Immortal Spirit of Man:

What does ‘immortal’ in the Bible mean?

Immortal means: uncorrupted; not liable to corruption or decay; imperishable; a state of being exempt from death; (deathless).

Note: The meaning of immortality has nothing to do with time or eternity. Eternal means: timeless; everlasting; or perpetual.

What does ‘spirit’ in the Bible mean?

Spirit (as found in the Bible) means: wind; air (oxygen); breath; breath of life.

Note: Spirit has many traditional meanings that are taught today; (i.e.) a person can be in a high or low spirit. This is one that has:

1. A considerable amount, or a lack of energy.

2. A special attitude of the mind.

3. Mental vigor.

4. Frame of mind.

A traditional meanings (for example) could be supernatural beings; ghosts; demons; evil spirits; soul of man, etc.

Note: The traditional meanings and ideas will not be addressed in these Bible study notes. [See: ‘Evil Spirits and Demons’.]

What is the ‘traditional‘ meaning of an immortal soul?

That the mortal human body (the flesh) is bad and the soul is immortal (eternal; permanent) and is good.

Also, at one’s death, the immortal soul is released from the evil body.

Note: Plato (the Greek philosopher) taught that the human body (the flesh) is mortal and not good.  But the spirit (soul) is good, immortal, and permanent.

Plato’s teaching was this: that at the time of one’s death, the spirit (soul) is released from the body.

This teaching was taught by the Gnostics as well as other Pagan religions, and by the early church fathers. It was soon approved and accepted by the Christian church.

Does man have, or is man an immortal spirit?

The teaching that men possess or is an immortal spirit (soul) is not from the Bible. The pagan theory of an immortal spirit was devised by pagan religious leaders.

This theory was later adopted by the early Roman Catholic Church.

Today, the teaching is that man’s flesh was originally created with a divine nature (immortal body) which was lost when he sinned.

He now only possesses some kind of immortal spirit that God breathed into him.

However, by being born again (converted) our mortal sin nature is covered by the blood of Jesus Christ and we will regain our divine immortal body at the resurrection.

This is un-Biblical nonsense.

There are not any scripture verses for this teaching and doctrine. To assume, and take scripture verses out of context, and/or to interpret them as one chooses to believe is an erroneous teaching and doctrine of man, and not from the Bible. [See: 'Creation'.]

There is not any teaching or inference in the Bible stating that man has, was, or is an immortal spirit.

Deuteronomy 33:27 The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.

Romans 16:26 but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith;

As stated in the Bible, only God is eternal.

Why then, is there a theological teaching and doctrine of an immortal soul?

The belief in the immortality of the soul implies that part of man (his spirit) is a part of God in man. God is immortal and incapable of passing out of existence, so neither can man (according to this doctrine).

What is a soul?

A soul is a living being:  an animal; a creature; what breathes; that which has life; a living creature; a person.

Note: A soul is a living thing or person; an individual life.

Did God give man a soul?

Man did not receive a soul from God.  He received the breath of life and became a living soul.

Note: Animals breathe oxygen and are also a living soul.

The living spirit that God gave to Adam was his breath. The spirit that leaves man when he dies and returns to God is his breath.

Nowhere in the Bible is the breath of man or God’s spirit identified as the human soul.

Nowhere in the Bible does it say or even suggest that the spirit that returns to God continues to exist as an immaterial or immortal spirit from a body that has died.

The Bible never suggests that the breath of life in its possessor is deathless, eternal, or immortal.

There are no Scripture verses in the Bible that state or imply that the spirit breathed into man was a conscious entity before or after it was given.

The theological teaching and doctrine, that the spirit of man was in heaven before his creation is extra-Biblical and un-Biblical pagan nonsense.

The only way that anyone can teach and/or believe that man’s spirit was in heaven before his creation is to ignore the Scriptures, devise their own doctrinal idea and silly opinions, and then seek any kind of excuse for their unbiblical belief.

Who/what is a living soul?

LXX Genesis 1:24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind, quadrupeds and reptiles and wild beasts of the earth according to their kind, and it was so.

LXX Genesis 1:30 And to all the wild beasts of the earth, and to all the flying creatures of heaven, and to every reptile creeping on the earth, which has in itself the breath of life, even every green plant for food; and it was so.

Note: The breath of life that was given to the animals was the same breath of life given to man. The living creatures [animals] from the earth are from the soil of the earth. Living breathing animals are ‘living souls’.

LXX Genesis 2:7 And God formed the man of dust of the earth, and breathed upon his face the breath of life, and the man became a living soul.

Note: Adam was not a living soul until the breath [oxygen] was breathed into him. The earth that produced man is the same earth that produced the animals. All are living souls that breath.

LXX Genesis 1:20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth reptiles having life, and winged creatures flying above the earth in the firmament of heaven, and it was so.

Note: Many of the animals made from the waters breath oxygen. Fish also obtain oxygen from the water.

The creatures from the water had life; the winged creatures flying above the earth had life; and man had life. All are living souls.

Note: It is true that the plants also had life; but do not have a brain/conscience.

Man was made from the earth the same as the animals, but with special purposes; one was dominion.

LXX Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man according to our image and likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the flying creatures of heaven, and over the cattle and all the earth, and over all the reptiles that creep on the earth.

Note: All are living souls. They do not ‘have’ a living soul.

SUMMARY

1. The immortality of man before sin, and the doctrine of man being or having an immortal soul are void in the Bible. It is a teaching and doctrine by pagan religions.

2. Spirit (as found in the Bible) means: wind; air (oxygen); breath; breath of life.

3. There are not any teachings or inferences in the Bible stating that man has, was, or is an immortal spirit.

4. Theologians (by their teachings and doctrines) have altered the Biblical meaning of living soul, to produce the idea that man ‘has’ an eternal living soul.

They teach that animals are merely creatures without a soul, but man is Gods’ only created being where a living soul indwells.

This implication is that man is a creation that has an eternal living soul, as well as being a living breathing soul.

The Bible teaches us that both animals and human beings are living souls.

Note: The myth of an immortal spirit in man should not, and cannot be confused by the spirit that is obtained in the resurrection.

Man is or has an immortal, eternal soul is a myth.

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