THE WHOLE PERSON I

The whole person was Paul’s concern for us as a fathering apostle, and should be a good guide for us as well. The whole person is spirit, soul and body.

“Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

‘Sanctify you wholly; that is, perfectly, without anything wanting, referring to the entireness of the sanctification, which is presently expressed in detail.

“And I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body; the adjective “whole” applies to all the three substantives. The apostle here divides human nature into three parts—spirit, soul, and body; and this threefold division is not a mere rhetorical statement: “The apostle pouring forth from the fullness of his heart a prayer for his converts” (Jowett); but a distinct statement of the three component parts of human nature. The “spirit” is the highest part of man, that which assimilates him to God; renders him capable of religion, and susceptible of being acted upon by the Spirit of God. The “soul” is the inferior part of his mental nature, the seat of the passions and desires, of the natural propensities. The “body” is the corporeal frame.’ (Pulpit Commentary)

This is a concise and clear definition of the three-part person… the whole person.

“Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Jesus