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Does Man Have An Immortal Soul?
By Lloyd W. Cary
The belief in an “immortal soul” that goes to heaven, hell, or purgatory at death is unquestionably the most commonly accepted superstition in world religions today. Sadly, the world is deceived in most aspects of spiritual truth, for we read of “that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray” (Revelation 12:9).
The immortal soul fallacy is one that has been read into the Scriptures, not one derived from it. Secular history reveals the “immortal soul” concept was developed in ancient EDgypt, Babylon, and Greece. Since then, nearly all Christendom has adopted this belief, even though it is not a Hebrew, apostolic, or Biblical teaching.
The words “immortal soul” are nowhere found in your Bible! On the contrary, we are told God only has immortality (1 Timothy 6:16)! Jesus proclaimed, “no one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man” (John 3:13).
Paul explains, “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53, KJV). If humans already have an immortal soul, why would we need to put on immortality again?
“Spirit, Soul, and Body” Not the Same!
Many wonder about the scripture, “May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
This is easily explained if one does not already have a preconceived idea of an “immortal soul.” “Spirit” (pneuma) simply refers to the human mind and the ability to reason, create, and evaluate. “Soul” (psuche) means the physical life. “Body” (soma) is the physical body. This verse is addressing the whole person, including the mind, vigor of life, and physical body. There is no “immortal soul” here!
What Happens At Death?
Let us examine a few scriptures that address what happens to man at death and compare them to the popular “immortal soul” concept. It is evident when comparing the immortal soul doctrine with the Scriptures, the two cannot be reconciled—they are diametric opposites!
- “No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave” (Psalms 6:5)?
- “Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction” (Psalms 88:11)?
- “It is not the dead who praise the LORD, those who go down to silence” (Psalms 115:17).
- “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish” (Psalms 146:4, KJV).
- “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing” (Ecclesiastes 9:5).
- “For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit [grave] cannot hope for your faithfulness” (Isaiah 38:18).
- “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4,20, KJV).
- “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell [gehenna]” (Matthew 10:28).
- Job asked, “If a man die, shall he live again” (Job 14:14, KJV)? This question would make no sense if one is still alive in another place!
These plain Bible truths may be shocking to those who grew up believing in the handed-down “immortal soul” paradigm, but it is what the Bible plainly says! The best way not to get hung up on man’s interpretations is to read the Bible for yourself.
What is the “Spirit” in Man?
Yet, the Bible reveals there is a “spirit” in man. Job 32:8 says, “But there is a spirit in man.” Ecclesiastes 3:21 asks, “Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?” A rhetorical question! Some confuse the spirit in man with the immortal soul hypothesis. So, if man does not have an immortal soul, what is this “spirit” in man?
Notice carefully! The spirit is not the man—it is something in the man. This spirit does not have a life of its own. The Hebrew word, xwr ( ru´ach), and the Greek word, νευµα (pneu´ma), often translated “spirit,” have a number of meanings. These Hebrew and Greek words are always used with reference to breath, breeze, or active life force. It never means “immortal soul.” What is this “spirit” in man, and what happens to it at death? How can we understand it?
Regarding what happens to this spirit in man at death, one could compare the human spirit in man to a CD or magnetic tape recording. A CD or tape can only record and store information—it cannot play back sound without a machine or recorder. Likewise, the human spirit cannot function without a “machine,” or body. The human spirit is the agency—the recording material—by which God preserves the character and memories developed in this life. Once separated from the body at death, it contains the recorded information of man’s character, thoughts, and personality, but is not functional or “alive” until it is reunited with a body at a resurrection. A resurrection occurs when God places that same character—from the stored record, or spirit—into a new body. Notice the great general resurrection to physical life recorded in Ezekiel 37:5–14.
At death, the spirit that was in the man is committed to God’s keeping. It—this “record,” or spirit, of the man—returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7)—until a resurrection.
“Immortal Soul” or Resurrection—Which?
Only the resurrection from the dead—not the “immortal soul” assumption—is in harmony with the Scriptures. The resurrection is the only real hope of man, whether he believes it or even knows about it or not (1 Corinthians 15:19). The resurrection gives mankind the final, ultimate victory over death, which is the common enemy of every human being (1 Corinthians 15:26). Man does not have a soul—he is a soul (Genesis 2:7)—a living, breathing being! The resurrection—not an “immortal soul”—is the central teaching of your Bible! i
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