The Soul

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First, the word psuche is clearly used for " life," as Matt. 2:2020Saying, 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. (Matthew 2:20); chap. 10: 39; Mark 3:44And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. (Mark 3:4); Luke 9:24, 5624For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. (Luke 9:24)
56For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village. (Luke 9:56); John 12:2525He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. (John 12:25), and many other passages. Next, it is used for the general fact of conscious feeling and existence—the activity of the inner man—without defining whence or what it is. In this way, it is used even of God; Matt. 12:1818Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles. (Matthew 12:18); Heb. 10:3838Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. (Hebrews 10:38). Thus: "With all thy heart, and with all thy soul "; " My soul is exceeding sorrowful "; "A sword shall pierce through thy own soul; " Matt. 22:3737Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (Matthew 22:37); Mark 14:3434And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. (Mark 14:34); Luke 2:3535(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. (Luke 2:35). It is used for persons, as Acts 2:41, 4341Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:41)
43And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. (Acts 2:43); chap. 7: 14. But as "life " and " soul," it is in contrast often, or " life " is used for " the soul " in its higher aspect. The same word is used of what is profited and lost in the same act. Thus: "Whosoever will save his life shall lose it; " Matt. 10:3939He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. (Matthew 10:39), compare verse 28; chap. 16: 25, 26; Mark 8:35-3735For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. 36For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mark 8:35‑37) (compare Luke 9:24-2624For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? 26For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. (Luke 9:24‑26), and John 12:2525He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. (John 12:25)) and Luke 17:3333Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. (Luke 17:33).
We have then " the soul " used generally for the responsible part, in which we live with God, whose state and movings are expressed in the body's acts, as Matt. 11:2929Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (Matthew 11:29); chap. 16: 26, and the passages of contrast I have referred to. Matt. 26:3838Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. (Matthew 26:38); Mark 8:3737Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mark 8:37), and like passages to Matthew; Mark 14:3434And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. (Mark 14:34); Luke 1:4646And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, (Luke 1:46) (passage cited from Luke); chap. 12: 23; John 12:2727Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. (John 12:27); Acts 14:2222Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22); chap. 15: 24; perhaps Rom. 2:99Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; (Romans 2:9) Cor. 1:23; Heb. 6:1919Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; (Hebrews 6:19); chaps. 10: 39; 13: 17 James 1:2121Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21); chap. 5: 20; 1 Peter 1:9, 229Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:9)
22Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: (1 Peter 1:22); chaps. 2: II, 25; 4: 19; 2 Peter 2:8, 148(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) (2 Peter 2:8)
14Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: (2 Peter 2:14); 3 John 22Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. (3 John 2). Here we find contrast with Jewish temporal deliverance.
It is contrasted carefully with " body," Matt. 10:2828And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28); Luke 12:2020But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? (Luke 12:20) (stronger because of verse 19); Acts 2:27, 3127Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. (Acts 2:27)
31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. (Acts 2:31) practically several of the passages quoted under the last head. Acts 20:1010And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. (Acts 20:10); compare 1 Kings 17:21, 2221And 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 come into him again. 22And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. (1 Kings 17:21‑22). It is also distinguished as the mere living soul from the higher part in which it is in connection with God, through living in Him by the breath of life from Him; 1 Thess. 5:2323And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23); Heb. 4:1212For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12). Add to this Luke 16, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. It is distinguished from the power of life in Christ in 1 Cor. 15:4545And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:45). Its distinct condition in man is originally founded on Gen. 2:77And 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 soul. (Genesis 2:7)—never said of beasts; hence Acts 17:2828For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. (Acts 17:28). The " souls under the altar " confirm this.
"Spirit " is used often for the soul including the higher part. So even of Jesus, "He gave up the ghost " (paredoken to pneuma). This word we must also examine. It is used not uncommonly for the spiritual part of man in contrast with his body, as Luke 8:5555And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat. (Luke 8:55), "Her spirit came again," confirming the clear distinction between the two, as with soul. So where the two latter are also distinguished, spirit, soul, and body. But I think it has another force than " soul," though used in a general way like it, in contrast with " body," as the non-corporeal part of man. Soul," as connecting itself with its action in the body, though clearly distinct, is more connected with life, and so used for it. "Spirit " is more the active, intelligent consciousness, or the seat of that consciousness, which belongs to the inner man; and just what distinguishes man from the beast is that the latter has merely a living soul connected with an organism, passions, habits, faculties, such as memory, affections; while man has received this state of existence through God's breathing into his nostrils the breath of life—by the spirit of life he became a living soul. Hence in ordinary language the two may be used as one; because of the pneuma zoes (the spirit of life) he has a psuchen zosan (a living soul). The mere animal has a psuchen zosan, but not through a divine pneuma zoes. The mere breath of natural life is organic, and has nothing to do with this. Hence "spirit " is used for this active, intelligent, consciousness. In the Christian it is connected often with the Holy Spirit which dwells in him, as its activities are produced by it, not the soul. The Spirit and its fruit may thus also characterize the state of the soul. This character of the spirit of man, the connection of the term with active intelligent consciousness is frequently found; Matt. 26:4141Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41), "The spirit indeed is willing"; Mark 2:88And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? (Mark 2:8), " Jesus perceived in his spirit; chap. 8: 12, " He sighed deeply in his spirit"; Luke 1:8080And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel. (Luke 1:80), "Waxed strong in spirit;" chap. 2:40; chaps. 10: 20; 23: 46; John 4:23, 2423But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23‑24); chaps. 11: 33; 13: 21; (chap. 19: 30, used in general, so Acts 7:5959And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. (Acts 7:59)). Acts 17:1616Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. (Acts 17:16); Rom. 1:99For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; (Romans 1:9); chap. 12: II; 1 Cor. 2:1111For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 2:11); chap. 5: 3-5 (used in special manner for activity of the inner man and a power, not intelligent, thus contrasted with nous—proof of the difference of mere mind from the active principle, though usually acting, in the present state of human nature, in it as the present form of its power; so that consciousness, not mind, is essential to it); 1 Cor. 14:2, 14, 152For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. (1 Corinthians 14:2)
14For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. (1 Corinthians 14:14‑15), etc.; 2 Cor. 2:1313I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia. (2 Corinthians 2:13);