II Psuche in New Testament Usage

1. HEBREW BACKGROUND OF THE EARLY CHURCH

First of all, when we discuss the meanings of Greek words in the New Testament, we must remember that Christ and the disciples did not ordinarily converse in Greek during the events recorded in the Gospels, but in Aramaic. Their whole background was Hebrew, and their theological concepts were based on the Old Testament. It is true they lived in a Hellenized society, but when they used the Greek equivalents of Hebrew words, they certainly carried over into the new language the meanings they were accustomed to in their mother tongue.CFF1 421.2

Thus it is with the Greek word psuche (“soul”). In the Septuagint, the Hebrew nephesh is rendered psuche. When a New Testament Christian used the word psuche he assuredly meant what nephesh connoted in his usual speech. On the other hand, of course, Hellenized Jews who had accepted the immortality of the soul doctrine from the Greek philosophers, would read back into nephesh the philosophy they had imbibed.CFF1 421.3

Picture 1: Perishing in the Flood:
As Rejectors of the Overtures of Noah Perished in the Deluge, So Will Spurners of God’s Overtures of Life Likewise Perish in the Flood of Fire.
Page 421CFF1 421

2. HOW THE TRANSLATORS RENDERED “PSUCHE.”

It is interesting to notice the change in the number of times the word is used in the more recent English translations. In the R.S.V. “soul” or “souls” is used only 40 times in the New Testament. And in The New English Bible “soul” as a translation of psuche is used only 19 times. These newer translations tend to use personal pronouns or their equivalents and “life” to replace “soul” as a rendering of psuche.CFF1 422.1

It must be admitted that translators have been influenced by their theological beliefs to some extent at least. For a man who believes that a person possesses an immortal soul, it is surely easier to render psuche as “soul” in many places where complete objectivity would choose a different rendering. It would appear that later translators have been able to achieve this objectivity without regard to their personal beliefs more frequently than earlier translators.CFF1 423.1

It is possible to pass this kind of judgment because of the fact that the Bible does not teach that man has an immortal soul. The immortality of the soul can be read into the Bible only when one already believes that “soul” means an immortal something that can separate from the body at death and maintain a separate, conscious existence. Neither psuche nor nephesh ever has any qualifying words like “immortal,” “everlasting,” “undying,” or “endless,” or any modifier of equivalent meaning attached to them. That is significant.CFF1 423.2

3. MEANINGS OF “PSUCHE” FALL INTO FOUR CATEGORIES

An examination of Biblical usage reveals that the various meanings of psuche may be divided into four basic groups.CFF1 423.3

(1) A living organism. First of all, used of man as an individual, as “The first man Adam was made a living soul [psuche, here properly “living being”; see Genesis 2:7, R.S.V.]” (1 Corinthians 15:45); and of lower animals, as, “every living soul [psuche, here properly “living creature”; see Genesis 1:24, R.S.V.]” (Revelation 16:3).CFF1 423.4

(2) A person, or personality. “And fear came upon every soul [psuche]” (Acts 2:43); and “Every soul [psuche], which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed” (Acts 3:23). David’s inspired Old Testament prediction of Christ is, “Thou wilt not leave my soul [psuche] in hell [hades]” (Acts 2:27, quoting Psalm 16:10)—“my soul,” that is, “myself,” emphasizing the pronoun. And Peter at Pentecost says that David “space of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul [psuche] was not left in hell [hades, gravedom], neither his flesh did see corruption” (Acts 2:31). That was Christ Himself, His person.CFF1 423.5

(3) The physical life of man. Life, which can be destroyed, saved, laid down, et cetera.CFF1 424.1

(4) The inward man. The more remote but logical metaphysical meaning of the “inward man” appears in “Seeing ye have purified your souls [psuche] in obeying the truth” (1 Peter 1:22), and in “My soul [psuche] is exceeding sorrowful unto death” (Mark 14:34).CFF1 424.2

So the living organism in the physical realm is followed by the person or personality, and next the physical life itself. And finally comes the more remote metaphysical meaning of the inward man. It should be remembered that this inward man is not in Biblical usage a separate entity that can maintain a conscious existence apart from the body, but merely describes those aspects of man’s nature that we might call spiritual as opposed to physical.CFF1 424.3

In general The New English Bible demonstrates a keen discrimination in the words used to translate psuche. This is particularly well shown in the parable of the rich fool, where the various meanings of the word psuche come in rather close juxtaposition:CFF1 424.4

“And he told them this parable: ‘There was a rich man whose land yielded heavy crops. He debated with himself: “What am I to do? ... I will pull down my storehouses and build them bigger. I will collect in them all my corn and other goods, and then say to myself [my psuche], ‘Man [psuche], you have plenty of goods laid by, enough for many years: take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.’” But God said to him, “You fool, this very night you must surrender your life [psuche].” ... ‘Therefore,’ he said to his disciples, ‘I bid you put away anxious thoughts about food to keep you alive [K.J.V., “your life (psuche), what ye shall eat”] and clothes to cover your body. Life [psuche] is more than food, the body more than clothes”’ (Luke 12:16-23) ^{11) The New English Bible, New Testament (c) The Delegates of the Oxford University Press and the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press 1961.}CFF1 424.5

It is interesting to note that in The New English Bible the word “soul” is used in most cases to refer to the inward man. In the few exceptions there may he a variety of opinions as to the exact shade of meaning intended. On the basis that in many cases both nephesh and psuche represent the man himself, personal pronouns would have served as accurate translations in at least three of these texts: James 5:20, “rescuing his soul [him] from death”; 1 Peter 1:9, “salvation for your souls [you]”; 1 Peter 4:19, “commit their souls [themselves] to him.” In Revelation 6:9, “souls of those slaughtered,” psuche represents dead people; and in Revelation 20:4, “souls of those who had been beheaded,” psuche represents people who have died and have been resurrected in the second resurrection.CFF1 424.6

The one text that makes a clear distinction between soul and body in relation to death is Matthew 10:28(N.E.B.): “Do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. Fear him rather who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Some might wish to see in this text proof that man has an immortal soul that survives death. But no matter what definition is applied to the word “soul” here, Immortality is one quality that is excluded, for the “soul” as well as the “body” may be destroyed in Hell.CFF1 425.1