So, what are we, anyway?

[Rubia Warren]

Do we have body, soul, and spirit? Just body and soul? What? What? Are there many different beliefs regarding this? Tell me all about it...TELL ME!!!:blush:

[flipper]

We have body and mind. Spirit is represented by the control that we have learnt to achieve over both. None of the three will outlast braindeath.

Or so sez I.

[Rubia Warren]

:bonk: LOL Thank you, Flipper.:tongue:

[flipper]

'Twas my pleasure, ma'am.

Will that do, or do you need any clarification? Of the three, my rough sketch of "spirit" was the shakiest, based largely on personal opinion as it was.

[Popeye]

My reason for believing in a trichotomy might be a little sketchy, but here it goes:

In Gen 1, the verb bara (create) is only used three times. The first time it is used it is used of the material creation "the heavens and the earth". The second time it is used it is used of a particular group of animals. The third time it is used it is used of mankind.
The first occurance refers to the physical. Plants are not said to be "created", but rather "made" (asah). But plants are really just self-replicating dirt. Then there's nothing new about the animals the first time they're mentioned. But the second set of animals has something new about them. These aren't just instinct-driven, self-replicating dirt. These have genuine emotion and can relate them to each other and to us, and we can relate our emotions to them. Then comes us. Like the plants and animals we are made of the earth. Like the higher animals we have emotion and can convey our feelings and be aware of others'. But there's something new about us. We are in the image of God. We can have an awareness of Him. We have attributes that other animals don't have. We can also sin.

In summary, there are three levels to creation: the material - inanimate and animate; the "nephesh" creatures; and those in God's image.

That may or may not imply a trichotomy, but to me it gives the idea.