Q404 : Dichotomy vs. Trichotomy of Man

I meet up once a week with a dear brother who is 85 years old, and we sit and talk theology for a good 4 hours or so. It has been such a rewarding experience for the both of us. There are a few things that we haven't seen eye to eye on over the years, but the issue of Dichotomy vs. The Trichotomy of Man seems to keep coming up, over and over. I was curious what your take on this issue is. Thank you in advance.

A404 : by Steve Lewis

Many contemporary ideas about the nature of man are rooted in Greek philosophy or modern secular psychology, and those concepts have a pervasive influence on people’s thinking today. Both of the words dichotomy and trichotomy are defined by a “division or contrast between things that are represented as being opposed or entirely different.” But when we are talking about a human being, there exists only a unified whole person. All of the parts work together without separation or opposition. One theologian described it this way:

When God created Adam, He took the dust of the earth and breathed into it the breath of life to make a living person (Gen 2:7). Although there were two steps to the act of creating, the result was a single, unified living person. To be sure, the particles of the earth provided the material, while God’s breath effected life. Material and immaterial combined to produce a single entity. Within the material exists a variety of features – arteries, brain, muscles, hair, etc., and within the immaterial we also find a variety – soul, spirit, heart, will, conscience, etc. … Man is bipartite in nature … Man is a material and a nonmaterial entity. … The many facets of the material and the many facets of the immaterial join together to make up the whole of each person. Man is rich diversity in unity.¹

When we discuss the nature or makeup of a human being, we should not focus on whether there are two or three parts. There are many more “parts” to a person than that. Some Scripture passages may focus on one or more aspects of personhood, but usually those represent or stand for the person as a whole. Two examples from the Psalms may illustrate this.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits” (Psalm 103:1-2). Is it only the soul of man that is involved in worship? What about the body, mind, emotions, heart, will, and spirit of the man? In this Psalm the soul represents the entire person who is worshiping the Lord.

“My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God” (Psa 84:2). In this Psalm the soul longs and yearns to be in God’s presence, but it is the entire person who has this desire. The second part of this verse also mentions the heart and flesh, but all facets of this person are unified in expressing this desire.

Many “trichotomists” point to 1 Thess 5:23 for Scriptural support, saying that this verse defines the component parts of a person. But the apostle Paul was addressing the topic of a believer’s sanctification, and he mentioned three facets of personhood which stand for the whole of a man. He specifically says, “may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete.” One commentator explained: “Note the singular verb and singular adjective (neuter) showing that Paul conceives of the man as an undivided whole.” [A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, e-Sword edition] God will preserve every single aspect of you as a whole person.

All of the various facets of our nature work together within the complex unity that we call a person. The gospel message is an appeal to the whole person because every aspect of our nature is in need of redemption, and that is what we should focus on.