Is Man Two or Three Part?

First, to answer the OP, I take the view of the dichotomy. As it has been (in my opinion) pointed out, God created man's body, breathed spirit (life) into him, and man became a living soul, rather than received a soul.

Secondly, in answer to this question, here is something that I feel makes an impact on this doctrine:

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living (h2416) soul (h5315).

The word living is: ḥay.
חַי chay, khah'-ee; from H2421; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively:— age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, merry, multitude, (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.

The word soul is:nep̄eš.
נֶפֶשׁ nephesh, neh'-fesh; from H5314; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):—any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, × dead(-ly), desire, × (dis-) contented, × fish, ghost, greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, × jeopardy of) life (× in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your) -selves, slay, soul, tablet, they, thing, (× she) will, × would have it.

See where else they are found:

Gen 1:21 And God created great whales, and every living h2416 creature H5315 that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Gen 1:24
And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living h2416 creature H5315 after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.


Both man and the "living creatures" were created as "souls," which is the body and the life (which is the spirit).

Now for a New Testament comparison to look for consistency:


1Co 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living g2198 soul g5590; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

Rev 16:3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living g2198 soul g5590 died in the sea.

Here, living is zaō. ζάω záō, dzah'-o; a primary verb; to live (literally or figuratively):—life(-time), (a-)live(-ly), quick.

"Soul" is psychē. ψυχή psychḗ, psoo-khay'; from G5594; breath, i.e. (by implication) spirit, abstractly or concretely (the animal sentient principle only; thus distinguished on the one hand from G4151, which is the rational and immortal soul; and on the other from G2222, which is mere vitality, even of plants: these terms thus exactly correspond respectively to the Hebrew H5315, H7307 and H2416):—heart (+ -ily), life, mind, soul, + us, + you.

Both men and animals are called souls. Neither are said to possess souls. Biblical usage of soul primarily speaks of "the person" or persons. You will probably understand most passages better with that understanding. For example, one of the most abused passages used by the L.O.S.T. (loss of salvation teachers) is the following:


Ezekiel 18:4; 20-23 KJV

Eze 18:4 Behold, all souls h5315 are mine; as the soul h5315 of the father, so also the soul h5315 of the son is mine: the soul h5315 that sinneth, it shall die.

20 The soul h5315 that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?


If "soul" is an immaterial of man's make-up, then here we see a proof text for eternal damnation of the "immaterial man." However, the context is plainly temporal. In view is keeping the Law.

If we conclude this has reference to eternal judgment, rather than the penalty the Law did in fact carry—physical death—then we must equally conclude that men can receive eternal life through keeping the Law.

See the problem there?

A few more examples of "soul" being used in a way that an immaterial aspect is denied:

Acts 7:14
Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls g5590.

Acts 27:37
And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls g5590.


As to probably the greatest proof texts that the soul is an immaterial aspect of man's make-up ...

Hebrews 4:12 KJV

12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

... we do see a division. However, understanding man's make-up is body and spirit, and the context of the above verse (the effect of the Word of God), it is easily reconciled, in that in view here is death. "The soul," being a reference to "the person," refers to the dividing of the spirit from the body. "Soul" can be used to refer to a man or woman whether they are in the body or not:

Rev 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls G5590 of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

John saw the persons who were martyrs.

This is tougher ...

1Th 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

... but we don't throw out an entire Bible filled with evidence of what soul means over one verse. What I believe Paul is doing here is praying for the preservation of spirit (which would refers to one's spiritual well-being), soul (which refers to one's daily life as a whole), and body (which would refer to one's physical health.

Finally, on the matter of man's make-up being spirit and body, and one being a soul, rather than having one, let's look at the understanding of the disciples of Christ, and Christ's confirmation of their view:

Luke 24:36-39 KJV

Unchecked Copy Box Luk 24:36And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

Unchecked Copy Box Luk 24:37But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

Unchecked Copy Box Luk 24:38And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?

Unchecked Copy Box Luk 24:39Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.


The disciples think they are seeing "a ghost" and they are frightened. The reason they are frightened is that their understanding of a man is that he is body and spirit. They think the Lord is dead, thus they must be seeing His spirit. The Lord confirms that view by saying, "...a spirit does not have flesh and bone."

Because the spirit, if it is just a spirit, has departed from its body.

Again, a person that has departed from the body can still be properly called "a soul," because the spirit is still "the person."


God bless.