The Difference in the SOUL and the SPIRIT

01/15/25 • 22 min

1 Listener

We all know we have a soul. That our bodies may die, but we all have an eternal soul that will live on forever and ever.

All human beings have a soul. This is something that sets us apart from plants, animals and people who skip the theme song when they’re watching The Office.

And then the Bible also speaks sometimes of each of us having a spirit, and we think of that similarly to the soul. It’s that ghostly, non-physical part of us that only exists in the spiritual realm. We use the terms “soul” and “spirit” pretty interchangeably, as if they’re synonyms.

But then when you’re reading

I Thessalonians 5:23, Paul says

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Wait a minute: spirit and soul and body? You mean I’m not just a body and soul; I’m a body, soul and spirit? I always thought the spirit and the soul were the same thing, so why is I Thessalonians 5:23 talking about them as two different things?

I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible.

Turn to Romans 8, and let’s get weird.

0:00 - Introduction

1:30 - Definition of the Spirit

10:10 - The Spirit’s Work Inside of Us

15:20 - The Spirit is a Point of Connection Between You and God

18:00 - Next Time and Closing Thoughts

If you want to get in touch, my email is [email protected]

Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

We all know we have a soul. That our bodies may die, but we all have an eternal soul that will live on forever and ever.

All human beings have a soul. This is something that sets us apart from plants, animals and people who skip the theme song when they’re watching The Office.

But then when you’re reading

I Thessalonians 5:23, Paul says

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible.

Turn to Romans 8, and let’s get weird.

0:00 - Introduction

1:30 - Definition of the Spirit

10:10 - The Spirit’s Work Inside of Us

15:20 - The Spirit is a Point of Connection Between You and God

18:00 - Next Time and Closing Thoughts

If you want to get in touch, my email is [email protected]

Hosted by Luke Taylor

Previous Episode

Did God Actually HATE Esau?

One of the most puzzling verses in the whole Bible is

Malachi 1:3, where God says

“Jacob I have loved;But Esau I have hated”

If that doesn’t make you do a double-take while you’re reading your Bible, I’m not sure what will.

Again, that’s God speaking. It’s written by Malachi, but it’s a quote from God. The same God who will be telling us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us just a handful of pages later. The same God who says feed and clothe your enemies. The same God who gave us the story of the Good Samaritan, right here, is declaring His hatred for Esau.

Who had his problems, but really wasn’t such a terrible guy in my opinion. Especially not compared to his sniveling trickster brother, Jacob.

Now, some Christians swallow Malachi 1:3 without a second thought. They say, “If God hates Esau, then God hates him. Esau must have deserved it.” And while I appreciate their willingness to accept whatever the Bible says at face value, I gotta admit, I’ve struggled with this one.

I mean, I’ve done episodes on Scripture’s talking donkeys and demon-human hybrids, and I don’t even blush at those passages. But Esau I have hated- THAT’S the one where I have some hang-ups.

I find it to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible.

Turn to Malachi 1, and let’s get weird.

0:00 - Introduction

3:00 - Let’s Make it Worse

7:40 - Should you “hate” your mother and father?

13:25 - The Chosen

19:00 - Mailbag

22:50 - Closing Thoughts

If you want to get in touch, my email is [email protected]

Hosted by Luke Taylor

Next Episode

Is the Church Built on Peter?

Was Peter the First Pope?

What I’m going to talk about today is perhaps THE MOST misunderstood verse in the entire world today.

And I say that because there are about 1.4 billion Catholics in the world. If we were to consider Catholics a denomination of Christianity, then we Protestant denominations are far outnumbered. We who are Methodists, Pentecostals, Baptists, Southern Baptists, Free Will Baptists, Independent Fundamental Baptists, whatever those guys in Skillet are- all of us. If you added up all of the Protestant denominations together, you’d be under a billion, so we are far outnumbered by the Catholics.

And we Protestants agree with Catholics on a lot of things: the deity of Christ, the Trinity, Creation of the World from nothing, the authority of the Bible, the supremacy of Chick-Fil-A, lots of doctrines that we build our faith on.

But the reason I say that we’re tackling the most misunderstood verse in the whole Bible today is because Protestants have a very different take on this verse than Catholics do. And it’s this verse that suggests that the worldwide church was started with and built on Peter.

All because...Jesus said so. Or that’s what it sounds like, at least.

In Matthew 16, Jesus said,

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

And Peter there, by the way, is Petros in the Greek, which means “stone.”

Wait a minute- do Protestants have this right? Is the church built on Peter? Was Peter truly the first pope?

I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible.

Turn to Matthew 16, and let’s get weird.

0:00 - Introduction

2:00 - The Context

8:00 - Petros and Petra

14:15 - Next Time

16:40 - Closing Thoughts