Function of the soul

[.Mikha'el.]

This is something I've been pondering for a while now. Assuming it actually exists, what role does the soul play in everyday life? The way I see it, we humans experience life through the activities of our bodies. We see with our eyes. We think with our brains, and so forth. I really am not sure what part the soul would have in that process.

What do you all think?

 

[Sabertooth]

What do you all think?

It is the living & sentient "software" of a person.
Like software, it has no mass.

 

[HARK!]

This is something I've been pondering for a while now. Assuming it actually exists, what role does the soul play in everyday life? The way I see it, we humans experience life through the activities of our bodies. We see with our eyes. We think with our brains, and so forth. I really am not sure what part the soul would have in that process.

What do you all think?

It's my understanding that the soul is the union of spirit and matter.

Notice:

(CLV) Gn 2:7
Yahweh Elohim formed the human out of soil from the ground, and He blew into his nostrils the breath of life; and the human became a living soul.

Notice:

(CLV) Gn 7:21
All flesh that had been moving on the earth had deceased, of the flyer, of the domestic beast, of the wild animal, of every swarming thing swarming on the earth, and every human.

(CLV) Gn 7:22
Everyone who had the breath of the spirit of life in his nostrils, everything that had been in the drained area, they all died.

Notice:

(CLV) Ec 12:7
And the soil returns onto the earth just as it was, And the spirit, it returns to the One, Elohim, Who gave it.

 

[Servant78]

Imho the soul decides to do the good or the bad things. The freewill.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

There is a consensus among many that "I am a spirit, I have a soul, I live in a body."
I have come to think that "I am a soul, I have a spirit, and live in a body."
This is because when I say "I," it is my soul that is talking.
My soul, that is me, is the conscious part of me. I can reach into my spirit and detect it. I can submit to my body, and allow myself to be led around by it. But in this life, my soul is me.

 

[VMaeLove]

Spiritual Beings having a Physical Experience.

Enjoy the Ride.

 

[Sabertooth]

Spiritual Beings having a Physical Experience.

Enjoy the Ride.

Spirits In The Material World, The Police (1981)​

 

[disciple Clint]

This is something I've been pondering for a while now. Assuming it actually exists, what role does the soul play in everyday life? The way I see it, we humans experience life through the activities of our bodies. We see with our eyes. We think with our brains, and so forth. I really am not sure what part the soul would have in that process.

What do you all think?

The soul is your rational self, your thoughts, your emotions, all those non physical things that make you, you.

 

[Vap841]

This is something I've been pondering for a while now. Assuming it actually exists, what role does the soul play in everyday life? The way I see it, we humans experience life through the activities of our bodies. We see with our eyes. We think with our brains, and so forth. I really am not sure what part the soul would have in that process.

What do you all think?

Your soul/will is basically the essence of what you are, however it is definitely influenced by the impulses of the body that your soul is intimately connected to. If we were somehow able to take two people with healthy bodies/brains and throw their souls into bodies that suffer from chemical imbalances…they would be more prone to depression and stress because of their body chemistry, however each person’s will would definitely factor in as well. The one person with a weaker will might have a nervous breakdown in that new body, whereas the other person has a stronger will and perhaps only suffers more moody days here & there because of this new inferior body, but that’s about it. Likewise if I was somehow able to cause you to switch physical bodies with someone who is always in a great mood you might discover that the mental environment in that person’s body is much more relaxing and less affecting by stress than your old body was…yet it would still be you (your soul). You would still be you, but you’d be like “Wow no wonder this guy was always in a great mood, I feel fantastic all the time!!”

Golden Retrievers mostly seem pleasant, sharks seem agitated and angry lol. Body composition influences moods, but the will is also a factor. Your will is the arbitrator with the final decision making. That’s not to say however that a really unfavorable brain chemistry can’t overpower even a positive will. It’s a balancing act.

I also find it interesting that a strong/positive will could in time positively change brain chemistry. It’s no secret that putting yourself into a good mood will create a cascade of healthy physiological effects on your body, whereas putting yourself into a bad mood will do the opposite and cause a cascade of negative physiological effects on your body.

 

[Carl Emerson]

This is something I've been pondering for a while now. Assuming it actually exists, what role does the soul play in everyday life? The way I see it, we humans experience life through the activities of our bodies. We see with our eyes. We think with our brains, and so forth. I really am not sure what part the soul would have in that process.

What do you all think?

Watchman Nee wrote extensively about this...

The soul is considered to be the mind, emotions and will.

The human spirit has the conscience and the intuition as well as the ability to commune with God's Holy Spirit.

The takeaway is that the 5 senses are not the final evidence of Spiritual Truth but the Human Spirit bears witness to Truth via the Holy Spirit.

 

[tturt]

We praise the Lord with our souls and worship Him with our spirits.

 

[Aussie Pete]

This is something I've been pondering for a while now. Assuming it actually exists, what role does the soul play in everyday life? The way I see it, we humans experience life through the activities of our bodies. We see with our eyes. We think with our brains, and so forth. I really am not sure what part the soul would have in that process.

What do you all think?

The soul is the organ of expression, as Mary declared. "My soul magnifies the Lord". She said that her spirit rejoiced in God. Joy is the fruit of the spirit.

The soul includes the will, mind and emotions. This is seen in the fall of Adam. According to God's word, Adam died the moment that he ate the forbidden fruit. Yet he could still think, feel and choose. He was able to work out a way to cover up, choosing fig leaves. He felt emotion, as he was afraid. So we see the activity of the soul. The spirit was dead to God. Death is obviously not the end of existence. It is fundamentally separation from God.

What should happen is God's will is revealed in the spirit. The will chooses (ideally) to cooperate with God's will. The mind is engaged to work out how to do God's will. The mind forms words to express God's will to others. Emotion is important as it gives expressiveness to what we say.

It is vital to remember that the soul is intended to serve the spirit, not rule it. Self resides in the soul. It will argue against God's will. For example, God wants us to study His word, self wants to watch TV. Self only brings about loss and suffering, all the time promising to be good. It's our enemy, not our friend.

The body enables us to carry out God's will. Again, we should control our bodies, not let them dictate to us. Time is just numbers on a dial, but how hard it is to get up early to pray!

If we are spiritually focused, we will have life and peace, even if times are difficult. If we are self focused, we will just exist and be spiritually fruitless. Jesus calls disciples to deny self. It's the only way that we can follow Him.

 

[Andrewn]

This is something I've been pondering for a while now. Assuming it actually exists, what role does the soul play in everyday life?

There is the biblical view and the view of Greek philosophers. Unfortunately, most of Christian writers from very early on adapted the Greek view of Plato, and this view has already been presented in several messages posted above, especially #10 and #12.

 

[Hawkins]

This is something I've been pondering for a while now. Assuming it actually exists, what role does the soul play in everyday life? The way I see it, we humans experience life through the activities of our bodies. We see with our eyes. We think with our brains, and so forth. I really am not sure what part the soul would have in that process.

What do you all think?

The soul is more like a failover backup system to us. It acts as if it doesn't function at all as long as our physical brain functions normally. Our spirit, on the other hand, may interact with the "outside world", such that we can "listen" to the different noises or voices. We can thus be influenced by these outside voices and noises.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

This is something I've been pondering for a while now. Assuming it actually exists, what role does the soul play in everyday life? The way I see it, we humans experience life through the activities of our bodies. We see with our eyes. We think with our brains, and so forth. I really am not sure what part the soul would have in that process.

What do you all think?

Some believe the soul and spirit are interchangeable however, the soul can be our intellect, the power of knowing, which is not part of the flesh though contained in the flesh along with our spirit. Blessings.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

This is something I've been pondering for a while now. Assuming it actually exists, what role does the soul play in everyday life? The way I see it, we humans experience life through the activities of our bodies. We see with our eyes. We think with our brains, and so forth. I really am not sure what part the soul would have in that process.

What do you all think?

It depends on whose definition you go with but consider the possibility that YOU are the soul.

 

[Andrewn]

Your soul/will is basically the essence of what you are, however it is definitely influenced by the impulses of the body that your soul is intimately connected to.

I like your analysis as it relates to the connection between the soul and the body. But I'm not sure about the connection of the soul and the will. Also, where do the id, ego, and superego fit in this picture? Is the soul equivalent to the id or to the ego?

One thing I like about your analysis is that it ignores Plato's definition of the soul and attempts to connect the concept of the soul to modern psychology which, I believe, is also a more biblical approach.

BTW, @BobRyan would you like to describe your view about this?

 

[Carl Emerson]

There is the biblical view and the view of Greek philosophers. Unfortunately, most of Christian writers from very early on adapted the Greek view of Plato, and this view has already been presented in several messages posted above, especially #10 and #12.

Because an understanding was given to a man before Jesus came doesn't make it wrong.

Please explain how this understanding is not supported by Scripture.

 

[dms1972]

This is something I've been pondering for a while now. Assuming it actually exists, what role does the soul play in everyday life? The way I see it, we humans experience life through the activities of our bodies. We see with our eyes. We think with our brains, and so forth. I really am not sure what part the soul would have in that process.

What do you all think?

I listened [on tapes] to a series given a few years ago by Carla Waterman, on the Capacities of the Christian Soul - I cannot remember all she said, I took a few notes. I think these tapes were available through Anchor Recordings.

 

[dms1972]

"The soul is more encompassing than reason." William Barratt