What Is The Human Spirit?

[alwayscurious]

I saw this link and it seems to have answered a lot of my questions, maybe it might be helpful to someone here. What Witness Lee had said through the years seems to be true since it is also presented the same way from another source, aka "GotQuestions".


https://www.gotquestions.org/human-spirit.html

[Sons to Glory!]

However, WL's teachings did promote sayings like, "Turn to your spirit!" While I don't think there's anything heretical with that exactly, since "He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him" (1 Cor 6:17), therefore turning to one's spirit is where the Lord in us is. However, that particular phrase ("turn to your spirit") is not in the Bible, whereas a myriad of "Turn to the Lord" passages certainly are found. Very occasionally I hear someone here use that phrase, but personally, I think if one repeated "Turn to your spirit" too much, it seems to cut the Lord out of the picture . . . just my opinion.

[Trapped]

Originally Posted by alwayscurious

https://www.gotquestions.org/human-spirit.html

As crazy as this may sound, my gut tells me the Got Questions article is kind of sloppy on the topic. Like, they make some statements that they don't back up. I can't really support my gut feeling with anything solid right now, and I admit I may be wrong, but something about it feels like they kind of phoned it in.

[countmeworthy]

TOTALLY AGREE!!! I was actually disappointed with their definitions and explanations

[countmeworthy]

Originally Posted by Sons to Glory!

Well thanks Trapped for reporting on seeing that missing part!

I don't have a copy of what I posted. The missing part was just interesting because in it I was saying something at least somewhat affirming regarding WL's teaching on the human spirit . . . don't remember the specifics. Then I went on to say some things about his human spirit teaching probably went too far in my humble estimation. As noted, the somewhat positive part disappeared, but the "too far" part stayed. Maybe nothing to it, and I take UntoHim at his word, but it was just interesting . . .

I don’t have time to pen all my thoughts on the human spirit from a biblical point but I do think Lee was on the right track in his teaching on the spirit of man (from what I recall from his teachings back in the mid 70’s).

1 Thessalonians 5:23 specifically states we have a spirit. We have a soul. We have a body.

Spirit as in spirit is noted first, followed by soul then body. I don’t think the author of ‘got questions’ knows the difference between soul and spirit. It was muddled at best.

Furthermore, most Bible teachers I have listened to on this topic, always say body, soul and spirit. I have heard one or 2 teachers correct them and quote 1 Thessalonians 5:23 accurately. But not many if any ever teach on the difference of spirit and soul.

And there is a difference otherwise there would not be a distinction in God’s Word.

[Sons to Glory!]

This morning a devotional cited Romans 8:10, "And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness." This verse gave me life, because I didn't sleep that well last night and I felt all fuzzy-headed when I got up. But reading and chewing on this verse helped me remember and realize that regardless of how I feel, there is a deeper part of me that is apart from these feelings of deadness - my spirit! At that point I started to thank the Lord that He shed His blood to make me "the righteousness of God" in Him, and that His life is now one with my spirit. (1 Cor 6:17) I then began to forget about my dead feelings to enjoy the life and reality He has brought me into!

And as Romans 8:9 points out, Who I am is not the flesh, but rather who I am is found in spirit/Spirit union with Him! ("You are not in flesh, but in spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.")

And also 8:11 came to me later, "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."

[OBW]

This topic has been dissected at length in the past. Our conclusions at the time were that the spirit, despite Nee's list of "this is spirit, this is soul, this is body" etc., was that it is more like an overlay of the soul. What was common between man and other intelligent animals was mind, will, emotions (all limited relative to man, but still there). But what was missing was the connection or possible connection to God. Almost all the aspects of the spirit were consistent with aspects of the soul. But beyond that, the word "spirit" was used in other places such as "spirit of sonship (or adoption)" in a way that was not about a thing, organ, or identifiable part of man. Instead, it was more of a state of being. There is no part of man that is camaraderie — it is an attitude or state of being.

So, in terms of the spirit as descriptive of a part of our being, it appears to be more like the enhancement of the soul that allows for connection with God. Yet I would no longer assert that the finding of God is somehow associated with a "place" within my being. To need to "turn to your spirit" to find God is a peculiar construct, especially if it is so demonstrably different from how other Christians connect with God yet is never really spoken of in this way within the scripture. The nearness of God, even the "I in you and you in me" kind of nearness does not require an organ of location. It does require the ability to connect at all. And that was put in man at creation. Unlike the rest of creation which God called for the earth to produce, man was specifically enlivened by God.

It seems that the most important thing about the spirit of man has been viewed as something to dissect and make propositions about. But instead, it is the part of us that causes our otherwise merely animal soul to long for God. It is where that built-in sense of morality, limited as it may be, resides. We operate beyond mere instinct because of it. Yet there is the potential for more when we connect with God. There is no test to demonstrate a spirit. No spiritometer.

But we don't need to know anything about it, or where or what it is for that to happen. We simply need to seek God. If we seek, He will be found.

[Robert]

Psychicoi vs Peuma. There is distinction.
Jude 1:19 there is soulish instead of sensual. Senses come fro soul, but with this word we lose proper expression.
These be they who seperate themseles, soulish, having no spirit (pneuma).
Remember there was no capital letters.
Jude 1:29 Holy Ghost is pneumati hagio.
I have no time to put here all verses. You can d homework.
There are on line bibles with good tools for research.
Just put in english or greek version word and pop up! Many verses! Have a good study!
As for me: there is a human with three parts.
Spirit as a deepest is kinda asleep.
People are operating only in soul Good or evil. Culture, emotions, moral rules.
Bur the only part able to connect with God is our pneuma. Who joines with God is one pneuma with Him.
There is a lot of it. You will be surprized.
I think we do not need to relay on others interpretations. After several verses with context surely You will got some sens in Your pneuma.
There is no name as "human pneuma".
It was so obvious for authors in greek and it is clear from context.
I think there are some better or worst definitions. But most important is to learn and experience this place where we can pray, walk and bearing fruits.

[Trapped]

Originally Posted by Robert

Psychicoi vs Peuma. There is distinction.
Jude 1:19 there is soulish instead of sensual. Senses come fro soul, but with this word we lose proper expression.
These be they who seperate themseles, soulish, having no spirit (pneuma).
Remember there was no capital letters.
Jude 1:29 Holy Ghost is pneumati hagio.
I have no time to put here all verses. You can d homework.
There are on line bibles with good tools for research.
Just put in english or greek version word and pop up! Many verses! Have a good study!
As for me: there is a human with three parts.
Spirit as a deepest is kinda asleep.
People are operating only in soul Good or evil. Culture, emotions, moral rules.
Bur the only part able to connect with God is our pneuma. Who joines with God is one pneuma with Him.
There is a lot of it. You will be surprized.
I think we do not need to relay on others interpretations. After several verses with context surely You will got some sens in Your pneuma.
There is no name as "human pneuma".
It was so obvious for authors in greek and it is clear from context.
I think there are some better or worst definitions. But most important is to learn and experience this place where we can pray, walk and bearing fruits.

Robert,

I can't quite tell, but does what you are saying here square up with when Jesus tells us in Mark 12:30 to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’"?

Trapped

[Robert]

To Trapped.

Why? Do You see any contradiction?
What do You mean?

Read further, what Jesus answered him. No body claimed that this teacher was able to fulfill this commandment. For this we need new heart and Holly Spirit. I wrote about it somewhere else and many others.
Do we come back to attempt fulfilling God's commandments without Jesus and His Holy Spirit?
Only believer born again is able to follow God's rules led by Holy Spirit. Galatians.
Giving particular verses without context makes no sense just because there is this or that word.
As tripartite regenerated people we still have soul. Of course!

But what power can make You loving invisible God!!! WoW!
Any time You or me comes to cammandments without Christ we lose.
But when You add to concideration role of Jesus, everything is clear.
Remember, He did not come to cancel commandments but fulfill.