How does scripture distinguish between the components of mankind (body, soul, and spirit of man)?

I have been studying and contemplating the components of man (body, soul, and spirit of man) trying to identify and define what each component actually is according to the scripture.

The body seems pretty simple to define. Pretty evident that it is just our physical body that will perish and go back to the dust after we die.

I find defining and distinguishing between the soul and spirit much more complexing.

Previously, I viewed the soul and spirt as the same components. However, upon closers evaluation, it seems the scripture classifies them as two different components of man.

One example:

1 Thessalonians 5:23

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I will continue with my thoughts on it in the next post.

I would greatly appreciate advice, information, and scriptural input from others on this topic to help further my understanding.

Here is a post I made recently on another thread concerning my understanding of the components:

The definition of "spirit" as I have been taught is that the spirit is the connection to God. The only way that we can truly know God or be alive in him is through the spirit.

When God told Adam that if he disobeyed him that he would surely die, as soon as he disobeyed him then the spirit that was in him died.

From my understanding, the soul or "nephesh" is the natural emotions/thoughts/personality/consciousness of a person or even could be of an animal. This is where we can form emotional bonds with people or things, but it is also where our own self-will comes in. The soul considers our own wants and needs. It is focused mainly on our own will. What we want/need/feel etc. The soul is what is sometimes referred to as the flesh (self will) in the body. It is the consciousness that drives the physical body through our own wants/needs/personality/etc. It is not in line with the will of God. The flesh on its own cannot know and understand the things of God. It is the spirit that gives us life.


The spirit is the part that connects us directly to God. It is the part that puts God's will first, and is able to understand God's ways and have a relationship with Him. When Adam sinned that is the part of us that died the spirit.

God is the only one that can regenerate the spirit, and He does this through his son Jesus Christ. It is through this regeneration of the spirit that we can have eternal life with God.

Well the spirit is the life line the spiritual light of the soul. but the soul is seperate to the body. perhaps we should look there to understand, Jesus the light of the world was coming into the world and that light was to be the light of all men who come to him.

Perhaps that light existed in adam and eve untill they disobeyed. The light is the spirit Of God that lives in mens souls. the soul i feal is deafinately seperate to the body to me.
I dont know how you arrive at the soul being the body or the natural thoughts and emotiions of the body

Hi, de-emerald.

I am trying to figure out how to bring your post from the other thread over here to this thread. You put a lot of good information in it, and I want to be able to respond to it all .

This is a good and helpful post, as well.

I agree that the spirit is the life line and spiritual light of the soul. I also agree that the soul is separate to the body, as well.

From what I can gather through my research and study: I could be wrong so if you see anything that doesn't sound right or does not line up with the scripture, then please feel free to let me know. That would be a big help.

There seems to be three levels:

1. Body: this relates to the world through our senses and physical needs.

2. Soul: Is our self consciousness. From what I have been studying seems it is sometimes referred to as the natural man in the scripture. It relates to our self-will, thoughts (mind), emotions etc. The soul without the spirit is not God conscious. It is selfish and primarily concerned with the our own self-will.

3. Spirit: The spirit is God conscious. It is our connection to God and is solely in line with him and his will.

I think that when Adam and Eve sinned they became spiritually dead and lost their connection with God (or as you put it lost the light of the spirit).

The only way that the soul can be regenerated is through God by to believing in the work of Christ and submit to God.

For me, it is somewhat difficult to distinguish between the spirit and soul. In the other thread @posthuman made a good point by saying that although it is difficult question it can be answered through the word of God.

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit...Hebrews 4:12

Correction...I meant to say the only way that the *spirit* can be regenerated.

See I'm having a difficult time separating the two even while only typing...lol

Without the regeneration of the spirit then the soul is lost. It cannot understand or be in connection with God.

1 Corinthians 2:14

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

According to the verse you supplied it appears that spirit and soul and body are unique in characteristic. Now, as stated in the OP body is self-evident in that it is a physical body, will eventual die and return to dust. I was thinking that spirit and soul however were one and the same but this verse implies that they are unique.

I believe that you could cut the entire post from one thread and paste on another.

I cut and pasted from that other thread about animals.

Your thread is interesting too.

Hi tourist.
That is what I had always thought too that the spirit and soul were the same. After looking more closely at various scriptures, seems like there is a difference. But I'm not sure exactly.

It appears you are right.. cut and paste does work.

Thanks for the help.

This will require further study. It is a very interesting point that you have raised, especially in light with the scripture you provided of 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

Anytime my friend.

I want to try too...


Mind=part that learns stuff in math class.

Body=part that gets big muscles in gym class.

Soul=part that makes decisions based on morality and ethics.

Spirit=part I get from God when I become a new creature in Christ.

Yes! It did work!

Outstanding.

Yay, it works...it really does.

I'm going to have to try it. Thanks Oyster.

And thanks for the reply.

I like how you stated your thoughts so simply too.

Thanks

I agree with you that without the light of the spirit the soul is lost. I hope and pray this doesnt happen to anyone. a soul with no light in i have seen.
A soul lost for eternity darkened and void of light with a conscience of stupidity, with the only morality of doing good to decieve, evil in nature, and thought. A soul without light is like looking at your shadow black and dark but a real body, that has substance and depth and energy of a negative type. a soul is like looking in the mirror at your self but diffrent in colour.

I do believe we can understand the diffrence bewteen the soul and spirit by looking into scripture, there are quite a lot of scriptures just relating to the soul, which would make you think the soul has a mind of its own. but i feal it depends on how your looking at that, and it needs further examination perhaps we should examine the scriptures to discover whether the soul has a mind of its own. I feal the soul just has a blank conscience at birth when a child is born. no heart and no mind, and dependent on the mind and heart of the body to train the soul. i feal that the concience of a soul develops empathy of fealings emotions of right and wrong over a life time. and the empathy of the soul is grown like a seed over the life time of the body it belongs to.

@oyster67 has allready said here that the soul makes decisions
based on morality and ethics. but is that based on the soul having a mind of its own or the mind of our body linked to the conscience of the soul.

Man is spirit with a soul that lives in a body

1 Thes 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole "spirit and soul and body" be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(MY NOTE: We are spirit, soul & body)

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the "dividing asunder of soul and spirit", and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart..
(MY NOTE: Man can't physically see nor separate soul or spirit, however, GOD CAN)

Your soul is your thoughts & emotions that direct the actions we take. And functions only, in relation with our body. Our spirit is the eternal part of each of us. Your body, well look into a mirror.

God is Spirit: John 4:24. A spirit doesn't have flesh and blood. Luke 24:39

God who is Spirit, Breathed (Nishmat Hayyim) His life giving spirit into mans body:
Gen 2:7. And man became a living soul.
(MY NOTE: It's only a "living soul" in relation to & in conjunction with the body. When the body dies & the two are no longer one. Yet, the spirit continues to lives on.

Matt 16:26 & Mk 8:36 What would it profit a man. To gain the whole world & lose his soul. (NOTE: A soul can be lost).

Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Our choices in this life will determine whether our spirit spend eternity in the presents of God our creator with our soul intact. Or eternity separated from God our creator with our soul being lost.

MORE HELP:

Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words:

Topic: Soul, "nepes" noun- self, will, emotions, mind person.

Topic: Spirit, "pneuma" noun, signifies (a) "breath, the breath of life," (b) "wind," "spirit," "breath." See GHOST, LIFE, SPIRIT, WIND.

Gen 2:7 The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and "breathed" into his nostrils the "breath of life"; and man became a living soul.
(My note: God "Breathed"" "Breath"" = SPIRIT into man)

You're an outstanding teacher