BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT
St Paul in his
first epistle to the Thessalonians, invokes God’s sanctification for the whole
‘body, soul and spirit’ of his readers (1Thessalonians 5:23).
The composition
of the human person has always been object of study and comments in history,
from all sides of thought, so much from atheists, as from philosophers,
scientists, and religious leaders. It is important because we need to
understand ourselves before we can attempt to understand the world around us.
WHAT THE
BIBLE SAYS
The Bible explains
the composition of the human person, so that we can distinguish and work in the
different aspects of ourselves, and that way, serve God to the best of our
abilities.
In Genesis, the
narrative of Adam’s creation gives a clear description of the composition and
nature of the human person.
“YHWH God
formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath
of life; and man became a living soul.”
Genesis 2:7
Man was made in
God’s image, and according to it, he reflects in his own person the unity and
plurality of the trinitarian deity that created him. We are a witness of his divinity.
The God of the
universe introduced Himself to creation in a trifold, simultaneous
co-relational manifestation. His supreme reality became known as ‘The Father’
who is Lord God YHWH; the Word, also known as the Father’s ‘only begotten Son’,
who incarnated into Jesus of Nazareth; and the ‘Spirit of God’ or Holy Spirit.
These three
persons are simultaneous manifestations of a unique GOD, who cannot be
perceived in his perfect unity, save in the person of the Father, YHWH, or his
Name ELOHIM. However, this unique divinity is present equally in the persons of
the Son and the Spirit, in no less glory and dignity than in the Father Himself,
being different to each other only in function.
The same way,
humans are composed of three aspects, body, soul, and spirit, united into one
person, the human being.
BODY
It was shaped by
God from the soil of the Earth, meaning from earthly matter. In this aspect,
humans share the same material body as other living creatures, making him a
member of the animal kingdom. But humans are not the same as other animals. We
reflected God’s image and likeness, so we were made from a different stock. The
relation between ‘soil’ הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה (Haadamah), and ‘man’ הָֽאָדָ֗ם (Haadam) is clearly reflected in the
similitude of words in Hebrew.
SPIRIT
The material
body was animated the same way other creatures were brought to life, through an
invisible force, called ‘breath of life’, or נִשְׁמַ֣ת חַיִּ֑ים (Nismat-Hayyim),
that comes from the word ‘Neshama’ ( נְשָׁמָה), commonly known as ‘spirit’, also called ‘Ruach’ (רוּחַ), mainly in relation to God. (Compare
the exchange of words in Genesis 7:22 (Neshama), and Genesis 6:17 (Ruach)
regarding the same animals). This life- force, is what animates the physical
body and comes directly from GOD. A physical body dies when this spirit leaves
it.
This life-force or spirit is present in all living
creatures, from humans to insects, and in all forms of life.
The Bible does not speak of any other kind of force given
to animals that animates them. In fact, the same term Neshama, the same energy
that brought Adam to life, is mentioned to live also in animals (Genesis 7:22).
SOUL
The soul is born
automatically when the spirit unites with the material body and life sparks,
better known as ‘consciousness’, or Nephesh (נֶפֶשׁ). This Nephesh is not a nature, but a
faculty, and it is the consciousness where our awareness and knowledge live. It
is our consciousness, and is equally positioned in the spirit through the
psyche and in the body through the brain.
The soul is also a faculty present in all living
creatures according to their level of awareness.
There is no other term used in the Scripture to
describe consciousness for humans and animals (Genesis 1:20)
The soul, once alive, it never leaves the spirit, and
will remain united to it, until the resurrection of the body and for eternity
afterwards, regardless of the final destiny of the person.
THE PERSON
It has been traditionally said that the body reflects
the humanity of Jesus; the spirit, the Holy Spirit; and the mind, God the
Father. But this is not necessarily the case since humanity was created before
God’s incarnation. However, these three different natures, are present in all
conscious creatures, plants, animals and humans, and these three elements are
perfectly united into one identity, under one self-awareness.
When the Spirit of God comes into us, comes into our whole
person, not only the spirit or the soul. He sanctifies body, spirit, and soul,
making us similar to Christ in body and spirit.
On the other hand, when a person is possessed by a
demon, the demon can only dwell in the physical body, as other creatures are
not allowed to invade anyone’s spirit, either animal or human. However, in both
cases, the soul or consciousness will be affected, since it is connected to the
spirit and body, and can be influenced either for holiness or sinfulness.
Animals and humans share this same make up. There is
no other term or theological ground to think otherwise in Scripture. The only
difference is that humans were created, body, soul, and spirit, in the image
and likeness of God, while any other creature were not.
Omar Flores.
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