What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "my understanding of the human soul"
Answer
According to biblical understanding, the human soul was created by the Creator with the ability to know and love, but it is not inherently immortal or capable of existing independently of the body. The term “soul” denotes the living, breathing whole person and his life, which is subjected to mortality and death because of sin. Instead of the Greek concept of an immortal, disembodied soul, Holy Scripture teaches the resurrection of the whole person by God at Christ’s return.
The Creation of the Human Soul by God
»It was the Creator of all things..., who created the human soul with its ability to perceive and love. And He is not in Himself such that He would leave the soul’s needs unsatisfied. No intangible principle, no impersonal being, or mere abstraction can satisfy the needs and longings of people in this life of struggle with sin, sorrow, and pain.«
The Biblical Meaning of the Term Soul
»We say that the true meaning of soul is a creature that lives by breathing; and since the essential gift of such a creature is life, “life” is often an appropriate meaning for soul. When “soul” is applied to a person, it can, depending on the textual context, be translated as life, soul, human, you, yourself, person, I myself, yourself, etc... Paul prayed that they might be preserved as whole beings—body, life, and breath.«
Mortality of the Soul and Biblical Resurrection
»The human soul is not necessarily immortal by nature. It is capable of being destroyed. The Bible provides no basis for the belief that the soul is immune to death and destruction... The immortality of the soul is not a biblical teaching but Greek philosophy. The biblical teaching about the soul is the resurrection from the dead. Man is a created being.«
The Wholeness of Man and the Rejection of Greek Philosophy
»He emphasizes the “unity of man” and rejects the notion of a soul that is “entangled” in a sinful, material body... And that which endures death through resurrection is “not a mutilated creature, but the whole person, a unity of soul and body.”... “Sin has thus drawn both the soul and the body into the responsibility of death and final destruction. We must abandon the Greek delusion that the soul is immune to the possibility of final death.”«
Only God Possesses Immortality
»The New Testament in no way permits the infiltration of the Greek idea of the soul’s immortality. Why? Primarily because man does not have the guarantee of his existence within himself (only God is immortal); and also because the New Testament, in its belief that redemption does not abolish God’s creation but transforms it, envisions no other eternal existence than on a new earth and in a new body.«
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
My hope is that this tool supports personal Bible study, strengthens trust in the original sources, and helps more people discover the message of these writings with clarity, depth, and joy.
