If you examine different religions, it is not uncommon to find that many people believe that humans have an existence outside of their present bodies. Some say that we are spirit life forces that existed before we were born and will continue to exist after we die. Others believe that our soul had a point of origin and it goes through cycles of birth and rebirth as part of a reincarnation process. However, when it comes to the Bible, many people are not sure what the Bible teaches on the topic. Biblically speaking, did humans exist with God before they were born on earth?
What makes us human?
The Bible teaches us that humans have three parts, a body, soul, and spirit as follows: “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). It also teaches us that God demonstrated His power to create the body, spirit, and soul when He made Adam: “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). Likewise, the Bible teaches us that God has the power to separate the spirit and soul from the body: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). With this power, it is clear that these three parts combined make us a human being.
What is the difference between the body, spirit, and soul?
The body
It is pretty obvious what a body is to most people. However, there are two types of bodies, terrestrial (earthly) and celestial (heavenly). 1 Corinthians 15:35-50 gives a good explanation of these two types of bodies as follows. The terrestrial body is the body that we have on earth and it differs from the bodies of animals. It is corrupt, or imperfect. It does not naturally honor God. It is weak, natural, and made up of elements found in the earth. On the other hand, the celestial body is not of this earth. It is incorruptible, glorious, powerful, spiritual, and heavenly. The earthly body is a descendant of Adam and the heavenly body is a descendant of God. Therefore the earthly body made of flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. However, the heavenly body can inherit the kingdom of God. As humans, we first exist with an earthly body, not a spiritual one. However, we are born again into God’s family when we trust Christ as our Savior (Romans 6:23). At the moment we are born again, we receive the Holy Spirit, who gives us eternal life. However, this eternal life does not rely upon an earthly body to survive. It is eternal, because our soul becomes one with God’s Spirit and at the moment that our earthly body dies, God separates our soul and spirit from our bodies and we find ourselves in the presence of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:1-8).
The spirit
Man also has a spirit, which gives him the power to live in his body. As we just read in Genesis 2:7, when God breathed into the man He had just created, Adam became a living soul. It was the breath of God that was the Spirit that gave Adam’s body the power to live and it also created his soul. For humans this spirit comes from God and returns to God upon death of the body (Ecclesiastes 12:7; James 2:26).
The soul
Man also has a soul, which gives him his conscious existence. The soul is what makes up man’s being as a person and gives him emotions and appetites. When the body of a man is energized by the spirit of life given by God, man becomes a living soul (Job 32:8). As we saw in Genesis 2:7, Adam’s soul was created when God created him and gave him the spirit of life. Without this spirit, a body cannot live (Ecclesiastes 8:8; Matthew 10:28; James 2:26). A practical example of this is seen in a television. A television has a screen, internal electronics, and an electrical cord. When you plug the cord into an electrical outlet, the television becomes energized with power. When the television is turned on, sounds and images are created. Symbolically speaking, the sounds and images created would be the soul of the television.
What does the Bible say about the existence of our soul in the context of time?
Some people think that Jeremiah 1:4-5 proves that we existed before we were conceived: “Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” However, the word “formed” is the exact same Hebrew word that is used in Genesis 2:7. This shows us that just as Adam was conceived the moment God breathed the spirit of life into him and he became a living soul, our souls were conceived the moment God gave our bodies the spirit of life inside our mothers (Job 31:15; Zechariah 12:1; Isaiah 44:2; Isaiah 44:24; 1 Corinthians 2:11; 1 Corinthians 15:45). Some teach that we existed in heaven before we were conceived. The Bible says only Jesus came from heaven, and that no one but Him has ever seen God. This is because we come into being on earth (John 1:1; John 17:5; 1 Corinthians 15:46-49; Colossians 1:17; 1 John 4:12). If we all existed in heaven before conception, then how could Jesus say to an unbeliever, “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:21-23)? Likewise, we do not experience multiple lives with the same soul as we see in Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die”.
Finally, some will say that we did exist before conception based on verses about God’s foreknowledge (Jeremiah 1:4; Romans 8:26-30; Ephesians 1:4). However, the key word is “foreknowledge”, which indicates a knowledge about us before we existed. We have to understand that God has no beginning and no end (John 1:1; Hebrews 1:10-11; Revelation 1:8-11; Revelation 21:6; Revelation 22:13). Therefore, He can know us before we were ever created. In a small way, this is much like how an engineer can know everything about a bridge before it is even built because he designed it. With God’s foreknowledge, He knew in eternity past who would love Him and who would reject Him. Because He foreknew who would love Him, He predestined those whom He foreknew (believers) to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus (Romans 8:28-30; 1 John 5:1-5). This means that one day, when we stand face to face with the Lord, we will fully know Him as He knows us (1 Corinthians 13:12).
Conclusion
The Bible teaches us that humans have three parts, a body, soul, and spirit. There are two types of bodies, terrestrial and celestial. Man also has a spirit, which gives him the power to live in his body. When the body of man is energized by the spirit of life given by God, man becomes a living soul. The soul is what makes up man’s being as a person and gives him emotions and appetites. The Bible teaches that just as Adam became a living soul at the moment God breathed the spirit of life into his body, humans become a living soul at the moment of conception.
Take a look at this related article: Bible Verses About Creation
Resources – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, King James Version. Williams, Michael L., (2013). Bible Doctrines. Albuquerque, NM: Selah Mountain Bible Institute.
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