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Da Sheik

Body/Soul/Spirit: The "Trinity" of Man?

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1865 **1/5/16 10:16 am**

I Thess 5:23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV)

I heard a sermon not too long ago regarding the "trinity of man". The idea is that the Godhead is triune and since we are made in His image, it logically follows that we are also made of 3 entities. Basically a huge lecture on the dichotomy of the soul and the spirit. I have heard this text preached many times as the basis for the idea of "entire sanctification " (i.e. Sinless perfection ) but this was the first time I heard a sermon on soul vs spirit. What are your thoughts ? I don't see a huge distinction between soul and spirit. I see them as dual expressions of a singular concept - the eternal component of man. The body perishes but the spirit/soul is eternal. I use the nomenclature interchangeably. Jesus made reference to losing one's "soul" and in my mind this clearly is synonymous with "spirit ".

Quiet Wyatt

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12809 **1/5/16 10:20 am**

Like just about anything, this threefold nature concept can be all too easily taken too far. At most, these are three aspects of one person. Man is one moral agent, not three distinct persons like the Trinity.

Aaron Scott

Da Sheik...

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 6039 **1/5/16 10:58 am**

I have thought about the fact that while God is a SPIRIT, Jesus became BODY.

I don't put a lot of stock in either the standard Trinitarian position or the Oneness position. BOTH are sorely lacking once you start questioning them in depth or pointing out scriptures that seem to need, over and over and over, to be explained away, but I do believe both are well-intentioned.

Here's what I do KNOW from scripture: There is one God. He has an Only Begotten Son, Jesus, in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwelleth bodily. That the Holy Spirit is the spirit of God and the Spirit of Jesus.

The biggest problem is having to explain that what WE mean by One God is not what anyone else would mean by One God.

If the Hindus with their million gods said, "There is really ONE GOD, these are all just separate persons of the ONE GOD," we'd laugh at them. But as soon as they say, "No, wait, we were wrong...there's only three persons that are the ONE GOD," we say, "Well, that works, then."

It's a MYSTERY. We try to explain it at our peril...and our the cost of unity. If we will say ONLY what the scriptures say--that there is ONE GOD and Jesus is His ONLY SON--we could end a lot of the debate.

In a nutshell, only what is CLEAR from scripture should be accepted as doctrine. We shouldn't make the trinity, nor oneness, nor pre-trib, nor OSAS, no free will, etc., and absolute point of doctrine. They are good things that need to be debated and settled, no doubt, but doctrine has to be what is CLEAR from scripture.

brotherjames

I believe

Acts-celerater Posts: 935 **1/5/16 11:03 am**

In the triune man. Your soul is your mind and emotions. I disagree with entire sanctification. Your spirit is a seperate entity and it is the part of us that is born again and is eternal. Your soul is eternal but is seperate from your spirit. For example, your mind and emotions contains your memories but not all of your memories will continue after you die and are in heaven. Because the word says the memory of the wicked will be wiped out. I take that to be that when we are in heaven we will not remember any of our family/friends who didn't make heaven. If we did we would be sorrowful for eternity weeping over those who didn't make it but the word says there is no sorrow in heaven therefore, we can't remember those who perished without Christ. Ergo the soul and spirit must be two different things. Imo for what it is worth.

c6thplayer1

Re: I believe

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 6385 **1/5/16 1:23 pm**

Da Sheik

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1865 **1/5/16 2:05 pm**

I think it's a worthy discussion. Other than the scripture I quoted in the initial post , what biblical basis can we make for the dichotomy of soul and spirit ?

diakoneo

Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3382 **1/5/16 2:23 pm**

Da Sheik

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1865 **1/5/16 2:27 pm**

In the words of Tom Sterbens..."unpack that for me diakoneo"

diakoneo

Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3382 **1/5/16 2:35 pm**

diakoneo

Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3382 **1/5/16 2:40 pm**

There must be some discernible difference for it to be worded as such.

More than mere egg yolk and white making the egg, because it takes the "word of God" to divide it.

It is mysterious.

Perhaps like the trinity.

Is that better?

Quiet Wyatt

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12809 **1/5/16 2:44 pm**

I've seen it taught, usually by charismatics, that the soul (the mind, will and emotions) is the non-bodily human side of your nature, while the spirit is that part which is dead to God before it is born again/made alive by the Spirit of God. The fact that everyone has a mind, will and emotions whether they are born again or not is given as proof that the soul is the human (or even 'carnal') side of your nature. Many who teach the tripartite nature of man in this way will use the terms, "soulish" and "carnal" or "sinful" interchangeably. The goal then for the believer is to learn by the word of God to discern between soul and spirit; i.e., soulish thoughts, impulses and desires vs. thoughts, impulses and desires that are the voice of the Holy Spirit within the believer.

Many whom I've heard teach this will also say that your born-again nature/spirit remains holy no matter what your body or soul may do. The first I ever came across this quite gnostic idea, that your born again spirit remains holy regardless of what your body or soul might do, was from Watchman Nee in his book, _The Spiritual Man_.

Da Sheik

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1865 **1/5/16 5:15 pm**

Quiet Wyatt raises an excellent point. Is the intent to prove that you can do anything in "the body " and it not affect the spirit? And Diakoneo I am content with the mystery as long as it satisfies that which is revealed. Thanks for your replies ! Smile

bradfreeman

Acts-dicted Posts: 9027 **1/5/16 5:54 pm**

God's house:
Holiest place - innermost being (spirit) sinless and perfect
Inner court - inner man (soul) needs refreshed (daily bread), refilled (oil in the lamp stand) and refocused (incense from the sacrifice firing worship)
Outer court - outer man (body)
_________________
I'm not saved because I'm good. I'm saved because He's good!

My website: www.bradfreeman.com
My blog: http://bradcfreeman.tumblr.com/

Preacher777

Please Correct me if I am Wrong

Friendly Face Posts: 434 **1/6/16 12:22 pm**

I feel I 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" does distinguish a difference between soul and spirit. The word "Wholly" seems to indicate separate parts along with the Greek word pneuma for spirit and psyche for soul.
Hebrews 4:12 (KJV) seems to confirm: 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-psyches and pneumatos for soul and spirit.
I do see many times in the OT and NT where spirit and soul are used without regards to a big distinction between them. I do my best to be teachable and am not a doctorate level person of the Greek and Hebrew so if anybody can explain why soul and spirit are so interchangeable at times and yet separated in these two verses I would appreciate the knowledge.
I do appreciate being able to discuss biblical things such as this and learn from one another. Unfortunately I don't know of too many places to have these types of discussions

c6thplayer1

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 6385 **1/6/16 12:28 pm**