STATEMENT DT170

dangers of the “trinity” in man

by Brian Onken

One of the challenges that needs to be faced when "doing theology" is the charge that systematic theology is relatively fruitless in respect to practical Christian living. Many Christians appear to feel that serious doctrinal considerations are of very little value. And yet, it seem to be almost self-evident that the Christian life is based upon Christian theology; that is, good Christian living follows hard on the heels of sound Christian teaching. Careless theology might not preclude one from coming to Christ, but it is foolish to argue that laxity in theology is an aid to mature Christian growth.

This article consists of some initial observations in evaluating the theological and practical implications of the popularly held trichotomous view of man -- the view that he is something of a trinity, made up of three distinct parts: the body, the soul, and the spirit. For the sake of brevity, no effort will be made in this article to discuss the arguments for and against the trichotomous view in any detail (see “Regarding Man’s Nature”). The scope of this article is to evaluate the practical impact of such a view of man on the Christian life.

With regard to the practical implications of the trichotomous view of man, very little has been written. Apart from references to the Apollinarian heresy of the fourth century (which, based on a threefold view of man's nature, advanced an erroneous view of the Incarnation), little consideration seems to have been given to the ramifications of such a view.

After giving it some consideration and evaluation, it appears to me that an uncritical acceptance of a threefold view of man can lead to certain definite aberrations in practice. Following a description of the "popular" view of trichotomy, some brief projections will be made and, then, case examples will be studied.

POPULAR TRICHOTOMY

Jessie Penn-Lewis, a Christian author of some influence, advances some of the standard features of the popular trichotomist view in quoting Dr. Andrew Murray:

Man consists of 1) spirit, 2) soul, and 3) body -- "The spirit is the seat of God-consciousness; the soul, of our self-consciousness; the body, of our world consciousness. In the spirit (of the believer) God dwells; in the soul, self; in the body, sense...."¹

Again citing the popular Dr. Murray, Penn-Lewis further elaborates on the distinctive characteristics of the soul:

The "soul" is the seat of our "self-consciousness," writes Dr. Murray. It comprehends all our "moral and intellectual faculties, "also" consciousness...self-determination, or mind and will."²

Watchman Nee, Christian mystic and author from China who has left his mark on contemporary Christian thought, also strongly argued for the trichotomy position in many of his works. Typical are these words from his The Release of the Spirit.

"When God comes to indwell us, by His Spirit, Life and Power, He comes into our spirit which we are calling the inward man. Outside of this inward man is the soul wherein functions our thoughts, emotions, and will. The outermost man is our physical body."³

Bob Weiner, founder and "apostle"⁴ of the rapidly growing Maranatha Christian Ministries, succinctly articulates the same ideas in a Bible study which he prepared:

Man is made up of three basic areas -- body, soul, and spirit. The spirit of man deals with the spiritual realm. It is the part of man in which God dwells.... The soul of man is that which deals with the mental and emotional realm of man. It is the seat of man's personality -- his intellect, his emotions, and his will. It is with his mind that a person understands. The body is the part of man which deals with the physical realm. It is dominated by the five senses and is the vehicle by which we communicate to the outside world.⁵

This is also identical in its basic features to the view held by Witness Lee, leader of the aberrational Christian group known as the "Local Church."* For Lee, the body is man's "outward parts," and is related to physical life. The soul is man's "inward parts" and consists of the mind, will, and emotions. Finally, the spirit is man's "hidden parts," and is composed of what Lee identifies as the conscience, intuition, and fellowship with God.⁶

There are, then, some common threads which are woven throughout the views of these different authors. A clear distinction is made between man's soul and his spirit and, importantly, the emotions and mind (or intellect) are relegated to the soul.

PRACTICAL IMPACT

Before examining specific examples of the impact of this threefold view, consider the possible ramifications. Clearly, all proponents of this view are not as extreme in their perspective nor as dogmatically unbending in its application. However, given the basics, there are certain potential impacts.

Seeing that the intellectual capacities are relegated to a place in the soul, and seeing that the spirit is viewed as the component of man by which he communicates with God, it is possible that this view could result in a denigration of the intellect and a degrading of the value of doctrine or theology (viewed as a function of the intellect) in the Christian life.

It is true that such a projection is based on the assumption of an extreme position, but it does follow logically from the basic assumptions of the threefold view of the nature of man. Such a projection is not a necessary implication of this view of man, but could be reasonably derived.

SPECIFIC EXAMPLES

When following up on the teachers and authors cited earlier, what is discovered? With the trichotomous doctrine of man, what views are advanced regarding the place of the intellect and sound doctrine?

Jessie Penn-Lewis, again quoting Dr. Murray in part, offers some thoughts on the dangers of using "soul force" (i.e., powers latent in the soul and not, therefore, truly spiritual):

"The greatest danger," said Dr. Murray, "the individual has to dread is the inordinate activity of the soul with its power of mind and will...." The danger to the Christian desirous of walking after the Spirit, and being a channel for the outflow of the Spirit of God is very real, for even when a man becomes regenerate and has the life of God in his spirit,. through ignorance he may be using "soul force"....⁷

Discussing this very "danger," Watchman Nee in his book The Release of the Spirit discusses at length what the Christian faces in his own soul, and offers a solution:

Our only hope is that the Lord may blaze a way out, destroying the outward man (the soul) to such a degree that the inward man may come out and be seen. This is precious, and this is the way of those who serve the Lord. Only thus can we serve; only thus can we lead men to the Lord. All else is limited in its value. Doctrine does not have much use, nor does theology. What is the use of mere mental knowledge of the Bible if the outward man remains unbroken? Only the person through whom God can come is useful.⁸

We must first settle the question of the breaking of the outward man. Since neither our emotion or our thought has the same nature as God, it cannot be joined with Him. The gospel of John, Chapter Four, shows us the nature of God. God is a spirit. Our spirit alone is the same substance as God; therefore, it can be eternally with Him.... Both our thoughts and our emotions are human energies. All activity must come to an end. If we try to maintain God's presence with activity, then when the activity ceases, His presence ends. Presence requires the sameness of nature. Only the inward man is of the same nature. Only the inward man is of the same nature as God. Through it alone can His presence be manifested. When the outward man lives in activity, they [sic] can disturb the inward man. Thus the outward man (the soul) is not a helper but a disturber.⁹

Thus, Nee concludes that the emotions and the intellect are not "helpers" but "disturbers" of true spirituality. By relegating these to an inferior place in the soul, he creates an antagonism between the intellect and the spirit. Ultimately, for Nee, the intellect and the emotions must be subdued in order to truly live the Christian life.

If through the mercy of God our natural man has been broken, we may be thus characterized: Yesterday, we were full of curiosity, but today it is impossible to be curious. Formerly, our emotions could be easily aroused, either stirring our love, the most delicate of emotion, or provoking our temper, the crudest. But now no matter how many things crowd upon us, our inward man remains unmoved...¹⁰

This attitude can also be seen in the testimonies of many who have left Maranatha Christian Ministries, an organization referred to earlier. Taking a strong stand on the threefold nature of man, the same repression can be found."

Alan Myatt, with the help of his wife Kathy, prepared a paper addressing concerns about Maranatha while he was a student at Denver Seminary. Kathy had been in the organization for a number of years, even serving in leadership before leaving. The Myatts discussed these problems in Maranatha's teachings:

The result of such repression [of the mind] is the denial of the goodness of the intellect and emotions as created in God's image. The soul, or the personality, must be broken. Thus one is led to believe that one's intellect and emotions are evil. The effects on one's self image are damaging. Also, the ability to think and feel are damaged. In Maranatha critical thinking is considered to be mind idolatry.¹² This comes out in practice as an anti-intellectual attitude.... Repression of the intellect and emotions render one incapable of independent thinking and coping with life while also doing harm to the individual's mental health.¹³

The extremes to which the trichotomous view of man may lead can be seen in the teachings of Witness Lee and in the followers of his "Local Church" movement. Lee makes his position quite clear:

We must not serve the Lord by our mind or by our emotions, but in our spirit (Rom. 1:9). When we come to the meetings, we must be dead to ourselves, our desires our thoughts, and that which we love.... So often we have a certain thought or a certain emotion that we want to express in the meeting. But we must forget our thoughts and emotions and only remember the Lord Himself as life and live by Him.¹⁴

One who is in the mind should refuse his intellect in all spiritual things; he should put aside completely such functions as thinking and considering.... When he reads the Bible, prays or speaks about spiritual things, he should refuse his thinking, imagining, theorizing and investigating....¹⁵

There is no need for us to close our eyes when we pray. It is better for us to close our minds!... There is no need to explain or expound the Word; simply pray with the Word. Forget about reading, researching, understanding, and learning the Word.¹⁶

SUMMARY OF EXAMPLES

As can be seen from these examples, the trichotomous view of man can set the stage for and contribute to aberrations in practice. Although perhaps not a necessary and sufficient cause alone, this popular threefold view can have real and serious consequences.

The trichotomous view of man appears to be a contributing factor in the denigration of the place of the intellect in the Christian life and in a de-emphasis on the importance of sound doctrine - although the degree of these degradations vary with the degree of emphasis placed, without balance, on the trichotomous view. If this view is held in an unqualified manner, the results could clearly be cultic.

SPECIFIC CONCERNS

In many circles, the church in these days seems to be marked by something of an anti-intellectualism; a "doctrine-doesn't-really-matter-let's-just-experience-the-Lord" approach to the faith. We find this particularly in those arenas in which the Charismatic/Pentecostal influence is felt. This is not to deny that the Charismatic movement has valuable things to offer nor to insist that Christianity be dry, humorless, and purely academic. However, the body of Christ needs a view of man and the mind which neither disparages the intellect nor enthrones it as absolute.

It is important to note that the issue here is not whether there is a struggle for the Christian in keeping his mind set on the things of the Spirit rather than the things of the flesh (e.g., Col. 3:1-2; Rom. 7:25-8:9). The issue is the nature of man. For, if I believe man is trichotomous and that my intellect functions on one level (my soul), and my communication with God functions on another, higher level (my spirit), I will view myself in one way. If I view man as dichotomous and see my intellect as part of my spirit, I will view myself in another way.

If dichotomous, I have no fear of exercising God-given abilities to think, reason, investigate and evaluate. For example, when studying Scripture, I do not have to worry about whether I am using "soulish" faculties for understanding a certain passage, but can wholly give myself to grappling with the truth of God's Word as best I can with all that I am.

However, this is something, as we have seen, that some trichotomists would warn against. Murray and Penn-Lewis concern themselves with inadvertently resorting to "soul force." Nee insists that the activities of the soul are "disturbers" and not an aid to spirituality. Maranatha Ministries has charged that critical thinking is "mind idolatry." Witness Lee instructs the believer to put thinking completely aside when he reads the Bible, or prays, or shares the gospel.

If this view of man and the place of the mind were true, it would leave the seeker in a hopeless quandary. If by evaluating teaching I am in danger of ignorantly resorting to soulish power, how can I ever be certain of the truth? If evaluation and thinking are to be laid aside as inadequate and inappropriate for true spirituality, how can I ever determine that I should do so, since to so conclude would require me to evaluate, study and think through the teachings of the Scriptures on the subject? If it were true, the only way to know it would be by direct revelation.

Fortunately, this dilemma is not one that the Christian need face. In both the Old and New Testaments a central factor in establishing and developing a relationship with God is the issue of choice based on knowledge and understanding. Jesus clearly stated that the mind and its functions are essential to the response God desires from man (Matt. 12:23; 22:37; Mark 12:30). He also repeatedly emphasized the need to understand what He was saying (Matt. 15:16; 19:9; 24:15; John 8:43).

Paul's letters to Timothy unmistakably show the priority he placed on the role of understanding in the Christian life. In fact, he goes so far as to say that we have been given a spirit of sound judgment (2 Tim. 1:7).

Clearly, throughout Scripture we see the mind as an important aspect of the image of God in man; an integral part of the Christian life. To relegate rational thought to an inferior position, or to deny its place altogether is to take a popular misconception and build it into a dangerous bias.

In his excellent book Your Mind Matters, John Stott rightly sums up the balance which is lost in this tendency of the threefold view of man toward the denigration of the intellect:

Knowledge is indispensable to Christian life and service. If we do not use the mind which God has given us, we condemn ourselves to spiritual superficiality and cut ourselves off from many of the riches of God's grace. At the same time, knowledge is given to us to be used, to lead us higher worship, greater faith, deeper holiness, better service. What we need is not less knowledge but more knowledge, so long as we act upon it.¹⁷

REGARDING MAN'S NATURE

Although there has been debate in the church through the centuries on the nature of man, it would appear that, according to Scripture, man is fundamentally made up of two basic elements or parts (the technical terms for this are dichotomous or dipartite). The strength of this position - which is widely held among conservative Christian scholars - rests on a number of significant points.

To begin, the prevalent description of man as found in the Scriptures is clearly dichotomous (e.g., Eccl. 12:7; Isa. 10:18; Matthew 10:28; etc.). From Genesis 2:7 through the end of the New Testament, this basic idea of dual make-up of man is seen. Man is presented as consisting of, fundamentally, a spiritual and an earthly element; the immaterial in contrast to the material. Distinct elements, together they make up the whole man.

Trichotomists attempt to develop their three-fold view of man by making distinctions between "soul" and "spirit." However, these terms in both the Old and New Testaments, are used, for the most part, interchangeably. Both terms refer to the immaterial part of man and, although they are not identical in meaning, they do not designate separate constituent elements of man's nature. The use of these two words is one of perspective rather than an actual difference in essence; that is, they both refer to man's immaterial part in different ways but do not designate different immaterial parts.

The two basic pages to which trichotomists appeal are 1 Thessalonians 5:23 and Hebrews 4:12. In examining these it is important to keep in mind that the prevailing teaching of Scripture should not be abandoned for the sake of a single verse or two. Also, importantly, the mention of "soul" and "spirit" together in these passages is no more an indication that man is made up of three parts than Mark 12:30 is an argument that man is made up of four (i.e., heart, soul, mind and strength). In such references, although each word could be studied for its particular shade of meaning, the stress appears to be on man as a whole.

For further study on the trichotomy/dichotomy issue, the reader is encouraged to look to such works as The Biblical Doctrine of Man by John Laidlaw, Man: The Image of God by G. C. Berkouwer, and Louis Berkhol's Systematic Theology.

NOTES

* CRI has additional material on the theology of the "Local Church."

¹Jessie Pann-Lewis, Soul and Spirit (Leicester, England: Overcomer Book Room, 3rd ed., n.d.), p.59.

²Ibid, p. 60.

³Watchman Nee, The Release of the Spirit (Cloverdale. IN: Sure Foundation/Ministry of Life. 1965), p. 10.

⁴Wiener does not directly claim this title for himself but does identify his personal ministry as "apostolic."

⁵Bob and Rose Weiner, Bible Studies for a Firm Foundation, p. 35.

⁶Witness Lee, The Economy of God (Anaheim, CA: The Stream Publishers. 1968). pp. 52-61.

⁷Jessie Pen-Lewis, op. cit., p. 64.

⁸Watchman Nee, op. cit., pp. 17, 24-25.

⁹Ibid, pp. 24-25.

¹⁰Ibid, p. 25.

¹¹These concerns are addressed in a report prepared by an ad hoc committee after a two-year evaluation of Maranatha Ministries, its theology and practices, and is available from CRI.

¹²This was clearly seen in personal counseling the author has had with current and former members of Marantha. "Mind idolatry" and a "spirit of critical thinking" were often diagnosed by Maranatha leaders when questions were raised by members.

¹³Alan Myatt, private paper. p. 26. These conclusions were also reached by the author after dealing with Maranatha members.

¹⁴Witness Lee, The Four Major Steps of Christ (Anaheim, CA: The Stream Publishers. 1969). p. 32.

¹⁵Witness Lee. The Knowledge of Life (Anaheim, CA: The Stream Publishers. 1973). p. 33. This concept of refusing to think has been observed by the author in encounters with leaders and members of the "Local Church."

¹⁶Witness Lee. Pray-Reading the Word (Anaheim, CA: The Stream Publishers). pp. 8-10.

¹⁷John Stott, Your Mind Matters (Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1973). p.60.

CRI, P.O. Box 7000, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688

Phone (949) 858-6100 and Fax (949) 858-6111