Bishop's Epistle: Does The Soul Exist Separate From The Body?

Sorting Out the Confusion

And 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. ⏤Genesis 2:7

There are those who build a doctrine from Genesis 2:7 which would postulate that there is no soul separate from the body. The soul, they would say, is formed by the union of the "breath" of God with the physical body (soma). Therefore, upon death the "breath" (spirit) of God returns to whence it came and the life, called the soul, is no more.

Historical Christianity has read this text (Genesis 2:7) in a much different manner. The orthodox have said that there is a dualism to man. Two substances. A body of flesh and an immaterial substance called, alternately, soul, or spirit. A substance is made known by its actions. The idea of "substance" is one of the truths of reason. Universally, men are aware of their thoughts, feelings and volitions. We also know that these thoughts, feelings and volitions are in constant flux, but that there is a something of which they are the manifestations. This "something" is an entity. A nonentity does not act and produce effects.

"Whatever acts is, and what is is an entity," (Charles Hodge).

We follow Hodge's reasoning further to agree that we can know nothing of substance but by their phenomena. So, then, when we witness, in our reasoning, phenomena that is not only different but incompatible we conclude that it is produced by different substances. "To identify matter with mind, or mind with matter, it is necessary to pretend that sensation, thought, volition, are reducible, in the last analysis, to solidity, extension, figure, divisibility, etc.; or that solidity, extension, figure, etc., are reducible to sensation, thought, will" (Cousin). It logically follows that matter and mind (such as the body and mind/soul) are two different substances.

Those who imagine that the soul is called spirit because it is but a breath, or energy, that has been divinely infused into the human body, that is, itself, void of essence, swim in gross error. It is sadly true that many persons are so attached to this world that they cannot imagine any part of their essence surviving the grave.

"Were not the soul an essence separate from the body, holy Scripture would not teach that we dwell in houses of clay, and at death remove from a tabernacle of flesh; and we put off that which is corruptible, in order that, at the last day, we may finally receive according to the deeds done in the body. These, and similar passages which everywhere occur, not only clearly distinguish the soul from the body, but by giving it the name "man," intimate that it is the principle part. Again, when Paul exhorts believers to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, he shows that there are two parts in which the taint of sin resides. Peter, also, in calling Christ the shepherd and bishop of souls, would have spoken absurdly if there were no souls toward which he might discharge such an office. Nor would there be any ground for what he says concerning the eternal salvation of souls, or for his injunction to purify our souls, or for his assertion that fleshly lusts war against the soul; neither could the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews say, that pastors watch as those who must give an account for our souls, if souls were devoid of essence. To the same effect Paul calls God to witness upon his soul, which could not be brought to trial before God, if incapable of suffering punishment. This is still more clearly expressed by our Savior, when he bids us fear him who, after he has killed the body, is able to cast [the soul] into hell fire. Again, when the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews distinguished the fathers of our flesh from God, who alone is the Father of our spirits, he could not have asserted the essence of the soul in clearer terms. Moreover [if] the soul, when freed from the fetters of the body, [did not] continue to exist, our Savior would not have presented the soul of Lazarus as enjoying blessedness in Abraham's bosom, while, on the contrary, that of Dives was suffering dreadful torments. Paul assures us of the same thing when he says, that so long as we are present in the body, we are absent from the Lord. Not to dwell on the matter of which there is little obscurity, I will only add, that Luke mentions among the error of the Sadducees that they believe neither [in] angels nor spirits." ⏤John Calvin

Job 4:19; 2 Corinthians 5:4; 2 Peter 1:13-14; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 7:1; 1 Peter 2:25; 1:9; 2:11; Hebrews 13:17; 2 Corinthians 1:23; Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:5; Hebrews 12:9; Luke 16:22; 2 Corinthians 5:6,8; Acts 23:8.

Hello friends, my name is Jerry Hayes, I am a full time biblical researcher. I rely on freewill love offerings (from those of you who benefit from my work) and book sales for my support. Would you please consider leaving a small donation at the link provided here? Thank you for your support.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=4EXSWA2A47ARC

There is some confusion over the difference between the terms "soul" and "spirit" because they are sometimes used interchangeably by the sacred writers. In the OT the Hebrew is nephesh (soul), and ruach (spirit). In the NT the Greek is psyche (soul, or mind), and pneuma (spirit). The confusion exists because "soul" is used by sacred writers to denote the inner man (consisting of the will, emotions and intellect). and also to reference the complete human, material and immaterial combined. In like manner the term translated as "spirit" (that primarily means "life force," is ruach in the Hebrew, found 378 times in the OT, and literally meaning "breath," "wind," etc.; the corresponding Greek term is pneuma, occurring 379 times in the NT) is sometimes used interchangeably with the term translated as "soul" by sacred writers. "Spirit" can be used, by way of the figure of speech known as the synecdoche (where a part is named for the whole, or the whole for the part) for a person himself. John wrote: "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1, emphasis added). Note that the term "spirit" in this text has reference to the inner man of the "false prophets." In this manner "spirit" may reference the element of man (2 Corinthians 4:16) that is fashioned in God's image (Genesis 1:26-27), and thus, is a synonym of "soul." This is also true of Zechriah 12:1 "... saith the LORD, which ... formeth the spirit of man within him." This has lead some to suppose that there is no difference between the soul and spirit of man. This is a mistake in our opinion.

"Soul" may signify merely an individual person: e.g. the prophet Ezekiel declared that the "soul" (i.e. the person) who sins will surely die (Ezekiel 18:20), or, as Peter would write centuries later, "eight souls" were saved by water in the days of Noah (1 Peter 3:20). See also Exodus 1:5. It is the eternal component of man that is fashioned in the very image of God (Genesis 1:26), and that can exist apart from the physical body (Matthew 10:28;
Revelation 6:9). The term "soul," as with the word "spirit" may take on different senses, depending upon its contextual setting.
Since "soul" and "spirit" are used interchangeable by sacred writers, one must consider the context of the Hebrew and Greek words to determine the proper understanding.

Apostolically Speaking
☩☩ JLH

Persons Referenced:

Charles Hodge: Charles Hodge was a Presbyterian theologian and principal of Princeton Theological Seminary between 1851 and 1878. He was a leading exponent of the Princeton Theology, an orthodox Calvinist theological tradition in America during the 19th century.

Victor Cousin: (November 28, 1792 – January 1867) was a French philosopher. He was the founder of "eclecticism", a briefly influential school of French philosophy that combined elements of German idealism and Scottish Common Sense Realism. As the administrator of public instruction for over a decade, Cousin also had an important influence on French educational policy.

Scriptures Referenced:

Genesis 1:26-27 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Genesis 27:25 And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine and he drank.

Exodus 1:5 And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.

Job 30:16 And now my soul is poured out upon (within) me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

2 Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

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:

Read other essays from the Bishop on Biblical Anthropology:

Pre-Fallen State of Man
http://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2019/01/pre-fallen-state-of-man-biblical.html

The Economy of Man: Body, Soul and Spirit
http://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-economy-of-man-body-soul-and-spirit.html

TRICHOTOMY OF MAN AND THE TABERNACLE OF MOSES

http://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2019/04/trichotomy-of-man-and-tabernacle-of.html

Sorting Out The Confusion: Difference between the Soul and Spirit

https://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2019/04/sorting-out-confusion-biblical.html