What is a human being?
A human being is a being that is human. The definition of the word "human" is belonging or relating to man, or characteristic of man. There are living beings in the natural and supernatural worlds, seen and unseen, (i.e. insects, cows, eagles, and demons, angels and God). A "Human Being" is the title given to man and woman that distinguishes them from other living beings in the universe.
First, we will examine what the Bible says about the different aspects of the human being. Then we will summarize and illustrate how all these passages work together. In some passages, the Bible describes the concept of the human being as two fold, physical and spiritual, because man exists within the natural and supernatural worlds of the universe.
"Then shall the dust return to the
earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it."
Ecclesiastes 12:6-7
(Solomon, the third King of Israel, expresses that man has a physical body
that becomes dirt again, and a spiritual body that goes to God who determines
its eternal destiny, heaven or hell.)
"If he set his heart upon man, if he gathered unto himself his spirit and his breath; All flesh would perish together, and man would turn again unto dust." Job 34:14-15 (Elihu expresses that if God took men’s spiritual body from their physical body that the physical body would become lifeless dirt again.)
"The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26:41 & "The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak." Mark 14:38 (Jesus compares the desires of the spiritual body to the physical body, wherein thy have a will and an ability to be or to do something.)
"And if the Messiah
(Christ) be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit
is life because of righteousness." Romans 8:10
(Paul compares the state of the physical body, decaying and aging, to the
spiritual body, growing and maturing, wherein sin brings death and righteousness
bring life.)
"There is difference
also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares for the things of
the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that
is married cares for the things of the world, how she may please her husband." 1
Corinthians 7:34 (Paul
expresses that a woman’s dedication to God’s service is both her physical
body and her spiritual body.)
"Having therefore
these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness
of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." 2
Corinthians 7:1 (Paul expresses
that we must guard our physical body and spiritual body from everything impure
that could contaminate either one.)
The Bible also describes the concept of the human being as
three fold: spirit (heart), soul and body (strength). Within the natural and
supernatural worlds of the universe, man has three different aspects of his
being that relates to other beings within these two worlds.
"And the very God of
peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body
be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus
Christ)." 1 Thessalonians 5:23
(Paul expresses
that there should not be anything that would cause division in our relationship
with God within our spiritual body, soul or physical body.)
"And thou shall love
the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and
with all your might." Deuteronomy 6:5 (Moses, writer of the
Israeli law, expresses that love in a relationship with the Lord is experienced
in our heart [a Hebrew euphemism for one’s spiritual body], our soul, and our
strength [a Hebrew euphemism for one’s physical body].)
"And like unto him
was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart,
and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all
the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him." 2 Kings 23:25
(The author expresses that Josiah turned in his relationship
to the Lord with spiritual body "heart", his soul and his physical body "might" to do all the
Law of Moses.)
"And you shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all
your mind, and with all your strength: this is the first
commandment." Mark 12:30 & "And he answering said, You shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul,
and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your
neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:27 (Jesus
quotes Moses in Deuteronomy 6:5, adding a defining element to the composition of
the soul of a human being, the mind.)
The Bible describes the spirit with the Greek term
“pneuma” – a forceful breath. It
also describes the spirit with the Hebrew term “ruwach” – a sensible or
even violent breath. The
spirit is the part of man's being that God created to be the strongest force or
power within us. It also describes
the spirit as having a will, a mind, emotions and as being eternal in order for
it to relate to other spirits in the universe.
The methods of relating within the supernatural world is unknown but
perhaps parallel the body's five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and
touch.
"Watch and
pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing,
but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26:41 (Jesus compares the
desires of the spiritual body to the physical body.
Therefore the spiritual body has desires of rest (peace) with God compared to
physical rest, desires of hunger for God [reading the Word of God] compared to physical hunger, and
desires of intimacy with God [worship of God] compared to sexual intimacy with a spouse.)
"Let the words of my
mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O
LORD, my strength, and my redeemer." Psalms 19:14 (David expresses
that his heart or spiritual mind can meditate on the words of the Lord, much
like his physical brain can obtain nourishment from food.)
"For what man
knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?
even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God."
1 Corinthians 2:11
(Paul expresses that a man’s spiritual mind experiences the thoughts of his
soul, much like his physical brain experiences, through chemical reactions, the
thoughts of his soul.)
"And immediately
when Yeshua (Jesus) perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within
themselves, he said unto them, Why reason you these things in your hearts?"
Mark 2:8 (Jesus expresses that
his spiritual mind experienced the thoughts of the spiritual minds of those
around him. His spiritual mind
could hear the thoughts of other men’s spiritual minds.)
"The Spirit itself
bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:"
Romans 8:16 (Paul expresses that
God’s spirit communicates to our spiritual mind that fact that we are God’s
children.)
"And Hannah prayed,
and said, My heart rejoices in the LORD, my horn is exalted in the LORD:
my mouth is enlarged over my enemies; because I rejoice in your salvation." 1
Samuel 2:1 (Samuel, a prophet
of Israel, expresses that Hannah’s spiritual emotions experienced rejoicing.)
"The LORD is my
strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped: therefore my
heart greatly rejoices; and with my song will I praise him." Psalms 28:7
(David expresses that his spiritual emotions experienced joy.)
"I Daniel was
grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head
troubled me."
Daniel 7:15 (Daniel, a prophet
of Israel, expresses that he experienced distress in his spiritual emotions in
the middle of his body, also indicating where our spirit is located.)
"When Yeshua (Jesus)
therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he
groaned in the spirit, and was troubled." John 11:33
"When Jesus
had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me." John
13:21 (Jesus experienced distress in his spiritual emotions.)
"Then shall the dust return to the earth
as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it."
Ecclesiastes 12:6-7
(Solomon expresses that our spiritual body returns to eternal God for his
choosing of our eternal destiny, heaven or hell.)
The Bible describes the soul with the Greek term “psuche”
-a gentle breath. It also describes
the spirit with the Hebrew term “nephesh” – a refreshing breath or a
breathing creature. The soul
is the part of man's being that God created to be a gentle force or power within
us. It also describes the
soul as having a will, a mind, emotions and as being eternal (or spiritual) and
physical in order for it to relate to other souls in the universe.
"My soul
glorifies
the Lord..."
Luke 1:46 (Mary, the mother of
Jesus, expresses that ability of her soul to choose to glorify God.)
"There will be
trouble and distress for every soul
who does evil..."
Romans 2:9
(Paul expresses the ability of the soul to choose to do evil.)
"My soul
knoweth well..."
Psalms 139:14 (David expresses
the ability of his soul to know and understand, to think.)
"And I'll say
to my soul, You have plenty of
good things laid up..." Luke 12:19 (Jesus,
in this parable, expresses the ability of the soul of this man to communicate
with his own soul, his own mind.)
"When anxiety was
great within me, your consolation brought joy
to my soul."
Psalms 94:19 (David expresses
the ability of his soul to experience joy.)
"My soul
is overwhelmed with sorrow
to the point of death..."
Mark 14:34 (Jesus expresses
the ability of his soul to experience sorrow.)
"Now my soul
is troubled, and what shall I say?"
John 12:27 (Jesus expresses
the ability of his soul to be troubled and experience anxiety.)
"Because thou wilt
not leave my soul in
hell..."
"that his soul was not left in
hell..."
Acts 2:27,31 (Peter quotes
this Old Testament scripture and expresses that man’s soul lives eternally
because Hell is an eternal place:
"...into the eternal fire prepared for the devil..."
Matthew. 25:41 "The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil...set on fire
by hell."
James 3:6)
Man’s soul is
physical and subject to destruction:
"he that doeth it destroyeth
his own soul."
Proverbs 6:32 (Solomon expresses
that man can destroy his soul through the things that he does.)
"...save a soul
from death..."
James 5:20 (James expresses
that one can save one’s soul from death and destruction.)
The Bible describes the body with the Greek term “soma” - dust, earth, mud. It also describes the body with the Hebrew term “beten” – a the belly or the womb or the Hebrew term “gevah” – the back of a person or the Hebrew term “basar” – human flesh . The body is the part of man's being that God created to be physical. The body has a will (desires), a mind, emotions, and is physical in order for it to relate to other bodies in the physical universe. The methods of communication within the physical world is through the body's five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch.
"Watch and pray so
that you will not fall into temptation. The
spirit is willing,
but the body is weak."
Matthew 26:41 (Jesus expresses the willingness of his disciples’ body in
comparison to their spirit's willingness. Man’s
body also experiences the desires to rest, to eat, for sexual fulfillment, etc.)
The
brain creates chemical reactions and electromagnetic waves during thoughts.
Man's thoughts are experienced within the brain.
The
body expresses various emotions (i.e. crying, laughter, sorrow, joy, anger,
love, etc.).
The
body is a solid object that relates to the physical laws of nature.
In
summary, the human being is a two-part being in that he or she dwells within
both the supernatural (spiritual) and the natural (physical) universes.
The human being is the only created being that transcends both and has
unlimited access to both. The human being is also a three-part being in that the third
part, the soul, is that part that exist in both the supernatural (spiritual) and
the natural (physical) universes. The
soul is that part of the spirit and the body, where the mind, will and emotions
of the human being exists. The
dividing lines of these parts are difficult, if not impossible, to discern.
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edge sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joint and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
The following illustration attempts to express all of these concepts visually.
