The Bible has something important to say about psychology and man's psyche, and even about God's own psyche.
In this article we highlight some texts in the Bible that talks about the human psyche, and some of the verses speaks also of God's psyche.
The word in the original Greek text which was translated to "soul" in English is the word 'psyche'. In Greek it is spelled 'psuchē'. Psyche means the same as soul. To get a better understanding of what God teaches in the Bible about our psyche we suggest that you carefully read all the verses below. In the verses the English word 'soul' has been replaced with the word used in the original Greek language, that is, psyche.
The bibleverses can create faith and hope in Jesus Christ and bring healing to many broken individuals and they can give new insights about who the Lord Jesus really is. Lord Jesus, who reveals to us the God who created us humans, also knows all about how we function on the inside.
The article continues after the verse list. Verse text is from King James Version.
- Let him know, that
he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a psyche from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. (Jak 5:20)
- Wherefore lay apart
all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with
meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your psyches. (Jak 1:21)
- Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your psyche. (1 Petr 1:9)
- Seeing ye have
purified your psyche in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto
unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure
heart fervently: (1 Petr 1:22)
- For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your psyches. (1 Petr 2:25)
- Wherefore let them
that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their psyche to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. (1 Petr 4:19)
- Having eyes full of
adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable psyches: an
heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:. (2 Petr 2:14)
- And when he had
opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the psyches of them that were
slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: (Upp 6:9)
- And I saw thrones,
and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the psyches of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the
word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image,
neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands;
and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Upp
20:4)
- And fear not them
which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear
him which is able to destroy both psyche and body in hell. - (Matt 10:28)
- Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your psyche. (Matt 11:29)
- "Behold my servant,
whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my psyche is well pleased: I will
put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. (Matt 12:18)
- Jesus said unto him, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy psyche, and with all thy mind.' (Matt 22:37)
- Then saith [Jesus] unto them, : "My psyche is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me." (Matt 26:38)
- And Mary said, "My psyche doth magnify the Lord, 47And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. (Luk 1:46)
- (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own psyche also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." (Luk 2:35)
- For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's psyches, but to save them. And they went to another village." (Luk 9:56)
- But God said unto
him, "Thou fool, this night thy psyche shall be required of thee: then
whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?' - (Luk 12:20)
- In your patience possess ye your psyches. (Luk 21:19)
- [Jesus]: Now is my psyche troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. (Joh 12:27)
- ... thou wilt not leave my psyche in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. (Acts 2:27)
- "...Confirming the psyches of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and
that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.. (Acts 14:22)
- "... we
have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with
words, subverting your psyches, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep
the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:," (Acts 15:24)
- And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you [-re psyches]; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.?
(2 Kor 12:15)
- And the very God of
peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and psyche
and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ. (1 Thess 5:23)
- For the word of
God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of psyche and spirit, and of the
joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart. (Hebr 4:12)
- Which hope we have as an anchor of the psyche, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil [the holiest of holy]; (Hebr 6:19)
- Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my psyche shall have no pleasure in him". (Hebr 10:38)
- For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your psyches . (Hebr 12:3)
Renewed hope for the failing
After reading through all verses you may realize that the Lord Jesus really has what it takes to transform you and your life. By faith and trust in the Lord Jesus, by turning to him with all your needs, you can receive your part of what he wants to give. In particular all the weak and those who failed or was hurt or are in deep despair can come to the God of the Bible. God has the power to change you and conform you to the "image of his Son". So the Bible teaches (Rom 8:29).
Hurt in many ways
There are those who get upset by the fact that God has his own ways and uses his great power to restore and heal those who has been badly hurt and crumpled by evil and sin in their life. God can bring restoration and healing to all the soul's (psyche's) injuries, no matter how the injury occurred. There are cases in which the soul (psyche) is deeply hurt by the evil consequences of other's sins or by their own sins.
Look at Jesus - and live!
There are also people who have been deeply injuried by satan's direct spritual attacks (reminding us about Job. See also the snakes in the desert at the time of Moses; [[rpsv:Numbers 21|Numbers 21:9]]). But God restores and heals all who turns to him in their despair. We read in Scripture that the Lord Jesus welcomed all who came to Him in their distress. Similarly it was with the snakes at the time of Moses. Anyone who had been bitten by the deadly snakes, was to turn to that which Moses had hung up on wood, and so he would live. In the New Testament this corresponds to turning to the Lord Jesus, who also was hung on wood. Those who believe and turns to the Lord Jesus will live, and the snake poison (sin and affliction) must give way.
The doctor of the soul
The rendered verses are part of the most important biblical doctrines, which obviously deals extensively also with our psyche and such which many people think can be treated only by secular psychology. But the Bible has much to say about how God wants to restore us and heal the injuries of our psyche (soul). The Lord Jesus himself is the great "psyche doctor" which means the same thing as the "doctor of the soul".
Rolf Lampa
rolf.lampa@rilnews.org
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