Are you a dichotomist or a trichotomist?  Don’t worry this isn’t some kind of a disease. It’s a way to understand the nature of man. Dichotomists (die-cot-a-mists) believe man has two parts – a body and a soul, whereas trichotomists (try-cot-a-mists) believe he has three parts – a body, soul, and a spirit.

Those who believe in dichotomy declare the words “soul” and “spirit” are often used interchangeably in the Scripture. For example, when speaking of the dead 1 Peter 3:19 says Jesus “went and preached to the spirits in prison”, whereas Rev. 6:9 has John saying, “I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain.” Mary said in Luke 1:46-47 “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Trichotomists make the most of this division. They point to I Thessalonians 5:23 which says, “May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,” and Hebrews 4:12 which says that the Bible “penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow.”

Historically most Christians have believed man has two instead of three parts.  They understand that when God commands us to love him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, he is not as much designating specific parts of man’s nature as he is saying “love me with everything you are.”

While the importance of these two opinions are debated by theologians, their value to us declares God created us as a unified whole.  When God created man the Scriptures tell us in Genesis 2:7 that when God breathed air into Adam’s nostrils “the man became a living being.” While theologians and philosophers divide the nature of man into a variety of parts, God unifies man into a material part (body), and an immaterial part (soul/spirit).  Separate one from the other and what it means for man to be “man” suffers.

We have a body and a soul, which were made by God and for God. This unity is also what separates us from the animals and is one way we are said to have been created in the image of God.