Biblical Definition of Soul Natural maturity of soul
When God speaks of the natural man as in I Corinthians 2: 14, we must understand that this is a person who is of body and soul, NO SPIRIT. This person is not a born-again Christian. The only way this person can learn anything is by the five senses -- there is no spiritual connection with God. The Bible says: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). We must be careful not to confound that which is truly spiritual and that which is merely soulish or psychical. The two following passages from the Bible clearly establish the fact that man is a triune being composed of spirit, soul, and body: I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23). He defined the Body as that part which we can see and feel, the Soul as mind, will, and emotions, and the Spirit (different from the Holy Spirit) as the aspect of man that enables him to enter into a personal relationship with God, who is Spirit. Man is a trichotomy made up of spirit, soul and body. God designed man as a functioning unit with his reborn spirit to be in charge of the soul (mind, will, and emotions), and with the body in subjection to the soul and spirit. We need to understand the meaning of certain phrases or terms used in the Bible that are relevant to our topic. When God speaks of the natural man as in I Corinthians 2: 14, we must understand that this is a person who is of body and soul, NO SPIRIT. This person is not a born-again Christian. Genesis 2: 7 -- And the Lord God formed man [man's body] of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. The phrase breathed into his nostrils is the figure of speech condescension where God attributes human characteristics to Himself. Note that the word life in the following verses is the same word as soul. Genesis 1: 30a -- And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life (soul), . . . . . This doctrine is based in part upon another theological argument, that if the human soul is naturally mortal, immortality ( eternal life ) is therefore granted by God as a gift. This viewpoint stands in contrast to the more popular doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul. Man not only has a living soul but he is a living soul. The Bible says: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7).
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul