The word “spirit” is translated
from the Greek pneuma and the Hebrew ruah and is used in
different ways in the Bible, including the following: wind (John 3:8), breath
(2 Thess. 2:8), both righteous and wicked spirit beings (Matt. 8:16; Heb.
1:14), the Holy Spirit (Matt. 4:1), and the inner person (Acts 7:59; 17:16).
With reference to human beings, it is the part of us that is not subject to
physical death, that is made in the image of God, and will live forever. Since
man is created in God’s image (Gen. 1:27) and God is spirit (John 4:24) and
spirit does not have flesh and bones (Luke 24:39), there must be more to man
than just his physical nature. The human spirit (1 Cor. 2:11; Acts 7:59; 17:16)
comes from and returns to God (Heb. 12:9, 23; James 2:26; John 19:30; Eccl.
12:7).
The word “soul,” translated from the
Greek psuchê and the Hebrew nephesh, is a generic term with various meanings depending on how it is
used in any given text. For example, how would the English word “bark” be
defined? It depends on whether one is speaking about the ‘bark’ of a dog or the
‘bark’ of a tree. Similarly, the definitions of the words psuchê and nephesh
depend on the context in which they are used. Biblical usage includes the
following: a synonym for “person” (Acts 2:41; 1 Pet. 3:20) or other living
creatures (Gen. 1:20-25; Rev. 16:3); the physical life-force of both animals
and humans (Psa. 78:50; Lev. 24:17-18); and a synonym for the inner person or
immortal spirit (Matt. 10:28; 16:26; Acts 2:27; Rev. 6:9; Jas. 1:21; 1 Pet.
1:22). Note the parallelism in Psalm 77:2-3: “My soul refused to be
comforted . . . my spirit was overwhelmed” (NKJV, cf. Psa. 143:4-7; Luke
1:46-47).
What appears to be a distinction between
the soul and spirit in the Bible may simply be a literary device used to
emphasize a particular point. For example, Hebrews 4:12 is probably not trying
to make a distinction between the “soul and spirit” any more than there is a
discernible difference between the “thoughts” and “intents” of the heart. The
point is that the word of God is capable of cutting through to the most inner
and secret places of a person’s being. Instead of making a theological argument
on the nature of man in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, it seems that a fervent prayer is
simply being offered that the whole person be preserved blameless (compare
Matthew 22:37). At the same time, since the words “soul” and “spirit” are used
in a variety of ways, there is no difficulty in considering a distinction
between the two as long as the reality of neither is denied.
--Kevin L. Moore
Originally
appearing in The Exhorter (April-June 1999) and republished in The
Summit Chronicle 10:1 (May 2008): 13.
Image credit: http://www.visionair.nl/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/The-Spirit-Being-of-Humans-Soul-Location-Explained-How-Why-Where-Science-Discovery-Supernatural-Life-Death-Eternal-Destroyed.jpg
Image credit: http://www.visionair.nl/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/The-Spirit-Being-of-Humans-Soul-Location-Explained-How-Why-Where-Science-Discovery-Supernatural-Life-Death-Eternal-Destroyed.jpg
No comments:
Post a Comment