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Theology

Body/Soul/Spirit Distinction

T
todd Mar 10, 2004

I am hoping someone might have a somewhat clear way of distinguishing the body, soul, and spirit of a man. It's the disctinction between soul and spirit that seems most difficult. After trying to look into this some more I realized that "soul" and "spirit" are used interchangably in the Old Testament. As far as I can tell, both come from God and are eternal. What's the difference? Does a man have a spirit before he becomes a Christian? What is it's function before and after? What happens when the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within? Is there now body, soul, human spirit, and Holy Spirit all inside?

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philologos Mar 10, 2004

Hi toddwe touched on this topic sometime ago, although I don't think we came to any definitive conclusions. Please see Tripartite Human Nature

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Agent001 Mar 11, 2004

A more scholarly work on the trichotomist view of human nature is: A System of Biblical Psychology by Franz Delitzsch (1966).Watchman Nee's Spiritual Man also deals with the same topic from a more devotional point of view.

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lcxor Apr 15, 2004

hiThe body has five sences..see,smell,hear,taste, and touch The spirit also has five sences..imagination,conscience,memory,reason,affectionsThe Soul (nature of the spirit) only has one senceFaith "or" Doubt (unbelief)Your question was ask in a sermon to a minister that I read not to long ago, I will paste his response to.. Hope this helps :-) ====================Please explain the difference between the spirit and the soul.Well, now that's a hard one. But the first thing you are, a triune being, just like Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is three titles going to one Person, which is Jesus Christ. And you're soul, body, and spirit. But it takes those three to make you. With just one of them, you're not you. It takes the three to make you.Like I said the other day, "This is my hand; this is my finger; this is my nose; this is my eyes; but who's me?" Who is me that this belongs to? It's what's on the inside of me; that's the--the intelligence.If this eyes, if this hands, if this body stood here just as it is today, yet I--I could... My body could be here, but me could be gone, what I am. What--whoever I am inside of me has gone on. That's--that's the part--part that is the spirit. The soul is the nature of that spirit, that when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, It does not do nothing... You... It changes or converts your spirit to a different soul. And that soul is a different nature that's on that spirit. So the soul is the nature of your spirit.First you were mean, and evil, and hatred, and malice, and strife; now you're loving, sweet, kind, and--and... See the difference? It's your nature. We could... I'll call it that. It's your soul that's been changed. The old soul died, and the new soul which is the new nature was borned into you. See?Your brain is not your intelligence; it's your spirit that's in you is your intelligence. See? Your brain is a bunch of matter and cells and so forth; it has no intelligence in itself. If it did, then as long as it laid there, whether you was dead or alive, it would still operate. See? But it's not--it's not your brain; it is your spirit inside of you. And your soul is the nature of that spirit. That's the soul of the spirit that controls--the spirit that controls the body. See? There you are.Now, I got to hurry, 'cause we're just getting a little bit late. Now, I think that--I hope that takes care of that.

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bigdaveusa Apr 18, 2004

Ron,My "atman" bears witness to your expression of this truth. :-D

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