The existence of spiritual beings is somewhat doubtful to few religious group in Christianity. Yes, we are mortals and it's pretty difficult to believe the unseen. You may ask is it necessary to have this knowledge as it's not part of the plan of salvation. Answer is yes, so you may not be deceived by those who wave it off so as to match in their doctrine and belief. They go as far as misinterpreting the Bible uses of the words soul and spirit replacing where soul is used to represent a spiritual being after death for a bodily being, they go as far as affirming that a spirit is only a life force and not a character.
Spirit and soul represent living entity after dead (soul could be used to mean two things, "souls which actually refers to the living body" and "souls after dead which is also called spirit"). Eight souls were saved through water 1Peter 3:20, that is the eight persons, Noah and his family which were saved from the deluge. Acts 2:41 also refer souls to living beings, the baptism of the three thousand souls, there are many examples in the scriptures.
Man is not annihilated at death, the part of us which dwells in the body while we are still yet alive lives immediately we lost our breath. It's this part that lives on awaiting judgement based on the things he did while its stay on Earth.
Sarah when she died, something left her living her body behind, Genesis 35:18, it was her soul which 'departed'. Departing it has a direction, it's heading somewhere, a place unknown to the living, a place when visit you never return to tell it to any man. Revelation 6:9,10 reveals living souls after dead. Man posses a spirit that's why Job made the statement "but there is a spirit in man" Job 32:8. There are times in the Bible when the spirit differs from the soul, although the words spirit and soul are often used interchangeably "there is a spirit in man" would certainly say that the spirit and body are separate entities. Man is a triune being-body, soul and spirit. Okay let's look at Christ after his death.
He spent 40 days on Earth right after his resurrection on the third day Acts 1:3. Now that pops up some thoughtful questions like
Where was he during this 40 days?
Of what form was he?
What did he do?
1. WHERE WAS HE DURING THIS 40 DAYS?
Christ after resurrection was in the state of Hades (Hades is that states of the unseen between death and the resurrection Acts 2:30,31). Be wise, Christ was able to come out of this realm and return 1Peter 3:19; Mark 16:14. We can not do this when we die so if you ever see your loved one right after this life, be not deceived by the devil, rebuke him.
2. OF WHAT FORM WAS HE?
Christ was in the spirit form after his resurrection although he was able to assume this bodily form and mixed up with the living. It's known he was unseen being spirit but let's see cases where he took the physical form. Matthew 28:9-10...."he was held by his feet" meaning he was physically. Luke 24:14,31...."where he held Peter's and Cleopas' eyes from knowing him but later vanished as he was known by the act of breaking bread". John 20:27-28..... "Christ had Thomas who did not believe reach out for his wounds" John 21:1,4-7....."appearance on the sea of Tiberias, Peter offered him his fisher's coat upon realizing it was the Master"
3. WHAT DID HE DO?
During the 40 days Christ spent on earth, he did so many things that are not stated in the scripture John 20:30; 21:25, anyway let's see a few.
He showed himself to Mary Magdalene first Mark 16:9, then others Mark 16:12 and the apostles Mark 16:14.
He continued in preaching the gospel even to the "spirits" in prison 1Peter 3:19 (this was done in this state of unseen).
He revealed the scriptures again to the apostles for they were doubtful of his resurrection Mark 16:14; Luke 24:14-31; 36-49.
"Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." Luke 24:39
The above is a statement made by Jesus Christ himself, with an open mind you can see clearly he said for a "spirit hath not flesh and bones" if they had been no spirit, then they would have been no room for that statement. Infact it's seen that he clearly stated the features of a spirit being that it has "no flesh" nor 'bones'.
For those who do not believe, are you going to assert that Christ was lying or will you be truthful to say that you're suffering from the misinterpretation of the scriptures?
N/B: Hades is the spirit world...where is the spirit world? It's here existing along side with our world which is the physical world, don't be scared for the living has nothing to do with the dead!
Now that's enough for a sincere Bible student to know that man do not only possess this bodily part but rather has a spirit in him which will live on after death awaiting the end of time.
By: Albert Benjamins
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