Scripture is clear that God made man in His image (Gen 1:27). Not a question. Some have wondered if, for instance, sin changed that. Apparently not. After the Fall, God says, "Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man's brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man" (Gen 9:5-6). Clearly, then, we're in the image of God (Imago Dei). But ...in what way?
One way is in Genesis 2. "Then YHWH God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" (Gen 2:7). When God made other creatures who breathed, He spoke them into existence. When He made Man, He breathed His own breath into him. A soul, if you will, or spirit. Now, these two concepts are linked and difficult to separate -- soul and spirit. We do know that God is spirit (John 4:24). And we know that we have three basic components ... body, soul, and spirit. Some try to remove the distinction between soul and spirit, but Scripture doesn't allow it. They're closely connected, but the author of Hebrews says, "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" (Heb 4:12). So the soul and spirit are very closely linked and require a sharp sword to separate them ... so they can be separated. Paul writes about God preserving our "spirit and soul and body" (1 Thess 5:23), so they are distinct.
Humans are made in the image of God in a whole variety of ways, but one, fundamental way is our triune being. God is triune, and so are we. We're obviously the finite version, but there is similarity. We have a physical body, and so does God in the person of Jesus. We have a soul -- mind, will, and emotions -- and these are characteristics often attributed to the Spirit. And we have a spirit -- an essential, spiritual existence -- which correlates to God the Father. We are in the image of God, which is the primary feature that gives us worth above any other created thing.
8 comments:
I found out recently that the triune nature of humanity was deemed a heresy long ago. But I think it may be because of what they tried to do with the concept, and not the distinction you mark here. I've often wanted to ask a person who believes we're only body and soul/spirit, "If we are only two parts, in what sense were we dead?" If the soul is the eternal part of us that is our will and mind, that certainly wasn't dead. Clearly our body wasn't dead. There must be something, closely tied to the soul for sure, that is distinct from the soul that was dead in sin. And just as God is Trinity, and we are Imago Dei, then it makes sense that we'd be three in one as well.
I will admit that even while loving theological topics, I have never done a focused study of the “soul vs. spirit” aspect of Man’s nature. I don’t think I have used those specific terms much (if at all) when commenting here, as I tend to speak more of our “nature” (natural vs. spiritual), “hearts” (unregenerated vs. regenerated), or “minds” (carnal vs. renewed). I understand that Scripture can be cited to support both a dichotomous (i.e. possessing a body and a soul-spirit) and a trichotomous (i.e. possessing a body, spirit, and soul) view of Man. (GotQuestions.org has a good explanation on this, including mention of the erroneous applications of each view.)
I will say that even if I hold a trichotomous view of Man, I don’t see that trichotomy correlating with God’s tritheism quite as neatly as you suggested in your final paragraph (and shown in the chart at your 10/06/16 post on the same topic). The truth that “God is triune” is understood to mean that “God is one Being but exists as three co-equal and co-eternal persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit.” The triune aspect of Man you wrote about is that we have a physical body, a soul, and a spirit. In my mind, I can’t “split up” the three Persons of the Holy Trinity into those same entities or limit any of them to a corresponding aspect in order to create those parallels with us. (Perhaps I need to do that deeper study!)
My trichotomist view doesn't make the Trinity and our triune-nature to be equivalent, but an image. Our three parts don't correspond perfectly with His, but I think their operations are similar.
It is an interesting topic to consider, to be sure, David, but at the same time, I would be afraid that should I try to “force” the parallel too much, the “image” you mention might become one of my own making (and therefore idolatrous)! ;-)
It's interesting, Lorna, that the internet searches think it's obvious that our body/soul/spirit nature is part of the "image of God" in all humans and not idolatrous. Is being in the image of God idolatrous?
Every theological consideration can be taken to an extreme, but that's what the bounds of Scripture are for. Doesn't mean we should just avoid theology and doctrine.
I would heartily concur with those sentiments, as they are ones I try to live by.
I concur that we were created “in the image of God” with the components of body/soul/spirit. If you are considering discernible functions (or “operations,” as David termed it) of the three Persons of the Trinity, I can see the general correlation. My hesitation is with limiting any of the three Persons to just that one aspect or not seeing overlap among them where it clearly occurs (which is where idolatry--holding the wrong view of God--might arise, as I see it). For example, both the Father and the Son also have “the mind, will, and emotions of God,” along with the Holy Spirit, and both Jesus and the Holy Spirit can be considered our “life force” as much as the Father (see Joh. 6:63, 15:4-5; Rom. 8:11; 2 Cor. 3:6). (Those last two phrases in quotations are taken from your 10/06/16 post, by the way.)
I mentioned that I haven’t studied the “soul vs. spirit” doctrine much (i.e. enough to hold a dichotomous or trichotomous view), but I have, I believe, learned enough about the attributes and functions of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to evaluate your model. In all my study, I have never before heard the notion you presented today, and while I find it interesting to contemplate, I would never want to just embrace a theory solely because it sounds good; thus my caution to do so without further study. However, I will heartily agree that it would be very much like God to duplicate the harmonious, perfectly functioning nature of the eternal Godhead when He created us in His image--thus giving “us worth above any other created thing,” as you closed your post--but I’m not able to be dogmatic that He did so along these exact lines. Still, I appreciate the good food for thought (and the friendly dialog)!
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