BAGSTER'S Analytical Greek Lexicon defines the Greek word psuche, rendered "soul," as "breath; the principle of animal life; Matt. 2:20; an inanimate being, 1 Cor. 15:45; a human individual, soul, Acts 2:41; the immaterial soul, Matt. 10:28; the soul as the seat of religious and moral sentiment, Matt. 11:28; the soul as a seat of feeling, Matt. 12:18; the soul, the inner self, Luke 12:19."
In all of these texts the word psuche, or its variations, is used, and the word "soul" in the New Testament is invariably from the same Greek word.
It will be noticed when we speak of Matt. 10:28 that Bagster puts the theological soul into this text.
The words psuche and nepesh correspond in meaning. Psuche is rendered soul in the New Testament fifty-nine times. We read (Matt. 6:25): "Take no thought for your life" (psuchen). "Whosoever will lose his life [psuchen] for My sake shall find it." Matt. 16:25. "The Son of man came . . . to give His life [psuchen] a ransom for many." Matt. 20:28.
Isaiah says: "He hath poured out His soul [nepesh] unto death." Isa. 53:12. Thus it is plain that Christ fulfilled this prediction in rendering up His life, or, as the prophet has it, "His soul unto death." "Is it lawful . . . to save life, or to kill?" Mark 3:4. Hazarded their lives for their brethren. Acts 15:26. "Trouble not yourselves; for his life [psuchen] is in him." Acts 20:10. "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life [psuchen] for us; and we ought to lay down our lives [psuchen] for the brethren." 1 John 3:16. "And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life [psuchen], died." Rev. 8:9. Render the word psuche, soul in all these texts, and the sense will be just as good, or just the same, as to render it life, providing we take the Bible meaning of the word "soul." The objector says: "Did men hazard their souls, or can any one lay down his soul for the brethren? This is strange, and dreadful." It certainly would be dreadful to think of laying down our immortal souls, but taking the true meaning of life, all is plain.
"But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul [psuchen] shall be required of thee." Luke 12:20. In verse 22 of this chapter the same word is translated life. "Take no thought for your life [psuchen], what ye shall eat," etc. Why should not the same word be translated life in verse 20? Is not the meaning in substance the same? Thou shalt die to-night. Riches are of no use to a dead man. "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul [life, psuchen]? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul [life, psuchen]?" Matt. 16:26. In the words immediately preceding this, the word "life" is used twice, and it is so rendered from the same word, translated soul in the text first quoted. "For whosoever will save his life [psuchen] shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life [psuchen] for My sake shall find it." It is no wonder the translators did not render it soul, as it would certainly read strange to them according to their ideas of soul. "For whosoever shall lose his soul for My sake shall find it." It is plain that in the texts last quoted the word "soul" as life is used to denote personality. The parallel passage in Luke 9:25 freely proves this, as follows: "For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?" We read (Rev. 6:9): "I saw under the altar the souls [psuchen] of them that were slain," etc.
Now its meaning is similar to that in the last quoted, simply meaning the martyrs or these persons used by personification. Matt. 10:28 plainly teaches what man can destroy and what he can not; man can kill the body but he can not kill the life; that is, the eternal life which is the reward of the righteous, and which will be given at the resurrection of the just. See Luke 14:14. On the other hand God only can destroy that life, or soul, or being, forever, as He will do in the second death (Rev. 20:14) unto those who are unworthy of eternal life.
It will be seen that in the parallel words in Luke the word "soul" does not occur. "And I say unto you, My friends, be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear; fear Him, which after He hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him." Luke 12:4, 5.
One object in dwelling so much on definitions and quoting so many texts in respect to the soul is to prove its destructibility; for, according to many modern theologians, God Himself can not destroy the "immaterial" and therefore "immortal soul," and if He can not, and does not, then the punishment of the wicked will be suffering forever. The words "immortal soul" are not found in the Bible. "God only hath immortality." 1 Tim. 6:16. If God only has it, then man has it not, and never will have till he puts it on at the resurrection of the just. 1 Cor. 15:53.
Why should we seek for a thing which we already have? We exhort the reader, in the language of Scripture (Rom. 2:7), to "seek for glory and power and immortality."