Hello and thanks for your visit to the site, and for your comments. I had to go back and read my own article here, because I thought at first that you were disagreeing with what I wrote. But I see that your words do agree with almost everything that I said in the article. When I say “almost”, I mean that there is only one thing that you are seeing different. I’ll point that out here..

You say.. “Can a body exist by itself, Yes”. Well that’s true if you acknowledge that a body without a spirit is a DEAD body. James 2:26.. “The body without the spirit is dead!” And so the body can exist without a spirit until it decays back to the earth from where it came, at which time it will actually cease to exist.

And you also say.. “Can a spirit exist by itself, Yes again. Upon the death of our body, the spirit goes right on living without the body. God says in Eccl 12:7.. “Then the dust (the body) will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it”. And the bible also says in Mathew 22:31-32.. “Have you not read what God said to you; I am the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” So the spirits of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are still living, as are ALL the spirits which have departed from their bodies at death.

BUT, here’s where the bible disagrees with what you said. You said.. “Can a soul exist by itself, No; A soul needs BOTH body and spirit to come into existence.” That’s not exactly what Genesis 2:7 says. The verse specifically says that the BODY, became a living soul when the spirit was added to it. It does NOT say that the soul REQUIRES a body to exist. The soul absolutely DOES exist without the body. For a soul to exist, there must be spirit present, because our soul is our very “being”, it is our “life”. But our soul, our “being”, does not require a body to exist.

Here’s the evidence of that fact.. Gen 2:7 says that the BODY became a living soul, when God breathed into it the spirit. “God formed Adam (man) from the dust of the ground..” So, God formed the BODY OF Adam. “And God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (the spirit), and Adam BECAME a living soul”. The word “soul” means the “Life”. So we can see that the spirit that God breathed into the body, already had “life” in it, because it came to life, when the spirit was added. Jesus said in John 6:63.. “The flesh (the body) profits nothing, it’s the SPIRIT that gives life”. It was NOT the “combination” of body and spirit that “produced” the soul; But rather, it was the fact that the spirit already had “life” in itself, so that when that “life” was added to the body, the body came to life. That is exactly what Genesis 2:7 is saying. Please listen to this next fact from the bible..

When Jesus had been crucified, and His body was dead, His Spirit was separated from His body. But we’re told in Acts 2:27.. “Thou will not forsake my SOUL to hades.” So Jesus was still a SOUL, even though His body was gone, and only His Spirit remained.

Please read the article titled, “What is my soul”. It will give you a very complete analysis of this subject, and other evidence that the spirit indeed contains the “life”. In other words, the spirit is a “soul”, in and of itself. Please read this article in it’s entirety to get a good understanding of the meanings of the words “soul” and “spirit”.

I do thank you very much for your thoughts and input. I really do appreciate it. I hope you will go ahead and read the article I suggest, and do please get back to me with your thoughts. Thanks and may God bless you.

Johnny, I know exactly what you mean. You can show someone a very clear verse of scripture, with one clear meaning, and people will refuse to acknowledge the truth of that verse. I believe that this is because of our “pre-conceived beliefs” about the subject at hand. One of the most difficult things to get people to do, is to approach the study of the bible without any pre-conceived ideas. We need to approach even the reading of the bible, with the intent of allowing God’s word to speak to us and to reveal the truth that is contained in His word.

I truly appreciate your attitude toward the bible. I would very much like to study the bible with you in detail. There are many things that we all need to understand, and the only way to do that is to study. And we all really do have the responsibility to God, to do everything in our power, to understand His word alike. We CAN all be united if we are willing to discuss the word with reasonableness and with a true love for the truth.

I invite you to read more of the articles on the website here, and let me know how you feel about what is said. Mainly, I’m simply exposing the word of God on various subjects. It would help us both to understand God’s word better if you will comment on the articles, and especially tell me if there is something that you view differently. Then we can examine what the bible says and come to an honest conclusion.
Thanks again Johnny, and may God bless you and your love for the truth.

Thank you very much, Chantel, for your comments and for your respect for the word. It sounds like you’re no stranger to the word either. What I find very interesting, actually very disappointing, is that many people can read the word, or have it explained to them, and still come away with a belief contrary to what they just read. It’s like…”I know what the bible just said, but I believe this anyway”. All we can do is just keep sowing the seed, and Let God give the increase. Thanks again, Jim.

You know your stuff!! It is interesting how man did make up the word Trinity, more interesting that God never provided a word to unite the three. But isn’t that just like man to try to provide terms to explain what is hard to fathom? So does the term Trinity separate them or bring them together or both. I live in an area where three states unite, because of this we have a college called Trine, much like the term Trinity. Where three meet but in reality the “Trinity is not where three meet but where three are one, just like ourselves.
We are made of a body (Jesus), a soul (spirit) and a personality/Mind (God the Father) . But we don’t call ourselves a trinity… it is simply Jim as a whole. So why can’t we as humans be able to see these three entities the same way?

It is amazing how we are able to take a meaning and interpret it according to our own perspective and according to how we personally think without first going to the original audience and author. Just like when someone is talking to us, we do tend to interpret it according to our feelings instead of looking at who is saying it, taking the time to apply their personality, their history, and their heart in it to truly interpret it the way the person talking intended it to be interpreted.

God never intended us to take the Word and run with it by twisting it and taking a verse and applying it according to what works for them for the moment. This implies the importance to perform Exegesis with the Word before just throughout an interpretation on the spot.

Blessings Brother,

Chantel