CO 5702-W: Lecture #1 The Nature of Man (Dr. Ron Cobb)
I. Introduction
In order to understand the Christian counseling process it is essential that an accurate theological foundation be established. The first order of business within that theological foundation is the nature of man. As is true in many categories of theology
this is an area that has been riddled with disagreements. Our purpose in this lecture is to examine the varying theological perspectives and draw some conclusions based on Scripture. We will also discuss the image of God in man and the importance of a proper understanding of the nature of man as it relates to biblical counseling.
II. The Three Views of Human Nature.
For our purposes in this course, we will consider only the three views of the nature of man that have derived from Christian theology.
Trichotomism. The trichotomous perspective, once very popular in evangelical Bible teaching, has diminished in popularity over the years. {In the 1950’s, Trichotomy has become less popular.} In my opinion, Erickson does a very fair job of presenting this perspective (without the sarcasm present in some theologians who do not hold to this perspective). Basically, the trichotomist understands man as having three distinct qualities or functions in his nature (Erickson, 477). The strict trichotomist draws a hard distinction between the soul (the personality consisting of the mind, the will, and the emotions) and the spirit (the part of man that is in touch with spiritual realities).
Spirit is the inner depth of man’s being, the higher aspect of his personality. Soul expresses man’s own special and distinctive individuality. The pneuma is man’s nonmaterial nature looking Godward; the psyche is that same nature of man looking earthward and touching the things of sense.
The strict trichotomist runs into problems however because there are Scriptures that use soul and spirit synonymously. But, the strict trichotomist would argue that there are some very important Scriptures that make a clear distinction between the soul and the spirit of the individual human. Next, let’s consider the dichotomist perspective.
Dichotomism. The dichotomist would view the human being as composed of two elements, the material (body) and the immaterial (the soul or spirit or soul/spirit). Arguing against the trichotomous position, the dichotomist emphasizes the instances in Scripture where soul and spirit are used interchangeably (Matt 6.25; 10.28 cp to Eccl 12.7; 1 Cor 5.3, 5). See Erickson page 479 for a fuller discussion. While some students might see this whole discussion as “splitting theological hairs” we are going to find that it is very important in the particulars of discipleship counseling. Erickson is fair; particulars of biblical counseling rely on the particulars - are we tri or di persons.
Monism. Simply stated monism is the view that man is only one element, and that his body is the person. Erickson provides a bit more detail:
Monism insists that human beings are not to be thought of as in any sense composed of parts or separate entities, but rather as a radical unity. In the monistic understanding, the Bible does not view a human as body, soul, and spirit, but simply as self.
Body and soul are not considered to be contrasting terms rather, they are to be viewed as interchangeable synonyms (Erickson, 483). Since monism is not considered biblically valid in the evangelical domain the next part of our discussion will focus only on trichotomism and dichotomism. This can’t be supported in Scripture.
Conclusions Based on Scripture.
In this section let’s see if we can begin to bring things together in order to form
some sort of consensus as to what Scripture teaches about the nature of man.
Man Is Material And Immaterial - Man is presented this way.
Monism is relatively easily dismissed because there is so much evidence in Scripture that man is composed of material and immaterial. This is particularly evident when considering what theologians have come to term the intermediate state that exists between bodily death and bodily resurrection. Passages such as II Cor 5.8 (1-10) and I Cor 15.35-49 refute monism. Man is material and immaterial.
Soul And Spirit Are Sometimes Used Interchangeably But Retain An Important Distinction In Function. We don’t look at a person and say “I really see their spirit or soul bearing today.” We don’t focus on a certain part of individuality. We tend to focus on the person as a whole. However - Sometimes soul/spirit are used as synonymns, sometimes not.
The overall emphasis in Scripture is on the unity of man as created by God. For this reason we will find that many passages in Scripture appear to use soul and spirit interchangeably (see for example John 12.27 and 13.21). However, even though these two terms are used interchangeably to address the immaterial part of man the two retain an important distinction. Listen to the words of Augustus Strong as he seeks to make this important distinction.
We conclude that the immaterial part of man, viewed as an individual and conscious life, capable of possessing and animating a physical organism, is called psyche; viewed as a rational and moral agent, susceptible of divine influence and indwelling, this same immaterial part is called pneuma. The pneuma, then, is man’s nature looking God-ward, and capable of receiving and manifesting the Holy Spirit; the psyche is man’s nature looking earthward, and touching the world of sense. The pneuma is man’s higher part, as related to spiritual realities or as capable of such relation; the psyche is man’s higher part, as related to the body, or as capable of such relation. Man’s being is therefore not trichotomous but dichotomous, and his immaterial part, while possessing duality of powers, has unity of substance.
I like the way Lewis and Demarest make this point in their Integrative Theology, “our view may be referred to as a dichotomy of substances and a trichotomy of functions.” {“Our view may be referred to as a dichotomy of substance, and a trichotomy of function.”} Conclusion: Both are true; we are dichotimist by substance; we are material and immaterial; but we are trichotomists by function - physically, psychologically, and spiritually.
Key Passages To Consider
Consider the following key passages from both of the primary theological perspectives on man’s nature.
Trichotomist Proof Texts
· I Thessalonians 5.23- Does this verse not clearly address three distinct parts of man? {man as spirit, and soul, and body}
· Hebrews 4.12- Are not a clear division of soul and spirit indicated in this passage? {division of soul and spirit}
· I Corinthians 2.14-3.4- This passage addresses three types of individuals, the “natural” or “soul-ish” (2.14), the “spiritual” (2.15), and the “fleshly” or “carnal” (3.1). Does this not point to the soul and spirit as being separate elements of our human nature? {soulish, the spiritual and the carnal; may be a weaker argument}
Dichotomist Proof Texts
· Luke 10.27- Does this passage then not make the case for four entities in man rather than just three? {argument for interchangeability for terms}
· Matthew 10.28 and I Corinthians 5.5- Body and soul and body and spirit are used interchangeably.
· James 5.20 and II Corinthians 7.1- The soul can sin or the spirit can sin.
III. Man in the Image of God.
At this point it is vital that we come to understand exactly what Scripture means when it speaks of man as being created in the image of God (Gen 1.26-27).
A. Defined- The image of God in man can be defined as the attributes of God
that can be shared with man such as life, wisdom, and volition, love, joy, patience, longsuffering {communicable}. In other words, what God is infinitely is expressed in man in a finite way through the image of God within. We do not have some of God’s attributes such as omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotent.
B. Demonstrated- Two facts of human nature that illustrate the image of
God are an advanced brain and complex language. These are demonstrable and subject to being studied, measured, compared, and evaluated. We can pray, worship, and mediate on Scripture; it helps us to know God, see, and experience that we are created in the image and likeness of God.The Bible also addresses subjective elements such as prayer, worship, Scripture meditation, and the indwelling Holy Spirit that demonstrate on the part of man a connection to and a craving for intimacy with and knowledge of his Creator God.
IV. The Image of God Marred in Man.
The image of God in man is a glorious truth that has a shadow side. Because of
man’s disobedience, rebellion, and subsequent fall into sin the image of God has been defaced, damaged, diminished—in a word marred. It was seriously fractured, marred, but it did not go away. Man is still in the image of God but that image is somehow distorted and fractured. Like looking in a trick mirror at the circus our image is discernable but it is not as it should be. {like the mirror in fun house, the image is still there, but marred}
C. The Fall of Man- The marring of the image of God took place at the fall
of man as recorded in Gen 3.1-7.
D. Death- The ultimate result of man’s rebellion and independence from God
was death—separation from God. This death would be manifested in man in two ways.
1. Spiritual- Though man would continue to be in God’s image his
relationship with God would be dramatically impacted. Man would exist in a state of being functionally dead to God but functionally alive to the world.
2. Physical- In the day that man rebelled against God and chose his
own way he died spiritually and he also began the slow process that would eventually result in physical death (Gen 2.17). Death passed into the human race.
V. The Nature of Man and Biblical Counseling.
In the biblical counseling process it is important that the counselee have a clear understanding of the nature of man in order to promote self-understanding.
E. Union with Christ- This is the essential spiritual relationship between
God and man that is restored at the time of salvation (see Gal 2.20). We have an essential spiritual relationship that exists between us and Almighty God; much of the image of God has been restored at salvation. We are fully restored when we are glorified, but there is a radical change at salvation where we are united with Christ.
F. A New Spiritual Identity- As a result of a new relationship with God our
spiritual identity is now changed. We are now identified as “saints” and not “sinners” (see for example I Cor 1.1-9). The Corinthians had a lot of problems in the church (taking one another to court, abusing the Lord’s supper, abusing spiritual gifts, open immorality in the church). But if you look at the opening verses, you don’t see anything of Paul writing to them. It is interesting to note in this introductory passage to 1 Corinthians Paul does not refer to this difficult group of people as sinners though their sins were voluminous. In fact, he builds them up with positive affirmations saying nothing negative about them. Perhaps Paul realized the truth that Christians will consistently live up to or down to who they believe themselves to be in an essential spiritual sense! Paul realized that those who do not understand their spiritual identity in Christ need to understand; people will consistently live up to or down to who they believe to be. If there is a steady diet of “you are just a no good rotten sinner” or if there is positive affirming truth from the pulpit that God loves us in spite of our failures - people will live either up to or down from their true spiritual identity.