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Body Soul Spirit & Heart

The Three Parts of the Spirit - Conscience, Fellowship, and Intuition

Just as our body has many parts, so does our spirit and our soul. Our spirit is composed of three: conscience, fellowship, and intuition. The conscience is for us to discern right from wrong, to justify or to condemn. Romans 9:1 compared with Romans 8:16 proves that the conscience is a part of our spirit. Fellowship is for us to contact God and to commune with God. This is shown in John 4:24 and Romans 1:9. Intuition means to have a direct sense or feeling in our spirit, regardless of reason or circumstance. First Corinthians 2:11 indicates that our spirit can know what our soul cannot. Our soul knows by reason or by circumstance, but our spirit can perceive without these. This is intuition, the direct sense in our spirit.

The Three Parts of the Soul - Mind, Emotions, and Will

The soul is also of three parts. The main one, the mind, is for thinking, considering (Psa. 13:2), knowing (Psa. 139:14), and remembering (Lam. 3:20). In the mind we have thoughts, ideas, concepts, reasonings, understanding, knowledge, etc. Emotion, another part of the soul, is for us to love (1 Sam. 18:1; S.S. 1:7) or hate (2 Sam. 5:8), to like or dislike, to be joyful (Isa. 61:10; Psa. 86:4) or grieved (1 Sam. 30:6; Judg. 10:16). All our emotional feelings, positive or negative, are in this part of our soul. The will is also a part of the soul. It is the part through which we have our purposes and choices (Job 7:15; 6:7) and make decisions (1 Chron. 22:19). When I consider or reason, I am using the mind. When I feel happy or sorrowful, I am in the emotion. When I make a decision to do a certain thing, the will is in operation. The mind, the emotion, and the will are the three parts of the soul.

Psalm 51:6 reveals that within our being are "the inward parts" and "the hidden part." Hebrews 8:10 compared with Jeremiah 31:33 proves that the mind is one of "the inward parts." The rest of "the inward parts" must be the emotion and the will. Therefore, all the parts of our soul are "the inward parts" of our being, while our spirit is "the hidden part."

The Heart

Since 1 Thessalonians 5:23 speaks definitely that we are a tripartite being composed of the spirit, the soul, and the body, the heart could not be a separate part in addition to the spirit and the soul. The heart is a composition of the first part of the spirit and all three parts of the soul. It includes the conscience (Heb. 10:22), the first part of our spirit. Thus, it condemns (1 John 3:20) as does the conscience. It also includes the mind, the will, and the emotion, which are the three parts of our soul. Thus, it thinks (Matt. 9:4) and has thoughts (Gen. 6:5; Heb. 4:12); it rejoices (John 16:22) or has sorrow (John 16:6); and it purposes (Acts 11:23) and has intents (Heb. 4:12). Hence, the Scripture shows us clearly that our heart is composed of the conscience, the mind, the emotion, and the will. It is equal to a part of our spirit and the whole of our soul. Since the heart is thus composed of parts of our spirit and soul, it is very closely related to both.

The Purposes of the Parts of Man

The purpose of our body is our human existence. It is by our body that we may exist and live physically and practically for the Lord. Our body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for our body (1 Cor. 6:13). The Lord prepares us a body (Heb. 10:5) that we may exist and live for Him. Thus, we must offer our body to the Lord (Rom. 12:1) and glorify Him in our body (1 Cor. 6:20).

The purpose of our heart in God’s intention is that it may love Him. Mark 12:30 says, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart." Our heart is a loving organ, prepared by God for us to love Him. The purpose of our spirit is to contact the Lord (John 4:24), to receive Him (1 Cor. 6:17), and to contain Him (2 Tim. 4:22). Our heart is the loving organ, whereas our spirit is the contacting, receiving, and containing organ. The Lord whom our heart loves is contacted, received, and contained by our spirit. What then is the purpose of our soul? Its main purpose is to reflect and express the Lord. Second Corinthians 3:18, in the original text, has the thought of reflecting. Our soul, that is our person or our personality, must be the very organ, as a mirror, to reflect and express the Lord. Thus, we love the Lord with our heart; we contact, receive, and contain Him with our spirit; and we reflect and express Him with our soul in all that we think, like, and decide—in all that we are and all that we do.

Witness Lee, The Parts of Man, Chapter 1, http://www.ministrysamples.org/excerpts/THE-THREE-PARTS-OF-THE-SPIRIT-CONSCIENCE-FELLOWSHIP-AND-INTUITION.HTML

The Three Parts of the Spirit - Conscience, Fellowship, and Intuition

The spirit is a complete unit, composed of three parts, or functions: conscience, fellowship, and intuition.

It is easy to understand the conscience. We are all familiar with this. To perceive right from wrong is one function of the conscience. To condemn or to justify is another one of its functions. It is also easy to comprehend the fellowship. The fellowship is our communion with God. Within our spirit such a function makes it possible for us to contact God. In a simple word, fellowship is to touch God. But it is not easy to understand the intuition. Intuition means to have a direct sense or knowledge. There is such a direct sense in our spirit, regardless of reason, circumstances, or background. It is a sense without reason, a sense that is not “reasonable.” It is a direct sense of God and a direct knowledge from God. This function of the spirit is what we call the intuition. Thus, the spirit is known by the functions of the conscience, the fellowship, and the intuition.

But these three parts in the human spirit must be proven from the Scriptures. First of all, the conscience is found in Romans 9:1: “My conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit.” By comparing Romans 9:1 with Romans 8:16, it is evident that the conscience is located in the human spirit. Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit.” On one hand, the Holy Spirit witnesses with our spirit; on the other hand, our conscience bears witness in the Holy Spirit. This proves that the conscience must be a function of our spirit. In 1 Corinthians 5:3 the apostle Paul says that in his spirit he judged a sinful person. To judge means either to condemn or to justify, which are acts of the conscience. The fact that the apostle judged in his spirit confirms that the condemning or justifying function is in the spirit; hence, the conscience is in the spirit. Psalm 51:10 speaks of “a right spirit within me” (ASV). A right spirit is a spirit that is right. Knowing right from wrong is related to the conscience; thus, this verse also proves that the conscience is in the spirit. Psalm 34:18 refers to those who are “contrite in spirit.” To be contrite means to realize that we are wrong. In other words, it is to accuse and condemn ourselves, which is a function of the conscience. This shows that the conscience is related to the spirit. Deuteronomy 2:30 says that God hardened the spirit of Sihon the king of Heshbon, which means that Sihon’s conscience was hardened. To be hardened in the spirit means to be careless with regard to the conscience. When we cast off the feeling in our conscience, we become hardened in our spirit. These verses offer the strongest ground for the fact that the function of the conscience is in the human spirit.

Let us go on to find the scriptural ground for saying that the fellowship is a part of the spirit. First of all, John 4:24 tells us that we must worship God in our spirit. Thus, to worship God requires us to worship in our spirit. To worship God is to contact God and fellowship with God. This verse proves that the function of worship, or of fellowship, is in our spirit. In Romans 1:9 the apostle Paul said, “I serve [God] in my spirit.” To serve God also is a kind of fellowship with God. This too proves that the function of fellowship is in our spirit. In Romans 7:6 Paul added that “we serve in newness of spirit.” In other words, our service to the Lord is essentially our fellowship with the Lord in our spirit.
Let us consider Ephesians 6:18. In this verse Paul says that we should pray “at every time in spirit.” There is no article before spirit, nor is the word capitalized. The word spirit here does not refer to the Holy Spirit but to our human spirit. To pray is to fellowship with God. To pray in spirit indicates, then, that fellowship with God is a matter in our spirit. In Luke 1:47 Mary said, “My spirit has exulted in God.” To exult in God means that the human spirit has contacted God. Once again, this verse indicates that fellowship with God is a function of the spirit. In addition, Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit.” This verse is very clear, because it shows that fellowship with God must be both in our spirit and in the Spirit of God. First Corinthians 6:17 says, “He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.” Real fellowship means that we become one spirit with the Lord. This fellowship is in our spirit. The above verses are sufficient to prove that the function of fellowship is in our human spirit.
Now let us consider the intuition. Although it is difficult to find the scriptural ground for this function, there are some verses. First Corinthians 2:11 reveals that the spirit of man can know what the soul cannot. Our spirit can discern that which the soul cannot discern. This proves that something extra is in our spirit. Our soul can know things by reason and by circumstantial experiences, but the human spirit can discern things without these. This direct sense in the spirit shows that the intuition is in our spirit. Furthermore, Mark 2:8 says that Jesus knew in His spirit, and Mark 8:12 says that He groaned deeply in His spirit. John 11:33 says that Jesus was moved with indignation in His spirit. To know, to groan, and to be indignant in our spirit come from a direct sense of discernment that is not dependent upon reason. This we call the intuition, the third function of our spirit.

Christians on Campus, "The Three Parts of Our Human Spirit", January 25, 2013, http://christiansoncampusosu.org/the-three-parts-of-our-human-spirit/

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Witness Lee's study on the tripartite nature of both our spirit and our soul and where the heart fits into the mix appears reasonable base on the scriptures he uses to support his views on this subject. The vast majority of Christians would agree that (1) a person is the tripartite composition of spirit, soul and body (1 Thes 5:23) of which the spirit and soul are eternal and immortal through faith in Jesus Christ whereas the body is temporary and mortal and (2) the soul is the tripartite composition of mind, emotions and will. I have to believe that as much as we, especially in western nations, like to neatly classify and compartmentalize everything, the real truth of how God created man is probably more complex. This is probably most true when it comes to the workings of our spirit. Then we have to add into the mix the heart. It is a complex subject which only a full and thorough examination of scripture will bring us to a better understanding. I will add scriptures to this section as I find new evidence to support the makeup of our eternal being.

The Spirit is God Consciousness

CONSCIENCE - To Distinguish or Discern Right from Wrong

Romans 9:1 (ESV)
I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit

Romans 8:16 (ESV)
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God...

Hebrews 10:22 (ESV)
let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Another key word that speaks of know right from wrong and good from evil which comes from the Spirit is discernment and there are numerous scriptures that indicate discernment comes to us by God's Spirit.

1 Kings 3:9-12 (ESV)
9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” 10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.

Proverbs 16:21 (ESV)
The wise of heart is called discerning

1 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV)
14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Hebrews 5:14 (ESV)
14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

FELLOWSHIP - Communion with God - Worship & Service

Luke 4:8 (ESV)
And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”

John 4:24 (ESV)
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship [fellowship] in spirit and truth.”

Romans 1:9 (ESV)
For God is my witness, whom I serve [fellowship] with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you

Romans 7:6 (ESV)
But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

Deuteronomy 11:13 (ESV)
“And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to serve [fellowship] him with all your heart [including your spirit] and with all your soul

INTUITION - the Sense of Enlightenment in Our Spirit - The Leading of the Holy Spirit

1 Cor 2:11 (ESV)
For who knows [intuition] a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

Proverbs 20:27 (ESV)
The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.

2 Corinthians 2:12-13 (ESV)
12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.

Mark 2:8 (ESV)
And immediately Jesus, perceiving [intuition] in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts?

Mark 8:12 (ESV)
And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

Romans 8:14 (ESV)
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. [God's Spirit can only lead us through interaction with our own spirit]

ALSO SEE

Knowing Our Human Spirit

Our Human Spirit

The Three Parts of Our Human Spirit

The Soul is Self Conscious

MIND - INTELLECT

Psalm 13:2 (ESV)
How long must I take counsel [consider] in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Psalm 139:14 (ESV)
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.

Lamentations 3:20 (ESV)
My soul continually remembers it
and is bowed down within me.

EMOTION

1 Samuel 18:1 (ESV)
As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

Song 1:7
Tell me, you whom my soul loves

2 Samuel 5:8 (ESV)
And David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack ‘the lame and the blind,’ who are hated by David's soul.” Therefore it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.”

Isaiah 61:10 (ESV)
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Psalm 86:4 (ESV)
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

1 Samuel 30:6 (ESV)
And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter [grieved] in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

Judges 10:16 (ESV)
So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, and he became impatient [grieved; could not bear any longer] over the misery of Israel.

WILL

Job 7:15 (ESV)
so that I would choose strangling
and death rather than my bones.

Job 6:7 (ESV)
My appetite refuses [chooses not] to touch them;
they are as food that is loathsome to me.

1 Chronicles 22:19 (ESV)
Now set your mind and heart [decide] to seek the Lord your God. Arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God may be brought into a house built for the name of the Lord.”

The Body is World Conscious

BRAIN

Our brain perceives the world through the filter of our mind. Each part of soul - the mind, the emotions, and the will, each have a physical counterpart in the physical brain.

STRENGTH

Includes inner strength and physical strength

Deuteronomy 6:5 (ESV)
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Mark 12:30 (ESV)
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

1 Peter 4:11 (ESV)
whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies — in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.

Strength to Travel to Deliver the Good News - The Gospel

Ephesians 6:15 (ESV)
...shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

Isaiah 52:7
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news

PROCREATION

Genesis 1:28 (ESV)
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it ..."

Genesis 9:1 (ESV)
And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth."

Psalm 51:6 (ESV)
Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being [soul],
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart [spirit].

Psalm 51:8 (CJB)
Still, you want truth in the inner person [soul];
so make me know wisdom in my inmost heart [spirit].

Psalm 51:6 (NIV)
Surely you desire truth in the inner parts [soul];
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place [spirit].

Psalm 51:6 (NKJV)
Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts [soul],
And in the hidden part [spirit] You will make me to know wisdom.

Hebrews 8:10 (ESV)
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws into their minds [part of soul, inward part],
and write them on their hearts [includes the soul - most likely our mind and perhaps the conscience in our spirit],
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.

Jeremiah 31:33 (ESV)
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (ESV)
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow [body], and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Hebrews 10:22 (ESV)
let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

1 John 3:20 (ESV)
for whenever our heart condemns us [as does our conscience], [God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.]

Matthew 9:4 (ESV)
But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?

Genesis 6:5 (ESV)
The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

John 16:22 (ESV)
So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

John 16:6 (ESV)
But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.

Acts 11:23 (ESV)
When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose,

Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

1 Corinthians 6:13 (ESV)
“Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

Hebrews 10:5 (ESV)
Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have you prepared for me;

Romans 12:1 (ESV)
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

1 Corinthians 6:20 (ESV)
for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

The Lord whom our heart loves is contacted, received and contained by our spirit

Mark 12:30 (ESV)
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength [body].

John 4:24 (ESV)
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

1 Corinthians 6:17 (ESV)
But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.

2 Timothy 4:22 (ESV)
The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.

To reflect and express the Lord

2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image [reflect – we are his image bearer] from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

ADDITIONAL FINDINGS...

2 Corinthians 1:22 (ESV)
and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

Ephesians 3:17 (ESV)
so that Christ [the Spirit of] may dwell in your hearts [our spirit] through faith

Romans 5:5 (ESV)
and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Heart / Spirit Interchangeable

Exodus 35:21 (ESV)
And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord's contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments.

Proverbs 17:22 (ESV)
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Soul / Spirit Interchangeable

Luke 1:46-47 (ESV)
46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

Soul / Spirit Separate

1 Corinthians 14:15 (ESV)
What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind [part of soul] also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind [part of soul] also.

Heart and Worship

There are NO verses that contain heart [lebab or leb] and worship [shachah] in the same verse...

hebrew_strict_index:03824 AND hebrew_strict_index:07812
hebrew_strict_index:03820 AND hebrew_strict_index:07812

They only refer to worship of gods other than Yahweh due to hearts going astray.

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