Jehovah’s Witnesses Part 4 – The Human Soul Dies with the Body

The lecture discusses the belief of Jehovah’s Witnesses that the human soul dies with the body, and presents the Orthodox response to this teaching, clarifying that the soul does not die but separates from the body and remains alive.

Explanation of the Correct Concept of the Soul

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that the word “soul” in the Holy Bible has more than one meaning; it may refer to the whole human being, or to the living element within him. Therefore, the interpretation of the phrase “the soul that sins shall die” does not mean the death of the soul as an entity, but the death of the person, that is, the separation of the spirit from the body.

The Meaning of Death in Christian Teaching

Death is not the annihilation of the soul, but its خروج from the body. Many texts confirm that the soul remains after death, such as the return of the soul of the boy whom Elijah raised, and the raising of Jairus’ daughter, which shows that the soul does not die but departs and returns.

Response to Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Thought

The Orthodox teaching responds to the idea that the soul perishes, explaining that this understanding results from misinterpretation of the Holy Bible, and عدم التمييز between the soul and the body.

Proofs of the Immortality of the Soul

• Man is created in the image of God, and thus bears a spiritual nature that does not perish.
• The story of the rich man and Lazarus confirms that the soul feels after death.
• The Book of Revelation shows that souls speak and ask for justice.
• The words of Christ confirm that God is the God of the living, not of the dead.

The Theological Dimension

Denying the immortality of the soul leads to canceling the meaning of redemption and salvation, because redemption is directed to a living soul, not to an entity that perishes.

The Spiritual Conclusion

The human soul is immortal, and death is a transition, not an end. The true faith calls man to eternal readiness, because his life does not end with physical death but continues before God.

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