02.04.08 Views of Body, Soul, and Spirit
This issue will no doubt be a challenge for some readers. The concept in the culture of a three-part person as body, soul, and spirit is said to be of Greek origin. This, however, is radically different from the New Testament teaching. The Greeks believed that the ultimate life was to live spiritually and that the body was evil. This philosophy is reflected in Watchman Nee’s book Body, Soul, and Spirit wherein he states that we should essentially throw away the body and brain to love in the Spirit. The Greco-Roman concept of body, soul, and spirit is radically different from the New Testament concept.
The Jewish tradition of the Bible is that man is a single unity. In the New Testament the body is the temple of God, but more importantly, body, soul, and spirit function together. Jesus died for the salvation of the entire body, soul, and spirit. They are not divorced one from the other, but rather, three parts to a whole.