The very concept and idea of an “immortal soul” did not come from God’s living
word. FEW BELIEFS of nominal Christianity are “religiously held”
than that of the doctrine of an “immortal soul.” Nearly everyone is familiar with the
concept. And the average person who claims to be a Christian ── or even a person
of many of the other plethora of religions around the world ── if asked, would
certainly answer something like ──
‘The immortality of the soul is eternal and has existed before our physical birth and
continues after death. For death is a journey where the “soul” transcends to a realm
of perfection, undergoing judgment that determines its reward or punishment. Even
the worst vices cannot completely destroy the “soul.” The “souls” existence is
fundamental to understanding life and morality.’
There are some who believe that the “liberated soul” is reborn into a new body in a
series of “reincarnations” or “transmigrations.”
Some form of this concept is found among nearly all peoples and religions around
the world today. Like the concept of “going to heaven” upon death, most religious
people just take this concept for granted.
Even though science was conducted in 1907 on a human body losing weight upon
death ── specifically 21 grams ── by Duncan MacDougall (the experiment is now
widely regarded as flawed and unscientific due to its very small size and inconsistent
results), how, then, can one know whether or not a person has an “immortal soul”?
Well… from God’s living, immutable word ── of course.
Let’s see and hear just what God’s living Spirit has to say regarding this important
── yet so misunderstood concept ── the “immortality of the soul.”
Derived From Ancient Egypt
As Ripley’s famous tag line states, “Believe It Or Not!” the very idea of a person
having an “immortal soul” long predates the very founding of many of the religions
of today.
As far back as recorded time, mankind has been concerned about death and an
afterlife.
Ancient Egyptians were greatly concerned about death. And their attempts to solve
the enigma of life and death went far and wide. They believed that death led a person
to the afterlife, where he/she would lead an immortal existence. But, for this afterlife
to happen, it was necessary to preserve the body of the deceased, so that the soul
could identify the body that it belonged to. 1
Every civilization that has ever existed, including down to our 21st century, has
pondered life and death. And nearly everyone has their own ideas and
opinions on this most vital and important subject.
Why is there such grave (no pun intended) confusion?
The ancient Greek historian Herodotus of the 5th century B.C. wrote ──
123. [...] The Egyptians maintain that Ceres and Bacchus preside in the realms
below. They were also the first to broach the opinion that the soul of man is
immortal, and that, when the body dies, it enters into the form of an animal. 2
This Egyptian idea was centuries before Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism,
Christianity, or even Islam.
According to the ancient Egyptians, the concept of the “soul” and the parts
that encompass it has varied from the Old Kingdom to the New Kingdom, at times
changing from one dynasty to another, from five parts to more. Most ancient
Egyptian funerary texts reference numerous parts of the “soul” ──
The Ka was said to be a spirit replica of the man, containing the “vital force” given
to him at birth. Then, at death, the Ka was believed to take up residence in a statue
or a picture of the deceased. The statue or the picture was placed within his tomb
exactly for this purpose. The tomb was to be the eternal home of the Ka.
Then there is the “soul” ── the Ba, which was held to be that part of a human that
enjoyed an eternal existence in heaven. It was believed to fly to heaven with the
last breath. The Ba ð“…½ was often depicted on tomb paintings as a human-headed
hawk that was often hovering over the deceased's body. They believed that this Ba
would often come back to “visit” the body in the tomb and to actually partake of
the food and drink offerings.
The 1912 Jewish Encyclopedia Volume 6 says, “The belief that the soul continues
its existence after the dissolution of the body is a matter of philosophical or
theological speculation rather than of simple faith, and is accordingly nowhere
expressly taught in Holy Scripture. … The belief in the immortality of the soul came
to the Jews from contact with Greek thought and chiefly through the philosophy of
Plato, its principal exponent, who was led to it through Orphic and Eleusinian
mysteries in which Babylonian and Egyptian views were strangely blended, …” 4 (a 1912 source).
The Book of the Dead evolved from a tradition of funerary manuscripts that dates back to the Egyptian Old Kingdom. In the papyrus of Ani, the deceased is represented as having come to a place remote and far away, where there is neither air to breathe
nor water to drink, but where he holds converse with Tmu. In answer to his question,
“How long have I to live?”, the great god of Annu answers:– auk er heh en heh aha
en heh. Which means, “Thou shalt exist for millions of millions of years, a period of
millions of years.” 5
Truly, what better expression of the concept of immortality.
False Concept Passed to the Ancient Greeks
This false concept of the “immortality of the soul” didn’t stop with the ancient
Egyptians. Notice again a statement from the historian Herodotus ──
“The Egyptians say that Demeter and Dionysos are rulers of the world below;
and the Egyptians are also the first who reported the doctrine that the soul of
man is immortal, … This doctrine certain Hellenes adopted, some earlier and
some later, as if it were of their own invention, and of these men I know the
names but I abstain from recording them.” 6
The ancient Greeks borrowed the concept of an “immortal soul” from the ancient Egyptians and adopted it as their own.
The foremost advocate among the ancient Greeks to push this false concept of an
“immortal soul” was the ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical period, who is
also considered one of the main foundational “thinkers” of Western philosophy, Plato.
A student of Socrates.
It was actually Plato who popularized this false concept of the “immortality of the
soul” all throughout the ancient Greek world.
Notice this statement from Plato from Phaedo ──
“Life and death cannot admit one another, but one or other must either
withdraw or be destroyed. The soul, which is always accompanied by life, can
never admit the opposite of that which accompanies it; so it will not admit death. Therefore, the soul is “undying,” that is, immortal. What is immortal
cannot admit death; so the soul is imperishable.” 7
Plato's belief in the immortality of the soul is a central theme in his work. In his “The
Republic” Book 10, He argues that the soul is immortal and imperishable, existing
before physical birth and continuing to exist long after death.
Arguments like these from such Greek and Roman writers as Polybius, Cicero,
Seneca, Strabo, and Plato have led some historians to question whether Plato
himself even believed what he peddled. The “immortality of the soul” concept,
apparently, was a necessary companion doctrine because of the atrocious and terrible
parts of their hell concept ── such as their “everlasting torture” in hell. Such fearful
teachings, apparently, some philosophers thought, were necessary to scare the masses
into being good citizens.
Well… regardless of the ancients’ true motives behind peddling this false concept of
the “immortality of the soul,” Plato’s teachings had a wide-ranging impact ──
especially on Western thought.
This False Concept Even Seeped Into Jewish Thought
The Jewish communities of antiquity were also heavily influenced by Greek
philosophy. Notice what the Jewish Encyclopedia reads ──
“The belief that the soul continues its existence after the dissolution of the body is a
matter of philosophical or theological speculation … and is accordingly nowhere
expressly taught in Holy Scripture. … The belief in the immortality of the soul came
to the Jews from contact with Greek thought and chiefly through the philosophy of
Plato, its principal exponent, who was led to it through Orphic and Eleusinian
mysteries in which Babylonian and Egyptian views were strangely blended” 8 (here is an additional source from 1906).
So… it may come as a surprise to discover that the concept of an “immortality of the
soul” was not derived from God’s living word – the Holy Bible – but had come from
Plato!
Now surely, this professing Christian world would have a doctrine of the
“immortality of the soul” that is in no way connected to Platonism?
Well… consider this fact. Many of the early theologians and scholars of this world’s
professing Christianity ── such men as Origen, Tertullian, and Augustine ── were
in fact closely aligned with Platonism.
“For some things are known even by nature: the immortality of the soul, for
instance, is held by many; the knowledge of our God is possessed by all. I may use,
therefore, the opinion of Plato, when he declares, “Every soul is immortal.” 9
Notice that he even mentions Plato!
Also, notice this Augustine of Hippo (3 November 354 – 28 August 430) ── of
whom we’ve mentioned before, that he was never a saint of our glorious LORD God.
He has been held as one of the greatest “thinkers” of Christian antiquity. He, too,
taught the nature of a human “immortal soul.” In the online Encyclopedia Britannica
on Augustine of Hippo ──
“Intellectually, Augustine represents the most influential adaptation of the
ancient Platonic tradition with Christian ideas that ever occurred in the Latin
Christian world. Augustine received the Platonic past in a far more limited
and diluted way than did many of his Greek-speaking contemporaries, but his
writings were so widely read and imitated throughout Latin Christendom that
his particular synthesis of Christian, Roman, and Platonic traditions defined
the terms for much later tradition and debate. Both modern Roman Catholic
and Protestant Christianity owe much to Augustine, …” 10
Why would these early professing Christian scholars resort to agreeing with the
opinion of pagan Greek philosophers concerning an “immortal soul”? Could it be
that this false concept cannot be found anywhere within God’s living word?
What God’s Living Word Truly Says
Remains of the ancient city of Colossae near Denizli, Turkey (FAL/Wikipedia)
The Apostle Paul ── under divine inspiration ── once confronted some Greek
“thinkers” on The Areopagus, which served as a meeting place for the Areopagus
Council, which was one of the earliest aristocratic councils there in Athens (Acts
17:15-34), turning their philosophical ideas against them.
To the Greeks in ancient Colossae, he wrote ──
“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to
the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according
to Christ.” – Colossians 2:8.
Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself warned us of “’ making the word of God of no effect
through your tradition which you have handed down. …’” – Mark 7:13. The Apostle
Matthew records for us our Lord Jesus saying, “’ Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah
prophesy about you, saying: 8) ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9) And in vain they
worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” – Matthew 15:7-9.
Also, let us briefly go back to the Book of Genesis, and keep in mind that this world’s
professing Christians have received doctrines handed down to them from the ancient
Egyptians and then from the ancient Greeks, such as Plato, concerning a false
concept of an “immortal soul” ── which is nowhere found in God’s living word!
“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].” – Genesis 2:7.
So, ponder upon this carefully: Man, formed of the dust of the ground, from physical
matter and not out of spirit ── “became” a living soul. So, a soul is what a man is.
It is not something within a man.
Keep in mind that the Old Testament was originally written in the Hebrew language
── with just a smattering of Aramaic. The Hebrew word for “soul” here in Genesis
2:7 is nepeÅ¡, which means “life force, a creature or person as a whole self, even
corpse.” It designates temporary physical life. It means a living, breathing creature
or person.
Notice this example ──
“Then God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind:
…” – Genesis 1:24.
Again, the word “creature” in Hebrew here is nepeÅ¡. In fact, throughout the Old Testament, the word “soul” the word in Hebrew is nepeÅ¡.
In fact, in Leviticus 21:11, Numbers 6:6, and Haggai 2:13, and a couple of other
places, the word nepeš is used as a reference to a dead body.
So, the word nepeš clearly has nothing to do with any sort of spirit essence. The soul
is not a separate entity from the physical body ── it is the body! Man is a nepeÅ¡.
In living truth, as an example, such passages as Ezekiel 18:4 and 20 declare to us
that a nepeÅ¡ can die! “’ Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as
the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die.’” Now, if the soul was
immortal, how could it die?
What about in the New Testament? Is an “immortal soul” spoken about?
Again, keep in mind that the New Testament was written primarily in ancient Koine
Greek, which was the common language of the Eastern Mediterranean during the 1st
century A.D. The word “soul” in Greek is psychÄ“. Like the word nepeÅ¡, psychÄ“ is
translated “life, soul; a person.”
In the passages of Revelation 8:9 and 16:3, the word psychÄ“ is rendered “souls” as
in the life of sea creatures. Strong's #5590.
The word psychÄ“ has no connection whatsoever with a “spirit essence” or an
“immortal soul.”
In truth, our Lord Jesus Christ declared that God has the ability to destroy both life
and body (the Greek psychÄ“, or life) ── People have confused the soul with spirit.
“’ 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.” – Mathew 10:28, KJV.
Sadly, multiple billions of people who believe in the false concept of the immortality
of the soul base their false ideology on this very verse. This verse should be
translated ──
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but do not have power to destroy the
life; rather, fear Him Who has the power to destroy both life and body in Gehenna.” – Matthew 10:28, NET.
This lake of fire (Greek gehenna) is a consuming fire that totally destroys the
incorrigible wicked.
The words “immortal soul” are nowhere found in God’s living word. The word
“immortal” only appears once in 1st Timothy 1:17 in reference specifically to our
Lord Jesus Christ ── “the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God.”
Also, the word “immortality” is found in the New Testament. One of the places is 1st
Timothy 6:16, which clearly states that of all human beings, our Lord Jesus Christ
“only hath immortality.” The Apostle Paul in the Book of Romans teaches us that
eternal life is promised to “those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for
glory, honor, and immortality.” – Romans 2:7. If man already has immortality, why
would the Apostle Paul admonish us to seek for it? Man is mortal.
Our Lord Jesus Christ clearly states ── “’ That which is born of the flesh is flesh,
and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’” – John 3:6. Man was not created with
inherent immortality. Man only has a temporary physical existence. “ … ‘For dust
you are, And to dust you shall return.’” – Genesis3:19.
Truly, only when a mortal man is “BORN AGAIN” in a future resurrection from the
dead will a man finally be immortal and be spirit. Why would a resurrection from
the dead be needed if the nepeš was already in the upper heavenly realm? The nepeš
does not go to heaven. Again, the mortal soul ── man's physical life ── will die and
will turn to dust.
God’s living word teaches a resurrection from the dead, in direct opposition to the
pagan Greek false ideology of an “immortal soul.” A resurrection is our only hope
of eternal life! Our Lord Jesus’s glorious resurrection was a type or forerunner of the
resurrection that the LORD God promises to all who obey Him ──
“’ DO NOT MARVEL AT THIS; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the
graves will hear His voice. 29) and come forth ── those who have done good, to the
resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of
[judgment].’” – John 6:28-29.
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes [on] Me,
though he may die, he shall live. 26) And whoever lives and believes [on] Me shall
never die. Do you believe this?’” – John 11:25-26.
“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who
raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His
Spirit who dwells in you.” – Romans 8:11.
“that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His
sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11) if, by any means, I may attain to the
resurrection from the dead.” – Philippians 3:10-11.
Without the LORD God, a man will not live again.
There Is A Spirit Within Man
I’d like to show you a huge difference between man and animals.
The Prophet Job wrote – through the inspiration of God’s Spirit ──
“But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives him
understanding” – Job 32:8.
Animals do not have a spirit. Man needed this spirit to empower his brain with mind
power - see 1 Corinthians 2:11. This human spirit enters the human embryo at
conception. The spirit is like the “hard drive on a computer” – it stores information.
The spirit essence is NOT an immortal soul or an eternal spirit. The spirit in man is
NOT the man. It is something in the man. It has no life of itself. At death, it has no
consciousness of itself, for it sleeps (1 Corinthians 11:30; 1 Corinthians 15:51; 1
Thessalonians 4:14). Like a tape recorder, it forms a permanent record of the qualities of mind and character built by a man during his lifetime. And much like a
used tape is stored lifelessly on a shelf till activated in a recorder, so also does the
spirit of man “return to GOD who gave it” after death, until the resurrection when
life is again given to a person (Ecclesiastes 12:7). This was the way that our Lord
Jesus Christ – through His servant – explained it to me and I hold fast to this that is
good. Furthermore, the spirit in man was transmitted from Adam. Spirit comes from
the father from a sperm cell, from Adam, all down through all humanity. □
Sources:
3) Wikipedia contributors. "Ancient Egyptian conception of the soul, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 5 Sep.
2025. Web. 1 Nov. 2025.
4) Mirza, U., Immortality of the Soul, The Jewish Encyclopedia, Vol. VI, 1912, pgs. 564, 565.
8) Jewish Encyclopedia Online, 1906, “Immortality of the soul”.
