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QUESTION 36:
There is a verse which says something like "fear not those who can destroy the body - but he who can destroy the soul..." Does destroy not mean kill, which would mean the soul is not immortal and can be killed?

ANSWER:
The verse you are referring to is, Matthew 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 Bible does not mention an immortal soul. It does mention a "living soul." Genesis 2:7. The soul of man will never cease to exist.

If you think of "immortality" as being "deathless" or "everlasting" then the soul is immortal. However, it is used in the New Testament mostly about the body. The body is now mortal it is subject to death. When this body has put on immortality, it will be deathless.

Immortality has to do more with matter and the body. Since the soul is not matter, it is never applied to it. That the soul exists after the death of the body is made very clear in Luke 16:23 and Genesis 35:18. That was the reason she is said to have died. Death in the Bible is always a "separation." Spiritual death is the separation of the spirit of man from the Lord. Physical death is the separation of the soul from the body and the second death is separation of the soul and body from God forever in the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:14). Matthew 10:28 clearly teaches that your body can be killed, apart from your soul. It also teaches that the soul and body can be "destroyed" in hell. The word "destroyed" does not mean annihilation, but "loss of well being." It is the same Greek word "perish" in John 3:16.

Beware of false cults that might teach you that the soul dies with the body and that you cease to exist in hell. This is not the teaching of Jesus and the Bible.

All comments and questions to: Harold Smith

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Updated July 2009, by Shelly Allen