Does Philosophy or Theology Better Explain Soul?

[spiffy]

Quote

Read the Bible. That is God's perspective.

I've read the Bible, many times over.  I agree that the Bible is God's perspective.  Are you prepared to discuss the matter intelligently instead of using the 'hit-n-run' posting of snide comments?  If so, let's discuss.  If not, I'm supposing, based on years of experience posting to various theology boards, that you're merely one of the legion of religious posters either incapable or unwilling to engage in intellectually honest dialog.  These are champions at posting opinions in order to get 'high fives' from other hit-n-runs.  Sad state of affairs for a Christianity that's supposed to be born of the Spirit of God.  Are you capable and willing to discuss honestly and intelligently?

[WilliamL]

On 10/1/2016 at 9:58 AM, spiffy said:

The 'spirit/soul' question has interested me for years.  There are few topics in Christianity that give more widely varying answers than this one.

I have two main blog articles that address this topic. The first is here --

https://www.worthychristianforums.com/blogs/entry/1297-the-levels-and-origins-of-loves-and-their-ultimate-fulfillment/

-- from which this is a quote in part:

 " The Levels and Origins of Loves, and Their Ultimate Fulfillment

      Each of the four worlds – the three heavens and the one earth – has both a corresponding element and a corresponding love.

     The Greek language has a specific word for each of these four loves:

Eros: sexual love, the ultimate love of the flesh. Eros is earthly/physical in nature.

Storgē: familial love: the affection for one’s closest blood-relatives, and also for one’s clans, tribe, and race. Storgē is soulish/psuchikos in nature.

Philia: the love of friends that transcends soul-ties: trans-familial “brotherly love.” Philia is spiritual/pneumatikos in nature.

Agapē: all-encompassing love, Divine love, including for one’s enemies. Matt. 5:45 Agapē originates in the Holy Breath-Light of God, and is rebreathed through His children.

     The elements corresponding to these four loves are earth, water, wind/air, and fire/light. ..."

The second article is here --

https://www.worthychristianforums.com/blogs/entry/1027-the-three-heavens/

-- from which this is a quote in part:

"The three heavens in order consist of:

3rd (lowest): Soul (Heb. nephesh/Gr. psuche). “The soul of the flesh is in the blood." Gen. 9:4; Lev. 17:11  Soul/nephesh is the level of developmental consciousness of the seed of Israel, and corresponds to the laver section of the Temple: the water of the washing of repentance. The lowest heaven pertains to all those who keep YHWH’s Covenant of 10 Commandments, given to Israel at Mount Sinai – with plenty of grace applied, of course. This heaven is called the Garden, also Paradise.

2nd (middle): Spirit (ruach/pneuma.) The Church is a spiritual/pneumatikos body. This corresponds to the Holy Place of the Temple, the place of the 7 Spirits (the 7 Lights of the Menorah), and the Word of Truth (the Table of Showbread). This level pertains to those who have true faith in Jesus, and are led by the Holy Spirit – again, with grace applied. This is the place of the Court, wherein the angelic Powers have convened in the past (e.g. Job 1:6); and are soon to convene again for the Judgment of God, in the company of the elect of the human race. Dan. 7:9-10ff.; Rev. 4-5; 7:9ff. ..."

For a deeper look about the four levels of consciousness and how they will play out in the End Times, go to this blog article and the one following it:

https://www.worthychristianforums.com/blogs/entry/995-every-eye-will-see-him-part-3/

 

Edited June 18, 2019 by WilliamL

[Peter Krishnan]

The spirit and soul are divine immortal aspects of the psyche . Spirit is the essence, is of the future and yearns to be free but is best aligned with the individual . Soul is the vessel, is of the present, is knowing of one's strength and weakness and is best seated at the heart of emotions . The human ego mind is of the past  and is shaped in the personality . The mortal body is what manifests action and is temporal in nature . Character is the ego's buttressing of the soul with virtuous cultivation . The psyche exists in careful balance under regulation of the heart . Good is when there is balance and evil in imbalance . The worldly realm is of the material that is what Jesus said is provided for by God to those who seek the spiritual in Christianity .

[Guest]

On 10/1/2016 at 11:58 AM, spiffy said:

The 'spirit/soul' question has interested me for years.  There are few topics in Christianity that give more widely varying answers than this one.  I tend to think Scripture alone is not sufficient to properly distinguish between soul and spirit.  The addition of philosophy (or maybe more accurately metaphysics) helps flesh out the issue, but still can't provide anything like a proper distinction. 

Seems to me the pertinent issues lie in at minimum trying to fit the following topics into a coherent whole:

* properties of each (spirit-soul) and how one works with the other in psychological terms; (is spirit better explained theologically and soul philosophically?)

* how do "good-evil" fit into the picture?

* can we find a way to overcome the "material-immaterial" conundrum and unify this with the "good-evil" and "spirit-soul" issues?

I'm interested to hear opinions.

Spirit and soul are mentioned separately in the Bible.

[FluffyBunny.]

I don´t think that Theology can explain something. Theology just states that things are, because a God made it that way. It has no explanatory power.

 

Philosophy has by default better explanatory power, because it´s a field where people look for an explanation.

Edited October 28, 2020 by FluffyBunny.

[enoob57]

On 10/26/2020 at 2:27 AM, Saved.One.by.Grace said:

Spirit and soul are mentioned separately in the Bible.

so is the body
 

1 Thess 5:23

23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
KJV
 

[JohnD]

The soul is the buffer between the body and the spirit.

When the spirit is absent from the body the buffer

ceases to exist.

 

 

[Whyme]

And what is the heart? Spirit or soul? 

[Justin Adams]

3 hours ago, Whyme said:

And what is the heart? Spirit or soul? 

YES.

[choir loft]

Philosophy vs. Theology

The question invokes error either way, for neither one adequately or accurately interprets the Word of God.  

Luke chapter 6 quotes Jesus, not a philosopher and not a theologian.  The Son of God teaches the way;

Why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' but not do what I say?  I will SHOW YOU what is is like who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them:  He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid his foundation on the rock.  When the flood came, the torrent crashed against that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.

But the one who hears My words and does not act on them is like a man who built his house on ground without a foundation.  The torrent crashed against that house, and immediately it fell - and great was its destruction!"

philosophy/theology vs. The LAW

Doctrine is religious bias which is read INTO scripture.  Biblical truth is that which is gleaned FROM and is based upon an unbiased study of the LAW.

The rock and the shifting sand/foundation are references to methods of interpreting God's Word - philosophy/theology vs the LAW.

Following the formation of the early church, toxic gentile anti-Semitic attitudes infiltrated the new religion.  Despite 33% of Jews in Jesus' day being converted to the faith, they were gradually forced out of the fellowship along with their traditional interpretations of scripture.  To this day gentiles want nothing to do with Jews in their midst, Jewish LAW, Jewish tradition or Jewish interpretation of the Word God gave them in the first place.  Many Christians don't even admit that Jesus IS a Jew.

Instead of Jewish context, gentiles preferred their own pagan traditions.  Instead of God's LAW gentiles created religious doctrine, instead of Jewish interpretation of God's Word gentiles adopted Greek PAGAN philosophy. 

Christian philosophy MUST CHANGE every ten to fifteen years to accommodate secular whims and attitudes.  

Consequently, theologians must hustle to create arguments to counter the winds and waves of secular bias so as to promote membership and support their religion which no longer admits to God's Word as a foundation.  It takes another five years for theological apologetics to percolate throughout the churches.  The house of religious thought is thus swept away by secular attitudes.  It's swept away because its not based upon the unchangeable nature of God's LAW.

Today our social attitudes change much faster, perhaps as fast as every five years.  We have now reached a tipping point where it is impossible for theologians and apologists to keep up.  The philosophical basis of arguing the gospel has eroded to the point of extinction.  Thus the church founders in a sea of incoherent social tempest.  

The unchangeable nature of God's LAW tells us why things are the way they are in the kingdom of heaven, what God expects of us, convinces us of SIN, and tells us how to be saved (to whom we should go to receive it and why).  Because of our innate hatred of Jews and everything associated with Jewish LAW we ignore it and hold it in derision - along with the very Word of God itself.  

Today the church is Ichabod (1 Samuel 4:21).

Today the church is simply an expression of Retail Religion, having the appearance of faith while denying the substance of it.

Today our opinions of things are more important than God's LAW.   

Therein have we lost the vision.  This is why we and our nation are in grave danger. (Proverbs 29:18)

that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

 

 

Edited May 23, 2021 by choir loft