1.0
INTRODUCTION
1.1
When we first started researching this topic, we set out to prove that there are three parts in all of us – body, soul and spirit. But the more we researched, the more it became clear to us that there are only two parts. The visible part being the body and the soul-spirit being the immaterial part. Most would agree that the outer and the inner man are simple to differentiate. But differentiating the human soul and the human spirit would require some effort.
2.0
ANALYSIS
2.1
Heb 4:12-13 (NASB95) states:
(12) For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (13) And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
2.2
Explaining the above in a short sentence, it means that nothing is hidden from His sight and everything will be judged according to the word of God. The “division of soul and spirit” in verse 12 is certainly not referring to any splitting action by the word of God that divides up one spiritual entity into two spiritual entities. What they mean is that the word of God will judge all emotional and rational thoughts and intentions. This is because the “soul” is mostly associated with emotions and affections, and the “spirit” is mostly associated with rational thoughts. We will explain more later. Similarly, the division of both joints and marrow is also not referring to any splitting action by the word of God. Obviously, no one and certainly not God, is going to use the word of God to cut up some bones. If God wanted to, all of us would disintegrate into a million pieces in an instant. The division of both joints and marrow is a metaphor, that is, it is not literal. They are meant to tell us that all things, even those that seemed very well hidden such as joints which is hidden under the flesh in-between bones, and the marrow which is located and hidden at the core of the bone, are laid bare before Him and are subject to judgement by the word of God. What about the heart of Heb 4:12?
2.3
Jer 17:9-10 (NASB95) states:
(9) “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it? (10) “I, the Lord search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.
2.4
The word, “heart” in Heb 4:12 is also not referring to the four-chambered organ that pumps blood. This is because this “heart” has thoughts and intentions. The heart is referring to the mind of the person (not his brain), the mind of his inner man. All thoughts and intentions of the mind are laid bare to God, and they will be judged by the word of God. But there are commentators who are adamant that man is made up of three parts – spirit, soul and body, rather than two parts that is just the inner man and outer man. So let us analyze this carefully.
3.0
ANALYSIS ON THE NO. OF PARTS OF A HUMAN BEING
3.1
THE SOUL
3.2
The Greek word for soul is “psuche” meaning, “breath.” The word has been used in different ways in the Bible. The following are the different meanings in different verses:
- In Acts 2:41, the word, “souls” means persons.
- In Rom 13:1 (KJV), the word, “soul” means person.
- In Matt 6:25, the word, “life” (translated from “psuche”) means physical life.
- In John 13:38, the word, “life” (translated from “psuche”) means physical life.
- In Acts 20:24, the word, “life” (translated from “psuche”) means physical life.
- In Matt 10:28, the word, “soul” means the immaterial inner man.
- In Acts 2:27, the word, “soul” means the immaterial inner man.
- In 1 Thess 5:23, the word, “soul” means the immaterial inner man.
Thus, the Greek word, “psuche” can mean persons, physical life or the inner man, depending on the context. It does not always have to be the immaterial entity. But one important verse we wish to highlight is Matt 12:18.
3.3
Matt 12:18 (NASB95) states:
(18) “Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen; My Beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased; I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
3.4
Matt 12:18 shows that the soul of the Father is well-pleased with His Son. Clearly, the soul of the Father does not do any thinking of pleasant thoughts. It is the mind that does the thinking. Thus, the word, “soul” in this verse is clearly referring to emotions, feelings and affections of the mind rather than the immaterial entity. Its meaning must fit the context, otherwise its interpretation would be wrong. Similarly, the soul and spirit in Heb 4:12-13 is also not referring to the splitting of the one immaterial entity into two entities. Rather, it is referring to the seemingly hidden thoughts of a person, be it emotional feelings or rational thoughts, being subject to judgement by the word of God. Let us now take a look at the word, “spirit.”
3.5
THE SPIRIT
3.6
The Greek word for spirit is “pneuma” meaning, “wind.” Similar to soul, the word has also been used in different ways in the Bible. The following are the different meanings for different verses:
- In John 3:8, the word, “wind” (translated from pneuma) means wind, not spirit.
- In Matt 3:16, the word, “Spirit” (translated from Pneuma) means the Holy Spirit.
- In 1 Cor 16:18, the word, “spirit” (translated from pnuema) means the mind.
- In Luke 24:39, the word, “spirit” (translated from pneuma) is the immaterial entity.
- In Matt 26:41, the word, “spirit” (translated from pneuma) means the mind.
Thus, the Greek word, “pneuma” can mean the wind, the mind or an immaterial entity. Similar to the soul, it does not always have to be the immaterial entity. In Matt 12:18, we saw how the soul is associated with emotional thoughts of the mind. So, what is the spirit associated with? As mentioned earlier, rational thoughts.
3.7
Rom 8:16 (NASB95) states:
(16) The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
3.8
In Rom 8:16, we see that the Holy Spirit testifies with our spirit. This is factual information that He is giving to us. We may be emotionally overjoyed, our souls may be very glad after we know we are children of God, but factual information is processed by the rational mind. We emphasize again that our inner man does not think at all. It is the mind of our inner man that thinks and understands. And more precisely, it is the rational part of our mind that registers factual information. So if the emotional part of the mind is considered the soul, then the rational part of the mind will have to be the spirit.
3.9
Matt 26:41 (NASB95) states:
(41) Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
3.10
The emotional part of the mind (the soul) would probably agree with the flesh that sleep is better and more comforting. But it is the rational part of the mind (the spirit) that is willing to stay awake and pray. Nonetheless, their eyes were heavy (Matt 26:43), for their flesh was truly weak. Hence, Scripture can at times use the words, “soul” or “spirit” interchangeably to mean the immaterial inner man. But at other times, it may mean the part of the mind that is associated with either the emotions or rational thoughts. The meaning of the words must fit the context. Still not convinced that man only consists of two parts? Please read further.
3.11
MAN CONSISTS OF TWO PARTS, NOT THREE
3.12
Luke 8:54-55 (NASB95) states:
(54) He, however, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Child, arise!” (55) And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He gave orders for something to be given her to eat.
3.13
James 2:26 states that the body without the spirit is dead. When Jesus raised the young girl from the dead, her spirit (pneuma) returned and she got up. There was no mention of her soul returning. The moment her spirit returned, implying her spirit returning back to her body, she got up and was given something to eat. Commentators who insist that there are three parts to a human have to ask themselves this question, “Where is the soul of this girl?” Could it be that she only has a spirit but not a soul? Or maybe, only her spirit returned but her soul was left somewhere in hell? It cannot be since it was the Lord who raised her up. Here in Luke 8:54-55, the young girl’s spirit is referring to her immaterial inner being. This is clear evidence that man consists of only two parts – the inner man and the outer man.
3.14
Matt 10:28 (NASB95) states:
(28) Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
3.15
Matt 10:28 tells us to fear Him who is able to destroy both the soul and the body in hell. The spirit is not mentioned. Could it be that the God is unable to kill the spirit, but only the soul and body in hell? Of course not. It is clear that Scripture used the word, “soul” to mean the immaterial inner being. God is only able to destroy both the immaterial inner man, and the material outer man of the same person, because that is all that a human being consists of. There is no third part to a human being. The evidence is crystal clear from Scripture.
3.16
2 Cor 4:16 (NASB95) states:
(16) Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.
3.17
Looking at 2 Cor 4:16, we can see more evidence that there are only two parts to a human being. Let us now look at one final verse that is still hotly debated.
3.18
1 Thess 5:23 (NASB95) states:
(23) Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
3.19
This verse is about God’s sanctification work in His sheep. Sanctification means to set apart for special use, that is, to make holy. So why then did Paul mention three parts if there are only two parts that make up a person? Firstly, we have already proven to readers earlier that there are only two parts to a man, not three. Paul mentioned spirit, soul and body because he wanted the Christians in the Thessalonian church to be sanctified entirely, both in their bodies and in their minds. We have explained earlier that the mind, that controls both the inner and outer man, has two parts – the emotional part (soul) and the rational part (spirit). We wish to highlight again that the inner man cannot think – only the mind that controls both the inner man and the outer man has the ability to think. And this mind has only two sets of thoughts: Emotional thoughts and Rational thoughts. Paul desires that God sanctifies the Thessalonian Christians entirely, that is, body, soul (emotional thoughts) and spirit (rational thoughts). Everything made holy and without blame for the coming of Christ.
3.20
A person can be blameless physically, that is, he has never committed sexual immorality or adultery, or has never stolen from anyone, but what about his thoughts and intentions? What about his emotional and rational thoughts? Covetous thoughts? Lustful thoughts? Pornography? Everything inwards and outwards must be sanctified and made holy. Hence, body, soul and spirit fully sanctified and preserved when Christ returns. To put it in other words using medical terminology, all insides and outsides, all thoughts and intentions, entirely scrubbed clean, sanitized and sterilized perfectly, all ready for the return of Christ. That is what Paul was hoping for the Thessalonian Christians. Christians are not to live a lifestyle of sin, claiming upon the cross. They must be holy in their daily living including even their thoughts which they might think is hidden from God, but is not.
4.0
CONCLUSION AND SUMMARY
4.1
There is no hiding from God. God sees everything even those things that are well hidden such as a person’s thoughts and intentions. Nothing is hidden in His sight and everything will be judged according to the word of God. In a nutshell, this is the meaning of Heb 4:12-13.
4.2
There are only two parts to a human being – the outer man and the inner man. The outer man refers to the material physical body and the inner man refers to the immaterial inner being that is invisible to the physical eye. The mind controls both the outer and inner man, not his physical brain. The brain is still part of the outer man that assists the mind in controlling the body. When Jesus died on the cross, His entire physical body which includes His brain became dead. Yet, He in the spirit form knew where to go and even preached to imprisoned spirits (1 Pet 3:18-19). His mind and spirit (inner man) was certainly not dead. Similarly situation for Samuel (1 Sam 28:3-15). In 1 Sam 28:3, we read that Samuel was dead. But Saul used a medium to bring Samuel (that is Samuel’s immaterial entity) up from his rest in order to ask for advice. In 1 Sam 28:15, it clearly states, “Then Samuel said to Saul…” But Samuel was already dead and that includes his physical brain, so how is Samuel still able to recognize Saul or even say anything? It is clear as day, that the brain is different from the mind. Samuel’s mind and spirit (his inner man) was certainly not dead.
4.3
Every person’s mind has two parts even though there is only one mind. The emotional part of the mind and the rational part of the mind. Matt 12:18 shows that the emotional part of the mind is associated with the soul. And Rom 8:16 tells us that the spirit is where factual information is processed. From experience we know that sometimes emotional thoughts and rational thoughts can pull in different directions. But there is still only one mind per person. In conclusion, the soul and the spirit are not always referring to the immaterial inner being of a person. The soul can mean “person” and the spirit can mean “the wind,” amongst other things. The meaning of the words must fit the context. So, when Heb 4:12 tells us about the division of soul and spirit, and 1 Thess 5:23 tells us about spirit, soul and body, they are not telling us that a person consists of three parts. There are still only two parts.