Bible Verses About Materialism And The Soul

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Shows all three parts together

For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Direct saying about gaining the world and losing the soul

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 soul and body in hell.

Warns against fearing body loss over soul loss

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

Direct Bible statement about passions warring against the soul

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Born of flesh vs born of Spirit

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Spirit gives life, flesh is no help

For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

Carnal behavior language

And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Direct flesh-versus-Spirit text

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

Opposition between flesh and Spirit

All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Spirit versus flesh

It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

Natural body and spiritual body together

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 soul.

Creation text used in soul/body discussion.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Body puts on immortality

Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

Only God has immortality.

Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

Community of possessions, not a direct greed warning.

And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

Parable warning against storing up goods

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Repeated because it also fits the greed theme

The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

Life is more than food and clothing

There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

Body-language passage for resurrection discussions.

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

Adam made a living soul, tied to embodied humanity

Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Body transformed, not discarded

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

Resurrection of the dead includes the body

For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

Mortality swallowed up by life

In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

General soul/breath creation language.

Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

Natural versus spiritual contrast.

As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

Dust/heavenly contrast often used in soul-body discussions.

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

Nothing carried out of the world

All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

Labor for food, but soul not satisfied.

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Life is not in possessions

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

Mortal body becomes immortal

And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

Earthy and heavenly image language