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I think spirit and soul are separate. Thessalonians shows us that.

1Th 5:23 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.
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Using this same logic:

Matthew 22:37. "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."

Are we also to understand the Mind, Heart, and Soul to be all separate? The bare mention of multiple terms is not sufficient to prove that they are separate entities.

You also said, "Being former Catholic, they believe soul and spirit are the same. It serves their theology well."

I can make a similar argument concerning various implications from the triune-man doctrine. It is also irrelevant how other religions might interpret and explicate their own similar doctrine. Catholics share plenty of true beliefs with orthodox Christians.

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Jordan

I need to get to sleep at the moment but I wanted to throw this consideration out there for now.

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."

It just occurred to me that this expression "of both joints and marrow" does not imply physically separating joints FROM marrow. Rather it appears to be a strict metaphor that the sword can divide the joints and also it can divide the marrow. So I am now inclined to consider this expression as actually implying that both the joints and the marrow can be separated, not from each other, but from the bone itself.

I will have to get back to this thought sometime later tonight.

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Jordan

This is a non-essential to me so I am bowing out of this one. I am content with what I believe concerning this and it does not matter to me what anyone else beleives about it. It is kind of like, "Did Jesus have a human soul and a divine soul at the same time, or human will and divine will at the same time?" You'll never figure it out. I am content in knowing that He was fully man and fully God.

...Not My will, but Thy will be done. <-- Is Jesus talking about His human will or Divine will? See? It's a lost cause trying to figure this stuff out.

This will just be a merry-go-round.

Love you guys/gals,

Pilgrim

Thanks everyone. Clearly the subject has various interpretations in different camps.

I am happy to hold that man reflects God and not the other way round; so, God (Spirit) feels, and His soul delights and so on, and man reflects these attributes. As for man, it is easier (but not perfectly clear to me) that we can understand him as a triune being.

I don't necessarily expect to be led to a self-contained neat answer. The opposing views tell of the abstract complexity of the subject and I'm prepared to embrace that for now. Thanks.

Mt 12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
Mt 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
Mr 14:34 And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.
Joh 12:27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

God has created a body to contain his soul and spirit, son's of God.

The Holy Spirit is in every aspect of teaching our soul who Christ in us is.

Jesus Christ is the Spirit of life, now linked with our spirit as ONE.

"Let us create man in Our image" "in the image of God created He them." Our soul is the image that links us to the Soul of God.

In Christ: Phillip

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Phillip

Flesh+Spirit=Soul
If you read the first few chapters of Genesis you will see that God created man in his image.

He first created the spirit of man then the flesh, only then did man become a living soul.

That is according to my understanding at least.

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esvl

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (no spirit as yet)

Genesis 2:19-20 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. (still no spirit)

Genesis 2:21-23 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. (still no spirit)

Now comes a spirit being, a created spirit being.

Genesis 3:1-5 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

This is where the living soul of Adam and Eve took on spirit, because in whom you believe you will serve. The living soul of Adam and Eve now have a spirit. It is a created spirit, not being birthed by God but a created spirit that is now in the heart of Man. This is not a life giving Spirit, but a death blow to the spirit that Adam and Eve believed and took of the tree of Knowledge of good and evil. Now dying the flesh because of Adam and Eve's choice was passed on to all man for all have sinned.

So Now Without Christ's Spirit in man, man is dead to God because of the spirit of Satan in man.

When the birth of the Spirit of Christ in the believer by the Father's Incorruptable Seed, whom the Father chooses to birth, "Born Again", now the Man has a life giving spirit in Him, not a death giving spirit.

So Adam was formed and given a soul, but Adam chose the spirit whom he would serve, and was possessed by the spirit of that choice, and protected by this evil, man cannot choose to serve the living God. That is why God must kill the old man, Gal 2:20(spirit) and give birth to the Spirit of His son in the now believing regenerated soul that now possesses the Spirit of Christ and can now choose to serve the living God. The old man "first Adam", (Satan) out, the New Man, "last Adam", Christ in. (Incorruptable Seed of the Father) 1 Peter 1:23, the life giving Spirit.

1 Corinthians 15:45-48 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

Romans 8:9-11 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Flesh plus soul equals life. Spirit is either death, separation from God, or life in Christs Life giving Spirit.

In Christ by His Spirit in me: Phillip

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Phillip