Who / what is the soul?

Hello Percho, since no-one else has addressed this, I will just answer the OP: "a" soul is a person, and most uses of this term refer to the person as a whole, rather than an immaterial aspect of man's existence. If we interpret Scripture with the understanding that "a" soul refers to an immaterial aspect of man's existence, we are going to become seriously confused.

This is why doctrines such as Soul Sleep and Annihilation have become popular, even among those associated with what we might consider more orthodox groups.

A passage that best illustrates the "soul" and what it means is this one...



Acts 27:36-38

King James Version (KJV)


36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.

37 And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.

38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.


This is not a picture of a "ghost ship," but speaks of the persons aboard the vessel. Even to this day, when a ship goes down, they describe those lost (who perish) souls (i.e., "Eighteen souls were lost at sea.")


Understanding that the Old Testament was primarily physical in the revelation provided, the difference in understanding statements like "The soul that sins shall die" and "My soul shall go down into the grave" between the two understandings is significant.


God bless.

 

And I agree with this, for this is the primary meaning "soul" has, particularly in the Old Testament.

There are times when "soul" seems to speak to an immaterial aspect, but, I view this as a given, seeing a man in totality includes that immaterial aspect of his make-up.

The question, then, is determining its meaning in each use, as to whether we might impose the popular teaching you give you here.

Here is one you can give me your thoughts on:


Ezekiel 18:4

King James Version (KJV)


4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.


And one more:


Psalm 22:29

King James Version (KJV)

29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.



Okay, one more, lol:


Genesis 46:15

King James Version (KJV)


15 These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Padanaram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three.



The reason this came up, I believe, was due to discussion concerning resurrection and soul sleep was mentioned. Many take the meaning of soul it has taken on extra-biblically (that soul refers to an immaterial aspect of man's make-up) and apply it to key texts in the Old Testament, which is how they justify their doctrine(s), soul sleep and annihilation being two of the big ones.

Makes for a great discussion, though, if you can get anyone to talk about it, lol.


God bless.

 

Agreed, but we also see this term used to refer to those who have departed from their earthly house:


Revelation 6:9

And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations


Revelation 20:4
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations


The teaching of Paul in 2 Corinthians makes it clear that when we leave this earthly house, we have one made by God, but, he does not say we receive that simply by dying, and that when we die we are unclothed, or naked.

We see that same concept presented here, I believe:


Revelation 6:10-11

King James Version (KJV)


10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.



I would point out that a sequence is not necessarily in view, meaning we don't have to impose the souls (persons of the slain) crying for vengeance, then they are clothed with white robes. I see this as referring to the fact that they are believers.

Whereas we also have to take in view that the body in which we die in is the house that is raised, albeit in glorified form. So not two different bodies, but the same body at two different points in its existence. We can safely say this based on what Scripture teaches, as well as the fact that when Christ was risen He showed them the prints in His hands and the hole in His side, which implies the same body though glorified.

Amen.

And we see this happen at least twice.




God bless.

 

The nature of man is somewhat akin to the nature of God. God is a triune being and so is man. Just as there are overlapping areas between the three Persons of the Trinity and yet they are eternal distinct from one another so is the triune nature of man (spirit, soul and body). For example, The Holy Spirit is sometime called "The Spirit of Christ" because he represents Christ. Sometimes one part of the nature of man is used to represent the whole of man and yet it is still distinct from the other aspects.

Man's nature beginning with the innermost aspect begins with the "spirit" of man which is man's capacity to relate with the spiritual world. His body is man's capacity to relate to the outer physical world through the five senses. Stuck in the middle is the soul or man's self-consciousness (intellect, will and emotions) which has access to both his spirit and body and is conscious of both the spiritual and physical world.

The "soul" is spirit by nature, meaning it is not a physical substance. It is the battleground between indwelling law of sin in the body and the indwelling Spirit of God in the spirit. The soul can "put on" the inward or outward man and depending upon which is put on by the soul determines the character of ones life (thoughts, choices and actions = works).

 

The issue between eternal security and potential apostasy from salvation is primarily centered around passages that deal with the salvation of the "soul". The same Greek term translated "soul" is also translated "life" because the soul (intellect, will and affections) determine the manifest life (works). Our time is redeemed according who controls the soul (the indwelling Spirit of God OR the indwelling law of sin). That time or the daily life being lived under the control of indwelling sin is LOST forever. That portion of our time or daily life lived under the control of the indwelling Spirit of God is SAVED in the form of rewards.

The loss of salvation with regard to "time" not redeemed or that portion of the manifest "life" not controlled by the Spirit are passages that are primarily used by apostasy advocates to repudiate eternal security. However, these deal with the LIFE or TIME which can be redeemed or lost without affecting the eternal destiny of the child of God as that is determined by regeneration and justification rather than progressive sanctification. It is this very truth of grace that gives rise to the objection in Romans 6:1 as no other position of grace would promote this kind of response. Paul's answer is that water baptism provides an open and obvious response because water baptism publicly identifies the believer not merely with justification based upon a righteous man's substitutionary death, but it identifies with resurrection life that indwells all who are justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone without works. It is regenerative life that works progressively according to the predetermined measure of grace that God has bestowed upon each of his children (Rom. 12:4, 7; Eph. 2:10b).