Separating Soul and Spirit

In my October 26th post (see), the importance of combining spiritual with spiritual was noted. (1 Cor 2:13) The term, combing (sunkrínontes, from sun, together, and krino, to judge), refers to determining what spiritual matters correspond to other spiritual matters. In this post, we will focus on the importance of the division of soul and spirit (Heb 4:12). The Greek noun, merismos, is translated ‘division’. The verb form is merizo, to divide or separate.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul was doing both. Paul continued in chapter 3:

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. (1 Cor 3:1-3)

In other words, individuals in the church at Corinth were not correctly putting together spiritual truth nor separating the eternal spiritual truths of God from the temporal human wisdom under the sun.

Once, I asked a brother in Christ about his chosen profession. I referred to him as a “Christian Psychologist.” “No, I am a psychologist who happens to be a Christian,”  was his response. He taught an adult Sunday school class, and his response explained a lot. I noticed him allegorizing a biblical passage. He was combining human wisdom, psychology, with biblical truth. As Christians, we can accept some of the tenets of Psychology if we understand that it is fallen man examining fallen man and recognize whether it is consistent or inconsistent with God’s Word.

One time, after preaching a sermon, I was confronted by an individual who insisted my teaching was not consistent with her church’s doctrinal statement. My response was, “Show me where what I said was inconsistent with the Bible.” She could not. A doctrinal statement is a document that reflects the church’s basic theological teachings. It should never be used to contradict God’s Word.

In the past five decades, many theories and philosophies became popular for a season but quickly faded. Some were helpful. Many only detracted from the Bible’s fundamental truths. These became the focus of study rather than the Scriptures. Those who were able to combine spiritual with spiritual and separate soul and spirit may have found something helpful, if consistent with God’s Word.

One example is the Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis. It is a tool to assess personality traits. In the proper venue, this can be an effective tool. However, viewing man psychologically is a human construct of limited value. We know that only by being transformed by the renewing of the mind (Rom 12:2) can human nature be permanently changed.

In this era of Artificial Intelligence, every child of God needs to learn to partake of the solid food (1 Cor 3:2) and pure (i.e., unadulterated) milk (1 Pe 2:2) of God’s Word through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Heb 5:12-13).