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The breath of life

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repottinger:
Hello all,
The recent thread from Kat about the total number of people who have lived on the earth got me thinking about the meaning of the concept of the “breath of life” in Scripture. In the thread, statements were made about it referring to the physical act of inhaling and exhaling air with the lungs. However, in this writing, Ray states that it actually has a symbolic meaning in regard to the act of God’s imparting spirit into humans (and the combination of spirit and body producing the soul).

http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,118.0.html

Dear Dallas:

Is too, until recent years, referred to man as having three "components"--body, soul, and spirit.  NOT TRUE. Man is made of TWO components--body and spirit. God never put a soul into Adam. The soul of man is not a component, but rather the product of two combined components, namely: body and spirit. God formed man's body out of the ground. He then breathed into this body the breath of life (spirit), and the MAN, not some separate component, but the man became a "LIVING SOUL."  The soul is not the living soul, but rather the man is the living soul. There is no soul without the body of man.  Understood?  God is not a trinity and neither is man a trinity.

In this next writing, Ray describes a somewhat similarly metaphorical concept—that of the heart—in Judaism, noting that, in ancient Mesopotamia, the seat of human emotion was thought to be the liver, but that the Hebrews believed it to be the heart (which is why we still use that term in referring to the emotions). In both cases, Scripture uses a physical function or organ of the body as a metaphor to symbolize a spiritual or mental concept.

Heart?
« on: April 21, 2007, 06:38:34 AM »
But my beloved brother, is not the heart just a pump that sends blood, how can evil thought originate in the heart (a pump) that does not think.  Does not the bible means mind when it often speaks of the heart?

Dear Calvin:
No, the heart is not "just a pump." In fact it is very rare that the heart is represented in Scripture as a literal organ of the body. The "heart" of man is the seat of his deepest moral and emotional feelings.
But, no, it is not the "mind." There are separate words for "heart" and "mind" in Scripture. The mind pertains more to the intellect.
You have heard that statement:  "You make me sick to my STOMACH," haven't you? The reason for this is, that deep and profound emotions can be felt in the mid-section of our torso. The people of Mesopotamia thought that the liver was the center and cause of these emotions. The Hebrews realized that it was the heart that pumped the life-sustaining blood throughout the body, hence the heart was considered the center of emotional and moral conduct (be it evil or good).  This is why Jesus taught that evil thoughts of lust and hate and sin come from the heart, rather than from the mind. 
One may compose a love letter in one's mind, but the feelings are coming from that part of our psyche called the heart.  Likewise a murderer may make the technical plans to carry out his dirty deed in his mind, but the motivation is in his heart.
 
We all need to [1] "Let this MIND be in you which is also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5), and  [2]  "Take up My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, because I am meek and and humble in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls" (Matt. 11:29).

God be with you,

I would welcome any questions or comments that anyone might have on this subject.
Your brother in Christ,
Randy


 

judy:
Randy, all I know is the emotions follow the thoughts. Change the thought and
you can change the emotion. There is always a thought before the emotion. Cognitive therapy teaches changing the thought so the emotions can heal. That is why it is so important to study the Word of God, the mind wants to take off on it's own. This most likely is not what you are looking for but it's a good thing to know about the mind and heart.

repottinger:
Thank you very much, Judy; I completely agree with you.
Sincerely,
Randy

Proverbs 23:7, AKJV
7 for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:
Eat and drink, saith he to thee;
but his heart is not with thee.

Philippians 4:8, AKJV
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Kat:

Hi Randy, yes it is the physical that God uses in a representative way to explain things beyond the physical or metaphysical; like the emotions and feelings (metaphysical) come from the heart (physical). Well the breath is also representative of something metaphysical, the spirit of life. The breath in a person, works simultaneously with the spirit, as this verse shows.

Gen 7:22  All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died.

So God symbolized or compares the spirit in a person with something physical, the breath. Jesus even showed the disciples what receiving the Holy Spirit (another Spirit from God) was similar to His breathing on them.

John 20:22  And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit."

So you can see that the Scripture do use the breath in a representative way of when the physical breath and spirit of life simultaneously enter a person. And as Ray said when God "breathed into this body the breath of life (spirit)" then it becomes a living soul.

mercy, peace and love
Kat

repottinger:
Yes, Kat, I agree--and thanks a lot for the additional explanation and scriptural examples.
Sincerely,
Randy

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