Trichotomy vs Dichotomy (Body, Soul & Spirit)

Thank you for listening to this message from the ministry of Morse Corner Church in Leverett, Massachusetts. Morse Corner is a non-denominational church that is committed to the preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our church was founded in 1896 by two students of the famous evangelist D .L. Moody. We seek to encourage and edify the body of Christ through the proclamation of God's word through the ministries of the local church.

If you'd like more information, visit our website morsecornerchurch .com. We hope you enjoy the message. The Apostle Paul writes,. For we know, if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven. If indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.

Now he who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord.

For we walk by faith and not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased, rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. And may God add a blessing to the reading of his word. Now one thing we need to remember about the Apostle Paul, at least at times he was bivocational in the ministry.

What does that mean? There were time periods where Paul would do the work of ministry, but he would also work a secular job. Yeah, there were some churches that supported him and some he would not take money from.

So there were periods of time where Paul would work as a tent maker. So because Paul was so familiar with making tents, I suppose it's not surprising that Paul uses a tent here as a metaphor for our physical body.

Also, the Jews would have been very familiar with the tabernacle, which was basically a tent. A tent that was built for the worship of Jehovah God or Yahweh in the Hebrew. And later on in Israel's history, what happened?

Well, they did worship in the tabernacle, but then eventually the temple was built and the temple was a permanent structure. The tabernacle was temporary to be broken down, moved, set up again. So what's the point?

Our physical body is like a tent. It is only temporary. Last week in chapter 4, Paul points out what we all know, that our outward man is what? Perishing. So our tent, our physical body as it is now is passing away.

It's only temporary. Our physical body also, it is not fitting for heaven. Your body is not fitting for heaven. What did Paul say in 1 Corinthians 15 verse 50? That flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.

So this body needs to die and or be transformed. Just like Jesus's body died and was transformed before he ascended to heaven. Now Paul says in verse 1, look at it again. For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God.

A house, which would be permanent. A house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. So notice the difference. You have a tent versus a house. Right? Which would you rather sleep in? A tent or a house?

I mean, come on. So you have this contrast. A tent or a building? Paul's audience, again, especially the Jews, this would have immediately brought to mind the difference between the tabernacle and the temple.

And it was understood. I think we understand this. The temple is better. The temple was better. It was a permanent structure. Alright, now turn to the book of Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 11, and Paul continues here talking about how we groan.

Again, last time in chapter 4, remember he talked about our light affliction, which lasts but for a moment. So as believers, we're hopeful we should live with this hope, this positive attitude. We're looking for something better.

That's always been the way for the people of God, to appreciate what you have, be content. But we're all looking forward to something better. Alright, look at Hebrews chapter 11, starting in verse 8. It says, By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance.

And he went out, not knowing where he was going. And by faith he dwelt in the land of promise, as in a foreign country, dwelling in what? Dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.

So you have the three patriarchs. You have Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And they were what? Strangers in the land. They were pilgrims. They had no permanent residence. So Abraham did not have a city to dwell in.

But look at verse 10. He didn't have a city to dwell in, but he did wait for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. That's something very similar to what Paul said to the Corinthians.

How we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. And then he continues in chapter 5. For in this we groan earnestly, desiring to be clothed with our habitation, which is from heaven.

If indeed having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. All right. Now go to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. 1 Thessalonians 5. We're going to look at verse 23. So there's this idea that we are clothed.

Right now we're in the body. We are clothed with this tent. So Paul, we see he's saying that our body is our clothing. Okay. You have to ask, well, what is it that's being clothed then? Can we exist without the body?

You see, if we are clothed with this tent, our earthly body, there must be some part of us that is distinct from the body. And look at what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 23. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely.

And may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. So you notice what he says. May your whole spirit, soul, and body. Now the Greek word for spirit is pneuma.

That refers to that immaterial part of you. The Greek word translated soul refers to breath. Okay. You're a living, breathing soul. You have the breath of life within you. So there's the immaterial part of you, the spirit, and your soul is life.

You have breath within you. Now we're going to get a little technical. Okay. So if you take notes, now is the time to start writing. There are two viewpoints on this. All right. There is the dichotomous view and the trichotomous view.

So dichotomous and trichotomous. Not words we usually use in day-to-day life. Except a couple of us, I guess. So the dichotomous view. What's a dichotomy? It's a contrast between two things. So the dichotomous viewpoint would say that you are made up of two parts.

Your body, we all agree with that. We have a body. So you are made up of two parts, body and soul. And that your soul and spirit are one and the same. So you're two parts, body, soul, body, spirit. That's the dichotomous view.

The trichotomous view, you think of the word tri, right, the prefix. Triangle, tricycle, trinity. Tri means three. We all know that. So the trichotomous view says, no, you're actually three parts. Body, soul, and spirit.

So soul and spirit being distinct, two separate things. So, again, but the dichotomous view says, no, you're just two parts, body and spirit. And, you know, the Greek word pneuma can refer to wind also.

Okay? So wind, and you think of soul as breath, they're similar concepts. Also, the Bible does seem to use the terms soul and spirit interchangeably at times. But then, on the other hand, in 1 Thessalonians 5, there seems to be a distinction between soul and spirit.

So these are the two viewpoints, dichotomy, trichotomy. Now, as to which view is correct, that's another sermon for another day. One thing we should all be able to agree on, however, is that we are spiritual creatures.

We have a spirit. In this life, our body is part of us, but our body is not us. We are more than that. You think, in the beginning, God formed Adam's body from the dust of the earth, and Adam's body was completely useless until the Lord breathed the breath of life into him, at which point Adam became a living soul.

The Body as Temporary Clothing and the Tension Between Dichotomy and Trichotomy

All right, now turn to John chapter 11. So, here's the point. Our body is clothing for our soul, or our spirit, or both. We are a spirit clothed in flesh. So, what happens to us when we die? Here's a few more questions.

What happens to us when we die? How did the Jews understand the afterlife? Did Jesus ever have to correct them? Well, here in John chapter 11, this is a well-known account where Jesus hears that His friend Lazarus is ill.

And Lazarus, we remember, has two sisters, Mary and Martha. And when Jesus, here's the thing about this whole story, when Jesus hears that Lazarus is sick, He waits two whole days before He heads to the city of Bethany.

And because Jesus delayed His coming, what happened? Lazarus died. Look at John 11, starting in verse 20. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him. But Mary was sitting in the house.

Now Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you. And Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again.

And Martha said to Him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day. And Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live.

And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? So three things here. Number one, when Jesus said your brother will rise again, Jesus is referring to the body of Lazarus. Jesus is not commenting on Lazarus' soul.

That's number one. Number two, in verse 26, Jesus plainly states that whoever believes in Him shall what? Never die. Do you believe this? That's what He says. Whoever believes in me shall never die. And yet the Bible teaches elsewhere that it is appointed unto man once to die, and after this the judgment.

And actually Jesus in the previous verse recognizes that people die, believers die. But then He says they shall never die. Well, how do you reconcile that? So that statement that believers will never die, that cannot be a reference to the body, obviously.

That is a statement on their soul, on their spirit. The spirit never dies. And then number three, to go back to one of the questions I had asked, how did the Jews understand the afterlife? It was given to them the oracles of God.

They should know the answer to this. So how did the Jews understand the afterlife? Well, we read it right here in verse 24. Martha says to Jesus, I know that my brother is going to rise again on the last day.

Thanks for listening. I'm Pastor Michael Grant from Morris Cornick Church. If you'd like to listen to the complete message, or if you'd like more information about the ministry, visit our website, morriscornickchurch .com.

And we'd love to have you join us some Sunday morning here in Leverett. Until next time, may the grace of God be with you.