Category: Theology 101
Doctrine of Man
The origin of the soul remains a debated question among theologians. Because the teaching of Scripture regarding this subject is scarce, opinions are formed according to broad principles and implications (i.e. many scholars choose the option that, in their minds, present the lesser problems and difficulties), rather than according to detailed exegesis. Throughout church history, the two major views have been traducianism and creationism.
Traducianism is the view which holds that the soul is propagated and transferred by parents to their children in the same way as the body. Creationism, on the other hand, holds that the each individual soul comes into being by the immediate creative act of God. Each view has its commendations and its problems. For example, traducianism appears to be more consistent with the doctrine of original sin, in that, Adam’s posterity inherits his sinful nature through the reproduction of the soul. However, this raises a serious question concerning the nature of Christ, namely, how did He evade receiving a sinful disposition if He inherited His human soul from Eve? Creationism avoids this difficulty because it asserts that each human soul, including that of Christ, is created by God. Consequently, God made the human soul of Christ sinless and without a corrupt nature. But this raises the question as to whether the human souls of other men are created, by God, sinful and with a corrupt nature. And if this is true, then is God the author of sin? Neither position is completely satisfactory. Nevertheless, I lean toward creationism, for the simple reason that the few verses of Scripture that do speak to this issue (Ecc. 12:7; Isa. 42:5; Zec. 12:1; Heb. 12:9) are better suited to this view.
Another question which divides Christian academicians is whether the constitution of man is dichotomous or trichotomous. The Scripture repeatedly asserts a distinction in man between the physical and the non-physical. The former is called the body or flesh, and the latter is called the soul or spirit. In Ecclesiastes, the writer proclaims that the dust (i.e. the body) will return to the earth and the spirit will return to God who gave it (12:7), thus affirming the distinction between body and spirit. Manifestly, those who hold to this dichotomous view regard the soul and spirit to be different words for the same entity.
However, some would argue that the spirit is distinct from the soul, and that, therefore, the makeup of man is a trichotomy. There is Scriptural support for this view. At the conclusion of Paul’s first epistle to the Thessalonians, he prays that they would be preserved complete in spirit, soul, and body (5:23). Furthermore, the author of Hebrews teaches that the word of God can divide the soul and the spirit (4:12). These passages would seem to differentiate between the soul and the spirit. This conclusion is made less certain, however, because some Old Testament passages use the terms synonymously (Job 7:11; Isa. 26:9). Also, even in the texts which distinguish them, there is no insight as to what attributes are to be given to each.
It seems to me that if the inspired writers distinguish the soul and spirit, then we should not dismiss or deny the variance. (Most of the “explanations” of 1 Thess. 5:23 and Heb. 4:12, from a dichotomous perspective, are bald assertions or refusals to allow the doctrine to stand.) However, we should not press the distinction very far, nor should we draw conclusions about the differences where the Scripture is silent.
A third question about the constitution of man concerns the duration of the soul’s existence. Are souls immortal, or is there a terminus for them? It seems to me that this doctrine stands or falls with the doctrines of eternal life and eternal punishment. If the Bible teaches that the unjust will experience everlasting torment, then, clearly, their souls must be everlasting in order to receive the punishment. Likewise, if the just will receive eternal life, then they must live forever in order to live eternally. I believe that the Scripture does set forth eternal punishment and eternal life (Dan. 12:2; Mat. 25:41, 46; 2 Thess. 1:9), and, therefore, the immortality of the soul necessarily follows.