The Soul of Things; Or, Psychometric Researches and Discoveries by William Denton

For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” This cannot be speaking of David (as Paul points out in Acts 13:35-37) because David’s body did see corruption and decay when he died. David wrote, “Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices my flesh also dwells secure. Psalm 16:9-10 is a Messianic psalm that allows us to see that Jesus also had a soul. Matthew 11:29 tells us that we can turn to Jesus Christ to find rest for our souls. Jesus is the great Shepherd of souls (1 Peter 2:25). We know that the human soul needs atonement (Leviticus 17:11) and is the part of us that is purified and protected by the truth and the work of the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:22). It can be strong or unsteady (2 Peter 2:14) it can be lost or saved (James 1:21 Ezekiel 18:4). The human soul is created by God (Jeremiah 38:16). The human soul seems to be distinct from the heart (Deuteronomy 26:16 30:6) and the spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23 Hebrews 4:12) and the mind (Matthew 22:37 Mark 12:30 Luke 10:27). Repeatedly in the Bible, people are referred to as “souls” (Exodus 31:14 Proverbs 11:30), especially in contexts that focus on the value of human life and personhood or on the concept of a “whole being” (Psalm 16:9-10 Ezekiel 18:4 Acts 2:41 Revelation 18:13). You have a body.” In other words, personhood is not based on having a body. As George MacDonald said, “You don’t have a soul. The human soul is central to the personhood of a human being.

The Soul of Things; Or, Psychometric Researches and Discoveries by William Denton