The Evil Function of The Doctrine of The Trinity – Part 1

[Updated May 23, 2026]

K___ wrote: Hello Mike, Thanks for inviting me to write back. Concerning your email and article about your understanding of the Godhead; I have read it and believe I grasp your view, although I’m not sure I agree with you. Even as you wrote, I am willing to have my understanding change if I am wrong. I wouldn’t believe in the Trinity simply because tradition threatened me with hell-fire if I didn’t. Have you ever considered William Law’s understanding of the Trinity? It seems to make sense to me. Although this section deals with man created in the image of God, I believe it gives an understanding of the Trinity as he [William Law] saw it. (Italics mine) I’ll quote:

“Nothing can so fully, and justly show us the true nature of our Fall, as the nature and manner of our Redemption. These things have such a necessary correspondence, as cannot be denied, but by a mind utterly indisposed to receive conviction.” (End Quote)

 So let’s consider what Law says concerning the original of man in the image of God. [Emphasis Mike’s]

“Man was created by God after His own Image, and in His own Likeness, as a living mirror of the Divine Nature; where Father, Son and Holy Ghost, each brought forth their own nature in a creaturely manner. As the who is begotten of the Father, is the brightness of the Father’s glory, and the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son, as an amiable moving Life of both; so it was in this created image of the holy trinity. In it the Father’s nature generated the nature of the Son, and the Holy Ghost proceeds from them both, as an amiable moving life of both. This was the likeness or Image of God, in which the first man was created, a true offspring of God, in whom the Divine Birth sprung up as in the Deity, where Father, Son and Holy Ghost saw themselves in a creaturely manner. In the Divine nature the Father cannot possibly be separated from the Son, nor the Holy Ghost from both, or either of them.” (End Quote)

 I understand this to mean that man because of his likeness to God, could commune with God. Man’s soul in the likeness of God generated a life that was as God’s Life. This seems correct to me because man’s soul is constantly generating or giving forth a birth of some life. Now this life is either good or evil depending on the state of his soul; whether it be good or evil. (So it seems to me) Now let’s consider what happened to the state of his soul after the fall, according to [William] Law. [Emphasis Mike’s]

“Now by his transgression this image of the Holy Trinity was broken; the generation or birth of the Son or Word, and the proceeding of the Holy Ghost in him, were at an end; in the day that he sinned, in that day he died this death. And therefore what was he as to his soul? It was something that was deprived of that birth, which was the brightness of it’s glory, and which should be that in it, which the Son of God is to the Father; it wanted [lacked] that Spirit which was it’s amiable life, and which was to be that to it, which the Holy Ghost is to the Father and Son….. This was the state of the soul after the fall, when the birth of the Son of God and the proceeding of the Holy Ghost, were no more to be found or felt in it. Now it is a plain, manifest doctrine of the holy scriptures that man by the fall is in such a condition, that there was no help or remedy for him….. but by the Son of God’s becoming Incarnate, taking the fallen nature upon him. If this alone could be the remedy, does not this enough show us the disease? Does not this speak plainly enough, what it was that man had lost by his fall, namely, the birth of the Son of God in his soul and the procession of the Holy Ghost; and therefore it was that only the Son of God in so mysterious a manner, could be his Redeemer. If he had lost less, a less power could have redeemed him….. But since it is an open, undeniable doctrine of the Gospel, that there can be no salvation for mankind, but in the name and in the power of the Son of God, by His being united to the fallen nature, and so raising his own birth and life in it; is it not sufficiently shown us, that what was lost by the fall, was the birth of the Son of God in the soul?”

“It is said that we must be born again from above, born of God, born of the spirit; for this is expressly telling us what birth we have lost, and is only saying that the first birth is to be restored, or that divine birth is to arise, or to be brought again into us, as at the first, when the living image of the Holy Trinity was brought forth in us.” – The Grounds and Reasons of Christian Regeneration. (End Quote)

 I just want to add something here – I believe, if I am not mistaken, that you say that Christ is the Holy Spirit. But is this necessarily the case, though. It is true that Christ equates the coming of the Holy Spirit, with His coming to them; but does this mean He is the Holy Spirit? Is it not merely the case that as the Holy Spirit can only proceed from Christ (and the Father, I know!) that He (the Holy Spirit) can only come to them when Christ comes to them? This seems right to me.

Resuming William Law’s doctrine of the trinity:

“When it is known that the triune nature of God was brought forth in the creation of man, that it was lost in his fall, that it is restored in his redemption, a never- failing light arises in all scripture, from Genesis to Revelation.”

“The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is wholly practical; it is revealed to us, to discover our high original, and the greatness of our fall, to show us the deep and profound operation of the triune God in the recovery of the divine life in our souls…. for as everything that is in us, whether it be heaven or hell, rises up in by a birth, and is generated in us by the will- spirit of our souls, which kindles itself either in heaven or in hell; so this mystery of a triune Deity manifesting itself, as a Father creating, as a Son or Word regenerating, as a Holy Spirit sanctifying us, is not to entertain our speculation with dry, metaphysical distinctions of the Deity, but to show us from what a height and depth we are fallen, and to excite such a prayer and faith…… after this triune fountain of all good, as may help to generate and bring forth in us that first image of the Holy Trinity in which we were created, and which must be born in us before we can enter into the state of the blessed…… No person has fitness, nor any pretense, nor any ground from scripture, to think, or say anything of the Trinity, till such time as he stands in the state of the penitent returning prodigal, weary of his own sinful shameful nature; and desiring to renounce the world, the flesh and the devil, and then he is first permitted to be baptized in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost; this is the first time the Gospel teaches, or calls anyone to the acknowledgement of the Holy Trinity.” – An Appeal to all who Doubt the Truths of the Gospel (End Quote Emphasis Mike’s]

I also cannot see how Christ, the Son of God, if a created being, is able to dwell in all His creatures. All creation was created in and through Christ, and all creation must have Christ in it if it is to have any glory or perfection. I hope you believe that I have no intention of arguing with you or anyone; I merely want to know what the truth is, and I feel that William Law has explained the nature of the Trinity better than anyone I have ever read. For a better and more in- depth understanding of what I have referred to, you can look up these two books of William Law’s on the internet and see whether you agree or disagree with him. I also remember you mentioning something about Adam and Eve – how God creates through Christ, as Adam creates through Eve (I can’t remember exactly, so forgive me if I have gotten it wrong), as somehow proving that Christ is an inferior created being to the Father. Consider the teaching of Jacob Boehme on this subject:

“God created His Image and Likeness in a single man. Adam was a man and also a woman;…. for God did not in the beginning make man and woman; He did not create them at the same time, because the life in which the two properties of masculine and feminine are united in one, constitutes man in the Image of God…. after the manner of the Father’s and Son’s property, which together are one God, not divided; for perfect love is not found in one property, but in the two, one entering into the other”. – Man in the Image of the Heavenly (Treasures from the writings of Jacob Boehme (End Quote)

Please let me know what you think of all this, whether you agree or disagree. Yours sincerely, K____

Hi K____,

It is good to hear from you again.

Just weigh what I say against the scriptures and don’t allow ‘scholarship,’ name recognition or the fact that someone has been so helpful in the past, to keep you from “trying the spirits.” How do we ‘try the spirits?’

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

‘Trying the spirits’ has to do with whether we should “believe” what we are being taught. I say all this with the greatest respect and appreciation for men like Andrew Jukes, William Law and Jacob Boehme. However, I never forget the need to “try the spirits.”

When I do this I am not ‘trying’ these men. One thing I am convinced of by Christ Himself is that we are not judged by what we produce. Rather, we are judged by what we do with what we are given, as demonstrated in the parable of the talents.

Luk 12:47  And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
Luk 12:48  But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

What I mean by that is that God did not reveal to Andrew Jukes that “we are the circumcision” (Php 3:3). Andrew Jukes did not see nor fully comprehend the truth that “He is NOT a Jew which is one outwardly” (Rom.2:27-29). He did not fully understand that we “were [past tense] Gentiles,” but now in Christ we “are made near [to the] commonwealth of Israel [and are now] fellowcitzens in the commonwealth of Israel” (Eph. 2:11-19). Jukes did not see that the “Jerusalem that now is, is in bondage with her children… and we [Gentile Galatians] are the  children of the free woman” (Gal. 4:21-31). Jukes did not believe that “Jerusalem which now is… is in bondage with her children” and is “cast out” and “shall not be heir with the son of the free woman”, the Gentile Christians.

Gal 4:30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son [physical Israel]: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Gal 4:31  So then, brethren, we [Gentile Christians] are not children of the bondwoman [physical Israel], but of the free.

Not being given this knowledge, Mr. Jukes draws the erroneous conclusion that Paul’s letters are ‘Katurah’.

“They [Paul’s writings] ‘smell sweet,’ but they will never be allowed to inherit the promises given to Abraham, because they were not born of Isaac.” (from Types In Genesis).

As much respect as I have for Mr Jukes, on this point he is dead wrong. What he teaches concerning physical, Christ-denying Israel, is the exact opposite of what the holy spirit inspired Paul to tell us:

Gal 4:28  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Gal 4:29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
Gal 4:30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Gal 4:31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

“We… as Isaac was, ARE the children of promise.”  “Israel [Isaac’s descendants] have not obtained that which he sought after, but the election [Gentiles in Christ] have obtained it.”

The Lord, sadly, blinded Mr. Jukes eyes from seeing the last verse of the previous chapter:

Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Mr. Jukes missed all of that. I do not hold that against him; I simply ‘try the spirits, to see whether they be of God.’

Now I point all that out about Andrew Jukes so you will see where I am coming from when I answer your question about William Law’s doctrine of the trinity. Mr. Law obviously believes in the unscriptural doctrine of the ‘fall of man.’  Neither Christ nor any of His apostles ever mentioned the so-called “fall of Adam.”

The reason no New Testament writer ever uses the phrase ‘the fall’ is that all the New Covenant writers understood that:

Jer 18:4  And the vessel that he made of clay [Adam] was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made [the Hebrew reads ‘is making’] it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Every verb in that verse is in the Hebrew Qal Stem, which informs those with eyes to see the Adam, one generation after the other, is being made of clay, being made flesh and blood, was never intended to be the finished product. Adam was made of clay, and clay has nowhere to fall. Adam was “made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected the same in hope.”

Rom 8:20  For the creature was made [right from the hand of the Creator] subject to vanity, not willingly [not by choice], but by reason of him  who hath subjected the same in hope.

 It was Christ Himself who made the first Adam “marred in the Potter’s hand… subject to vanity.” None of that was of Adam’s choosing nor by Adam’s fabled ‘free will.’

Read ‘After The Counsel of His Own Will at this link: https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/after-the-counsel-of-his-own-will/

This is what is meant when we read:

Gen 2:7  And the LORD God formed man of  the dust of the ground [“marred”, Jer 18:4; “corruption”, 1Co 15:50, nowhere to ‘fall’, 1Co 15:50], and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Every “living soul” is also a ‘dying soul.’

Eze 18:4  Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Eze 18:20  The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

So much for the false doctrine of an “immortal soul”, which is contingent upon the greater false doctrine of ‘the trinity’.

William Law teaches the false doctrine of a triune God and then uses that false doctrine to establish the false doctrine of a triune man. Yes, mankind does possess a soul, a body and a spirit, but they are all the same person, and the soul is simply God’s knowledge of who we are even after the sinning soul dies. That ‘soul’ is not indestructible:

Mat 10:28  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Luk 12:4  And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
Luk 12:5  But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

The Greek word translated as ‘hell’ here in Matthew and in Luke is ‘gehenna’. Gehenna signifies the lake of fire/second death in which our old man, our ‘soul’ is destroyed but “he himself shall be saved though as by [the lake of] fire”:

1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned [old man’s ‘soul’ destroyed], he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

This is the same message given to Eve and  Cain. Eve’s curse was to be against her husband but with the assurance that in the end her husband,  signifying Christ, “shall rule over thee.”

Gen 3:16  Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to [Hebrew: ‘el’, against] thy husband, and [“though as by fire”, (1Co 3:15)] he shall rule over thee.

In the next chapter sin is personified, and Cain is told that even though sin is at the door in the end “though as by fire… you will rule over him.”

Gen 4:6  And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
Gen 4:7  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto [Hebrew: ‘el’, against] thee shall be his desire, and [“though as by fire”] thou shalt rule over him.
Gen 4:8  And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against [Hebrew: ‘el’, same Hebrew word translated a ‘to’ in Genesis 3:16] Abel his brother, and slew him.

What was Adam? Was he a spirit having a physical experience as so many teach and believe? Let’s try that spirit and put it up against these words of our Lord:

Gen 3:19  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of  it  wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

This is what we are being told when we read:

Gen 2:25  And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Adam and you and I are dust, and if the Lord does not raise us up from death we will have “perished”:

1Co 15:16  For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
1Co 15:17  And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
1Co 15:18  Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
1Co 15:19  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

If there is no resurrection then the “[dead] in Christ are perished”. The dead are not up in heaven, nor down in hell. They “are perished” unless they are resurrected.

Do you realize how few people believe these words. The whole Christian world believes that “He created man in His image” means that man was made perfect and immortal, and then he fell. The Truth of the scriptures is:

Rom 8:20  For the creature was made [right from the hand of the Creator] subject to vanity, not willingly [here is the Truth, it wasn’t by Adam’s fabled ‘free choice’ or his will], but by reason of him [God Himself] who hath subjected the same in hope

 God’s original plan was for Adam to disobey Him and come to see his corruptible nature and his need for a Savior. God had already provided this Savior before he ever created Adam. God is operating on plan A, and has been from the beginning.

We will pause our study at this point and in our next study we will give the scriptures which demonstrate the truth of the statement that Christ “was slain before the foundation of the world. (Rev 13:8).

[Click here for part 2.]

Created Soulish Adam Sin and the Sovereign Design of God, Part 2

[Study Aired May 15, 2026]

Introduction

In Part 1, we established the framework Scripture itself supplies. Sin is not primarily a legal catalogue — it is the soulish nature falling short, by its very constitution, of the spiritual mark that is the glory of God. Adam was formed as the first stage of God’s two-stage ordering: soulish first, spiritual afterward, exactly as 1 Corinthians 15:46 governs. Genesis 3, read through the lens of Hebrews 12 and the first gospel announcement of Genesis 3:15, is not the rupture of a perfect plan but the beginning of the developmental process the plan always required — a Father drawing His child to give account, clothing the marred clay, and continuing to form it. That foundation established, Paul’s argument in Romans 5 builds the superstructure. He takes the same arc traced in Genesis — one man, one act, one consequence — and establishes its full theological scope: the all condemned through the first Adam is the same pas as the all justified through the Last, and where sin abounded, grace did not merely match it. Grace super-abounded beyond measure. We turn now to that framework, and from it to the sovereignty that ordained the whole process from before the foundation of the world, and finally to what it means for all the clay to stand before the Potter whose hand never once released it.

The Falling Short and Its Occasion: Romans 5:12–21

Paul’s argument in Romans 5:12-21 is the most extended treatment in all of Scripture of the relationship between Adam’s act and Christ’s redemption. It must be examined fully.

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).

The critical Greek word is eiserchomai (G1525) — translated “entered.” This is movement language: something came in from one place into another. Sin entered the world through Adam — he was the doorway, the occasion, the first manifestation. The language describes entrance, not origination. That sin was already present before Adam’s act gave it occasion is established not by etymology but by what Paul says next.

Paul clarifies the relationship between the soulish condition and transgressive act in verse 13: “For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.” The Greek ellogeo (G1677) — imputed — means to charge to an account, to formally reckon against someone. The first law given was not at Sinai. It was Genesis 2:17: “of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it.” This was Adam’s law. Before that commandment existed — between Adam’s creation in Genesis 2:7 and the giving of the prohibition in Genesis 2:17 — the falling short was already present, but sin had no law to transgress against and could not be formally imputed.

Paul confirms the same pattern in Romans 7:7-8: “I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence.” Sin took occasion by the commandment. The commandment did not create sin — it revealed what was already present. Sin used the commandment as the occasion for manifestation. This is precisely the pattern of Genesis 2-3: the commandment “you shall not eat” gave the latent falling short its occasion to manifest as transgression. Sin is both missing the mark — hamartano (G264), the created insufficiency present from the beginning — and transgression of the law — parabasis (G3847), the active crossing of a known boundary. The shortfall is the root. The transgression is the fruit. The root was present from creation. The commandment gave it occasion to produce the fruit.

The timeline therefore runs in three stages. From Genesis 2:7 to Genesis 2:17: the soulish condition present, no law, sin dead — not yet imputable. From Genesis 2:17 to Genesis 3:6: law given, sin now has an occasion, the gap between the earthy and the spiritual has a standard to transgress against formally. At Genesis 3:6: transgression occurs, the soulish condition manifests as an act, and sin enters the world through the doorway Adam opened (Romans 5:12). Paul then extends the same principle forward — the pattern repeats from Adam to Sinai, and from Sinai onward.

Now Paul builds the structural parallel that governs the rest of Romans 5:12-21:

“Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” (Romans 5:18-19).

The Greek construction is precise. Verse 18 uses pas (G3956) in both directions: unto all men to condemnation; unto all men unto justification of life. Same word. Same construction. Same scope. Paul does not use a qualifier in one direction that he withholds in the other. The all condemned through Adam is identical to the all justified through Christ.

First Corinthians 15:22 confirms the symmetry: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” The pas (G3956) who die in Adam equals the pas (G3956) made alive in Christ. Romans 11:32 seals it: “For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.” The all shut up equals the all shown mercy.

Paul adds one more element in verse 20 that cannot be passed over: “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” The Greek huperperisseuо (G5248) — grace super-abounded, overflowed beyond measure. Paul deliberately uses a compound word to assert that grace exceeded sin in magnitude. The restoration does not merely match the condemnation. It exceeds it.

Romans 5:12-21 establishes four things: sin was latent before the commandment revealed it; the commandment gave sin its occasion for manifestation; the scope of restoration equals the scope of condemnation — all is all; and grace super-abounds over sin in magnitude.

The Marring in the Potter’s Hand: God’s Sovereign Working

No passage cuts more directly to the heart of this matter than Romans 11:32: “For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.” The Greek sugkleio (G4788) — translated “concluded” in the KJV — means to shut up together, to enclose, to imprison. It is the same word Paul uses in Galatians 3:22: “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” In both passages Paul employs the active aorist: God shut all up. This is not passive permission. This is active sovereign enclosure. And in both cases, the enclosure serves a purpose set before it was executed: that the promise might be given, that mercy might be shown.

The arrangement of this enclosure reaches back to the very beginning. Creation itself was subjected to vanity — not by happenstance, not by an enemy’s interference, but “by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope” (Romans 8:20). Some have read “him who subjected” as referring to Adam, but the consistent witness of Isaiah 45:7 — “I the LORD do all these things” — and the active divine agency throughout Romans 8:18-25 establishes God as the One who subjected. The subjection is His. The hope embedded in the subjection is His. The liberation that follows is His: “the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:21). The bondage was ordained; the liberty was ordained; the movement between them was ordained.

Isaiah 45:7 establishes this with a boldness that demands attention: “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil (bara ra): I the LORD do all these things.” The Hebrew is unambiguous. God uses the verb bara (H1254) — the same word as in Genesis 1:1 — to describe His creation of ra (H7451), the evil and adversity that constitutes the conditions in which the soulish nature manifests its falling short. God takes direct credit. Amos 3:6 echoes this: “shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?” Lamentations 3:38 presses the same point: “Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?” The distinction Scripture maintains is between God creating the conditions of ra (H7451) and God tempting anyone toward moral evil — which James 1:13-14 explicitly denies. Both truths stand. “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

Jeremiah 18:1-6 gives us the image that holds the whole working together. The potter forms the clay, and the vessel is marred — not outside the potter’s hand, but in it: “the vessel that he was making of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it” (Jeremiah 18:4). The Hebrew verb for marred is shachath (H7843) — to mar, ruin, corrupt within the forming process. The LORD then applies the image directly: “O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand.” The marring is within the forming. The remaking is the Potter’s pleasure. And Isaiah declares the scope: “we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand” (Isaiah 64:8). All the clay. Every human being is the Maker’s work.

Genesis 1:31 must therefore be read through the lens that Isaiah 46:9-10 provides. God declares “the end from the beginning” — His evaluation of creation is not a snapshot of a pristine moment before things went wrong. It is the sovereign evaluation of the entire arc from the perspective of the One who sets the end before the beginning exists. The very goodness of that declaration encompasses the soulish nature as the appointed first stage, the marring in the Potter’s hand, the entrance of sin as the first manifestation of the falling short, the redemption through the Last Adam, and the transformation of all the clay into spirit. God looked at that whole working and declared it “very good.” The very goodness is not the absence of the shortfall. The very goodness encompasses the missing of the mark, because that missing serves the counsel God purposes as very good.

Giving an Account: The Potter’s Clay Before the Potter

Scripture’s actual language for what all humans do before God is precise: they give an account. Romans 14:12: “So then each one of us shall give account (logos didomi) of himself to God.” The Greek is logos (G3056) — account, and didomi (G1325) — shall give. First Peter 4:5 confirms the universal scope: “who shall give account (apodidomi logos) to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead” — apodidomi (G591), logos (G3056). Matthew 12:36 extends it to every person: “every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account (logos apodidomi) thereof in the day of judgment” — logos (G3056), apodidomi (G591). Three witnesses. Every person. The giving of account means to report, to disclose, to present the ledger of one’s life before God.

This is not the philosophical category of moral accountability with its assumptions of autonomous agency and independent moral standing. Hebrews 4:13 clarifies the nature of the accounting: “all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” — the Greek is pros hon hemin ho logos (G3056) — the account is to God who already knows all things. The accounting is the laying open of what God already knows. It is disclosure within a relationship, not a verdict on autonomous moral agents.

If we are clay in the Maker’s hand — if the marring happened in His hand, if God created the ra (H7451) in which the soulish nature manifests its falling short — then the accounting before God is the clay being brought before the One forming it to have the work examined. The Potter already knows the clay. The accounting reveals to the clay what was always known to Him. This is paideia (G3809) — the chastening of the Father’s children — not a courtroom verdict on beings who acted in independence from Him. And Hebrews 12:11 names where that chastening is headed: “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” The chastening yields fruit. The seed falls into the ground, the Potter’s forming works through the clay, and the fruit of righteousness emerges — exactly the harvest John 12:24 promised from the beginning. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”

Conclusion

Scripture traces a single, coherent, sovereign working from the first breath breathed into dust to the life-giving spirit that raises the dead in a moment. God made Adam soulish by intent — the seed, the earthy first, the natural that must precede the spiritual. He subjected that nature to vanity in hope (Romans 8:20). He shut all up in disobedience that mercy might be shown to all (Romans 11:32). He embedded redemption inside the first consequence (Genesis 3:15). And He ordained a Last Adam whose obedience would accomplish for all what the first Adam’s transgression brought upon all (Romans 5:18-19). Every element of the arc was set before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8, Ephesians 1:4). None of it was improvised.

Adam was created a sinner. Not because God made him morally corrupt — James 1:13 stands firm — but because the soulish nature falls short, by its very constitution, of the spiritual mark that is the glory of God. The arrow was earthy; the target is spirit; and the distance between them was appointed by the Archer Himself. The creature was not blameworthy for that distance. The marring was in the Potter’s hand. The blame attached only when the law gave the falling short its occasion for transgression — and even then, where sin abounded, grace super-abounded beyond measure (Romans 5:20).

Christ as the Last Adam is the plan’s destination and the Potter’s masterwork. He is the life-giving spirit who brings all the clay to the form the Potter always intended. He is the seed that fell into the ground and died and brought forth much fruit. He is the One in whom we shall all be changed — in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye — from the earthy to the heavenly, from the soulish to the spiritual, from the first Adam to the image of the Last.

“But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.” (1 Corinthians 15:35-38).

He was not God’s remedy for a broken plan. He was the plan before the plan began.

Hebrews 4:12 – Dividing Asunder of Soul and Spirit – Part 3

[Study Aired August 27, 2024]

The Death of the Soul and the Life of the Spirit

Dying to Self

Several New Testament passages speak of a necessary “death” to the old self:

(Galatians 2:20) “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God , who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

This verse suggests a kind of “death” to the self, which is associated with the soul, to allow for a new life in Christ.

The Flesh vs. The Spirit

Paul often contrasts the flesh, which is analogous to the soulish nature, with the spirit:

(Romans 8:13) “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live

This verse implies a need to “put to death” the deeds of the flesh to live by the spirit.

New Creation in Christ

The concept of becoming a new creation in Christ further illustrates this transformation:

(2 Corinthians 5:17) “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

This newness of life is to be understood as the ascendancy of the spirit over the soul’s natural inclinations.

The Soul, Spirit, and Eternal Destiny

The Promise of Eternal Life

(1 John 2:25) “And this is the promise that he hath promised us,even eternal life.”

This promise of eternal life is central to our faith. Jesus elaborates on this in John 17:3:

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

This suggests that eternal life is not just about duration, but about a relationship with God.

Paul further explains in Romans 6:23:

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. “

This verse contrasts eternal life with death, indicating that it’s God’s gift through Christ.

The Resurrection Body

Paul provides a detailed discussion of the resurrection body in 1 Corinthians 15:

(1 Corinthians 15:44) ” It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body . There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”

He continues in verses 1 Corinthians 53-54: 

“For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality [by dividing asunder of soul and spirit]. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”

This transformation is also mentioned in Philippians 3:20-21: 

“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, [by dividing asunder of soul and spirit] that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”

The State of the Soul and Spirit After Death

The Bible provides insights into the state of believers after death, but it’s important to consider these passages in the context of other Scriptures:

(2 Corinthians 5:8) “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

Paul expresses a similar sentiment in Philippians 1:23:

“For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:”

However, we must also consider verses that speak of death as a sleep:

(Psalm 13:3) “Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;”

“And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” (Daniel 12:2)

Jesus himself used this analogy:

(John 11:11) “These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.”

(1 Thessalonians 4:14) “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”

These verses present death as a state of unconsciousness, likened to sleep, from which one will be awakened at the resurrection. This understanding helps to reconcile the seemingly immediate presence with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8, Philippians 1:23) with the concept of awaiting resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:51-52, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

The full understanding of the soul and spirit’s state after death we must consider all the above passages.

The Final Judgment and Eternal State

The Bible speaks of a final judgment and an eternal state:

(Revelation 21:1) “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth : for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”

(Revelation 21:4) “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

These verses describe a transformed creation where the effects of sin are eliminated, suggesting a complete restoration of the soul, spirit, and body in harmony with God’s original intent.

God’s Sovereignty and Universal Salvation

While the Bible speaks of a transformation process for believers, we must consider a broader perspective on God’s plan for all souls. The Scriptures present a complex interplay between our “apparent individual choice” and God’s sovereign will. But what do the scriptures say.

(John 15:16) ” Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you , and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”

This verse emphasizes God’s initiative in choosing and ordaining His followers, suggesting a divine plan that transcends individual choice. Furthermore, the Bible indicates God’s plan for universal salvation:

(1 Timothy 2:3-4) “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved , and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

(1 Timothy 4:10) “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men , specially of those that believe.”

These passages state that God’s redemption will extend to all of mankind, not just to those who currently believe. The phrase “Saviour of all men” is particularly noteworthy, indicating a scope of salvation that is more inclusive than often understood by the world.

Moreover, the Bible speaks of a future where every being acknowledges Christ:

(Philippians 2:10-11) “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow , of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord , to the glory of God the Father.”

This universal confession shows that all souls will eventually recognize and submit to Christ’s lordship.

These passages point to a divine plan that is truly universal in scope, aligning with the scriptures that speak of all dying in Adam and all being made alive in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:22). The idea that all souls must experience a form of death for God’s spirit to bring new life is indeed reflected in Scripture, albeit in a broader context than often recognized. This universal process of death and resurrection, both literal and spiritual, is central to God’s redemptive plan. It suggests that God’s transformative work will extend to all souls, not through individual choice, but through His sovereign will and power to make all things new. This understanding offers a perspective on salvation that is more comprehensive and far-reaching than commonly perceived, emphasizing God’s ultimate purpose to reconcile all things to Himself through Christ (Colossians 1:20). As we contemplate these truths, we are reminded of the vastness of God’s love and the all-encompassing nature of His plan for creation.

(1 Corinthians 15:22) For as in Adam all die , even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

(Colossians 1:20) And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself ; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

XII. Practical Implications

The Scripture teaches that the whole person – spirit, soul, and body – is to be sanctified and preserved blameless (1 Thessalonians 5:23). This holistic view of spirituality has several important implications:

Integrated Approach to Spiritual Growth:

Spiritual disciplines should engage not just the “spiritual” aspect, but also the mind (study, meditation), emotions (worship, fellowship), and body (fasting, service).

(Romans 12:1) “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God , that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice , holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Physical Health as a Spiritual Matter:

Caring for our physical bodies becomes part of our spiritual stewardship.

(1 Corinthians 6:19) “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you , which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”

Emotional Well-being:

Addressing emotional health is crucial for overall spiritual health.

(Philippians 4:4) ” Rejoice in the Lord alway : and again I say, Rejoice.”

Intellectual Engagement:

Growing in knowledge and understanding is part of spiritual maturity.

(Romans 12:2) “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind , that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Hebrews 4:12 states that the word of God is able to “divide asunder of soul and spirit”, emphasizing the importance of spiritual discernment. This verse indicates that there is a distinction between the soul and the spirit that requires divine insight to properly discern.

1 Corinthians 2:15 further reinforces this, stating “But he that is spiritual judgeth all things.” This suggests that those who are walking in the Spirit possess a spiritual perception that allows them to evaluate and judge all matters, including the difference between soulish and spiritual impulses.

The need for this spiritual discernment arises from the intricate interaction between the soul and the spirit within us. we must rely on the illumination of the holy spirit, working through the Scriptures, to rightly distinguish between natural, fleshly tendencies and the leading of the spirit.

The ability to discern between soul and spirit is crucial for mature Christian living:

Learning to distinguish between genuine spiritual promptings and emotional or psychological impulses.

(1 Corinthians 2:14) “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him : neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

Developing a heightened awareness to the holy spirit’s guidance.

(Romans 8:14) ” For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.“

Not all spiritual-seeming experiences are from God; discernment is needed.

(1 John 4:1) “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God : because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

Integrating spiritual insight with practical wisdom in life choices.

(James 1:5) “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God , that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

Scripture describes the process of spiritual growth as a transformation “from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord”.

(2 Corinthians 3:18) “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

This verse indicates that the process of being conformed into the image of Christ is not an instantaneous or easy one, but rather a gradual, incremental change. The use of the phrase “from glory to glory” suggests a progressive, step-by-step transformation, rather than a sudden or complete metamorphosis. This aligns with the biblical emphasis on the believer’s cooperation with the spirit’s sanctifying work in their life.

(Philippians 2:12-13) “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. ” (Philippians 2:12-13)

By recognizing the ongoing nature of this transformative process, believers are encouraged to exercise patience, perseverance, and dependence on the holy spirit. Spiritual growth is not achieved through our efforts, but through the Spirit’s empowerment and the believer’s caused submission.

Conclusion:

Our exploration of soul and spirit in Scripture reveals a rich tapestry of mankind’s nature and its relationship with God. We’ve seen that the soul, representing the whole living person, is mortal and subject to sin, yet intimately connected to our identity and consciousness. The spirit, while also an integral part of human nature, is presented as having a unique connection to God and a crucial role in understanding spiritual truths.

The division of soul and spirit, as mentioned in Hebrews 4:12, emerges not as a literal, physical separation, but as a profound spiritual process. It represents the discerning work of God’s Word in believers’ lives, helping to distinguish between natural, soulish inclinations and deeper spiritual truths. This process is central to spiritual growth and maturity.

We’ve also explored how this understanding of soul and spirit relates to other biblical concepts such as the body as a temple, the renewal of the mind, the role of the heart, and the idea of the ‘inner man’. These interconnected concepts paint a picture of man’s nature as complex and multifaceted, yet unified in its creation and purpose before God.

The biblical narrative of transformation – dying to self, mortifying the deeds of the flesh, and becoming a new creation in Christ – can be understood more deeply in light of this soul-spirit dynamic. It’s a process that encompasses our entire being, involving our thoughts, emotions, will, and our deepest spiritual nature.

However, we must remember that this transformative process is consistently presented in Scripture as applicable to believers through faith, rather than as a universal principle for all souls in this age. It’s a journey of spiritual growth facilitated by the powerful, piercing Word of God and the work of the holy spirit in believers’ lives. In the end all will go through the process of “the dividing asunder of soul and spirit”.

As we conclude, let us reflect on the words of the Psalmist:

(Psalm 103:1) ” Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.“

This verse beautifully encapsulates the holistic nature of our spiritual life, calling us to engage our entire being – soul, spirit, and body – in worship and devotion to God.

May this study deepen our understanding of our nature as created beings and inspire us to pursue wholehearted devotion to God, submitting to His Word as it transforms every aspect of our being. As we grow in this understanding, may we experience the reality of Paul’s prayer: 

(1 Thessalonians 5:23) “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.” 

(Hebrews 4:12)  “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit , and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

In this journey of faith, may we continually yield ourselves – soul, spirit, and body – to the sanctifying work of God, being transformed day by day into the image of Christ, until that day when we see Him face to face.

Link to Hebrews 4:12 Part 1

Link to Hebrews 4:12 Part 2

Hebrews 4:12 – Dividing Asunder of Soul and Spirit – Part 2

[Study Aired August 20, 2024]

IV. The Concept of the ‘Inner Man’

Paul often refers to the ‘inner man’, which encompass aspects of both soul and spirit:

“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16)

This concept of the ‘inner man’ being renewed suggests an ongoing process of spiritual growth and transformation.

Job also spoke of the inward and the heart.

Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart? (Job 38:36)

Psalms 64 tells us more about the heart.

“To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity: Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words: That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not. They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them? They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded. So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away. And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing. The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.” (Psalms 64:1-10)

“Who whet their tongue like a sword”, a two-edge sword, they use the word of God attempting to destroy Christ and his christs. “The heart is deep” is telling us how our ways as the old man are desperately wicked. The deep is the bottomless pit in which the beast ascends discussed in Revelation 11.

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

“And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.” (Revelation 11:1-10)

The ‘inner man,’ which Paul speaks about is contrasted with the ‘outward man’ in 2 Corinthians 4:16:

“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

This inner man is central to spiritual growth and transformation.

Again in Job 38:36 similar these concepts are mentioned:

“Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?”

This verse links the inward parts and the heart to wisdom and understanding. Here are the answers to these questions.

Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions [dividing asunder of soul and spirit] of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest [ by dividing asunder of soul and spirit] to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily [dividing asunder of soul and spirit]. (Colossians 1:24-29)

Psalm 64 provided further insight into the heart’s nature. It describes those who “whet their tongue like a sword” (verse 3) and notes that “the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep” (verse 6). The psalm concludes with “The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory” (verse 10), showing a contrast between different heart conditions.

These passages collectively suggest that the ‘inner man’ or ‘heart’ is complex and is oriented towards both good and evil. It’s portrayed as a source of thoughts, words, and actions, and its condition is closely tied to one’s relationship with God.

The Bible consistently emphasizes the importance of this inner aspect of a person. As Proverbs 4:23 states,

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.“

This underscores the central role of the heart in determining one’s spiritual state and actions.

By comparing these scriptures, we see a consistent biblical theme of an inner spiritual reality that is distinct from, yet connected to, our physical existence. This inner man or heart is presented as the core of a person’s spiritual life and the focus of spiritual renewal and growth.

V. The Holy Spirit’s Role

The holy spirit plays a crucial role in the spiritual life of believers, interacting with and empowering our spirit:

(Romans 8:16) “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:”

This verse reveals an intimate connection between the holy spirit and our spirit. The holy spirit “bears witness” or testifies, confirming our identity as God’s children. This suggests a profound spiritual communion and alignment between God’s Spirit and our spirit.

Throughout Scripture, the holy spirit is depicted as the source of spiritual empowerment, wisdom, and transformation for believers. For example:

(Acts 1:8) “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Here, Jesus promises his disciples that the holy spirit will equip them with the necessary power to fulfill their calling as witnesses. The holy spirit is seen as the divine enabler, giving us abilities to carry out God’s purposes.

In 1 Corinthians 2:10-12, Paul further clarifies the Spirit’s role:

“But God hath revealed them (the princes of this world vs.8) unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.“

This passage highlights the spirit’s ability to reveal the “deep things of God” to our spirit, imparting God’s understanding and knowledge. The holy spirit is seen as the conduit through which believers come to know the things of God.

Additionally, the spirit is credited with the work of sanctification and transformation within the believer. It is through Christ that we receive the spirit of the Father which was given to Christ:

(John 14:10-1) “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”

(2 Corinthians 3:18) “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

These verses indicate that the holy spirit actively works to conform believers into the image of Christ, a process of ongoing spiritual growth and maturation.

In summary, the biblical witness presents the holy spirit as intimately involved with our spirit, empowering, revealing, and transforming believers from within, as they cooperate with the spirit’s work. This underscores the essential role of the spirit in the spiritual life and development of God’s people.

VI. The Relationship Between Soul and Spirit and Body

In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Paul prays:

“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.“

Paul distinguishing between spirit, soul, and body in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, it’s important to consider this in the broader context of his teachings, particularly 1 Corinthians 15:44-45:

(1 Corinthians 15:44-45) “It is sown as a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.”

Paul emphasizes the complete sanctification of believers, encompassing all aspects of their being – spirit, soul, and body. While Paul speaks of preserving the whole person “unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,” he’s not necessarily implying all believers will be alive at Christ’s return. Rather, he’s expressing the hope of Christ’s return as a present reality for all believers, whether alive or dead at that time.

In light of 1 Corinthians 15:44-45, we can understand that Paul recognizes both the present “natural body” and the future “spiritual body.” The prayer for preservation of the body in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 encompasses both the present physical body and the future resurrected body.

The reference to Adam as a “living soul” and Christ as a “quickening spirit” in 1 Corinthians 15:45 adds depth to our understanding of “spirit and soul” in 1 Thessalonians 5:23. It suggests a progression from the natural, soul-driven life to the spiritual, Christ-empowered existence.

(1 Thessalonians 5:23)”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.“

Paul’s language implies both continuity (preservation) and transformation (sanctification) of the believer’s entire being in preparation for Christ’s return and the resurrection.

In conclusion, while 1 Thessalonians 5:23 does suggest Paul’s hope for Christ’s imminent return, it should be understood within the broader context of his teachings on resurrection and transformation. The verse expresses the desire for complete sanctification of believers in their current state, while also pointing towards their future glorified state at Christ’s return, whether they are alive or have died and will be resurrected.

Isaiah 26:9 provides a rich metaphor for the spiritual journey, illustrating the interconnected yet distinct roles of soul and spirit:

(Isaiah 26:9) “With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.”

The soul’s desire for God in the night represents an innate longing for the soulish (another Jesus) while full understanding is lacking.

(2 Corinthians 11:4) “For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”

This aligns with John 3:19-21, where darkness is associated with a state before coming to the light of truth.

“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

The spirit seeking God “early” or “at dawn” implies a more active, conscious pursuit of God as spiritual understanding begins to grow.

This mirrors 2 Peter 1:19, which speaks of heeding prophecy “as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.”

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:”

The verse suggests a progression from the soul’s desire to the spirit’s seeking, mirroring the journey from spiritual darkness to light.

This progression is reflected in Ephesians.

(Ephesians 5:8) “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.”

While distinct, soul and spirit work in tandem, reminiscent of how Psalm 119:105 describes God’s word as both “a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path,” guiding both immediate steps and overall direction.

“NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

The latter part of Isaiah 26:9 suggests that both soul and spirit respond to God’s self-revelation in the world.

“With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.” (Isaiah 26:9)

This parallels 2 Corinthians 4:6:

“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

The use of both soul and spirit emphasizes the holistic nature of spiritual experience, involving emotional, instinctive, and cognitive aspects of our being.

This holistic approach is seen in Romans 13:12:

“The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”

The metaphor of night and early morning represents the cyclical nature of spiritual life, with periods of lesser and greater understanding. Also, the separation of light and darkness is one of many symbols of “dividing asunder the soul and spirit”.

This cycle is reflected in Proverbs 4:18:

“But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.“

In conclusion, Isaiah 26:9 illustrates the journey from spiritual darkness (night) to the beginning of understanding (dawn), mirroring the broader biblical theme of moving from darkness to light (Acts 26:18, Colossians 1:13). It shows how the soul is in darkness and cannot seek God and the spirit is engaged in seeking God, progressing from death, lack of spiritual understanding, to a more enlightened pursuit, ultimately leading to a state where, as Jesus said, “he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).

(Act 26:18) “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: (Colossians 1:13)

VII. The Division of Soul and Spirit

Returning to our key verse:

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

This verse presents God’s Word as capable of dividing soul and spirit. But what does this division mean, and why is it significant?

To understand this division, we must consider the principle of spiritual discernment:

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)

The division of soul and spirit represents the process of distinguishing between natural, soulish, carnally minded inclinations and spiritual truths. It’s part of the transformative work of God’s Word in a believer’s life.

Jesus often spoke in parables, and Scripture contains symbolic meaning:

(Matthew 13:13) “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.”

Viewing the division of soul and spirit through this lens, we understand it as a metaphor for the internal process of spiritual growth and discernment.

The Old Testament often presents types and shadows of spiritual realities:

“Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” (Colossians 2:17)

The concept of dividing soul and spirit should be seen as a “shadow” of the deeper spiritual work that God’s Word accomplishes in us.

VIII. The Interplay of Soul, Spirit, and Body

To fully grasp the complex relationship between soul, spirit, and body, we must consider Paul’s view in 1 Thessalonians 5:23:

“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.”

This verse suggests an intricate interplay between these three aspects of mankind, each playing a crucial role in our spiritual life and development.

Scripture presents the body as multifaceted in its spiritual significance:

Temple of the Holy Spirit:

(1 Corinthians 6:19) “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”

Instrument for God’s glory:

(Romans 12:1) “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Subject to resurrection:

(1 Corinthians 15:44) “It is sown as a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”

Venue for spiritual warfare:

(2 Corinthians 10:1-6) “Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”

(1 Corinthians 9:27) “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

The transformation of the body is intrinsically linked to the renewal of the mind and spirit:

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

This renewal process involves aligning our thoughts, attitudes, and actions with spiritual truths, demonstrating the interconnectedness of body, soul, and spirit.

The concept of offering our bodies as living sacrifices encompasses various aspects:

Yielding to righteousness:

(Romans 6:13) “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.“

Practicing self-control:

(1 Corinthians 9:24) “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.”

Serving others:

(Galatians 5:13) “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.“

Maintaining purity:

(2 Corinthians 7:1) “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

Several passages suggest a strong connection between physical and mental/spiritual states:

(Colossians 3:1-7)  “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.”

This connection implies that the body can serve as a physical manifestation of our spiritual and mental state.

The interplay between soul, spirit, and body in Scripture reveals a holistic view of mankind’s nature. The body is presented as sacred, purposeful, and integral to spiritual life, serving as both a temple for God’s spirit and an instrument for His service. The transformation of the body is linked to the renewal of the mind and spirit, emphasizing the interconnectedness of these aspects. By presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, we engage in a process of aligning our entire being – body, soul, and spirit – with God’s will, demonstrating the profound unity of our physical and spiritual nature in the pursuit of holiness and service to God. Keeping in mind that “the soul that sinneth it shall die”. We must be born again into a new body with a new mind.

(1 Corinthians 15:35-49) “But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.”

Link to Hebrews 4:12 Part 1

Link to Hebrews 4:12 Part 3

Audio Links

Awesome Hands – part 83

“The judgments” Part N

August 5th, 2015

Exo 23:7  Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
Exo 23:8  And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.
Exo 23:9  Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

The verses in the study today are verses which have very basic and practical uses for our everyday lives, and they also help us formulate our thoughts for what the Lord is going to present to us in the verses following them (which will be covered next study).

False accusations and righteous judgment

Being able to examine a situation and see the forest for the trees can at times be a very hard thing to do. The Lord knew this to be true and set out to give us laws that would help those who were in the place of passing judgments to be able to do this job properly.

We know that the law was given to a “lawless and disobedient” people, but it was also given to several other groups that we are all very familiar with if we are candid with ourselves.

We are going to cover several verses in 1 Timothy chapter 1 with the verses in today’s lesson. First off, I will read the verses together and in context.

1Ti 1:3  As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,
1Ti 1:4  Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
1Ti 1:5  Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
1Ti 1:6  From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;
1Ti 1:7  Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
1Ti 1:8  But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
1Ti 1:9  Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
1Ti 1:10  For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
1Ti 1:11  According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.
1Ti 1:12  And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

Given what we just read, I want to connect the concepts here in 1 Timothy to Exodus 23:7-9. These verses in Timothy do not only apply here, but the concepts laid out certainly give us more context on the judgments given to us in Exodus 23.

Exo 23:7  Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.

We are told to stay away from a “false matter” for very good reasons.

(ESV) Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked.

(GNB) Do not make false accusations, and do not put an innocent person to death, for I will condemn anyone who does such an evil thing.

(BBE) Keep yourselves far from any false business; never let the upright or him who has done no wrong be put to death: for I will make the evil-doer responsible for his sin.

Keeping ourselves “pure heart” and “good conscience” as stated in 1 Timothy is directly connected with realizing that “judges” have an ultimate Judge.

Our Judge will be passing on judgment which comes directly from mouth, and the mouth speaks what the heart is feeling/thinking.

Jer 23:16  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.

Mat 12:34  O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Mat 15:18  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

Luk 6:45  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Mat 7:1  Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Mat 7:2  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

The two concepts spoken about in Exodus 23:7 tell us to not listen to or partake of false accusations and to not put an innocent person to death. If we disobey these judgments/laws, then we ourselves will be guilty of the “blood on our hands” so to speak.

In 1 Timothy 1:6 that those who stray from a pure heart, a good conscience and faith do so because they “give heed to FABLES and endless genealogies” which only produce MORE questions and do not solve whatever issue is at hand.

Why does a person “give heed” or listen to these things? It is because they give heed to a doctrine that they have not heard before or are straying from the “sound doctrine” that has been proven.

2Jn 1:8  Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
2Jn 1:9  Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of CHRIST, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
2Jn 1:10  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
2Jn 1:11  For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

Bribes and righteous judgment

Bribes and righteous judgment do NOT go hand in hand.

Exo 23:8  And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.

When we consider who it is who sees and who it is that is righteous, these verses become even more pertinent to our spiritual walks with the Lord.

Of course, our spiritual walks are only part of the equation of things to consider, but they also are something we can apply to our daily lives today.

It’s easy to conclude what bribes do to those that need to be able to pass righteous judgment to those who need to be judged. We are talking about the laws given to the judges to judge the people with, so how do bribes affect God’s people if not addressed and seen for what they are?

1Sa 8:1  And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
1Sa 8:2  Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.
1Sa 8:3  And his sons walked not in his ways (think… DOCTRINE), but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
1Sa 8:4  Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
1Sa 8:5  And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
1Sa 8:6  But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.

Judgments which can be bought with a bribe are obviously not proper judgments. Worse than that, they lead people to welcoming in even more evil to their lives just like the elders of Israel did when they petitioned Samuel to give them a judge over them.

If the judges would have “walked after Samuel’s way”, then the evil of appointing a king over themselves would not have taken place. Of course, the Lord wanted us to see that we have a “law in our members”, our king that we desire to be our head, that reigns over us because we do not have righteous judgment ourselves.

There are more examples of bribed judgment in scripture, and here are a few of those examples.

Psa 26:1  A Psalm of David. Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.

Psa 26:9  Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:
Psa 26:10  In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.
Psa 26:11  But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.

Pro 17:23  A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.
Pro 17:24  Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.

Isa 1:23  Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

Contrasted with:

Jas 1:26  If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
Jas 1:27  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

So, if we consider that Samuel’s sons didn’t “walk in his way” and then realize that this is a type for us, who’s “Way” should we be walking in?

What does “doctrine” have to do with the items mentioned in Exodus 23? The emphasis and ( ) are mine.

Exo 23:7  Keep thee far from a false matter (MIND and DOCTRINE); and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
Exo 23:8  And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise (EYES that SEE, EARS that HEAR), and perverteth the words of the righteous.
Exo 23:9  Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger (SOUL), seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

“Don’t be involved with false accusations, don’t slay an innocent man, take no gifts or bribes and don’t oppress strangers.” All of these concepts are rooted in doctrine, in the mind that has given us our doctrine, but it may not appear to be the case on the surface and in the letter.

1Ti 1:3  As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

1Ti 1:6  From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

The Lord has continued to give laws to Moses to give to the Israelites. In turn, the Israelites will have judges who are being given directions on how to judge properly.

Likewise, we have been given a law of Christ that we use to judge all situations in our lives each and every day.

What we DO NOT want to do is turn aside our judgment to “vain jangling”, so what is “vain jangling?”

Strongs:

G3150

mataiologia

mat-ah-yol-og-ee’-ah

From G3151; random talk, that is, babble: – vain jangling.

From G3151:

G3151

mataiologos

mat-ah-yol-og’-os

From G3152 and G3004; an idle (that is, senseless or mischievous) talker, that is, a wrangler: – vain talker.

Thayers:

G3150

mataiologia

Thayer Definition:

1) vain talking, empty talk

Part of Speech: noun feminine

A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from G3151

Citing in TDNT: 4:524, 571

From G3151:

G3151

mataiologos

Thayer Definition:

1) an idle talker, one who utters empty senseless things

Part of Speech: noun masculine

A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from G3152 and G3004

Citing in TDNT: 4:524, 571

G3152

mataios

Thayer Definition:

1) devoid of force, truth, success, result

2) useless, of no purpose

Part of Speech: adjective

A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from the base of G3155

Citing in TDNT: 4:519, 571

G3004

legō

Thayer Definition:

1) to say, to speak

1a) affirm over, maintain

1b) to teach

1c) to exhort, advise, to command, direct

1d) to point out with words, intend, mean, mean to say

1e) to call by name, to call, name

1f) to speak out, speak of, mention

Part of Speech: verb

A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: a root word

Citing in TDNT: 4:69, 505

So “vain babbling” is to speak something that is devoid of truth and has no purpose which is what those who turn from sound doctrine do.

What then is sound doctrine so that we know what it is we should be saying, thinking and applying/judging in our lives and in all situations we encounter or are asked about by others?

1Ti 1:10  For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound (G5198) doctrine (G1319);

G5198

hugiainō

hoog-ee-ah’ee-no

From G5199; to have sound health, that is, be well (in body); figuratively to be uncorrupt (true in doctrine): – be in health, (be safe and) sound, (be) whole (-some).

G5199

hugiēs

Thayer Definition:

1) sound

1a) of a man who is sound in body

2) to make one whole, i.e. restore him to health

3) metaphorically teaching which does not deviate from the truth

Part of Speech: adjective

A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from the base of G837

Citing in TDNT: 8:308, 1202

G837

αὐξάνω

auxanō

Thayer Definition:

1) to cause to grow, augment

2) to increase, become greater

3) to grow, increase

3a) of plants

3b) of infants

3c) of a multitude of people

3d) of inward Christian growth

Part of Speech: verb

A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: a prolonged form of a primary verb

Citing in TDNT: 8:517,*

I know that is all a bit technical when drilling down into the roots of the words, but the end result is that “sound doctrine” is not deviating away from the Truth.

Jesus Christ gave us His TEACHING, His doctrine. The root “sound” doctrine is that which causes and INCREASE.

How does this allow hearken back to Exodus 23:7-9?

Exo 23:9  Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

We know what it is like to not have proper judgment or consideration given to us. “Strangers” in the land aren’t afforded the same consideration as someone who is a native to the land.

Strangers a lot of times may be unaware of the “laws of the land” they are guilty of breaking. When they do break the laws, they may not know the penalties or technicalities associated with breaking those laws and they may not be able to afford counsel or representation in a “court of law”.

When then does this leave a judge?

As spiritual judges, who know the “heart” of a stranger, we are told to hearken to the teaching of Christ and apply that you our judgments, both of ourselves first and foremost and then on the will the Lord is working out in other’s lives.

The English word used as heart here isn’t very revealing. This word would be better translated “soul” as it is the other 400+ times in Hebrew. I am not going to include them all here for the sake of space, but I’ll show the first 416 entries.

H5315

nephesh

Total KJV Occurrences: 749

soul, 416

Gen_2:7, Gen_17:13-14 (2), Gen_19:20, Gen_27:4, Gen_27:19, Gen_27:25, Gen_27:31, Gen_34:3, Gen_34:8, Gen_35:18, Gen_42:21, Gen_49:6, Exo_12:15, Exo_12:19, Exo_30:12, Exo_31:14, Lev_4:2, Lev_5:1-2 (2), Lev_5:4, Lev_5:15, Lev_5:17, Lev_6:2, Lev_7:18, Lev_7:20-21 (4), Lev_7:25, Lev_7:27 (2), Lev_17:10-12 (3), Lev_17:15, Lev_19:8, Lev_20:6 (2), Lev_22:3, Lev_22:6, Lev_22:11, Lev_23:29-30 (3), Lev_26:11, Lev_26:15, Lev_26:30, Lev_26:43, Num_9:13, Num_11:6, Num_15:27-28 (2), Num_15:30-31 (3), Num_19:13, Num_19:20, Num_19:22, Num_21:4-5 (2), Num_30:2, Num_30:4-8 (6), Num_30:10-13 (4), Num_31:28, Deu_4:9, Deu_4:29, Deu_6:5, Deu_11:12-13 (2), Deu_11:18, Deu_12:15, Deu_12:20-21 (3), Deu_13:3, Deu_13:6, Deu_14:26 (2), Deu_26:16, Deu_30:2, Deu_30:6, Deu_30:10, Jos_22:5, Jdg_5:21, Jdg_16:16 (2), 1Sa_1:10, 1Sa_1:15, 1Sa_1:26, 1Sa_2:16, 1Sa_17:55, 1Sa_18:1 (3), 1Sa_20:3-4 (3), 1Sa_20:17, 1Sa_23:20, 1Sa_24:11, 1Sa_25:26, 1Sa_25:29 (2), 1Sa_26:21, 1Sa_30:6, 2Sa_4:9, 2Sa_5:8, 2Sa_11:11, 2Sa_14:19, 1Ki_1:29, 1Ki_2:4, 1Ki_8:48, 1Ki_11:37, 1Ki_17:21-22 (2), 2Ki_2:2, 2Ki_2:4, 2Ki_2:6, 2Ki_4:27, 2Ki_4:30, 2Ki_23:3, 2Ki_23:25, 1Ch_22:19, 2Ch_6:38, 2Ch_15:12, 2Ch_34:31, Job_3:20, Job_6:7, Job_7:11, Job_7:15, Job_9:21, Job_10:1 (2), Job_12:10, Job_14:22, Job_16:4, Job_19:2, Job_21:25, Job_23:13, Job_24:12, Job_27:2, Job_27:8, Job_30:16, Job_30:25, Job_31:30, Job_33:18, Job_33:20, Job_33:22, Job_33:28, Job_33:30, Psa_6:2-4 (3), Psa_7:2, Psa_7:5, Psa_11:1, Psa_11:5, Psa_13:2, Psa_16:10, Psa_17:13, Psa_19:7, Psa_22:20, Psa_22:29, Psa_24:3-4 (2), Psa_25:1, Psa_25:13, Psa_25:20, Psa_26:9, Psa_30:3, Psa_31:7, Psa_31:9, Psa_33:19-20 (2), Psa_34:2, Psa_34:22, Psa_35:3-4 (2), Psa_35:7, Psa_35:9, Psa_35:12-13 (2), Psa_35:17, Psa_40:14, Psa_41:4, Psa_42:1-2 (2), Psa_42:4-6 (3), Psa_42:11, Psa_43:5, Psa_44:25, Psa_49:8, Psa_49:15, Psa_49:18, Psa_54:3-4 (2), Psa_55:18, Psa_56:6, Psa_56:13, Psa_57:1, Psa_57:4, Psa_57:6, Psa_59:3, Psa_62:1, Psa_62:5, Psa_63:1, Psa_63:5, Psa_66:8-9 (3), Psa_66:16, Psa_69:1, Psa_69:10, Psa_69:18, Psa_70:2, Psa_71:10, Psa_71:13, Psa_71:23, Psa_72:14, Psa_74:19, Psa_77:2, Psa_78:50, Psa_86:2 (2), Psa_86:4 (2), Psa_86:13-14 (2), Psa_88:3, Psa_88:14, Psa_89:48, Psa_94:17, Psa_94:19, Psa_94:21, Psa_103:1-2 (2), Psa_103:22, Psa_104:1, Psa_104:35, Psa_106:15, Psa_107:5, Psa_107:9 (2), Psa_107:18, Psa_107:26, Psa_109:20, Psa_109:31, Psa_116:4, Psa_116:7-8 (2), Psa_119:20, Psa_119:25, Psa_119:28, Psa_119:81, Psa_119:109, Psa_119:129, Psa_119:167, Psa_119:175, Psa_120:2, Psa_121:6-7 (2), Psa_124:4-5 (3), Psa_124:7, Psa_130:5-6 (2), Psa_138:2-3 (2), Psa_139:14, Psa_141:8, Psa_142:4, Psa_142:7, Psa_143:3, Psa_143:6, Psa_143:8, Psa_143:11-12 (2), Psa_146:1, Pro_2:10, Pro_3:22, Pro_6:30, Pro_6:32, Pro_8:36, Pro_10:3, Pro_11:17, Pro_11:25, Pro_13:2, Pro_13:4 (2), Pro_13:19, Pro_13:25, Pro_15:32, Pro_16:17, Pro_16:24, Pro_18:7, Pro_19:2, Pro_19:8, Pro_19:15-16 (2), Pro_19:18, Pro_20:2, Pro_21:10, Pro_21:23, Pro_22:5, Pro_22:23, Pro_22:25, Pro_23:14, Pro_24:12, Pro_24:14, Pro_25:13, Pro_25:25, Pro_27:7 (2), Pro_29:10, Pro_29:17, Ecc_2:24 (2), Ecc_4:8, Ecc_6:2-3 (2), Ecc_7:28, Son_1:7, Son_3:1-4 (4), Son_5:6, Son_6:12, Isa_1:14, Isa_3:9, Isa_10:18, Isa_26:8-9 (2), Isa_29:8 (2), Isa_32:6, Isa_38:15, Isa_38:17, Isa_42:1, Isa_44:20, Isa_51:23, Isa_53:10-12 (3), Isa_58:2-3 (3), Isa_58:5, Isa_58:10-11 (3), Isa_61:10, Isa_66:3, Jer_4:10, Jer_4:19, Jer_4:31, Jer_5:9, Jer_5:29, Jer_9:8-9 (2), Jer_12:7, Jer_13:17, Jer_18:19-20 (2), Jer_20:13, Jer_31:12, Jer_31:14, Jer_31:25 (2), Jer_32:41, Jer_38:16-17 (2), Jer_38:20, Jer_50:19, Jer_51:6, Jer_51:45, Lam_1:11, Lam_1:16, Lam_2:12, Lam_3:17, Lam_3:20, Lam_3:24-25 (2), Lam_3:58, Eze_3:19, Eze_3:21, Eze_4:14, Eze_18:4 (3), Eze_18:20, Eze_18:27, Eze_24:21, Eze_33:5, Eze_33:9, Jon_2:4-5 (2), Mic_6:7 (2), Mic_7:1, Hab_2:4, Hab_2:10, Zec_11:8

Exo 23:9  Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the soul of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Gen 2:7  And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

What it means to know the soul of a stranger, spiritually speaking, is to understand that the Lord has caused us all to be who we are, to experience what we experience, and to be trapped as SLAVES to the Will of God in our lives.

When judging things that are set in front of us to judge, we should be looking toward what we have been freed from in order to then look to the cross of Christ and realize that Jesus Christ has “sat us on judgment bench” to be able to represent Him as ambassadors.

Exo 23:7  Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
Exo 23:8  And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.
Exo 23:9  Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

The points of Exodus 23:7-9 are we cannot possibly hope to make proper judgments in our lives if we lean only toward our own understandings. We need witnesses and guidance to make proper assessments. Otherwise, we spiritually kill those whom we give advice to since we are not founded in the truth.

We are able to be bribed and influenced and this happens because our eyes can be blinded. They must be “open” and not shut by influences/bribes over us. We must always stick with wise and righteous Words, the word of God, to know we are indeed not being blind in judgment.

If we don’t remember where is it is we have come from remembering what we have been set free from when we were slaves, then we are in now shape to be able to judge situations properly.

These laws precede the verses coming next week which give to us the various time tables and feasts the Lord has given us when we follow His laws and become His people.

Hi Mike,

Good afternoon. This is an article I found, while searching out, what is the traducer. If you want, and if you have the time, God willing, let me know what you think.

Please also direct me to what iwwb has written on the subject.

Your sister in The Christ,

C____

Hi C____,

Thank you for sharing this article on the traducer with me. The part of the article dealing with the definition of the English word,’traducer’ was very good, but other parts in the same article were tainted with the heresy of God’s sovereignty being limited only to “all new things”. The author makes the statement that in 2Co 5:18… “all things are of God” ought to read “all new things are of God”:

Here is how the King James renders that verse:

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2Co 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

The writer went to great lengths to distance God from the evils which God Himself tells us He makes for His own purposes.

Gen 45:8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Pro 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Pro 20:24 Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Amo 3:6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?

Here is the part of the article you sent me which effectively denies the truth of the verses I just quoted:

“HAVE OLD THINGS PASSED AWAY?

“Whatever the traditional mind-sets are with the majority in the church today, we can be assured they have not seen that the devil’s chief job is that of a traducer. During the time of his masquerading, he has been seen as everything except for what he is. This has attributed to his great success of inducing a multitude of erroneous theological concepts over the centuries. One such concept is how God’s creation will be changed from the image of the adamic man to that of glorified, spiritual sons and daughters of God.

“Many feel the change will come at the first resurrection. Some believe they will be instantly changed when the trumpet sounds and then fly away to meet the Lord in the clouds. Others see it differently and express a belief in the manifestation of the sons of God, and all that [is] necessary is to sit tight and wait for it to happen. It seems that a large number are under the assumption that to be in those elite ranks of glory, all they have to do is to merely believe in certain doctrines. This will hopefully qualify them for a place of celestial honor at the Kings right hand. This is primarily the same thought as those who embrace the rapture, the basic difference is — they don’t fly.

“However, according to what we read, neither way holds the essence of the matter. Most assuredly, there is a resurrection (Rev 20:6), there is also a catching away (I Thes 4:17), and there will certainly be a manifestation of the sons of God (Rom 8:19); however, much knowledge seems to be lacking in all three of these doctrinal areas, which we will not be covering to any degree, since they are not our subject matter today. We believe the change from an earthy creature to that of the heavens is not quite the same as many of us had presumed it to be. Nevertheless, before we notice what it might be, we will first look into some interesting stepping stones that lead to it.

“Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God….” (II Cor 5:17-18) . From the surface this may appear to say, we are new creatures in totality, all things in our old lives have passed away and are no more. It also seems to say that everything has already become new. And furthermore, it looks as if the word does declare, “All things are of God.”

“We have heard more than a few who had taught it in that manner, and I have not been totally guiltless myself (please forgive me for my shortsightedness). These well meaning brothers and sisters across the land have firmly said, “You are a new creation in Christ! All the old things have completely passed away, all those old things have become entirely new, and there is not one old thing remaining in your lives! If it doesn’t look that way, then it’s a lying vanity, it’s a figment of your imagination. For you see, the word says they have emphatically passed away and have already become new. Just believe what it says!”

“I had not personally taught much in those verses, but it is possible for you to have heard me picking up the thought and saying, “All things are of God…now that’s an interesting subject.” However, I never would elaborate on this “interesting subject.” The reason being, if all things are of God, I was not sure how to deal with what “all things are“; such as, murder, rape, incest, child molestation, homosexuality, adultery, devil worship, human sacrifice, greed, hate, lust, envy, strife, and the list goes on. What it would boil down to, if all things are truly of God, every conceivable thought and action that the human mind can come up with would have to be a product of our holy God. That would be true if this is what II Cor 5:18 truly says. However, there might be something hidden slightly beneath the surface of what we read. Let us, therefore, get our grammatical shovels and see what is there.” (Emphasis mine)

After admitting “I was not sure how to deal with” that very plain, straight forward statement, he then continues attempting to limit God’s sovereignty to only “the things that are new”:

“It is literally impossible to translate word for word from the Greek to any other language and get the full meaning of the thought. Therefore, since the verb tenses here is in the indicative, aorist, active, we will amplify these verses in order to convey what the ancient Greek is more accurately saying. “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation, the old things HAVE passed, ARE passing, and SHALL CONTINUE to pass away; behold all things HAVE become, ARE becoming, and SHALL CONTINUE to become new. And all these NEW THINGS are of God.”

“Praise God! It is all the new things that are of God! Not the totality of all things which would include every conceivable thing the lust and greed of man’s carnal mind might conjure up while under the influence of the traducer! The context declares what things are of God. IT IS THE N-E-W THINGS! Many Greek scholars and most Bible translations also render it as the new things. Only five out of the sixteen various Bible translations I have checked in my own library render it as the KJV has. The others unanimously say it is the NEW THINGS that are of God.”

So while the part this author wrote about the definition of the English word ‘traducer’ was very informative, yet the traducer is so adept at what he has been given by God to do, that he has traduced this brother into teaching that God does not create evil (Isa 45:7), the evil in the city was not done by God (Amo 3:6), and the wicked man is not of God (Pro 16:4), all the very opposite of what the scriptures plainly teach. Through his own logic and human reasoning, the very channel this brother recognizes as the channel through which Satan is given to deceive all men, this no doubt well-intentioned brother has denied the truth found in all the verses of scripture declaring that evil spirits actually are sent by God to accomplish His purposes, and are not capable of doing anything whatsoever beyond what He gives them to do.

But this is what Satan is given to do:

Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

The English word ‘traduce’ means to channel. While it is not a Biblical word, it certainly is a Biblical principle that the beast gets his “power, throne, and great authority from [channeled through] the great red dragon, that old serpent, call the devil and Satan, which deceives [by channeling every thought through the carnal mind] the whole world”.

Rev 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat [Greek: thronos, throne], and great authority.

It is by ‘traducing’ every thought, including the reading of the Word of God itself, through the carnal mind which God Himself has given over to the Adversary, that the deception takes place. It is by God’s decree that Satan is “the god of this world”:

2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not [Pro 16:4, Isa 45:7; Amo 3:6], lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

How then does God keep His elect from this incredible power to “deceive the whole world”? The fact is that we are all born deceived, but God has given His elect a ‘vaccine’ which will destroy the influence of the great red dragon, and that vaccine is Christ. That ‘vaccine’ is Christ as His Word, and Christ as His Christ, His anointed.

Christ is the Word:

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

But Christ is also His body:

Act 22:8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

It is Christ’s faith in, and obedience to the written word, which faith He has given us, which will keep us from the deceptions of the traducer. That is why we are given this warning:

1Co 4:6 Now these things, brothers, I applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us ye might learn not to think above that which is written, so that ye may not be puffed up, one over the one against the other. (ACV)

But Christ, our vaccination against the death sentence of believing the lies of the traducer, is more than just “that which is written”, and 1Co 4:6 is not “the sum of God Word” (Psa 119:160). His body is also ‘Jesus of Nazareth’, and He has commanded that our understanding of “that which is written”, must be filtered through “His body” whom we are told have been empowered, by the Word of God, and obedience to that Word, to “bind on earth that which… shall have been bound in heaven” (Mat 18:18).

Here are our instructions on how to deal with the traducer of the Word of God. This is the only way to avoid being deceived by that power to whom it is given to “deceive the whole world”:

Mat 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee [including “in doctrine”, 2Jo 1:6-11], go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
Mat 18:16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
Mat 18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
Mat 18:18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall [have been] bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall [have been] loosed in heaven.

“Tell it to the church”. This is the commandment of God which keeps the lies of the traducer from deceiving the body of Christ. If we love our Lord and His Father, we will obey this commandment, because that is how the scriptures define “the love of God”:

2Jn 1:6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. [Especially Mat 18:15-18]
2Jn 1:7 For many deceivers [traducers] are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the [sinful] flesh. This is a deceiver [traducer] and an antichrist.
2Jn 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
2Jn 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ [that God Himself “creates evil… yes, even the wicked for the day of evil”], hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
2Jn 1:10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
2Jn 1:11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

Love is obedience to the commandments of God (1Jo 5:2-3 and 2Jo 1:6). It is out of love and obedience to God that the anointed of Christ obey His words in Mat 18:15-18, and it is out of the love of God that His anointed fear to ignore those words just as they fear to ignore these words:

1Jn 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
1Jn 4:5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
1Jn 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
1Jn 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

“Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error [the spirit of the traducer of the word of God]” means that we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error only by deferring to those who know the Word of God well enough to “try the spirits”, and who are given by God Himself to bind and to loose on earth what has already been bound and loosed in the heavens of God’s anointed. Doing that properly, according to the instructions we are commanded in “that which is written”, will keep us from believing that “all things are of God” means only that “all new things are of God”, but the evil in this world did not come from God, in spite of verses like these:

1Sa 16:14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

1Ki 22:23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.

As James says:

Jas 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God, for God is without temptation of evils, and he himself tempts no man. (ACV)

God “Himself tempts no man”, but as a comparison of these two accounts of the same story demonstrates, He does send Satan, the devil, to tempt every man through each man’s own lusts:

2Sa 24:1 And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them, saying, Go, number Israel and Judah.

1Ch 21:1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.

1Ch 21:1 does not contradict, rather it complements 2Sa 24:1. God used Satan to tempt King David, just as He used Satan as God’s own hand to tempt Job:

Job 1:9 Then Satan answered LORD, and said, Does Job fear God for nothing?
Job 1:10 Have thou not made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he has, on every side? Thou have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Job 1:11 But put forth thy hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce thee to thy face.
Job 1:12 And LORD said to Satan, Behold, all that he has is in thy power, only upon himself do not put forth thy hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of LORD.

God sent Satan with specific, limited instructions to take everything that belonged to Job, but “do not put forth your hand… upon him”. Satan did exactly what he was sent to do. He could do nothing less and he could do nothing more.

In the next chapter this entire scene is repeated:

Job 2:4 And Satan answered LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man has he will give for his life.
Job 2:5 But put forth thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce thee to thy face.
Job 2:6 And LORD said to Satan, Behold, he is in thy hand, only spare his life.
Job 2:7 So Satan went forth from the presence of LORD, and smote Job with severe boils from the sole of his foot to his crown.

Again Satan did exactly what he was sent by God to accomplish. He afflicted Job with boils, but he was not sent to take Job’s life, and he was not permitted to do so. Satan, just like all men, did exactly what God worked to be done:

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

“God himself” did not tempt Job. He sent “an evil spirit from the Lord” to do so.

As this writer points out, when we see the word ‘Satan’ with the article, it is speaking of “the adversary”, meaning ‘the chief adversary, whom the Lord Himself has placed over legions of lesser adversaries, and it is “the adversary” with whom we are struggling “in [our] heavens” (Eph 6:12), more so than mere flesh, which is also “enmity against God”:

Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places [Greek: the heavens].

While there is nothing good in our flesh (Rom 7:18), it is even worse when we are made to know that God sends Satan to tempt our willing flesh, to do evil, and to be wicked (Pro 16:4).

I know that you already know all of this, but I remind you of it because you asked me what I thought of that article. As I have said I did not find anything amiss in the section dealing with the definition of the English word ‘traducer’. But this section on “Have Old Things Passed Away?” is way off the mark, telling us that God does not “create evil”, neither does He “make all things, yes even the wicked for the day of evil”. This brother has traduced those verses through his carnal logic and has now placed himself in direct opposition to the Word of God.

He also associates the phrase “the air” with “the soul”, when in fact “the air” refers to the realm of the spirit which along with the Sun, we are told, are both “darkened” by the lies of the traducer:

Rev 9:2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke [traducing lies] out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air [the realm of the heavens, the realm of the spirit] were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

The writer of that article might very well consider the soul to be an immortal spirit, but regardless of what he believes the soul to be, ‘the soul’ is not symbolized by “the air”, but by the the earth and the body which dies:

Eze 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Eze 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

It is true that the soul is more than just a physical body, but that is not to say that it is a spiritual entity which can live apart from a body. Our ‘soul’ is known of God, and it is that knowledge of who we are which is not destroyed by death:

Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Our ‘soul’ is known of God, and it is that knowledge of who we are which is not destroyed by death. It is only at a resurrection that God gives a new body to our ‘soul’, and without that resurrection we are “perished”:

1Co 15:16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
1Co 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
1Co 15:18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

I hope all these scriptures are of help to you.

Your brother in the Christ,

Mike

Hi Mike,

How are you doing? A friend was asking me about the scripture that says ‘What will you give in exchange for your soul that you may gain the whole world and still lose your soul. I told him the difference is the loss of reward of the ruling and reigning with Christ as opposed to being ruled and reigned over. Then I saw how it said in 1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith the salvation of (your) souls. I know that we all are at some point handed over to Satan for the destruction of our flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. This, hopefully, we have already experienced and/ or are experiencing. And that all this is within. All have sinned and fall short. And ‘the soul that sins it shall die’. And I know all souls are His. We are all given a spirit which upon death returns to the Father who gave it. Is it the same spirit that is our breath? Do my dog and I have the same spirit which returns to the Father? Or do we have each and every one of us have a spirit for me and one for Mike and one for Sandi? Are the soul and the spirit being saved? Are the people in the great white throne resurrected with souls? They are spirits I believe.
And I said the difference also is that we have the earnest down payment now in these earthen vessels which is also such a blessing and a fire to be walked through. I told him I know what it is like to be tormented (touchstone – as one touchstones gold to check its purity) in the presence of the Lamb and His holy angels. I am not trying to be hard and all, just wondering if you know where I am coming from? I know my friend is not getting it, and we do have an altar which they that serve the tabernacle are not worthy to eat at. He has come out of Christendom but the Son is still being blotted out with the locusts. I hope I have made myself clear. I appreciate all things and peace upon you and your family.
Until next time,

Love D____

Hi D____,
It is good to hear from you. You ask:

We are all given a spirit that upon death, returns to the Father who gave it. Is it the same spirit that is our breath. My dog and I have the same spirit which returns to the Father. Or do we have, each and every one of us, a spirit for me and one for Mike and one for Sandi. Is the soul and the spirit being saved. Are the people in the great white throne resurrected with souls?

Here is God’s answer to your question:

Psa 104:24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
Psa 104:25  So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
Psa 104:26  There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.
Psa 104:27  These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
Psa 104:28  That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.
Psa 104:29  Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
Psa 104:30  Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

I think you probably already know that the word ‘breath,’ in verse 29, and the word ‘spirit,’ in verse 30, both are translated from the one Hebrew word ‘ruach.’ So all the beasts, “both small and great,” are “created” when God “sends forth His spirit.” But Christ did not empty Himself of His divinity and come to this earth to die so just any “beast wherein is the breath [ spirit] of life,” can be saved. Christ came only “to save sinners… in Adam:”

1Ti 1:15  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Horses, lambs, rams, lions, oxes and eagles, etc., are all Biblical symbols and signs of Christ, His elect, or Satan, but they are all concerned with those who are “sinners… in Adam,” and who are in the process of being saved. As hard as it is to believe, God is not in the process of saving animals, and in the scriptures animals represent that within us which must be subdued and, in the end of the age, destroyed.
All flesh, man and the rest of the beasts, fall far short of the glory of the spiritual body to which we are to attain. Since animals are not “in Adam” and cannot be conformed to the image of Christ, it follows that they are not in the process of being saved.
That may or may not be relevant to your question, but there are two scriptures which demonstrate what exactly is a ‘soul.’ I will point out those scriptures and the holy spirit will give you the understanding on this subject.
It is taught by many that the soul is simply the flesh with the spirit giving it life. The fact that souls can and do die is used to prove this point:

Eze 18:4  Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Rev 16:3  And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead [ man]: and every living soul died in the sea.

Since all souls are corruptible dust, animals included, all souls must die.

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Scripturally speaking “flesh and blood” equate with “corruption”, and for that reason can never, under any circumstance, “inherit the kingdom of God.”  But Christ adds to our understanding of the meaning of this word ‘soul’ when He makes this statement:

Mat 10:28  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

The Greek word for ‘soul’ here is ‘psuche’, and Christ is telling us that man “cannot destroy the psuche by simply destroying the body. Does Christ’s comment here in Mat 10:28 contradict  Eze 18:4 or Rev 16:3? No, it complements those  verses and adds to them a deeper understanding. We now understand that the soul is more than just a living body of flesh and blood, and mankind cannot destroy the ‘soul.’ But does this mean that the soul is an immortal spirit? No, it means only that mankind is not capable of destroying the soul, and it means that God can and will destroy our souls in symbolic fire which he calls in Mat 10:28 “Gehenna fire.”
How do we know that the soul is not alive after death? Here is how we know that while mankind is incapable of destroying the soul, it still has to be resurrected in order to be destroyed, and through that destruction, be saved and receive salvation.

1Co 15:16  For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
1Co 15:17  And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
1Co 15:18  Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
1Co 15:19  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Just as life comes only through death to the old man, so the salvation of our souls comes only through the destruction of the old soul in a fiery judgment and the creation of a new soul through resurrection and the destruction of the old soul in ‘fire.’
If the dead rise not, then they that are fallen asleep in Christ are perished, but if the dead rise, then all souls will be raised to destruction and through that destruction to salvation. What then is the soul more that a mere living body of flesh and blood? Our souls are also God’s record of who and where we all are in the process of “all being made alive in Christ.”
The masses of humanity along with the masses of Christianity will die in their sins. Many will die at the hands of their fellow man. But their fellow man has no capability to change the hearts and minds of mankind. Consequently they will be resurrected with the same heart and mind with which they perished, and just like Joseph’s brothers, they will be just as carnal after they realize that their brother, who they hated, now has their fate in his hands. Just like Joseph’s brothers, their own resurrected, “terrestrial glory”, carnal mind will torment them until the time appointed by the Father to destroy that old soul and replace that old soul with a new heart and mind; the heart and mind of Christ.

You asked:

We are all given a spirit which upon death returns to the Father who gave it. Is it the same spirit that is our breath?

We are all given life by the spirit within us, just as are all animals. But that ‘spirit’ is not at this point, in scriptural terms, a ‘spiritual body.’ Spiritual bodies are given to those who were in Adam, only after a resurrection.

1Co 15:44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

That is why it “returns to God who gave it.” It was His life- giving spirit, without a spiritual body before He gave it us, and it is His spirit to take back to Himself when we relinquish these vessels of clay, and “sleep in Christ”.

You ask:

Are the people in the great white throne resurrected with souls?

The answer is, yes, they are. They are resurrected with the same carnal- minded souls with which they died. That is why Paul says that the “glory” with which some men are resurrected will be “terrestrial glory.”

1Co 15:40  There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

Satan himself is a spirit being whose heart must be destroyed and changed. So too, must all men’s souls be destroyed and changed. The masses of humanity will be resurrected as immortal beings in need of purging in the fire that is God’s Word, which “keeps the way of the tree of life.” If that Word is in us, then we are that little lake called “the lake of fire”, and we become the cherubim through which all men must pass before they can become at one with God.

Gen 3:24  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
Isa 33:14  The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isa 33:15  He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

I hope this helps to answer all of your questions. If not, please let me know.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike

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Revelation 6:9-11 The Fifth Seal

[Study Aired Nov 18, 2009]

Updated April 30, 2024

Rev 6:9  And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
Rev 6:10  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Rev 6:11  And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

Introduction

The fifth and sixth seals are the souls under the altar, the great earthquake, the heavenly signs and the great day of God’s wrath. These two seals graphically demonstrate the ‘is, was and will be’ nature and character of Christ and His Words. Christ told us plainly that His words “shall not pass away.”

Mat 24:34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

All we will cover today is the fifth seal and the souls under the altar, but this entire prophecy is the “signified” words of Christ. It is the revelation of Jesus Christ:

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

As is always the case with “every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”, it will be a challenge for us to remember the words of verse one and the words of verse three as we read about the loosing by the Lamb of the fifth and sixth seals.

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

How will Revelation 1:3 be applied to these two seals? How will we read, hear and keep the souls under the altar. How can we justify their desire for vengeance on those who have slain them? The only way we can do that is to remember that this entire prophecy is within us and about us, and about the necessary steps that bring us to see ourselves for the beasts we are and our need to die to that beast within. The only way we can even hope to understand “the things written therein” is to remember that the entirety of God’s word is all about just two men, and even then we must remember that both of those two men are within each of us.

We must remember the fact that just as “the kingdom of God is within you” (Luk 17:20-21), so, too, there is first a ‘seed of the serpent’, a beast with seven heads and a harlot within us, and they are all to be seen as within these seven seals. If we cannot see that these seven seals must be loosed before we can look behind us and see that we have read, heard and kept the sayings of the prophecy of this book as part of the process of entering into that kingdom, then we will get nothing out of this revelation of Jesus Christ. If ever we lose sight of this inward application to the signs and symbols of this prophecy, then we, too, will be relegated to speculating about what all these symbols mean, and we, too, will be subjected to placing all of this prophecy without ourselves onto someone else and into the future or into the past.

The Truth is that the ‘seven heads and ten horns’ are all within and upon  this one beast, which is, by the mercy of God, dying daily as it is being transformed from a vicious, poisonous, wild beast into a beast which can be found in the middle of and round about the throne of God.

Rev 17:9  And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
Rev 17:10  And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

This week we will only cover the loosing by the Lamb of the fifth seal, which is the souls under the altar.

Who are the souls under the altar?

Rev 6:9  And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

The only “souls under the altar” are those souls who have been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. Have you been “slain for the word of God and for the testimony” which you hold? If you have not, then you are not one of the souls under the altar. Remember Revelation 1:1. This is a book of symbols, which symbols are interpreted only by “what has been written.” We are never to so much as “think above what is written.”

1Co 4:6  And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and [to] Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think […] above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

As far as the scriptures or secular history is concerned, John himself was never physically “slain for the word of God and for the testimony which he held.” Any and all who know what Christ meant by ‘a corn of wheat falling into the ground and dying before it can bring forth fruit’, knows that “being slain for the word of God, and for the testimony we hold” is the symbol of our baptism and “cleansing… with the water of the word”:

Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

Here is what is meant by ‘being slain’ for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ:

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is being crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

So once again, we see the ‘is, was, and will be’ nature of Christ and His Words. “Our old man IS being crucified with Him.”

1Co 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Contrary to what many of us have all been taught, these “souls under the altar” are not simply a future reality for those with eyes that see and ears that hear and know the ‘is, was and will be’ nature of the Word of God. These “souls under the altar” are you and me at this very moment, if we are indeed ‘dying daily’ and being “crucified with him.”

The question we need to answer now is what is “the altar” under which these souls are found? The altar, in ancient Israel, is the place where a repentant Israelite would bring his spotless sacrifice, place his hands upon the head of that sacrifice, thereby identifying with that sacrifice and then that repentant Israelite would slash the throat of that spotless sacrifice, thereby confessing that he is indeed the slayer of that spotless sacrifice. That is what happened at the altar of ancient Israel.

Lev 3:2  And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.

What is this ‘altar’ in the New Testament? Where is this sacrifice offered in the New Testament?

Joh 19:17  And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
Joh 19:18  Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.

That is right; the altar is the cross where we have crucified our Lord. It was you and me who placed our hands upon the head of that sacrifice and cut its throat. If it is granted us to acknowledge our part in that dastardly deed and to see that it was not the Romans and the Jews, but it was us, we are both the Romans and the Jews. We, His own people, are the very ones who have, with unjust hands, crucified our Lord. If we are granted to see and acknowledge this, then we may be granted a deep seated repentance for what we are and what we have done.’

What then are we to do? This is what we then must do, this is what is meant by “the souls under the altar.”

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

If we “present our bodies a living sacrifice,” we may also be granted to be counted as ourselves being “slain for the word of God and for our testimony” and to become one of the “souls under the altar.”

Act 2:23  Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye [“men of Israel” – vs 22] have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

This is the blessing of being one of the souls under the altar. Like our Lord we are “crucified and slain”.

Mat 10:25  It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

What is “the word of God and the testimony which they held?”

The answer to that question is in the second verse of Revelation one. Right after being told that this is a book of symbols, the holy spirit tells us this:

Rev 1:2  Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

So “the word of God and the testimony” which they held is the same as “the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ.” In other words, the souls under the altar are there because they refuse to compromise on the word of God in the face of losing their lives. No “carnal… babe in Christ can stand up to this pressure, and we all first “lose our first love” (Rev 2:4). We live by every word of God, so that is what we all do to begin with. In doing so, we live out these verses:

Mat 13:20  But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

We all do that, but afterward, if God is merciful to us, He shows us our own weakness, and if it is His work in us, Christ replaces our old man, and we develop “root [Christ] within ourselves,” and we begin the “dying daily” process that places us as “souls under the altar.”

Who has slain the souls under the altar?

That is right, it was each of us who placed Christ on His cross.

1Co 15:3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

Gal 1:4  Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

1Jn 4:10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

It was not the Romans or the Jews who drank the same cup our Lord drank. It is his own household, His own disciples, who drank ‘the wine of His blood’ in the New Testament. What do we think Christ meant when He told His disciples ‘I want you all to drink of this cup.’ It is His own household who has hated and denied Him and blasphemed His name among the heathen.

Mat 26:27  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;

So they all did drink of that cup:

Mat 26:71  And when he was gone out into the porch, another [ maid] saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.
Mat 26:72  And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.
Mat 26:73  And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.
Mat 26:74  Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
Mat 26:75  And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

Luk 22:59  And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean.
Luk 22:60  And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.
Luk 22:61  And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
Luk 22:62  And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

Peter signifies each of us, and that is an example of how we all deny our Lord and drink of His cup.  That was a loving and pitiful “look” from our Lord upon Peter, because you and I are Peter. Until we acknowledge our own guilt like Peter did, and our own culpability in the death of our Savior and in the death of the souls under the altar; until we, too, repent of how we have so often denied our Lord by our actions and words; until we all “go out and weep bitterly,” we will not be one of “the souls under the altar.”

As always we learn that we are both the souls under the altar as well as those who have slain them for the word of God and for the word of their testimony.

Do God’s elect seek vengeance?

Rev 6:10  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

Did not Christ forgive those who crucified Him? Yes, He did.

Luk 23:34  Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

Why would the souls under the altar do any differently? Whenever we forget the inward, spiritual, “keep the things written therein,” ‘is, was and will be’, ‘live by every word’ character and nature of the words of our Lord, that is when “the letter killeth”, and His own words begin to appear to be contradictory and are actually used by God Himself as a means of deceiving us.

Eze 14:9  And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

“The Lord” Himself has indeed deceived that prophet, and has blinded the multitudes who listen to those prophets. So we are plainly told:

Eze 14:10  And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him;

Joh 9:39  And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

2Co 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

The Lord has deceived and blinded us all at our own time.

The explanation of this verse where the souls under the altar cry out for vengeance is a good place to mention what a brother called and told me, after our study last week. He said that the words “and see” in all four instances where the King James Version reads “Come and see”, were not to be found in the majority of the Greek manuscripts. He said that the structure, voice and tense of this word is actually the same as the structure, voice and tense of the word ‘come’ in this verse:

Rev 22:20  He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

I asked Steve Morris [now deceased], who has a good understanding of the rules of grammar, to check out these observations, and to get back to me. Steve agreed that even though the Textus Receptus, which is one of the older manuscripts, has the words ‘and see’, the fact nevertheless is that the majority of the manuscripts, and many of our modern translations, do not include the words ‘and see’. What then are the four beasts doing when they say “Come?” What they are doing is the same thing the souls under the altar are doing when they ask to avenge their blood on those who dwell on the earth.

Rev 6:10  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

That’s right, as noted above, we live by every word of God. What that means is that we are both the souls under the altar, as well as those who are yet dwelling on the earth. God’s elect are not asking God to take revenge on other men who have oppressed them. As we already know, “the earth” is Bible-speak for the old carnal man within each of us. That is the “them that dwell upon the earth” who God’s elect want to see destroyed by the brightness of the coming of Christ into their own lives. That is why the “four beasts”, each and every one, as the symbol of those who have been redeemed out of every nation; when the Lamb opens each of the first four seals, say to the rider of each horse, “Come… even so come Lord Jesus, and ride each of your powerful horses through my life so that I might wage war against the beast within and be crucified daily with you, and die daily to the carnal beast that dwells on my earth, in this body, and which loves this “earth” within me.”

None of this changes the truth of Ephesians 3:10:

Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly [ places] might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

Knowing that the four beasts are inviting Christ to come and do His work in their lives, is quite an adjustment in our thinking about the work and words of the four beasts.

Just as surely as one head of our beasts can receive a deadly wound while the other six heads within us can remain as a healthy carnal wild beast, so too, can “our brothers which must die as we have” also be within us, still in need of being purged of all the wood, hay and stubble and all the false concepts and doctrines which keep us from being “gold tried in the fire.”

So just as the four beasts call out to Christ, imploring Him to do the powerful work of His four powerful horses, waging war within us and purging us of all that needs to be purged, so too, do the souls under the altar ask the lord to avenge them of that which is yet in need of being destroyed within.

Rev 6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

Our “fellow servants and our brothers that should be killed as we are”, are words coming out of the mouth of Christ, which will never pass away, and by which we must somehow live:

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

So the souls under the altar are just another one of the many symbols needed to show us who are God’s elect. The souls under the altar are the same people who are symbolized by the four beasts of Revelation 4 and 5, and like those beasts, the souls under the altar are laying their lives down “for the word of God and for the testimony they hold.” It is the fact that they are seeking to die to the old man and his army of lies that causes them to ask, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” While you and I are “the souls under the altar”, we are also, at the same time, “them that dwell on the earth” against whom we are seeking vengeance. We must always remind ourselves that it is we who must “keep the things written therein”; not just the good and positive “things written therein,” but rather “every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

What are ‘white robes’ and what is ‘the rest’?

What are the “white robes” given to the souls under the altar? There is no room for speculation:

Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

What is the rest they enter into while they await the death of their brothers and fellow servants?

Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Christ is both “the righteousness of saints”, symbolized by the white robes, and also the rest into which the souls under the altar symbolically enter.

As always, these verses are also all centered around the Christ. The souls under the altar are themselves the Christ of Christ who are “filling up in their own bodies what is behind of the afflictions of the Christ” (Col 1:24).

Summary

Once again we see that the entire word of God is completely centered around Christ. But Christ is called both the first and the last Adam. Once again we have seen that all of God’s Word concerns these two Adams as the first Adam is being made to conform to the image of the last Adam.

So we saw that we are both the souls under the altar as well as first being those who slew them for the word of God and for their testimony. We saw that the word of God and their testimony is nothing less than the revelation of Jesus Christ as we “keep the things written therein.”

We have seen that the vengeance sought by the souls under the altar, is nothing more than seeking to die daily and to be crucified with Christ and to “fill up in my body what is behind of the afflictions of the Christ, for His body’s sake which is the church.”

We saw that the white robes and the rest into which the souls under the altar enter, are the righteousness of Christ, and Christ Himself, as we enter into Him, who is our rest.

Next week, Lord willing we will find out about the sixth seal:

Rev 6:12  And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Rev 6:13  And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
Rev 6:14  And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Rev 6:15  And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Hey, Mike,

Do you believe God has a soul? Is there any scripture that denotes such a belief? Do you believe in the first Resurrection we will have a soul?

Thanks for your time,
J____

Hi J____,
Thank you for your question.

I used to think that the word ‘soul’ meant only a living physical creature which, when the spirit that gave it life was taken, it became a dead soul. Here is why I thought that:

Eze 18:4  Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Eze 18:20  The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

Since we all sin, it seemed obvious to me that the word ‘soul’ meant ‘a physical creature’ into which God had breathed His spirit to sustain life until it died when He withdrew His spirit.
Then several years ago I noticed what Christ had to say about the soul.

Mat 10:28  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

The word ‘hell’ is of course, gehenna, and gehenna is a type of “the lake of fire” which Christ tells us is “prepared for the devil and his angels.” But if the destruction of the man of sin is his salvation, then the destruction of the soul is also the salvation of the soul.

Mat 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

What exactly is prepared for the devil and his messengers?

Rev 19:20  And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

So the beast, the false prophet and the devil himself, are destroyed in the lake of fire, and through their destruction in fire, they are saved, “Yet so as by fire.”

1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [ that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

We have all “defiled the temple of God… which temple we are”, and yet we will all “be saved… so as by fire.”
Here is a verse which was just sent to me by a brother in Florida.

Psa 11:5  The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his [ God’s] soul hateth.

It is apparent that God does indeed have a soul, but it is equally apparent that the word ‘soul,’ when we look at the sum of God’s Word, means ‘God’s knowledge of who we are.” It is equally obvious that a “dead soul” is merely a necessary step to becoming a resurrected spiritual soul as is our Saviour.
I hope this is of some help to you.

Mike

Hi Mike, Thanks for taking the time to comment and add further insight.  The one particular point you brought about that I did not during the bible study and discussion with the group was bringing in to clearer picture the principle of celestial & terrestial bodies/ glories and I missed the scripture in romans – the whole creation groans waiting… which both fits perfectly and strengthens what was taught/ discussed.  This particular study was a detailed look at 2Co 5, Php 1 and Paul’s comments “whether out of the body or not I do not know” and how if we are convinced in the doctrine of the immortal soul/ immortal spirit (this particular group of people were taught along with myself in our non- denominational “Word” based church that we ARE a spirit who LIVES in a body and has a Soul – mind, will & emotions).  Previously, I printed out the 804 verses in the old testament that contain the word nephesh (translated 9 different english words as you know), and we also looked at the word ruach and pneuma for spirit and we saw the way God inspired these words to be used that there is not 1 doctrine that agrees with that pagan & false teaching.  We ARE a living soul (nephesh) when we are given the breath of live with our earthly flesh (dust). (Gen 2:7), and we ARE a dead soul when that breath of life leaves us and goes back to God (and that life that goes back to God is hid in God through Christ (Col 3) until it is given back to us at the resurrection). We have gone through at length in previous studies some of the key Scriptures and key Biblical principles on how to rightly divide the word.  We looked at your paper how Jesus and the apostles did it and also went through “idols of the heart” (Eze 14), the need for revelation knowledge given only by God (Jesus’s words to Peter in Mat 16), the need for the whole counsel of God and “the Scriptures cant be broken”, Jesus’s use of parables to the multidudes, pharisees and His disciples and WHY (Mat 13) no prophecy is of its own interpretation (1 Pet), Out of the mouth of 2-3 witnesses let every Word be established, Holy Spirit teaches comparing spiritual to spiritual (Co 2), Is, Was, Will be of His Word (Rev), Words are spirit, flesh profits nothing, no longer know Jesus after the flesh, how to test the spirits, how to know them by their fruit (including their doctrine), “Israel of God & not a Jew outwardly, but one inwardly”, “living by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”, “seeing our blindness”, etc… I noticed that moving on from the basics (Heb 6) 1st requires that we have pure milk (Peter) and MUCH of the false doctrines taught (eternal torment, immortal soul/ spirit, hell, trinity, resurrection of the dead (barely even talked about due to the other false doctrines makes it unnecessary even though that was central to Paul’s teaching) can be cleared up just by looking at what the scriptures actually say – not what we think they say, not by reading words or concepts into it.  All of that still takes a miracle from God to open our eyes to see and our heart to embrace, but if we dig into the word and are not careless, we can at least SEE what it says (Bible says what it says, but means what it means – which I have quoted you often), but MUCH of the basics can be cleared up at least knowing what it says – we will have a clearer understanding of the 6 basics (pure milk) and we should be able to then grow thereby, Lord willing.  So, we looked at 2Co 5, Php 1 and studied what it said (with no idols of the heart) and broke it down to show that it does not contradict and does NOT teach an immortal soul/ spiritl.  That false teaching has to be read into the text from our idols of the heart.  So, when you have a belief that you are certain of (idol) even if it is wrong, it impacts everything else you read.  But once that idol is destroyed (plank removed from your eye) you can see clearly.  But IF we could be diligent to read what it says we are in a better position for the Spirit of God teach us the higher spiritual meaning & application of His Word and we can begin to know Jesus Christ. We had a blessed discussion – so thank you for being part of it even though you were not physically there.
M____

Wow!
If you covered all of that you really did have a great discussion.
It is very encouraging to see and hear what the Lord is doing there in New York. In the midst of a Godless world, God still has His chosen few who are willing to die for His Truth.
I am glad I could be a part of your study, even though I wasn’t there. If Christ is in us, then you are with me, and I am with you. God bless you as you abide in Him and in His doctrine.
Your brother in the Christ,
Mike >