What Are Body, Soul, and Spirit?
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We are a soul that interacts with the physical in our body and through the spiritual through the Spirit. What matters is our soul's relationship with the Eternal. All of the physical and spiritual parts of life flow from there.
Understanding the Hebrew Terms
One of the first things we encounter in Scripture is the creation of man kind ... and the relatively few and simple statements made here set the stage for understanding how precious life really is. We learn that man kind is unique in so many ways. Let us look at a few of the Hebrew words that describe this.
Basar / Flesh
The first word is 'basar'. This is the Hebrew word that is translated as flesh. Things that have flesh include plants, animals, and man kind ... in essence, things that contain DNA. Rocks, dirt, and crystals do not have flesh.
Nefesh / Soul
The second word is 'nefesh'. This is the Hebrew word for soul. It is this level where Scripture says things are alive and it is strongly connected with the blood. Animals and people are given the nefesh. It is not immortal and it has physical needs. It is the soul which can die and which can receive salvation and redemption.
Ruach / Spirit
The third word is 'ruach'. This is the Hebrew word for spirit. The spirit is given to man and this is the level that distinguishes man above the animals. It is conscious of good and evil. It is the spirit that has communion with Elohim and a renewed spirit that comes with accepting the Messiah as Savior.
The Uniqueness of Man Kind
And the preciousness of man kind can go even further. Man kind has been made with the broad ability to use spoken language, to understand moral concepts of good and evil, able to read, write, build, play, and have a sense of humor. We are able to pray and have communion with the Creator.
Tselem / Image
Man kind is made in the image of Elohim. The word 'image' comes from the Hebrew 'tselem' which means a representation or shadow of something. It indicates we are in the form of our Creator.
Demuth / Likeness
Scripture also states we are made 'after His likeness. The word 'likeness' comes from the Hebrew Demuth and refers to something comparable. We not only have similar appearance, but also some degree of similarity in function.
Challenges to Secular Science
Modern evolutionary biology says plants, animals, and man are all alive and related to one another. What does Scripture say about life? It says that they are created by their kinds and it does not describe plants as being alive. Scripture states that plants have a body ... but they do not have a soul and they do not have a spirit. According to Scripture, plants are not born and do not die ... they simply grow and wither. Remember, in the garden of Eden, plants were given to animals and man as food and yet there was no death in the Garden of Eden. According to Scripture, plants are not alive. Life is more precious than that. Life requires a soul ... and you will not hear that in any biology classroom.
Life is precious ... and it needs defended. Death is the enemy and it needs to be fought.