Church of God Faith of Abraham

Gatesville, Texas

The Soul

Quite often in everyday language, men get it right about the soul whereas theologians miss the mark. Such expressions as "the poor old soul" or "hundreds of souls perished" readily convey in the true sense that the reference is to people.

The international distress signal, S.O.S., meaning "Save Our Souls," is another example. It is not a plea to rescue something which is invisible or intangible, but rather to rescue the whole being, that those concerned might hold on to life and be restored to loved ones.

For our consideration of this much misunderstood word, let us go back to the beginning of creation, to 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." Before Adam began to breathe, he was a "dead soul." All organs were in place just as for a new baby, waiting for the lungs to begin functioning, thereby setting in motion the living being: "The breath of the Almighty hath given me life" (Job 33:4). We refer also to Genesis 1:20-21, quoting in part verse 20: "And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life." The A.V. marginal note says to substitute "soul" for "life," thereby rendering, "let the waters bring forth the moving creature that hath a soul." Also, verse 24 reads, "God said, 'Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind."

So we find that, before Adam was created a living soul, many other beings were created in a similar way with a soul. Interesting, isn't it? But consider also such passages as:

Ps. 33:19 "to deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine." Also Prov. 19:15.
Ps. 63:1 "my soul thirsteth for thee." See also Prov. 25:25.
Ez. 18:4 "the soul that sinneth it shall die."
Mat. 10:28 "fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (the grave)
Mat 26:38 "my soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." See also Rev. 16:3.

We surely understand that "soul" in every instance relates to a living being which hungers, thirst, sins, sorrows and dies. This destroys the myth of the immortal soul. The longstanding challenge thus remains: Provide from the Word of God the words "immortal" and "soul" coupled together. Some would claim Solomon did this in another way when he wrote, "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return to God who gave it" (Ecc. 12:7). This is often quoted to prove there is a "spark of life" which continues on at death, returning to be with God. However, this is not so. The word translated "spirit" is often translated "breath" and it is that "breath of life" that returns to God who gave it. Job states, "if he gather unto himself his spirit [breath] and his breath, all flesh shall perish" (Job 34:14), that is, "every moving creature that hath life [soul]" - human beings, animals, birds and fish.

Thus we are compelled to believe that if a man has an immortal soul, then so do the animals, birds and fish. Such a belief is, of course, sheer fantasy, for the apostle Paul tells us that when the trumpet blows to announce the resurrection, when Christ comes, "this mortal must put on immortality" (1 Cor. 15:53). In Romans 2;7 Paul verifies this statement by proving that men and women do not have any immortality now. He writes, "To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life."

This article taken from The Restitution Herald, June - July 1997 issue, page 11.