What is the difference between the spirit and the soul?
According to Strong's Concordance there are a potential some overlap, that may justify that a "soul" or "spirit" means "a living being or person" if you imply that "breath" means the person is alive:
| Word | Language | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| soul | Hebrew | a soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion |
| soul | Greek | the vital breath, breath of life, the human soul, the soul as the seat of affections and will, the self, a human person, an individual. |
| spirit | Hebrew | breath, wind, spirit |
| spirit | Greek | wind, breath, spirit |
According to these definitions, both soul and spirit simply refers to a "living being" that "breaths" because all living creatures breaths somehow. However, some view it as components of the human which may operate in a spiritual dimension that our minds cannot comprehend.
Similarities
| Attribute | Spirit | Soul |
|---|---|---|
| Worship God | John 4:24; 1 Corinthians 6:20 | Psalm 103:1; Psalm 71:23 |
| Human body dies when it leaves this world | Job 10:18, 11:20, 27:3-4, 33:4, 34:13-15; Psalm 76:12; Ecclesiastes 3:19-21, 8:8, 12:2-7; Matthew 27:50; Luke 8:49-56, 23:46; John 19:30; James 2:26) | Luke 12:20; Genesis 35:18; 1 Kings 17:21-22 |
| Has emotions | annoyed/irritated (Ecclesiastes 1:14-2:26, 4:1-16, 6:9), jealous (Numbers 5:12-15,30), provoked (Acts 17:16), rejoice (Psalm 51:10; Luke 1:46-47, 10:21) | bitter (1 Samuel 1:10), discouraged (Hebrews 12:3, Numbers 21:4), fear (Acts 2:43), rest/relax (Matthew 11:29) |
| Does not have flesh and bones | Luke 24:39 | Matthew 10:28 |
| Can become stronger | Luke 1:80, 2:40; Acts 14:22 | Luke 1:80, 2:40; Acts 14:22 |
| Can be sorrowful | 1 Samuel 1:15; 1 Kings 21:5 | Matthew 26:38; Mark 14:34 |
| Can be troubled | Genesis 41:8; Job 7:11, 21:4; Psalm 77:3; Daniel 2:1-3; John 11:33, 13:21; 2 Corinthians 2:13 | Genesis 35:18, 42:21; 2 Kings 4:27; John 12:27; Acts 23:24; Psalm 42:11 |
| Has desires / disappointments | Mark 8:12 | Proverbs 13:19 |
| Must be guarded against lust or violence | Malachi 2:15-16 | 1 Peter 2:11; Genesis 34:3 |
| Witness that we are saved | Romans 8:16 | Hebrews 6:19 |
| Requires cleansing | 1 Corinthians 7:1 | 1 Peter 1:22 |
| Need to be saved | 1 Corinthians 5:5 | Matthew 10:28, 16:26; Mark 8:36-37; James 1:21, 5:20; Acts 2:27,31 |
| Can be joined | 1 Corinthians 6:17 | Deuteronomy 13:6; 1 Samuel 18:1-3, 20:17; Acts 4:32 |
| Can be restored | Genesis 45:27 | Psalm 23:3, 94:19 |
Viewpoints
Trichotomy
They believe:
- Humans have a body, soul and spirit.
- Each is a distinct entity.
- The soul is the mind, will and emotions, i.e. what we think and feel.
- The spirit is gives us the ability to have an intimate relationship with God and is made alive when believers are reborn.
Proof:
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” -- Hebrews 4:12
and
“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” -- 1 Thessalonians 5:23
A possible explanation could be that Paul list every possible term known to the Greek in Thessalonians to make the point that your whole being should be kept blameless. Just like Jesus did when he said:
“And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” -- Mark 12:30 (ESV)
Jesus did not mean that human beings were composed of 4 components. He meant that you should love God with your whole being.
Some who believe in the trinity doctrine and who believe that we are made in the image of the Godhead may logically conclude that God is made up from:
| God | Part | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Holy Spirit | Spirit | Because of the name and characteristics of the Spirit |
| Jesus | Body | Because he had a physical human body |
| Father | Soul | The last remaining item that is not linked to any trinitarian member yet. The soul is often seen as the part that determine the will and as Jesus often ask for the will of the Father, they view the Father as the soul of Jesus (the Body). |
However, this is an assumed theory with no biblical scripture to support it. Jesus could not have been God's avatar on Earth, because Jesus had his own soul (Matthew 26:38; Mark 14:34; John 12:27; Acts 2:27,31) or spirit (Mark 8:12; John 11:33, 13:21) which means Jesus was a distinct living being.
Dichotomy
They believe: The spirit and soul is synonymous to each other.
Proof:
There are many scriptures that refer to the entire human being, but in each case the human being is only composed of two components but described differently:
| Material Description | Immaterial Description | Scriptures |
|---|---|---|
| body | soul | Matthew 10:28 |
| body | mind | Romans 12:1-2 |
| body | spirit | 1 Corinthians 7:34; 2 Corinthians 7:1; James 2:26 |
| flesh | spirit | Mark 14:38; 1 Corinthians 5:5 |
| flesh | heart | Romans 2:28-29 |
| outer man | inner man | 2 Corinthians 4:16 |
We often see in modern bible translations, sermons and Christian books that the spirit and soul is swapped out interchangeably without any good reason. This is because the "soul" and "spirit" shares a lot of similar attributes.
If the "soul" and "spirit" were distinct components, then this verse fails to mention the "spirit":
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” -- Matthew 10:28
If the "soul" and "spirit" were distinct components, then these verses fails to mention the "soul":
And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. -- 1 Corinthians 7:34 (ESV)
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. -- James 2:26 (ESV)
But are the spirit and soul fully synonymous?
Overlap
Some view the human spirit as a type of soul. Animals have souls like humans, but the Bible does not mention any animal spirits. This could mean that humans are different from animals in the sense that our intelligent spirits are a type of soul that has the ability to be intimate with God's Spirit.
The emotions of the soul are instinctive, for example:
- Angry (often translated as "bitter) (1 Samuel 1:10 KJV)
- Relaxed (Matthew 11:29)
- Afraid (Acts 2:43)
- Distressed (2 Kings 4:27)
- Troubled (Numbers 21:4; John 12:27)
- Sorrowful (Matthew 26:38, Mark 14:34)
The human spirit also has the same emotions as the soul, for example;
- Troubled (Genesis 41:8; Job 7:11, 21:4; Psalm 77:3; Daniel 2:1-3, 7:15; John 11:33, 13:21; 2 Corinthians 2:13)
- Sorrowful (1 Samuel 1:15; 1 Kings 21:5)
But in addition the human spirit has emotions that require intelligence for reasoning, for example:
- Hopeful (Genesis 45:27; Psalm 51:10)
- Hardened (Deuteronomy 2:30)
- Jealous (Numbers 5:12-15)
- Drained (Job 6:4)
- Motivated (Psalm 106:32-33; 1 Chronicles 5:26; Ezra 1:5; Psalm 51:12; Haggai 1:14-15)
- Broken (Job 17:1; Proverbs 15:4, 15:13, 17:22; Psalm 51:17; Isaiah 65:14)
- Patient or Hasty (Proverbs 14:29, Ecclesiastes 7:8-9)
- Humble or proud (Proverbs 16:18-19, 29:23; Galatians 6:1)
- Annoyed (Ecclesiastes 1:14-2:26, 4:1-16, 6:9)
- Slumber (Isaiah 29:10; Romans 11:7-8)
- Sighed (Mark 8:12)
- Rejoiced (Luke 1:46-47; 10:21)
This could explain why most bible authors, as seen above, found it redundant to mention that humans are made of both spirit and soul because the human spirit is a soul.
In most bible contexts "soul" refers to any living being including animals, which could die. I guess that is what sets us apart from robots which could simulate a living being, but has no life (soul). However, it most bible contexts, "spirit" refers to living intelligent beings that has the ability to take responsibility for their decisions and actions, for example humans, angels, demons and even God Himself (John 4:24).