Can someone explain to me what the soul and the spirit mean to a Jehovah's Witness?!?

Question

I have been looking online for an answer, but I don't really understand what they are saying. If you could help me out I would really appreciate it!

Thanks :)

Answer 1

For the most part, Jehovah's Witnesses use these definitions of the Hebrew and Greek terms generally translated into English as "soul" and "spirit".

Soul: life
Spirit: something invisible but with effects that can be discerned (eg the "spark" of life)

Sincere bible readers are invited to read any quality English translation and mentally substitute each of these definitions whereever "soul" or "spirit" appears. Nearly every verse will make perfect sense. By contrast, mentally reading the word "ghost" is place of "soul" or "spirit" rarely makes any sense.

Each deceased life is in Jehovah God's remembrance (with the potential for future resurrection), but the dead do not exist anywhere but memories until and unless the life is resurrected.

(Ezekiel 18:4) The soul that is sinning - it itself will die.

(Ecclesiastes 9:5) For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all

(Ecclesiastes 9:10) there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol ["hell"]

(Genesis 2:17) But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die.”

(Genesis 17:14) And an uncircumcised male who will not get the flesh of his foreskin circumcised, even that soul must be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”

(Judges 16:30) And Samson proceeded to say: “Let my soul die with the Philistines.” Then he bent himself with power, and the house went falling upon the axis lords and upon all the people that were in it, so that the dead that he put to death in his own death came to be more than those he had put to death during his lifetime.

(Job 33:22) And his soul draws near to the pit, And his life to those inflicting death.

(Psalm 78:50) He did not hold back their soul from death itself; And their life he handed over even to the pestilence.

(Isaiah 53:12) he poured out his soul to the very death

(Acts 3:23) Indeed, any soul that does not listen to that Prophet will be completely destroyed from among the people.’

(Revelation 16:3) And the second one poured out his bowl into the sea. And it became blood as of a dead man, and every living soul died, yes, the things in the sea.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_08.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/19970515/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20050501/article_02.htm

Answer 2

Contrary to the popular Babylonish myth, humans do not possess a soul or spirit that survives death. Even though perfect, like the original son of God, Adam, Jesus was still just a human – or as Jesus himself worded it: “what has been born from flesh is flesh.”

"Soul" has several different meanings. It is used in the Bible to refer to the person or the life that a person possesses.

A "Spirit" is something invisible such as a heavenly creature like an Angel or a fallen Angel (Demon) among other references. (Hebrew: ruwach)

Answer 3

We believe life IS the soul and that souls can therefor die. But if we're in God's memory, he will resurrect us.
Spirit (as in Holy Spirit) is God's active force... sort of like electricity. Not to be disrespectful, but because of my background it's easier for me to think of spirit like magic.
Spirit can also refer to an attitude (as in the "spirit of the world").

Answer 4

The basic definition of the word translated into English as soul literally means "breather"

So anything that breaths is a soul. Adam became a living soul (breather)

How did Adam become a living soul?

By God breathing into Adam.

The basic definition of the word we translate into spirit, literally means "breath"

If you put 'breath' into a "breather" you have a live soul.

If you remove the "breath" from a "breather" you have a dead soul.

Gen 2:7 (NASB) Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (spirit); and man became a living being (soul).

(KJV) 7And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (spirit); and man became a living soul.

Ps 146 (KJV) 4His breath (spirit) goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

(NASB) 4His spirit departs, he returns to the earth;
In that very day his thoughts perish.


I hope this helps.

.

Answer 5

Witnesses believe that you are a spirit....They don't think that you have a spirit, that is a separate entity from your physical body.....They also deny that Gods holy Spirit resides in you bodily...This is inaccurate theology.

Answer 6

They believe the soul die with you at death so I guess its just what gives us life.