Mankind was created to live on the created earth, in a created body. We were not created to "go to heaven when we die". That's not God's purpose. The current reality is temporary. Death is the enemy of God.
In the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the word psychḗ is used interchangeably in reference to the life, the mind and the soul of an individual | individuals, while at the same time making a clear distinction which is consistent throughout the New Testament between the body and the soul.
Here are some examples:-
Soma: The body.
Sarx: The flesh.
psychḗ: The soul.
Pneuma: Spirit.
EXAMPLES:-
==== SOUL====
A Psalm of David concerning the Messiah (Jesus):
Psalm 16:10
"For You will not leave My soul [nephesh] in sheol; You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption."
It was quoted by Christ's apostle Peter:
Acts 2:27
"You will not leave My soul [psychḗ] in Hades, nor will You allow Your holy One to see corruption."
"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 [chay] soul [nephesh]." -- Genesis 2:7
THE SOUL OF ANIMALS
"And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that has life [nephesh chay], and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven." - Genesis 1:20
"And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creeps upon the earth, wherein there is life [nephesh chay], I have given every green herb for food: and it was so." - Genesis 1:30.
"And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath [rûach] of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die." -- Genesis 6:17
"And they went in to Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, in which is the breath of life." -- Genesis 7:15.
"Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died." -- Genesis 7:22.
Although the Bible mentions the soul of animals, only of mankind is it said that we were created in the image and likeness of God.
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==== SPIRIT ====
"That which is born [gennao] of the flesh [sarx] is flesh [sarx]; and that which is born [gennao] of the Spirit [pneuma] is spirit [pneuma]." -- John 3:6
"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 [chay] soul [nephesh]." -- Genesis 2:7
The breath of God = the Spirit of God.
Believers who have been born of the Spirit of God are united, i.e one spirit, with Christ:
"The one united with the Lord is one spirit [pneûma] with him. Flee sexual immorality! Every sin a person commits is outside of the body - but the immoral person sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit [hágios pneûma] who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you are bought with a price.
Therefore glorify God in your body [sōma] and in your spirit [pneûma], which are God's." -- 1 Corinthians 6:17-20 (Netfree Version).
Paul mentions our spirits in the verse below:
"The Spirit [pneûma] Himself bears witness with our [egṓ] spirit [pneûma] that we are the children of God. " -- Romans 8:16
Strongs Greek 01473 ἐγώ egṓ, eg-o'
a primary pronoun of the first person I (only expressed when emphatic).
Paul mentioned his spirit in the verse below:
"In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, with my [emós] spirit [pneûma]" -- 1 Corinthians 5:4
"My [emós] spirit":
Strongs Greek 01699 ἐμός emós, em-os':
my:--of me, mine (own), my.
Acts 7:59
"And they stoned Stephen, who was calling on God and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my [egṓ] spirit [pneuma]."
1 Corinthians 2:11
For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit [pneuma] of man [ánthrōpos] which is in him? even so the things of God [O theós] knows no man, but the Spirit [pneuma] of God [O theós].
1 Thessalonians 5:23
"And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you, and may your whole body [soma], mind | soul [psychḗ] and spirit [pneuma] be preserved blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus".
Hebrews 4:12
"For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing apart of soul [psychḗ] and spirit [pneuma], and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
Luke 8:52-55
"He said, Do not weep; she has not died, but sleeps. And they ridiculed, knowing that she was dead. And He put them all out. And He took her by the hand and called, saying, Little girl, arise! And her spirit [pneûma] came again, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that food be given her to eat."
NOT A BODY
Spirit is spirit. The human spirit does not have a body separate to the human body that God created Adam with, and the only "spiritual body" that the New Testament speaks about, is the resurrected human body that had died:
1 Corinthians 15:44:
-- It is sown a body, natural [Greek: sōma psychikós], it is raised a body, spiritual [sōma pneumatikós]. There is a body, natural [sōma psychikós], and there is a body, spiritual [sōma pneumatikós]. --
The word psychikós is from the word psychḗ (soul / life / mind).
The word pneumatikós is from the word pneûma (spirit / breath).
This is why the resurrection of the body is an integral part of the gospel.
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