kene@teklds.UUCP (Ken Ewing) (09/30/85)
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I'd like to add some comments on the distinction between spirit, soul, and
body. The original question from Peter Kim asked what is the difference
between soul and mind, and how is this difference related to being
"born again." Because I like to keep articles short, I have split this one
into two parts.
First, some brief introductory thoughts. All the historical interpretations
that I have read indicate that the ancient Hebrews regarded a person as a
unitive whole that was not separable into parts. "Body", "soul", and "spirit"
exist together as a sort of continuum, each dependent on the other for
existence, none having an independent existence of its own. God created all
the "parts" (for lack of a better term), as well as the whole physical
universe, and afterward pronounced them all as "very good" (Gen. 1:31). When
a person dies, he/she either ceases to exist, or exists in a shadowy limbo
realm referred to as Sheol. Immortality to the ancient Hebrew consisted
generally of two things:
1) his progeny -- knowing that his descendants lived on after him, that
these offspring had contributed to the future of the Chosen People,
and that his name was recorded in the genealogies of the Hebrew race.
(Hence, the stigma associated with barrenness in a woman).
2) a future physical resurrection.
The Greeks, on the other hand, regarded a person as a two-part entity.
The soul was the noble, good, non-material part; the body was the corrupt,
evil, physical part. The soul came from the realm of the ideal and was
imprisoned in the body. The soul was immortal: it pre-existed before a
person was born, and continued on after a person died. The soul sought
after noble pursuits like logic, truth, and intellectual development.
(Hence, in many minds, the philosopher was the noblest of people).
The body (or the whole physical universe, for that matter) sought after
base pursuits, like drunkenness, gluttony, and orgies. The body inhibited
the pursuits of the soul, and therefore must be subdued and controlled.
Plato had a doctrine of reincarnation where a soul continued to be born into
physical bodies until the it attained enough intellectual development to
finally remain in the realm of the ideal when the body died. Therefore,
immortality to the Greek consisted generally of two things:
1) a natural, inherent characteristic of the soul.
2) a final, permanent separation from the evil physical realm.
As you can see, the ideas of soul, immortality, and the goodness or badness
of the physical universe were quite divergent. With regard to the nature of
Man, a book I once read compared the two views succinctly with the following
statement: "The Hebrews thought of Man as an animated body, the Greeks
thought of Man as an incarnated soul."
Now, how does the mind differ from the soul? In my understanding, they are
effectively the same, regardless of which of the above views you use.
In the New Testament, the same Greek word usually translates to both "mind"
and "soul". Most Christian interpretations that I have heard define the
soul as "the mind, will, and emotions," (or something along that line).
Therefore, I tend to equate the two. It is a distinction that I don't
worry about too much.
In my second article I will explain how the Hebrew concept of existence
relates to salvation.
Ken Ewing
[decvax,ucbvax]!tektronix!teklds!kenekene@teklds.UUCP (Ken Ewing) (09/30/85)
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In my last article I briefly compared the differences between the
ancient Hebrew and Greek ideas on the nature of Man. Now I would like
to talk about how salvation (i.e.; being "born again") relates to the
Hebrew concept (since Christianity originally began from that perspective).
The New Testament speaks of salvation in three tenses: past, present, and
future. Examples:
Eph. 2:8 -- For by grace you have been saved through faith... (PAST)
Phil. 2:12 -- ...work out your salvation in fear and trembling... (PRESENT)
Rom. 5:10 -- ...we shall be saved by His life. (FUTURE)
The concept of salvation is multi-facted, and each of these tenses
illustrates a different but related aspect of salvation.
PAST This refers to the aspect called JUSTIFICATION. This is where the
guilt of our sin is dealt with. It is described as past because
Jesus paid the debt for our fallenness once and for all on the
cross. It's over and done with, and we can do nothing to add or
detract from it. This aspect is also associated with the
REGENERATION OF THE SPIRIT.
PRESENT This refers to the aspect called SANCTIFICATION. This is where our
mind and being are renewed. It is described as present because it
is a continuing, life-long process. As we respond to the work of
Christ and seek guidance and growth, the Holy Spirit brings about
a continual, gradual renewal of mind (SOUL?). (Lately, I tend to
place wholeness and healing under this aspect as well).
FUTURE This refers to the aspect called GLORIFICATION. This is the full,
final renewal of our physical bodies. It is described as future
because it is yet to come (obviously). At that time the goodness
in which we (i.e.; mankind, the universe) were created will be
restored, and the fallenness and sin that we now struggle with will
be removed. This aspect is also associated with the REDEMPTION
OF OUR BODIES.
Even though we discuss these ideas separately, we must remember that from
the Hebrew perspective, a person is not separable into parts. Each "part"
coexists with the others and intimately affects the others. Justification
opens a channel of the spirit to God and allows the power of the Holy Spirit
into the soul and body as well. The fallenness of the body wages war against
the renewal of the mind. People into wholistic health recognize that when
there is disease in the body, the mind and spirit are affected as well.
The preceding points can be summarized in the following chart:
Aspect
of Aspect of
Person /Time Ref./ Salvation / Source / Effect
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Spirit | PAST | Justification | The Cross | Removes the guilt
| | | | of sin
| | | |
Soul | PRESENT | Sanctification | Daily Cooperation | Renewal of our minds
| | | with the Holy Spirit| by instilling in
| | | | us the Mind of Christ
| | | |
Body | FUTURE | Glorification | The Second Coming | Removes the presence
| | | | of sin
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Ken Ewing
[decvax,ucbvax]!tektronix!teklds!kene