Christianity: If the soul has a beginning, how then can it suddenly become eternal?

Question

Some Christians declare that the soul has been created at a certain point and than later coupled to the body when that was created after wards, through conception. After death, it is said that one attains eternity either in hell or heaven. How can a created thing suddenly become eternal?

Where in the Bible can we find such references that clearly states that the soul has been 'created' by God, rather than being an eternal partial expansion of the Lord, existing eternally? Something which has a beginning must also have an end. That which is eternal has no beginning, no middle and no end. Since the Lord exists eternally, and we can enter into an eternal relationship with the Lord, the soul must be eternal too. The body is temporary (having a beginning and an end) and therefore it must be different from the soul.

Zechariah 12:1 (NIV)
12 This is the word of the Lord concerning Israel. The Lord, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the spirit of man within him, declares:

"who forms the spirit": to give shape or form, not necessarily means to create.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 (NIV)
7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

"who gave it": it came from Him (as if expanded from Him), it was not necessarily "created".

Hebrews 12:9 (NIV)
9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!

"the Father of our spirits and live": again, the soul comes from the Father, the origin of the soul, as if expanded from Him, rather than "created" by Him.

Genesis 2:7 (NIV)
7 the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

The temporary lifeless body "injected" with the eternal living soul.

Genesis 1:27 (NIV)
27 So God created man in his own image,

"man" refers to the body.

Psalm 139:14 (NIV)
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

"I am" refers to the mind and/or the body.

Please clarify with references.
Thank you.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Theoretically, an eternal being ought to be able to create something eternal - assuming the quality of "eternal" is achievable.  Consider that an intelligent being can, theoretically, create something intelligent out of materials that at one time possessed quite literally no intelligence whatsoever.  If man can create a computer out of rock - quite literally out of rock (silicon dioxide and germanium and various ores) - then why can't God create an everlasting soul out of less-than-everlasting work materials?


2) Where in the Bible can we find such references that clearly states that the soul has been 'created' by God

I don't know - but you do realize that you are attacking a very particular soul doctrine that is not held by many Christians, don't you?  Notice, for example, that nowhere in the Bible can you find a passage that clearly states that frogs have been created by God (they are neither land animals nor aquatic) - or bats (which are not birds).  Are these things, then, not creations of God because the Bible has not specifically mentioned them as being so created?  This is an obvious logical fallacy on your part.


3) Something which has a beginning must also have an end.

Who told you so, and why did you believe them?  I just have to ask:
Where in the Bible can we find such references that clearly states that something which has a beginning must also have an end?


Jim, http://www.bible-reviews.com/

Julius O · Answer

http://www.watchtower.org/e/20070715/article_01.htm

http://www.watchtower.org/e/bh/appendix_07.htm

The NIV is very partial to making the soul seem immortal.  Which it is not.  The genesis 2:7 account is: than he became a living soul.

Something i found.  In the 1984 edition of the NIV Ezekiel 18:20 reads:
New International Version (©1984)
The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him.

the 2010 edition: The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.

Notice how they took out soul all together?  The Hebrew word is nephesh which is soul.  Soul is a life. The bible also uses souls in relation to animals.

In the NIV 1984 edition i found these following verses where they took out the word soul and replaced it with something else: 
Haggai 2:13
Leviticus 22:4
Leviticus 19-28
Leviticus 21:1
Leviticus 21:1
Numbers 5:2
Numbers 6:6
Numbers 6:11
Numbers 9:6
Numbers 9:7
Numbers 9:10
Numbers 19:11
Numbers 19:13

They all talk of the soul being dead, but the NIV changes it to person, or body.

Anonymous · Answer

The soul is that spiritual nature in man which is more than what is found in the creation. It is spiritual, reasoning, and immortal [Lev. 17:11; Eccl. 3:21; Matt. 10:28].

The word soul is synonymous with the life of man Psalm 7:5; 33:19].

The supreme value of the soul is declared by our Lord Matt. 16:26].

Lalitha R · Answer

Soul has no beginning nor has it an end.It is eternal.When it enters into a physical body, we call it birth and when it leaves the body, death.There is an all-pervading , universal soul.When the individual soul merges with the Universal, there is no more embodying of the soul.This is the basic truth from the point of all religions.

*Blessed* · Answer

The soul is eternal, meaning no beginning and no end.  This is the way in which we are created in God's image.  God knew us before we were born.  We were with Him prior to being born into this world.  We come back to Him in the end, if we choose Him.

? · Answer

If they just means I may also be authorised via your God is via following a faith that has been the intent of unending agony in this global, then that being isn't priceless of my worship. If this kind of being exists, they could surely be benevolent ample to recognize my lack of ability to blindly comply with a human run college that has been the intent of a lot distress.

? · Answer

Jesus will make the Soul Eternal upon fleshly death, only to those who follow Him.

God Bless Ya,
Chicago Bob	
imasinner

There is more joy in Jesus in one day.
Than there is in the World 365/24/7
I know, I tried them both.

tree top · Answer

we are all born into this world dead spiritualy, seperated from the life of God because we are born into this world under the bondage of sin and death romans 5:12 but when we come to God through faith in Jesus we are raised together with Christ alive spiritualy= salvation now Jesus come to live in us, now we can grow in our faith by abiding in Jesus and his word bible.

Anonymous · Answer

LOL what an embarrassing question. 
Looks like you're serious too.
lmao

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Christianity: If the soul has a beginning, how then can it suddenly become eternal?

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