Bible Question: is the Soul actually your mind and the Spirit your emotions? I've been reading a study that claims this and it brought up many questions for me. |
Bible Answer: Hi heseeshisson Discerning Between Soul and Spirit The difference between the spiritual and the soulish, are illustrated in the following table: Language - - - Noun - - - Adjective Greek - - - pneuma - - -pneumatikos English - - - spirit - - - spiritual Greek - - - psuche - - - psuchikos English - - - soul - - - soulish The Greek word for spirit is (pneuma), from which we get the English word pneumatic. That is because (pneuma means "breath," "wind" and "spirit.") The adjective from (pneuma is pneumatikos) spiritual. Next we come to the Greek word for "soul," and here is the problem: The Greek word for soul is (psuche,) from which we get countless different words like (psychiatrist or psychological or psychosomatic.) So then we see that a psychiatrist is a doctor (of the soul,) The Greek word for doctor, is (iatros) The translation of the noun is "soul." But what about the adjective? The problem is that English does not have a word "soulish." In German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian - all those languages have a word for "soulish." But English is limping along without the necessary word to convey this very important distinction. In the New Testament where the word psuchikos or "soulish" should have been used I will try to draw out the difference between spiritual and soulish. There are three cases where the word "soulish" is applied to the physical body, which is perhaps a little hard to understand. I looked at a few different translations, and I found various words that are used in these versions to translate this word psuchikos. 1.) King James - - "natural" or "sensual." 2.) New King James - - "natural" or "sensual." But in the margin, they use "worldly." 3.) The New American Standard - - "natural" in the margin "unspiritual." and "worldly minded." 4.) The New International Version - - "without the spirit," "natural," "unspiritual," and the phrase "follow their natural instinct." You see then in the English translations, we really cannot grasp this vital distinction between that which is (spiritual and that which is soulish). The three cases where soulish is applied to a body, in 1 Corinthians 15:44 (twice) and 46.(once) Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:44, referring to the resurrection: It is sown a natural body (a soulish body), it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural (soulish body), and there is a spiritual body. You will notice there is always the contrast between the (soulish and the spiritual). There is a (soulish body) and there is a spiritual body. Then in verse 46, Paul says: However the spiritual is not first, but the natural (soulish), and afterward the spiritual. Our present body is (soulish). Our resurrection body will be spiritual. In the resurrection we will have a body like Jesus. That means we will no longer be controlled by our physical body. Our spirit will simply decide where to go, what to say, what to do, and it will happen. It will be a body controlled by the spirit. A spiritual body is a body which is directly motivated and controlled by the spirit. Those are the three cases where the word psuchikos is used of a body. No English translation that I know of uses the word soulish. Consequently, the distinction is obscured. In other places where this word psuchikos is used. We come to a point where there is a clear conflict between the soulish and the spiritual. I Corinthians 2:14-15: But the natural man (soulish man) does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged by no one. So, the (soulish man) is not in harmony with the Spirit. He cannot receive the things of the Spirit; he cannot understand them. The most highly-educated intellects of our time have no ability whatever to understand the things of the Spirit, because they are operating in the realm of the (soul). It is important to understand that there is an opposition between the (spiritual and the soulish) Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. In the epistle of Jude, verse 19, which is a rather illuminating verse. Talks about people who have made trouble in the church, the NKJ says: These are (sensual persons), who cause divisions, not having the Spirit (capital "s"). They are obviously, part of the church because they cause division. So we have in the church both those who are (spiritual and those who are soulish). excerpts from Discerning Between Soul and Spirit by - - - Derek Prince Hoping this will be of help to you Vintage68 |