1 Thessalonians 5:23 – The Spirit, Soul and Body of the Church

Was Paul saying that each human is made up of three parts? Does this scripture offer any support for the immortal soul theory?

May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. — 1 Thessalonians 5:23, World English Bible translation.

autos de ho theos tees eireenees hagiasai
VERY (ONE) BUT THE GOD OF THE PEACE MAY SANCTIFY
0846 1161 3588 2316 3588 1515 0037 0846_99
humas holoteleis kai holokleeron humwn to
YOU COMPLETELY WHOLE, AND WHOLE IN (EVERY) PART OF YOU THE
4771_7 3651 2532 3648 4771_5 3588
pneuma kai hee psuchee kai to swma amemptws en
SPIRIT AND THE SOUL AND THE BODY BLAMELESSLY IN
4151 2532 3588 5590 2532 3588 4983 0274 1722
tee parousia tou kuriou heemwn ieesou christou
THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD OF US JESUS CHRIST
3588 3952 3588 2962 1473_8 2424 5547
teereetheiee
MAY IT BE KEPT.
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Westcott & Hort Interlinear
(from Bible Students Library CD)

The above scripture is often cited to in an effort to prove that a human is made up of three separate entities: spirit, soul and body. It is often cited as proof of the inherent immortal soul doctrine, as well as the trinity doctrine, although there is definitely nothing in what Paul says that speaks of anyone's soul consciously living on after the death of body. Others simply claim that Paul is speaking of each human as being a compound being, consisting of three parts. This scripture thus also is often cited as proof that man is a trinity of entities, and that since man was created the image of God, and as such, this scripture is offered as proof of the trinity.

We first want to note that the scriptures plainly tell us that the human soul is made of the spirit and the body. (Genesis 2:7) No where does the Bible say there are three separate persons or entities living in one human being, or in God Almighty. Such an idea has to be read into the scriptures.

Some believe that this scripture refers to  Paul's instructions to the elders at Thessalonica. We believe, however, that the apostle expressed his desire that the spirit, soul, body of the Church (although Paul was speaking directly the believers in Thessalonica, he evidently was referring to the entire church) might be preserved without blame to the coming of Jesus. While the Greek pronoun for you is plural, Paul does not say the spirits, souls, and bodies (plural) of the church will be preserved alive until the coming of our Lord Jesus, but he speaks in the singular. Nor was saying there were three persons in each of the individuals who make up the church, which is silly.

As applied by extension to the entire church, this benediction  must be understood to apply to the Church as a whole – the elect Church, whose names are written in Heaven. In Acts 4:32, we read that “The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul,” and in Ephesians 4:4, the Apostle points out that there is one BODY AND ONE SPIRIT. In Philippians 1:27, he prays that Christians may “stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the gospel.” The true spirit has been preserved in the faithful called-out ones. Its body has been discernible, notwithstanding the multitudes of tares that would hide as well as choke it, and the great apostasy which has sought to eradicate it. And its soul, its activity, its intelligence, its spiritual life, has been in evidence, lifting up the standard of the people. In no other way could we apply Paul’s words as speaking of any person individually, and certainly not with any thought that every human is three persons. However much people may differ respecting the preservation of the individual spirits and souls of the people addressed, all must agree that the bodies of the first century Christians have not been preserved, but have returned to dust, like those of others. Besides, the words, body, soul and spirit are in the singular, not in the plural.

The apostle speaks then, not of each individual Christian at Thessalonica, but in other words, his desire was that the Church as a whole might continue to the full end of the Gospel age as a noble and faithful congregation of the Lord’s Body, full of his spirit and courageous in the work. As applied to the church as a whole, the church has been preserved in body, spirit and soul.

Is Man a Trinity?

1 Thessalonians 5:23, along with Genesis 1:26,27, is often presented by trinitarians as an alleged proof of their trinity dogma. Evidently, the thought is that man is presented as a trinity in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 and that since man was created in God's image (Genesis 1:26,27), then God also is a trinity. There is nothing however anywhere in the Bible that present man as being the persons, each of whom are individually wholly and fully the one man.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 actually speaks of the spirit, soul and body of the Christian church as a whole; it is certainly not describing man as a trinity. If it was, then we would have to say that the human soul is a separate and distinct person of each man, and yet at the same that the human soul is all of what each man is. Additionally, we would have to say that the spirit of a man is another separate and distinct person of each man, and yet the spirit of a man is also fully the man. Furthermore, the same would have to be true of the body; the body of each man would have to be a person separate and distinct from the other two persons, and yet that body would have to be fully the man himself.

On the other hand, however, Paul was not praying that the bodies of the believers be preserved until Christ returned. In Acts 4:32, we read that “The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul,” and in Ephesians 4:4, the Apostle points out that there is one BODY AND ONE SPIRIT. In Philippians 1:27, he prays that Christians may “stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the gospel.” The true spirit has been preserved in the faithful called-out ones. 

As recorded in Genesis 1:26,27 God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." God created man in his own image. In God's image he created him; male and female he created them. 

What is evidently being imagined, assumed and added to what is written in Genesis 1:26,27, is that man's being made in the image of God means that man is likewise a trinity, as man is alleged to be presented in 1 Thessalonians 5:23. In reality, "God (ELOHIM)" in Genesis 1:26 is presented as being one person who speaks to at least another person. See our study: Man in God's Image 

Man was certainly created with greater abilities that other sentient beings that God created. God gave man higher reasoning abilities and the ability to speak. Man, however, was endowed with the moral qualities of his Creator, and he was given the ability to choose to either right or wrong. Man was certainly crowned with the glory of God, but has come short of that glory due to sin. (Psalm 8:5; Romans 3:23) Unlike the other sentient creatures, God also gave to man a dominion, and was to bring into subjection all creation on earth. Due to sin, however, man has not been able to bring this to a reality. (Psalm 8:5-8; Hebrews 2:7,8) 

Regardless, there is nothing in either Genesis 1:26,27 or 1 Thessalonians 5:23 that says that man's being made in the image of his Creator means that man is a trinity of three persons, each separate and distinct from each other, but each of which is fully the man. We find nothing about a trinity at all in either Genesis 1:26,27 or 1 Thessalonians 5:23,