A Study of the Body, Soul and Spirit
Genesis 2:7, “Then 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.” God formed the physical body of man (Adam) but that body had no life in it. It was in essence just like a dead body, it was lifeless.
James 2:26 tells us that, “..The body without the spirit is dead..” But then God, “..breathed into his nostrils, the breath of life, and man BECAME a living soul.” The body became a soul, when the spirit was added to it. As we’ll see later, the spirit was already a soul, because the spirit is a living being in itself. The very definition of a “soul”, is.. “a living being”. You and I are living human beings, while our spirits dwell in our human bodies. But when our spirits leaves our bodies at death, then we will be purely spiritual beings. But in either case, we are still a “soul”, because a soul is simply a living being. Whether our spirit lives in the physical body, or out of the physical body, our spirit is a living being, which is a soul. When our spirit leaves our body at death, then the body ceases to be a soul, because there is no longer any life associated with it. And since the body is not living at that point, it ceases to be a soul.
So then I hope that you understand, that while the body and spirit are the two parts that make up a human being, the soul is not a “part” of us, but rather, the soul is the “whole” of us. Our soul is our very “being”, our soul is who we are.
What Is A Spirit?
The body that God had made when He created Adam, was brought to life, by the “breath of life”. The exact Hebrew word translated “breath” here, is found three more times in the bible. One of those times it refers to the “breath” of God, and one time it refers to the “breath” of man, and once it refers to the “spirit” of man. Genesis 7:22, speaks of “..the breath of the spirit” , meaning the “life” of the spirit. So then, the “breath of life” that God breathed into man, is man’s spirit. But man’s spirit is somewhat difficult to fully understand, because it’s not something that we can “identify” with our physical senses. Therefore we have to do our best to understand what the spirit is, based on what the bible tells us about it.
Every living animal, whether it be a human or a beast, has a spirit. This is evidenced from Ecclesiastes 3:21, which says.. “Who knows that the breath (spirit) of man ascends upward, and the breath (spirit) of the beast descends downward to the earth.” Again, the “breath” is the spirit. But we see that there’s a difference between the breath of man and the breath of the beast. Man’s breath ascends upward when his body dies, and the breath of the beast descends downward, to the earth, when it’s body dies. In other words, the breath of the beast, ceases to exist when the body dies. It “descends to the earth” so to speak, just like the body, which returns to the earth as it decays.
We gain a little more understanding, when we learn that the word translated “breath”, in Ecclesiastes 3:21 is NOT the same, as the word translated “breath”, in Genesis 2:7. The word “breath” in Ecclesiastes 3:21, is a word referring to “spirits” in general. And so both man and beast have a spirit within them. But the word “breath” in Genesis, is a word referring to a special type of spirit, which is only given to humans. You might need proof of that, so we’ll go to the bible dictionary and see the definitions of those two words.
(This may seem tedious, but please follow along)
First, the word from Ecclesiastes.. Looking at Strong’s Concordance of Old Testament words as our dictionary; Word #7307, “ruach”, pronounced Roo’-akh. It means.. “spirit, or breath, or wind”. The word is translated “spirit”, 203 times in the NASB version. And the word is translated “breath”, 31 times, and it’s translated “wind”, 98 times. It’s a very general term, and that’s why it can be applied to the breath of humans or animals, or even simply to the wind.
Now the word from Genesis.. Again from Strong’s concordance; Word #5397, “neshamah”, pronounced nesh-aw-maw’. It means.. “breath, or that which breathes, inspiration, or spirit.” But here’s what makes it so different from the other word translated “breath, or spirit”. This word also carries with it the meaning of “divine inspiration”, or “divine breath”. So, we can see that man received a special kind of “breath” from God. Man received a “divine breath”, which made man “in the likeness of God”.
Our spirit is like God’s Spirit, in many ways. For example, we can feel love, and compassion, and sympathy, and we have a sense of justice, and we can understand and reason, to a far greater extent than animals can understand and reason. Those things and many more, are what makes our spirits different than the other animals of the earth. But maybe the most important difference is the fact that our spirit will never cease to exist. The spirit that God breathes into man, will remain eternally. And that is precisely why the scripture says; “the breath of man ascends upward, and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth.”
Once again, God said in Genesis 1:26, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness..” Then V-27 says, “And God created man in His own image; in the image of God, He created him, both male and female.”
And we’re told in Genesis 2:7, “Then the Lord God formed man of the dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils, the divine inspiration of life, and man became a living soul.”
Understanding the Word “Soul”
Now let’s focus on the word “soul”. Man was not “given” a soul, but rather, the scripture says, “..and man BECAME a living soul.” Man’s body was formed “of the dust from the ground”, but until God joined a living spirit to that body, the body was inanimate, it wasn’t alive. The spirit gave the body life. Sometimes in the scriptures, the word for “soul” is translated “life”.
Let’s look at that word translated “soul” and “life”. Back to Strong’s Concordance of words. Word #5315, “lanepes”, pronounced la-ne-pes’. It means “a soul, or a being”. It’s also translated as “life”, and sometimes as “a human person”. Let me show you a couple verses where it’s used so you can see the meaning.
Lamentations 3:25, “The Lord is good to those who wait for him; To the soul (or person) who seeks Him.”
Numbers 35:31, “You shall not take ransom for the life (or soul) of a murderer who is guilty of death..” In other words; You shall not allow someone who is guilty of murder, to LIVE.
And then there’s our original verse, Genesis 2:7, “..and man became a living soul.” Man’s body came to life!
“The body without the spirit is dead” says James 2:26. Why is the body dead, without the spirit? Because it’s the spirit that gives the life.
Here’ another verse.. John 6:63, “It is the Spirit giving life, the flesh profits nothing”. When the Lord God formed man of the dust from the ground, the body that God formed, was of no profit at all, by itself. The flesh profits NOTHING! It was the spirit that God breathed into his nostrils that gave the life to the body. “..And man became a living soul”. Even though the immediate context of John 6:63 refers to the Spirit of God, giving eternal life to our very “being”, (in other words, to our “soul”) these words still declare a “law of God”, that “it is the Spirit giving life”. And we have the illustration of that actually happening, in Genesis 2:7, which serves to prove that “law”, that it is the spirit that gives the life.
By it’s very definition, the word “soul” means “life”. And it’s the spirit that gives that life. The only logical conclusion is that the spirit itself, IS a soul! That’s exactly why man BECAME a soul, when the spirit entered into him. Not because some “new thing” was created when the body and the spirit came together, but because the spirit is already a living soul in itself. Therefore when the spirit entered the body of man, that body BECAME a living soul.
God’s Word Should End All Debate
There is a debate as to whether a human being is made up of two or three parts. Some people believe that a human being is made up of three parts, the body, the spirit, and the soul. But as we’ve seen from the scriptures, a human being is made up of only two parts; A physical body, and a life-giving spirit.
The apostle Paul wrote in 2 Cor 4:16, “The outward man is decaying, yet the inner man is being renewed day by day.” Paul is indicating that there are two parts to a man, the outward part, and the inner part. These two parts are named as “the flesh” and “the spirit”, in Galatians 5:17, “For the flesh sets it’s desire against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. for these are in opposition to one another..”
So then a human being is actually a “dual-natured” being. Man has a physical nature, and he has a spiritual nature. Those two natures are described in Romans 7:22 & 23 as “waging war” with one another. Here’s what it says in those verses; “For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man. (in his spiritual nature) But I see a different law in my members (in his fleshly nature) waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.”
The scriptures are as clear as they can be. There is a spiritual side to man, and there is a physical side to man. Two “natures”, two “parts”; One living being, one “soul”.
But some people will ask; “What about 1 Thessalonians 5:23 ? That verse teaches that there are three parts to a man, namely, body soul and spirit.”
Well, let’s examine the verse and see if that’s true. Here’s what the verse says; “Now, may the God of peace Himself, sanctify you completely, and your spirit and soul and body be preserved entirely blameless, at the coming of the Lord of us, Jesus Christ.”
Many people read that verse, and they assume that the spirit, and the soul, and the body, are three separate parts, which make up the whole of us. But that conclusion is the result of not understanding the meaning of the word “soul”. Remember that the word “soul” can refer to either your “life”, or to your entire “being”. A soul is a living being.
The words of 1 Thessalonians 5:23, are a “wish” or you could say, a “prayer”, expressed by the apostle Paul, that the Christians he was writing to, would be “sanctified completely”, (to be sanctified is to be purified and set apart.. made holy) and that they would be “preserved entirely blameless” at the coming of Christ. The idea of completely and entirely, is emphasized. And that “completeness” is described as “your spirit, and life, and body”. Or you could say; “your spirit, your being, and your body.” Or you could say; “your spirit, and soul, and body.”
Whichever way you say it, there is no contradiction with the rest of the scriptures. The fact is, your soul is your entire “being”. Your soul is your “life”. It is not a part of you, but it is the “whole” of you.
The apostle Paul is praying, or “wishing” that Christians should be completely sanctified, and preserved entirely blameless. And that includes their spirit, and their body, and their very “being”, which is their very “life”.
Verses Which Illustrate What We’ve Learned
Here’s a couple more verses that also totally agree with what we’ve seen, and which illustrate it perfectly..
A man named Jacob, who’s name God changed to Israel, had a wife named Rachel. And Rachel died while in child birth, delivering the son named Benjamin, one of the twelve sons of Israel. Genesis 35:18 says, “And it came about as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Benoni, but his father called his name Benjamin.” (The name Benoni means.. “the son of my sorrow”.)
When Rachel died, her “life” departed from her. In other words, her “soul” departed. We’re told in Ecclesiastes 12:7, “Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.” When the spirit leaves the body, the life leaves also. Why? Because it’s the spirit that gives the life. It’s a “law of God”, that the body returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. When Rachel died, her spirit returned to God, that’s “the law”! And when her spirit left, “her soul departed”. Her “life” departed, because her spirit was gone. Isn’t that perfectly easy to understand? That’s God’s Law.
When Jesus was about to breath His last breath, as He hung on the cross, He said, “Father, into thy hands, I commit My Spirit.” Luke 23:46. And when His Spirit went to the Father who gave it, His life left His body. Remember.. “The body without the spirit is dead”.
In the book of Acts, chapter 6, we have the story of a faithful Christian named Stephen. Stephen was stoned to death by virtually the same angry mob who insisted that Jesus be put to death. And as Stephen was about to die, he said, in Acts 6:59, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice; Lord, do not hold this sin against them! And having said this, he fell asleep.” (He died) As Stephen died, his spirit returned to God who gave it. And at the same time, his “life” left his body. Just like Rachel, whose “soul was departing, for she died”
All these many verses of scripture that we’ve looked at, are all in agreement. When the spirit enters a body, that body comes to life, and becomes a living soul. And when the spirit leaves the body, the body dies. And when the spirit leaves, the soul also leaves, because the spirit IS the “life”, it is the “soul”.
This statement is made concerning the soul of Jesus.. Acts 2:27, “.. Thou will not abandon My soul to hades. Nor will Thou allow Thy Holy One, to see corruption.” The body of Jesus was dead, His spirit had returned to God who gave it. But Jesus wasn’t dead. Just like Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob aren’t dead. God is, “not the God of the dead, but of the living”. Mark 12:27.
So Jesus Himself, not His body, but Jesus Himself, was alive, after His body had died. And Acts 2:27 says that He was “alive”, in hades. His SOUL was in hades, and the soul was His “being. It was His “life”! But what creates the life? It’s the spirit that gives the life. The spirit IS life. The body that God created, BECAME a soul, when? It became a soul, when the SPIRIT gave it life. The spirit brought life to the body without any other addition. Therefore the spirit must have had life in itself, or the body could NOT have became a living being! There would BE no life, if it weren’t for the presence of the spirit. There would be no SOUL without the presence of the spirit! The “life” is contained within the spirit. The spirit is a soul, in and of itself.
There’s a rational conclusion to make here concerning Jesus.. Since the soul, or the “life” of Jesus was in hades, and since it is the spirit that gives the life, there is therefore NO other conclusion, than the fact that the Spirit of Jesus was also in hades. And this isn’t difficult to understand. When the spirit returns to God who gave it, it is then in a condition that the bible calls “hades”
Hades is the unseen condition, or “realm of departed spirits”. (the word hades means, “unseen”) And in that “realm”, there is a presence of God. We’re told in Psalm 139:8, “If I make my bed in sheol, behold, Thou art there.” “Sheol” is the old testament Hebrew word, which is the equivalent of hades. When we’re told that “the spirit returns to God who gave it”, it’s perfectly understandable that those spirits have to dwell somewhere, and the bible tells us that “hades”, is that “dwelling place”. Another way of looking at it, is that hades, is the “condition” of the soul, after it leaves the body. It is the “unseen” condition of the spirit, between death and the resurrection.
The word hades is only used 10 times in the new testament, so we don’t know a whole lot about it. We do know that by definition, that hades means.. “unseen”. But it may be wiser to view hades as a “condition” rather than a “place”. Hades is the state of the soul, or the condition of the soul, after it leaves the body.
Let me say this just one more time.. As I said before; The spirit is a soul. It is a living being. That’s why Adam became a living soul, when the spirit was introduced. And the spirit is eternal. It will never cease to exist. The soul is our whole being, our entire being When the spirit occupies the fleshly body, the soul consists of body and spirit. When the spirit leaves the body, the soul then consists of only spirit. When the spirit is resurrected on the last day, and is joined to a spiritual body, it will again consist of body and spirit. That’s what Paul was talking about in 2 Corinthians 5:4, “For indeed while we are in this tent, (in this physical body) we groan, being burdened. Because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal, may be swallowed up by life.”
There will be a time when we will be “unclothed”. We will not have a body of any kind. But our soul will always remain alive, even without a body. Our soul will consist of a spirit, without a body of any kind. It could well be, that this is the reason why the spirit “sleeps” during this period of time, between the death of our physical body, and the resurrection of the spirit, when we will be given our new spiritual body. I’m just guessing here, but maybe the spirit requires some kind of body for it to be active. Just a thought.
One more scripture.. This one shows the words “soul” and “spirit”, being used interchangeably.
The virgin Mary exclaimed in Luke 1:46, “My soul exalts the Lord, My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” We might call this a “parallelism”, where the same thing is said in two different ways.
However I can still see a slight difference in the words, even here. Mary is exclaiming; My “entire being” exalts the Lord, the “spirit within me” has rejoiced in God my Savior!
The Soul and Spirit can be Separated! (The life can be taken from the spirit)
Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intents of the heart.” God uses a metaphor here, of the word of God, as “cutting through” joints and marrow, and soul and spirit. But what God is saying with this metaphor, is that His word is capable of penetrating to the very deepest parts of man; to the physical joints and marrow, to the spiritual soul and spirit, and even to the very thoughts and intents of man’s mind. But even though this statement is metaphorical, this verse DOES indicate a difference between soul and spirit! Evidently, the soul, or in other words “the life”, can be separated from the spirit.
How and when could the “life” (the soul) be separated from the spirit?
I think that it’s completely in harmony with the scriptures, to think of the “life”, as being taken from the spirit, when the spirit is “cast into outer darkness” (Mathew 22:13). “Outer darkness” is total separation from the presence of God, it is what the bible calls “hell”.
We know that death is a “separation”. Physical death is the separation of the body from the spirit, and spiritual death is the separation of the spirit from God. Therefore, when a spirit suffers separation from God, by being cast into outer darkness, the spirit suffers “death”. The “life” of that spirit has been taken away, and the result is.. a separation of soul and spirit.
These are all the words of the bible my friends. The bible says that man was created from the dust of the ground, and then a “God-breathed” spirit was joined to that man. And man BECAME living soul. When the spirit joins the body, the body comes to life. When the spirit leaves the body, the body is lifeless, it is dead. When the spirit is separated from God, it will also be “lifeless”.
But faithful believers, who obey the words of our God, will enjoy eternal LIFE with our Savior. Eternal life, not death, but life for our spirits, in the eternal condition of heaven. May God bless you all.
The rest of Matthew 22:13 says that in the place of outer darkness “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” You make it sound like those who experience spiritual death and go to Hell will be lifeless, as if they won’t be in torment or suffering. Please clarify.
Hello Shay. thanks for your comments. I’m sorry if you got the impression that I was suggesting that “hell” will be as you say, “lifeless”. The bible indicates that there will indeed be awareness and suffering in the condition called “hell”. That’s exactly why we don’t want to go there! Can you tell me specifically what made you think that I was suggesting otherwise?
Jim
The Tempter tied to tempt Jesus but failed, Jesus was not tempted, that’s why Jesus was without sin! This is why I believe that temptations are sins and need to repent when we even just think of doing something wrong!
Like it is said: better be on the save side, than the wrong one and be to late.
That’s why there is:
Right and left
Yes or No
Right or wrong
Righteous or sinner
No:
In between
Lukewarm
Middle
No halfway up
Maybes
How many times does God have to say something before we believe Him!
There are verses that tell us:
Believe in Jesus
In the name of Jesus
But, we know we need to be baptized, because we have been told?
Good morning David. Your comment about how it is better to be on the safe side is correct. That’s why God tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:22; “Flee the appearance of evil.” It’s better to abstain from things which might even appears to be evil, than to take your chances and inadvertently get caught up in evil. However, when it comes to the temptation of Jesus, the “tempter” did not fail to tempt Jesus. The scripture clearly says in Hebrews 4:15; “..who has been tempted in all things just as we are..” Therefore, we cannot argue with clear scripture.. Jesus was tempted! However, even though Jesus was tempted, He did not give in to the temptation, by sinning. “..Yet without sin” the scripture says. He was tempted, but He still didn’t sin. there is no question about it; Temptation in itself is not sin. It would be absolutely impossible for Jesus to be “without sin”, if temptation alone was sin. So then we need to get that agreed on to begin with. That is simply what the scripture says, and we must accept what it says. The thing that the “tempter” failed to do, was to get Jesus to give in to the temptation. Jesus “endured” the temptation and remained without sin. Think about what we’re told in 1 Corinthians 10:13; “No temptation has taken hold of you, but such as is common to man.” in other words, the temptations that we face, are the same temptations that everyone faces, and they are the same as the ones that Jesus faced, because “He was tempted in all things, such as we are”. Back to 1 Cor 10:13; “And God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear, but with the temptation, will provide also the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” We are to endure temptations, without sinning, just like Jesus endured the temptations that he faced. “Enduring” the temptation, is what allows us to be tempted without sinning. Do you see so far how this works?
Brother Jim,
On temptations, I do think temptations are sins!
This why
1. Jesus repeatedly warns about them.
In the Lord’s prayer
He also warns the apostles
2. The bible tells let your Yes be yes and your
No be no, so that you do not fall into judgement. (this just does not apply to
oaths.
3. You are either to the right or to left from a
straight pathway.
Would it be fair for to accuse of be tempted.
If let’s say if you and I when to Vegas, for a convention and our hotel had a gambling room. And you looked a black jack table.
For me to say you were tempted to gamble?
Of course not, I can not judge you.
So how can we say the same about Jesus.
Especially when Jesus answered, It is written… to me He said very clearly No! To all the Tempter temptations. Correct?
Just because Jesus was like us and can sympathize with our weaknesses.
Does not mean that Jesus was tempted?
God knows our every thought and heart’s intentions.
I believe that if you are tempted You have already said yes, though you may change your mind. I believe that we need to repent because you have already said yes in your thought.
That’s why Jesus told the apostles pray so that you do not fall into temptations.
That’s why God said tempted in everyway yet, without sin.
The Tempter, tempted Jesus in everyway! But, Jesus stayed without sin and did not even considered any of the Tempters temptations.
I believe that tempted is a weaking of the our heart and mind!
That’s why we should continue to pray that we fall not into temptation.
Jesus tells us that in the Lord’s prayer and again to the apostle in the garden!
Hi David, here’s how I would answer your questions and comments. Jesus warns of the possibility of sinning because of temptations, but He never says that the temptations are sin. And we can pray that we do not fall into temptation, just like we can pray that we never become ill. But the fact is, we will become ill, because of the perishable fleshly body that we live in, and we will be tempted, because of the fleshly body that we live in. You are correct, that I can’t judge when another person is being tempted, for the simple reason that different people are tempted by different things. But whatever it is that tempts us, we can be sure that the temptation fits into one of three categories, as listed in 1 John 2:16; “The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life.” Temptation doesn’t come because of a “weakening” of the heart and mind, but rather, temptation comes because of the “weakness” of our fleshly body. Let me give you an example of a temptation which we can refuse to give in to.. Let’s say you have no money, and you’re in need. One day you see some money that was left on the counter at a business, with no one around. You might think to yourself, I could just steal that money (which I really need) and no one would ever know. That is a temptation! But that doesn’t mean that you have to follow through with the thought which has entered your mind. So you think to yourself, No, it would be wrong to just take the money, and you make the right decision, and you refuse to give in to the temptation. You have been tempted, yet without sin.
Brother Jim,
(Hebrews 4:12&13) But, if God knows our every thought and intention of the heart! What than just because you change your mind. The intent was there and God knows it! Therefore I say you have in your heart.
Just like when you lust in your heart you have committed adultery in heart! Again you need to repent as with thinking of wrong doing! That’s why I think Jesus warns us to pray so that we stop thinking even in that way. The more you pray not to do so the more you stop thinking that way! Christian is a way of life. Not a minute by minute thing!
And again I say Jesus was not tempted in thought or heart! The Tempter came to try it but failed! The resistance of Jesus Christ is what we must learn to do.
I can not say I won’t be tempted but I pray everyday and night that God give me the strength that Jesus had. Jesus suffered everytime as we to much suffer and say No the first time to sin! I would rather tell people that we must be strong like our Lord. Instead of telling there’s nothing with be tempted! Sure we are going to suffer for the Lord that He suffered for us!
And everytime that it is preach the assumption that Jesus was tempted it is be asumpted that Jesus was weak. So it ok for us to be weak too!
People should know that Jesus Christ was and is our power over sin. Sure we all fall short of the glory of God! That does not mean we do not continue to try.
To tell someone it is ok to fall is not a good thing. (God tells us to pray to be holy) somewhere can not remember where right now. And that is what I tell everyone, we might never be perfect but, we should certainly pray to be holy! God also tells us to encourage one another that we should also be doing!
I certainly will continue to tell people to abstain from all evil appearances. Jesus told the Apostles pray that you do not fall into temptations. I certainly will continue to do so and tell people to do the same.
To learn to live as Christ did and taught us through examples of His living. The word of God I believe tells us more than what we see. That’s why we need to pray for His wisdom.
Like the saying goes “Pray is the answer to everything.”
So pray!
Thanks for your response David. I see what you are saying. Let me ask you just one question though. You said.. “And again I say Jesus was not tempted in thought or heart!” How then was Jesus tempted? Because Hebrews 4:15 definitely says that Jesus “has been tempted”. Also Mark 1:13 tells us that Jesus “was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by satan.” How do you respond to these scriptures? If God says Jesus was tempted, and you say Jesus was not tempted, are you not contradicting God? As I said to begin with, I see what you are saying in all the verses that you cite. However, I can give you explanations from the scriptures for every question that you suggest. But let’s deal with just one question at a time. So let me ask that one question again; How do you account for the fact that the scriptures say that Jesus was tempted? If you believe that he wasn’t tempted in thought or heart, then how was He tempted?
Jim,
I think I have lost you, like I have told you before I do not understand how to use this comment thing. Do I answer you on the reply after your comment or answer you in the (leave a reply). I have not heard from you so and have answer you twice I think.
So maybe you will find this comment. The last comment from was in May 2! And I have tried twice to get to you.
No, you didn’t lose me. I was busy all day yesterday though. I see both of your comments now. I know what you mean when you say your back is distracting your thoughts. It’s kind of what Jesus said in Mathew 26:41; “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And I understand your thoughts on the spirit and soul. When I think about a “dividing of soul and spirit”, I think of the soul as the “life”. And so I think of the life being taken away from the spirit. Such as when a spirit would be separated from God in hell. Since God gives the life to our spirits, it makes sense to me that if we become separated from God in hell, then our spirit is now also separated from it’s very life. Does that make sense?
Yes Jim
That does make sense! What I do not understand is why people want to make God’s word hard. I have heard some where. That the best commentator to scriptures is another scripture.
People put more trust on some one else but they done trust themselves. Or is it to say (will he said) on the last day. Wish more people would realize that they are the only one responsible for their salvation.
And preachers today (some not all) want people to think. Because Jesus was human like us. And are teaching that Jesus was tempted it is ok for us to make mistakes. What I believe that Jesus was not tempted, He resisted! Yet without sin.
They do not continue and follow thur with the truth.
But, Jesus they did with Jesus and Stephen. The false witness used half truth. And that’s the wrong that preachers today. They half truths about Jesus and God’s word. They do not want to offend their congregation and elders are sleeping and not being watchful.
Hi David. How was your Sunday? We had a good bible study and good worship services, and just an all around good day. Your comments are right on target. I don’t know why people make things so hard to understand either. I suppose it simply boils down to them not wanting to believe what the bible says. If they were to believe everything the bible says, they would have to change many of their old beliefs. We need to pray for everyone. And people do really get offended by the truth, so I can see why so many are afraid of that happening, because it does. I’m shocked at members of the church who get offended when they hear the plain truth taught. We all need to keep on learning as we study. What’s another subject that you are interested in?
Brother,
I have question that I have debated with people.
What do say, is a temptation a sin? According to what I have read in God’s word I truly believe that temptations are sins.
Which leads to how preachers are and congregations are be taught. Well they really do not come out and say one way or another. But, leave you hanging.
And teach that Jesus was also tempted. (Heb. 4:14-16) this they are teaching wrong. Which because it Jesus was tempted in every way. So preachers are misleading people. They leading them that it ok or it is alright if you are tempted. You have done nothing wrong. Jesus was tempted.
But, do not want or do not understand what (without sin) is saying? That is like preaching half of a truth!
So what they hear them saying, we do not have a high priest that can not sympathize with our weaknesses, but that has been tempted in every way as we are! Leading to believe that Jesus was tempted?
(Matt.4:1-11) is also taught wrong, which is actually where the study start from. Teaching that Jesus was tempted because it says Jesus was hungry.
What do say on this matter?
What I say if the gospel of Jesus and the beginning of the church are being taught wrong from the beginning today. How can people be leaded in the right direction?
Young and old do not want to listen anymore. It is like in the days of Moses people being leaded back turning back to the way of Egypt. Trying please people the way Aaron did! Saying and doing what people want to do or hear!
Good morning David. That’s a good question that you ask. “Is temptation sin”? I am preparing a lesson on that very question right now. I want to send you the link to that lesson as soon as I’m finished. Hopefully by tomorrow morning. But I will give you a quick answer right now.. No, temptation is not sin. And like you have pointed out already, the reason that we know for sure, that it is not a sin to be tempted, is because Jesus Himself was tempted, but yet Jesus had no sin. Therefore, it is impossible for temptation alone, to be sinful. The sin only occurs when we don’t deal properly with the temptation. My lesson will explain everything. The answer to this question is just like all other answers. We simply have to go to the bible, and examine everything that the bible tells us, so that we can come to the correct conclusion. But as always, the key is to believe exactly what the bible says. I’ll send you the lesson material hopefully in the morning. Have a blessed day David. I appreciate your willingness and eagerness to learn more, and I’m sure that the Lord appreciates it also. I always learn when study His word.
Jim,
I am pretty sure that my thinking is correct in saying that Hebrews 12:4. The separation of spirit and soul. It is a separation of the most inner part of a living being (the heart) and the spirit our heavenly body! The breath of God giving us a heartbeat. Making us a living soul. This is what I believe God is telling gathering this from others scriptures. Like the inner man and outer man.
I am on the right path of study. Which I am continuing doing on this subject at the time. But my Back pain is messing with my mind. My my heart is willing but my mind being distracted from thought.
Jim,
I see what you are saying and I understand what you are saying. I agreed with you from the beginning. Why do you want me to read what you saying. The bible is perfectly clear to me just with it’s own words.
What else do you want me to say. What don’t understand is what more can your article explain to me than what the bible has already told me! In fact I had to reread parts of the bible to explain to me what you were saying.
The article kind of threw a wrench in my brain. I understand the bible but your article confused me a little. I don’t know what is it you want me to understand, that I didn’t already understand?
Sorry David, I didn’t mean to cause confusion. I don’t remember us talking about this subject before. I’m glad that you see it the same way as I do though. Lots of people don’t understand the subject. I just wanted to get your feeling on it. Thanks as always David. I appreciate your input.
Jim,
Sorry it has taken me so long response to your last comment. I have not been feeling to good, my Back and weather we have been having do not get along.
Just want to explain no did not have any conversation on the soul. But when we talked about the physical and spiritual body of Christ. I on my own included included to study about the soul. Since really the three are a study on it’s own. At least that is the way I saw it and studied it like that.
The way I understand it is that the soul is just saying the body becoming a living human being! Please correct me if am wrong. Or if you have simpler way of saying. Or is article the way of you say it
I hope your back is feeling better. Both me and my wife ae affected by the weather. We both have arthritis (she has severe arthritis) and when the weather gets damp and cold, it makes for a lot of pain and stiffness. I understand what you’re saying about the soul. The body did become a living human being, after the spirit was joined to it. The reason I wrote the article was because most people have been told that a human being is made up of three parts, namely, the body, spirit, and soul. But I wanted to show how the bible teaches that a soul isn’t a part of us, but rather, a soul is what we are. A soul IS a living being, a soul is not a part of a living being, but it is the whole of a living being. Thanks for your comments, I think you’re right on target with your understanding. What do you think it means, in Hebrews 4:12, when it says; “the division of soul and spirit..”? How do you think the soul can be divided from the spirit?