Do you have an Immortal Soul?
Do you have a soul?
Are you a soul? Is there something about you that is immortal that
will never die? If so, when, and how did that "soul" get into your body? Was it
imparted to you at the moment of conception? Did it come into your body at some
time during your fetal development? Were you given an "immortal soul" at the
moment you took your first breath, shortly after birth?
If you have a "soul" can you touch it, taste it, feel it, hear it, or smell
it? Can you take it out and look at it? Can you see the "souls" of
others? Are You, you the real person, the innermost, private, human being
with all of your thoughts, inclinations, perceptions, concepts and beliefs,
hidden longings, doubts and fears, beliefs and convictions, sensory perceptions
and feelings, going to SURVIVE this human flesh, and live forever?
According to the so-called "Christian" religions the real PERSON is dwelling
within the temporal body. The body is seen as a temporary suit of
clothes. The real person dwells within that temporary suit of clothes;
and at the time of death, the now useless "suit of clothes" (the body) is
discarded, buried in the ground or cremated, while the real person wafts
away either to heaven or to ever-burning hell fire! (In the Catholic
tradition, there are allegedly various intermediary stages called "purgatory.")
How can you KNOW, one way or the others What is your ultimate authority
for determining the truth on any subject which has to do with life and
death, judgment, and the hereafter? For the purposes of this article, the
absolute, final and divine AUTHORITY is the Bible, the inspired, written Word of
God, as it appears in its earliest manuscripts, and in its original languages!
If your "authority" for your beliefs is myth, superstition, fables,
stories of alleged death-bed visions or conversations with "departed souls"; if
your "authority" is mysticism, oriental religions, heathen superstitions or
esoterica, then you should read no further—for this article accepts as the only
and FINAL authority on the subject of the so-called "immortality of the Soul"
THE BIBLE, the written Word of God!
WHY, then, if so many hundreds of millions of human beings in so many nations
are absolutely convinced they possess an immortal soul are the words
"immortal soul" FOUND NOWHERE in Scripture?
What Is Man?
Obviously, the question concerning whether you have an "immortal soul" is
really the question, what are you? To atheists and evolutionists, man
is merely a "hairless ape." God-rejecting atheists view man as the end result of
aeons of blind chance; the final outcome of millennia of randomness; "natural
selection," and the "survival of the fittest. " Of course, those who reject the
word of God are cultists; they have a blind FAITH in the theories of
the evolutionary "fathers, " and nothing is more UNscientific than the
theory of evolution!
Those who believe in creation—who know and understand that life can
only come from preexisting life, and preexisting life of the same kind,
who understand that laws can only come from a great lawgiver; that perfection,
symmetry, interdependency and fabulous design can only come from a
Supreme Designer—know better. They know that the human family began
with one man, and that a wife, miraculously taken from his own body and
as much a unique and original creation as was Adam himself, formed the first
family.
In any event, even if for the sake of argument alone, those who profess the
Christian religion and believe in the inspiration of the Bible must
explain what is man from the perspective of the creation
account revealed in the Bible!
When God created our first parent He said, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou
eat bread, till thou return unto the ground, for out of it wast thou
taken: for DUST THOU ART, and unto dust shalt thou return!
"(Genesis 3:19). God was talking to Adam. He was talking to the
conscious man! He did not tell Adam that only his body
was composed of the elements of the earth; but that "Adam" was really a "soul"
locked within a temporal, physical body! No, He said Adam WAS "red clay" or,
"red mud" (for that is the real meaning of the Hebrew word translated
"dust").
Notice! "And the Eternal God formed man of the dust of the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man BECAME A LIVING
SOUL!"(Genesis 2:7). Remember, the Bible was not written in the English
language. Mostly, the Bible was written in Greek and Hebrew; Hebrew being used
predominately in the Old Testament, and Greek in the New. There was no such word
in existence at the time the Bible was written as "soul. " It is an English
word, with an almost exclusively ecclesiastical connotation! Actually,
as you will see, the English word "soul" should be virtually expunged from the
English language, and replaced with many possible synonyms
which connote the real meaning of the Hebrew word nephesh. For
the Hebrew word nephesh is the word from which the English word "soul"
is translated!
Naturally, then, our quest for knowledge and understanding centers around the
meaning of the word nephesh! What is the meaning, then, of the
HEBREW word nephesh?
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance says, "(5315) nephesh; a breathing
creature, i.e. animal or (abstr.) vitality: used very widely in a
literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental); appetite, beast,
body, breath, creature, dead, desire, contented, fish, ghost, greedy, he, heart,
(jeopardy of life; in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own,
person, pleasure, (her, him, my, thy) self, them (your) selves, slay, soul,
tablet, they, thing, will, would have it."
What a list! You see, the Hebrew word nephesh has to do with
"being"! As such, it has a wide usage, concerning the
physical, animal, breathing LIFE of flesh and blood creatures! Notice
that it can be translated "dead" or even "beast" or "creature" as well as
"lust," "mortally," or "person."
Did you know that the Hebrew word nephesh is used several times
of lower life forms PRIOR to ever being used concerning man in the
Bible?
Notice Genesis 1:20 where nephesh is rendered, "moving creature," verse
21 where the same word is rendered, "living creature," verse 24 where
nephesh is rendered, "living creature; and beast, " verse 25 where it is
rendered "beast," referring to whales, fish, crustaceans and lower life forms
inhabiting the sea!
In this graphic description of the creation of all of the animals and
sea-dwelling creatures, the word nephesh is used again and
again! Naturally even the superstitious translators who were heavily
affected by Roman Catholic and Anglican doctrines in the sixteen hundreds did
not dare render the word nephesh as "soul" in these
passages!
Now, turn to and read Numbers 19:11: "He that toucheth the dead body of
any man shall be unclean seven days. " In this scripture, the laws of
purification under the Levites are discussed. A person would be considered
"unclean" if he touched the decaying corpse or body of an animal or another man!
Notice verse 22. "And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean;
and the soul [nephesh!] that toucheth it shall be unclean until even. "
The very same word rendered "soul" in verse 22 (which should be
translated "individual," or "person") is rendered "DEAD BODY" in verse
11! Get it into your mind; firmly fixed once and for all! The SAME WORD
which is translated "soul" in literally dozens of places in the Old
Testament is here translated "dead body"!
Now turn to and read Ezekiel 18, verses 4 and 20. "Behold, all souls [nephesh]
are mine; as the soul [nephesh] of the father, so also the soul [nephesh]
of the son is mine: the soul. [nephesh] that sinneth IT [that 'soul' or
nepheshq shall DIE! " Here, it would be far clearer if the English were
rendered "Behold all persons are mine; as the person of the father, so
the person of the son; the individual that sins HE shall die!"
The thrust of the scripture is individual, personal responsibility
before God! What God is saying through Ezekiel is that no one can render excuses
for sin; that we cannot "pass the buck" by pointing to others as a causal factor
of our sins!
This scripture is not given as a lesson in whether or not souls are "immortal"
or mortal; yet, because the scripture very plainly says that "the soul that
sinneth, IT SHALL DIE, " it represents a further, powerfully
conclusive PROOF that the Hebrew word for "soul" (nephesh) means
physical, mortal, temporal life, and has nothing whatsoever to do with
immortality!
So, ask yourself "does the Bible say, whatever the Bible means by the
word 'soul,' that souls can DIE?" Your obvious answer is YES!
Then, with your own eyes, you are beholding the absolute proof that the
word translated into English "soul" has nothing whatsoever to do with
immortality or spirituality; but has to do with physical, carnal,
flesh-and-blood human and animal existence!
The word nephesh is found in 243 different Bible passages, and translated in 11
different ways. Notice that the expression "the dead" is translated directly
from the Hebrew word nephesh in the following passages: Leviticus 19:22; 21:1,
22:4; Numbers 5:2; Numbers 6:11.
The same word (nephesh) which is translated "soul" in most cases is
rendered "dead body" in Numbers 9:6, 7, 10.
It is translated as "body" in Leviticus 21:11, Numbers 6:6; 19:11, 13, and also
in Haggai 2:1, 3.
What About the New Testament?
The Greek word psuche is the only word that is translated
"soul" in the New Testament. You will find the word 105 times in the New
Testament, of which it is translated "soul" only 58 times, but can also be
rendered "life" (40 times), "mind" (three times), and "heart," "heartily," "us"
and "you" (one time each).
The Greek word psuche is the exact Greek rendering of the Hebrew
word nephesh and is used in the same way throughout the New Testament.
For example, psuche is used of the lower animals, just as you have
seen nephesh used of lower life forms in the first chapter of the book of
Genesis! In Revelation 8:9, the Greek word psuche (remember this is the
ONLY word which is ever used for the word "soul" in the English language) is
rendered "life. " Notice also Revelation 16:3, where lower life forms are spoken
of, yet the word "soul" is used. Read that last scripture carefully! It
describes one of the horrible plagues yet to fall upon the land and the sea, and
says "every living soul DIED"! Here is one more New Testament proof that
the word "soul" as it found its way into the English language means a
being, or living thing, which can DIE! In this case, it is used of various forms
of life (of which there are thousands) in the sea!
Oftentimes, many pilots calling in their flight plans would say they had so many
"souls" on board, using the word interchangeably for individuals, or persons.
When a newspaper headline speaks of so many "souls" being lost in the
sinking of a ship, it is using the word in much the same way as it occurs 14
different times in the Bible! For proof, read Acts 2:41-43; 3:23; 7:14; 27:37;
Romans 2:9; 13: 1; I Corinthians 15:45; James 5:20; I Peter 3:20; II Peter 2:14;
Revelation 6:9; 18:13; 20:4.
In those passages, the Greek word psuche is used for the life of man,
which can be destroyed, or lost. A classic example of where the
translators have tampered with the English in translating from the
Greek is found in Matthew 16:25 and 26.
Notice the way it is rendered in the King James Version: "For whosoever will
save his life [psuche] shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life
[psuche] for my sake shall find it.
For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own
soul [psuche]? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul
[psuche]?"
Obviously, since the identical Greek word is used in both passages;
and since it is rendered differently in verse 26 (soul) from the way it
is used in verse 25 (life), it was a translator's decision as to
changing the way he rendered this Greek word psuche in the two
verses! To be honest, and to be fair with the word, it should have
been rendered the same in both passages! Here, it is obvious the word
should better be rendered "life, " just as it was rendered in
verse 25! For, after all, it is your life you can lose—and what
can you give in exchange for your LIFE?
The point is, the Greek word psuche is capable of nearly as many
applications as is the Hebrew word nephesh, and can even be used of man's
moods, passions and feelings!
The word psuche, for example, is translated "mind," "us," "you" "heart"
and "heartily."
By no stretch of the imagination can this Greek word EVER connote anything which
is immortal, or "extraphysical, " in the sense of being spiritual. The
English word "soul" in the Old Testament is always taken from the Hebrew
nephesh and does NOT mean anything immortal; just as the English word "soul"
in the New Testament is taken from the Greek word psuche, and only means
mortal, temporal, human physical MAN, who is subject to death.
What Happens at Death?
It is clear from both the Hebrew and the Greek, the
original languages of the Bible, that man dies in exactly the same fashion as
does a beast. "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; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast; for
all is vanity. "All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and
all turn to dust again!" (Ecclesiastes 3:19, 20).
Notice how the inspired Bible writers described the condition of
death: Job wrote, "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of
trouble. "He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: He fleeth—also as a
shadow, and continueth not" (Job 14:1, 2).
In the same chapter, Job said, "So man lieth down, and riseth not: TILL the
heavens be no more, [obviously, reference to the resurrection and the
'new heavens and new earth'] they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their
sleep.
"Oh that thou wouldst hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me in
secret, until thy wrath be passed, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and
remember me!
"If a man die shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I
wait, till my change come! [Obvious reference to the change at the
resurrection; I Corinthians 15:50-52.]
"Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou will have a desire to the work of
thine hands!" (Job 14:12-15).
God inspired David to
write a great deal about the subject of life and death. David said,
"Nevertheless man being in honor abideth not: He is like the beasts that
perish ... like sheep they are laid in the grave [sheol]
death shall feed upon them, and the upright shall have dominion over them in
the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave [sheol]
from their dwelling. But God will redeem my soul [Hebrew nephesh—meaning
LIFE!] from the power of the grave [notice the grave has POWER over the
kind of 'life' connoted by the Hebrew word nephesh]: For He shall
receive me. "Man that is in honor. and understandeth not, is like the
beasts that perish!" (Psalm 49:12-20). Because Almighty God reveals we human
beings—the creation of His hands—are His children, and that we will be
resurrected FROM THE DEAD, He inspired David to write, "Precious in the
sight of the Eternal is the death of His saints! " (Psalms 116:15).
There are many examples in the Bible about what happens at death!
There is NO case in the Bible where the words "immortal soul" appear! There
is a "spirit in man" mentioned in the Bible, which is a very profound
subject, and which would demand an entire booklet to thoroughly explain. In
brief, the "spirit in man" (mentioned by Job and the apostle Paul who talked of
how God's Holy Spirit "witnesseth with our spirit" that we are the
children of God) is that spiritual essence which lifts the mind of man to
a level far above the mere brain of animals! The Bible clearly reveals
that Almighty God is begetting CHILDREN!
Even as human beings are not reproduced without life begetting life; male
life uniting with female life; so Almighty God reveals that His Holy
Spirit does not unite with mere flesh; but that there is a "spirit in
man," very likely in the frontal lobes of the brain (which is why the "forehead"
is mentioned so often) where our will power; our volition, decision-making
capacity and our personality exists!
When the Bible speaks, metaphorically, of "the heart" it is speaking of that
portion of our human mind wherein our attitude; our CHARACTER resides!
Recent scientific knowledge has revealed that the human brain is divided into
many different parts. Some portions of the brain control such things as our
coordination, equilibrium; our physical and athletic ability; other portions
deal with our sensory perceptions such as the central nervous system, the eye,
etc. Other portions deal with the memory, and the frontal lobes, behind
the forehead of the human brain control the DECISION-MAKING part of the
brain.
Perhaps there is greater meaning in the symbolism of those who receive the "mark
of the beast" in their foreheads (meaning willingly; with their own
permission, acceptance and volition!) when one understands this simple truth!
But this "spirit in man" is not "immortal"! God's Word says clearly God
ONLY hath immortality! Man is revealed as being temporal, fleshly, carnal,
physical—of the dust! He is said to perish and waste away! Yet,
think about it deeply for a moment. Even as the pattern for all that you are
was in a tiny, microscopic germ of life from your father, uniting with an
egg of life from your mother; even as the "pattern" which was to determine your
basic appearance, height, shape, color of eyes and hair, texture of skin,
talents and abilities, was all miraculously contained in that microscopic bit of
life, so Almighty God is building in our Christian lives a pattern,
through the power of His Holy Spirit which can beget a "new creation in Christ"
when in connection with the spirit in man!
Even as your human father stamped you with his identity—gave you his
NAME—so our heavenly Father is putting His own identity, His name, and His
personality within His children.
The false doctrine of the "immortality of the soul" CONCEALS THIS GREAT TRUTH
!
If God is allowing you to understand deeper truths of His Word through this
article then to Almighty God goes the credit! If God is revealing deeper
truths to you, you should now turn to Romans the eighth chapter and read with
greater understanding than ever before the entire chapter! Particularly, as
you study this important chapter, read verse 29! "For whom He did foreknow, He
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He [Jesus
Christ!] might be the FIRSTBORN among MANY BRETHREN! "Yes, even as Jesus Christ
was the first begotten among all human kind; He was also the first BORN
from the dead! How plain! How simple!
The greatest phenomenon we see around us is that of LIFE! We see the
miraculous fact that life comes from preexisting life of the same kind; that
life has die basic urge to perpetuate itself; that He produces like, kind
reproduces after kind, and that we human beings, through love in marriage,
reproduce after our own kind!
Almighty God is reproducing after His kind!