Systematic Theology – Lesson 78 – The Doctrine of Man: A Living Soul – 1 Cor. 5:5; Zechariah 12:1. Review: Scripture uses the terms “soul” and “spirit” interchangeably. At different times we are described as being “body and soul” (Matt. 10:28) and “body and spirit” (1 Cor. 5:5). Understanding then that the immaterial part of us is referred to in Scripture as our soul or spirit, where does that immaterial part of us originate? What is the origin of the soul? Is the soul created by God at conception? Is the soul passed down from one’s parents through a natural process? There are three views concerning the origin of the soul that we will examine in this lesson: preexistence, creationism, and traducianism.


Systematic Theology – Lesson 80 – The Doctrine of Man: Personhood – Job 3:3; Gen. 25:21-22. Personhood is simply the quality or condition of being an individual person, or an individual being. The question of when does personhood begin is answered differently depending upon one’s worldview. Within the framework of a Biblical worldview, one becomes a person (an individual being) when they become…when they are conceived. Life begins at conception, when all 23 pairs of chromosomes are complete. Remember, this is the same time at which we become a living soul.