Spirit and Soul in the New Testament｜Their Meaning and Destiny 新約中的靈與魂｜其意義與歸宿

The New Testament uses the words “spirit” and “soul” in ways that point to the inward man—the true inner life of a person. According to Vine’s New Testament Dictionary, “spirit” can refer to “the inward man,” especially in reference to believers (Romans 7:22; 2 Corinthians 4:16; Ephesians 3:16).

新約中，「靈」與「魂」常被用來指向人的內在，也就是人真正的裡面。根據 Vine 新約字典，「靈」可以指「裡面的人」，特別是用在信徒身上（羅馬書7:22；哥林多後書4:16；以弗所書3:16）。

In a similar way, the word “soul” is also used to describe this inward life—the seat of a person’s being. It appears in passages such as Luke 21:19 (cf. Matthew 10:39), 1 Peter 2:11, and 3 John 1:2.

同樣地，「魂」也可以指這個內在的生命，是人存在的核心。這樣的用法出現在路加福音21:19（參馬太福音10:39）、彼得前書2:11、約翰三書1:2。

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A key passage that brings clarity to this subject is Ecclesiastes 12:7:

“Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.”

一節關鍵的經文是傳道書12:7：

「塵土仍歸於地，靈仍歸於賜靈的神。」

This verse clearly distinguishes between the body and the spirit. The body returns to the earth, but the spirit returns to God.

這節經文清楚區分身體與靈：身體歸於地，靈則歸於神。

Albert Barnes explains that “the spirit” here refers to that which separates from the body at death and returns to God. Since God is the source of life (Psalm 36:9), this return implies continued existence.

Albert Barnes 解釋，「靈」指的是在死亡時與身體分離、歸向神的部分。既然神是生命的源頭（詩篇36:9），這種「歸回」就意味著生命並未終止。

This understanding is consistent with other Scriptures such as Exodus 3:6, Mark 12:26, and Psalm 17:15, all of which imply life beyond death.

這樣的理解也與其他經文一致，例如出埃及記3:6、馬可福音12:26、詩篇17:15，都暗示人死後仍然存在。

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Within Ecclesiastes itself, this truth is only hinted at. Danny Petrillo notes that Ecclesiastes 12:7 provides an answer to the question raised earlier in Ecclesiastes 3:21. It is one of the few places in the book that clearly points toward continued existence after death.

在傳道書中，這個真理並不是全面展開的，而是帶著有限的啟示。Danny Petrillo 指出，傳道書12:7其實是在回答3:21所提出的問題，是書中少數清楚指出死後仍然存在的經文之一。

Related passages such as Acts 7:59, Luke 23:46, and Hebrews 9:27 further confirm this teaching.

相關經文如使徒行傳7:59、路加福音23:46、希伯來書9:27，也進一步印證這個教導。

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Conclusion 結論

The Bible consistently teaches a distinction between the body and the inward man. While the body returns to dust, the spirit continues and returns to God. Death, therefore, is not the end of existence, but a transition.

聖經一貫清楚地區分身體與內在人。身體歸於塵土，但靈仍然存在，並歸向神。因此，死亡不是結束，而是一個轉換。

In Scripture, the terms “spirit” and “soul” are sometimes used with different emphases. “Spirit” often highlights man’s relationship with God and the inner spiritual aspect, while “soul” may emphasize life itself, the inner being, or personal existence.

在聖經中，「靈」與「魂」有時有不同的側重：「靈」常強調人與神的關係與屬靈層面；「魂」則較多指人的生命、本體與內在存在。

Yet in many passages, these terms overlap and refer to the same inward man. The focus of Scripture is not on sharply separating them, but on affirming the reality of the inner life that continues beyond physical death.

然而，在許多經文中，兩者是重疊使用的，指向同一個內在人。聖經的重點不在於嚴格區分，而是在於指出這個內在生命是真實存在，並且超越肉體的死亡。

The body returns to dust—

but the spirit returns to God.

身體歸於塵土，

靈卻歸向神。

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Resources 資料來源

Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/dictionary/viewTopic.cfm?topic=VT0002683

Blue Letter Bible – Lexicon (Spirit / Soul 原文用法整理)

https://www.blueletterbible.org

Christian Courier（Wayne Jackson）

https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/1069-ecclesiastes-3-19-21-man-animals-and-death