Division Of Soul And Spirit

The Division Of Soul And Spirit

Hebrews 4:12

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb 4:12).

Notice that there is a division between the soul (psyche) and the spirit. The soul is the conscious part of the mind, and the spirit is the subconscious part. The word of God is a discerner of the thoughts (the understanding) and the intents (motives) of the spirit. God’s word discerns between the thoughts of the conscious mind (the soul) and the intents of the subconscious spirit.

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Dreams Come To The Spirit In Symbols

 When Joseph dreamed, God did not tell him in literal terms that his family would bow to him. He had to interpret with the understanding of the soul what the symbols of the spirit meant. “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). God communicates firstly with man’s spirit, and then requires us to worship in understanding truth with the help of the Holy Spirit. We must worship first in spirit and secondly in truth (understanding).

Not all dreams come from God. Most dreams come from our own fears and concerns.

Have you ever wondered why Hebrews 4:12 says the word of God divides joints and marrow? When the priest worshipped, he would cut up the animal.

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Worship Has To Do With Sacrifice

 It involves a “piercing of joints and marrow” with a sharp two-edged sword. Even devoting the Canaanites to destruction was worship. They were devoting them to God. The same is true when we praise God in worship. “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand, 7 To execute vengeance on the nations, And punishments on the peoples; 8 To bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron; 9 To execute on them the written judgment-- This honor have all His saints. Praise the LORD!” (Psalm 149:6-9)

God commands us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. God’s word cuts us in pieces, piercing even to the division of joints and marrow.

When Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream, we see a good example of the division of soul and spirit.

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God Spoke To Pharaoh’s Spirit

Joseph said, “God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do” (Gen41:28). God had shown it to Pharaoh’s spirit, but not to his understanding (his soul). Because Joseph had the gift of interpreting dreams, he was able to bridge the gap from the spirit to the soul, from the subconscious part of the heart to the understanding, from the intentions of the heart to the understanding of the thoughts. He was able to pierce even to the division of soul and spirit and to discern the thoughts and the intentions of the heart. Interpretations Belong To God.

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Note The Difference Between Spirit And Soul

Paul said, “I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding” (1Co 14:15). “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful” (1Cor 14:14). Paul identifies the understanding with the soul. The Greek word for soul is psyche. Pscyhe means being. It has to do with conscious understanding of the natural world.

By the way, you can pray in the spirit without the gift of tongues. You can pray with groans that cannot be uttered. “the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26.)                                           

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The Greek Word For “Soulish” Is Translated “Natural”

…in 1 Cor 2:14. “the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Notice the contrast between what is soulishly discerned and what is spiritually discerned.

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God Says False Teachers Are Soulish

Jude said they are “sensual persons… not having the Spirit” (Jude 19). The Greek word that is translated sensual comes from the word soul, psychicos. It means soulish. They get their doctrine from either from being purely cerebral of from being too emotional. Both extremes are soulish. We will not understand God’s word until we can discern the difference. Pray for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ.

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How Can We Know If We Are Soulish?

“But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic” (James 3:14). For example, when a man gets bitter and angry in defending his interpretation of the Bible, “This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, soulish, demonic.” One time Frank and I dealt with a young man that started screaming and stormed out mad when we suggested a different interpretation. His reaction was definitely earthly, soulish, and demonic.

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Prophets And Teachers

God spoke to the prophets in visions, dreams, and symbols. “I have also spoken by the prophets, And have multiplied visions; I have given symbols through the witness of the prophets” (Hosea 12:10). The prophets did not always understand their visions. The job of the teacher is to interpret the visions of the prophets. But they need to have the wisdom that descends from above.

“Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers” (Acts 13:1).

Moses was a teacher. God said, “If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. 7 Not so with My servant Moses... 8 I speak with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings” (Num 12:6-8). Visions and dreams are dark sayings. Moses was a teacher, but he needed the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in order to teach from his spirit. He needed “understanding in the visions of God” like it says of Zechariah (2Chron 26:5).

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Should We Pray For A Spirit Of Wisdom And Revelation?

Ephesians 1:16-18

         Some say the days for that ceased when the New Testament was completed.

Paul said, I do not cease… making mention of you in my prayers: 17* that … the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened.

         If we think that way, we are soulish. On the other hand, the one that’s always saying, “God told me this and God told me that” is probably also soulish. Read my blog on “The errors of the Charismatic movement.”

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Soulish Men Like Soulish Teaching

… because it’s down on their level. It’s earthly. It’s simple. But they think it is spiritual just to know memorize the Bible and know the stories.

False teaching is soulish. For example soulish teaching says, “Everything in the vision of Revelation is literal.” Soulish teaching also says the opposite. It says, “The historical parts are only symbolic and not literal.”

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Why Is This Teaching On Soul And Spirit Important?

         It’s important in counseling people and winning souls. It is possible for a person to have truth in his spirit, but not yet in his understanding. We need to discern this and be patient with him. Don’t force him or expect him to understand everything yet.

         How can we discern if he does not have it in his heart yet? We can certainly tell if he has bitter envy and calls people names when they disagree with him. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, soulish, and devilish.

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Are You Ready To Get Cut In Pieces?

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb 4:12).

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2* And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.