A Biblical Case For The Dichotomist View

The Three Primary Views: 1. Monism – the view that humans are not composed of various components (i.e. body, soul), but rather as a radical unity. 2. Dichotomism – the view that humans are comprised of a material component (body) and a nonmaterial component (soul, or spirit). 3. Trichotomism – the view that humans are comprised of three different elements: body, soul, spirit.

Biblical Language of Soul/Spirit Nephesh = 754 times (soul 238, person 68, lives 34) Genesis 2:7 Then the L ORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Ruach = 377 times ( 98 wind, 76 spirit, 31 breath) The seat of emotions: Joshua 5:1 As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites…heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan…there hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.

Biblical Language of Soul/Spirit Ruach continued: Referring to spirit beings: 1 Kings 22:20-21 …And the LORD said, “Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?” And one said one thing…Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, saying, “I will entice him.” Immaterial portion of man: Ecclesiastes 12:1, 7 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come…and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

The New Testament Data: Psuche (closest to Nephesh) = 1. entire person 2. seat of intellect/desires 3. immaterial portion of a person. Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” John 12:27 Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Matt.10:28 Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

The New Testament Data Pneuma (closest to Ruach) = 1. Most often as Spirit of God 2. Used synonymously with soul (caveat) 3. The post-resurrection “sphere” Phil. 1:27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel 2 Cor. 2:13 I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I went on to Macedonia. Matt. 26:38 My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death…

The “Spiritual” Sphere “Spiritual” as the post-resurrection sphere: 1 Cor 15:44-47 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.

Examining The Different Views Monism: “The Hebrew idea of personality is an animated body, and not an incarnated soul” (H. Wheeler Robinson, “Hebrew Psychology,” in The People and the Book, p. 362). Greek View: Soul Trapped In Body Hebrew View: Body animated by soul

The Problem With Monism  Monists are correct that the physical nature of humanity is certainly good because God created it. They are also correct that God’s ultimate desire is that His people be “created anew” as a unity (body + soul).  Monists are incorrect, however, that there can be no separation between the two natures at death! Luke 23:43 And He said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise. Luke 23:46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”

The Problem With Monism 2 Cor 5:6-8 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Luke 16:22-23 Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.

Examining The Different Views  Trichotomism: Trichotomists share more in common with dichotomists in that both camps agree that there is a material and immaterial part of man that separate at death and are united at the resurrection.  Trichotomists fail, however, to see the synonymous nature in which soul and spirit are used in the N.T. They also may have originally borrowed heavily from Greek philosophy: Spirit Body Soul

The Case For Dichotomy Spirit and Soul in synonymous parallelism: Luke 1:46-47 And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. The Scriptural formula for man is interchangeable: Matt. 10:28 Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 1 Cor 5:5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus

The Case For Dichotomy The dead give up their soul/spirit interchangeably: Gen 35:18 It came about as her (Rachel’s) soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben- oni; but his father called him Benjamin. Psalm 31:5, 7b Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me, O L ORD, God of truth…You have known the troubles of my soul Acts 7:59 They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” Rev 6:9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain (compare Hebrews 12:23; James 2:26)

Difficult Passages 1 Thess. 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sanctify you entirely Spirit = focus on immaterial Soul = “whole Person” Body = focus on material preserved complete Mark 12:30 AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE L ORD YOUR G OD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.

Difficult Passages Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. μυελός There are certain problems, however, involved in the rendering of He 4.12, for strictly speaking there is no one point at which joints and marrow may be separated. (Louw Nida) The individual terms comprising each pair are synonymous with their pairing term, and if they were not- the passage would lose its punch!

Why Does Is Matter? Trichotomy Heresies: Apollinarians: Christ had a human body and soul, but a only a divine spirit. Gnostics: The spirit (pneuma) in man was part of the divine essence and incapable of sinning. Semi-Pelagians: Soul and body are corrupted with original sin, but not the spirit. Charismatic/mystics: The spirit is where we “really know” God. We do this mystically through the spirit, not cognitively through the soul.