Oh, body, soul and spirit talk.
I'm sympathetic to Jac's views, and think back on it just now, don't feel it is correct.
Jac's right, a lot is speculative, especially of "spirit" distinction, but then we claim to have special revelation too?
Scripture tells us many things about our bodies, spirit, soul.
1 Corinthians 15:42-46 is helpful here:
- 42So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; 43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.
Paul talks of two natures within us: flesh and spirit. Christian theology is thick on this, especially those who understand grace. When we do something wrong it's our carnal nature, but our spiritual nature which accepts Christ is sinless. Such that Paul declares the things we do that we do desire, it's no longer we that do them but sin in our fleshly bodies. When we a resurrected, we are resurrect
in power, raised into a
spiritual body.
Jesus also says of the angels in heaven, that we'll be like them at the resurrection. (Mark 12:25; Matt 22:30; Luke 20:36)
Jac doesn't believe angels have spiritual
bodies, but rather they're just immaterial spirits/souls, each one unique to itself. Now we might be that way, but I see a distinction between "body" and our essence ("soul"). I believe angels have bodies that while spiritual (with which they can perceive and navigate a heavenly realm), angels possess the ability to also materialise physically (as is often spoken of in Scripture).
Our bodies here and now are physical and carnal, of the flesh.
Our bodies hereafter are ethereal and godly, more fully of the spirit.
Our souls are the breath/life, us at our core.
Bodies enable us to experience the world that they're designed and made for.
Our physical bodies enable us to experience the physical world via taste, smell, touch, sight, sound.
Our spiritual bodies enable us to experience the immaterial spiritual world in a similar manner.
Jesus has an exchange with Nicodemus where He talks of being born again, only spiritually born (John 3:4-8).
- 4Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” 5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7“Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8“The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
When we come to Christ, we're born again of the spirit, our spiritual bodies renewed/rebirthed.
Such that what we were once blind to (spiritual discernment), now we see. Of course it could all just be a lot of Christians trying to rig the deck in their favour, but then there is something about
Amazing Grace that rings true with all, penetrates into the blackened spirit of many, and by far the majority of Christians can associate with John Newton's words including where he talks of a new spiritual sight, "
Was blind, but now I see."
So then, if we weren't to have a body, would we be conscious? How could with think?
Physically we think with our brains. In the spiritual world, is their an equivilent that our souls can hook into?
I don't know, Ecclesiastes 12:7 says our spirit (here
ruach so better understood as the breath of God or Jac's animation -- what I call soul) returns to God who gave it -- note Gen 2:7 says God breathed into us).
So then from that state perhaps we can directly experience God, especially those of us who are spiritually born.
I'm not sure that unless one makes a "spiritual body" distinction, that much Scripture makes sense with Paul talking of spiritual and carnal nature, our being born again, why we can't perceive God or the spiritual world right now if we are spirits are our souls and we are therefore spiritual beings, etc... So there's a second perspective for you.
