Question:

What is the difference between the soul and the spirit?

Answer:

Both animals and man have souls.  “And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the living creature that has life [nephesh, soul], and fowl that may fly about the earth in the open firmament of heaven.  And God created great whales, and every living creature [nephesh] that moves…. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature [nephesh] after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing….  And man became a living soul [nephesh]…. At the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life [nephesh] of man” (Genesis 1:20,21,24; 2:7; 9:5).  Only man has a spirit.  “And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled” (Genesis 41:8).  “And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing” (Exodus 35:21).  “Those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

Because of their possession of a soul, man and animals alike can learn, remember, and have appetites, desires, and emotions.  It is the possession of a spirit that sets man apart as created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26,27).  The attributes of the spirit include reasoning power, creativity, conscience, responsibility, moral qualities, and ability to know and believe on the invisible God.  “The [Holy] Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16).