What is a Soul?

I've always seen the soul as the whole person...body, mind and spirit...I'm basing that off of my years of reading the KJV, where it refers to a soul, as you pointed out in the OP.

JingshenBianxi said:

In the KING JAMES version it says " and became a living soul "

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.

Other translations..like the ESV say...became a living creature.
NIV says...a living being.

So, I'm on a social network site being used by God to evangelize to a few people and a guy comes to me with questions. One of them was the question of...the soul. He wanted to talk about the soul. I said Alright..

He asks..." So when we're born we all have a soul, right? "
And I ask.." What is a soul? "

To see what his understanding of what a soul was and immediately the Holy Spirit led me back to this very scripture that I used to ask about myself. The what is a soul question. Bless his heart. He responded.." I don't know, I've never seen it..it's hard to explain ". And then he says..

" Soul is the same as spirit, right? "
And I said.." No. "

I showed him the KJV version of Genesis 2:7, even though this isn't the version I read on the regular but would like to arouse some discussion on this topic to better my evangelism in asking this very pertinent question.

Cause in the DICTIONARY...it defines SOUL AS a Spirit. So I'm like uh oh...how do I really defend this?

What is a Soul?

Click to expand...

There is such a staggering difference in what people in general think about this,
perhaps one of the few good studies online , even better would be a printed material/ book(remember those?!) ,
that's by a tested and proven true teacher (life and words and results)
describing FROM SCRIPTURE spirit, soul and body.
Only a few "good" ones are available, and a lot of "bad" ones are promoted widely.
Everything must be tested by GOD'S WORD - HIS WORD is the standard , HIS WORD is TRUTH.
(the studies or books or sermons on spirit, soul, body, are not actually needed, but likely would help clarifying or assuring you of the truth of what GOD shows you HIMSELF, from HIS WORD)

I wondered about this too for a while but it's really simple. body + spirit = soul

body/dust of earth + spirit/breath of life from God/ruach in Hebrew = living soul/creature/nephesh in Hebrew

When we die the body goes back to dirt and the spirit goes back to God who gave it.

JingshenBianxi said:

In the KING JAMES version it says " and became a living soul "

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.

Other translations..like the ESV say...became a living creature.
NIV says...a living being.

So, I'm on a social network site being used by God to evangelize to a few people and a guy comes to me with questions. One of them was the question of...the soul. He wanted to talk about the soul. I said Alright..

He asks..." So when we're born we all have a soul, right? "
And I ask.." What is a soul? "

To see what his understanding of what a soul was and immediately the Holy Spirit led me back to this very scripture that I used to ask about myself. The what is a soul question. Bless his heart. He responded.." I don't know, I've never seen it..it's hard to explain ". And then he says..

" Soul is the same as spirit, right? "
And I said.." No. "

I showed him the KJV version of Genesis 2:7, even though this isn't the version I read on the regular but would like to arouse some discussion on this topic to better my evangelism in asking this very pertinent question.

Cause in the DICTIONARY...it defines SOUL AS a Spirit. So I'm like uh oh...how do I really defend this?

What is a Soul?

Click to expand...

The Bible is not perfectly clear as to the nature of the human soul. But from studying the way the word soul is used in Scripture, we can come to some conclusions. Simply stated, the human soul is the part of a person that is not physical. It is the part of every human being that lasts eternally after the body experiences death. Genesis 35:18 describes the death of Rachel, Jacob’s wife, saying she named her son “as her soul was departing.” From this we know that the soul is different from the body and that it continues to live after physical death.

The human soul is central to the personhood of a human being. As George MacDonald said, “You don’t have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.” In other words, personhood is not based on having a body. A soul is what is required. Repeatedly in the Bible, people are referred to as “souls” (Exodus 31:14; Proverbs 11:30), especially in contexts that focus on the value of human life and personhood or on the concept of a “whole being” (Psalm 16:9-10; Ezekiel 18:4; Acts 2:41; Revelation 18:13).

The human soul is distinct from the heart (Deuteronomy 26:16; 30:6) and the spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12) and the mind (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). The human soul is created by God (Jeremiah 38:16). It can be strong or unsteady (2 Peter 2:14); it can be lost or saved (James 1:21; Ezekiel 18:4). We know that the human soul needs atonement (Leviticus 17:11) and is the part of us that is purified and protected by the truth and the work of the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:22). Jesus is the great Shepherd of souls (1 Peter 2:25).

Matthew 11:29 tells us that we can turn to Jesus Christ to find rest for our souls. Psalm 16:9-10 is a Messianic psalm that allows us to see that Jesus also had a soul. David wrote, “Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” This cannot be speaking of David (as Paul points out in Acts 13:35-37) because David’s body did see corruption and decay when he died. But Jesus Christ’s body never saw corruption (He was resurrected), and His soul was not abandoned to Sheol. Jesus, as the Son of Man, has a soul.

There is often confusion about the human spirit vs. the human soul. In places, Scripture seems to use the terms interchangeably, but there might be a subtle difference. Otherwise, how could the Word of God penetrate “even to dividing soul and spirit” (Hebrews 4:12)? When the Bible talks about man’s spirit, it is usually speaking of an inner force which animates a person in one direction or another. It is repeatedly shown as a mover, a dynamic force (e.g., Numbers 14:24).

It has been said that there are only two things that last: the Word of God (Mark 13:31) and the souls of men. This is because, like God’s Word, the soul is an imperishable thing. That thought should be both sobering and awe-inspiring. Every person you meet is an eternal soul. Every human being who has ever lived is a soul, and all of those souls are still in existence somewhere. The question is, where? The souls that reject God’s love are condemned to pay for their own sin, eternally, in hell (Romans 6:23). But the souls who acknowledge their own sinfulness and accept God’s gracious gift of forgiveness will live forever beside still waters with their Shepherd, wanting for nothing (Psalm 23:2).

www.gotquestions.org/human-soul.html

The soul and the spirit are the two primary immaterial aspects that Scripture ascribes to humanity. It can be confusing to attempt to discern the precise differences between the two. The word “spirit” refers only to the immaterial facet of humanity. Human beings have a spirit, but we are not spirits. However, in Scripture, only believers are said to be spiritually alive (1 Corinthians 2:11; Hebrews 4:12; James 2:26), while unbelievers are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1-5; Colossians 2:13). In Paul's writing, the spiritual was pivotal to the life of the believer (1 Corinthians 2:14; 3:1; Ephesians 1:3; 5:19; Colossians 1:9; 3:16). The spirit is the element in humanity which gives us the ability to have an intimate relationship with God. Whenever the word “spirit” is used, it refers to the immaterial part of humanity that “connects” with God, who Himself is spirit (John 4:24).

The word “soul” can refer to both the immaterial and material aspects of humanity. Unlike human beings having a spirit, human beings are souls. In its most basic sense, the word “soul” means “life.” However, beyond this essential meaning, the Bible speaks of the soul in many contexts. One of these is humanity’s eagerness to sin (Luke 12:26). Humanity is naturally evil, and our souls are tainted as a result. The life principle of the soul is removed at the time of physical death (Genesis 35:18; Jeremiah 15:2). The soul, as with the spirit, is the center of many spiritual and emotional experiences (Job 30:25; Psalm 43:5; Jeremiah 13:17). Whenever the word “soul” is used, it can refer to the whole person, whether alive or in the afterlife.

The soul and the spirit are connected, but separable (Hebrews 4:12). The soul is the essence of humanity’s being; it is who we are. The spirit is the aspect of humanity that connects with God.

www.gotquestions.org/soul-spirit.html

We are, generally speaking, one undivided being, but we refer to different aspects of ourselves with different words. Body, soul, and spirit can each be used to refer to a whole person.

soul - our mind/thoughts, emotions/feelings, and memories. This idea excludes what our brain's role is in these things. (If our body is destroyed, our memories still remain with us.)

spirit - The Biblical use of spirit is oftentimes like the modern use of soul. This is the core of the real us that exists forever (unlike our present bodies). Biblically, it is our spirits that are reborn in Christ. For a Christian that work is finished. (Our souls go through sanctification—transformation into Jesus' likeness. The distinction is useful when talking about why we don't feel different when we are born again.)

body - our current bodies are the portion of us that exists in the physical realm. It is referred to as a tent/cloak that we are in/wear by Paul.

JingshenBianxi said:

In the KING JAMES version it says " and became a living soul "

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.

Other translations..like the ESV say...became a living creature.
NIV says...a living being.

So, I'm on a social network site being used by God to evangelize to a few people and a guy comes to me with questions. One of them was the question of...the soul. He wanted to talk about the soul. I said Alright..

He asks..." So when we're born we all have a soul, right? "
And I ask.." What is a soul? "

To see what his understanding of what a soul was and immediately the Holy Spirit led me back to this very scripture that I used to ask about myself. The what is a soul question. Bless his heart. He responded.." I don't know, I've never seen it..it's hard to explain ". And then he says..

" Soul is the same as spirit, right? "
And I said.." No. "

I showed him the KJV version of Genesis 2:7, even though this isn't the version I read on the regular but would like to arouse some discussion on this topic to better my evangelism in asking this very pertinent question.

Cause in the DICTIONARY...it defines SOUL AS a Spirit. So I'm like uh oh...how do I really defend this?

What is a Soul?

Click to expand...

You might attempting to defend it thru evidence, for instance there is of course a body to the soul, and there are many of near death experiences that come back saying their conscious was floating over and viewing their bodies, so then also the bible talks about spirit and body.

And once the spirit of God said to me and defined the soul as comprised of three main parts, the Body, the Spirit which has form like a body and another area as that which defines the decision making part. The decision making part has to do with truths and deceptions. Whether to act on truth or to deceive. Light and darkness.

And when I use logic and read the Bible, that three part system makes the most sense to me, so maybe it will to others also?

The Bible also talks about the eye of the soul being of light and/or darkness like there is a body, eye and light and darkness.

[edit] I found several sections about truth of God and light of God and eye of the soul, Matthew: {6:21} For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. {6:22} The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. {6:23} But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great [is] that darkness!