Mainstream Christian doctrine teaches souls are immortal spirits that live forever after we die. Souls are believed to possess our thought, memory, and persona. The souls of the saved are believed to go to Heaven; the souls of the damned are said to go to Hell (where they are tortured for eternity). The ultimate goal of the faith is to receive salvation, achieve the desirable afterlife in Heaven, and avoid being tortured forever in Hell.
These beliefs are pagan.
Most common beliefs about souls and the afterlife come from Greek philosophy and mythology. Greek mythology included the belief in immortal souls that separate from the body at death then reside in Hades. The philosopher Plato documented his theories on the immortality of the soul; and, Plato’s work is the foundation on which modern beliefs of the soul are built.
In the First Century AD, the early church began reaching out to the gentiles in the Roman empire. The Roman empire believed the philosophy and religion of the Greeks. Early gentile believers were converts from pagan philosophy and religion; they turned away from pagan beliefs and began to follow YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. However, the people and culture were seeped in pagan beliefs and traditions that were difficult to break away from. Sadly, paganism from the Roman empire came into the church.
Recapping the “Go to Hell” Series
In Holy, Perfect, and Just Awful, we looked at the nature and character of YHWH as defined in the Bible. We tested the popular doctrine of Eternal Torture against the nature and character of God, and the doctrine didn’t hold up. Eternal Torture doesn’t reconcile with God being loving, kind, compassionate, merciful, and just.
In Holy God or Lawless Tyrant, we looked at the Torah (God’s Law). We tested the popular doctrine of Eternal Torture against Torah, and the doctrine didn’t hold up. Eternal Torture doesn’t reconcile with God’s prohibition on torture, God’s instruction that punishment be reasonable, God’s mandate that punishment not be extreme, and God’s justice that punishment must fit the offense.
In this article, we see that the basic principle behind the doctrine of Eternal Torture is actually not Biblical at all. Eternal Torture rests on the assumption that humans have immortal souls that cannot die or be destroyed; therefore, souls must “live” somewhere throughout eternity. However, the Bible says something different.
We will examine the Greek origin of the “immortal soul” doctrine, how this doctrine differs from what the Hebrew people understood, and what the Bible actually says about the matter.
The Greek Perspective
The Greek Word for “Soul”
ψυχή (Psuché) — Breath, lifeforce, soul, spirit, the name of a Greek goddess
Psuché is commonly known in English as Psyche. The literal meaning of psyche is breath, life, or lifeforce. It’s defined as the power or force that gives life and animation to the physical body.
The ancient Greek understanding of psyche is that of a spirit- or ghost-body inhabiting the physical body. Greek thought saw the soul as a spirit-body containing the thought, intellect, and persona of the individual. The soul was believed to be immortal and indestructible, separating from the body at death and living forever in a netherworld (Hades).
Plato’s Theories on the Immortality of the Soul
Much of the traditional, Western, belief in the soul comes from the Greek philosopher Plato. In his work “Phaedo”, Plato described his philosophical theories on souls, their origin, and their characteristics. Plato’s philosophy on the soul can be summarized as follows.
Souls are Ghost-Bodies that Contain our Consciousness and Persona
Plato taught that souls are spirit-bodies or ghost-bodies. This was already a common pagan concept before Plato (in Greek and other cultures), and Plato held to this belief that our soul is our spirit-body and contains all our thought, memory, and persona. Essentially, Plato’s perspective is that humans are spirits trapped in physical bodies.
Souls are Immortal
Plato taught that souls pre-exist the body. In Phaedo, Plato described his theory that life must come from a pre-existing state of not being alive and our souls are what give us life; therefore, our souls must have already existed before we were born. According to Plato’s philosophy, souls enter the body at conception or birth.
Plato taught that souls continue to live after the body dies. According to Plato, when we die we separate from our body and continue to possess our thought, memory, and persona. So, souls exist independent of physical bodies.
Plato taught that souls are essentially characterized as containing or imparting life. Souls are alive, and souls empower bodies to live. Because souls possess the essential property of life, souls cannot also possess death (which Plato viewed as the opposite property of a soul). Therefore, Plato believed, souls can only possess life and can never die.
Based on these three beliefs (pre-existence, post-existence, and core attribute), Plato concluded that souls must be immortal.
Souls are Indestructible
Plato taught that souls exist in the simplest form possible, which means souls are not made of other stuff. Souls do not have parts or pieces; there are no building blocks making up a soul. Plato concluded that because souls are not made up of components then souls cannot break down, erode, or decompose. Based on this assumption that souls are a core material in creation, Plato concluded that souls can never be destroyed.
Souls Must Live Somewhere
Given that souls are immortal, indestructible, and continue to exist eternally, Plato taught that souls must exist at some place. Plato held to the common pagan belief in Hades as an underworld of the dead, where the departed souls of the dead dwell.
Popular Greek belief of Hades taught that “bad” people are tormented in Hades as punishment for the “bad” things they did in life. “Good” people might have a more favorable afterlife in Hades. These beliefs are common in Greco-Roman mythology and were later adapted in such works as Dante’s “Divine Comedy”.
The Hebrew Perspective
The Hebrew Word for Soul
נֶפֶשׁ (Nephesh) — Throat, breath, life, living being
The Hebrew word Nephesh is commonly translated as “soul” in English versions of the Bible. The word Nephesh appears more than 700 times in the Bible and, in addition to being translated as “soul”, can also be rendered as person, living creature, or metaphorically as inward desire and longing.
The Hebrew understanding of “soul”, defined by nephesh, is that of life or the lifeforce inherent in all living creatures. A “soul” isn’t a spirit-body that inhabits the physical body; it is the very essence of life itself. We don’t have a soul, we are souls. At death, we don’t become immortal ghosts living in a netherworld; rather, at death we cease being living souls.
How did the Hebrew concept of nephesh become tangled with the Greek concept of psyche? In ancient times, when Greek became the dominant language, the Septuagint was created. The Septuagint was an early translation of the Hebrew scriptures to the Greek language. Like nephesh, the word psyche has literal meanings of life or breath. So, psyche was selected as a translation of nephesh due to their similar literal meanings. However, psyche is a word derived from a pagan culture; and, psyche has pagan concepts attributed to it. Basically, nephesh could literally translate to psyche but the word psyche comes with pagan baggage attached to it (based on its common use in the philosophy and religion of the Greeks). If we fail to understand the intended relationship between psyche and nephesh then we fail to properly interpret the teachings of the Bible.
The Biblical Origin of the “Soul”
…And YHWH God formed the man of dust from the ground, and He blew into his nostrils the soul of life; and man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7)
Plato speculated that when people are born their souls must have come from some source that predates their bodies. From this speculation, Plato developed a belief in souls as immortal, divine, and pre-existent spirits.
In a way, Plato’s philosophy did stumble upon some element of truth. There is an immortal, divine, pre-existent spirit who imparts life to the newly born…His name is YHWH. We are not pre-existent, immortal, ghosts trapped in a physical body as Plato imagined. Rather, God is the sole possessor of life and He gives it to whom He wishes.
In the beginning was God, the only self-existent being who has no origin and no demise. We were created by God, and He breathed life into us. At that point, we became living souls.
Solomon: Wisdom From God, Not Speculation From Mankind
God said to him, “Because you have requested this thing, and you have not requested length of days and have not requested riches and have not requested the life of your enemies, but you have requested understanding, to comprehend justice — behold, I have acted in accordance with your words; behold, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, such that there has never been anyone like you before, nor will anyone like you ever arise.” (1 Kings 3:11-12)
God imbued Solomon with wisdom, discernment, and understanding beyond what any human ever had before him or will ever have after him. Solomon was not a mere philosopher or academic; his knowledge didn’t rest on speculation and assumption. Solomon didn’t make up ideas to try and figure things out; and, he didn’t rationalize his ideas to win arguments against rival academics. Solomon was close to God, favored by God, and empowered by God to have real knowledge and understanding of whatever he observed. Solomon is beyond all humans in all areas of wisdom, understanding, and judgement. No human can compare with Solomon’s wisdom and understanding of things.
Solomon recorded his observations of life and death in the Bible. Much of the Western viewpoint on life and death, soul and afterlife, is based on pagan philosophers who neither knew God nor were empowered by God to truly understand the nature of His creation. Instead of accepting the ideas of Hellenistic philosophers, we should consult the Bible as our source; and, we should heed the one God raised up to be the greatest sage in history.
Set aside doctrine and tradition; and, please keep two points in mind as we read Solomon’s writings:
1. Solomon was gifted by God to have the highest level of wisdom and understanding attainable by any human before or after him.
2. Solomon’s writings are scripture; they are the divinely inspired word and will of God.
If Plato collides with Solomon, Plato cannot win…
Everything Precedes Our Understanding, and We Cease at Death
For all this I noted and I sought to ascertain all this: that the righteous and the wise together with their actions are in the hand of God; whether love or hate man does not know; all preceded them.
All things come alike to all; the same fate awaits the righteous and the wicked, the good and the clean and the unclean, the one who brings a sacrifice and the one who does not. As is the good man, so is the sinner; as is the one who swears, so is the one who fears an oath.
This is an evil about all things that go on under the sun; that the same fate awaits all. Therefore, the heart of man is full of evil; and madness is in their heart while they live; and after that, they go to the dead.
For he who is attached to all the living has hope, a live dog being better than a dead lion. For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all; there is no more reward for them, their memory is forgotten. Their love, their hate, their jealousy have already perished–nor will they ever again have a share in whatever is done beneath the sun. (Ecclesiastes 9:1-6)
Solomon’s understanding of things paints a contrasting picture to Plato’s philosophy.
First, Solomon established that everything is in God’s hand; everything precedes us. We are not pre-existent spirits who then became trapped in physical bodies. God preceded us, and He empowered us to become living souls in this physical world. Plato’s speculation that souls are immortal, pre-existent, spirits is false.
Second, Solomon established that when we die we will no longer continue to be conscious. At death, our thought, emotion, and action ceases; and, this fact is repeated throughout Ecclesiastes as well as in other portions of scripture. Plato assumed our souls are spirit bodies that separate from our physical bodies at death; and, Plato assumed our spirit bodies carry our intellect and persona into an eternal afterlife. Both of Plato’s assumptions are false, according to Solomon’s understanding and the Biblical record.
Whatever you are able to do with your might, do it. For there is neither doing nor reckoning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave where you are going. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)
Again, Solomon states that when we die we enter the grave. And, in the grave we cannot be active, we cannot do anything, we cannot reason, and we cannot know anything. When we die, we are no longer living souls. When we die, we no longer have the breath of life that animates us and makes us living creatures. When that time comes, we cease to be what we are. Plato’s assumption of immortal spirits carrying on after death is a false belief. Mankind does not continue as a disembodied ghost, capable of thought, action, emotion, or experience.
At Death, We Break Down
Thus the dust returns to the ground, as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7)
God formed mankind of the dust of the ground. At death, our bodies decompose back to its base elements. Our bodies break down and become inanimate matter.
The spirit that returns to God is the lifeforce He placed in us. Solomon’s imagery is that of the person breaking down to prime components, which then return to their respective sources. The source of the physical body is the dust of the ground; and, the source of life is the power of God, which He alone possesses. Solomon’s description is like the reverse process of how God created us in Genesis 2 — the breath of life is withdrawn back to the mouth of God, and the body erodes away. In the beginning, we weren’t sentient ghosts that God placed into physical bodies; so, we don’t turn into sentient ghosts after we die. We go back to what we were prior to our creation.
People often interpret this verse as meaning we have immortal souls/ghost-bodies that go to God in heaven at death. However, Jesus said nobody has ever ascended to heaven except himself (John 3:13). So, Solomon couldn’t have been describing people becoming ghosts and going to heaven. Between Solomon’s repeated statements that we cease at death, and Jesus’ statement that nobody has ascended to heaven, Ecclesiastes 12:7 can’t be describing people leaving their physical bodies and going to heaven as conscious ghosts.
Plato did have a good theory regarding composite things breaking down to their prime components. However, Plato assumed a soul is an immortal, intelligent, entity that can never be further reduced. Solomon’s understanding of soul is that it’s a raw power of life that God reclaims when we die. Later, at the resurrection, God will reform our bodies and empower us to live again.
The Hebrew Perspective is About Living, Not After-Living
The sum of the matter, when all has been considered: Fear God and keep His commandments, for that is man’s whole duty. For God will judge every deed–even everything hidden–whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
Solomon’s ultimate conclusion regarding the meaning and purpose of life is to revere God and walk in His ways, because we will ultimately go before God for judgement.
The Hebrew perspective focuses on life here and now, not a mythological after-life. The consistent message of scripture is to walk in God’s ways, serve Him, have our relationship restored to Him, and prepare ourselves for Messiah’s return. Do this, and there is no fear of death. What we do here and now is what counts; what we look forward to in the future is bodily resurrection and eternal life.
- God created us to be living souls (Genesis 2:7)
- We were not intended to die. Death is a penalty of sin (Genesis 2:16-17)
- At death, we cease all activity and consciousness (Ecclesiastes 9:1-10)
- We look forward to a resurrection at the end of the age (Isaiah 26:19)
- God will judge us according to what we have done (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, Revelation 20:13)
- The righteous will be ransomed from Sheol, the grave (Psalm 49)
- The wicked will return to Sheol (Psalm 9:17) and never rise again (Psalm 49)
- God is coming to earth to dwell with man (Revelation 21:1-5)
What Now?
If you believe the message of the Bible, that we are mortal creatures hoping in a future resurrection, then do what Solomon said to do. Get as close to God as possible, follow His teachings and commandments, and be prepared to stand before God at judgement.
If you believe the Hellenistic philosophers, who said we are immortal spirits waiting to shed our bodies, then still do what Solomon said to do. Get as close to God as possible, follow His teachings and commandments, and be prepared to stand before God at judgement.
If you don’t believe my interpretation of the Bible, then please study and seek the truth on your own. Look for the portions of scripture that speak of “immortal souls” or people going to heaven when they die. Then, reconcile those portions of scripture with Solomon’s teachings on the grave. Please follow sound study method: study the original language of the scriptures, study in context, apply logically valid reasoning, and test your reasoning for truth and soundness.