What is the soul? Relying solely on translations of the Bible leaves us confused because of inconsistencies in how the term is translated. This blog cannot exhaust the subject but seeks to point us in the right direction to understanding the meaning of the soul and the importance of soul-salvation.

The Hebrew term is nephesh. The Greek term is psuche. The root meaning of both is breath. The first occurrence of nephesh is in Genesis chapter 1, where it occurs four times (v. 20, 21, 24, 30). All four refer to animals. The next occurrence is in chapter 2:7, referring to man. There are 754 occurrences of nephesh in 600 verses, underscoring its importance in the Old Testament. The NASB translates the term as “soul,” “mind,” “will,” “heart,” “persons,” “life, “and  “desire.” The Greek term psuche occurs 103 times in the New Testament across 93 verses. Similarly, the NASB translates the term “soul,” “heart,” “life,” and “mind.”

The Englishman’s Concordance points to the difficulty of defining, interpreting, and translating both the Hebrew and Greek terms. Yet only careful scrutiny will give us the meaning of the terms in their contexts. In this blog, we will focus on the New Testament. But before leaving the Old Testament, note that both animals and man were created as “living souls.” The primary difference is that man was created by the “breath of God” out of what was already created.

Here are some texts that help to identify psuche and what it means in the New Testament:

1. The soul is separate from the body and lasts for eternity. (Matt 6:25, 10:28)
2. The soul can be lost and found. (Matt 10:39, 16:25-26, cf. NASB of Lk 9:24)

” Lost” does not mean the soul is annihilated; it means ruined in these contexts. The psuche refers to a person’s existence under the sun, including their will, emotions, desires, and achievements. These form who the person is. We can be self-centered, and therefore our souls are ruined, or given over to do God’s will and accomplish His purpose for our existence.

3. The soul needs to be saved. (Jas 1:21, 5:20; 1 Pe 1:9) James wrote:

“…in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.” (Jas 1:21)

4. Saving the soul requires constant effort to apply God’s Word moment by moment throughout our existence on earth. Peter wrote:

“Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God.” (1 Pe 1:22-24)

5. As Jesus laid down His soul for us, we should be willing to lay down our souls for the brethren. (1 Jn 3:16)

Soul-salvation is closely associated with progressive sanctification, a necessary goal for every believer.

What do the following texts have in common?

First, “Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced over what God had prepared for the people, because the thing came about suddenly.” (2 Chron 29:36)

Second, “So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.” (Neh 6:15-16)

Third, “As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.” (1 Peter 1:10-12)

Fourth, “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief,” (2 Peter 3:8-10)

Fifth, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God (2 Peter 3:12)

Sixth, “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” (Rom 2:4-5)

Seventh, “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Heb 6:11-12)

The first text notes the joy people felt at seeing how quickly true religion was reestablished under the leadership of twenty-five-year-old King Hezekiah. The second was how quickly the wall, which lay in ruins for one hundred and forty-one years, was rebuilt. The third mentioned the careful search holy men made to find when the Messiah would come. The fourth notes that God’s perspective on time is vastly different from ours. The fifth, in 2 Peter 3:12, exhorts us to live in anticipation of what God revealed to us regarding future events. The sixth and seventh remind us that God, the creator of time, has a purpose for every minute He created.

Solomon gave us the correct view of time in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. He summarized it this way:

“He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.” (Eccl 3:11)

All the above refer to God’s time. He gave revelation so that we can know, and so we won’t know until it comes to pass. But it is always in God’s time. We need to avoid false teachings such as headline exegesis and accelerationism. The first seeks fulfillment of prophecy in the daily news. The second seeks to help God move along His timetable by works.

My favorite book in the Bible is John’s gospel account. He stated his purpose clearly:

Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. (Jn 20:30-31)

There are many details in this gospel that are not found in the Synoptic Gospels, and, conversely, he does not repeat what they recorded. Dr. Stanley Ellisen, in his Bible Outline Series, noted:

Note his avoidance of nouns such as “knowledge,” “wisdom,” and “faith” (abstractions much used by the Gnostics) while stressing the verb forms as “believe.” (see)

The question, who was Jesus? was paramount due to the encroachment of the Cerinthian Gnostics, who denied the deity of Christ Jesus. This heresy is still prevalent today. While there are many ways in which John profoundly rebutted the errors, one of the strongest is Jesus’ repeated use of the phrase “I am” (Greek ego eimi), thereby identifying Himself as the God of Israel, as He did to Moses at the Burning Bush. (cf. Ex 3:14)

In the phrase ego eimi, ego is an emphatic first-person pronoun followed by the verb eimi (Present Active Indicative). The phrase occurs twice in Matthew and three times in both Mark and Luke, but fourteen times in John’s gospel account. Seven times as an absolute declaration, i.e., simply “I am,” and seven times with a predicate nominative. For example, “I am the bread of life,” “I am the light of the world,” “I am the door,” “I am the good shepherd.” Each time, Jesus was identifying Himself as the Son of God, the same God who commissioned Moses to lead Israel from bondage in Egypt to the Promised Land.

Jesus’ identification of Himself as the Great I Am was not lost on the Jews. In John 8:58-59, when Jesus identified Himself as the “I am” Who existed before Abraham, they attempted to stone Him to death.

When witnessing concerning our faith in Christ Jesus, we need to be armed with a coherent understanding of John’s gospel account. Both his style and content were prepared and preserved by God for this very purpose. Dr. Ellisen’s extensive outline is a good place to start for anyone who questions the Hypostatic Union of the Second Person of the Godhead, i.e., Absolute Deity, Perfect Humanity, united in one Person forever.

The historical facts of Jesus’ existence have never been successfully challenged. John’s authorship was not challenged until recently (see). Careful attention to detail in his gospel account underscores its veracity. His style and composition provide details that each one of us needs to recall in order that we:

…may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.  (Jn 20:30-31)

What do you think of when you think of the term “glory”? Microsoft Copilot provides this summary:

In today’s vernacular, “glory” means honor, praise, impressive achievement, or something that stands out as magnificent or triumphant.

In contrast, Copilot’s summary for glory in the Bible is:

The “weight” and “radiance” of God’s presence—His beauty, power, holiness, and worth made visible and experienced.

The term for “glory” (The Hebrew noun kabowd) occurs two hundred times in the Old Testament. The phrase, “the glory of the Lord,” occurs thirty-five times. In the New Testament, the phrase occurs three times.

The first mention of the phrase “the glory of the Lord“ in the Bible is in Ex 16:7, when God provided manna in the wilderness. Even though God had manifested Himself through many miracles before this, it was this giving of manna that was called the glory of the Lord. It was to this provision that the Jews referred following the feeding of the five thousand. They wanted further proof that Jesus was who He said He was, the Messiah:

They said therefore to Him, “What then do You do for a sign, that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’” (Jn 6:30-31)

At the time of Jesus’ encounter with this multitude, Jewish tradition, through misquotes and additions to the Pentateuch, attributed the giving of manna to Moses. With Copilot’s assistance, we can trace a five-hundred-year transition in their interpretation, transferring the agency of the manna from God to Moses. In other words, they no longer saw “the glory of the Lord” in the giving of the manna.

John, when he wrote his gospel account, lived in a time of great confusion regarding what the birth, life, and death of Jesus meant. Most of the New Testament saints had died or were martyred. What was left were manuscripts with words (Greek, rhema). In his account, John recalls this interaction with the multitude in which he instructs believers on interpreting the incarnation. What greater glory can there be than the Son of Man living among men?

Notice the bookends to The Bread of Life Metaphor:

“How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another, and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God? “Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me. “But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words (Greek, rhema)? ” (Jn 5:44-47)

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words (Greek, rhema) that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. (Jn 6:63)

Today, God’s glory is His Word in His people.

Hebrew poetry is a fascinating study. Now that we have AI, we can give a quick overview of an Old Testament text and uncover truths often overlooked in casual reading. Concerning Hebrew poetry, Microsoft Copilot notes:

Old Testament Hebrew poetry has a very distinctive voice—compact, vivid, and rhythmically balanced. It doesn’t sound like modern poetry, and it doesn’t rely on rhyme, but it has its own internal logic and beauty.

One example is 1 Chronicles 16:8-36. The historical context is when David transferred the ark of the covenant from the private residence of Obed-edom to the temporary tent he erected in Jerusalem. The topic is God’s faithfulness in fulfilling His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The poem can be divided in several different ways consistent with Hebrew poetry. There is only room for one in this blog.

1. God remains faithful to His promises. 16:8-18
   1. Remember His deeds v. 8-14
   2. Remember His covenant 15-18
      1. A covenant with Abraham
      2. An oath to Isaac
      3. A confirmation to Jacob
   3. Remember His protection 16:19-22
2. God is Lord of all nations. 16:22-33
   1. As savior and sustainer v. 23-24
   2. As worthy to be praised v. 25-27
   3. As worthy to be feared v. 28-33

1. Summary 16:34-36

The God of Israel is faithful forever.

Notice the stark contrast between the new location of the ark of the covenant, a tent in Jerusalem, and the content of the poem. The tent was temporary, even though the ark symbolized God’s eternal presence. It was not the tabernacle Moses was instructed to build, representing a temporary place in the desert. It was in Jerusalem, the city of God (2 Kgs 21:4, 7; 2 Chron 33:7), that God promised would be His permanent location.

 David and his musicians did not know the history that was to unfold regarding Israel’s scattering among the nations. Regardless of their history, the Lord God of Israel was and always will be the Savior, Sustainer, and Judge of Israel and of all the nations to which the Jews would be scattered. In verses 34-35, we find a prophetic glimpse of their future:

O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Then say, “Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us and deliver us from the nations, to give thanks to Thy holy name, and glory in Thy praise.” Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting. (1 Chron 16:34-36)

One of the primary tenets of Postmodernism is that there is no absolute truth. Some might argue that the term “sin” is a social construct that can be sliced and diced to the point of having little meaning. Remember the almost comical question, “What is the meaning of is?”

Last week, the subject of this blog was Biblical Morality. To dig deeper into the subject, we need to define sin biblically. There are three ways to approach the subject of sin that, when viewed in their individual contexts, each form a facet of the broader topic.

The first facet is, “sin is lawlessness.” (1 Jn 3:4b) In this epistle, John is explaining the presence and effects of sin and its remedy. He begins by exhorting us to agree with God that sin exists. (1 Jn 1:1ff) Sin is not a social construct. Jesus Christ is the standard for determining what sin is. In the immediate context, John writes: “If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.” (1 John 2:29)

The operative term in verses 2:29 and 3:4 is “practices.” In both instances, the term is poieo, a Present Active Participle. The basal meaning is “doing by nature.” If we, by nature, seek to live up to God’s standard, we are born of God. If we live by any other standard and disobey God’s righteous standard, it is sin. It has been said that sin is missing the mark. This is not correct. In this context, sin is shooting at the wrong target.

The second facet is, “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (Jas 4:17) Most of the New Testament revelation was yet to be given. The Jews were fastidious in keeping the Law. Jews who accepted Jesus as Messiah were left with an apparent dilemma. Do we still need to keep all the details taught by the rabbis?

Like the current problem in Western Society, a plethora of laws have been explained and/or changed to circumvent their original meaning and permit whatever a person wants to do. In this context, the actual sin had more to do with the motives than the acts themselves. Is the motivation to do the will of God or simply to make a profit by whatever means?

The third facet is, “Whatever is not from faith is sin.” (Rom 14:23b) Both the Jewish and Gentile Christians were seeking ways to get along. Each tended to want to set their own standards and apply them to the opposition. The question was not regarding motivation; both were seeking to please God. The question was, what is the Holy Spirit telling you? Each believer needs to live by their own convictions and not judge others by them.

There are moral standards that even unbelievers recognize. (cf. 1 Cor 5:1-8). As sons of God, we must live by a higher standard of morality.

Zophar the Naamathite, Job’s friend turned accuser, questioned Job’s morality. Assuming that Job’s hardship was due to sin, he charged:

“If you would direct your heart right, and spread out your hand to Him; If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and do not let wickedness dwell in your tents. Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral defect, and you would be steadfast and not fear.” (Job 11:13-15)

At this point in the dialogue between Job and his friends, we know that his plight was not due to a moral defect.

We live in a day when there is no absolute truth. Morality is whatever achieves one’s purpose. Politically, on the left is social justice. On the right, private equity. The extremes of both are moral nihilism. The chasm between them is moral confusion. Where do we go from here? History has seen this before. The outcome has always been the same. Destruction. Consider the fall of the Roman Republic.

God has not left us without a compass. The Bible, correctly exegeted and applied, is the standard-bearer of truth, especially moral truth. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6). He was declaring Himself to be the perfect example of morality. The disciples had lived with Him, walked with Him, listened to Him. The “words”(rhema) that He spoke were from the Father. (Jn 14:10)

Peter wrote:

“. . seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. . . in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence (arete), and in your moral excellence (arete), knowledge; and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:2-9)

Moral excellence is not achieved by accident. It takes studying God’s Word and applying His Word to every decision and not becoming “entangled” with this world (2 Ti 2:4). Not becoming “unequally yoked” (2 Cor 6:14 KJV). I have been asked to join businesses several times with the prospect of making a profit, but I refused. One was with a fellow believer. He asked why I refused. My response was that I would be unequally yoked with him. I disagreed with his business practices. His business ended in bankruptcy.

Jesus said:

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, . . .But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, . . . for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matt 6:19-22)

How do you measure time? In the Greek New Testament, there are numerous terms translated as time. Each has its own connotations. The two dominant terms are chronos and kairos. Chronos measures duration. Kairos is measured by events. Now that I am in my eighth decade of life, time and the sequence of events are fading. I tend to rely on past events (Kairos) to recall the length of time between them (Chronos).

Peter, in his first epistle, wrote to believers who were scattered abroad and experiencing trials. In chapter 1, he assured them that God had not forgotten them (cf. foreknowledge v. 1:2). All that they were experiencing didn’t surprise God. He knew everything before it happened.

As they looked back over time and events, he reminded them that by believing in Christ, their present circumstances accomplished God’s purpose. He wrote:

And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8-9)

A careful examination of these two verses provides an outstanding and abiding principle.

First, not seeing, they loved Jesus Christ. The term love is agape, i.e.,  doing the will of God from the heart. Second, as believers by nature (Present Active Participle) in Christ, they continued rejoicing despite their trials. But what produced this great joy?

Looking back over time and events, they recognized how God had been with them throughout the process of accomplishing His will. They saw the end of the faith, the salvation of souls (v. 9). Note that the term your that occurs twice in the NASB is not in the best texts and obscures the meaning. In other words, looking back, they could see how God uses trials coupled with His Word to transform souls under the sun. (cf. Jas 1:21) see also.

Looking back over my life, comparing the direction I was headed before I accepted Christ as my savior, and realizing where my faith in Christ and the events have led me, I feel the overwhelming joy Peter describes. I did not accomplish all my goals. But God’s Word assures me that He has accomplished His for me. And whether I live or die, He will continue to do so. (cf. Rom 14:7-8)

Peter continued:

Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:13-14)

At this time of the year, many make New Year’s resolutions. How about seeking to enjoy eternal life to the fullest?

Jesus was asked, “What good (agathos) thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” (Matt 19:16). A recent blog was a word study differentiating the Greek terms agathos and kelos (see). This individual thought eternal life was earned by doing good (agathos). Jesus responded:

“Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life (tēn zoē) keep the commandments.” (Matt 19:17)

In this context, in Matthew’s gospel account, the Kingdom of Heaven (see, see) was still being offered (cf. Matt 19:13 w. 19:23). This individual was seeking to enjoy eternal life (tēn zoē), i.e., a quality of life with God in the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

Notice that Jesus gives two answers. First, “only One” is good. He was referring to God. Second, “keep the commandments.” Jesus does not say keep the law. Later in Mathew’s gospel account, Jesus identifies two commandments that summarize all the Law: “Love the Lord your God,” and “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 22:37-40)

When Jesus said, “Keep the commandments,” He was referring to committing to obeying God’s will in everything we do. Only then will we enjoy the quality of existence with God that being born of God brings.

Jesus said:

“If you wish to be complete (teleios), go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (Matt 19:21-22)

In the immediate context, if being complete was required, then no one could enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The way to be complete (teleios) is to treasure heaven more than anything on earth. (cf. Matt 19:20 w. Matt 6:19-21) The term teleios is often translated as perfect. (cf. Phil 3:12, 15) We will never be completely perfect in this life. However, as we mature spiritually, we reach levels of perfection. We should strive to live at the level achieved.

In God’s redemptive plan, the offer for the Kingdom of Heaven was withdrawn, and, for a season, the Church exists to proclaim the gospel until Christ returns to establish His kingdom on earth. During this dispensation, it is possible to enjoy eternal life by keeping His commandments (cf. Jn 14:15, 21). There is only One who is good, i.e., our Lord Jesus Christ. All who are born of God have sinned. (Rom 3:23) Walking in the Spirit (Gal 5:16ff.) enables us to not sin and to enjoy life with God.

New Year’s resolutions usually involve a commitment to change something in our lives. We do not know what 2026 will bring. We have no control over circumstances. We do have control over whether we seek to please our Lord throughout the new year. The best New Year’s Resolution we could make is to strive to please our Lord by keeping His commandments. Happy New Year.

As we celebrate our Lord’s birth, the world is awash once again with antisemitism. Historically, “Semitic comes from Shem, one of Noah’s sons, and included all who spoke Semitic languages such as Hebrew, Arabic, Aramaic, and Amharic.” (Microsoft Copilot) More recently, the term Semitic lost its linguistic sense and now refers to the Jewish race. This transition is unfortunate and has given rise to antisemitism. The Church of Alexandria, Egypt, was partly responsible for this transition with its teaching of Replacement Theology, i.e., the Church replaces Israel in God’s redemptive program. The Reformation only partly moderated this view. Yet it persists in some denominations today.

A consistently literal interpretation of Scripture demonstrates that Replacement Theology is false. Take, for instance, Paul’s statement:

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar. . .( Rom 3:1-4)

Later in the same epistle, he wrote:

I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. (Rom 9:1-5)

In Replacement Theology, the New Covenant replaces the original covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David. This makes God a liar when He ratified the Old Covenant. Careful reading of Jeremiah 31:31-34 demonstrates that the New Covenant does not replace the Old Covenant but changes it.

The Hebrew term for “new” is Chadash. It can mean never existing before or new in the sense of refreshed or renewed. (OT:2319 Strong’s) In English, when we speak of a “new moon,” we do not mean that the moon never existed before. The term ” Chadash” is used in the exact phrase seventeen times in the Old Testament.

In the sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught:

Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished. (Matt 5:17-19)

As we celebrate Jesus’ birth, we recognize God’s faithfulness when He promised that Christ would be born a Jew. Antisemitism is anti-Christ. Praise God for His faithfulness. Merry Christmas.