WHAT IS A SOUL? NEW TESTAMENT
BEFORE YOU WATCH:
Question 1
Question 2
AFTER YOU’VE WATCHED:
Which scripture did you find the most surprising or helpful?
Does the state of your soul seem to be important to Jesus? Why do you think we don’t hear people talk about this very often?
DOCUMENTS FOR DOWNLOAD:
In our previous video, we looked at what the Old Testament had to say about our soul. Now we’re going to look at…
WHAT JESUS SAID ABOUT OUR SOUL?
New Testament word for soul in Greek is “psyche” (psoo-khay)
MATTHEW 10:28
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
· Jesus is telling his disciples that people can kill our bodies, but not our soul. What’s interesting is that when he refers to judgement, he talks about both body and soul being together. So on one hand, it looks like the material and immaterial parts of us can be separated for a time, God intends for them to be united in eternity. So our souls are connected to our bodies, both in this life and in the next.
MATTHEW 11:28-29 Jesus says…
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
· Jesus tells us that have can give our souls rest, which implies that our souls get tired. He says that he alone is able to give our souls what they need. Physical and emotional weariness, have a spiritual component. Jesus invites us to come to him and let him show us where we have been trying to do life apart from him. In…
MATTHEW 16:24-26 it says…
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life (soul) will lose it, but whoever loses his life (soul) for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? (Matt. 16:24-26)
· Jesus says that we are supposed to “deny ourselves.” That word deny is the same word used as when Peter denies knowing Jesus. We are called to discover our “fake” identities that we have created and use to look good and succeed instead of needing Jesus. We look at those parts of ourselves and say, “I don’t even want to be associated with those parts of me.” Jesus teaches us that when we do this, we are somehow gaining more of our souls. If we do not, we are actually losing our souls.
· We see that it’s possible to live in a way that seems successful, but actually results in the loss of our souls. In…
MATTHEW 22:37-40 Jesus says…
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
· Heart, soul, and mind are a way of referring to the totality of a person. Our souls are made to both love and be loved. We are called to love God with all our soul. I love this next one. In…
MATTHEW 26:38, as Jesus is preparing to be crucified he says…
“My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”
· Jesus says that his soul is in an emotional state of sorrow. So deep that it feels like his soul is going to die. Jesus is teaching us that our our soul includes all of our emotions, even unpleasant ones like sorrow. The last scripture we’ll cover is…
LUKE 21:16-19. Jesus tells his disciples that…
16 You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17 You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain [possess/procure] your lives. [SOULS]
· While we already have a soul, when we persevere through difficulties and push towards Jesus, we somehow can gain or own more of our souls. It’s almost like our souls are bigger than we currently have ownership or claim over.
Let’s SUMMARIZE WHAT WE’VE COVERED IN THE LAST TWO VIDEOS.
· The Old Testament says that when flesh and spirit are combined, God calls it a soul. So, our souls are the mysterious combination of flesh and spirit.
· Murder is described as slaying a soul.
· A soul, is the totality of a person, heart, spirit, mind, and body.
· From Jesus we learn that while at our death there may be a separation of some kind, ultimately God’s intention is for our bodies to be reunited of our soul.
· Our souls are a resource that can be depleted and refreshed. Our souls find what they need to be refreshed in Jesus.
· Denying something about ourselves is associated with gaining or losing our soul. Losing our soul is tied to chasing after the world.
· Heart, soul, and mind are a way of referring to the totality of a person. Our soul is part of how we love God.
· Our soul includes our emotions such as sorrow.
· You already have a soul, but somehow you can gain or possess more of it through endurance.
If we were to take all of these scriptures and simplify them, I believe the best way would be to use George MacDonalds quote…
“We don't have a soul. We are a soul. We have a body."
We are souls, and our souls include our heart, spirit, will, mind, emotions, and body. We are holistic physical and spiritual beings called souls. In our next set of videos we will explore Dallas Willards map of our soul.
