WHAT DO YOU THINK?
I ran across something the other day I feel compelled to share with you and get your feel for the issues. Someone said it this way, We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience. I may already be in over my head just quoting that one but I believe you must begin some where. Are we physical, spiritual, or both? This has boggled the minds of both deep thinkers and people of less depth (me) for a long time. Share this existential moment with me!
I’ll begin by saying that it is a catchy statement. What does it solve? The ages long issue of the division of spirit and body is not definitively explained by that statement. It may even by an attempt to muddle the issue.
I am human and therefore, a human being. I have proved that over and over again. I’ve made so many mistakes I couldn’t count them. A song by a group called The Human League entitled I'm only Human seemed to use our humanness as an excuse for doing anything one would want to do. I do not for a moment subscribe to that opinion.
I am spirit, and therefore, a spiritual being. In the spiritual realm there is warfare between good and evil. Not many would dispute this reality although they might argue about the source of such powers within that realm.
Some Eastern religions have attempted to explain this complex issue by teaching that spirit is eternal and the human experience is just a space in time in a circle that takes one from spirit back to spirit. Perhaps this perspective is why some of these religions teach reincarnation with the spirit returning to another physical existence. Does that provide hope in the midst of despair?
Most Western thought centers in Christianity which teaches a point of origin. In the beginning was God (Gen. 1:1) who created man in his own image (Gen. 1:26-27). Each subsequent human likewise has a unique origin or beginning by conception in his/her mother’s womb.
Even those who supposedly espoused Christianity very early had acute problems with this human (physical/spirit issue). For example, there were the Gnostics who believed perfect spirit could not dwell in human flesh. The Docetists, a sect of Gnosticism, taught that Jesus could not have been flesh if he were perfect. So, like their name (in Greek) implies, they taught that Jesus only seemed to be flesh. These first to third and fourth century groups have modern counterparts.
Paul the Apostle wrote something that throws a wrench in all these various view points:
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (I Thess. 5:23).
Thankfully, I am out of room. Let me hear from you. What do you think of the human being/spiritual being quote? What do you think about the issues discussed? What about the Apostle’s statement?
I’ll begin by saying that it is a catchy statement. What does it solve? The ages long issue of the division of spirit and body is not definitively explained by that statement. It may even by an attempt to muddle the issue.
I am human and therefore, a human being. I have proved that over and over again. I’ve made so many mistakes I couldn’t count them. A song by a group called The Human League entitled I'm only Human seemed to use our humanness as an excuse for doing anything one would want to do. I do not for a moment subscribe to that opinion.
I am spirit, and therefore, a spiritual being. In the spiritual realm there is warfare between good and evil. Not many would dispute this reality although they might argue about the source of such powers within that realm.
Some Eastern religions have attempted to explain this complex issue by teaching that spirit is eternal and the human experience is just a space in time in a circle that takes one from spirit back to spirit. Perhaps this perspective is why some of these religions teach reincarnation with the spirit returning to another physical existence. Does that provide hope in the midst of despair?
Most Western thought centers in Christianity which teaches a point of origin. In the beginning was God (Gen. 1:1) who created man in his own image (Gen. 1:26-27). Each subsequent human likewise has a unique origin or beginning by conception in his/her mother’s womb.
Even those who supposedly espoused Christianity very early had acute problems with this human (physical/spirit issue). For example, there were the Gnostics who believed perfect spirit could not dwell in human flesh. The Docetists, a sect of Gnosticism, taught that Jesus could not have been flesh if he were perfect. So, like their name (in Greek) implies, they taught that Jesus only seemed to be flesh. These first to third and fourth century groups have modern counterparts.
Paul the Apostle wrote something that throws a wrench in all these various view points:
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (I Thess. 5:23).
Thankfully, I am out of room. Let me hear from you. What do you think of the human being/spiritual being quote? What do you think about the issues discussed? What about the Apostle’s statement?
posted by Harold Durham at 2:01 PM
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