The Soul:

The soul is the intermediary between the spirit and the body as it
touches both. The body cannot touch the spirit and the spirit
cannot touch the body, but the soul touches both.

From The Greek Perspective:

The GREEK term translated as soul is PSUCHE. It is defined as

the animal sentient principle in man. Sentient implies the ability of
having the five senses. It is also translated as life, and mind in the King James Version.

Therefore, PSUCHE is the animal part of us, so to speak. Without human spirits, we would be no
different than the rest of the animals of the world. However, an animal does not possesses a spirit.
Any creature that has mind, will and emotion and can sense using the five senses is referred
in the Bible as a soul.

Modern thinking erroneously refers to humans alone as souls The Bible distinctly called all living
animals souls. This does not mean animals will or will not spend eternity with God in heaven
since they do not have spirits. It is the presence of a spirit within a being that permits that
person to spend eternity somewhere.

Revelation 8:9: 9And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and
the third part of the ships were destroyed.

The word life, in the above verse, is translated from the same Greek word from which soul is
translated – PSUCHE (any creature that has mind, will, emotion and five senses.)

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

From The Hebrew Perspective:

The HEBREW word for soul is NEPHESH. It is also used to indicate natural, animal life in the
Old Testament.

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

Job12:10 indicates that every living thing (animals and man) has a soul. It also goes on to
indicate that only man has a spirit which was breathed into him by God. It is the spirit that
makes man different from the animals. The point that Job purposely makes is that every living
thing has a soul and that man only differs from the animal kingdom in that he has a spirit.
Again I state that "every living thing" has a soul. In Genesis 2:7, man (Adam) was not a living
soul until God breathed the breath (spirit) of (and) life into him.

Genesis 2:19: 19And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every
fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever
Adam called every living creature (Nephesh, soul), that was the name thereof.

Genesis 9:16: 16And the (rain) bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may
remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature (Nephesh, soul) of all
flesh (including man) that is upon the earth.

Creatures were given life and man was given life, but only man was given the BREATH
(SPIRIT) OF (AND) LIFE (SOUL) which in addition to making him a living SOUL, also gave
him a SPIRIT. Animals do not have the BREATH (SPIRIT) OF (AND) LIFE. THEY ONLY
HAVE LIFE (SOUL). THEY DO NOT HAVE A SPIRIT as does man.

Genesis 1:24: 24And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures (NEPHESH=LIVING
SOULS WITH NO SPIRIT) according to their kinds: livestock, creeping things, and (wild) beasts
of the earth according to their kinds. And it was so.

Note that "creature" in Genesis 1:24 is translated from the same word which soul is translated
from in the Old Testament. That word is NEPHESH.

Genesis 2:7: 7And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and (the Holy Spirit)
breathed into his nostrils the breath (spirit) of (and) life; and man became a living soul (Nephesh).

Man became a living NEPHESH. That is he was given life.

Man in addition to becoming a living Nephesh was also given a spirit.

Functions Of Soul And Spirit

A careful study of the Bible will show that man has a spirit and that it has a different function
from that of the soul. Since God's communications with men occur in the spirit, it is crucial that a
believer have a knowledge of his spirit. If he lacks this understanding, he will be unable to
fellowship with God. In addition, he will mistakenly take the thoughts or emotions of the soul for
the activity of the spirit thereby confining himself to the realm of the soul and seldom unable to
reach the realm of the spirit. The Bible clearly shows that we have a human spirit, that our human
spirit is not synonymous with our soul, and it is not the same as the Holy Spirit.

Sacrificial Blood Cleanses The Soul Of Man:

In the Old Testament, sacrificial blood symbolized the cleansing or making reparation for the sins
of the souls of men.
Leviticus 17:10-11: 10Any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who dwell temporarily
among them who eats any kind of blood, against that person I will set My face and I will cut him
off from among his people (that he may not be included in the atonement made for them). 11For
the life (of the animal soul) is in the blood, and I have given it for you (to sacrifice) upon the altar
(in order) to make atonement (reparation) for your souls (by which you make decisions using
your will, emotions and mind, on a what you think is correct basis, which are unacceptable to
God because your spirits have been darkened by the fall of Adam); for it is the blood that makes
atonement (compensation), by reason of (or purpose, through) the (symbolic intentional giving of
an animal) life (on the sacrificial altar which foreshadowed Christ's death on the cross which was
the final payment for the sins of all mankind).

"The NEPHESH (soul, life) of the flesh (body) is in the blood."

Since the blood is essential to all living beings, it represents the soul. Christ shed His blood in our
places so that retribution could be made for our sins thereby insuring that our souls would not be
lost in the second death.

Ezekiel 18:4: 4Behold, all souls are mine (God's); as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the
son is mine: THE SOUL THAT SINNETH, IT SHALL DIE. (Souls must not be left in a sinful
state, but must be cleansed else they will be ultimately and eternally be separated from God.
This is the SECOND DEATH.)

What Is The Second Death?

Revelation 20:11-14: 11Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and
sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, great and
small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is
the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
13
The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in
them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14Then death (meaning people
will no longer die) and Hades (the abode of the dead who are awaiting the Great White Throne
Judgment) were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the SECOND DEATH. 15If
anyone's name was not found written in the BOOK OF LIFE, he was thrown into the lake
of fire.
Revelation 21:6-8: 6He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning
and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water
of life. 7He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8But
the cowardly, THE UNBELIEVING, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those
who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of
burning sulfur. This is the SECOND DEATH."

In Old Testament times blood was offered as a sacrifice in order to forgive sins because it
symbolically represented the fact that the penalty of the second death was fulfilled. God did not
stipulate that the particular person who sinned must shed his/her own blood, but simply that
blood had to be offered in payment for the penalty for sin. This of course foreshadowed Christ's
substitutionary death on the cross for sinners, so they would not have to encounter the SECOND
DEATH, and yet be able to say they paid the penalty.

Christ paid the ransom for Adam's infectious sin that was inflicted upon all of mankind which
began in the Garden of Eden.

Christ's death on the cross meant that man's spirit no longer had to remain in "darkness" unless he
so chose to continue in that manner. He no longer had to fear the SECOND DEATH but could
now enter into the light of God's favour and presence. (Note: whether you do or whether you
don’t choose Christ is a free will endeavour...you get to choose)

HOWEVER, for one to be absolved of sin and its consequences they must choose to be BORN
AGAIN!
It's as simple as that.

Now Back To Some More About The Soul.

The soul (inner man) is the seat of human emotions, will and
intellect. It is here where man decides (mulls over, considers,
ponders, weighs the pros and cons, etc.) as to whether he will listen
to the promptings (whisperings) of the spirit (of God) or to the
exclusive guidance of the soul's attributes in carrying out an action or
activity in the body.

Intellect (Mind):

The Scriptures consistently identify the mind as part of the soul.

Psalm 139:14: 14I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully
made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right
well.

Proverbs 19:2: ...that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good;

Proverbs 2:10: ...When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy
soul; (Knowledge pertains to the mind)

In addition, Lamentations 3:20 says, "My soul remembers them well and is bowed down within
me." To remember is another function of the mind. These verses clearly indicate that there is a
part of the soul that knows and remembers; this part is the mind.
Ephesians 2:3: 1AND YOU (He made alive), when you were dead (slain) by (your) trespasses
and sins
2
In which at one time you walked (habitually). You were following the course and fashion of this
world (were under the sway of the tendency of this present age), following the prince of the
power of the air. (You were obedient to and under the control of) the (demon) spirit that still
constantly works in the sons of disobedience (the careless, the rebellious, and the unbelieving,
who go against the purposes of God).
3
Among these we as well as you once lived and conducted ourselves in the passions (lusts) of
our flesh (our behavior governed by our corrupt and sensual nature), obeying the impulses of
the flesh and the thoughts of the mind (our cravings dictated by our senses and our dark
imaginings). We were then by nature children of (God's) wrath and heirs of (His) indignation,
like the rest of mankind (because of the fall in the Garden of Eden).

The "mind" must not only be changed through regeneration to accept God as Lord, but also must
continue to be changed, through learning and being mindful of the ways of the Spirit. As a
result, the "throne" (a person's former mind set or me first nature) which self always occupied,
and ruled the ways and decisions of an individual, is transferred into the spiritual realm where
God's Spirit dwells that He might sit on your "throne" instead. Self must be dethroned.

In Ephesians 2:3, referring to our past lives in sin, Paul said, "we all" were carnally (fleshly)
minded as the world, which continues on in the same manner, before we were regenerated. We
lived for gratifying our-"selves". Our conversations, or LIFESTYLES, were in the lusts of the
flesh and of the mind. We were soulish creatures.

The Will:
The will is also part of the soul. Job had much to say about the will, for example, Job 7:15: 15"So
that my soul would choose strangulation and death rather than my bones." He also said in Job
6:7: 7(These afflictions) my soul refuses to touch! Such things are like diseased food to me
(sickening and repugnant)!

Both choosing and refusing are functions of the will, a part of the soul.

Isaiah 61:10: 10I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul will (chooses to) exult in my God; for
He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of
righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with
her jewels.

Job 6:7: 7The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat.

1 Chronicles 22:19: 19Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God;
2 Peter 2:14: 14They have eyes full of harlotry, insatiable for sin. They (choose to) beguile and
bait and lure away unstable (not clear thinking) souls. Their hearts are trained in covetousness
(lust, greed), (they are) children of a curse (exposed to cursing)!

The Emotions:
We can see from the Word that emotions are also a part of the soul.

1 Samuel 30:6: 6And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because
the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David
encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
Isaiah 1:14: 14Your New Moon festivals and your (hypocritical) appointed feasts My soul hates.
They are an oppressive burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them.

Isaiah 42:1: 1BEHOLD MY Servant, Whom I uphold, My elect in Whom My soul delights! I
have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice and right and reveal truth to the nations.

Song of Solomon 1:7: 7(Addressing her shepherd, Shulamite said) Tell me, O you whom my
soul loves, where you pasture your flock, where you make it lie down at noon. For why should I
(as I think of you) be as a veiled one straying beside the flocks of your companions?

2 Samuel 5:8 records the opposite feeling: 8And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to
the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind that are hated of (by) David's
soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come
into the house.

Psalm 86:4, David experienced a change in feeling: 4Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto
thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

Since love, hate and rejoicing are clearly expressions of the emotions, it is apparent that the
emotion is the third faculty of the soul

A Soul Can:

Be wearied. (Mind)

Proverbs 25:25: Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.

Hate (Emotion, Will)

Isaiah 1:14: Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have
become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.

Yearn. (Emotion)
Isaiah 26:9: My soul yearns for you in the night;
Die (Only at the hands of God after physical death)

Matthew 10:28: 28And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but
rather be afraid of Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Gehenna).

The Body:
The body (outward man) touches the material world through the five senses of sight, smell,
hearing, taste and touch. This physical body is God’s provision for existence in the material
realm. It carries out physical expressions regarding the decisions made by the soul. The
decision making process of the soul can be in conjunction with the Spirit of God or it can act
independently apart from man's spirit leaving God out of the equation. Regardless, the body can
only act on one of the choices.

Originally, man was created with a pure, undefiled body. But due to man’s fall his body was
altered in nature, thus becoming the fallen flesh full of lust. Hence, as Paul observed in Romans
7:18, man's body is a corrupted vessel.

Romans 7:18: 18For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will
what is right, but I cannot perform it. (I have the intention and urge to do what is right, but no
power to carry it out.)