IV. Exit and Re-entry of the Spirit

1. DEPARTURE OF “SPIRIT” FROM “BODY” AT DEATH

It is essential for us to bear in mind that the Greek New Testament pneuma (“spirit”) of man is the same as the ruach of the Old Testament Hebrew. There is no question about this. That they are identical not only is everywhere recognized but is established by the fact that the usual, if not invariable, rendering of ruach, in the Septuagint, is by pneuma, just as are the passages of the Old Testament containing ruach, when translated into the New Testament Greek (cf. Luke 23:46 and Psalm 31:5). This is incontrovertible proof.CFF1 427.1

Moreover, the very same things that are taught in the New Testament concerning pneuma are set forth in the Old Testament concerning ruach. And “spirit,” in English, is pneuma. To this should be added the fact that the Latin spiritus is uniformly used in the Vulgate to render pneuma, just as in the LXX pneuma is used to express the Hebrew ruach. Furthermore, “ghost” is from the Anglo-Saxon word meaning “spirit,” “breath.” Hence the three—pneuma, spiritus, and ghost—convey the same thought in the three languages.CFF1 427.2

The New Testament sets forth pneuma as being the source of physical life for man, together with its withdrawal as causing death. Pneuma may be defined as the activating principle of life, residing in the breath, breathed from God into man at creation, and returning to God again at death. ^{33) Job 33:4; Psalm 146:4; Psalm 150:6; Isaiah 2:22; Ezekiel 37:5, 10.} God also made the air (Genesis 1:6-8), which man must breathe and have within him (Zechariah 12:1), in order that life may be continued by constant breathing. The general principle is laid down by James, “The body without the spirit [pneuma] is dead” (James 2:26).CFF1 428.1

Thus our Lord’s death is uniformly described in the four Gospels as yielding up (aphiemi, “dismiss,” “send forth,” “send back,” “let escape”), breathing out (ekpneo), or giving up (paradidomi, “give up” or “hand over to another”) the “ghost” (pneuma) or spirit, or to “commend” (paratithemi, “to entrust,” as a deposit). Note the varying forms of expression by the four evangelists—but with identical meaning, as concerns ghost, or spirit.CFF1 428.2

2. VARIANT WAYS OF EXPRESSING ACT OF DYING

There are, in fact, seven passages in which “ghost” is thus used, which determine its meaning. First the Gospels, concerning Christ:CFF1 428.3

Next note the other three—all wicked characters:CFF1 428.4

These variant ways of expressing the act of dying explain what takes place at death. They all refer to the physical act of dying—not dying a spiritual death, or the release of an unembodied spirit entity. (Cf. Genesis 2:7; Psalm 104:29, 30; Psalm 146:4; Ecclesiastes 12:7.) That is the witness of the Word.CFF1 428.5

3. “SPIRIT” DEPARTS AT DEATH; RESTORED AT RESURRECTION

As the presence of the “spirit” (pneuma) is the source of physical life to man, so its withdrawal, or dismissal, brings death—life’s exact counterpart. This is exemplified in various instances, as just noted when our Lord’s death is described as yielding “up the ghost [pneuma, “spirit”]” (Matthew 27:50; John 19:30). This is in direct antithesis to the restoration of life, or recovery from death, which the New Testament describes as the re-entry of the pneuma (“spirit”) into the person who was dead.CFF1 428.6

Thus with Jesus’ raising of Jairus’ daughter to life—The record is that “her spirit [pneuma] came again” (Luke 8:55). And “she arose straightway,” and was given food. Similarly, in the Apocalypse the resurrection to life of the two symbolic “witnesses” who were “slain,” is there portrayed as “the spirit [pneuma] of life from God entered into them” (Revelation 11:11). These passages establish the principle.CFF1 428.7

And as with Christ—“Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit [pneuma]: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost [pneuma, “spirit”]” (Luke 23:46). So with Stephen, the first Christian martyr—when stoned and dying, he solemnly and trustfully called upon the ascended Jesus and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit [pneiema]” (Acts 7:59). He did not pray, “Lord, receive me,” but “my pneuma.” “And when he had said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7:60), with the sure and certain hope of receiving it back at the resurrection.CFF1 428.8

Thus in death the “spirit” (pneuma), which has been the source of life to man, returns to God who gave it, having been commended by the believer into the hands of his God. But this expression, be it particularly noted, is never used of the “soul.” However, it is frequently said of the “spirit,” committed to God for safekeeping during the time of the death-sleep.CFF1 428.9

It is only believers who so commit the “spirit.” Indeed, they are the only ones warranted in doing so. And thus when so given over to the care of God, the “spirit” is always committed with a view to its restoration. The “spirit” came from God, and returns to God (Ecclesiastes 12:7). There is, however, this difference: In the resurrection of the wicked, the “spirit” is restored only for the purpose of the execution of judgment, and at the second death it returns permanently to God who gave it.CFF1 430.1

On the contrary, with the righteous the “spirit” is restored through Christ at the first resurrection, with life eternal following. Thus the righteous part with the pneuma only for a time, to receive it back forever. That is the joy of the Christian believer—the sure and certain hope of receiving the “spirit” back on the resurrection day, as the concomitant of life everlasting, pledged and promised in Christ. Such is the significance of the pneuma.CFF1 430.2

This caution should perhaps be added: Where Scripture is silent, we should be silent too. When the Scripture says, “The spirit shall return unto God,” just as the dust shall return to dust (Ecclesiastes 12:7), that is as far as we are authorized to go. Speculative theories on and beyond this point are unwise and unwarranted. And we dare not contradict Inspiration’s declaration by assuming to put the spirit in “Paradise” or “Purgatory,” as some are prone to do.CFF1 430.3