Body soul and spirit of the bible

Body soul and spirit of biblical translation can be viewed within the structure of the tabernacle in the wilderness quite simply. Outer court, Holy Place and Holy of Holies comparatively with the historical, moral and mystical of the writings. Circumcision of the flesh, with the protective covering of the moral code, ultimately protecting the spirit of the law with it’s circumcision of the heart which contains within the germ of life.

We are 3-fold in our existence, as the Godhead is:
sinner in the world
priest in the Holy Place
glorification in Eternity

As a sinner we offer ourselves a living sacrifice daily, as a priest to worship and intercede, then in glorified resurrected power growing from glory to glory.

Picture the Tabernacle as an Xray of Yourself
https://www.christianforums.com/threads/christ-in-the-tabernacle.5624621/

In fact a good read of this (not too long) old thread can explain it best
https://www.christianforums.com/threads/christ-in-the-tabernacle.5624621/#post-36201906

Foundational is the historical sense , while those seeking wisdom must understand the moral content within the words written (Book of Proverbs) recognizing that one must leave behind the vain things (Ecclesiastes) to hasten on to the eternal lasting things of oneness with the Great “I Am’ (Songs of Solomon) clothed in the images of love.

Scripture is made up of the seen and the unseen things. 2 Corinthians 4:18 what can be seen is temporary and what can not be seen is eternal. Scripture consists of the body which is the visible letter, the soul which is the meaning found within it, and a spirit which has something of the heavenly within it. They serve as the copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary. Hebrews 8:5 In seeing this let us not seek out the letter but the soul and in doing so we will ascend to the spirit.

Hebrews 8:5
They offer worship in a sanctuary that is a sketch and shadow of the heavenly one; for Moses, when he was about to erect the tent, was warned, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.”

Colossians 2
6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision, by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; 12 when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, 14 erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.
16 Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. 17 These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

Hebrews 10:1, 19-25
Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered year after year, make perfect those who approach.
19 Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us approach 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. 23 Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

X-ray
God’s high standards are apparent in the building of the Tabernacle in which His demands must be met if forgiveness is to happen. A law kept less than perfectly leaves only one hope for sacrificial covering. Part of the building of His fulfilled law was to show how far short those standards can humanly be so that faith in Jesus Christ, as Saviour, could be appropriated.

Visibly the outer court had nothing to attract one to it. Our outer bodies also seem incapable of holding such a fine treasure. While invisibly our soul’s conscience reasons and decides to it’s heart’s content. Much like the work of the priests in the Holy Place. But the word of God divides between soul and spirit so we come to the hidden inner self in communion with God at the mercy seat. The division of the veil; the intentions of the heart that ties one to heaven or earth, so abiding as being cleansed from every evil work.

The body/flesh also equates to the outer court, the way, where sacrifice is accepted and cleansing given. The way refers to getting beyond the flesh into the Holy Place and thru the torn veil which is His flesh. Coming from the outer court the soul dwells for awhile at the candlestick (Jesus is the light) the shewbread ( the bread of life) and the altar of incense (mediator between God and mankind) before being separated to the spirit to abide and commune with He who is Life. The wilderness tabernacle was the centre of worship just as the Lord Jesus Christ is our centre of worship since He has come to tabernacle amongst us. The inner beauty revealed.

The church being divided flies in the face of the exclusivity of there being but one way to enter into fellowship with God, which is what the early catholic church attempted to hold to be true, however guided or misguided that may have been. The unity of that truth is in the cross of Christ. The one essential way to Christ is entering in thru the proper gate. The wilderness tabernacle was both exclusive and inclusive. It excluded all who would not come in the one and only gate but included all who came by the prescribed way. Like most things that came from foundations I think the hold onto that which is foundational lost the meaning within the action and became a rote rule of thumb guiding the church. The root is still the same and the abiding of the branches is still the same because they are in Christ while the fruit is what can be seen as belonging or not. Because there's only one admission ticket into unity and that's knowing oneself to be hopelessly lost w/o Christ Jesus and knowing He has obtained what we could never attain to that had kept us excluded; there's only one entrance remaining into inclusiveness and that's boldly entering in by His provided way after admission of the need for a Saviour. It's still one tree grafted in.

For a more detailed explanation about this topic there’s the most excellent book that first began the journey for me in the ’80’s that was life changing. Written by Theodore Epp, the director of Back to the Bible Broadcast

Theodore H. Epp was an American Christian clergyman, writer, and a radio evangelist. Epp was the founding director and speaker of the Back to the Bible broadcasts between 1939–1985, heard worldwide on eight hundred stations in eight languages. Wikipedia

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The book Portraits of Christ in the Tabernacle

https://www.amazon.com/Portraits-Ch...eywords=portraits+of+christ+in+the+tabernacle

Body, soul and spirit of the biblical account of the fall of humankind:

The historical (fleshly) aspect of the fall is a condition of cause and effect. Cain is told how to deal with flesh (sin nature) that the fall produced. (Meant for both the male and female aspect of the human creature.) The connection is the serpent that s given dust to eat and the (old) nature obtained from the fall as bottom of satan's food chain.

Looking past that to the moral of the story (using reasoning of the soul) , God has lost the key element (death of the spirit of humans that is connection to God). For that there are consequences to pay.

When relating God to morality we can see that giving birth to new creations has become difficult and painful stemming from the fact that another husband (referred to as old nature) now has dominion over the creature. For God that is the consequences that He has had to absorb into Himself but with the safeguard to Himself that protects against that contacting Himself directly.

Cain points to the spiritual solution but which was unobtainable for him, could never be because it comes from the old earth. Only death to the old nature in the form of a substitute could save him. But the cost becomes obvious when seen what ‘natural’ man (old adam) tend () toward. Death to Abel (the ability to do good?)

Spiritually, morally and factually Jesus Christ came thru the fog of reasoning to present the real substitute to give back to God that which had been usurped from God. His work in the heavenliness is for the new creation's benefit. Like a household that is without the head (kingship) present the Old Testament representatives were faithful stewards. The new testament presents the bride waiting on His return.
Like any household today the mature are perfectly capable of running the household while the Husband is away but when He returns home the weaker gives place to the stronger. The stronger is the spiritual, the soul gives place to the spiritual (which is our reasonable service) so the body is correctly ruled.

Therefore, Christ’s rule in one’s heart is the correction of the fall that is represented in His finished work. Morality cannot be found in the flesh, but the spiritual can be found in the morality when placed at Jesus' feet.

The tabernacle represents the way to Christ

The Tabernacle represented the spiritual path of the Christian in the Gospel Age. Leaving the Camp [world], they enter the court through the door or veil [Jesus] by accepting Jesus as their Savior.

They can see Jesus' sacrifice on the Brazen Altar, then proceed to cleanse themselves at the Laver, and from there to the first veil [consecration].

After laying down their human will and accepting God's will in consecration, the Christian goes under the first veil [death of human will] into the Holy [condition of spirit begat]. They feed on the bread of truth at the Table of Shewbread, are enlightened by the holy spirit and reflect the light of God's truth from the Golden Candlestick, and offer prayers through Christ at the Incense Altar.

At the second veil, the Christian experiences death of the human body, (the second death?) receives immortality, the divine nature [represented by the gold], and comes into the presence of God.

The body represents the church

"And he [Christ] is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence." Colossians 1:18

"For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ...For the body is not one member, but many...Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." I Corinthians 12:12, 14, 27

The body of the individual co-operating actively in righteuos conduct achieves personal fellowship thru holiness of character.

Being made up of intelligence, emotion and will; the intelligence is able to understand the things of God; the emotions love God and all that he loves; and the will always chooses things in harmony with that will.

Righteous conduct:
All activity is the expression of an inward intelligence in perfect harmony with the purposes of God. By the assertation of the 1st man's will, he dethroned God and enthroned himself. The life of dependance on God was (is) the life of union and co-operation with God. Having chosen the position of independance, cuts off union and co-operation. The essential part of mankinds being can then find no fitting field of operation.

The intelligence is bound and severed from infinite knowledge.
The emotions are dwarfted and has lost sight of perfect object.
The will, attempting mastership, has lost it's true sping of action.

The intelligence looks at things in semi-blindness
The emotion is deadened from being set on material things
The will is always attempting self authority

The intelligence always determines the action of emotion and finally the attitude of the will.

Knowledge from God revealed, issueing in love, creates the true governing principal for action of the will and the authority behind the will.

As long as mankind is a ruined instrument, intelligence is still demanding light, emotion continues to seek for objects upon which to fasten. Will requires a governing principal.

Mankind demands God to fulfill it's purpose.

Rightly dividing the word separates the soul from spirit during the time that the body awaits redemption. Humanity in strength like a lion, bearing burdens like an ox carried on the wings of an eagle doesn’t take away from God but rather shows the example that Jesus has given to the new creation.

Dave-W said:

In the OT, "nefesh" (soul) is used in a variety of ways. The most common usage is for an entire living person.

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And then there are the bible references that say body, soul and spirit are what constitutes the whole

1 Thessalonians 5:23
“And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Bruce Leiter said:

You have a lot of biblical truth in your post, but I'm not sure it all relates to the Threeness you relate it to. For example, in your first illustration, the temple succeeded the tabernacle. You say that the Holy of Holies was the mystical. But when Jesus died, the curtain dividing that sacred place with the Holy Place was torn in two, thus pointing to our entrance into God's throne room through Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension. We are there through prayer now, according to Paul (Colossians 3:1-4).

Where your comparison with God is concerned, he is indeed three Persons, but he's also one God, according to Deuteronomy 6:4, 5. God is a mysterious Being, not to be understood intellectually.

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I don't think I have ever said that God is not one. The OP topic was actually about scripture interpretation and seeing the 3 aspects of biblical truth
1) the historical truth
2) the moral truth
3) the spiritual truth

But it seems I wasn't very good at pointing that out from the misunderstandings that have arisen from it.

This quote is word for word from the opening post but edited to simplify


The other important aspect of what I was trying to point out was the Who of Who Jesus is, according to analogies of the OT tabernacle backed up with NT scripture. (found within the links) Not just what is said about the historical Jesus, or the moral teacher but what is the spiritual of the tabernacle that I believe to be a copy of Christ and His mission.
But the flesh, soul and spirit of mankind is also one, so that might be the confusion. idk.

Also trying to relate contextually to

Hebrews 8:5
They offer worship in a sanctuary that is a sketch and shadow of the heavenly one; for Moses, when he was about to erect the tent, was warned, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.”

to express in detail what the pattern is thru the links provided and maybe shed some light on the Hebrew text.

Perhaps there is a more valid (?) way of putting the thoughts together but I haven't come across them. And to me it makes a lot of sense but then I have a peculiar way of looking at biblical truths that is not shared by all. That may be due to lack of formal training. My apologies for any confusion this thread may have caused. It's informative imo but only if one can get beyond prescribed methods of terminology.

~Cassia~ said:

....
Hebrews 8:5
They offer worship in a sanctuary that is a sketch and shadow of the heavenly one; for Moses, when he was about to erect the tent, was warned, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.”.....

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Therefore, in conclusion ..
"Let each one take heed how they build on the foundation laid by Paul. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone who builds on the foundation which is Christ builds with gold, silver, precious stones, or with wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’’s work which they have built on the foundation of Christ endures, they will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, they will suffer loss; but they themselves will be saved, yet so as through fire."