Bible Question:
If Jesus came from heaven knowing before hand what his journey was, then where did our souls come from? Did we also live in heaven and like jesus sort of.. have our souls placed in these bodies. Where did our Souls come from!! |
Bible Answer: Bill explained the "spirit"/"soul" very well. My "personal" understanding of the Hebrew and Greek words are: SOUL - the part of the spirit that can think, reason, and choose good (and was made in the "image" of God). SPIRIT - the actual life essence from God which CONTAINS the soul. Because they are so closely linked, I think that is why these words sometimes seem interchangeable. God's intent was to make man in "the image of God" (Gen. 1:26). Gen. 2:7 "And the Lord formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." If you don't mind I will paraphrase that verse like this "The Lord breathed a "spirit" with the ability to reason, and choose good (soul - "image of God") into man's body of dust". Both the spirit and soul are linked together, but ultimately can be separated by God in the case of unbelief. References: The spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecc. 12:7) Both the bodies of the saved and unsaved return to dust, and their spirits returns to God who gave it. Not the case with the soul. The soul must be conformed to that "image of God" before it can remain a part of the spirit that returns to God. Please see: Romans 12:2 "...be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." Ephesians 4:23 "...be renewed in the spirit of your mind..." Ephesians 4:24 "...put on the new man which was created according to God..." Titus 3:5 "... He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit" Colossians 3:10 "... put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him" If the "soul" part of the spirit is not "born-again" (renewed to conform to the image of God), it will be separated from the "spirit" by God's Word. Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul(5590) and spirit(4151)..." Jesus said that God is the only one that can destroy a "soul". He did not say God would/could destroy the "spirit(4151)" of man, but only the "soul(5590)". Which also testifies to the fact that the "spirit" and "soul" are 1) closely united; and 2) that they are not the exact same thing. Jesus did not receive His Spirit in the same way Adam did. Jesus and the Father have the same Spirit. John 1:14 "And the Word was made (became) flesh and dwelt among us...". God created Adam and gave him a spirit/soul. The Word (God Himself who IS Spirit) became (was made) flesh (through the seed of a woman), and called Immanuel (God with us) or Jesus (God-saves). Reference John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." |