The Evangelical Universalist Forum

Spirit is True Self, Soulish is Natural Man (False Self)

Theology Biblical Theology
#1

Since mortal sin belittles God’s infinite worth and value then committing a mortal sin has the consequences of paying an infinite price. This is why Christ could atone for the sins of His people because He is infinite in value. He payed the infinite price. The old identity (self) is tormented forever and ever in hell while the new self (spirit) is reborn. The Greek word for soul in the New Testament is psyche. The Bible defines it as the mind, will, and emotions (self). The Bible also tells us that as a baby up to and through the time He was a man Jesus had to learn and grow. He didn’t know everything as a man. He had a finite and limited mind. This was His human soul. This is the soul that would die and be tormented forever as Jesus was nailed to the cross and descended into hell. The Bible is pretty clear that Jesus died for sinners. As God, Jesus didn’t have to learn and grow. He was infinite in wisdom and knowledge. This is His Divine Spirit. This is what entered His new body when He was resurrected. On the cross He said to the Father, “Into Your hands I commit my spirit.” The human soul is tormented forever. The Divine Spirit lives forever in God’s glory. Man is body soul and spirit. Soulish (natural) is the Biblical Greek psyche. A natural body is transformed into a spiritual one. Our true inner self is the spirit. We put to death the soulish or natural man (false self) and walk in the spirit (True Self). The psyche (natural man) is tormented forever in hell - The soulish (soul body). The spiritual goes to be with the Father. As Robin Parry says in "The Evangelical Universalist:

One could maintain that the devil will be punished forever, but that Lucifer will ultimately be saved. Paul is able to speak of how God saves humans through the putting to death of “the flesh” or the “old person”. The human in rebellion against God is “killed” so that there is a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). According to the tradition, the devil is a fallen angel. The devil, like the “flesh”, must be destroyed forever, because creation has no place for him. But he dies, and Lucifer is reborn as a redeemed angel. It would still be possible to speak of the devil being tormented forever and ever to symbolize this defeat even though no actual being is still in the lake of fire. This goes beyond anything taught in Revelation, but it is one way of trying to reconcile what revelation teaches with what Colossians teaches and I tentatively commend it to the reader. The Evangelical Universalist page 131

#2

The Greek word for soul is psyche. The Bible says it’s the natural person as opposed to the Spirit. We crucify the soulish (psychikos) man or natural man.

5591 psychikos from 5590 psyche

natural, of the soul or mind

The natural person (psychikos) does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. ~~ 1 Cor. 2:14

it is sown a natural (psychikos) body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. ~~ 1 Cor. 15:44 - 46

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural (psychikos), demonic. ~~ James 3:14-15

#3

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 .

It’s the soul and natural body that is destroyed (tormented forever) in hell. The spiritual sheds it’s skin and goes to be with the Father. There’s a spirit and spirit body. Like the soul the spirit man has emotions. Joy beauty and wonder.

#4

1 Peter 3:19–20 "By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

After Christ died, he went and preached to people in Hell, setting them free from prison. It’s the soul and body (natural body) that are tormented forever in hell. The temporary abode in the spirit world is for those who were disobedient in mortality. In this sense, hell has an end. The spirits there will be taught the gospel, and sometime following their repentance they will be resurrected.

#5

I just looked up spirit and there are unclean spirits. But the point still stands. There’s a true self and a false self. The old self is tormented forever. (Satan not Lucifer)

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Bible also speaks of a true self and a false self. When we are crucified with Christ we die to the old self and hidden with God in Christ. We have a new identity. Indeed we are a new creation. In ego death we lose our identity and develop a new self. This is the Christ within. It’s the sense of great significance and worth. Indeed we have eternal significance when we die to self and come into union with love. We fall in love with our true self or new self made in the likeness of Christ. It’s the image of God within. It’s intrinsic because we are covered and infused with Christ’s righteousness. Our dignity is inherent. The falling in love is with the child within. It’s a falling in love with our true self. It’s the kind of falling in love a Mother has with her baby. It’s not sexual. Christ tells us to have the faith of a child and be humble like a child. To learn more about ego death here’s a Wikipedia article on it:

#6

I will look over this issue some more though. I guess I can’t make my mind up on particulars because there’s more than one reasonable way to look at the issues. I need to approach this with more humility instead of trying to force others to see a certain perspective.

#7