There is nothing mysterious about the term "spirit" when it is used of the life that animals and humans have. It is simply an idiomatic reference to the life trait of breathing that exists in living humans and animals. It's not referring to some hidden mysterious life-force. No such lifeforce exists.
What is spirit, exactly?
by Viviane 609 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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zed is dead
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGGQCj_JH1I
It's nature's way of telling you something's wrong
It's nature's way of telling you in a song
It's nature's way of receiving you
It's nature's way of retrieving you
It's nature's way of telling you
Something's wrong
It's nature's way of telling you, summer breeze
It's nature's way of telling you, dying trees
It's nature's way of receiving you
It's nature's way of retrieving you
It's nature's way of telling you
Something's wrong
It's nature's way, it's nature's way
It's nature's way, it's nature's way
It's nature's way of telling you
Something's wrong
It's nature's way of telling you
In a song, oh-h
It's nature's way of receiving you
It's nature's way
It's nature's way of retrieving you
It's nature's way
It's nature's way of telling you
Something's wrong, something's wrong, something's wrong -
zed is dead
Viviane,
If you have any further questions; just ask the coftyman, he has all of the answers.
zed
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Island Man
Here's an alternative or additional possibility to what I've said above re the bible's use of spirit when referring to living animals and humans:
As I said above the word spirit is used for that which is invisible but known to exist. Ancient people, long before the bible was even written, had no knowledge of molecular biology and the myriad of intricate biological processes that keep us alive. Those details were invisible to them. Still they must have postulated that there must be something keeping humans and animals alive even if they can't see what it is. So what do you think they will naturally use to refer to something they strongly believe exists but can't see? Spirit! So the word spirit which was already being used to refer to other invisible things only naturally also came to be used in the language as a placeholder of sorts to refer to the hidden biological mechanics of life sustenance that they couldn't see and know the details about. Because the bible was written in Hebrew, the authors also make use of the word spirit in this way to simply refer to the hidden things of life sustance just as everyone else speaking the language would. So the use of spirit in the bible is not to be seen as a doctrinal revelation of the existence of a special, singular life-force responsible for life. Rather, it is to be seen as merely an idiosyncracy of ancient language in which the bible was written. The word spirit is not to be understood as referring literally to an actual singular lifeforce but should be seen as merely a language device used to abstract away the invisible and unknown intracacies of life sustenance under one word - spirit.
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Island Man
To illustrate my point, there is a bible verse in Genesis that speaks about the soil having "power". This doesn't mean there is a singlar growth-force residing in the soil. Today, we know there are many nutrients and bacteria that play a role in nourishing plants so that they grow. But ancient people didn't know the details and abstracted them away with singular, everyday terms like "power". Likewise they didn't know details of biology and life sustenance so abstracted it away in the language with the singular term "spirit".
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a watcher
cofty, for me, lifeforce is Jehovah's holy spirit.
"And Jehovah God proceeded to form the man out of dust from the ground and blow into his nostrils the BREATH of life, and the man came to BE a living SOUL" (not HAVE a soul). (Genesis 2:7)
But Island Man also has a good point. The Greek word for "spirit" comes from a root word meaning "breathe or blow." The Hebrew word for "spirit" is believed to come from a root having the same meaning. Both words for "spirit" basically mean "breath" but have extended meanings beyond that basic sense.
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Viviane
That was just to illustrate there are fundamental questions that humanity is still struggling to answer. When the material world is examined to its nuts and bolts, it turns out not be to be material at all, but rather ‘clouds’ of probabilities.
Outstanding example of physics! Start a thread if you are interested. It's not in any way related to my topic.
If you have any further questions; just ask the coftyman, he has all of the answers.
Cofty has questions. Do you have answers?
The Greek word for "spirit" comes from a root word meaning "breathe or blow." The Hebrew word for "spirit" is believed to come from a root having the same meaning. Both words for "spirit" basically mean "breath" but have extended meanings beyond that basic sense.
So spirit = breathing? Meaning plants have spirits?
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Island Man
The bible never uses spirit when referring to plants. Ancient people would never have noticed plants breathing.
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HowTheBibleWasCreated
I never had a problem with this. When I grew up I always thought God was like Q. lol Energy
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objectivetruth
If you're referring to "Holy Spirit" You will know that you have it when your Heart of Stone, turns to a Heart of Flesh,and you see Beauty & Love everywhere you look..
Ezekiel 36:26 " And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."
Praise Yahweh.