A person can kill the body, but cannot kill the soul… This is checkmate for murderers

Table of Contents

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1. 1. Is reincarnation real? (Part 1)

2. 2. After death, the rich man realized there was no return. (Part 1)

3. 3. What does the human being actually consist of? (Part 2)

4. 4. Spirit and breath. What are they? (Part 3)

5. 5. The human spirit. How can it be protected? (Part 4)

6. 6. The human soul. Can it be killed? (Part 5)

3 – What does the human figure really consist of? – (Part 2)

3.1 Based on 1 Thessalonians 5:23, it can be said that the human being is composed of spirit, soul, and body:

„May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless for the coming of our Lord, Yeshu the Anointed One” — 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

Let’s try a slightly more difficult version of this verse:

„May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely/entire/whole / complete / without omission / undamaged (G3648), and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved/ undamaged / safeguarded / protected (G5083) blameless (G274) at the coming of our Lord, Yeshu the Anointed One” — 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

The verse contains these three words, which we discuss in detail in the articles:

• spirit – πνεῦμα / pneuma,

• soul – ψυχή / psychē,

• body – σῶμα / sōma.

The text shows that, before God, man consists of spirit, soul, and body. These are very important matters for understanding who and what we are.

3.2 Soul and spirit in the verses

This verse does not describe the entire makeup of a human being, but it reveals something important: the Word of God distinguishes between soul and spirit just as the body distinguishes between joints and marrow. A person has a physical aspect as well as a deep inner self that they often cannot clearly discern themselves:

„For the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” — Hebrews 4:12.

Here, the body is portrayed as dust returning to the earth, and the spirit as that which returns to God. This strongly confirms that the body and the spirit are not the same:

„And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it” — Ecclesiastes 12:7.

The next verse shows the relationship between body and spirit;

„For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead” — James 2:26.

The human body is visible; it can be recognized. But if the spirit is absent, there is no life.

James then applies this image to faith: faith without works is dead.

In other words, one can speak of faith, know the right words, and claim to believe, but if that faith does not bear good fruit, it is dead.

What does this verse say about the spirit?

It shows that the spirit is linked to the life of the body.

James does not say: a body without joy is dead. He does not say: a body without thought is dead.

He says: a body without the spirit is dead.

This is important.

Here, the spirit is not merely an emotion or a psychological state. It is presented as a reality without which the human body is dead.

Just as a body without the spirit is merely a dead body, so faith without works is merely a dead profession.

Let us now turn to a very interesting verse:

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna” — Matthew 10:28.

What does Christ say in this verse?

A person can destroy the body; they can bring about the body’s death. But they have no ultimate power over the spirit and the soul. When a person is murdered, or when a loved one dies, we must realize that the person has merely lost their body. The spirit and soul continue to exist. One need only restore the body, and the person lives in the body once more.

With this design—this process of human creation—the Lord God has checkmated satan and his servants. They may instigate wars, murders, and cruel crimes, but in reality, they kill only the body.

Let us remember this verse, for it transforms our perspective on human death. In Matthew 10:28, the Lord Yeshu speaks very clearly: a person can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. This means that, in this verse, the soul is not the same thing as the body.

3.3 Let’s Summarize

The Apostle Paul says that throughout our lives we are to care for these three elements of our being: spirit, soul, and body. These three elements are to be preserved—protected from defilement, corruption, and destruction—until the coming of Christ.

This meaning is also confirmed by 2 Corinthians 7:1, where Paul speaks of cleansing not only the body but also the spirit:

“Let us cleanse ourselves of every defilement of body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” — 2 Corinthians 7:1.

This is important. Sin can affect the body, but it can also affect the spirit. Therefore, a person must care not only for their outward appearance but also for their inner state before God.

That is why we need to clearly understand what the spirit and the soul are. Then we will be able to protect them from destruction or corruption. Just as we must care for the body and our health, we must also care for the spirit and the soul.

The Bible presents the human being as a whole comprising spirit, soul, and body. We must accept this as a fact and then examine individually what the spirit, the soul, and the body are. Without this foundation, one might easily reduce oneself merely to the body, whereas the Bible presents a broader perspective on the subject.

The body can be killed by man, but man cannot kill the soul. Paul prays that the whole person—spirit, soul, and body—may be preserved blameless for the coming of the Lord.

I invite you to join me for the subsequent parts of this series.