o Aphthartos used referring to a person only after the resurrection.
(3) 1 Corinthians 15:52 "And the dead shall be raised incorruptible [aphthartos], and we shall be changed."
o Aphthartos used referring to our inheritance after the resurrection.
(4) 1 Peter 1:4 "Who...begat us again...unto an inheritance incorruptible [aphthartos], and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in heaven for you."
Aphthartos used referring to our crown we will receive after
o the resurrection.
(5) 1 Corinthians 9:25 "Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown; but we an Incorruptible [aphthartos]." (An incorruptible crown, not an incorruptible soul).
o Aphthartos used referring to the word of God.
(6) 1 Peter 1:23 "Having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible
[aphthartos], through the word of God, which lives and abides forever."
o Aphthartos used referring to our adorning.
(7) 1 Peter 3:4 "But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible [aphthartos]
apparel of a meek and quiet spirit."
3. APHTHARSIA (incorruption) is used eight times. Not one of them is used referring to a person or an immortal "immaterial, invisible part of man" now in this life.
o Aphtharsia used referring to a person only after the resurrection, something we seek for but do not now have (the body we will have, not soul).
(1) Romans 2:7 "Who will render to every man according to his works: to them that...seek for glory and honor and incorruption [aphtharsia], eternal life."
(2) 1 Corinthians 15:42 "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption [aphtharsia]."
(3) (4) and (5) 1 Corinthians 15:50, 15:53 and 15:54 "Now...flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption [aphtharsia]. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on Incorruption [aphtharsia], and this mortal must put on immorality [thanasia]. But, when this corruptible shall have put on
incorruption [aphtharsia], and this mortal shall have put on immortality [thanasia]."
(6) 2 Timothy 1:10 "Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality
[aphtharsia] to light through the gospel." The only way we can know about immortality after the resurrection is through the gospel, not from philosophy or science.
o Aphtharsia used referring to our love for Christ.
(7) Ephesians 6:24 "Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ with a love
incorruptible [aphtharsia]."
o Aphtharsia used referring to our doctrine.
(8 Titus 2:7 "In all things showing yourself an ensample of good works; in your doctrine showing uncorruptness [aphtharsia], gravity, sound speech."
Immortality or uncorruption is not used in the Old Testament. Eternal is used in the King James Version two times. It is used referring to God one time, "The eternal God" Deuteronomy 33:27, and is used in Isaiah 60:15. The doctrine that God made a person with an immortal soul that cannot cease to exist, and that even God cannot destroy this part of a person is based on pagan philosophy, not on the word of God, therefore, the argument that the lost must live somewhere for they cannot cease to exist is also based on pagan philosophy.
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If a person were born with a part that is now immortal and not subject to death, would it not be strange that there is but one clear passage in the entire Bible which says "you shall
not surely die" [Genesis 3:4] and it is from the father of lies [John 8:44].
THE MANY VIEWS OF "SOUL" and/or "SPIRIT"
A brief review of some of the many divisions in what people believe about immortality and the soul. Views of the soul that require death to mean eternal life somewhere, and that all men are deathless and possess immortality inherently at or before birth.
1. THE PAGAN VIEW OF REINCARNATION OF THE SOUL. Ancient Egyptian
belief was that the soul had a gloomy existence in the underworld (transmigration). The Greeks and Romans believed almost the same with some changes. Oriental and Pythagorean philosophy, Hindus, Burmans, Buddhists, and Grand Lama all believed in some form of reincarnation. They believed the "soul" of the evil had some punishment, but not all believed it had the same punishment. Today, worldwide there are more who believe in reincarnation than all other afterlife beliefs combined. Many religions that are not Christian believe in some form of reincarnation.
2. THE CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANT VIEW. Mankind is born with an immortal soul that can never die or be destroyed. A very small percent will go to Heaven at death but most will go to Hell.
3. THE HADES VIEW. This view is that no one goes to Heaven or Hell at death but the saved are rewarded in a place many call Abraham's bosom, and the lost are tormented before they are judged, before the resurrection and judgment. Death is changed to eternal life but not life in Heaven or Hell.
4. THE UNIVERSALIST VIEW. All will be saved. Those who do not obey Christ in this lifetime will have an "attitude adjustment" after death and all will end up in Heaven with none in Hell.
5. THE RESURRECTION TO IMMORTAL LIFE ON THE RESTORED EARTH.
This view is that the earthly body will be raised and restored to be like Adam before his sin on a restored earth. No one's soul will be immortal in Heaven or Hell. Some believe the lost will be raised with the same mortal bodies we now have, and Christ will return to earth and will rule forever over the earth from Jerusalem; and the lost will literally be cast into Gehenna, which will have been restored.
6. Many other minor views in religions around the world.
o There are some minor differences within all the above views. The fate of those who do not obey Christ is made to fit with their view of immortality. Protestants
now have many minor differences and some differences that in no way could be
called minor.
7. THE BIBLE VIEW. It does not teach the natural immortality of a person or any part of a person at birth. All are now mortal. Those in Christ will be raised immortal at the coming of Christ. All others will be raised to judgment and will have their part in the lake of fire, which is the second death.
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THE DYING USE OF "SOUL"
IN THE OLD TESTAMENT: In translations that were made by those who believe a person has an immortal soul, why is the use of the word "soul" becoming used less?
Nehphesh is used in the Old Testament 870 times.
TRANSLATED SOUL ONLY
473 times out of 870 times – King James Version in 1611.
289 times out of 870 times– New King James Version in 1982. Soul is used 184 times less in the Old Testament than it is in the King James Version.
118 times out of 870 times – Amplified Bible in 1954.
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254 times out of 870 times – New American Standard Bible in 1960.
115 times out of 870 times – New International Version in 1973.
136 times out of 870 times – New International Version in 1984 update.
72 times out of 870 times – New International Version in 2010 update.
73 times out of 870 times – Today's New International Version in 2001.
142 times out of 870 times – The Message in 1993.
44 times out of 870 times – New Living Translation in 1996.
96 times out of 870 times – New International Reader's Version in 1996.
35 times out of 870 times – Holman Christian Standard Bible in 1999.
14 times out of 870 times – Contemporary English Version in 1995.
0 times out of 878 times – Common English Bible in 2011.
o Most of the times that nehphesh was not translated "soul" it was translated "life," "person," "heart"
or the noun was changed to a pronoun (he, him, she, her, etc.) that is related to a person and has no reference to an immortal part of a person.
IN THE NEW TESTAMENT: The Greek work translated soul [psukee] is used 106
times.
TRANSLATED SOUL ONLY
55 times out of 106 times in the King James Version in 1611.
27 times out of 106 times in the New King James Version in 1982. Soul is used 28 times less in the New King James Version than it is in the King James Version.
39 times out of 106 times – Amplified Bible in 1954.
43 times out of 106 times – New American Standard Bible in 1960.
23 times out of 106 times – New International Version in 1984 and 2010 update.
23 times out of 106 times – Today's New International Version in 2001.
29 times out of 106 times – New Living Translation in 1996.
20 times out of 106 times – New International reader's Version in 1996.
23 times out of 106 times – Holman Christian Standard Bible in 1999.
22 times out of 106 times – Contemporary English Version in 1995.
7 times out of 106 times – Common English Bible in 2011.
IN BOTH THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT: The Hebrew word translated soul
[nehphesh] is used over 870 times in the Old Treatment, and the Greek work translated soul [psukee] is used 106 times, both together about 976 times.
TRANSLATED SOUL ONLY
530 times out of 976 times – King James Version in 1611.
341 times out of 976 times–New King James Version in 1982. Soul is used 189 times less in the New King James Version than it is in the King James Version.
200 times out of 976 times– Amplified Bible in 1954.
301 times out of 976 times – New American Standard Bible in 1960.
140 times out of 976 times – New International Version in 1973.
136 times out of 976 times– New International Version in 1984 update.
95 times out of 976 times – New International Version in 2010 update.
96 times out of 976 times – Today's New International Version in 2001.
177 times out of 976 times – The Message in 1993.
73 times out of 976 times – New Living Translation in 1996.
39 times out of 976 times – New International reader's Version in 1996.
58 times out of 976 times– Holman Christian Standard Bible in 1999.
58 times out of 976 times – Contemporary English Version in 1995.
7 times out of 976 times – Common English Bible in 2011.
o Most, if not all these translators believe in an immortal soul, but have been reducing the times these words are translated "soul" and replacing it with "life," "person," "heart" or changed it to pronouns that are related to a person.
WHY THE USE OF SOUL IS DYING
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In many passages the psukee does thing that only this earthly body can do, things that an immortal soul that has no substance could not do. “And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?' Then he said,
'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul [psukee], Soul [psukee], you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.‟ But God said to him, „You fool! This very night your soul [psukee] is required of you'" Luke 12:19-21.
The New International Version removed ―soul.‖ “And I'll say to myself [Greek
psukee-life], „you [Greek psukee-life] have plenty of good things laid up for many years.
Take life easy; eat drink and be merry.‟ But, God said to him, „You fool! This very night your life [Greek psukee] will be demanded from you.‟”
It is obvious that an immaterial, invisible, no substance soul would have no use for the things the rich man stored in his barns, that he was not speaking of an immaterial soul with without any substance, but of his earthly person that can eat and drink of the substance he has stored up that would use the things he stored, and it was life that would be required of the earthly person, not life from an immortal soul that could not die; when his life was required who would use the things he had stored? Translators put Plato
―immortal soul‖ into the Bible by mistranslating, but many transitions are taking much of their mistranslating out.
The Hebrew noun, nehphesh, is being changed to many different pronouns, but all the pronouns have a reference to an earthly being, not to a no substance inter part of a person. Most of the 473 times nehphesh was translated soul in the King James Version it has been translated life or person or changed to many different pronouns in many translations. Nehphesh did not mean an immaterial invisible some thing in a person in the Old Testament, but how could the translators think it was right to change one noun into many pronouns?
The Hebrew people in the Old Testament that were reading their Scriptures would have had no way to make a distinction in the life [soul-nehphesh] of animals or men.
Even today in the Hebrew Old Testament there is no distinction between a person and or an animal being a soul-a living creature. Only in some modern translations is there a distinction and this distinction is because man has changed God's word. God used the same word to describe both persons and animals. If this one word proves one is now immortal, it proves both are. Man says animals do not have a soul but people do. God says both people and animals are a soul.
Summary: About one third of the words translated soul, nehphesh in the Old Testament, and psukee in the New Testament are associated with the destruction and death of the soul [life, nehphesh]. This is an insoluble problem for those that believe today's theology, which says the soul cannot die.
Different characteristics of a person, not different parts of a person that can live without each other, but a person looked at from different points of view.
1. BODY: Flesh and blood.
2. SOUL: A living being: the body + the breath of life.
3. SPIRIT: The body of dust + the breath of life (spirit–ruach) = a living being-soul.
4. MIND: If the intellectual part of a person is his mind, does the "soul" as it is used in today's theology have its own mind? Does the soul have any thoughts that our mind does not have? If not, 114
according to today's theology, the only part of a person that will be in Heaven wil have no thoughts.
5. HEART: The most commonly used characteristic of a person. [Genesis 6:5; Judges; 16:15, 17, 18, 20; Matthew 5:8; Luke 12:34; Romans 10:10; Hebrews 3:10]. The heart is used in the place of the mind for the thing that the mind does, not the part of the body that pumps blood. [Matthew 13:15; 15:19; Mark 7:19; Luke 6:45; 9:47; Acts 8:21; 8:37; 28:27; Romans 10:9; 10:10; 1 Corinthians 2:9; 7:37; Hebrews 3:10; 4:12; 1 John 3:20-21]. Has not the things said about the heart been transferred to the soul by those who believe the soul is immortal?
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An abridgment from Miles Grant, Positive Theology, chapter 5 "Conditional Immortality," 1885,
"The Hebrew word nehphesh and the Greek word psukee are translated in FIFTY DIFFERENT WAYS IN THE
BIBLE. These fifty may be reduced to three. (1) The LIFE of any living being. (2) ANY living being. (3) The DESIRE
of any living being." ALL FIFTY WORDS HAVE A REFERENCE TO THIS LIFE, NOT ONE TO AN IMMORTAL
SOUL.
(1) "The LIFE of any living creature."
SOUL:
Nehphesh and psukee "The word soul occurs in our English Bible 535 times." [Note: Mr. Grant was using the King James Version where nehphesh and psukee are translated soul about 535 times. If the New International Version were used, they are translated soul only 140 times. Life, person, heart, or a pronoun for a person is used much more than in the list he gives below]
Nehphesh is used over 870 times in the Old Testament and translated soul 475 times in the King James Version. Psukee is used 106 times in the New Testament and translated soul 58 times in the King James Version.
From ndeevah 1 time [Job 30:16, the only time this word is in the Bible]
From nshahmah 1 time" Nshahman is used 24 times, mostly translated "breath" or "breath of life," It is translated "souls"
only 1 of the 24 times in the King James Version [Isaiah 57:16], but is changed to "breath" in the New American Standard 1. "The soul [nehphesh] that sins, it shall die" Ezekiel 18:4, 20. How is it that Ezekiel did not know an immortal soul couldn't die?
2. "No soul [nehphesh] of you shall eat blood" Leviticus 17:12. Can a soul that has no earthly subjects eat blood?
3. "That soul [nehphesh] shall be cut off" Leviticus 7:20
4. "Our soul [nehphesh] dried away" Numbers 11:6
5. "They have dug a pit for soul [nehphesh]" Jeremiah 18:20. Could they put an immortal soul in a pit?
6. "To slay the souls [nehphesh] that should not die, and to save the souls [nehphesh] alive that should not live" [Ezekiel 13:19]. By today's definition of soul, "an invisible something that cannot die," this passage is nonsense and foolish. It was lives, or persons that were saved or killed, not invisible souls that cannot die.
7. "For you have delivered my soul [nehphesh] from death" [Psalms 56:13]. His life [nehphesh] had been saved from death.
Not his soul that could not be dead, but it was dead anyway and was brought back to life. He had been saved from death, past tense, not will be delivered from death, future tense.
8. "Let them be put to shame and confounded that seek after my soul [nehphesh]" [Psalms 70:2]. "Let the enemy pursue my soul [nehphesh], and overtake it" [Psalms 7:5]. "Deliver my soul [nehphesh] from the wicked" [Psalms 17:13].
"Deliver my soul [nehphesh] from the sword" [Psalms 22:20]. "Rescue my soul [nehphesh] from their destructions"
[psalms 35:17]. "For strangers are risen up against me, and violent men have sought after my soul [nehphesh]" Psalms 54:3. "But those that seek my soul [nehphesh] to destroy it" [Psalms 63:9]. "Let them be put to shame and confounded that seek after my soul [nehphesh]" [Psalms 70:2]. "They that lay in wait for my soul [nehphesh]" [Psalms 71:10]. "He spared not their soul [nehphesh] from death" [Psalms 78:50]. "You have delivered my soul [nehphesh] from death"
[Psalms 116:8]. Clearly the writers of Psalms did not understand soul to mean a part of a person that cannot die. Even the King James translators repeatedly translated nehphesh as life in the same type of passages. "They devised to take away my life [soul nehphesh]" [Psalms 31:13]. "They also that seek after my life [soul nehphesh] [Psalms 38:12 and many more like this]." Today's readers would have understood it better if they had been more uniform for if someone were trying to kill us, we would not say they were after our "soul" but after our "life." Most translations are somewhat better than the King James and a few are much better translated.
9. 515 more. Some have reference to man, both to living men and to dead men. Some have reference to any living beings (living creatures). Some have reference to both man and other living beings.
10. "Able to destroy both body and soul [psukee]" Matthew 10:28
11. "Shall save a soul [psukee] from death" James 5:20
LIFE:
Nehphesh " is rendered life and lives one hundred and twenty times, and is applied indiscriminately to man and beast."
Genesis 1: 20. Genesis 1: 30; 9: 4; 9: 5; 19:1 7; 19:19; 32:30; 44:30; Exodus 4:19; 21: 23; 21:30; Leviticus 17:11; 17:14.
Numbers 35:31. Deuteronomy 12:23. Deuteronomy 19:21. Deuteronomy 24:6. Joshua. 2:13; 2:14; 9:24; Judges 5:18; 9:17; 12:3; 18:25; Ruth 4:15. 1 Samuel: 19:5. 1 Samuel. 19:11. 1 Samuel. 20: 1. 1 Samuel. 22:23. 1 Samuel. 23:15. 1
Samuel. 26: 24; 1 Samuel. 28:9; 1 Samuel. 28:21; 2 Samuel. 1:9; 4:8; 14:7; 16:11; 18:13; 19:5; 23:17; 1 Kings 1:12; 2:23; 115
3:11; 19:2; 19:3; 19:4; 19:10, 14; 20:31; 20:39; 20:42; 2 Kings 1:13; 1:14; 7:7; 10:24; 1 Chronicles 11:19; 2 Chronicles 1:11; Esther 7:3; 7:7; 8:11; 9:16; Job 2:4; 2:6; 6:11; 13:14; 31:39; Psalms 31:13; 38:12; Proverbs 1:18; 1:19; 6:26; 7:23; 12:10; 13:3; 13:8; Isaiah 15:4; 43:4; Jeremiah 4:30; 11:21; 21:7; 21:9; 22:25; 34:20, 21; 38:2; 38:16; 39:18 [2 times]; 44:30; 45:5; 46:26; 48:6; 49:37; Lamentations 2:19. Lam 5:9; Ezekiel 32:10; Jonah 1:14; Jonah 4:3
Psukee life and lives forty times. Matthew 2:20; 6:25; 10:39; 16:25 [2 times]; 20:28; Mark 3:4; 8:35 [2 times]; 10:45; Luke 6:9; 9:24 [2 times]; 9:56; 12:22, 23; 14:26; 17:33; John 10:11; 10:15; 10:17; 12:25 [2 times]; 13:37, 38. [2 times]; 15:13; Acts 15:26; 20:10; 20:24; 27:10; 27:22; Romans 11:3; 16:4; Philemon 2:30; 1 John 3:16; Revelation 8:9; 12:11
GHOST [soul–nehphesh] two times. "The giving up of the ghost [soul–nehphesh]" Job 11:20. "She has given up the ghost [soul–nehphesh]" Jeremiah 15:9
MORTALLY [soul–nehphesh] one time. "If any man hate his neighbor...and smite him mortally [soul–nehphesh]"
Deuteronomy. 19:11
BREATH [soul–nehphesh] one time. "His breath [soul–nehphesh] kindles coals" Job 41:21.
(2) "ANY living being" (living creatures)
CREATURE [soul–nehphesh] nine times.
1. "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creature [souls–nehphesh]" Genesis. 1:20
2. "And God created the great sea-monsters, and every living creature [souls–nehphesh]" Genesis. 1:21
3. "Let the earth bring forth living creature [souls - nehphesh] after their kind, cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth" Genesis 1:24
4. "And whatsoever the man called every living creature [souls - nehphesh], that was the name thereof" Genesis 2:19
5. " Living creature [souls - nehphesh]" Genesis 9:10 birds, cattle, every beast of the earth 6. " Living creature [souls - nehphesh]" Genesis 9:12 every living creature 7. " Living creature [souls - nehphesh]" Genesis 9:15 every living creature of all flesh 8. " Living creature [souls - nehphesh]" Genesis 9:16 every living creature of all flesh 9. "Every living creature [souls - nehphesh] that moves" Leviticus. 11:46
PERSON [soul - nehphesh] thirty times
1. "Give me the persons [souls - nehphesh]" Genesis14:21, not, "Give me the immortal souls of the persons"
2. "And dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons [souls -
nehphesh] that were there, and upon him that touched the bone" Numbers 19:18. Is water to be sprinkled on immortal souls that have no substances just as it is on the tent and vessels? How can this be? Even the King James translators know water could not be sprinkled on something that could not be seen
3. "That the manslayer that kills any persons [souls - nehphesh] unwittingly...everyone that kills any persons [souls -
nehphesh]" [Numbers 35:11-15]. Could anyone kill an immortal soul that can never die?
4. "Whoso kills any persons [souls - nehphesh], the murderer shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify against any persons [souls - nehphesh] that he die" [Numbers 35:30]. How could anyone be a witness to the killing of a soul that they cannot see?
5. "I have occasioned the death of all the persons [