Body/Soul/Spirit

This threefold identification of the nature of mankind (body/soul/spirit) appears only once in the Bible (KJV) in these words and in this particular summary statement that captures the holistic nature of the human being.  Jesus refers to the theme in different words, like mind and strength – in verses noted above.  The body is physical which is to say animal, and houses the essence of the meaning of that life differentiated as vegetable and animal in the physical world with variant forms such as insect, fish, fowl, and forms rising in sophistication to vertebrates at the top of the various species.  Life is given various contexts.  The soul also takes its forms housed in higher and lowers forms in vertebrates related to the competency of the mind, with human beings at the acme in that there is self-consciousness and reflective thought, competent to grasp and retain spiritual meaning, and apply it in the holistic context for human life.  Spiritual is found in mankind in whatever is meant by the image of God, referred to in Scripture as granted first to Adam, and Eve with inevitable competency.  Competency is found in the Christian context for individual persons, to receive the gift of immortality related to spiritual life presumed to be available to human offspring – if faith perceptions are adopted by their children.  Physical life is of the earth earthy, the mind is the bridge between the physical and spiritual for the human being, and the spiritual is entirely a matter related to the nature of God, as God exerts his will and plan for his creation – a creation gifted with the factor of the image of God, and to which the individual person makes response.  When all this is synchronized as God counsels human beings, the individual is said to live a holistic life – not fragmented but in a unity that inherits life continuance.  That will likely expand through transitions from the seed of life competent to gain the faith of God to creativity, learning and participation.  It is likely that even in immortality there is expansion that we perceive as creativity.  The nature of the life of God, shared with mankind is likely expansive in ways presently unknown to us.  If true, as suggested here, we are currently not equipped to understand it fully.  We see through smoked (darkened) glass – 1 Corinthians 13:12.  We are limited, sometimes highly so.

The point to be made here is that Christians are called to holistic life – and that life includes body, soul and spirit – a unity understood in the compound of these factors.  Scripture refers even to the new body gained by the individual, and related to the spiritual context.  The new body is declared free from any violation of health – either in that physical (illness) or that spiritual (sin).  Whatever follows in the loss of physical life is restored in that which is identified as worthy of perfection, commonly referred to as resurrection life.  As exotic as it sounds to presently earth-bound human beings, the cleansing meaning of the Scripture story of God’s redemptive enterprise is assimilated through faith.  It is so much greater than we can find in even the best circumstance of nature that it becomes an achievement of faith to believe it and communicate it. Scripture is quite open to the acknowledgment that all this is in the context of mystery, but not beyond the management of the human being in faith.  That faith is guided so as to have support that the mystery will be solved ultimately.  Faith puts us in the right locale for solution.  In that locale we find peace, and full confidence that all will be well even if there is some confusion, difficulty, error, perhaps fits of despair that engage the search.  All provides incremental growth in the journey forward to the denouement (unraveling of the mystery).  Mankind may feel somewhat confident about predicting the future given current events in earth-life.  Scripture predicts events to change, beginnings to endings, related to the whole meaning of humanity.  The Scripture story grows out of this holistic concept that includes not only God’s interests and actions, but mankind’s as well.  We have something to say about directions (searching and acting) to conclusions (transitions and evaluations).  It is wise to commit our lives to the purpose.  Everything rides on the outcome.  To follow it is to follow a star of hope and magnificent conclusion.  If that revelation is wrong we lose nothing.  If it is right we have gained everything – as noted by Pascal.  If it is wrong we have lived well.  If the person rejects it and it is right, he or she has lost everything.