"soul" and "spirit" are not synonymous. A "soul", again based on scripture, is any living, breathing creature that has life whether it be animal or human.
I did NOT say "soul" and "spirit" are synonymous, only that the words in Scripture for "mortal" and "immortality" refer only to the condition of the body, never the soul or spirit.
I know it is common in English to speak of "immortal souls" but that usage is not very precise. I think part of the reason for this ambiguity is that in the Bible the word "soul" is used in different ways. So when you speak of "immortal souls" to negate the truth of Scripture that death is NOT the cessation of all activity, awareness and consciousness, you are still not being precise with the language of Scripture. What am suggesting to you on this point is that you clean up your language a little bit:
The words highlighted above are the same word translated soul earlier...the Hebrew "nepesh". It means basically a living breathing creature. There is no immortality to it unless one believes that whales and other living creatures also have immortal souls.
More to the point, regarding the nature of man you are mistakenly presupposing that something is true of the whole from the fact that it is true of some part of the whole;
And a biblical "soul" can die:Your unstated assumptions seem to be that 'soul' equals physical life, and that 'life' refers to 'existence' while 'death' refers to 'nonexistence.' Yet the New Testament describes unbelievers while they were still existing in this world as 'dead' and believers as receiving 'life' at the moment of regeneration:Eze 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
The souls is basically another term for life. And the opposite of life is death.
Luke 9:60The righteous do not begin to exist when they are regenerated and the unrighteous are described as 'dead' while they still exist in this world.
But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”John 5:24
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.Ephesians 2:1-5
2 And you [a]were dead [b]in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the [c]course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, [d]indulging the desires of the flesh and of the [e]mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead [f]in our transgressions, made us alive together [g]with Christ (by grace you have been saved),1 Timothy 5:6
But she who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead even while she lives.1 John 5:12
He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
Again, with reference to "soul" you are confusing a part for the whole. Just because a living person is referred to in some instances as a soul does not mean that in every case the word 'soul' means merely a living, breathing creature and that death therefore means nonexistence.
What do you do in those instances where Scripture does not comport with your presuppositions and your definitions of the respective Scriptural terms? For example, in one case a soul refers to a corpse, which does not fit your definition. There is a another instance (James 1:6) that refers to a "two-souled" or "double-souled" man, which also does not fit your definition. (Is the "two-souled" man two living, breathing creatures?) How about the one where the "congregation was one soul"? I think that what you will probably do is try to find a rescuing device that will comport with your Sadducean presuppositions, and I would guess that it won't matter how far afield one has to go to find it or how out-of-context it is stretched.
Cordially,
Thank you again for kind reply and the opportunity to study. I assumed that by saying that only the body is mortal that you were stating that the soul is immortal. I stated some proofs that the "soul" is not immortal. Sorry if I misread that.
So when you speak of "immortal souls" to negate the truth of Scripture that death is NOT the cessation of all activity, awareness and consciousness, you are still not being precise with the language of Scripture.
Well scripture certainly seems to indicate that death is exactly that...
Ecc 9:5 For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten.
Ecc 9:6 Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share In anything done under the sun.
In fact death is compared to sleep multiple times...a cessation of conscious, aware activity.
Eph_5:14 Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."
1Th_4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
1Co_15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—
There are many many more examples. All in all the clear message seems to be that we sleep in our graves until the return of Christ at which time, if we're Christian, are resurrected to eternal life.
Your unstated assumptions seem to be that 'soul' equals physical life, and that 'life' refers to 'existence' while 'death' refers to 'nonexistence.' Yet the New Testament describes unbelievers while they were still existing in this world as 'dead' and believers as receiving 'life' at the moment of regeneration:
I think we're operating within different frameworks. When I see the term "eternal life" and apply it to Christians I see a couple of things. First that eternal life is PROMISED to Christians and that true eternal lie occurs at the end of our faith, at the return of Christ:
1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
Notice the language here. A hope, an inheritance that can't be corrupted (immortal), RESERVED in heaven. Something not yet here.
1Pe 1:5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Salvation is revealed in the last time, at the return of Christ.
1Pe 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
1Pe 1:7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
1Pe 1:8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
1Pe 1:9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
The end of faith is the salvation of our souls...our lives. Notice that faith (at least here) is the faith that we will be given eternal life, or salvation at the return of Christ.
And if it were just here that would be one thing. But it's repeated multiple times in much the same manner throughout scripture. One more example:
Luk 18:29 So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,
Luk 18:30 who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.
So true life, eternal lie, is a future promise to Christians.
Your position (if I understand correctly) is that this eternal life is referring simply to the body and that our soul or spirit (your terms) are different matters. That they are in some way already eternal. We've seen that the english word "soul" is not immortal. In the new testament scriptures the word most often translated "soul" is the greek psuche (transliterated). It's the breath of life in both man and animal...basically the equivalent of the hebrew word. Mostly it's translated as soul. Sometimes as "life". But it's not eternal or immortal.
As for spirit, in the new testament the word most often translated as spirit is "pneuma" (again transliterated). It's used in reference to the holy spirit as well as for unclean spirits, or demons. In other words, it usually denotes a type of existence, a different type of "body" if you will then our mortal flesh. On a different plane, one which is invisible to us in general. Pneuma can also refer to wind..which denotes something of which it's effects can be felt but which in general is invisible to us.
In scripture, as far as I can tell, man never has a "spirit" other than the one given to Christians....the holy spirit.
Again it goes back to what Paul said:
1Co 15:44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
1Co 15:45 And so it is written, "THE FIRST MAN ADAM BECAME A LIVING BEING." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
1Co 15:46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.
I also wanted to address "eternal life". In the verses you quoted where it mentioned "life", the term used was "zoe" which is life in general. However none of them say that Christians have ETERNAL life...or aionious zoe. It's an important distinction. Basically the scriptures are again affirming that we have eternal life promised to us. And that promise will be kept by God.
Somehow somewhere along the way modern Christianity has gotten the idea that we are already immortal..whether it be a soul or spirit. We do have a "soul" but it's not immortal. We CAN have a spirit..either the holy spirit of God OR possibly an unclean spirit that resides in us. But we are not MADE a an eternal spirit until the return of Christ.
Anyways I know this is long and yet incomplete so I apologize for that....