Tripartite humans?

• To: NT-GREEK@Virginia.EDU
• Subject: Tripartite humans?
• From: Charles Floyd Bearden <cbeard@tenet.edu>
• Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1992 23:43:19 -0600 (CST)

Does the passage at 1 Th 5:23 imply a tripartite division of human nature
into body, soul, and spirit?  Or is this line a rhetorical flourish of
Paul's, whereby he seeks to express the totality of God's work in the life
of the believer, without suggesting technical distinctions among the three
named elements?

As a sort of corollary question, can the frequent meaning of 'earthly
existence' for 'psyche' adequately explain the the 'psychikos/pneumatikos'
distinction at 1 Cor 2:14-15 without reference to a distinction between
'psyche' and 'pneuma' as elements in the human being?

If so, can that sense of 'psyche' also reasonably explain the distinction
at Heb 4:12 between 'psyche' and 'pneuma?'

Thank you in advance for your instruction. 

Chuck Bearden
Library Service Specialist
Houston Public Library		Robinson-Westchase Branch		
Voice: 713/784-0987		3223 Wilcrest Dr. 
				Houston, Texas  77042
Internet: cbeard@tenet.edu

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