Did You Know?

The origins of the immortal soul concept

Did you know that the words‭ ‬‘immortal soul’‭ ‬does not exist in the Scriptures‭? ‬Where did this concept come from‭? ‬How did it become entangled in christianity‭?‬

The dictionary definition of immortal is‭ ‬“Someone or something that is immortal is famous and likely to be remembered for a long time”‭. ‬Soul in the dictionary is‭ ‬“Your soul is part of you that consists of your mind‭, ‬character‭, ‬thoughts and feelings‭. ‬Many people believe that your soul continues existing after your body is dead”‭. ‬The Catholic Church defines the soul as‭ ‬“The spiritual principle of human consciousness and freedom‭, ‬soul and body together form one unique human nature‭. ‬Each human soul‭ ‬is individual and immortal‭, ‬immediately created by God‭. ‬The soul does not die with the body‭, ‬from which it is separated by death and with which it will be reunited in the final resurrection”‭.‬

The immortality of the soul comes from secular history‭. ‬Many pagan religions incorporated this concept within their beliefs‭.‬

Neither the words‭ ‬‘immortal soul’‭, ‬nor the concept can be found anywhere in the Old or New Testament‭. ‬Prior to the Babylonian captivity the concept of the immortal soul did not exist‭. ‬This crept in as Gods people started to mingle their beliefs with the surrounding nations‭. ‬According to Hebrew understanding the soul is referred to as‭ ‬‘a living being’‭.‬

The Babylonian‭ (‬or Babel‭) ‬religion played a very important role in the spreading of the immortality of the soul concept to the other nations‭. ‬After the flood in Noah’s time‭, ‬the LORD made a covenant that the whole earth would never be flooded again‭, ‬so therefore they should go and multiply upon the earth‭. ‬This is referred to in Genesis chapter 9‭ ‬and verses 1‭, ‬11‭, ‬13‭ ‬and 14‭ ‬explaining‭ ‬“And God blessed Noah and his sons‭, ‬and said to them‭, ‬be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth‭. ‬I will establish my covenant with you‭. ‬Neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood‭. ‬Neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the whole earth‭. ‬I do set a BOW in the cloud‭, ‬and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth‭. ‬And it‭ ‬shall come to pass‭, ‬when I bring a cloud over the earth‭, ‬that the BOW shall be seen in the cloud”‭. ‬This is what the rainbow reminds us of when we see it in the sky‭.‬

In Genesis chapter 10‭ ‬and verses 1‭, ‬6‭, ‬8‭, ‬to 10‭ ‬it gives some background‭ ‬“Now these are the sons of Noah‭, ‬Shem‭, ‬Ham and Japheth‭. ‬After them sons were born after the flood‭. ‬And the sons of Ham were‭, ‬Cush‭, ‬Mizraim‭, ‬Phut and Canaan‭. ‬And Cush also begat Nimrod‭. ‬Nimrod became a mighty one in the earth‭. ‬He was a mighty hunter before the LORD‭. ‬Nimrod’s kingdom was Babel‭, ‬and Erech‭, ‬and accad‭, ‬and Calneh‭, ‬in the land of Shinar‭. (‬Nimrod was the grandson of Noah‭) ‬Babel is a Hebrew word meaning gate of god and confusion‭ (‬confusion of sounds and voices‭, ‬different languages‭).‬

By the time of Noah’s grandson’s generation‭, ‬Nimrod‭, ‬there was a change‭. ‬People started to turn from the promises of the LORD‭. ‬They failed to trust his covenant that there would never be a flood throughout the earth again‭ (‬shown by the symbol of the rainbow in the sky‭, ‬as stated above‭).‬

Genesis chapter 11‭ ‬and verses 1‭, ‬2‭, ‬4‭ ‬to 9‭ ‬adds more details‭ ‬“And the whole earth was of one language‭, ‬and of one speech‭. ‬And it came to pass‭, ‬as they journeyed from the east‭, ‬that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and they dwelt there‭. ‬And they said let us build a city‭ ‬and a tower‭, ‬whose top may reach unto heaven‭, ‬and let us make a name‭, ‬lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth‭. ‬The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the children of men built‭. ‬And the LORD said‭, ‬behold the people is one and‭ ‬they have all one language‭, ‬and this they begin to do‭. ‬Now nothing will be restrained from them‭, ‬which they have imagined to do‭.‬‭ ‬The LORD said‭, ‬let us go down and there confound their language‭, ‬that they may not understand one anothers speech‭. ‬So the LORD‭ ‬scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth‭, ‬and they left off building the city‭. ‬Therefore is the name of‭ ‬it called Babel because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth‭. ‬From then did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of the earth”‭.  ‬

From the above background‭, ‬you can see how cultures‭, ‬rituals and doctrines have some similarities around the world‭. ‬When the people were scattered from Babel‭, ‬they took with them their‭ (‬Babel or Babylonian‭) ‬religion‭, ‬including the immortality of the soul‭. ‬Over time the immortality of the soul became embedded in many of the prominent world religions‭. ‬For example‭, ‬Hinduism‭, ‬Buddhism‭,‬‭ ‬Jainism‭, ‬Sikhism‭, ‬Taoism‭, ‬Confucianism and others‭. ‬More on these other religions next month‭.‬

Zoroastrianism was the main religion of the Persian empire and Egyptian belief‭. ‬They were firm believers in the immortality of the soul and judgement‭. ‬They greatly influenced many different nations and cultures‭.‬

The Egyptians believed in the afterlife‭, ‬judgement and that Osirus played an important role in this‭. ‬There are ancient records which mention this‭, ‬like the book of the dead outlining the journey and judgement of souls‭.‬

Plato‭, ‬the Greek philosopher under the instructions and teachings of Socrates taught that the body was separated from the immortal soul at death‭. ‬Plato was a key player in promoting this concept of the immortal soul‭, ‬which eventually reached to the western‭ ‬culture‭ (‬this also included the idea of reincarnation‭). ‬There are several comments recorded in the international standard bible‭ ‬encyclopedia which states that ancient Israel were swayed by the Greeks‭ ‬“We are influenced always more or less by the Greek‭, ‬Platonic idea that the body dies‭, ‬yet the soul is immortal‭. ‬Such an idea is‭ ‬utterly contrary to the Israelite conscience and is nowhere found in the Old Testament”‭ (‬1960‭, ‬vol.2‭, ‬“Death”‭, ‬page 812‭).‬

As you can see‭, ‬there have been several influences which have infiltrated the house of God‭. ‬Please note that everyone has freedom of choice to choose eternal life according to the Scriptures‭. ‬See the promise in John chapter 15‭ ‬and verses 15‭ ‬and 16‭ ‬“That whosoever believeth in him shall have eternal life‭. ‬God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son‭, ‬that whosoever believeth on him‭, ‬shall not perish‭, ‬but have eternal life”‭.‬

I hope you have learned more about the Scriptures‭. ‬Next month I will continue to look at the immortality of the soul‭ (‬Part 2‭) ‬and other religions‭.‬

If you would like to know more‭, ‬contact‭ ‬Sandra 602‭ ‬466‭ ‬534‭.‬