The idea of humans as containing a soul is a teaching of Justin, the pagan phlosopher turned Christian. Justin converted to an impure form of Christianity that existed on or about 160AD. And in his dialogue with Trypho, the Jew, this teaching of the existence of the soul, that part of the human being that communicates with God and can never die-the part of the human that discovers the ultimate experience-God.
In Justin's dialogue with Trypho:
Trypho.......".......How then, 'he said, ' should the philosphers judge correctly about God, or speak any truth, when they have no knowledge of Him, having neither seen Him at any time, nor heard Him?'
Justin: "But, father, said I, ' the Deity cannot be seen merely by the eyes, as other living beings can, but is discernible to the mind alone, as Plato says; and I believe him.'
Trypho: "' Is there then, 'says he' 'such and so great power in our mind? Or can a man not perceive by sense sooner? Will the mind of man see god at any time, if it is uninstructed by the Holy Spirit?'
Justin: "' Plato indeed says, 'replied I, ' that the mind's eye is of such nature, and has been given for this end, that we may see that very Being when the mind is pure itself, who is the cause of al discerned by the mind, having no colour, no form, no greatness-nothing, indeed, which the bodily eye looks upon; but it is something of this sort, he goes on to say, that is beyond all essence, unutterable and inexplicable, but alone honourable aaaand good, coming ssuddenly into "souls" well-dispositioned, on account of their affinity to and desire of seeing Him.'
Trypho: "'What "affinity", then, 'replied he, ' is there between us and God? Is the "soul" also divine and immortal, aand a part of that very regal mind? And even as 'that' sees God, so also is it attainable by us to conceive of the Deity inour mind, and thence to become happy?'
Justin: "'Assuredly, 'I said.
Trypho: "' And do all the "souls" od all living beings "comprehend Him"? 'he asked; 'or are the "souls of men of one kind aand the "souls" of horses and of asses of another kind?'
Justin: "'No; but the "souls" which are in all are similar, 'I answewred.
Trypho: "'Then says he, ' shall both horses aand asses see, or have seen at some time or other, God?'
Justin: "'No; 'I said; 'for the majority of men will not, saving such as shall live justly, purified by righteousness, and by every other virtue.'.......Trypho continues hios questioning of Justin re the "soul"....."Tell me, however" he continues: "Does the "soul" see God so long as it is in the body, or after it has been removed from it?'
Justin: "'So long as it is in the form of a man, it is possible for it, "I continue, ' to attain to this bymeansof the mind; but especially when it has been set free from the body,and being apart by itself, it gets posession of that which it was wont continually and wholly to love.'
Trypho: "' Does it remember this, then [the sight of God], when it is again in the man?'
Justin: "'It does not appear to me so, 'I said.
Trypho: "' What, then, is the advantage to those who have seen God? or what has he who has seen more than he who has not seen, unless he remember this fact, that he has seen?'
Justin: "' Icannot tell, 'I aanswered.
Trypho: "'And what do those suffer who are judged to be unworthy of this spectacle? 'said he.
Justin: "'They are imprisoned in the bodies of certain wild beasts, aand this is their punishment.'
Trypho: "'Do they know, then, that it is for this reason they are in such forms, and that they have committed some sin?'
Justin: "'I don't think so.'
Trypho: "' Then these reap np advantage from their punishment, as it seems: moreover, I would say that they are not punished unless they are concious of their punishment.'
Justin: "'No indeed.'
Trypho: "'Therefore "souls" neither see God nor transmigrate into other bodies; for they would know that so they are punished, aand they would be afasid to commit even the most trivial sin afterwards. But that they can perceive that God exists, aand that rightousness and piety are honourable, I also agree wwith you, 'said he.
Justin: "'you are right, 'I replied.'
Trypho: "'These philosophers know nothing, then,. about these things; for they cannot tell what a "soul" is.'
Justin: "' It does appear so.'
Trypho: "' Nor ought it to be called "immortal"; forif it is immmortal, it is plainly unbegotten.'
Justin "' It is both unbegotten and immortal, according TO SOME WHO ARE STYLED Platonists.'
Trypho:"'........But if the world is begotten, "souls" also are necessarily begotten; and perhaps at one time they were not in existence, for they were made on account of men and other living creatures, if you will saythat they have been begotten wholly apart, and not along with their respective bodies.'
Justin: "'This seems to be correct'.
Trypho: "They are not, then, immortal?'
Justin "'No; since the world has appeared to us to be begotten.'
Trypho contiues his quetioning of Justin re the "soul"...."'But I do not say indeed that all souls die; for that were truly a piece of good fortune to the evil. What then? The souls of the pious remain in a better place, while those of the unjust aand wicked are in a worse, waiting for the time of judgement. Thus some which have appeared worthy of God never die; but othewrs are punished so oong as God wills to exist and to be punished.'
Justin: "' Is what you say then of a like nature with that which Plato i Timoeus hints abou the world, when he says that it is indeed subject to decay, in as much as it has been created, .......does it seem to you the very same can be said of the "soul", and generally all things......For this reason "souls" both die and are punished: since, if they were unbegotten, they would neither sin, nor be filled with folly, nor cowardly, and again ferocious; nor would they willingly transform into swine, and serpents and dogs and it would not indeed be just to compel them, if they be unbegotten....but after letting the mind ever wander to infinity, you would at length, wearied out, take your stand on one unbegotten, and say that this is the Cause of all. Did such escape the observation of Plato and Pythagoras, those wise mwn, 'I said, 'who have been as a wall and fortress of philosophy to us?'
Trypho: "'It makes no matter to me, 'said he,' whether Plato or Pythagoras, or, in short, any other man held such opinions. For the truth is so; and you would perceive it from this. The "soul" assuredlly is or has life. If, then, it is life, it would cause something else, and not itself, to live, even as motion would move something else than itself. Now, THAT THE SOUL LIVES, no one would deny. But if it lives, it lives not as being life, but as the partaker of life; but that which partakes of anything, is different form that of which it does partake. Now the soul partakes of life, since God wills it to live. Thus, then, it will not even partake of life when God does not will it to live. For to live is not its attribute, as it is God's; but as a man does not live always, and the soul is not forever conjoined with the body, since, whenever this harmony must be broken up, the soul leaves the body, aand the man exists no longer ; even so whenever the soul must cease to exist, the spirit of life is removed from it, and there is no more "soul", but it goes back to the place from whence it was taken.'
The doctrine of the existence of the "soul" is unblibical. This is a pagan philosopher's "spin" on his view of a mind entity aka "soul" and made up entirely on the basis of other pagan philosophers' belief in such an entity as existing in the form of a "soul".
precept
