The subject of these pages is the question of the nature of man. What exactly are we in terms of body, soul, spirit, mind, heart - what do these concepts mean. We recognize the wrongness of the Greek concept of the spirit trapped in a prison (body) because we know that matter and the physical is good if used lawfully. But rejecting that , what do we posit instead. I have taken the approach of doing word studies on most of the above words which are currently being developed below, email welcome. I have also not included references that refer to the spirit of God or may do so as not to confuse matters. Later references that say the same thing as earlier verses are not kept to reduce the volume
. Conclusions
(1) Can reject Spirit as just the "stuff" ie the spirit is clearly personal in that it greives is happy and sad, is disciplined ,etc
(2) But there is some seperation: the body without the spirit is dead
(3) Fundamentally it deals with emotions, but it also makes decisions ie be willing and can have character traits ie be a proud spirit or a humble spirit. It can be troubled, can revive, can be in anguish, can be sad, can be provoked, can constrain
( active), can be overwhelmed, can be faithful, can be hasty, can be breached, can be haughty or humbled.,excellent, will sustain him unless wounded, can be vexed, patient or proud, it can rise up against someone, its blessed for it to be poor, it can be WILLING, can perceive with it !, can sigh deeply in it, can be stirred up or refreshed, or pressed, can purpose in it, can be meek, it desires to envy, can be strong and can err showing it involves the thinking function
(see below for all the texts relating to these attributes.)
(4) But its not enough to say that its just "us" because it has a Metaphysical dimension : It goes upward and no man has power to retain it and it comes again to those who get resurrected and Jesus commended his to the Father and then gives it up, spirits don't have flesh and bones, the body is dead without the spirit Yet spirits can be cut off or preserved. I suppose cut off doesn't imlply cesation of existence.
(5) Some of the character traits are given by God: he fills his people with a spirit of wisdom
(6) Some strange things about spirits that need some explanation :on death a man's spirit can be given to another man in double portion- if its simply his attributes then the spirit is clearly where our character is in this sense, if it is more to do with actual substance transferring
( the substance of actual evil spirits does after all tranfer to people) then what happens to Elijah while his spirit is elsewhere or can it be distributed to many like God's spirit. This is possible if we also accept the hypothesis that we have within us Jesus's human spirit as well as his divine (suggested by the we in John 16)
(7) The spirit is also uses to seek God, and we are expected to worship God in spirit, we need to rule over our spirit so we must rule with something other than our spirit !, it can be of various kinds (manner) , we now have a new spirit, and have to be an example in spirit, our spirit prays or our understanding prays,
(8) Other strange things from the verses immediately below: Jesus's words are spirit, Paul is with them in spirit, a spirit of an emotion comes upon a person and they become that emotion, nations like Egypt have spirits too, a spirit of judgement given to the judge but just strength to the soldier (not a spirit of strength)
Job 32:8 But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. Job 26:4 To whom hast thou uttered words? and whose spirit came from thee? Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. When he is absent he is with them in spiriit 1Co 5:3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, Col 2:5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. If a spirit of an emotion comes on someone they become that way (is this just a form of speach or is something more profound being expressed) Nu 5:14 And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled: .Nations have them too, Isa 19:3 And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards. A spirit of pastoring for the pastor, etc ? Isa 28:6 And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.
What is a spirit ? LINKS WITH OTHER WORDS Job 7:11 Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. ( paralelism spirit and soul ) The Spirit of my understanding ? Job 20:3 I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer. Ps 77:6 I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. Ps 143:4 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate Pr 15:13¶ A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. Isa 57:16 to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made. Isa 65:14 Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit. Eze 11:19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: Da 5:12 Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation. Mt 12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. 1Co 14:15¶ What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. 1Co 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Eph 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; Php 1:27¶ Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel
.Can be in the spirits and carried away in ( by ?) the spirit. Re 4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. Re 17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
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The BIBLICAL DATA
IT DEALS WITH EMOTIONS (texts for conclusion 3) It can be troubled, can revive, can be in anguish, can be sad, can be provoked, can constrain ( active), can be overwhelmed, can be faithful, can be hasty, can be breached, can be haughty or humbled. Excellent, will sustain him unless wounded, can be vexed, patient or proud, it can rise up against someone, its blessed for it to be poor, it can be WILLING, can perceive with it !, can sigh deeply in it, can be stirred up or refreshed, or pressed, can purpose in it, can be meek, it desires to envy can be strong, Ge 41:8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh. Ge 45:27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived: Ex 6:9 And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. 1Ki 21:5¶ But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? Job 7:11 Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. Job 32:18 For I am full of matter, the spirit within me constraineth me. Ps 106:33 Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips. Ps 142:3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me. Pr 11:13 A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter. Pr 14:29¶ He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly. Pr 15:4¶ A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit Pr 16:18¶ Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Pr 16:19¶ Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. Pr 17:27¶ He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. Pr 18:14¶ The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear? Ec 2:17¶ Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. Ec 7:8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Ec 10:4¶ If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences. Mt 5:3¶ Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Mt 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Mr 2:8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Mr 8:12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation. Lu 1:80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel. Ac 17:16¶ Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Ac 18:5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. Ac 19:21¶ After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome. 1Co 4:21 What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness? 1Co 16:18 For they have refreshed my spirit and yours: therefore acknowledge ye them that are such. Jas 4:5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? Isa 29:24 They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.
Metaphysical ( texts for conclusion 4) It goes upward and no man has power to retain it and it comes again to those who get resurrected and Jesus commended his to the Father and then gives it up, spirits don't have flesh and bones, the body in dead without the spirit Ec 3:21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? Ec 8:8 There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. Lu 8:55 And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat. Lu 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. Lu 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Jas 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead Job 10:12 Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit. Ps 76:12 He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth. Job 26:4 To whom hast thou uttered words? and whose spirit came from thee?
God fills people with the spirit of wisdom Ex 28:3 And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. (texts for conclusion 5)
AND IT CAN BE PASSED FROM ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER AT LEAST ON DEATH (texts for conclusion 6) 2Ki 2:9¶ And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. 2Ki 2:15 And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
.Texts for 7 .NEEDS TO BE RULED Pr 16:32¶ He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. Used to Seek God Isa 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. Can be of various kinds Lu 9:55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. Can worship in it ( by means of it) Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. We now have a new one Ro 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. The spirit prays 1Co 14:14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. Need to be example in spirit 1Ti 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
PEOPLE CAN HAVE OTHER SPIRITS WITHIN THEM Le 20:27 A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them. 1Sa 28:7¶ Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. (most references deleted as not relevant to our study)