The Tri-Part Nature Of Man

THE THREE-FOLD NATURE OF MAN

A 3-part series

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NLT) Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

Ampl – “And may the God of peace sanctify you through and through – that is, separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God – and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete (and found) blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah.”

Man has a tri-part nature and not a two-part nature as many people think.

The spirit part of man is not talked about very much. It is a mystery that is often obscured and needs to be explored.

Many people think that the spirit and soul are one and the same. This cannot be the case because of what the Bible teaches us…

Hebrews 4:12 (NLT) For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

Man has three parts – body, soul and spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:14-15 (NLT) For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying. (15) Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand.

1 Corinthians 14:18 (NLT) I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you.

Notice how Paul how Paul uses “my spirit” and “I” interchangeably.

1. Spirit – Gr. – Pneuma – wind. This is the dimension of man which deals with the spiritual realm. The part of man that know God.

It is the area that deals with faith, hope, reverence, prayer, and worship.

2. Soul – Gr. Psuche – the dimension of man which deals with the mental realm. It is man’s intellect, sensibilities and will. This is the part that reasons and thinks.

3. Body – Gr. Soma – The dimension of man that deals with the physical realm. This is the house in which we live.

The Spirit deals with the spirit, and the body deals with the physical. This leaves the soul, the mental part of man, as the warring ground.

I believe that a lot of sicknesses that we incur in our lives today is because these three parts are not in one accord.

We need to start thinking of ourselves in a new light. Don’t think of yourself just as a physical being. Think of yourself as a spirit being who possess a soul and lives in a body.

Man works this way – body – soul and spirit.

God works this way – spirit, soul and body.

We are just spirit beings that live in earth suits.

SPIRIT – PNEUMA – wind – current of air This is the part of man that makes him higher than animals. Animals have a body and a soul but not a spirit.

Before one’s spiritual conversion…

John 3:3 (NLT) Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

He is conscious only towards the physical realm. His spirit is dead.

The spirit is darkened and turned inward, while the soul stresses the importance of the body – its desires and pleasures.

Titus 3:5 (NLT) he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.

John 4:24 (NLT) For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

We cannot know God or touch him physically. He is not a man. He is a Spirit – BUT – we can reach Him with our Spirit, and it is through our spirit that we can come to know God.

We have a new spirit now because we are born again. We will have a new body at the coming our Lord Jesus Christ…”

It is interesting that the words “heart” and “sprit” are interchangeable words in the Bible.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NLT) And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. (27) And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

1 Peter 3:4 (NLT) You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.