Body - Soul & Spirit - Our Human Nature

Our Human nature

"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 being" (Genesis 2:7, NKJV).

Scripture gives us a simple equation for understanding the nature of humans:

Body (dust of the ground; the earth's elements) plus
Breath of life ("spirit" of life from God) equals
A living person (a soul).

Nowhere does the Bible speak of the soul as an immortal entity capable of living apart from our body. Neither does it speak of the spirit as an entity which can exist independent of our physical nature. We are not made of independent parts temporarily connected, but of body, soul, and spirit in one indivisible whole.

SPIRIT

(Judges 15:19; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Luke 10:21)

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word ruach occurs 377 times and is translated "wind ... .. breath," or "spirit" (Genesis 8: 1), "life principle" (Genesis 6:17; Genesis 7:22), "courage" (Joshua 2:11), "vitality" or "strength" (Judges 15:19), "disposition" (Isaiah 54:6), and "moral character" (Ezekiel 11:19).

The "spirit" or "breath" of a person is identical with the "spirit" or "breath" of animals (Ecclesiastes 3:19). This "spirit" or "breath" of a person returns to God at the time of death, and the body returns to the dust where it came from (Job 34:14 Ecclesiastes 12:7). It is also translated "Spirit of God" (Isaiah 63:10).

In the New Testament the Greek word pneuma is similarly translated as "spirit" or "to breathe." It is also translated as ,"mood," "attitude," or "state of feeling" (Romans 8:15 1 Corinthians 4:21 2 Timothy 1:7 1 John 4:6). Like ruach, it is sometimes translated "Spirit of God" (1 Corinthians 2:11 1 Corinthians 2:14 Ephesians 4:30; Hebrews 2:4 1 Peter 1:12 2 Peter 1:21).

BODY (Jeremiah 17:5; 1 Corinthians 15:50-52; Galatians 5:16-26)

In the Old Testament, the word flesh is translated from the Hebrew basar and in the New Testament from the Greek sarx. Basar and sarx describe:

(1) The body or physical parts of humans and animals (Genesis 9:4 Genesis 29:14 Luke 24:39 1 Corinthians 15:39);

(2) Living things in general (Genesis 6:13 1 Peter 1:24);

(3) material things contrasted with spiritual things (Jeremiah 17:5 Zechariah 2:13 Matthew 16:17 Mark 14:38 Luke 24:39);

(4) the carnal nature of humankind, which is contrary to spiritual things or the Holy Spirit (Romans 7:18 Romans 8:3 Galatians 5:16-21);

(5) an obedient spirit, "a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 11:19 Ezekiel 36:26); men and women's mortal nature (1 Corinthians 15:50-52).

Both the Old and New Testaments view humans holistically, not as independent parts labeled spirit, soul, and body. As the three Persons of the Godhead function as One, so our spirit, soul, and body function as one. The thinking part of humans-the mind-is usually translated from the Hebrew leb and from the Greek nous, but also from numerous other words such as ruach and pneuma.

So Paul's prayer that the God of peace would sanctify our spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23) is a prayer for God to sanctify the entire person.

All human beings are born in sin. And their entire nature has been adversely affected by the virus of sin (Psalms 14:1-3 Psalms 53:1-3 Jeremiah 17:9 Romans 3:9-18).

sawdust said:

I take you believe Sheol was filled with imaginary people?

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If you want to talk about Sheol ... please start a thread on it.

Rachel20 said:

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. Matthew 10:28

Remember him—before the silver cord is severed, and the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the wheel broken at the well, and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. Ecclesiastes 12:6-7

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Matthew 10:28

The words "immortal soul" appear nowhere in the Bible. In fact, the Bible shows that a soul can perish. Ezekiel twice writes, "The soul who sins shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4, 20). The word "soul" pertains to the life of any physical being or creature. Soul simply means "life."

The word translated "life" in Leviticus 17:11 comes from the same Hebrew word translated "soul." This verse can just as accurately be rendered, "For the soul of the flesh is in the blood." Jesus gave His "life" (translated from the same Greek word rendered "soul") as a ransom for us (Mark 10:45) by pouring out His soul - His life's blood - in payment for sin (Isaiah 53:12). Again, "soul" refers to the physical life of human beings or animals.

Ecclesiastes 12:6-7

and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

spirit -

ruach: breath, wind, spirit
Original Word: רוּחַ
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: ruach
Phonetic Spelling: (roo'-akh)
Definition: breath, wind, spirit

Strong's Hebrew: 7307. ר֫וּחַ (ruach) -- breath, wind, spirit

1 Timothy 6:16

Berean Study Bible
He (God) alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

We do not become immortal until Jesus returns and the 1st resurrection happens.

Paul puts it plainly here:

1 Thessalonians 4

The Return of the Lord

13Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope. 14For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus (when He returns) those who have fallen asleep in Him.

15By the word of the Lord, we declare to you that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep.

16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. 17After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

18Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Rachel20 said:

Abraham sees the Lords day and is glad (John 8:53-58)

Paul is confident that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8)

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John 8:51-58

Jesus has implied that those who accept His words will not "taste death" (John 8:51). His critics misunderstand this as a reference to physical death. Jesus, however, is referring to salvation. Here, He clarifies by saying that Abraham's faith looked forward to the Promised One — and He ... Jesus is that promised one (the one who saves)

1 Corinthians 5:8

8We are confident, then, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord

would prefer .... not that we are

Would we prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord? yes, of course

But that doesn't happen until Jesus returns ... according to Paul

1 Thessalonians 4

The Return of the Lord

13Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope. 14For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.

15By the word of the Lord, we declare to you that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise.

17After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

18Therefore encourage one another with these words.

BobRyan said:

King James:
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.

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Yes ... a human being is a soul ... a person