Quick Q&A: Do we have an immortal soul that lives on after death?

Answer: In the Bible, the Hebrew word for soul is nephesh, which refers to any “living, breathing” thing. God breathed life into Adam, who became a living breathing soul or nephesh.

Genesis 2:7, "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being."

God breathed His spirit into Adam, and with that breath Adam BECAME a living “soul.”  But is that soul immortal?  Contrary to what many suppose, the Bible says that souls can die.

Ezekiel 18:4, 20, "The soul who sins it shall die."

One of the most popular scriptures found in the Bible is John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  If souls can perish, can they be immortal?

In Matthew 16, we read, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (vv. 25-26).

If souls can die, then our souls must not be immortal.