In an effort to refute my contention that the soul is not some separate, intelligent, immortal entity, the following verse was brought to my attention:

And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, “O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again.” And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. 1 Kings 17: 21, 22.

The word “soul” in this King James Version is translated from the Hebrew word “nephesh.” Elsewhere in the Old Testament, “nephesh” is translated 118 times as “life.” This is so even in the case of referring to animals (Genesis 1: 30). And under no circumstances will “life” in these instances be found to mean or even indicate an eternal being.

Here, though, the translators – conditioned by the pagan Greek concept of the immortal soul that had crept into the church – chose to interpret according to that predisposition.

However, some of the modern translations (NASB, ESV, CEV, NIV, etc.), in the above passage, have the correct translation of “nephesh.” Substitute the word “life” wherever “soul” is mentioned, and the apparent contradiction disappears.

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For more on the soul, as related to death, click here.