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As It Is Written...
His Gift of Life
Of the standard Greek nouns commonly translated as "life" in the New Testament, John's Gospel uses only two: psyche and zoe. Psyche, often translated as "soul," indicates the life or being of an individual. For example, in the sustained pastoral parable in John, this is the term used when the "Good Shepherd gives his psyche for the sake of the sheep" (John 10:11; cf. 10:15,17). This is also the word used by Simon Peter when he rashly boasts, "I will give my psyche for your sake" (13:37–38). A person's psyche is what he is prepared to lay down for the love of his friends (15:13).
The second term, . . .
Patrick Henry Reardon is pastor of All Saints Antiochian Orthodox Church in Chicago, Illinois. He is the author of Christ in the Psalms, Christ in His Saints, and The Trial of Job (all from Conciliar Press). He is a senior editor of Touchstone.
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