Bro. Junrey J. Moncada
Pastor- Berea Baptist Church, Caburan Big, Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental Philippines

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. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 KJV

The whole human existence is a composition of spirit and soul and body. The spirit cannot be the soul and body cannot be the spirit and soul or else we deny the plain words of apostle Paul. But there are newly founded groups like the Russelites and other Soul Sleepers who make the Bible passages contradict to one another through their teachings that man ceased its existence after death. That is the result of lacking in understanding of spiritual things who confine themselves to few verses of the Bible but not holding the whole counsel of God. “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.(Isa.8:20)

Thus we have this study to enlighten the minds of those who are confused and blinded by these false teachers. We showcase here the the Trichotomy of the human nature and other related truths concerning the spirit, the soul and the body of man according from the words of God.

–THE SPIRIT

A) In Hebrew

The Hebrew ruach is 396 times found in the King James Version but primarily rendered 240 times as spirit, and secondarily 92 times wind, and 28 times breath.

B) In Greek

The Greek word pnuema is 382 times found in the King James Version and rendered 288 times as spirit.

C) The spirit has no flesh and bones (Luke 24:39)

D) God is a Spirit (Jn. 4:24; 2Cor.3:17)

E)Angels are spirit both good (Heb.1:14;Psa.104:4) and evil(Eph.2:2;Rev.16:14)

F) Breath and wind are only secondary meaning that describes like spirit (Jn.3:8) but spirit is not breath nor wind (Job 34:14).

• Russelites(the so called Jehovahs witnesses) denied the personality of the Holy Spirit but the Bible clearly revealed to us as a person, or else they should believe that GOD and all angels including Archangel Michael and the Devil are but a mere puff of wind and are not persons?
• 
  The fact that our Lord Jesus Christ used the masculine pronoun refers to the Holy Spirit “He and Himself” in John 14:16-17 & 16:13-14 that shows His personality.
• 
  Another thing is, the faculties of a person are identifies to the Holy Spirit; HE has will(1Cor.12:11; Heb.2:4), HE has knowledge(1Cor.2:10-11; Isa.40:13-14), HE has emotions(Rom.15:30; Eph. 4:30; Isa. 63:10)*

G) Human spirit is God’s given Isaiah 42:5 states”
Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein”.

Zechariah 12:1
[The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.

H) Human spirit is not the same as the human soul

Hebrews 4:12
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, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart..

I) The human spirit after fall into sin:

Became spiritually dead in trespasses and sins( after Adam’s disobedience to God on the day he ate the forbidden fruit. He already in the state of death but not physically because he died at the age of 930 yrs old (Gen5:5), he died spiritually at the day he did eat the fruit(Gen. 2:17 compare Rom.5:12,15-19; Matt.8:22; Eph.2:1-;1Tim5:7).
The original state of human spirit is in connection or in other words communion to God but it become separated from Gods holiness because of sin (Isa. 59:2), it became alienated from the life of God(Eph.4:18).
Spiritual death is separation or losing connection from the holiness of God into sin, as the same in the physical death the body is dead when it is separated from the spirit (James 2:26).
The spiritual death resulted into to the lost of soul (Mk. 8:36) and inability to comprehend the spiritual things (1Cor.2:14- the greek word for natural man in this verse is psuchicos which means soulish), and the flesh which is the body cannot please God(Rom.8:8) but lust against the Holy Spirit(Gal.5:17,19-21).

J) The spirit of a regenerated man is quicken or born again by the Spirit of God
(Jn.3:3,5-8; 6:63; Eph. 2:1 & 5).

The spirit of the regenerated man is now again connected to God being led & bear witness by the Spirit of God (Rom.8:14-16) and that resulted for man to call God(Psa.80:18 compare Rom. 10:13), that he can now understand spiritual things(Job 32:8), being renewed in the knowledge after the image of God (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10; Tit. 3:5), having a willing spirit(Matt. 26:41) that sin not(1Jn.5:18), being sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the praise of Gods glory(Eph.1:13-14).
A quicken spirit of man is turning the soul into a saved condition(1Pet.1:9 & 22) and walking in the newness of life (2Cor.5:17)and thereby the body manifesting the fruits of the Spirit outwardly(Gal.5:22-25), that even the body is dead because of sin the Spirit is life because of righteousness(Rom. 8:10).

THE SOUL

1. In Hebrew

The Hebrew word of soul is nephesh occurs 753 times in KJV, primary meaning is soul as it is rendered 475 times, life 117 times as secondary meaning as well as the others.

2. In Greek

The Greek word of soul is psuche occurs 105 times in KJV, primary meaning is soul which rendered 58 times, life 40 times, mind 3 times, and heart 1 time.

3. The Soul within

Soul is the inner activeness and consciousness of man that makes the body interact outwardly( Job 14:22; Psa. 42:4-6), that is what it mean in Genesis 2:7 as the LIVING SOUL in Hebrew chay nephesh-chay from the primary root chayah which means alive, active. The reason why soul is said to be in mans blood(Gen.7:4; Lev.17:11; Psa. 22:20; Jer. 4:10), and is said to be destroy(Josh.11:11). In other times soul denotes nothing more than animal life in inferior creatures(Gen. 1:30; Rev.16:3).

*Ezekiel 18:4 is the most used by the soul sleepers in spreading their teaching that the soul die. But if we carefully examine its context it does not prove their notion. Why? Because it was the Lord who spoke here Ezek.18:30-32, the Lord says He will judge the house of Israel according to their ways. That implied the coming judgment of the Lord who is able to destroy both body and soul in the hell which is the second death, but men can only kill the body after that have no more that they can do(Matt. 10:28; Lk. 12:4; Jn.5:22,29 cf Rev. 20:10-15). So the soul that die in Ezek.18:4 does not prove the soul sleep theory but rather it nullifies it because the soul that dies in this verse is referring to the second death at the coming judgment. Further to that theres nowhere in the Bible we find the soul sleep term nor it is implied. We can only find the body sleep (Matt. 27:52) but not the soul.

4. Soul is the seat of all mans natural ability

Emotion– 1 Sam.18:1; S of S 3:1-4; Matt. 22:32; 2Sam 5:8; Job 3:20; Psa. 143:1

Intellect– Psa. 13:2; Prov. 2:10; 19:2,8; Lam. 3:20

Appetite– Num. 21:5; Deut. 12:20; Prov. 19:15; Lam. 1:9

Conscience- Rom. 2:15

Will– Deut.11:13, Matt.22:37

5. Soul is not the body, but it is the life and personality that lives within the body and it will exist even without the body.

>Matt. 10:28; Lk. 12:4- men cannot kill the soul

>Gal. 2:20- Paul says the life which I now live in the flesh- mark these words the “LIFE which “I”(personal pronoun) live in the Flesh”

>Phil.1:22-24-Take note the first personal pronoun I that lives in the Flesh, in verse 23 be with the Lord.

>2Cor.12:1-3; Man exist with or without the body,
Theres a man (Paul himself) who was caught up to third heaven, whether he was in the body or out of the body -God knows.

>Rom. 7:22; 2Cor.4:16 inward man; Eph. 3:16 inner man.

>Rev. 6:9; 20:4- Soul exist after physical death.

6. Soul is the seat of moral consciousness however tended to immorality due to alienation from the Holy Spirit thus it is an unconverted soul and the person is:

-A sinful soul ( Lev. 6:2; Psa. 41:4; (Mic. 6:7, Hab 2:10)

-An evil doer (Rom.2:9)

-Not upright in the Lord (Hab.2:4)

-Hated by God (Psa.11:5)

-A sin sick soul that needed healing ( Psa. 41:4; Isa. 53:5 cf Matt. 9:12-13)

7. The soul after regeneration of the Holy Spirit is said to be:

a) Converted (Psa.19:7)

b) Saved ( Heb.10:39; James 1:21; 1Pet.1:9)

c) Redeem (Psa. 34:22; 49:8)

d) Restored in the Lord (Psa.23:3)

e) Thirst for God (Psa. 42:2)

f ) Find rest in Christ (Matt. 11:29)

g) Joyful in the Lord (Psa.35:9)

h) Wait faithfully to God (Psa. 62:1,5)

i) In war against the fleshly lusts (1Pet. 2:11)

8. After death the soul is:

• said to be separated from the body (Gen. 35:18; 1 Kings 17:21-22)

• said to be under the altar of God to those who are dead for Christs sake (Rev. 6:9-11),waiting to reign with Christ (Rev.20:4)

• said to be lost to those who are unbelieving (Mk.8:36)

• said to be destroy by God at the judgment day with resurrected body(Matt. 10:28 cf: John 5:29)

– BODY

1. In Hebrew
The Hebrew word most often translated “body” is ʿēṣem or sōm (often related to soma in Greek), referring to the physical, tangible part of man — the flesh, bones, and outward form described throughout Scripture.

2. In Greek
The Greek word sōma (σῶμα) is used in the New Testament to refer to the body — the physical organism made of flesh and blood that interacts with the material world through the senses. Paul contrasts it with the “spiritual body” in the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:44), showing a biblical distinction between the present physical body and the future glorified body.

3. The Body is the Physical Housing of Man
The body is the material, visible part of human existence. Scripture demonstrates that it is the vessel or tabernacle that houses the soul and spirit while we live:
It enables perception through the five senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch).
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The body is subject to decay, weakness, and physical death (Romans 6:12; 8:10).

At physical death, the body returns to dust while the soul and spirit continue (Ecclesiastes 12:7).

4. The Body is Distinct from the Soul and Spirit
Though unified with the soul and spirit in life, the body is a separate part of man’s trichotomy:
Paul distinguishes body from spirit and soul in 1 Thessalonians 5:

In resurrection teaching Paul says there is a natural body and a spiritual body, showing their distinct nature (1 Corinthians 15:44).

5. The Body and Sin
Because of Adam’s fall, the physical body became subject to sin and death:
The body cannot please God when dominated by fleshly lusts (Romans 8:8).

Death of the body is a consequence of sin, fulfilling God’s warning in Genesis 2:17.

6. The Body’s Redemption in Christ
While the body is currently mortal and perishable, Scripture promises its future redemption:
Paul teaches that believers will receive a glorified body like Christ’s at the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:42-44).

At the final day, body, soul, and spirit will all be preserved blameless at the coming of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:23).