The doctrine of the trinity can help shed some light on this issue. The vast majority of Protestants in the world today would agree that God is three members in one. While each member of the trinity is distinct, the member’s cannot be separated or broken up into portions of the whole. Each member is fully God and fully apart of the other members. Dr. Bill Bjork gave an illustration in his Systematic Theology 1 class at Arizona Christian University to help explain the phenomenon of God’s omnipresence. He said that it is as if a person spread butter on a piece of toast. If God were the butter each attribute of his character would be in every square inch. It’s not like His love is on one side of the bread and his wrath is on the other. All His attributes are all on all the bread at the same time. This is a difficult concept to comprehend but it is the same with the trinity. The members of the trinity are all on all the bread and unable to be taken apart, yet they are distinct in their roles and characteristics.
Genesis 1:26 says: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” There are so many layers to this concept of being made in God’s image. How much do humans resemble God? Is it that they have an eternal spirit, that they can reason, that they can rule over the earth, or is God’s image pervasive in every part of the creature called human? The tripartite theory holds that the latter is the case.
Body
No one in his or her right mind would argue against the fact that humans were created with a body. The body has a very important role. It is the house, the vessel, the function. It is what connects humans to everything and to each other. As seen in the attached diagram the body category contains the 5 senses, organs and cells, the brain, and the nerves. They are what make a person alive and give the ability to put thought into action. Another way of looking at it is that the body is what allows expression of the inner being. A brilliant painter may come up with a masterpiece in his head but if he is unable to paint it, then what good is it? With their bodies humans can express emotions (facial expression, tears), thoughts (speaking, writing), values (doing things for others), and worship (lifting hands, singing, kneeling and so on…).
Soul
As previously mentioned the word soul was derived from the Latin word psyche which is also where the word psychology comes from. The diagram shows that the Soul is functionally a person’s personality and it includes the conscious mind, the subconscious mind, and the will or a person’s choices. This is the part of humans that makes them who they are: their likes, dislikes, interests, hobbies, worldview, strengths, weaknesses and so on. It is what gives a person his or her emotions, beliefs, attitudes, feelings, memories, and ability to reason. This is the part of the person that fuels the body to act. Without the soul people could not maintain relationships with each other, could not reason or cope with life, and would basically be like robots. The soul is a vital part of who and what a person is.
Spirit
The spirit is the part of a person that connects him or her to God. It is the conscious and moral compass that helps people determine right from wrong. The diagram shows that in this category are meaning, purpose, and love. The spirit is the part of people that causes them to long for something more than this life. The German word for this sense is “Sehnsucht.” It means that people are not satisfied and there is a deep yearning for purpose and meaning; something bigger than themselves. That something is God. The spirit enables people to love each other, themselves, and God. When a person feels love for someone or something at his or her very core, that person is tapping into the spirit and experiencing something amazing.
Interdependence
The three parts of a person are completely interdependent. This idea of interdependence can best be illustrated with letters. The capital letter “I” represents independence because it has no connection and can stand alone. The capital letter “A” represents codependence because if one side were taken away the other would no longer be supported and as a result would fall. The capital letter “H” represents interdependence because the two sides are connected but if one fell, the other could remain standing on its own. Likewise, each part of the person is distinct and can “stand alone” so to speak, but they are so interconnected that they constantly affect each other. Spiritual health affects psychological health which in turn affects physical health and visa versa. Imagine a circle with lines running through it. Each line represents an aspect of the person and all the lines are running through the center. The lines cross in the center, each line touching all the others. The lines are distinct but not separate; unique yet compatible.
Integration
Thinking of humans in relation to the tripartite theory is important for treatment of all kinds of ailments; physical, spiritual, and psychological. Most would agree that trying to treat a broken bone with therapy would be completely unhelpful. The bone needs to be set by a doctor who understands the make up of the body. Therapy may help the person with the broken bone to use mind over matter and dispel the pain slightly but the bone will not heal properly unless it is treated physically. Similarly, a person with a mental illness may benefit slightly from spiritual intervention (and visa versa), but if the root of the problem goes untreated the person will continue to struggle. Many Christians today who believe in the bipartite theory try to use spiritual treatments for clearly psychological problems or psychological treatments for spiritual problems. This can be extremely damaging and frustrating for everyone involved.
Conclusion
Humans were made in the image of God who is a tripartite being. Because of this, it stands to reasons that humans are also tripartite beings. Treating a tripartite being as a bipartite being can have serious consequences not only in the psychological field but also in the church. Failing to recognize the difference between soul and spirit could mean the difference between helping a person and treating a person’s self esteem when he or she has a broken leg. It just doesn’t make sense.
Reference
"Spirit Mind Body Health - A Christian Perspective on God's Design for Man | Faith and Health Connection." Faith and Health Connection | Faith and Health Connection. Web. 08 Dec. 2011.
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