Spirit, Soul, and Body — The Spiritual Man

Volume One: A General Discourse on Spirit, Soul, and Body

Chapter One: Spirit, Soul, and Body

According to common thought, a person is divided into two parts: (1) the “soul,” and (2) the “body.” The soul is considered the invisible, spiritual aspect of a person, while the body is the visible outer shell. This is the view of fallen mankind, and though it holds some merit, it is ultimately inaccurate. Apart from divine revelation, no human idea is truly reliable. It is certainly true that the body is the visible outer shell of a person. However, the Bible does not confuse the spirit and the soul, nor does it treat them as identical. Beyond just a difference in terminology, the nature of the spirit and the soul are not the same. God's Word does not divide man into two parts—"soul and body"—but into three: spirit, soul, and body. First Thessalonians 5:23 says, “May your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless.” This verse clearly divides the whole man into “spirit, soul, and body.” The Apostle is speaking here of the believer’s “entire sanctification”—the sanctification of the whole person. What constitutes a person’s complete sanctification? It is the preservation of his spirit, soul, and body. This is very clear. A complete person is composed of three parts: spirit, soul, and body. And this verse also shows clearly that spirit and soul are distinct; otherwise, it would not have said “your spirit and soul” separately—it would have simply said “your soul” or “your spirit.” Since God speaks this way, man’s spirit and soul must be different. Thus, we conclude that man is composed of three parts: spirit, soul, and body.

Does distinguishing between the spirit and the soul really matter? Yes—it matters greatly. It is of utmost importance to the spiritual life of a believer. For if a believer does not know the boundaries of the spirit, how can he understand spiritual living? Without understanding, how can one grow in the spiritual life? Because believers often do not distinguish, or do not know how to distinguish between spirit and soul, their spiritual life fails to mature. Furthermore, in many cases, they mistake what is soulish for what is spiritual, and therefore remain in a soulish state, without seeking what is truly spiritual. If we confuse what God has separated, we will surely suffer loss.

Spiritual knowledge is vitally connected to spiritual life. However, the most critical point is whether the believer is humble and willing to be taught by the Holy Spirit. If so, the Spirit will give the believer experiential knowledge of the distinction between soul and spirit—even if the believer does not fully understand this truth intellectually. The most ignorant believer may know nothing of the doctrine of soul and spirit, yet may have experienced their distinction in life. The most knowledgeable believer may thoroughly understand the difference in theory, yet lack any real experience of it. The best case is to have both the knowledge and the experience. Since most believers do not have this experience, it is best to first help them understand the different functions of the soul and the spirit, and then lead them to seek what belongs to the spirit.

Not only does 1 Thessalonians divide man into three parts; the Bible does so in other places as well. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Here, the Apostle divides the immaterial elements of man into two parts: “soul and spirit”; and considers the material part to include the joints and marrow—being the faculties of thought and intention. Just as a priest dissects an entire sacrifice with a knife so that nothing remains hidden within, so also the Lord Jesus will use the Word of God to completely dissect the one who comes to Him—whether what is spiritual, soulish, or bodily, all will be pierced and divided. Since soul and spirit can be divided, they must not be the same. Therefore, this verse also shows that man consists of spirit, soul, and body.

The Bibles we commonly use do not always translate the words for spirit and soul strictly according to their original meanings. (Often, the original word “spirit” is translated as “soul,” and the word “soul” also as “soul,” making it hard for readers to distinguish between them in the text.) In Chinese, the term “spirit” can be used on its own, but “soul” alone may sound awkward. Still, we should not let the limitations of language dictate the clarity of Scripture. When translating the Bible, we should render these terms directly, so they can eventually become standard. When people translate secular books, they often coin new terms—so why should the most widely distributed sacred book fall short in this regard? Since God used the distinct words “spirit” and “soul” in divine inspiration, we should not confuse them.

In fact, we find the adjective form of “spirit” in the Bible translated as “spiritual” (e.g., 1 Corinthians 2:15, 3:1; Galatians 6:1). But the adjective form of “soul” is rarely translated as “soulish.” In 1 Corinthians 2:14, the original Greek says “soulish,” but is translated as “natural.” James 3:15 uses “sensual,” but again the original is “soulish.” Jude 19 also uses “soulish” in the Greek, but it is translated as “worldly” or “natural.” This is because translators have hesitated to render it as “soulish,” and instead translated the same Greek adjective in various ways—making it even harder for readers to understand the distinction between soul and spirit.