The letter to the Hebrews reads as follows:
“For the word of God is living, efficacious, and more cutting than any two-edged sword, piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of joints as well as marrow; it is judge of the deliberations and thoughts of the heart. And there is no creation that is not manifest before His eyes. But all things are naked and bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
Heb 4:12-13
This section offers a wealth of insight. Only these I emphasize here: The word of God distinguishes (“divides”) soul and spirit. That’s a statement. In common parlance, soul and spirit are often not considered separately. Many people consider “soul” and “spirit” as synonyms. What is meant by this is often cause for speculation. This paper is about – as in the verse mentioned in Hebrews – a distinction between soul and spirit, and what that means.
Chaotic ideas
The terms soul and spirit are often seen as interchangeable. Those who say this usually mean to describe the “essence” of the human personality. This is often considered to be “the highest” in man and it is what “remains” when he dies. If the human being dies, the shell falls off and what remains is “spirit” or “soul”. Such views are also widespread among Christians. Rarely, however, is it the subject of biblical inquiry.
It was already pointed out in an earlier post that according to the Bible, man does not “have” a soul (as an ingredient, so to speak), but “becomes” a soul (when he comes alive). Man is a soul in the Bible. He has no soul. Likewise, man receives the spirit of life, but is not a spirit.
Soul and spirit are terms of the Bible. Therefore, it is possible to look up these terms in all contexts to build a biblically based understanding of the meaning. Such an examination should be done according to the terms in the basic text (Hebrew/Greek).
The idea that man “has” a soul or spirit is more rooted in Greek mythology. Translations not infrequently follow these ideas, which can be traced, for example, in translations such as realm of the dead (gr. hades). The Bible does not speak anywhere of the dead living in a kingdom – Greek mythology, however, describes it that way.
So if we want to understand what is meant by soul or spirit in the Bible, we have to look up the Bible itself on it and gather information there. We already have one point: soul and spirit are “divided”, that is: distinguished, by the Word of God. This distinction is not about a linguistic distinction, because the passage in question is about very concrete consequences for our being human. In other words: In our lives, we should be able to distinguish soul and spirit – the Word of God helps us to do so.
But why is it here?
People “are” souls
Man is a “living soul” (Gen. 2:7). This is what connects us to animals but distinguishes us from plants (Gen 1:30). Soul is also the name for the whole human being. Thus Abraham went to Egypt with 70 souls (Gen. 46:26-27; Ex. 1:5; Deut. 10:22). In biblical language, people are souls. As a small contrast: In our society today, people not infrequently degenerate into “numbers”. Soul” sounds much more human.
So soul is a synonym for human being. We should vividly imagine that 70 people went to Egypt with Abram, and not 70 “souls” hovering behind him as if they were “spirits”. The language in the Old Testament is always concrete and uses the terms as they are understood at that time. People are addressed as souls.
It is no different in the New Testament. Paul writes, for example:
“If there is a spiritual body, there is also a spiritual body. So also it is written: The first man, Adam, became a living soul, the last Adam became a living spirit. However, the spiritual did not come first, but the soul, and then the spiritual. The first man is of the earth, from the ground; the second man is the Lord from heaven. As he is of the earth, so are they of the earth; and as he is of the heavenly, so are they of the heavenly. And just as we bear the image of that of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the supernatural.”
1Cor 15:47-49
In this section, soul and spirit, as in “soulish” and “spiritual,” are distinguished in relation to man and the resurrection. Today we have a soulish body, shaped by the soul, while after the resurrection we will receive a spiritual body, shaped by the spirit (cf. Jesus’ statement in Lk 24:39). So in terms of time, these things are apart. Soul is now formative. In the future, spirit is formative. The transition of one imprint to the next is marked by the resurrection.
Now we already know two things: human beings are considered collectively as “souls” and our present body is considered as a “soul body”. This concerns a typical feature of our current being. It says something about the nature of our body and our existence.
Soul is consciousness and perception
Soul in the Bible has to do with everything that makes us human. It is about perception, consciousness, feeling and emotion, desire and such things more. Example:
“Then He spoke [Jesus] to them in a parable: A rich man’s field had borne well; so he reasoned with himself, What shall I do, since I have no place where to gather my fruits? Then he said to himself: This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns, build bigger ones and gather all my grain and goods there. And to my soul I will say, Soul, you have numerous goods lying there for many years; rest, eat, drink, and be merry!”
Lk 12:16-19
Other examples: Gen 34:3-8; Gen 42:21; Ex 15:9 (“greed” = nephesh, soul); Ex 23:9 (“to humble” = at-nephesh); Deut 16:29-31 (“humble yourselves” = humble your souls); Ps 106:15 and many more. Souls “pine away” (Ps 107:5), “die of thirst” (Ps 107:9), “become disgusted” (Ps 107:18), “despair in trouble” (Ps 107:26). Everything that has to do with perception, sensation, joy and suffering, hunger and thirst, pain and well-being concerns the soul. Therefore, we are indeed souls, because soul (or all that the term stands for) determines our humanity. So soul is not spiritual, but just the opposite of spirit. Therefore, the letter to the Hebrews could clearly separate them.
The soul concerns things that are subject to impermanence. A spiritual person contrasts with a spiritual person, such as in this passage:
“But the spiritual man accepts nothing of the depths of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot know them, since they can only be spiritually explored.”
1Cor 2,14
Divine things are recognized only spiritually. Here is what Paul makes clear in Romans:
“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery, again to fear; but you received the spirit of sonship, in which we cry aloud. Abba, Father! – The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.”
Rom 8:15-16
Accordingly, the language of the Bible is quite clear. We could say a lot more about all these verses, but the first point here is to clarify what the meaning of soul and spirit is so that we can value these terms. What is given to us by God always comes about through spirit. However, what we experience and experience in this world has to do with soul.
Spirit of life
At the creation of man, we read that God breathed into his nose and he thus became a “living” soul. Spirit conveys life. “Spirit of life” comes from God (Rev 11:11) and it is linked to the breath, more precisely to breathing.
“Everything died in whose nostrils was a breath of life’s breath, of everything that lived on the dry land ⟨⟩.“
Gen 7:22 (Flood)
Here one could translate more literally with:
“Each, with the breath of the spirit of the living in its nostrils … dies.”
Concordant Old Testament
In the translation by Martin Buber and Franz Rosenzweig it says:
“Everything that had breath, effervescence of life in its nostrils … died.”
The Five Books of Instructions, Martin Buber and Franz Rosenzweig.
These three things are described as interrelated: Breath, Spirit, Life. Breath belongs to the nostrils. Likewise, he who blows out his last breath (hb. gava) dies. The picture is consistent.
Now here is another difference between soul and spirit: soul is associated with blood (Gen. 9:4; Deut. 17:11-14; Deut. 12:20-24; Ezek. 22:27), but spirit is associated with breath and nose (Gen. 7:21-22; 2 Sam. 22:16; Ps. 18:16).
This spirit of life is the one that is given to us at the beginning of life and returns to God at the time of death.
“And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
Eccl 12:7
Consciousness or identity is not present in this life spirit. No biblical passage speaks like this. This spirit, which comes from God, is only the bearer of life, not the bearer of the person. When the spirit returns to God who gave it, it is in no way equivalent to “we go to heaven when we die” or something like that. None of that is written here. Life spirit is what keeps everyone and everything “alive” in this world:
“The God who created the world and all that is in it, He the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor is He served by human hands as if He needed anything. He Himself gives life and breath and everything else.
Acts 17:24-25
Life comes from God and it comes (for all!) through Christ, as Paul writes here in other words and as a fundamental statement about the existence of this world:
“For in Him the universe is created: that in the heavens and that on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions, principalities or authorities. The All is created through Him and to Him, and He is before all, and the All exists together in Him.”
Col 1:16
The writer of Hebrews says it more fully this way:
“He [der Sohn] is the radiance of His [Gottes] glory and the imprint of His being, and carries the universe by His powerful Word.”
Heb 1:3
These verses and others show that our existence depends entirely on God, and our life is received by means of spirit from Him. He carries us.
This life spirit is therefore no consciousness, no identity and it has nothing to do with a life in the hereafter. Life spirit comes from God and goes back to Him – whereupon we die. The biblical statements are congruent.
God’s Spirit and Man’s Spirit
God is spirit. God’s Spirit is not a second spirit beside Him. Likewise, each person is One. The spirit of man is not a second person beside him.
“For who among men knows what is in man except the spirit of man which is in him? So also no one has known the depths of God except the Spirit of God.”
1Cor 2,11
The spirit of man is not a “component”, not a “substance” and not a spirit being separate from us. The word spirit is used in many ways. It’s not just “a” thing (and certainly not a “thing”). Spirit is used as a description for something that is intangible, yet perceptible in its effects – just as it works with wind (cf. John 3:5-8). We have a word for it, but with that it continues to be non-palpable. The word “spirit” (like wind) is difficult to capture. Therefore, the expression is apt and appropriate for what we (do not) perceive. In Hebrew and Greek there are no separate words for spirit and breeze. It is the same word.
The spirit of man must be distinguished from the spirit of life. The spirit of life is the power of life that all people receive from God. The spirit of man is “of man” and not “of God”. It is our own spirit. It is an expression of the direction, the power of our thinking and being. This affects us, and is what makes us, what we do, and describes the direction of our heart.
The night before Jesus was taken captive, He was with His disciples on the Mount of Olives. Jesus said to his disciples:
“Watch and pray, lest you fall into temptation! Though the spirit has desire, the flesh is weak.”
Mt 26:41
The spirit of man is quickly contrasted with the “flesh of man.” Man wants to (with his spirit), but he does not succeed (through the flesh). This contrast occurs again and again. People would like to, however, many things do not succeed because the flesh (the comfort, the needs of the body, etc.) is stronger. The flesh often cannot do what the spirit of man wants. From this comparison it can be deduced that the mind has something to do with our thinking. A lot is said about this as well.
Paul writes, for example:
“I now pronounce unto you, brethren (in view of God’s compassions), to provide your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God (as your consequential worship), and not to set your minds on this eon, but to To be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may be able to discern what is the will of God – the good, the acceptable, and the perfect.”
Rom 12:1-2
Sense of thought is not the same as spirit, but spirit of man is in man and so sense of thought is in him. What drives us are thoughts that are also shaped by spirit. That is why Paul links the two terms:
“That you put off the former behavior, the old humanity…, and be rejuvenated in the spirit of your mind and put on the new humanity.”
Eph 2:20-24
While the term soul can be clearly assigned to feelings and experiences in this world, it is the spirit of man that enables him to look beyond this and not only reactively and passively experience something, but actively do something. For example, we read about John the Baptist from his childhood years:
“But the babe grew up and became steadfast in spirit. Until the day of his appearance before Israel, [Johannes] was in the wilderness.”
Lk 1,80
The term spirit in this verse shows that he did not live like a hedonist, but sought his way very consciously. This became visible later. “In those days John the Baptist arose and proclaimed in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Repent! For the kingdom of heaven has come near!” For he was the one about whom it was announced by the prophet Isaiah: Voice of a caller: In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord! Make His streets straight! But he, John, had his clothing of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his loins; his food was locusts and wild honey.” (Mt 3:1-4).
Spirit, therefore, is not the highest thing in man, but the expression of his thought and will and the direction of his heart, beyond the direct needs and experiences of the body.
God’s Spirit addresses our spirit:
“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”
Rom 1:16
What determines what we do?
Soulful people have no spirit, writes Jude (Jude 19). So you can’t be everything at the same time. A person who is called soulful, for whom the “soul” is central. Likewise, Paul speaks of spiritual and carnal minded people. There, the “flesh” or the “spirit” is central. These are, of course, figurative speeches. We should come to understand it because it expresses the direction in which we are moving. What determines what we do? Is it soul? Is it our flesh? Is it spirit?
For example, Paul, in his role as an apostle, sought to share with the church in Rome something “spiritually gracious to strengthen you” (Rom 1:11). For this to succeed, it requires a willingness to respond. Such readiness signals a spiritual attitude. Whether you have it or reject it is not without consequences.
“ But the soulish man accepts nothing of the depths of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot know them, since they can only be spiritually explored.”
1Cor 2,14
This passage in 1 Corinthians has meaning. The church in Corinth was anything but spiritually on the move. It was rather a chaotic gang for whom Paul pointed a new direction. That is what happened in these verses. After that we can stretch out.
If we now return to the original verses from the Letter to the Hebrews, we see that we receive a good help from God’s Word to distinguish spirit from soul. This is where the difference becomes practical:
“For the word of God is living, efficacious, and more cutting than any two-edged sword, piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of joints as well as marrow; it is judge of the deliberations and thoughts of the heart.”
Heb 4:12
The last part of this sentence shows the way in which the Word of God is effective. It is judge of our reflections and thoughts of the heart. We are given concrete handholds to keep soul and spirit apart. This helps us to better assess ourselves and our everyday life. It helps us to distinguish soul from spirit and to better focus the direction of our thinking. Because: soul and spirit are not the same.
Questions about everyday life
- Shouldn’t pastoral care always include spiritual care? Does it?
- What should distinguish a clergyman if we start from this concept?
- What should distinguish a chaplain, if we start from this concept?
- How does a spiritual attitude manifest itself?
- Does music speak more to the mind or the soul?
- Is there sacred music? Through melody or lyrics?
- What about worship music? In which direction does this (soul/spirit) tend?
- What should a sermon accomplish in the listener? Where and how should we differentiate?
