is the soul eternal or does it dissolve after death?

[vnct]

The Bible does not teach that there is a separate soul, or that there is any form of existence for a human prior to conception and birth.

That's generally my stance too. I don't believe in the pre-existence of a soul prior to physical birth in a time context. Unless time itself were an illusion perhaps, but I can't say for sure.

 

[vnct]

But you can trust us that the death of the soul (meaning spirit) is not a Christian belief,

is there no differentation between 'soul' and 'spirit'? why does paul the apostle assert a differentiation between 'body', 'soul' and 'spirit' if soul and spirit are the same thing? are the OT and NT definitions and/or contexts of 'soul' different from each other? do the original greek and hebrew words for 'soul' have different meanings than each other entirely?

 

[Albion]

is there no differentation between 'soul' and 'spirit'?

Certainly there is...and I have addressed that. However, on this thread "soul" has been used to mean "spirit," so I also answered in that vein. Even the title of the thread uses it (soul) that way.

You know by now that hardly any Christians and no churches that I can think of believe that the soul, meaning spirit, is extinguised at physical death. So....what is your conclusion? It seems to me that you've shown at times a commitment to the one POV, but at different times to the other one.

 

[Stryder06]

is there no differentation between 'soul' and 'spirit'? why does paul the apostle assert a differentiation between 'body', 'soul' and 'spirit' if soul and spirit are the same thing? are the OT and NT definitions and/or contexts of 'soul' different from each other? do the original greek and hebrew words for 'soul' have different meanings than each other entirely?

Poetic speech. Authors of the bible have made statements such as "My heart cries out for thee" This of course is not to be taken litteral because a heart can't talk. The meaning however behind this statement is clearly understood.

Paul is simply putting emphasis on his statements.

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

is there no differentation between 'soul' and 'spirit'? why does paul the apostle assert a differentiation between 'body', 'soul' and 'spirit' if soul and spirit are the same thing? are the OT and NT definitions and/or contexts of 'soul' different from each other? do the original greek and hebrew words for 'soul' have different meanings than each other entirely?

The Orthodox Christian Church teaches that the spirit is the "breath" breathed into us. Our soul is the "nous", mind or intellect.

Forgive me...

 

[vnct]

Ecc 9:4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
Ecc 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Ecc 9:6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun

not sure what to do with therse verses. are these strictly in an old testament context? or is this in a new testament context too?

Your mom cannot tell you anything. She is dead. Her spirit (breath of life) has already gone back to God who gave it. From dust she was and to dust she has returned. Accept my sympathy.

thank you.

 

[PROPHECYKID]

not sure what to do with therse verses. are these strictly in an old testament context? or is this in a new testament context too?


thank you.

The state of the dead in the old testament is the same as the new. I was just using the texts to make the point that your mom is dead and she knows nothing so she cant tell you anything.

About the difference between the spirit and the soul. The spirit and the body makes the living soul.

You asked about the greek and hebrew words for soul and I think that is a good question. They are slightly different in meaning. The hebrew word (nephesh) translated soul means a living creature or being. The greek word (psuche) translated soul means breath or spirit. The greek word for spirit is pneuma which means a current of air, breath, a breeze, spirit.

Now the greek word for soul (psuche) is translated soul 39 times in the NT and translated life 36 times in the NT. The soul is not different in the OT and NT but the translation of the greek word psuche as soul in my opinion can cause a conflict. Since the entire bible must be in harmony the translation of psuche as life perfectly lines up with the meaning of nephesh as a living creature.

There are other things to note as well. Spirit has more than one meaning. Spirit can mean the breath of life as well as a different form of existence like the Holy Spirit is.

Job 27:3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
Job 33:4 The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

Conclusion - Body + Spirit = Soul. At death spirit (breath of life) goes back to God, Body goes back to the earth. There is no conscious part of us floating around anywhere.

 

[vnct]

Can the soul really die?


“the soul that sinneth, it shall die”Ezekiel 18:20

What happens when a soul dies?

Does the soul go to heaven?
Or Hell?

Answer:It ceases to exist and the breath of life,
Which made up part of the soul,
Returns to God.

so the soul dies then?

 

[Gary51]

so the soul dies then?

What does Ezekiel 18.20 say?

“the soul that sinneth, it shall die”Ezekiel 18:20

 

[vnct]

We only die physically.

We have a beginning at Birth. It is both physical and spiritual.

We die physically, but not spiritually.

The spirit lives on in a "foretaste" of what our final judgement will be like, ever moving in the direction it chose in life.

At the last moment of time all of us will be physically called from the graves to stand for judgement. From there we enter into eternity.

Forgive me...

i'm trying to figure out if the soul is more physically-based or more spiritually-based. i'm hearing two different viewpoints from people in general, and trying to reconcile the two if such a thing is possible. several scriptures have been quoted, but definitions and contexts may vary, and thus possibly interpretations of such verses. if the soul is physically-based, then it would seem to die with the physical, but if the soul is spiritually-based, then it would seem to be eternally spiritual. or is it maybe somewhere in the middle. might a part of the soul die if it's based on the physical, while another part of the soul may live if spiritually founded? i'm not sure.