Death, biblically, is separation—not the mere cessation of a body's functions.
Physical death is the separation of the spirit from the body, while spiritual death is eternal separation from God. Les Feldick teaches this definition directly and roots it in the entrance of sin through Adam's disobedience. The moment Adam ate, his spirit died and lost fellowship with God, and the seeds of death entered his body.
Romans 5:12 — This verse explicitly connects Adam's sin with death entering the world and passing to all men.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 — This verse identifies man as spirit, soul, and body, which is necessary for understanding death as separation.
Hebrews 4:12 — This verse shows that the soul and spirit are distinct, which supports the idea of spirit and soul separating from the body at death.
In Genesis 3:6, Adam deliberately ate the forbidden fruit, and Romans 5:12 states, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." The Scripture thus ties death directly to sin. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 describes man's makeup: "...and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Hebrews 4:12 further says the Word of God is "a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." The Bible also declares in Ezekiel 18:20, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." These verses show that death is related to sin and that humans are comprised of body, soul, and spirit.
Les Feldick explains that the biblical definition of death is separation. For physical death, it is the separation of the spirit from the body; for spiritual death, it is the separation from God, an eternal separation. He grounds this definition in the fall: when Adam ate, his spirit died instantly and lost fellowship with God, while his body began to die over the following years. The body did not stop working immediately; the seeds of death were already within it. Les also points to Romans 5:12 to show that death came to all men because all have sinned. He emphasizes that man is a tripartite being—body, soul, and spirit—with the soul and spirit so closely connected that they are almost treated as one, though Scripture divides them. Believers who die are with the Lord in soul and spirit while their body remains in the grave, and resurrection is God's sovereign act of bringing a dead person back to eternal life.
Physical death is the separation of the spirit from the body. Les Feldick states this directly: "For the physical, it's the separation of the spirit from the body." When a believer dies, he or she is with the Lord in soul and spirit, but the body remains in the grave until the resurrection. This is consistent with Scripture's description of man as body, soul, and spirit.
Adam was not caught in a moment of weakness; he knew what he was doing and made a deliberate choice. The moment he ate, his spirit died immediately and lost fellowship with God. His body did not die instantly, but the seeds of death entered and it began to die. Romans 5:12 says that by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men.
Scripture describes man as spirit, soul, and body, and Hebrews 4:12 divides the soul from the spirit. Les says the soul and spirit are so closely connected that they must almost be used together, yet they are distinct. Man's soul or spirit is immortal, so death is not the end of a person. Resurrection is God's unique, sovereign act of bringing back a dead human being, not just to die again, but to eternal life.
Because Adam's sin brought death into the world, and Romans 5:12 states that death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Les emphasizes that this is biblical truth, contrary to the teaching that denies original sin or the fall. The universal reality of death is rooted in Adam's disobedience.
Death Enters Through Adam's Sin
Les shows from Romans 5:12 and Genesis 3:6 that Adam's deliberate act of eating brought death into the world, establishing the biblical event behind the definition of death.
Death as Separation
Les directly defines death: physical death is the separation of the spirit from the body, and spiritual death is eternal separation from God.
Immediate Effects of Adam's Fall
Les explains that at the moment Adam ate, his spirit died and separated from God, while his body began to die—showing two different experiences of death at the fall.
Dead Believers Are With the Lord
Les clarifies that death is not soul sleep: believers who die are with the Lord in soul and spirit while their body lies in the grave.
What the Bible Really Says About the Old Sin Nature
The soul that sinneth shall surely die. So how are we going to fulfill it? By identification with his death. And the best way I can put it, and I've put it this way for years to people, when you can believe that when Christ was hanging there on the cross, he died your death, and so God saw you on the cross in the person of Christ.
The Body's Seeds of Death
Les uses Adam and Eve's experience to show that after the fall the body remains alive for a time, but the seeds of death are already within it.
Resurrection Reverses Death
Les teaches that resurrection is God's sovereign act bringing a dead person to eternal life, not mere reanimation—and that man's soul is immortal.
Body, Soul, and Spirit
Les establishes that Scripture describes man as body, soul, and spirit, with soul and spirit distinct, which is foundational for understanding death as separation.
Genesis 3:6: And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
This verse records the moment Adam ate, which Les identifies as the moment death entered the human race.
Romans 5:12: Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
This is the key New Testament verse connecting Adam's sin to the universal reality of death.
1 Thessalonians 5:23: 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.
This verse establishes that man is composed of spirit, soul, and body, which is necessary for understanding death as separation.
Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
This verse shows that the soul and spirit are distinct, aligning with Les's explanation that they are closely related yet separate entities.
Ezekiel 18:20: The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
This verse is alluded to in Les's teaching about sin and death, showing the soul itself is subject to death.
Death is separation. Physical death is the separation of the spirit from the body, while spiritual death is an eternal separation from God. Les Feldick teaches this definition directly from Scripture.
Because Adam's sin brought death into the world. Romans 5:12 says that by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin, and death passed upon all men, for all have sinned.
Scripture distinguishes the soul and spirit in Hebrews 4:12, even though they are closely connected. Les explains that they are so closely tied they almost have to be used together, but they are not identical.
Watch the Teaching: The Moment Death Entered the World: Genesis 3 & Romans 5 Explained