1) Life and the Soul

What is the soul? Where does life come from? These questions have fascinated humanity since the beginning. Many believe we possess an immortal soul that inhabits our body and continues to exist after death. But is this what the Bible truly teaches?

To understand what happens at death, we need first to understand what life is and what it means to be a “living soul”. The answer is found in the first pages of the Bible.

“The correct understanding of what the Scriptures teach on this subject is important for each one of us.” — Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 531

The Creation of Mankind

The biblical account is clear and simple: God formed man from the dust of the earth. There is nothing mystical or complicated about this description. The human body is made of the same chemical elements found in soil — carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen and other minerals.

The “breath of life” (in Hebrew: neshamah) is the vital principle that God grants to all living creatures. It is not a conscious and independent entity, but rather the vital energy that makes life possible.

The Formula of Life

The Bible presents a simple “formula” for the creation of mankind:

DUST OF THE EARTH + BREATH OF LIFE = LIVING SOUL

Note carefully: the text does not say that man received a soul, but that he became a living soul. The human being does not possess a soul — he is a soul. The Hebrew word used here is nephesh, which simply means “living being” or “living creature”.

“The theory of the immortality of the soul was one of the false doctrines that Rome, borrowing from paganism, incorporated into the religion of Christendom.” — Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 549

Animals Are Also “Souls”

This is a surprising discovery for many! The same Hebrew word nephesh (“living soul”) used to describe man in Genesis 2:7 is also used for animals. This demonstrates that “soul” in the Bible does not mean an immortal and conscious entity, but simply a living being.

Can the Soul Die?

If the soul were immortal, how could it die? The Bible is clear: the soul can and will die. This only makes sense when we understand that “soul” means the complete being, not an immortal part of man.

Immortality belongs exclusively to God. He is the source of all life, and any immortality that human beings receive will be a gift granted by Him, not something we naturally possess.

The Spirit That Returns to God

Some cite Ecclesiastes 12:7 to defend the immortality of the soul: “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”

The Hebrew word ruach means “breath”, “wind” or “breeze”. It is the same principle of life given at creation. When we die, this vital principle returns to God, not as a conscious entity, but as the vital energy that He loaned.

And Now?

Understanding the biblical truth about the soul protects us from many deceptions:

• Freedom from fear: Death is not a passage to eternal torment or wandering as a spirit. It is an unconscious sleep until resurrection.
• Protection against spiritualism: If the dead are not conscious, the “spirits” that communicate are not our loved ones.
• Valuing life: Each moment of life is precious, as it is a gift from God.
• Hope in resurrection: Our hope is not in an immortal soul, but in Christ’s promise to resurrect us.

“The doctrine of consciousness in death, especially the belief that the spirits of the dead return to minister to the living, has prepared the way for modern spiritualism.” — Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 551