness, the soul regarded as a moral being designed for everlasting life
Let’s take a further look at Thayer’s definition:
1a1) the vital force which animates the body and shows itself in breathing
1a1a) of animals
1a1b) of men
1b) life
1c) that in which there is life
1c1) a living being, a living soul
Now consider these passages:
(Gen 2:7 KJV) And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (nephesh).
(Gen 2:7 NKJV) And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being (nephesh) .
(Gen 2:7 NKJV) And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living (nephesh) being.
(Gen 1:24 KJV) And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature (nephesh) after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
(Rev 16:3 KJV) And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man; and every living soul died in the sea.
(Rev 16:3 NKJV) Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.
Here, soul is used of the creatures in the sea. How is soul being used? Soul is clearly that part of man and animal that moves him—that which makes him alive. When the soul departs, the man or animal will die.
Spirit and soul are sometimes used somewhat interchangeably and this is confusing.
I believe the soul is used more to describe the part we share with the animals. It is what gives us life. It animates us.
What is the Spirit?
The spirit is our spiritual, moral side and differs from what an animal has.
Spirit is also used in different ways, and can be confusing. The word for “spirit” is also the word for wind, or breath. We will not go further into that subject in this study.
What happens to our bodies and our spirits?
(Eccl 12:7) Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.
That does not mean conscious existence of the spirit apart from the body!
So back to where we started:
(1 Th 5:23) Paul says: “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Remove the soul, and the body dies!
Bible Study with Harley My Sunday Evening Lessons