We are often faced with questions that arise in regards to what makes man, man.
What are the spirit, soul, body, conscience, Holy Spirit etc….
This article aims to clarify the Orthodox understandings on these issues.
CLICK HERE to explore this article.
bishoysblog.com 
Great blog, i will probably read this again to emphasise some important points.
The soul – it does not make sense that there would be pre-existance of souls based on the following:
– emotions, passions, feelings, desires and instinct; how can you have these characteristics without the physical body…? You mentioned some biblical examples of the soul being weaker than the spirit (i.e. St Peter at the garden of Gethsemene). I totally agree with you – he wanted to stay awake but was overcome from emotional and physical tiredness (soul + body respectically).
– when would the soul exist? at what age or point in time could we say the soul existed before the body or spirit? ……
– i like the link (communion) between human spirit and holy spirit
Does the soul die after physical death: you have made some good points to strongly suggest it does. The spirit only can be immortal… God is spirit…all the biblical verses distinctively say spirit, and not soul. I mean when Jesus Christ died in his human nature it clearly says he gave up his spirit….. if the soul really did not die why was the soul not mentioned or even replaced with this characteristic ??
– blasmaphy against the Holy spirit was good: Pope Shenouda has a section on this stating that it is “the complete and continuous refusal of any work of the Spirit in the heart, a life time refusal’
– Pope Shenouda says conscience ‘is a voice put by God in man to call him to do good and reprimand him for wickedness, but it is not God’s voice. For example somebody may revenge a murder because he thinks it will ease his conscience ….. God voice would never say this.
Additional points:
– “The dust will return to the earth as it was, and the SPIRIT will return to God who gave it” (Eccl 12:7)
– St Stephen said “Lord Jesus, receive my SPIRIT’ (Acts 7:59)
– Soul refers to man has a whole
“Whoever eats what is leavened, that soul shall be cut off from the congregation” (Ex 12:19). Soul here means the person as a whole.
“were baptised; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them”.
However bishoy a few verses give me some issues
“Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Mt 10:28)
“When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slin for the word of God … (Rev 6:9)
Simply, please explain these two verses and why they mention souls
Thanks for the Reply Dan
“Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Mt 10:28)
This verse is universally misunderstood because the meaning of the word translated “soul” has been lost. Christ’s statement is demystified once the term is properly defined.
The Greek word pseuche and the Hebrew word nephesh are both translated as “soul.” Both of these words mean a living, breathing creature, in reference to man or animal.
The word “soul” never refers to something immortal within a man or an animal. In fact, you will not find the term “immortal soul” anywhere in the Bible. On the contrary, God’s Word clearly teaches that a soul can perish. The Prophet Ezekiel was inspired to write (twice), “The soul that sins, it shall die” (Ezek. 18:4, 20). The word “soul” simply means life, pertaining to that of any man or animal.
The word “life” in Leviticus 17:11 is translated from the same Hebrew word for “soul.” An equally correct way to read this verse is the following: “For the soul of the flesh is in the blood.” Christ gave His life (the Greek word psuche ) as a ransom for mankind (Mark 10:45) by pouring out His soul (his life’s blood) as payment for our sins (Isa. 53:12).
As previously stated, “soul” refers to the physical life of an animal or person.
No man can destroy both the physical body and the soul (life). However, God can. On another occasion, Christ stated the same thing: “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell [the lake of fire—the second, final death]” (Luke 12:4-5). Men can destroy one’s physical life. But this is only the first death (Heb. 9:27).
However, God has the power both to grant life and to temporarily or permanently remove it. Just as He has the ability to raise back to life those killed by men, He also has the power to take life in a manner no human being can. If He deems a person unworthy to be in His kingdom, He will condemn that person to be totally destroyed in the lake of fire, which is the second death. There will be no resurrection for those in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14-15; Mal. 4:10). Both the body and life (soul) of anyone who refuses to repent of his sins will be destroyed forever.
For those that have inherited the heavenly Jerusalem they will be raised in a Spiritual body as St Paul Says.
The meaning of Christ’s statement was that. If one dies at the hands of men, it will be only a temporary death. If God kills a man, it will be for eternity. There will be no new spiritual body for them.
“When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God … (Rev 6:9)
Pope Shenouda III in His Book What is Man, has a nice section entitled Soul used in the bible To mean Spirit. This is the Case in this verse and I’m sure the above has adequately explained this verse.
God Bless
Bish