Discussion on Angels having Souls

Stacy Graves Mouat

October 24, 2015

I have a questions for whoever is able to answer. My son is in a college Bible study and they pick various topics to discuss each week. Each week he asks me my thoughts. Tomorrow’s questions/discussion is: Do angels have souls? I know they do not have bodies and they are spirits. Though they cannot be saved/redeemed, my thought is yes, they do have souls because our souls make up our mind, will and emotions. Since angels have freewill ~ indicating they can think for themselves, and seem to be able to feel emotions (Satan is full of fury, hatred, etc) ~ that is how I drew my conclusion. Since there is no passage I can think of that answers this specific question, I’m curious your thoughts on this topic. Thanks!

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Blaine Cardilli I always go back to the original language for the purpose of clarity during study so let’s take a gander..

The Greek word for ‘soul’ is ‘psuche’ and VINES Expository Dictionary says there are various uses of the word in the NT but over & over again we come back to many scriptures that denote the soul to be the “seat of personality”; “the mind, the will & the emotions”, so I agree with your conclusions that angels do have souls, and freewill. Look at their freewill in Genesis when they took on human form to have relations with human women? Look at the rebellion in heaven at which time satan took approximately 1/3 of the angelic host with him..

Spot on, and a great topic. grin emoticon

Like · Reply · 1 · 18 hrs · Edited

Stacy Graves Mouat Thank you so much! smile emoticon

Like · Reply · 1 · 18 hrs

Joseph Ford I have to disagree with Blaine. The Bible simply says that angels are “ministering spirits”. Also, angels no longer have “free will” to choose to serve God or not, as that decision has already been made and is permanent. Humans are uniquely created in the image of God, angels are not. The Greek “psuche” is never used to describe an angel. Vines says it means “breath of life.” Angels didn’t get that. We did. I would say angels are simply spirits without souls. Just my opinion, of course.

Like · Reply · 1 · 18 hrs

Blaine Cardilli You’re missing the point Joseph; I was looking at how the NT uses the word ‘psuche’ to describe the soul; Yes, the definitive is ‘breath of life’ but VNES goes on to explain the many uses of the word in variant forms of expression, many of which come back to the personality, the will & the emotions….and all are backed by scripture in VINES. The Greek word for ‘spirit’ is ‘pneuma’ and it means “to breathe or blow”; Sounds like the same thing except for the clarification found at Hebrews 4:12 which says that the Word of God is capable of dividing the whole person; joints & marrow, SOUL and SPIRIT; There’s a difference.

Hermeneutics goes beyond the literal word interpretations and is an applied science, giving us an understanding of the whole concept, and how scripture compliments scripture; Clearly, we are all spirits, we live in bodies, and we have souls. Now as to angels, you’re right; nowhere that I know of does the Bible use ‘psuche’ to describe an angel and yet there they are….showing that they clearly have/had free will, AND their own emotions. Whether or not they have free will today, based on what you said, is debatable. When an angel today takes on human form and we unknowingly entertain them, they are obviously exhibiting human characteristics among us, showing us they must have souls…and this of course is just my humble opinion as well. smile emoticon

Like · Reply · 1 · 17 hrs

Stacy Graves Mouat Thank you both for your insights! I will share them all with my son. The point of his Bible study discussion is to make then think critically and biblically, so it will be interesting what they conclude…other than we probably won’t know for sure until we get to heaven. I appreciate your insights and time in taking to answer!

Like · Reply · 2 · 16 hrs · Edited

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Discussion on Angels having Souls

Stacy Graves Mouat

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