ORIGIN OF THE SOUL
a brief categorical study for clarification
“Homo Sapien” (mankind, species).
In this category “homo sapiens,” the real person, the real, conscious you, is located in the soul (Genesis 2:7); the human body is merely a temporary home for the soul (2 Corinthians 5:1-4).
When God created man in His Image, it was in His “soul-image” (Genesis 1:26,27; 2:7; Psalm 42:1). Our soul is eternal, but temporarily dwells in the body.
The real you is your soul – the immaterial part of your being. Our soul, psuchikos in the Koiné Greek, is in the feminine meaning responder. We are designed by God to respond to God.
When God originally created the soul, he created it with certain characteristics or essence. The soul of mankind is located in the cranium.
ESSENCE OF THE SOUL – SIX CHARACTERISTICS
- Soul-Life, or self-consciousness, came from God when God breathed life into Adam’s nostrils. Self-consciousness means: We are aware we exist (Genesis 35:18; 1 Kings 17:21; Matthew 10:39; Acts 20:10).
- Mentality – We think… the thinking part of the soul (Luke 12:19; Acts 15:24).
- Volition – Freedom to choose, to make decisions – I will; I won’t. (Acts 3:23).
- Emotion – We appreciate – we respond (Song of Solomon 1:7; John 12:27; 2 Peter 2:8).
- Conscience – We inherently know what is right – Norms and standards (Acts 24:16; Romans 2:15; Romans 9:1, 2).
- Human Spirit – For fellowship and worship of God (Job 32:8; John 4:24). After the fall the Human Spirit died (became dormant — no relationship with God).
- Adamic Sin Nature (replaced the human spirit). The sin nature is the distorter of the soul (Psalm 58:2-5; Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 15:19).
The Bible distinguishes between soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12). Jesus made the same distinction in his conversation with Nicodemus in John 3:3-7, when he said, “you must be born again.”
Man was originally created trichotomous – body, soul, and spirit. A study of Genesis 2:17 reveals that the word “die” is in the plural and should have been translated as “two” deaths. It should have been rendered “dying (spiritual) thou shalt die (physically).” Adam did not die immediately. He lived to be 930 years of age.
Because Adam ate of the forbidden tree of “knowledge of good and evil,” he died spiritually and began to die physically. Every generation since Adam begins to die at birth because of the sin-nature we inherit from Adam. From Adam’s children to our children, the curse of death is passed down and we are all born “dichotomous” (body and soul – with a dormant human spirit) and therefore we must be born again spiritually (Genesis 2:17; John 3:3-7; Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 15:22; Ephesians 2:1&5).
The sin-nature or our “nature to sin” (the Adamic Nature – Romans 5:12) is passed down through the male (each father). This is the reason for the virgin birth. Christ had no human father, therefore no sin nature. He came in “likeness” which refers to human flesh without the sin nature. Christ did not inherit human nature – the nature of fallen man (Romans 8:1-11; Philippians 2:6-8). He was without sin (personal sin) and therefore qualified to go to the cross for the entire human race.
Happy Studying in Fields of Grace!
Much of this study was compiled, clarified, expanded, and used by permission from RBT Bible Ministries’ published work, “Origin of the Soul.”