SECTION
III. “BODY SOUL AND SPIRIT” EXAMINED
Introduction: Body, soul and spirit are distinct.
-1Thes. 5:23 Man has
a “body, soul and spirit”
-Heb. 4:12. The word
of God is able to divide the soul
and spirit.
-Luke 1:46, 47.
Mary's soul was magnified and
her spirit rejoiced.
-Isa. 10:18. There is
both a “soul and body”
-Mat. 10:28.
“[Men]...kill the body but are not
able to kill the soul”
The Body is the external shell in which we dwell that dies and is left
behind.
-James 2:26. “The
body apart for the spirit is dead.”
-Ecc. 12:7. The flesh returns to the dust and
spirit returns to God.
-2Cor. 4:16. The outward man decays. The inward
man is renewed.
-2Cor. 4:7. Bodies are “earthen vessels.” that contain the “treasure”
-Phil. 1:22-24. Paul
was in a strait between abiding “in
the body” or to depart
to be with Christ, which was “far better.” Certainly this is not annihilation.
-2Cor. 5:1-4. The
body is an earthly tabernacle
in which we dwell.
-2Cor. 5:10. We must give account for things done in the body –
indicating that we will not always be in it.
-2Tim. 4:6. At death Paul was going to “depart.” Departing suggests leaving rather than
annihilation.
-2Pet. 1:13-15. Peter
was “in” this tabernacle and
at death it would be “put off
.”
-Rom. 7:22. There is an “inward man”
-Eph. 3:16. There is an “inward man”
-Isa. 26:9. Man’s soul
“desires” and his spirit within “seeks.”
(The soul and spirit are mentally active)
-Gen. 35:18. The soul departed.
-1Kings 17:21, 22. His soul came into him.
-Heb. 13:3. We are “in the body”
-Heb. 10:5. Jesus had a body prepared for him. This indicates he and the body were distinct.
-2Cor. 12:2-4. A man might be in or out of the
body and hear things in the third heaven.
Note:
1.
2Cor. 12:2-4 appears to refer to Paul’s stoning at Lystra, leaving him for dead
(Ac. 14:19, 20).
2.
If
it were impossible for any mental function apart from the body, he could not
have been out of the body, hearing things in paradise. This clearly shows that
Paul did not hold the concept that out of the body the spirit had no mental
perception.
3.
The
body apart from the spirit is dead -James 2:26.
OBJECTION: This is called a
“vision” (12:1)
ANSWER:
“Vision” (#3701 “optasia)
does not indicate he could not have been out of the body.
“Visions” can be actual
events.
-Ac. 26:13-19. The appearance of Jesus to Saul on road to Damascus
was called a “vision” (26:16). Acts 9:3-7. Luke says Jesus appeared to
Paul. -Acts 9:17; 22:14. Ananias said
Jesus appeared. -1Cor. 9:1; 15:8. Paul
said he had seen Jesus.
-Acts
9:12. In a vision, Paul saw
Ananias coming to him.
HEBREW:
#5315 “nephesh” (751 times) from 5314; properly, a breathing creature,
i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal,
accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):
KJV-- any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, X dead (-ly), desire, X [dis-] contented, X fish, ghost, + greedy, he, heart (-y), (hath, X jeopardy of) life (X in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thyself-), them (your)- selves, + slay, soul, + tablet, they, thing, (X she) will, X would have it.
Examples:
-Job 14:22. There is a soul “in man”.
-Psalms 42:4, 6. His soul was within him.
-Psalms 107:5. Souls were in them.
GREEK
#5590 “psuche” [105 times]; from 5594; breath, i.e. (by
implication) spirit, abstractly or concretely (the animal sentient principle
only; thus distinguished on the one hand from 4151, which is the rational and
immortal soul; and on the other from 2222, which is mere vitality, even of
plants: these terms thus exactly correspond respectively to the Hebrew 5315,
7307 and 2416):
KJV-- heart (+-ily), life,
mind, soul, + us, + you.
Example:
Matt. 10:28. Man can kill the body but “can not kill the soul.”
OBJECTION: Souls are said to die and be
killed.
Ezek. 18:4 “The soul that sinneth, it shall die”
ANSWER:
The whole man is sometimes called a “soul.” “Soul” is often used as a part for the whole. This is a figure of
speech called a “synecdoche.” However, as the Scriptures overwhelmingly show,
man has a soul within him (Job 14:22).
The body can be killed (Matt. 10:28; James 2:26). That does not mean
that the inner man, which returns to God, ceases to exist. Ezek. 18:4 and
similar scripture teach that the person (“soul”)
who does the sinning is to be put to death.
OBJECTION: When Jesus “laid down his
soul” it must be speaking of the death of his inner person.
John 10:17, 18. I lay down my life [#5590 “psuche”] that I may take
it again.
Mark 10:45. For the Son of man also came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life [#5590 “psuche”] a ransom for many. (ASV)
ANSWER:
Neither of these scriptures teach that Jesus ceased
to exist. HE took back his soul. The
soul is so connected between the body and the spirit that in some cases it
seems to be used of the life of the body and in others of the personality of
the spirit. That is why it sometimes
refers to the difficulty of distinguishing between the three (Heb. 4:12).
OBJECTION:
Gen. 2:7 God breathed into man the
breath of life and he became a
living soul. Man is a soul, he does not
have a soul.
ANSWER:
a.
Because
it says that man became a soul does not prove that when the soul or spirit
departs from the body the soul ceases to exist.
b.
Man
is called a soul, as when a rancher says that he just “hired a hand.” This is a figure of speech known as a
“synecdoche” wherein a part is spoken of for the whole.
c.
Man
is also said to have a soul. The possessive relationship is used repeatedly in
scripture.
-Gen. 35:18. “her soul was departing”
-1Kings 17:21, 22. “the child's soul came into him again.”
-2Kings 4:27. “her soul was vexed within her.”
-Job. 14:22. “his
soul within him shall mourn.”
-Psalms 42:4, 6 “my
soul within me”
(cf. Zech.
12:1. God forms the spirit of man within him)
d.
Lev. 26:11, 30; Isa. 1:14. The living
God, who is “spirit” (John 4:24), also speaks of himself possessing a
soul. Does that mean that He can only
live in a bodily form?
OBJECTION: “Animals have souls”
ANSWER:
Yes, they are conscious beings. However, since God also has a soul (see above), having a soul does not indicate the soul is dependent upon a physical body to exist.
However, being created in the image of God, man does
not only have a soul but he also has characteristics of God that animals do not
have. One of those is that his soul (or
spirit) can exist without the body.
OBJECTION: “The immortal soul concept came from Plato.”
ANSWER:
This is an unproven
assumption. It is a contrived
explanation to escape the difficulty of why the early Christians did not agree
with modern annihilationists.
This falsehood was answered
by Justin Martyr and others of the Patristics. They said that what truth Plato
had was borrowed from Old Testament sources.
They also corrected Plato’s errors.
The same sort of reasoning
would make early Christians followers of Plato in other areas on which they
agreed. It would also make those who
deny the soul's conscious function apart from the body as being borrowed from
Aristotle or some other pagan, or humanistic philosopher.
Does the fact that Paul
quoted a heathen philosopher in Acts. 17:23 prove he got his view of God from
them? Does his saying, “I am a Pharisee” (Ac. 23:6), in any way
discredit his conviction concerning the resurrection?
OBJECTION: Immortality is given only to the righteous at the resurrection.
ANSWER:
1.
Immortality
has to do with not dying. The question
then is, what is meant by “death”? If death has to do with the soul separating
from the body (James 2:26), it does not necessarily effect the consciousness of
the soul. Jesus indicated man can kill
the body but not the soul (Matt. 10:28).
The body is what is said to “die.” Perhaps that is what receives immortality
at the resurrection.
2.
In
any case, since souls can exist without physical bodies, the issue of
immortality of the soul is irrelevant.
HEBREW:
#7307 ruwach [361 times]; from #7306; wind; by resemblance
breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life,
anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance
spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions):
KJV Trans:-- air, anger, blast, breath, X cool, courage, mind, X quarter, X
side, spirit ([-ual]), tempest, X vain, ([whirl-]) wind (-y).
GREEK:
#4151 pneuma; from #4154 [385 times]; a
current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively, a
spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle,
mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, demon, or (divine) God,
Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit: KJV--Translated: ghost, life, spirit
(-ual, -ually). Compare 5590.
The word, spirit, is derived
from the fact that it is “wind-like” because it cannot be seen going or
coming. It is clear that “spirit,”
especially in the New Testament, commonly indicated personality.
MAN HAS A SPIRIT WITHIN HIM.
-Job 32:8 “There is a spirit in man, And the
breath of the Almighty giveth them understanding.”
-Job 32:18. “The spirit within me constraineth me.”
-Zech 12:1 God
formed the spirit of man within him
-Ps. 77:6. David said his spirit made diligent search.
(Did his breath search?)
-Is. 26:9. “With my soul have I desired thee in
the night, yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee earnestly.”
1.
“Spirit” is used of the human spirit 49
times in K.J.V.
2.
Translated,
“Ghost” 2 times in K.J.V.
-Mat. 27:50
Jesus “...gave up the ghost
(pneuma)
-John. 19:30.
Jesus “...gave up the ghost
(pneuma)
3.
A
spirit does not have flesh and bones (Luke 24:39) but obviously it had
personality.
4.
God
is a Spirit (John. 4:24). God is
without a physical body but has personality.
5.
The
Holy Spirit has personality.
-Mat. 28:19.
“Baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit” --three personalities.
-John 16:7-15. He comforts, comes, guides, speaks, hears, declares, glorifies, receives and teaches.
-1Cor. 12:11. He has
a will.
-Rom. 8:26-27. He has a mind.
-Eph. 4:30. He can be grieved.
-Acts 15:28. Things
can “seem good” to Him.
-Acts 13:2. He “said”
things.
-Acts 5:3.
He can be lied to.
6.
Angels
are spirits
The Sadducees and Pharisees
disputed about the existence of angels and spirits. This certainly indicates personality. On this basis, Paul declared himself a
Pharisee. (Acts 23:6-8)
-Psalms 104:4. “He makes spirits his messengers (angels)”
-Heb. 1:7. “He
makes his angels spirits.” (quotation from Ps. 104:4)
-Heb. 1:13-14.
Angels are “ministering spirits”
(“pneuma”) from Psalms 104:4.
7.
The
devil is a spirit.
-Eph. 2:2. He is “the prince of the power of the air of the
spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience”
-Job. 1:6, 7; 2:1-2.
He came and spoke to God.
-Rev. 12:7-12. He and
his angels fought against Michael and his angels.
-2Cor. 11:13. He
fashions himself into an angel of light.
-Mat. 4:1-11. He
tempted Jesus.
-Mat. 25:41. Hell was
prepared for the devil and his angels.
-Jude 9. Michael
contended with the devil.
-Eph. 6:11, 12, 16. “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may
be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh
and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the
world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness
in the heavenly places.... Stand,...withal taking up the shield of faith
wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one....”
8.
Demons
are intelligent spirits. (47 times in K.J.V.)
-Luke 9:39-42. A demon is called a “spirit.”
-Luke 11:24-26. The
evil spirit that went out of a man passed through the waterless places seeking
rest; and finding none, he returned to the house from which he came. Finding it swept and garnished he took to
himself seven other spirits more evil than himself and the last state of the
man was worse than the beginning.
-Mark 3:11. Unclean
spirits fell down before Jesus and confessed that he was the son of God.
-Luke 8:2. Mary had seven demons.
-Luke 8:26-38. A man had a spirit called a demon. It besought Jesus not to torment it before
its time. Then it confessed that the
man was filled with a legion of demons.
They entreated that they not be required to depart into the abyss. They then entered bodies of swine. (Mat.
8:29; Mark 5:7)
MEN'S SPIRITS MAY BE IN PRISON OR IN HEAVEN
-1Pet. 3:19-20. Those who were disobedient in days of Noah
were, “spirits in prison.”
when Peter wrote. “In prison” suggests continued existence, not annihilation.
-Heb. 12:22-23. At
the time of the writing of the book of Hebrews, some were “spirits of just men made perfect.”
“…ye are come
unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
and to innumerable hosts of angels, to the general assembly and church of the
firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to
the spirits of just men made perfect...” (cf. 11:16 “a heavenly”; 11:40 “made perfect”).
OBJECTION: “Spirit” means,
“wind” or “breath.”
ANSWER:
1.
“Spirit” and “breath” are not identical.
Man has both spirit and breath.
-Job 34:14. God
gathers to himself “his spirit
(#7307 ruwach) and his breath” (#5397 neshamah)
-Isaiah 42:5 “...he
that gives breath (#5397 neshamah) unto the people upon it, and spirit
(#7307 ruwach) to them that walk therein:..”
2.
Spirits
can be conscious without physical bodies.
a.
John 4:24. God is a spirit. He created us in His image.
b.
Unlike
a breath or, wind, our Spirits are intelligent.
-Gen. 26:35. They can
have “grief.”
-Gen. 41:8. They can be “troubled.”
-Ex. 6:9.
They can have “anguish.”
-Ex. 28:3.
They can have “wisdom.”
-Ex. 35:21.
They can be “made willing.”
-John 11:33. Jesus groaned in the spirit. (breath?)
-John 13:21. Jesus
was troubled in the spirit.
-2Cor. 7:1. “let us cleanse ourselves of every
defilement of flesh and spirit.” (Is this saying we should cleanse
ourselves both in body and breath?). Cleansing the spirit is a mental action.
-Rom. 1:9. Paul served
God with his spirit (breath?).
-Rom. 8:16. God's Spirit bears witness with our spirit. Both are intelligent.
-1Cor. 2:11. Man's
spirit “knows.”
In the New Testament, except
for one passage, it is questionable whether the word, “spirit,” is ever
properly translated “breath” or “wind.”
Only two scriptures have been so translated.
-John 3:8. “The wind
blows where it listeth.” This may better be translated, “The Spirit breaths where it wills.”
-Heb. 1:7. “Who maketh his angels winds,” may better be,
“Who makes
his messengers spirits”. (see 1:14)
The one exception is John 6:63, where “spirit is
used in a figurative, non-personal sense.
It is the
spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have
spoken unto you are spirit, and they are life. (ASV)
Pneuma is also translated “life” in Rev. 13:15
(K.J.V.). It says that the two-horned
beast had “power to give life (pneuma) to the image of the
beast that it should speak...” This
suggests intelligence.
OBJECTION:
When Jesus spoke of John coming in the “spirit and power” of Elijah it was not
speaking of a personality. John himself
denied he was Elijah.
ANSWER:
No exception whatever. In fact, this shows that “spirit” did not mean “power.” If the spirit did not mean his power then
what--his breath? Was this a “wind”
like Elijah? No, it was a person
like Elijah, or having the attitude expressed by Elijah--fulfilling the
predictions and purposes revealed by him.
He would think or teach like Elijah. This indicates mental activity.
OBJECTION:
Animals also have “spirits” (Gen. 7:15)
ANSWER:
As we have shown above, God (Gen. 1:1; 6:3, etc.)
and many intelligent beings had spirits.
The spirit is the intellectual function. Animals have mental function, though not on the level with man. That does not prove man's spirit cannot be
conscious when the body dies.
OBJECTION:
Man has no preeminence above the beast.
Ecc. 3:19-21. “I said
in my heart, It is because of the sons of men, that God may prove them, and
that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts. For that which befalleth the sons of men
befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the
other; yea, they have all one breath (spirit); and man hath no preeminence
above the beasts: for all is vanity.
All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust
again. Who knoweth the spirit of
man, whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast, whether it goeth
downward to the earth? Wherefore I
saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works;
for that is his portion: for who shall bring him back to see what shall be
after him?”
ANSWER:
The problem here is the
annihilationist’s disregard of the context.
Solomon is speaking of things “under the sun” --from the view of
our world, Ecclesiastes expresses man's struggle to understand the seeming
conflicts of life “under the sun” (nearly 40 times). What Solomon said in his heart (Ecc. 1:12, 14, 16, 17; 2:1-3, 15,
16; 3:18) were his thoughts. From the
human perspective, man cannot know whether the spirit of a man goes upward
and the spirit of the beast downward. We see no difference in their
deaths. However, at the end of the
letter, Solomon clearly states the difference --man’s body returns to the dust
and his spirit returns to God (Ecc. 23:9).
To insist that this reveals
God's view of things would require that we also deny the resurrection (“Who shall bring him back to see what shall
be after him?” “There is no more a
reward for ever in anything that is done under the sun” (3:22; cf.
9:5-6). The statement that there is
nothing better than to enjoy one's self
(2:24) is obviously speaking from human perspective. God said that people who endorse that as
their way of life are fools (Lk. 12:20).
Angels and other beings are
spirits without physical bodies. They
have intelligence. Why cannot our
spirits exist without physical bodies?
We are created in the image of God.
Animals are not. We have the
same source and our bodies are the same as animals but we have higher thought
processes and at death, our spirit returns to God (Ecc. 12:7). No place does it say that the spirit of the
beast returns to God.
OBJECTION: “The scholars, or
Fathers say...”
ANSWER:
Paul did not have much
confidence in the opinions of “scholars.” (1Cor. 1:20-31; 2:8; 1Tim.
6:20). Nor did Jesus show much regard
for “wisdom” of the scribes, elders
and lawyers (Mat. 15:2-9; Mark 7:1-8).
They often made void the word of God.
Just because a man has spent a lot of time learning what
others have said does not mean he knows the truth (2Tim. 3:7). He may simply know a lot of what “ain't
so.” Sometimes it takes a clever man to
get around the obvious. In fact, that
which requires so much effort to get around the obvious is probably not the “simplicity which is in Christ”. (2Cor.
11:3; 3:15-18; 4:3)
Rom. 3:4. “Yea,
let God be true and every man a liar!”