Soul/Spirit question... please Help!

[Cright]

Hi All :wave:

From what I understand some use the words soul and spirit in the bible interchangably. Others see the soul as our "being" and the spirit simply as the Holy Spirit within us.

Can you please comment on what you believe and use verses to back it up. Thanks a million!

Carina

[Flynmonkie]

Hi!
Actually, I touched on this in study but was interrupted; it can become a deep subject! I have some notes on it but it would depend on the verse. Bullinger does a great job is seems (so far) in this area. He has drilled down the different varying meanings. I started studying this years ago trying to distinguish why or if God breathes His breath of life into the dead for eternal torment of "hell." This did not make sense to me. So I never got a chance to delve too deeply into the Spirit, Soul issue. But I do know keep your eye on the verse:

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

This tells me that they are very close in proximity of pining down, yet different.

Here are the notes (some) that I used from Bullinger. You might look these verses up, or apply his findings to verses you are already aware to help in your study:

Nephesh * Used of God. ** Literally and "the soul of man ... were 32,000".


http://www.companionbiblecondensed.com/AP/ap13.pdf
For instance Sprit and Soul as listed in the verse above:

Pneuma = Spirit, is the Greek word corresponding with the Heb. ruach in the Old Testament. …….
6. MAN (psychologically), pneuma being imparted to man, making him "a living psuche" ( = "a living soul", or being, as in Gen. 2:7. Ps. 104:29, 30. Ecc. 12:7). When taken back to and by God, man, without pneuma, becomes and is called "a dead soul" in each of the thirteen occurrences rendered in A.V. "dead body", &c. See Ap. 13. ix, p. 21).
http://www.companionbiblecondensed.com/AP/ap101.pdf

and..

III. psuche, used of the life of man, which can be laid down, etc., occurs 58 times and is rendered

1. "life": Matthew 2:20; 6:25, 25; 10:39, 39; 16:25, 25; 20:28. Mark 3:4; 8:35, 35; 10:45. Luke 6:9; 9:24, 24, 56; 12:22, 23; 14:26; 17:33 2. John 10:11, 15, 17; 12:25, 25; 13:37, 38; 15:13. Acts 15:26; 20:10, 24; 27:10, 22. Romans 11:3; 16:4. Philippians 2:30. 1 John 3:16, 16. Revelation 12:11.


2. "soul": Matthew 10:28, 28; 16:26, 26. Mark 8:36, 37. Luke 12:20; 21:19. 1 Thessalonians 2:8; 5:23. Hebrews 4:12; 6:19; 10:39; 13:17. James 1:21. 1 Peter 1:9; 2:11, 25; 4:19.

http://www.companionbiblecondensed.com/AP/ap110.pdf


Main Appendix Page: http://www.companionbiblecondensed.com/Ap/Ap_List.htm

Note: I use this site for the reproduction of The Companion Bible 1811 (1885v) – E.W. Bullinger, but I do not know much about the other pages or thoughts of the owners.

[TwinCrier]

Genesis 2:7 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.

The soul is what makes a creature as apposed to plantlife.

Numbers 14:24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.

The spirit is what makes man different from the animals. It is what we call our personality, our mind. We can be filled with the Holy Spirit, but our inborn spirit is not displaced.

Just my interpretation.

[Flynmonkie]

The spirit is what makes man different from the animals. It is what we call our personality, our mind. We can be filled with the Holy Spirit, but our inborn spirit is not displaced.
Just my interpretation.

See the problem here is that most people see the words spirit and soul referring to animals, and then it becomes confusing. After delving into the actual translation is where we gain fuller understand of the intent of context. Such as this verse:

Ecclesiastes 3:21 (King James Version)
21Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

Here Spirit is translated --- ruach
http://www.companionbiblecondensed.com/AP/ap9.pdf

A completely different term than as noted in the above scripture, it is safe to assume we are talking about an entirely different thing?

[Cright]

this is very enlightining...

so as I understand it, they are simalar, close, possibly have some overlaping qualities/purposes, but are not the same. They are refered to by 2 different terms in the original language, however our translations sometimes uses one word for both.

I obviously have alot more digging to do, but am I on the right track?