SCRIPTURE
STUDIES
VOLUME FIVE - THE
ATONEMENT BETWEEN GOD AND MAN
STUDY
XII
THE
SUBJECT OF THE ATONEMENT—MAN
What
is Man? — The “Orthodox” Answer — The Scientific Answer — The Bible
Answer — Man’s Body — The Spirit of Man — The Human
Soul — Confusion Through Mistranslation — The Propagation of Souls
— What is “Sheol,” “Hades,” to which all Souls Go, in
the Interim Between
Death and Resurrection? — The Scriptural Statements Severally Considered.
“What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
And the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou madest him a little lower than the angels, and hast
crowned him with glory and honor. Thou
madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all
things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the
field, the fowl of the air and the fish of the sea.” Psa. 8:4-8
WHAT great being is man that the Creator of the universe
has been so interested in his welfare as to make so bountiful a provision
for his reconciliation — even through the sacrifice of his Son?
We should know thoroughly, this highest of God’s earthly
creatures, so far as possible: and yet, so limited are our powers of
judgment, and so circumscribed our knowledge, that on this subject we are
dependent almost entirely upon what our loving Creator has made known to
us in his Word. Although the
saying has become proverbial that “The greatest study of mankind is
man,” yet, strange to say, there are few subjects upon which mankind is
more confused than this one—What is man?
There are two general views on the subject, neither of which, we
hold, is the correct, the Scriptural one.
Though both have certain elements of truth connected with them,
both are grievously wrong and misleading; so that even those who are not
wholly deluded by them are nevertheless so influenced [page 302]
and confused by these errors that many truths are
robbed of their force and weight, and many fallacies are given an
appearance of truth. Our
subject, therefore, is important to all who would know the truth, and have
the full benefit of the same in its influence upon their hearts and lives. The subject is of special importance in connection with the
topic under discussion, the Atonement.
He who has not a clear conception of what man is, will find it
difficult if not impossible, to clearly comprehend the Scriptural
teachings relative to the atonement for man’s sin—its operation and
results.
We will here consider the general and so-called orthodox view of
the question, What is man? then the strictly scientific view, and finally
the Bible view, which, we hold, is different from both, much more
reasonable than either, and the only ground of proper harmony between the
two.
Orthodoxy’s
View of Man
The question, What is man? if answered from a so-called “orthodox
theological” standpoint (which we dispute) would be about as follows:
Man is a composite being of three parts, body, spirit and soul; the body
is born after the usual manner of animal birth, except that at the time of
birth God interposes, and in some inscrutable manner implants in the body
a spirit and a soul, which are parts of himself, and being parts of God
are indestructible, and can never die.
These two parts, spirit and soul, “orthodoxy” is unable to
separate and distinguish, and hence uses the terms interchangeably at
convenience. Both terms
(spirit and soul) are understood to mean the real man, while the flesh
is considered to be merely the outward clothing of the real man, in which
he dwells for the years of his earthly life, as in a house.
At death, they say, the real man is let out of this prison-house of
flesh, and finds himself in a condition much more congenial.
In other words, “orthodoxy” claims that the real man is not an
earthly being, but a spirit being wholly unadapted [page 303] to the earth, except through its experiences in the
fleshly body. When set free
from the body by death it is theorized that a great blessing has been
experienced, although the man, while he lived, made every effort to
continue to live in the fleshly house, using medicines and travels and
every hygienic appliance and invention to prolong the life in the flesh,
which, theoretically, it is claimed is illy adapted to his uses and
enjoyments. The
“liberation” called “death” is esteemed to be another step in the
evolutionary process: and in many minds such a future evolution from
earthly to heavenly conditions, from animal to spiritual conditions, is
regarded as a reasonable proposition and a logical outcome of the
scientific conclusion that man was not created a man, but evolved, through
long ages, from the protoplasm of prehistoric times to the microbe, from
the microbe, by various long stages and journeys to the monkey, and from
the monkey finally to manhood. It
is further claimed that manhood, in its earliest stage, was very inferior
to the manhood of the present time, that evolution has been bringing
mankind forward, and that the next step for every human being is a
transformation or evolution into spirit conditions, as angels and gods or
as devils.
All this is very flattering to nineteenth century pride, for
though, on one hand, it acknowledges an ancestry of the very lowest
intelligence, it claims for itself today the very highest attainments, as
well as a future exaltation. Nor
is this view confined to the people of civilized lands: in a general way
all heathen people, even savages, have practically the same thought
respecting man, except that they do not usually trace back his origin so
far. This view finds support
in all the heathen philosophies, and to a considerable extent it is
supported by the scientific theorizers of the present day, who, although
they define the subject quite differently, nevertheless love to indulge in
hopes of a future life along the lines of evolution, and experience a
gratification of their vanity along lines which do not at all accord with
their own scientific deductions respecting the spark of life in man. [page 304]
Man
as Seen by Science
The scientific answer to the question, What is man? stated in
simple language, would be: Man is an animal of the highest type yet
developed and known. He has a
body which differs from the bodies of other animals, in that it is the
highest and noblest development. His
brain structure corresponds to that of the lower animals, but is of a
better developed and more refined order, with added and larger capacities,
which constitute man by nature the lord, the king of the lower creation.
Man’s breath or spirit of life is like that of other animals.
Man’s organism and spark of life are from his progenitors, in the
same manner that the beasts receive their life and bodies from their
progenitors.
Science recognizes every man as a soul or sentient being; but as to
the future, the eternity of man’s being, science has no suggestion
whatever to offer, finding nothing whereon to base a conclusion, or even a
reasonable hypothesis. Science,
however, while it does not speculate, hopes for a future along the lines
of evolution, which it believes it can trace in the past.
Science is proud of the said evolutionary steps already
accomplished by its god, natural law, and is hopeful that the same
operations of natural law will (without a personal God) eventually bring
mankind to still more godlike and masterful conditions than at present.
Man
from the Bible Standpoint
The Bible view, while agreeing with both of the foregoing in some
respects, controverts both most absolutely along some of their most
important lines. The Bible
does not speculate, but properly, as the voice or revelation of God, it
speaks with authority and emphasis, declaring the beginning, the present
and the future of man. The
Bible view is the only consistent one, and hence the only truly scientific and orthodox view of this subject.
But the Bible presentation [page 305]
does not pander to human pride; it does not make of
man his own evolutor, nor does it commit this to a god of nature, which is
no God. The Bible view
respecting man gives God the glory for his original creation (Adam), in
the divine likeness; and lays upon man the blame for failure to maintain
that likeness, and for a fall into sin, and all the consequences of
sin—mental and physical and moral impoverishment unto death.
The Bible view honors God again, in revealing to us his mercy and
magnanimity toward man in his fallen estate, in the provision for man’s
redemption and for his restitution to his original condition, at the hands
of his Redeemer, during the Millennium.
A fruitful source of confusion in the minds of Christian people,
when studying the nature of man, and particularly when attempting to
obtain the Scriptural views upon the subject, is their failure to
distinguish between mankind in general and the Church, the little flock,
which God is selecting from amongst men during the present age, and
fitting and preparing for new and superhuman conditions — spiritual
conditions. Failing to
“rightly divide the word of truth,” they apply to all men the
statements and promises of the Scriptures, especially of the New
Testament, which are addressed only to the Church class, and which have no
bearing whatever upon the restitution hopes held out for all mankind.
These “exceeding great and precious promises” are
proportionately as untrue of the world as they are true of the Church.
Thus, for instance, the Apostle’s words, “The body is dead
because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness” (Rom.
8:10), which apply only to the Church: thus the special and peculiar
conditions of the call of the Church during this Gospel age, is
interpreted to mean the same with respect to all humanity.
Here the words “dead” and “life” are used in a relative
sense, of those who after being justified through faith, by the grace of
God, are at once reckoned as freed from death-condemnation, to the intent
that they may present their bodies living sacrifices, reckoning their
bodies and treating them as dead, so [page 306]
far as earthly rights and interests are concerned:
and reckoning themselves as no longer fleshly or human beings, but as
“new creatures,” begotten to a new nature through the promises of God.
As such, justified and sanctified believers (the Church) recognize
themselves, from the divine standpoint, as having obtained a new spirit of
life through the operation of faith in Christ and obedience to him.
But such uses of the words “dead” and “life” in respect to
the world would be wholly improper, for the world has no other nature than
the one human nature; it has not, in any sense of the word, been begotten again.
Another text frequently misapplied to the world, which belongs to
the Lord’s consecrated people, says, “We have this treasure in earthen
vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”
(2 Cor. 4:7) Here the Church
alone is referred to—those who have received the treasure of the new
mind, the new nature. They
have this treasure, or new nature, in the natural body, which is reckoned
as dead, and here denominated an “earthen vessel.” The illustration is
quite a correct one for the class to whom it is applied, the Church; but
it is wholly incorrect to apply it to mankind in general, and to suppose
that every human being has a heavenly treasure or new nature, and that
thus every human body is an earthen vessel or receptacle for such new
nature. The world has but one
nature—the human nature: it has no new nature, either as a treasure or
in any other sense; nor is there any promise that it will ever have.
Quite to the contrary, the highest possible aspiration ever to be
opened to humanity, according to the divine Word of promise, is “restitution”—to be restored to the full perfection of the
human nature, lost in Eden, redeemed at Calvary. Acts 3:19-23
Similarly we might discuss scores of statements of the New
Testament, which are not applicable to mankind in general, but merely to
the consecrated Church, begotten again by the holy Spirit to a new spirit
nature. It will be profitable
for all to notice carefully the salutations by which the apostles
introduce their various epistles. They
[page 307] are not addressed, as is supposed by many, to mankind
in general, but to the Church, “the saints,” the “household of
faith.”
Be it remembered, therefore, that in discussing, What is man? in
this chapter, we are not discussing what is the Church, the “new
creature” in Christ Jesus, nor what is the spirit nature to which the
Church is already begotten of the Spirit and if faithful shall be made
partakers to the fullest extent in the first resurrection.
On the contrary, we are discussing the first Adam and his children.
We want to know who and what we are by nature, as a race—What is man?
Thus we can best understand from
what man fell, into
what man fell, from what man was redeemed, and to what man shall be
restored, and other cognate subjects.
Man—Body,
Spirit, Soul
Accepting the standard definition of the word “animal”—“a
sentient living organism,” we need have no hesitation in classing man as
one of and the chief and king over earth’s animals, and thus far the
Scriptures are in full accord with the deductions of science.
Note the text which introduces this chapter: in it the Prophet
David particularly points out that man, in his nature, is lower than the
angels, and a king and head over all earthly creatures, the representative
of God to all the lower orders of sentient beings.
The Scriptures nowhere declare, either directly or by implication,
that a piece, part or spark of the divine being is communicated to every
human creature. This is a
baseless assumption on the part of those who desire to construct a theory,
and are short of material for it. And
this baseless hypothesis, that there is a portion of God communicated to
every human creature at birth, has been made the basis of many false
doctrines, grossly derogatory to the divine character—disrespectful to
divine wisdom, justice, love and power.
It is this assumption, that a spark of the divine being is [page 308]
communicated at birth to every human creature, which
necessitated the theory of a hell of eternal torment. The suggestion is that if man had been created as other
animals were created, he might have died as other animals die, without
fear of an eternity of torture; but that God having imparted to man a spark of his own life, man
is therefore eternal, because God is eternal: and that hence it is
impossible for God to destroy his creature even though such destruction
might become desirable. And
if man cannot be destroyed it is held that he must exist to all eternity
somewhere: and since the vast majority are admittedly evil, and only a
“little flock” saintly and pleasing to God, it is held that the
unsaintly must have a future of torment proportioned to the future of
bliss accorded to the saintly few. Otherwise, it is admitted that it would
be more to man’s interest, more to God’s glory, and more to the peace
and prosperity of the universe, if the wicked could all be destroyed.
The claim is that God, having the power to create, has not the power to
destroy man, his own creation, because a spark of divine life was in some
unexplained manner connected with him.
We hope to show that this entire proposition is fallacious: that it
is not only without Scriptural support, but that it is a fabrication of
the Dark Ages, most positively contradicted by the Scriptures.
The Scriptures recognize man as composed of two elements, body and
spirit. These two produce
soul, sentient being, intelligence, the man himself, the being, or soul. The term “body” applies merely to the physical organism.
It neither relates to the life which animates it, nor to the
sentient being which is the result of animation.
A body is not a man, although there could be no man without a body.
The spirit of life is not the man; although there could be no
manhood without the spirit of life. The
word “spirit” is, in the Old Testament Scriptures, from the Hebrew
word ruach.
Its signification primarily is breath;
and hence we have the expression “breath
of life,” or “spirit
of life,” because the spark of life once started is supported by
breathing. [page 309]
The words “spirit of life,” however, signify more than merely
breath; they relate to the spark of life itself, without which breath
would be an impossibility. This
spark of life we receive from our fathers, it being nourished and
developed through our mothers.*
It is quite untrue that the spark of human life is communicated in
a miraculous way, any more than is the spark of brute life.
The lower animals, the horse, the dog, cattle, etc., are begotten
of the males and born of the females of their respective genera, in
precisely the same manner as the human species is produced, nor does
anything in Scripture suggest the contrary.
It is purely human invention, designed to uphold a false theory,
that claims divine interposition in the birth of human offspring. To
suppose that God is the direct creator of every human infant born into the
world is to suppose what the Scriptures contradict, for thus he would be
the author of sin and of confusion and of imperfection, whereas the
Scriptures declare, “His work is perfect.” (Deut. 32:4)
No, no! the mentally and physically and morally blemished and
deformed are not God’s workmanship.
They are far removed, far fallen from the condition of their
perfect progenitors, Adam and Eve, for whose creation alone God takes the
responsibility. Those who claim that God directly creates every human
being make out that God is responsible for all the idiocy and insanity and
imbecility in the world: but both science and Scripture declare that the
children inherit from their progenitors their vices and their virtues,
their weakness and their talents. The
Apostle most explicitly declares, “By one man’s disobedience sin
entered into the world and death by [as a result of] sin: and thus death
passed upon all men; because all men had [by heredity] become sinners.”
The Prophet refers to the same thing when he declares, “The
fathers ate a sour grape [sin] and the children’s teeth are set on
edge”—they are all depraved. Rom. 5:12; Jer. 31:29,30; Ezek. 18:2
—————
*See page 98.
[page
310]
But some one will inquire, Might it not be possible that God had
implanted a spark of his immortal divinity in our first parents, and that
thus that spark descends nolens volens to posterity?
Let us examine the Scriptural statement respecting this subject,
and in so doing let us remember that there is no other revelation than the
account of the Scriptures open to any one else, hence we may know all
there is to be known on the subject by anybody.
What do we find in the Genesis account?
We find indeed that man’s creation is particularly mentioned,
while that of the brute creation is not so particularly mentioned.
We find, however, that the statements made are in very simple
language, and that they contain no suggestion whatever of the impartation
of some superhuman spark of being. Man’s
superiority over the beast, according to the account given in Genesis,
consists not in his having a different kind of breath or spirit, but in
his having a higher form, a superior body, a finer organism—endowed with
a brain organism which enables him to reason upon planes far above and
beyond the intelligence of the lower animals, the brute creation.
We find that it is in these respects that man was created a fleshly
likeness of his Creator, who is a spirit being. John 4:24
The
Spirit of Man
As already seen* the word
“spirit” in our Common Version Bibles translates the Hebrew word ruach
and the Greek word pneuma;
and hence to rightly appreciate the word spirit
in God’s Word we must keep always in memory the meaning attached to the
originals, which it translates. As
we have seen, “spirit” primarily means wind, and secondarily was made to apply to any invisible
power. In connection
with God we saw that it signifies that he is powerful
but invisible; and used in
reference to God’s influence and operation, it implies that they are by
an invisible power. It is
applied to mind
because it is a power that is invisible, intangible; words
—————
*See page 172.
[page
311] are also invisible, yet powerful; life,
although all-important and all pervading, is an invisible power or
quality, like electricity: hence the word “spirit” is applied to all
of these various things. As a
result, we have the Scriptures speaking of the spirit of our minds, the
invisible power of the mind; the spirit of a man, a man’s mental powers
and will; the spirit of life, the power of living, which actuates our
bodies and all creation; the Spirit of God, the power or influence which
God exerts, either upon animate or inanimate things; the spirit of wisdom,
a wise mind; the spirit of love, a mind or disposition actuated by love; a
spirit of evil and of malice, a mind or disposition actuated by
maliciousness; the spirit of truth, the influence or power exerted by the
truth; the spirit of the world, the influence or power which the world
exerts. Likewise, heavenly
beings are described as spirit beings, that is, invisible beings,
possessed of power, intelligence, etc.
This is applicable, not only to God, the Father, of whom our Lord
Jesus said, “God is a Spirit,” but it is applicable also to our Lord
Jesus since his resurrection, for of him it is declared, “Now the Lord
is that Spirit.” It is
applied also to angels and to the Church, which is assured that in the
first resurrection each overcomer shall have a spirit body.
It is applied in the Scriptures also to Satan and his associates,
spirit beings, invisible, yet powerful.
Spirit
in Re the New Nature in the New Testament
In considering the use of the word spirit
in connection with man, we remark:
(1) The words “spirit” and “spiritual” in the New Testament
are often used to refer to (a) the will, especially to the new
mind of the “saints,” begotten by the Word and Spirit of God.
The “new creatures in Christ” are called to a change of nature,
from human to spiritual, and are promised that if faithful they shall in
the resurrection have (b) spirit
bodies like unto Christ’s resurrection body, and like unto the
heavenly Father’s glorious person.
In view of this, their future prospect, the hope of the Church is
designated as [page 312]
(c) spiritual
and heavenly, in contrast with
the hopes and promises to which the world of mankind will become heirs
during the Millennium. Spirit
is also used (d) in referring to angels, who by nature are spirit beings—not flesh
beings. But the thought of invisibility
always attaches to the words “spirit” and “spiritual” whenever and
wherever used.
A few illustrations of such uses of these words follow:
(a) “Paul purposed in the spirit
[pneuma—mind, will]... to
go to Jerusalem.” Acts 19:21
(a) “Paul’s spirit [pneuma—mind,
feelings] was stirred in him when he saw the city wholly given to
idolatry.” Acts 17:16
(a) “Paul was pressed in spirit
[pneuma—in mind, he was
mentally energized] and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.”
Acts 18:5
(a) “[Apollos] was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being
fervent in spirit
[pneuma—of
ardent mind] he spake and taught diligently.” Acts 18:25
(a) “God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit
[pneuma—my new mind, my
new heart, my renewed will] in the gospel of his Son.” Rom. 1:9
(a) “Glorify God in your body and in your spirit
[pneuma—mind] which are
God’s.” 1 Cor. 6:20
(a) “I verily as absent in body but present in spirit
[pneuma—mentally] have
judged already as though I were present.” 1 Cor. 5:3
(a) “A meek and quiet spirit [pneuma—mind,
disposition].” 1 Pet. 3:4
(b) “It is sown an animal body, it is raised a spiritual
[pneumatikos] body.” 1
Cor. 15:44
(b) “There is an animal body and there is a spiritual
[pneumatikos] body.” 1
Cor. 15:44
(b) “That was not first which is spiritual
[pneumatikos].” 1 Cor.
15:46
(b) “Afterward that which is spiritual
[pneumatikos].” 1 Cor.
15:46
[page 313]
(c) “To be spiritually minded [pneuma—to
have a mind controlled by God’s holy Spirit or will] is life and
peace.” Rom. 8:6
(c) “Ye which are spiritual [pneumatikos—spirit
begotten and possessed of the new mind] restore such an one in the spirit [pneuma—disposition]
of meekness.” Gal. 6:1
(c) “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ hath blessed us
with all spiritual
blessings [pneumatikos—blessings of a spirit kind] in heavenly privileges
in Christ.” Eph. 1:3
(c) “Be filled with the spirit [pneuma—the
holy Spirit of God] speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs [pneumatikos—songs
in accord with your new spirit].” Eph. 5:18,19
(c) “That ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in
all wisdom and spiritual
understanding [pneumatikos—understanding of all matters connected with your
new spiritual relationship to God and his plan].” Col. 1:9
(c) “Ye are built up a spiritual household [pneumatikos—a
family or household of a spirit order or kind].” 1 Pet. 2:5
(d) “A damsel possessed of a spirit
[pneuma—an invisible
power] of divination”—through fellowship with the fallen
spirit-beings. Acts 16:16
(d) “Paul...turned and said to the spirit
[pneuma—the evil
spirit-being possessing the woman] I command thee... to come out of
her.” Acts 16:18
(d) “The evil spirits [pneuma]
went out of them.” Acts 19:12,13
(d) “And the evil spirit [pneuma]
answered and said.” Acts 19:15
(d) “The Sadducees say that there is...neither angel nor spirit [pneuma—spirit
being].” Acts 23:8
(d) “If a spirit [pneuma]
or an angel hath spoken to him let us not fight against God.” Acts 23:9
[page 314]
Spirit
in the Old Testament
(2) The word “spirit” is used of mankind in general, especially
in the Old Testament; but always either with reference to (e) the spirit of life, the
animating spark which God first enkindled in Adam and which thence
(impaired) descended to all his posterity—which is an invisible
power or quality; or (f) the spirit
of the mind, the will—an invisible power which controls the
life.
Ruach,
Pneuma—an Animating Power
When speaking of man’s creation it is the spirit
of life that is understood—the breath of life.
The Scriptures clearly show that this spirit of life is common to
all God’s creatures, and is not possessed exclusively by man, as the
following Scripture quotations will clearly demonstrate.
(e) “All flesh wherein is the
breath of life [ruach—the
spirit
or breath
of life of all flesh].” Gen. 6:17; 7:15
(e) “All in whose nostrils was the breath of the
spirit of life [margin, ruach—the
spirit
or power
of life].” Gen. 7:22
(e) “The spirit
of Jacob their father revived [ruach—the
vital or life
powers of Jacob revived].” Gen. 45:27
(e) “And when he [Samson] had drunk, his spirit
[ruach] came again and he
revived [his strength, vigor, energy returned to him].” Judges 15:19
(e) “In whose hand is...the breath [ruach]
of all mankind. [The spirit
of life of all mankind is in the divine power].” Job 12:10
(e) “O God, the God of the spirits
[ruach—life-power, spirit
of life] of ALL FLESH, shall one man sin and wilt thou be wroth with all
the congregation?” Num. 16:22
The theory that the distinction between man and beast consisted in
a different spirit of life, a different kind of life, and that at death
the one went up and the other down [page 315]
seems to have been very old amongst the world’s
philosophers; for we find Solomon, the wise man, querying:
(e) “Who knoweth [who can prove] that the spirit
[ruach—spirit of life] of
man goeth upward and that the spirit
[ruach—spirit of life] of
the beast goeth downward to the earth?” (Eccl. 3:19-21)
Solomon’s own understanding he gives just previously, saying:
(e) “That which befalleth the sons of men [death] befalleth
beasts; even one [the same] thing befalleth them: as the one dieth so
dieth the other; yea they have all one breath [ruach—spirit
of life, breath of life]; so that a man hath no pre-eminence above a
beast”—in this respect, in the matter of having a different kind of
life—his pre-eminence must be sought and found elsewhere, as we shall
see.
(e) “Into thine hand I commit my spirit
[ruach—spirit of life or
vital energy].” Psa. 31:5
This was the prophetic declaration of our Lord Jesus’ dying
words. He had received the
spirit of life from the Father as a gift: he had, in obedience to the
Father’s plan, become a man to be man’s Redeemer: and when yielding up
his spirit
of life or vital energy, he declared his reliance upon God’s
promise to give the spirit of life again, by a
resurrection.
Mankind received the spirit of life from God, the fountain of life, through father
Adam. Adam forfeited his
right to the power or spirit of life by disobedience, and gradually
relinquished his hold upon it—dying slowly for nine hundred and thirty
years. Then the body returned
to the dust as it was before creation, and the spirit of life, the
privilege of living, the power or permission of living, returned to God
who gave that privilege or power: just as any contingent privilege or
favor returns to the giver if its conditions are not complied with. (Eccl.
12:7) Nothing in this text
implies that the spirit of life “wings its flight back to God,” as
some would represent; for the spirit of life is not an intelligence, nor a
person, but merely a power
or privilege which has been [page 316] forfeited and hence reverts to the original giver of
that power or privilege. The
thought is that man having sinned has no further life-rights:
the return of his forfeited life-rights to God, and the return of his
flesh to dust, reduces his condition to exactly what it was before he was
created.
But as our Lord Jesus had hope in the divine promise for a return
of his “spirit of life” or life powers and rights under divine
arrangement, so by reason of our Lord’s redemptive sacrifice certain
hopes and promises are opened to all mankind through “Jesus the mediator
of the New Covenant.” (Heb. 12:24)
Hence believers “sorrow not as others who have no hope.”
Our Redeemer purchased
the spirit of life-rights which father Adam had forfeited for himself and
all his family. Now,
therefore, believers can for themselves (and, by a knowledge of God’s
plan, for others also) commit their spirits (their powers of life) to
God’s hand also, as did our Lord and as did Stephen—full of faith that
God’s promise of a resurrection would be
fulfilled. A resurrection
will mean to the world a reorganization of a human body, and its vivifying
or quickening with life-energy, the spirit of life (Hebrew, ruach; Greek, pneuma).
To the Gospel Church, sharers in the “first [chief]
resurrection,” it will mean the impartation of the spirit of life or
life-energy (Hebrew, ruach;
Greek, pneuma) to a spirit body.
1 Cor. 15:42-45
In that graphic picture of earthly resurrection furnished us in
Ezekiel’s prophecy (37:5-10,13,14) the relationship of the body and the
spirit of life, “the
breath,” is clearly presented. It matters not that the prophet
uses this merely as a symbol, it nevertheless shows (proves) that a human organism has
no life until it receives the ruach—the
breath of life—which, as elsewhere shown, is common to all animals, none
of whom can live without it. Let
us notice Ezekiel’s statements very critically, as follows:
(e) “I will cause breath [ruach—spirit
of life, life-energy] to enter into you, and ye shall live.”
(e) “And I will...bring up flesh upon you, and cover [page
31]
you with skin, and put breath [ruach—spirit
of life, life-energy] in you, and ye shall live.”
(e) “And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came upon
them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath
[ruach—spirit of life,
life- energy] in them.”
(e) “And he said unto me, Prophesy unto the wind
[ruach—spirit of life,
life-energy—margin, breath] and say unto the
wind [ruach—spirit of life,
breath of life], Thus saith the Lord God, Come from the four winds
[ruach]
O
breath [ruach—breath or spirit of life], and breathe upon these slain,
that they may live.”
(e) “So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the
breath [ruach—spirit of life,
breath of life, living energy] came into them, and they lived.”
(e) “And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened
your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, and shall
put my spirit
[ruach—spirit
of life, breath of life] in you, and ye shall live.”
This spirit
of life or power of life given to Adam by his Creator he was privileged to keep
forever if obedient. He
forfeited this right by disobedience, and the right
to life reverted to the great Giver; not as a person, nor as a
thing, but as a right or privilege, the spirit of life returns or reverts
to God, who gave that right or privilege conditionally, and whose
conditions were violated. Eccl. 12:7
(e) “No man hath power over the spirit
[ruach—spirit of life,
spark of life] to retain the spirit
[ruach—spirit of life],
breath of life.” Eccl. 8:8
By God’s grace those forfeited life-rights or privileges which
each man surrenders to God in death have all been purchased with the
precious blood, and the purchaser is announced as the new Life-giver,
regenerator or father for the race, who will give life, and that more
abundantly, to all who will ultimately receive him.
We will give but one instance from the New Testament:
(e) “The body without the spirit
[pneuma—life-spark,
breath of lives] is dead.” Jas. 2:26
[page 318]
Ruach,
Pneuma—the Mind, the Will
Since the mind or will is an invisible
power or influence, it is represented by the same words in the
Hebrew and Greek languages, as the following examples will show:
(f) “Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of
sorrowful spirit
[ruach—mind,
disposition].” 1 Sam. 1:15
(f) “A fool uttereth all his mind
[ruach—plans, thoughts,
mind, purpose].” Prov. 29:11
(f) “My spirit
[ruach—mind,
courage] was overwhelmed.” Psa. 77:3
(f) “My spirit
[ruach—mind]
made diligent search.” Psa. 77:6
(f) “He that is of a faithful spirit
[ruach—disposition,
mind].” Prov. 11:13
(f) “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the
Lord weigheth the spirits
[ruach—the
mind, thoughts, motives].” Prov. 16:2
(f) “Pride goeth before destruction, a haughty spirit
[ruach—disposition, will,
mind] before a fall.” Prov. 16:18
(f) “Better to be of an humble spirit
[ruach—mind,
disposition].” Prov. 16:19
(f) “Vanity and vexation of spirit
[ruach—mind].” Eccl.
6:9
(f) “Patient in spirit [ruach—mind,
disposition]...proud in spirit
[ruach—mind,
disposition]...hasty in thy spirit
[ruach—mind,
disposition].” Eccl. 7:8,9
A few illustrations from the New Testament:
(f) “The child [John] grew and waxed strong in spirit
[pneuma—mind,
character].” Luke 1:80
(f) “Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit
[pneuma—mind,
disposition, character] serving the Lord.” Rom. 12:11
(f) “Now you have received not the spirit
[pneuma—disposition,
mind] of the world.” 1 Cor. 2:12
(f) “I had no rest in my spirit
[pneuma—mind].” 2 Cor.
2:13
[page 319]
(f) “Be renewed in the spirit [pneuma—character,
disposition] of your mind.” Eph. 4:23
(f) “The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit
[pneuma—mind,
disposition].” 1 Pet. 3:4
These Scriptural uses of these original words show that our English
word spirit
is a good equivalent, for we not only speak of the spirit of life, but
also of a gentle spirit, a good spirit, an angry spirit or mood, a bitter
spirit and a fiery spirit: and we also use these expressions in respect to
the lower animals as well as man. The
fact we are proving is abundantly demonstrated—namely, that the spirit is not the real
man, nor another man, but that this word, when used in reference to
man’s creation, signifies simply the life-spark or life-power, which is
common to all animals.
Neshamah—the
Breath of Lives
Although the word ruach is sometimes translated “breath,” the Hebrews had
another word for breath, viz., neshamah. It occurs twenty-six times, and in nineteen of these it is
translated “breath”—“inspiration” once, “spirit” twice,
“souls” once, “blast” three times.
As samples of the meaning of this word, and as proving that the
word simply signifies life power, and in no sense of the word conveys any
thought of everlasting life, or immortality, note the following uses of
the word:
“The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed [naphach—inflated,
blew] into his nostrils the breath
[neshamah] of lives
[caiyah].”
Gen. 2:7
“All flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of
cattle, and of beasts, and of everything that creepeth upon the earth, and
every man: all in whose nostrils was the breath
[neshamah] of life
[caiyah]
of all that was in the dry land died.” Gen. 7:21,22
These first two occurrences of the word neshamah
in the Bible are abundantly sufficient to prove our contention that the
word has no reference to immortality, nor to an immortal [page 320]
principle, but simply refers to vitality, life power.
This life power, we are told, was given to Adam, and the same life power,
by the second text quoted, is declared to have been in all the dry land
animals, fowl, cattle, beast and creeping things, as well as in man, and
when deprived of this breath of life, the declaration is that all these
souls or beings died as a result—man as well as the lower creatures.
They died alike, except that there is a divine purpose respecting man,
which in due time provided a ransom, and will in further due time provide
the deliverance promised from the power of death by a resurrection of the
being, of the soul.
A
Human Soul
Many in reading the account of creation in Genesis have noted the
fact stated that when God had formed man of the dust of the ground, and
had communicated to him the breath (spirit) of life, the record is, “Man
became a living soul.”
This statement to the average reader taken in connection with his
general misconception of the meaning of the word “soul,” as
misrepresented to him by those who should have instructed him properly,
and should have understood the subject themselves, is sufficient to
bewilder him and leads him to think that somehow there is some basis for
the prevalent error which he does not comprehend, but which he supposes
his chosen theological teachers have investigated and proven beyond
peradventure.
Not comprehending the meaning of the word soul,
many feel at liberty to use it in a reckless manner, and hence they
reverse the Scriptural statement and instead of speaking of man as being
a soul, they speak of man as having
a soul, which is a very different thought.
It is necessary, therefore, that each truth-seeker should, so far
as possible, divest his mind of prejudice on the subject, and especially
with respect to things and features which he admits he does not understand;
because it is the natural tendency to give attributes [page 321]
and powers to that which is mysterious and not
comprehended. Thus the general idea of a soul is that it is wonderfully
intelligent, possessed of wonderful powers, that it is indestructible,
intangible, and incomprehensible.
A Methodist bishop is credited with having given the following
definition of a soul, which certainly accords well with so-called
“orthodox” theories, even if it is absurd when closely
analyzed—“It is without interior or exterior, without body, shape, or
parts, and you could put a million of them in a nutshell.”
These various things are predicated of a soul, to help fill out a
theory which is wholly erroneous. The
theory is that the soul is the real being, a spark of divinity, possessed
of divine quality and intelligent life, etc., separate and apart from the
body; and that it inhabits the human body for a time, and uses it for a
house, and when the body is worn out or disabled abandons it.
Inasmuch as no one ever saw a soul enter a body, and inasmuch as a
soul cannot be found while it is in the body, by the most critical
examination, and with all the improved appliances of the microscope,
photograph and “X” rays, therefore it is supposed that it is
“without a body, without shape, and without parts”; and since it is
supposed to be so small that it cannot be distinguished by a microscope,
it might as well be said that you could put fifty millions of them in a
nutshell. Really, the bishop gave an excellent definition of nothing; and all will
agree that a hundred millions of nothings could be put into the smallest
kind of a nutshell and have room to spare.
But what foundation is there for such wild speculation? We answer,
It is wholly unwarranted. It
is the result of man’s taking his own theory of a future life, and
rejecting the divine theory and plan.
Human theory says, There must be something which never dies, else
there can be no future life. The
divine theory says, The same God who created in the beginning is able to
resurrect the dead. This is
the conflict between the Word of God and all the human theories of earth
amongst the civilized as well as amongst [page 322]
the barbarians: all human theories teach that man
does not die, and hence has no need of a Life-giver and a resurrection.
The Bible theory is that man does die, and that without the Life-giver,
and without a resurrection, death would indeed end all, and there would be
no future life.
It is to support its theory that the world, and all its religious
books (including, we are sorry to say, the majority of works on
eschatology written by professed Christians), teach the doctrine of the
immortality of the soul—that there is a soul in man, possessed of a
separate life from his body, and that it is immortal, indestructible, and
therefore destined to an eternity of pain or pleasure.
We come then to the inquiry:
What
Is a Soul?
Examining this question from the Bible standpoint we will find that
man has
a body and has a spirit, but is
a soul. Science concurs with the Scriptures in this.
Indeed, one of the sciences, Phrenology, undertakes to treat the
skulls of men and the lower animals as indexes and to read therefrom the
natural traits and characteristics of the owners: and do not all men find
themselves possessed of some ability in judging character physiologically?
All can discern between the intellectual and the idiotic, between
the kindly benevolent and the viciously brutal.
Those who have not learned that organism
(bodily form) is indissolubly connected with nature, character and
disposition have made poor use of life’s lessons and are unprepared to
pass judgment on our topic or any other.
The word “soul,” as found in the Scriptures, signifies sentient being;
that is, a being possessed of powers of sense, sense-perception. With
minds freed from prejudice, let us go with this definition to the Genesis
account of man’s creation, and note that (1) the organism or body was formed; (2) the spirit
of life, called “breath of life,” was communicated; (3) living
[page 323]
soul, or sentient being, resulted.
This is very simple, and easily understood.
It shows that the body is not the soul, nor is the spirit or breath
of life the soul; but that when these two were united by the Lord, the
resultant quality or condition was living man, living being—a living
soul, possessed of perceptive powers.
There is nothing mysterious about this—no intimation that a spark
of divinity was infused into humanity, any more than into the lower
animals. Indeed, while the
creation of the lower animals is passed over and not particularly
described, we may know that with them, as well, the process must have been
somewhat similar. We know
that there could be no dog without a dog organism or body, nor without
spirit or breath of life in that body.
The body of the dog that had never been animated would not be a
dog; it requires first the infusion of the spark of life, the breath of
life, then doghood begins. The
same would apply to all animals.
In full accord with this, we now call attention to a fact which
will surprise many; viz., that according to the Scriptural account every
dog is a soul, every horse is a soul, every cow is a soul, every bird and
every fish are souls. That is
to say, these are all sentient
creatures, possessed of powers of sense-perception. True, some of them are on a higher and some on a lower plane
than others; but the word soul
properly and Scripturally applies to creatures on the lower planes as well
as to man, the highest and noblest—to fish, reptiles, birds, beasts,
man. They are all souls.
Mark, we do not say that they have souls, in the ordinary and mistaken sense of that term, yet
they all do have souls, in the sense of having life, being, existence—they
are
living souls. Let us prove
this:
In the first, second and ninth chapters of Genesis the words
“living soul” are applied in the Hebrew language to the lower animals
nine times, but the translators (as though careful to protect the false
but common vagary respecting a soul, derived from Platonic philosophy)
sedulously guarded their work, so that, so far as possible, the English [page 324]
reader is kept in ignorance of this fact—that the
word soul
is common to the lower creatures, and as applicable to them as to man in
inspired Scripture usage. How
else could it happen that in all of these cases, and in many other
instances throughout the Scriptures, they have carefully covered the
thought, by using another English word to translate the Hebrew word,
which, in the case of man, is rendered “soul”?
So carefully have they guarded this point that only in one place in
the Bible is this word translated “soul,” in connection with the lower
creatures, viz., in Num. 31:28, and there, very evidently, they were
compelled to show the matter, by reason of the peculiar construction of
the sentence—no other translation being reasonably possible. The passage
reads:
“Levy a tribute unto the Lord of the men of war which went out to
battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons and of the beeves
and of the asses and of the sheep.” Here it will be noticed that the
word “soul” is used respecting the lower creatures as well as in
reference to man; and so it would appear elsewhere in the Scriptures, had
the translators been free from the warp and twist of their false theories
on this subject.
Let us now notice the nine texts in Genesis in which the Hebrew
original of the word soul
(neh-phesh)
occurs in connection with the lower animals:
“God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving
[creeping] creature that
hath life [Heb., neh-phesh—soul].”
(Gen. 1:20) Note that the
marginal reading is soul;
and that this was on the fifth creative day or period, long before man’s
creation.
“God created great whales, and every living creature
[Heb., neh-phesh—living soul]
that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly.” (Gen. 1:21)
This also was in the fifth “day,” before man’s creation.
These were fish-souls.
“God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature
[Heb., neh-phesh—living soul]
after his kind—cattle and creeping thing and beast.” (Gen. 1:24)
These were dry-land [page 325]
souls, higher than the fishes—but man, human soul
or being, had not yet been created.
“And God said...To every beast of the earth and to every fowl of
the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life [living soul—neh-phesh]
I have given every green herb for meat.” (Gen. 1:30) Here the lower animals are specified, and it is distinctly
declared that they are all living souls—in exactly the same terms that
refer to man.
“Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field,
and every fowl of the air;...and whatever Adam called every living creature [Heb., living soul—neh-phesh],
that was the name thereof.” (Gen. 2:19)
Comment here is unnecessary: there can be no question that soul
is not exclusively a human
part or quality, but rightly understood is applicable to all sentient
creatures from the lowest to the highest—all creatures possessed
of sensibilities.
“Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you... but
flesh with
the life thereof [Heb., flesh, soul—neh-phesh]
which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.” (Gen. 9:3,4) Here the
animals which man may eat are not only declared to possess soul or being,
but their blood
is said to represent their existence,
being or soul,
and hence man is forbidden to use blood as food—forbidden to cultivate
blood-thirstiness.
“Behold I establish my covenant with you [Noah] and with your
seed after you; and with every living creature [Heb., living soul—neh-phesh]
that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the
earth.” (Gen. 9:9,10) A
very plain statement that all living creatures are souls as well as
man—though inferior to him in nature, organism, etc.
“This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and
you and every living creature
[Heb., living soul—neh-phesh].” (Gen. 9:12)
What could be more explicit than this?
“I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and
every living creature
[Heb., every living soul—neh-phesh] of all flesh.” Gen. 9:15
[page 326]
The same expression exactly is repeated in verse 16.
And there is no room for cavil as to the meaning when the veil of
mistranslation is lifted and we catch the thought God wished us to receive
from his Word.
We might similarly proceed through other books of the Bible, but we
have quoted sufficient to establish our contention before any reasonable
mind—that soul in Scriptural usage as properly applies to the lower
animals as to man; and hence that all claims or theories built upon the
idea that man’s hopes of a future life and his present superiority over
lower animals result from his being a soul
and they not, is a false theory and needs radical reconstruction if we
would see matters from the true standpoint of divine revelation.
But let no one misunderstand us to teach that because all living,
moving creatures, from a mite to an elephant and from a tadpole to a whale
are living
souls, therefore all these must have a future life, either by a
transfer to spirit conditions or by a resurrection future.
Such a thought would be arrant nonsense — insanity — without a
shadow of reason. Billions of living souls
on these lowest planes of animal nature are born every minute, while other
billions die every minute.
Our argument is that man is a soul
or being of the highest
order—the king and lord over the lower orders of souls or sentient
beings, yet one of them—an earthly, human animal soul; and yet so
grandly constituted originally (Adam) that he was properly described as in
the likeness of God—the
image of him that created him.
Man as a soul is differentiated from the lower animals or souls by
reason of his higher organism: not merely is his superiority indicated by his upright
form; it is witnessed to by his superior mental endowments, which are
Godlike and are reflected in his countenance.
It is in his mental and moral endowments rather than in physical
form that man was created in divine likeness.
While many of the lower orders of animal soul or being possess reasoning
powers and demonstrate them in thousands of ways, yet each has a
level [page 327]
beyond which no progress can be made; but man’s
reasoning powers are almost unlimited, because he was created an “image
of God,” “the likeness of him that created him.” And notwithstanding man’s fall into sin and his thousands
of years of gross darkness and degradation we can still see
Godlikeness—especially in those who have accepted Christ’s ministry of
reconciliation to God, and have again become “sons of God,” and who
are seeking to be conformed to the image of God’s dear Son.
To illustrate: horses, dogs and birds may be taught the meaning of
many words so as to be able to understand many things pertaining to
life’s affairs. They often
demonstrate their reasoning powers, and some are able to count—as high
as twenty: but who would attempt to teach a horse or a dog or a bird
algebra or geometry or astronomy? The
highest of the lower animals can be taught a certain degree of moral
honesty and obligation to their masters—not to kill sheep, not to bite,
kick, etc., but who would attempt to teach his dumb brutes the Decalogue?
They may be taught a certain kind of love for their master and his
friends, but who would think of teaching them to love or worship God, or
more than mere endurance of enemies who had despitefully used them.
The point to be noticed is that all these differences are not by
reason of the lower animals having a different kind of breath
or spirit of life, for as we have seen, “they have all one
breath” (Eccl. 3:19); nor because man is a soul and the brute
beast is not, for as we have seen they are all souls.
But as we have found, and as all men are witnesses, each has a different
bodily organism which gives to each his different characteristics, and
which alone constitutes one higher and the other lower in the scale of
intelligence. Notice, too,
that not size and weight give excellence and superiority, else the
elephant and whale would be the lords of earth; the excellence is in the
“organic
quality” represented chiefly in brain-structure and functions.
Man, therefore, is the highest type of earthly creature—“of the
earth, earthy”—and his excellence consists in the superiority [page 328]
of his mental endowment—not a development, but a
gift from his Creator.
“The
Soul That Sinneth, It Shall Die”
It is quite in harmony with the foregoing,
