Human Nature - What is it? Philosophy and "orthodox" religion say it is a thing made up of two parts - body and soul (and some add, spirit); that the soul is the real, conscious, thinking part of man, in its nature indestructible and immortal; that when the body is destroyed in death, the soul is liberated and departs to another sphere of existence, there to undergo, endless happiness or misery, according to the life developed in the body.1 This doctrine is known in theology as THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL. This is a PAGAN FICTION subversive of every principle of eternal truth, as will be discovered by a consideration of the evidence, which proves:

• A • - That Man is a Creature of Dust Formation, whose individuality and faculties are the attributes of his bodily organization.

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul2 (Heb. nephesh chaiyah, living creature) - (Genesis 2:7).

Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. (Genesis 5:2).

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. (Genesis 3:19).
The LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. (Genesis 3:23).

He knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. (Psalm 103:14).

Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: (Genesis 18:27).

Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again? (Job 10:9).

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: (1 Peter 1:24; James 1:10-11).

For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. (Ecclesiastes 3:19,20).

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit (ruach spirit or breath, which in Ecclesiastes 3:19, above quoted, Solomon says the beasts have as well as man) shall return unto God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7)

Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. (Psalm 104:29).

Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? (Isaiah 45:9).

We are the clay, and thou our potter (Isaiah 64:8).

He that is of the earth is earthly (John 3:31).

That which is born of the flesh is flesh (John 3:6).

The first man is of the earth, earthly...as is the earthy, such are they also who are earthy...we have borne the image of the earthly (1 Cor 15:47-49).

1 Strangely enough, this belief is allied with the doctrine that after the soul has gone to heaven or hell, it will return at a certain time, called the day of judgement, to be re-united with the body and judged as to whether heaven or hell is to be its everlasting portion. Where is the consistency of sending a man to hell first, and then bringing him to judgement? Let the orthodox believer answer.

2 Kitto renders this passage as follows: " God formed man - (Heb. Adam) - dust from the ground, and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living animal." He also says, "We should be acting unfaithfully if we were to affirm that an immortal spirit is contained or implied in this passage" (Cyclopedia Bib. Lit., vol.1, page 659). Kitto's translation is borne out by Paul's quotation of the very verse in 1 Corinthians 15. Having affirmed that "there is a natural (or animal) body, and there is a spiritual body," he says, by way of proof," And so it is written, the first man Adam, was made a living soul, the last Adam was made a quickening spirit."

• B • - That Man is mortal (that is, subject to death or dissolution of being) in consequence of the disobedience of Adam, which brought death as the penalty of sin. For in the day that thou (Adam) eatest thereof thou shalt surely die (see margin, Heb. dying thou shalt die) - (Genesis 2:17).

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. Genesis 3:19).

Now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever (Genesis 3:22,23).

By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12).

In Adam all die (1 Corinthians 15:22).

What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? (Psalm 89:48; 30:3; 86:13; Job 33:22).

All (cattle, beast and creeping thing, and every man) in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died (at the flood). (Genesis 7:22).

Cease ye from man, whose breath (n'shamah) is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? (Isaiah 2:22).

The Blessed and only Potentate... only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:16).

• C • - That in the Death State, a man, instead of having "gone to another world," is simply a body deprived of life, and as utterly unconscious as if he had never existed. Corruption will destroy his dead body, and he will pass away like a dream. Hence, the necessity for "resurrection."

In death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks? Psalm 6:5).

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6).

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. (Ecclesiastes 9:10).1

The grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day (Isaiah 38:18-19).

Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. (Psalm 146:3,4).

Why died I not from the womb?... For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest, with kings and counsellors of the earth, which built desolate places for themselves... There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest. Job 3:11-17; 14:10-12).

Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry... O spare me (David) that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more. (Psalm 39:12-13).

For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption : but he whom God raised up again saw no corruption (Acts 13:36, also 2:29-34).

Then Abraham gave up the spirit (gava, expired) and died in a good old age... and was gathered to his people.2 (Genesis 25:8).

1 Martin Luther, commenting upon this passage, says, "Another proof that the dead are insensible: Solomon thinks that the dead are altogether asleep, and think of nothing. They lie, not reckoning days and years, but, when awakened, will seem to themselves to have slept scarcely a moment" (Debt of Grace, page 258).

2 The phrase "gathered to his fathers," has been contended by some to express the idea that Abraham, in a disembodied state, joined his ancestors in heaven. This view is excluded by the fact that Abraham's fathers were idolaters: "Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor, and they served other gods" (Joshua 24:2), Abraham's "fathers" served other gods: they would be, even on the orthodox theory, excluded from heaven, and therefore Abraham would not be gathered to them there. Abraham joined them in the grave, for all "go unto one place" (Ecclesiastes 3:20).

• D • - "Soul" in the Bible means creature in its primary use, but is also employed to express the variety of aspects in which a living creature can be contemplated, such as person, body, life, individuality, mind, disposition, breath, etc. It never expresses idea of immortality.

And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature1 (the same original word translated "soul" as applied to Adam) after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. (Genesis 1:24).

God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life (in the margin "soul" - Heb. nephesh2 ) and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. (Genesis 1:20).

In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. (Job 12:10).

He stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul [nephesh] come into him again. And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul [nephesh] of the child came into him again, and he revived. (1 Kings 17:21,22).

It came to pass, as her soul [nephesh, life] was in departing, (for she died) - (Genesis 35:18).

It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion. (Isaiah 29:8; Exodus 12:16; see margin)

Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;(Proverbs 6:30; cp. Leviticus 17:10-12).

Levy a tribute unto the LORD of the men of war which went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep: Numbers 31:28).

But if the priest buy any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he that is born in his house: they shall eat of his meat.(Leviticus 22:11).

They smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was not any left to breathe: and he burnt Hazor with fire. (Joshua 11:11; 10:32; Jeremiah 4:10; Job 36:14; see margin)

Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents (Jeremiah 2:34; Ezekiel 13:18-19; 22:25-27).

So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life. (Job 7:15; Psalm 105:1: see margin).

Samson said, Let me [ in the margin, Heb. my soul] die with the Philistines. (Judges 16:30).

It shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. (Acts 3:23).

Thou hast in love to my soul [that is, to me] delivered it from the pit of corruption (Isaiah 38:17).

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. (Ezekiel 18:4,20).
For whosoever will save his life [psuche] shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul [psuche], (same word translated "life" in the previous verse) or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul [psuche]?3 (Matthew 16:25-26).

And I will say to my soul [psuche], Soul [psuche], thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul [psuche] shall be required of thee (Luke 12:19,20).

Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul [psuche]: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul [psuche] and body in hell [gehenna].(Matthew 10:28).

Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. [psuche] ( Matthew 2:20).

And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life [psuche] among you, but of the ship. (Acts 27:22).

And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul [psuche] died in the sea. (Revelation 16:3).

And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar4 the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? (Revelation 6:9,10).

He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied... because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:11,12).

He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul [psuche] was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. (Acts 2:31; Psalm 16:10).

1 Adam Clark, remarking on the text, says, "nephesh chayiah is a general term to express all creatures endued with animal life, in any of its infinitely varied gradations."

2 In the 754 places where the Hebrew word nephesh (soul) occurs in the Old Testament Scripture, it is said in 326 places to be subject to death...The soul is said 203 places to be in danger of death, and in 123 places to be delivered from death, implying its liability to death.
"In 106 places where the Greek word psuche occurs in the New Testament Scriptures, it is said in 45 places to be subject to death... The soul is said in 29 places to be in danger of death, and in 16 places to be delivered from death, implying its liability to death." - Waller's Concordance on the Soul.

3 Adam Clark says of this passage, "On what authority many have translated the word psuche in the 25th verse 'life', and in this 26th verse 'soul', i know not, but am certain it means life in both places, "The revisers have since adopted this translation.

4 Adam Clark says of this passage, "The altar is upon earth, not in heaven." We quote his opinion, because he was of identical faith with those who use this passage to prove their belief in disembodied existence in heaven. In reference to the "souls under the alter," he says, "Their blood, like that of Abel, cried for vengeance, "The Lord said to Cain, the voice of thy brother crieth unto Me from the ground" (Genesis 4:10). It is said of Christ, that his blood..."speaketh better things than that of Abel" (Hebrews 12:24). It is evident the apostle beheld in vision those of the Lord's disciples who should suffer martyrdom upon the earth, symbolically styled "the altar," during the papal persecutions. In Revelation 20:4, John again, in vision, sees "the souls" (i.e. persons), of them that are beheaded for the witness of Jesus, "as having come out of their graves through the resurrection, and lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." This will be when "he shall judge the quick (living) and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom."

• E • - "Spirit" in the Scriptures, as applied to man, is no more expressive of the philosophical conception of an immortal soul than "soul," but signifies breath, life, vital energy, mind, disposition, etc., as attributes of human nature while alive.

Behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath [ruach]1 of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. (Genesis 6:17).

For as the body without the spirit1 [pneuma, in the margin, breath] is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (James 2:26).

Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the spirit [pneuma].2 (Matthew 27:50).

And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit [pneuma] - (Acts 7:59)

Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit [ruach] (1 Samuel 1:15).

Who knoweth the spirit [ruach] of man that goeth upward, and the spirit [ruach] of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? (Ecclesiastes 3:21).

And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit [ruach] in them any more, because of the children of Israel. (Joshua 5:1).
And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool [ruach, in the margin, "wind"] of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:8).

God made a wind [ruach] to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged (Genesis 8:1).

There is no man that hath power over the spirit [ruach] to retain the spirit [ruach]; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. (Ecclesiastes 8:8).

To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits 3 of just men made perfect (Hebrews 12:23).

Are they not all ministering spirits 4, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? (Hebrews 1:14).

Beloved, believe not every spirit [pneuma], but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: (1 John 4:1-2).

But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit [in the original, phantasma], and cried out (Mark 6:49).

1 Ruach primarily signifies "air in motion, breath, or wind," from the verb ruach, to breathe; also "intelligence, courage, mind, disposition," etc - Parkhurst. "Neshamah from the verb nesham, to breath, occurs twenty-four times in the Old Testament, invariably rendered pneuma (Greek) from the verb pneo, to blow, breathe, rendered wind, air, the breath of life, the spirit, a living spirit, i.e., feeling." - Liddell and Scott. Mr. McCullough says, "There is no word in the Hebrew language that signifies either soul or spirit, in the technical sense in which we use the term, as signifying something distinct from the body." - Credibility of the Scriptures, vol II. page 471. Parkhurst also translates ruach "a puff of breath."

2 Wakefield and others render this "He expired."

3 That is, to perfected men at the coming of Christ, who shall judge the quick (living) and the dead at his appearing (2 Timothy 4:1). "Just men" and those whose names are written in the "book of life" then shall be made perfect" (Hebrews 11:40). That Jesus, in the days of his flesh, was not made perfect, is gathered from the following testimony, "Go ye, and tell that fox...I do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected" (Luke 13:32). "The Son who is consecrated (in the margin, perfected) for evermore" (Hebrews 7:28). "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Hebrews 5:9).

4 The angels are called spirits, not because they are immaterial or unseen, for on several occasions they appeared and gave evidence of being tangible beings. Abraham entertained them, and they ate and drank; see Genesis 18:2-3. They are called spirits because they are of spirit nature. Christ likened the resurrected immortalised bodies of approved believers to those of the angels (Luke 20:36), for they will possess "divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). Paul taught that the approved will have "spiritual bodies" (1 Corinthians 15:44), that is, bodies energized by the Spirit of God, and not by blood as at present (1 Corinthians 15:50). The glorified, resurrected Christ had a tangible, visible body of "flesh and bones" (Luke 24:39), though not of blood, and the approved will be made "like him" (1 John 3:2) - Editor