Trypho, the Jew, section 80.
An extract from a canon which was passed under Leo X. by the Council of Lateran shows that the doctrine of an "immortal soul" that lives when the man is dead was supported in those days, as it Generally has been since, by the authority of creeds rather than the Word of God:
Some have dared to assert, concerning the nature of the reasonable soul, that it is mortal; we, with the approbation of the sacred council, do condemn and reprobate all such, seeing, according to the canon of Pope Clement the Fifth (not according to the Bible) the soul is immortal; and we strictly inhibit all from dogmatizing otherwise; and we decree that all who adhere to the like erroneous assertions shall be shunned as heretics.- Caranga, page 412, 1081.
Martin Luther, ironically responding to the decree of the Council of the Lateran held during the pontificate of Pope Leo, says:
"I permit the pope to make articles of faith for himself and his faithful-such as the soul is the substantial form of. the human body, the soul is immortal, with all those monstrous opinions to be found in the Roman dunghill of decretals." --Luther's Works, Volume 2 folio 107, Wittenberg, 1562.
In an old work printed in 1772, entitled Historical View of the Intermediate State", on page 348, when speaking of Martin Luther’s. belief in relation to the state of the dead between death and resurrection, it is said he held "that they lay in a profound sleep", in which opinion he followed many of the fathers of the ancient church.
William Tyndall declares that--
In putting departed souls in heaven, hell and purgatory-, you destroy the arguments wherewith Christ and Paul prove the resurrection. * * * The true faith putteth the resurrection, which we be warned to look for every hour. The heathen philosophers, denying that, did put that the souls did ever live. And the pope joineth the spiritual doctrine of Christ and the fleshly doctrine of philosophers together–things so contrary that they cannot agree. * * * And because the fleshly pope consenteth into HEATHEN DOCTRINE, therefore he corrupteth the Scriptures to establish it. * * * If the souls be in heaven, tell me why they be not in as good case as the angels be. And then what cause it there for the resurrection? This translator of the Scriptures into English suffered martyrdom in 1536.
Gibbon declares: "The doctrine of the immortality of the soul is omitted in the law of Moses." -Gibbon, Volume 1, page 530–1.
George Combs says: "No idea can be more erroneous than to suppose that man is an immortal being, on account of the substance of which he is composed." -System of Phrenology, page 595–7.
Parkhurst says: "As a noun nephesh hath been supposed to signify the spiritual part of man, or what we commonly call his soul, I must confess that I can find no passage where it hath undoubtedly this meaning." - Hebrew Lexicon.
Now we have given proof that even men highly esteemed among men deny and give good reasons for denying the theory of the souls immortality. Some, however, will turn to the word spirit, and claim that the Scripture use of this word will sustain that which they are forced to concede is not supported by the use of the word soul. So we will ask you to accompany us while we examine the subject under this heading.
18. The spirit of man not an immortal entity, but the word is used for life, mind and disposition
PROPOSITION 18.
The Spirit of Man Is Not an Immortal Entity, But the Word is Used for Life, Mind and Disposition
Now, reader, you may be under the impression that spirit is only applied to man in the Scriptures; and truly, if it is a word that signifies immortal entity, it ought never to apply to the beasts in any sense. If we show you testimonies in which spirit is spoken of as belonging to the beasts as well as to man, then you will see at once that it cannot have the meaning commonly attached to it.
Now there are different words in the original Scriptures that are rendered in our translation spirit. It will therefore be well for me to give these and a brief statement of the facts as to their meaning and use. To do this I will quote from the alphabetical appendix of the Emphatic Diaglott a statement whose correctness you can, with little trouble, test yourself.
The Definition and Use of the Word Spirit as Found in the Scriptures
"The Hebrew world ruach occurs 400 times in the Old Testament, and is rendered spirit 240 times; breath 28 times; wind 95 times; mind 6 times; and the balance in 18 different ways. The Greek word pneuma has been chosen by the inspired writers of the New Testament as the equivalent in meaning of ruach. It occurs 385 times, and is the only word rendered spirit, (with two exceptions, Matt. 14:26; Mark 6:49). Pneuma, like ruach of the Old Testament, has four significations: 1. It represents primarily the air that we breathe. 2. It denotes a being, as angels. 3. It represents an influence from a being. 4. It indicates a state of feeling. It is believed that there is not a passage where these words rendered spirit occur but what may be classified under one of these significations."
Now when it is said in Gen. 6:17, "I do bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh wherein is the breath (ruach, the Hebrew word often rendered spirit) or life, we see that "immortal soul" or "immortal spirit' is out of the question; for "all flesh" included the beasts of the field.
When the wise man declares of man and beasts in Ecc. 3:19, "For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them; as the one dieth so dieth the other; YEA THEY HAVE ALL ONE BREATH (ruach), you would certainly not read, yea they have all one "immortal spirit. So, also, when it is said in Jas. 2:26, "For as the body without the spirit (pneuma) is dead, the meaning is, as you will see by the word breath in the margin, "the body without the breath (or life) is dead. And surely this is true of all flesh wherein is the breath or spirit of life.
It was the breath of life that God breathed into man to make him a living man. Before that he was a lifeless man. When God takes away the breath of life or the spirit of life, which all creatures possess, the man becomes as lifeless as he was before he received the breath of life. Hence Solomon says in Ecc. 12:7, "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return to God who gave it." The word rendered spirit here is the same as is rendered breath in chapter 3:19, where it says of man and beasts, yea they have all one breath (ruach).
The fact that our translators have rendered the same word (ruach) breath and spirit does not change the fact that the inspired writers used the same word. A good way for you to test whether the inspired writers believed as theologians do now -- that spirit means "immortal spirit" or soul -- is to read "immortal spirit" in the verses where the words rendered spirit, breath and wind occur. Try in the following:
I Kings 2:9 And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
Job 9:18 He will not suffer me to take my breath ( ruach ).
Job 12:10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.
Job 27:3 All the while my breath is in me, and the Spirit of God is in my nostrils.
Job 33:4 The spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
Eph. 4:23 Be renewed in the spirit of your mind.
Col. 2:5 For though I be absent in flesh yet am I with you in spirit.
Num. 16:22 O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh.
Num. 27:16 Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation.
Josh. 5:1 Neither was there any spirit in them any more because of the children of Israel.
I Kings 10:4, 5 When the Queen of Sheba had seen Solomon’s wisdom there was no spirit in her.
Psa. 104:29, 30 Thou takest away their breath (spirit of the beasts, see context) they die and return to the dust.
We say, a proud spirit, a haughty spirit, a rebellious spirit,