What is a soul?

It takes a great deal of faith to come to an understanding of the things of God. Science, as is Mathematics is built on self evident truths, but can also be applied to other subjects founded on general acknowledged truths, or by experiment, and observation.

With this said, the unseen things as in soul, and spirit cannot be tested in any laboratory of science, on discussed on any couch of a physiatrist, nor can any philosophers analyzes the moral and esthetic values of men. Comparing one man’s morals, views, observations, and conclusions with another man’s, is not the same as comparing man’s understanding with that of God. In other words to understand the things of God, we need God to teach us about the things of God.”

Reader asked, “Scientist reject the idea of a soul and spirit, but not the mind. Mind is mental, soul is not.”

I replied, “Again, when we speak of a soul, or a spirit, we move away from science, physiology, and philosophy. The subjects concerning the soul and the spirit have their beginning in Biblical rhetoric. If not for the Scriptures, the soul, and spirit of man would not even be an afterthought to these three disciplines, nor to any other conversation outside of religion. The soul and the spirit are subjects that can be tested by the Scriptures alone.

Most Scientist, and Philosophers are atheist, and those who are not, are for the most part ignored by their peers.” 

Three questions were, “What is a soul? Is this a metaphysical question?” and, “are the soul and mind the same?” “Yes,” it is a metaphysical question, a question that does deal with the supernatural.

“Can science test a soul, or spirit in a laboratory?” Answer, No!

“Do we know a spirit world exists?” Yes! How?

Before I answer, let me say that we need to have faith in the Word of God. Are the Scriptures inspired of God? I say yes, others say no. To those who say no, there is no evidence for them concerning this subject, only opinion, conjecture, a never ending debate, conflicting ideas, and trail of improvable philosophical attitudes.

Science and philosophy attempt to answer the question based on the human senses. Being none of these are testable, or observable, it’s a subject absent of any input from these senses. There is only one way for a Christian to test the idea of a soul, or spirit. That is through the Scriptures. So what has God revealed to us about them?

The first question that needs to be asked, and answered is, “Is the soul of man, and the spirit of man, one in the same? Or are they two separate and distinct entities, separate, but united as one?”

This question on soul and spirit are of the utmost importance in every aspect of our understanding of Scriptures. Their understanding is important concerning death, resurrection, rapture, man’s hope for eternal life, and our relationship to/with Jesus Christ; in that we are to be like him; he being the first-fruit of the resurrection.

We have two possibilities.

1. The soul and the spirit of man are one in the same, or
2. the soul and the spirit are two separate entities, united as one, at times referred to as a soul, and other times referred to separately as the soul, and the spirit.

When we die, our bodies are put into the ground, and return to the dust. But Scripture teach that the spirit, and/or the soul of the saved are received up to God.

1. Acts 7:57, “Stephen cried out, “Lord Jesus receive my spirit.” Stephen was stoned to death, and buried. Yet we are told that something in him was received up to be with the Lord, his spirit.

2. When Jesus died on the cross, He gave up the ghost. John is in heaven and tells us what he saw.

3. In Revelation 6:9, John saw, “The souls of them that were slain for the word of God.” So what was John seeing?

Now, if the soul and the spirit mean the rational mind of man, when he dies, does it go to be with the Lord? Let’s examine that question, from that point of view.

a. Lets say, when a person dies, his every rational thoughts is sent up to God, if so, what comes next? Is this rational mind of men copied onto some advanced sort of computer chip, scrubbed clean, and stored: than in the end, reunited with their newly resurrected bodies, or,

b. Do they might just be floating around in outer space somewhere? The third choice, ———- you fill in the blank.

Second alternative:

2. Does the rational mind (soul,) of every person who dies remain with, let’s say their spirit, or their ghost? Is there some sort of spirit being that lives in each and every one of us, being unique to that individual?

Upon death, both this rational mind, and spirit, or ghost remain united, leaving the dead body, and received up to be with the Lord. Then in the rapture, their newly formed uncorrupted body is raised from the dust of the ground, and reunited with their rational minds, and their spirit, or ghost, making them whole again?

The words, “soul, and spirit,” are two very different words in the Greek and Hebrew. The word soul at times in the Bible includes the whole man. Scriptures speak of the body, soul, and spirit. Here it is broken down into three parts, verses like, 

1 Thessalonians 5:23, “The God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless.” Note: the connective, “And,” separating each, yet each is joined to the one it follows.

So here Scriptures report that every person is composed of three separate entities. Only the flesh is visible, and subject to investigation in science: the soul and spirit? No! 

The soul is said to be, the vital active principle in man, which perceives, remembers, reasons, loves, hopes, fears, compares, desires, resolves, adores, imagines, and aspires after immortality. It is said to be created in the image of God, and formed to find its happiness in fellowship with Him.

If the soul is not the spirit, than what is the spirit?

Scriptures speak of a departed soul = (spirit’s,) or ghost, that separates from the physical body;

Revelation 6:9, John writes, “I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony they held.” verse 10, “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?”

We know the literal bodies of these departed souls lay in the dust of the ground, dead, yet they have the ability to remembered the past, have a testimony, speak of being avenged, and aware that evil still exists on the earth. They were also aware of their surroundings. John saw, and heard them.

Revelation 20:4, John writes, “I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God.” What was John looking at? These souls had been beheaded, their bodies lie buried in the earth, yet John saw them whole, and in heaven. So what was God showing John? Were they spirits, ghosts? From the reading, they appear to have a rational mind, and a physical form, all crying out to God?”

Phillip LaSpino   www.seekfirstwisdom.com