Bible Question:
Are humans made up of body and soul and spirt (trichotomy) or only body and soul/spirit (dichotomy)? Are we 3 parts or only 2? |
Bible Answer: Hi, thenoel2... There are two predominate views in Christian theological anthropology: 1. Trichotomy -- This view sees man as consisting in three parts: body (physical), soul (mental), and spirit (spiritual). It is an idea that originated in the philosophy of Aristotle. To those who hold this view, it seems to be supported in Scripture by the fact that both the soul and the spirit are unique words in Hebrew and in Greek. 2. Dichotomy -- This view sees man as consisting in two parts: body (material) and spirit (non-material). It is an idea that originates in ancient Jewish thinking. To those who hold this view, it seems to be supported in Scripture by the fact that the two words appear to be used interchangeably; this, despite idiomatic uses. Personally, I am most partial to the second view. To my way of thinking, it most closely reflects the Scriptures. But I am open to being persuaded. By using trichotomy and dichotomy in the search box, you can find the various discussions over the years concerning the topic. In Him, Doc |