Three Theories of the Origin of the Soul
1. All souls are eternal and pre-existent.
There are two basic positions on pre-existence:
A. Transmigration: This is the position behind reincarnation formulated during the 9th century BC in the composition of the Brahmana writings. After someone (animal or human) dies, the soul transmigrates from one body to another. The common word for the core of human existence in the Eastern Religions is the Atman or Purusha. There are many various beliefs regarding transmigration within Buddhism, Jainism, Chinese Taoism and Hinduism.
B. Greek Platonism: This position believed all souls pre-existed in a Celestial World andfell into human bodies due to sin. In order to be liberated from the bondage of the material world (the body), the soul needed to be purified through various stages of reincarnation in order to return to a pure form of existence. Neo-Platonism (beginning during the 3rd century AD) was formed by the integration of Hindu and Platonian philosophies.
Reincarnation is merely a “rebirth” of a pre-existing soul into a new life or new body. The Soul (Atman or Purusha) is the true and continuing essence of individuality often referred to as the Higher or True Self, the Divine Spark or the I. The last stage of reincarnation is known by many different terms; Nirvana, Enlightenment and Self Actualization to name a few. Most New Age Christians integrate various forms or degrees of these beliefs into Christianity.
2. Creation: all souls and spirits are created by God either before time (pretemporal) or at birth
3. Propagation: (Traducian) the soul and spirit are generated at conception as part of procreation.
Only these latter two theories can be substantiated in anyway by Scriptural evidences. The first Scriptural mention of the soul is found in the creation account in Genesis.
Read Genesis 2:4-7.
The word translated “soul” in Genesis 2:7 is the Hebrew word nephesh (neh'-fesh). The word simply means a breathing creature. God “formed man” out of “the dust of the ground.” This refers to man’s material being and chemical construction. Then we are told that God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” This is apparently unique to man. We are not told that God breathe life into any other breathing creature although there are thousands of species of breathing creatures. This act of God is what caused man to become “a living soul.” Although other breathing species have life, no where is it said they have a soul.
The word “living” is translated from the Hebrew word chay (khah'-ee), which simply means alive or living. It was this act of God “breathing” into this lifeless mass of physical/material chemicals that caused this thing to become a distinct, unique entity with the ability to think, formulate ideas, develop personality and make personal decisions of the will. These two words “living soul” would be the result of God’s Spirit/Life being united with human form producing an eternal soul since the Life of God is eternal Life.
It is obvious from Genesis 2:7 that the spirit and soul are distinct from one another but closely related. I believe they are really inseparable from one another. “Soul connotes that the immaterial part of man which is related to life, action, emotion. Spirit is that part within related to worship, communion, divine influence.” (Chafer’s Systematic Theology; Volume VII, page 291) The terms are so closely related they are often used interchangeably throughout the Word of God. That does not mean they are synonymous. In the fall of man, the Soul is lost and man became spiritually dead.
It would seem that the Soul of man is the essence or intelligent composite of his sensuality (sight, touch, smell, hearing, taste) creating memory and physical awareness. It would seem that the Spirit of man is the essence or intelligent composite of his link to his spiritual existence (emotions, worship, communion, imagination, reason and divine influence) creating conscience and spiritual awareness.
For instance, in I Corinthians 2:14-15 the Scripture refers to both the “natural man” and the “spiritual man.”
Read I Corinthians 2:6-15.
The word “natural” in I Corinthians 2:14 is from the Greek word psuchikos (psoo-khee-kos'). It means sensitive. It was used of the human senses as they act upon the animate, material world. Therefore the Soul of man is said to be “lost.” The word “lost” is never used of the Spirit of man. The word “lost” in the New Testament books is translated from the Greek word apollumi (ap-ol’-loo-mee). It refers to something ruined or destroyed. Man was created to bring God glory. That purpose was ruined/destroyed by mankind’s fall into sin. In this destruction/ruin of the Soul, man also lost his connection to the spiritual realm of his existence. Mankind was “blinded” to the spiritual and became “dead in trespasses and sins.” Mankind was not only separated from God’s existence (“dead”), he became completely ignorant of God and What God is because of the ruin/destruction of his Soul.
Read Ephesians 2:1-3.
Salvation is much more than a Fire Escape from Hell. Salvation is the restoration of a fallen Soul to God in fellowship, worship, and service. In salvation, the sensual (Soul) is reconnected to the spiritual (Spirit) and the restoration of communion/fellowship between God and the saved individual is restored.
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[/FONT] How does this help us decide whether Souls are created or propagated (procreated)? If souls after the original creation are created by God upon birth or conception, then we must conclude that those souls were created by God as “lost” souls. David said, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5). This makes God the creator of sinners.
The idea that a child receives his/her soul upon birth was actually a part of the transmigration theory. In this theory, a divine Being created all souls. These souls are introduced into the Karma by birth over and over again until they achieve Enlightenment. There is really no Scriptural evidence that God created all souls before time or that He creates a soul for each new baby born/conceived into this world. If God creates a new Soul for each new baby when that baby is conceived/born, then creation is an ongoing process. This would be a contradiction against the statement of Scripture in Genesis 2:1-3.
Read Genesis 2:1-3.
The intent of these verses is that God ceased in His work of creation ending His creative work on the “seventh day” by blessing the seventh day (7 is the number of completion) and setting that day apart for Him. This act of sanctifying the seventh day was intent upon bringing the creation into a living and harmonious relationship with the Creator. The main emphasis of the text is that creation ended on the sixth day after which the creation was self-propagating; i.e., everything produced after its own kind.
Read Genesis 1:20-28 and note the repeated statement "after its/his kind."
The intent of these Scriptures is to show that God created a continuum. That continuum was through propagation/procreation. Every species was created with the ability to reproduce itself through propagation/procreation. All that a species is exists within its genetic makeup and was reproduced in the process of procreation.
Propagation/procreation as well answers the question of when life begins. Life began when God created life. Life continues to be generated through the process of procreation. Therefore life continues to be propagated at conception in the fertilization of an egg by male sperm. Since all species are monogenetic (produce after their own kind), at the moment of conception a new life begins. In the human species, the fertilized egg is immediately body, soul and spirit. Although that child will grow for nine months in the womb before birth and grow for many years until adult maturity, all that this person will be is there in the egg in the genetic merging of the parents. Therefore all souls are created by God in the continuum of procreation.
