If the book of Acts was read like a travel journal, I couldn’t wait to read the entries for Acts 17. Some present-day Christians run from philosophy when Paul took a running start for it. After fleeing Thessalonica and Berea, Paul finds himself strolling the marketplace of Athens while waiting for his ministry partners to catch up. Looking at all the idols, stones, shrines, and temples, his spirit was “provoked within him”. The Greek word paroxynō shows a sharp inner struggle or irritation. So Paul, as was his custom, goes into the synagogue to reason, Gr. dialegomai, with the Gentiles and the Jews. You’d think they’d welcome him and hear him there. While we don’t know their reaction, we do know the opinions of those in the marketplace. He’s overheard by philosophers who take him to the Areopagus.
The Aeropagus was a place of discussion, arrogance, entitlement, wisdom, and knowledge. Paul was met with this aristocratic atmosphere. Several sources mention this as home to the Council of Nobles and the Judicial Court, which mainly dealt with homicide. It was the town hall, and membership was until you died. Remember those philosophers who encountered Paul? Stoic and Epicurean philosophies were just a sample of the diversity displayed and represented. But Paul wasn’t there to defend a case; he was there to present his opinions on divine principles.
“Stoicism” and “Epicurean” are not the average words you hear from day-to-day. Stoicism came from Zeno of Cyprus, a student of Plato’s Academy.
Edd Hodsdon, The Collector
As the universe was preordained by the divine logos, the Stoics reasoned that we shouldn’t worry about things that we can’t control. Reacting negatively to an event outside of our control through anger or fear is irrational. Stoicism, therefore, teaches that as a rational being, man should control his emotions to avoid making irrational choices and endangering his virtue.Virtue is the driving force of Stoicism, consisting of four cardinal ideals; courage, justice, temperance, and wisdom. Stoics believed that evil was not inherent to human beings but simply came from ignorance of the divine Logos and our essential nature. Stoic philosophers didn’t advocate expunging emotion altogether. But by striving for inner peace, they believed we could avoid evil, ignorance, and unhappiness, allowing us to lead a virtuous life.
Epicurus says that we must let go of our fears. It’s the fears and the pressure of life that do not allow human beings to think and live freely. He recognizes 2 types of fear: the fear of the Gods, and the fear of death. He says that we do not have to be afraid of the Gods because they have not created the world. Instead, Epicurus says that the world came into existence by connecting and splitting atoms. (…)
However, it’s important to mention that Epicurus does not reject the existence of the Gods. Instead, he sees them as beings that live in between the worlds, and do not have any interests in our lives; they do not want to muddle with our way of being and do not interfere at all. That’s why we shouldn’t be afraid of them, he says. Human beings should not be afraid of death as well. The soul, like the body, has a material nature, says Epicurus. With death, the soul ceases to exist as well. So, the soul and the body are mortal too, and that’s why we shouldn’t be afraid of death.
Antonio Panovski, The Collector
Paul’s Argument
Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.” For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing. Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” So Paul departed from among them. However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
Acts 17:18-34
In discussing the various philosophies, Paul mentions the nature of God and His characteristics, along with discussing our role in His will for creation. He describes God as our Sustainer. You cannot contain Him, yet He is intentionally at work in everything. He does not bring division, nor does He hide from mankind. He provides the chance to search for Him so we may have a connection. Although we are limited to a body and we are His creation, He is not limited to flesh. He cannot be contained or pictured by/in mankind. He’s full of grace and holds no one accountable for their ignorance; however, He desires everyone to turn away from their false misunderstanding. God will judge us according to the righteousness of Him whom He raised from the dead.
We are in a body. But God cannot be contained. Jesus tells the Samaritan woman in John 4:24, “God is Spirit”. This means we are also spirit, for we are created in His likeness as His offspring/creation.
This is where the Stoic and Epicurean comes into play. In comparison, one advocates for self-mastery and an embracing of life’s struggles, while the other emphasizes the removal of unnecessary pain and enjoying the simple life. Together, they pursue virtue, pleasure, and freedom from fear. If you notice, Paul never took this opportunity to dismantle their perspectives and philosophy; instead, he graciously accepted the invitation to state his case. He never argues against the validity of the soul, for we are body, soul, and spirit.
The body is the tangible thing you see in the mirror and silently judge (or admire) while brushing your teeth. The soul is the hand in the glove, while the spirit is that which connects us to God. We are physical, emotional, and spiritual creatures. God is three in one (as water is both liquid, gas, and solid), as are we. Redemption is not merely spiritual but physical and emotional.
Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NLT)
Etymology & Derivatives
The Greek and Hebrew languages have depth in their sentence and word structure. While we sometimes need context with spoken or written English due to our over-usage of common phrases, languages like Greek and Hebrew have specific words for specific levels of things. An example of this principle is the word love in English. We use it to describe our appreciation for certain foods, sports, people, subjects, etc. Meanwhile, Hebrew has three words to describe the different versions of love, those with action, feelings, or varieties of intensity. The Greek has the famous agape form of love, along with five other terms.
These Semitic languages show more intensity than English and, thereby, have deeper meanings behind why a word is chosen in context. For our particular discussion of soul, spirit, and body, specificity is our best friend.
| Hebrew | Greek |
| nep̄eš // nāp̄aš [Gen. 2:7; Deut. 6:5] | psychē [1 Thessalonians 5:23] |
| lēḇāḇ [Deut. 6:5] | kardia [Matt. 22:37] |
| rûaḥ [Gen. 1:2; 6:17] | pnoē ; zōē [Acts 17:25; John 3:16] |
It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.
1 Corinthians 15:44-46
Before I continue, I want to clarify I’m not digging into the Pre-Adamic Age discussion. That’s for another time. This article is strictly about the balance between the soul, spirit, and our physical bodies. However, when comparing the two testaments’ usage of soul, heart, and spirit, some rabbit holes do appear, so feel free to dive down a few.
Starting with the table above, Jesus clarifies continually the difference between soul, body, and spirit. From the Shema in the Torah to the various teachings throughout the Gospels, Jesus highlights the teaching in
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:23
Now, this trifold statement includes spirit, soul, and body. Spirit is the Greek word pneuma; the soul is Gr. psychē; the body is Gr. sōma. In the Shema, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” The Old Testament mentions heart, soul, and strength. This raises a question, is your heart the same as your spirit?
In Hebrew, lēḇāḇ means inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, and understanding. Proverbs 4:23 says to guard your heart because out of it flows life.
“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Luke 6:45
The heart, in Hebraic thought, is connected to life. It’s part of the engine that drives your existence. But what is the soul and the spirit?
The next one, nep̄eš, means soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion. In comparison, the Gr. psychē means something of more value:
- the soul
- the seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions (our heart, soul etc.)
- the (human) soul in so far as it is constituted that by the right use of the aids offered it by God it can attain its highest end and secure eternal blessedness, the soul regarded as a moral being designed for everlasting life
- the soul as an essence which differs from the body and is not dissolved by death (distinguished from other parts of the body)
The third definition brings us to our final piece, the body. In the Shema, it commands us to love God “… with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.” Jesus repeats this command when asked for the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:37, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’” Now, why does Jesus say mind and not strength? The Greek word used for mind is dianoia. Made of the root words dia and nous, translated it means “through the mind“. The Hebrew word for strength, mᵊ’ōḏ, is used in the Shema and means might, force, and abundance. It is the action that comes through the mental faculties. So, not only do we pursue God with our spirit, emotions, and desires, but also with our thoughts.
Setting the Scales
In the Western world, we tend to over-rationalize things. We neglect the spiritual and call anyone who pursues such topics strange or demented. Yet, the Ancient Near Eastern Perspective honors the spiritual and declares unity between the three aspects of our existence. They don’t shun the existence of angels or demons as common myth and folklore. Post-resurrection followers of Christ accept Heaven and angels because they are necessary to the Gospel but deny the prevalence of demonic activity. It’s “out-of-sight-out-of-mind.” Yet, that’s the greatest danger. We belittle the importance of the spirit and soul by over-emphasizing the physical body. We rely on our mental abilities and grow disgusted at releasing the reigns. In doing so, we become co-dependent on the very thing we claim dependence on.
In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul discusses the natural and spiritual body.
They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies. The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit.
What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.
1 Corinthians 15:44-45, 50 (NLT)
Although in a conversation about something else, Paul brings up a necessary truth echoed throughout Scripture. We are spiritual and physical.
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
John 3:5-6
Belief is not merely mental gymnastics but a conviction and persuasion of a truth. It’s coming to the declaration that you will die on that hill. It’s not just saying you agree with a statement but acting on it. Thus, the terms belief and faith are derived from the same Greek word and are often interchangeable. In Hebraic culture, belief begs action to occur.
Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
James 2:18
Belief is the frame or chassis of your faith. It will not go anywhere without movement, and that’s where Holy Spirit comes in.
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14-16
The movement that glorifies our Father finds its base in our good works. Which seems to be contradictory. After all, isn’t our righteousness like filthy rags? Anything we attempt to do could be attributed to the selfish motive of feeling good. This is where the difference between being and doing manifests. A branch does not produce by itself but is a conduit for the tree as a whole to produce vegetation. It is the same with us. We should not be forcing ourselves to do good things.
Luke 6:43, 45 (NKJV)For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
Galatians 5:19-25 (NLT)
In the NKJV, Gal. 5:19 says, “the works of the flesh”. Works is ergon in Greek and means business or employment. It is the job of the flesh to get results. It is through our surrender to Holy Spirit that brings the transformation. We become grafted into a new tree and produce pure fruit.
Now, back to the Scripture about our good works bringing glory to our Father. The phrase work in the above passage in Matthew is the same Gr. word in Galatians 5:19. Now, according to context, Jesus is speaking of personal righteousness while Galatians is referring to positional righteousness. Broken down, that means are relations with mankind (personal) and with God (positional). We are to pursue peace and integrity with others while coming into a position of humility before our God. Apart from His strength, we produce broken caricatures of His Glory.
Bringing it full circle
Abba, Father God, wants all of us – our emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical humanity. He has redeemed and restored us once and for all but He also offers the opportunity to surrender and become transformed. He’s freed us of the bonds, but will we step out of the jail cell?
Will we take captive our thoughts and secure our emotions? Not to be mindless or void of emotion but to voluntarily submit to only one thing. Anxiety itself isn’t evil; it’s our surrendering our mind to it. Emotions and desires aren’t evil; it’s letting them control us. That’s where the Philosophers got half of it. They knew how to control themselves or become disassociated. They knew that the soul was separate from the mind but connected. Paul’s position emphasizes the spiritual existence in our lives. He never downplayed anything but kept the scales equal. Humanity entangles itself in many debacles because of this concept: the over-emphasis of a particular piece of our existence.
We are constantly driving down a curvy road. Will you speed through the curves, endangering others? Or will you slow down and go His pace? Will you race through and burn the brakes until you’re over-correcting yourself and in the ditch? Or will you take them at the suggested speeds, gently nudging the wheel? Your life’s health depends on how you drive. Will you maintain the balance between soul, spirit, and body or exaggerate one particular puzzle piece?
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil.
Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-23 (NLT)
Blessed are the peacemakers,
Matthew 5:9
For they shall be called sons of God.
He’s Promised Redemption. Will you claim and receive it, putting action behind your agreement? You are more than a body, and God is for more than your spirit.
Rooted in Him 
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