Body, soul and spirit.

Dave_L

In 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Paul mentions our body, soul and spirit. How do you know the difference between your soul and spirit?

dct112685

@Dave_L said:
In 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Paul mentions our body, soul and spirit. How do you know the difference between your soul and spirit?

The body is self-explanatory. I'll have to do some research on the difference between soul and spirit.

[Deleted User]

It appears to me from the whole statement in 1Thess 5:23, that "spirit and soul and body" are detailing or further describing the "entirely/completely" in the expression "sanctify you entirely".

In light of this, I would understand the term "body" as corresponding to things that emanate from bodily causes, "soul" as corresponding to things that emanate from the person's mind, personality (cp. the word "soul" is sometimes used for "person"), and "spirit" as corresponding to things emanating from God's gift of holy spirit at work within a believer's life.

How does one know the difference between what emanates from God's spirit in a person and what emanates from the person's own mental, psyche? Perhaps because something emanating for the working of God's gift holy spirit inside will always be in harmony with the truths of Scripture, things emanating from a person's own mind and psyche may deviate from that?

Dave_L

@Wolfgang said:
It appears to me from the whole statement in 1Thess 5:23, that "spirit and soul and body" are detailing or further describing the "entirely/completely" in the expression "sanctify you entirely".

In light of this, I would understand the term "body" as corresponding to things that emanate from bodily causes, "soul" as corresponding to things that emanate from the person's mind, personality (cp. the word "soul" is sometimes used for "person"), and "spirit" as corresponding to things emanating from God's gift of holy spirit at work within a believer's life.

How does one know the difference between what emanates from God's spirit in a person and what emanates from the person's own mental, psyche? Perhaps because something emanating for the working of God's gift holy spirit inside will always be in harmony with the truths of Scripture, things emanating from a person's own mind and psyche may deviate from that?

Thanks for the reply. I'm wondering though if our spirit is distinct from our soul. Paul describes the battle of flesh and spirit as a daily routine. And we can isolate our spirit, that wants to do good, from our flesh, that wants to do bad. Just a thought.

Jan

From my own understanding, not from Scripture, I'd argue that spirit and soul are distinct.
Es evidence I offer psychological sickness (depression, Alzheimer's syndrome, cognitive disorders, stroke etc.) which impacts your soul (psyche). In fact, when the psyche gets weaker, many people walk with the Lord even more closely.

Dave_L

@Jan said:
From my own understanding, not from Scripture, I'd argue that spirit and soul are distinct.
Es evidence I offer psychological sickness (depression, Alzheimer's syndrome, cognitive disorders, stroke etc.) which impacts your soul (psyche). In fact, when the psyche gets weaker, many people walk with the Lord even more closely.

Thanks for sharing. I believe scripture supports this too. I think the human spirit and soul are distinct. But after the new birth, the spirit aspires towards heavenly things and responds to the impulses of the Holy Spirit. While the soul resists this. I think the terms soul, mind, and flesh are interchangeable.

[Deleted User]

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I would see a difference between "soul" and "spirit" in these contexts => "spirit" referring to that gift, also called holy spirit, which God gives a person upon believing on the Lord Jesus (cp Acts 2:38, Eph 1:13); "soul" referring to that which involves the mind/heart/psyche, at times referred to by people as "human spirit".

The natural man, the one who is not a believer in the Lord Jesus, is thus a human being with just body and soul, but no spirit ... upon becoming a believer, as a child of God, that person receives the gift holy spirit and from then on is a human being of "body, soul and spirit"

Dave_L

@Wolfgang said:
As I mentioned in my earlier post, I would see a difference between "soul" and "spirit" in these contexts => "spirit" referring to that gift, also called holy spirit, which God gives a person upon believing on the Lord Jesus (cp Acts 2:38, Eph 1:13); "soul" referring to that which involves the mind/heart/psyche, at times referred to by people as "human spirit".

The natural man, the one who is not a believer in the Lord Jesus, is thus a human being with just body and soul, but no spirit ... upon becoming a believer, as a child of God, that person receives the gift holy spirit and from then on is a human being of "body, soul and spirit"

I think scripture makes the most sense if we see people having a spirit. The part of us that says "I" and "Me". And a soul (mind or flesh) that receives education. And the body.

The spirit being cut off from God and enslaved to the flesh (soul or mind) which is enslaved to the body's appetites. This would be Adam's state seconds after he sinned.

The New Birth imparts the life of God to the human spirit. And from that point on, the spirit battles the flesh, serving God while the flesh tries to serve the cravings of the body.

Since Pentecost the Holy Spirit lives in us and bears witness with our spirit (Romans 8:15) and influences and empowers us in the ways of holiness.