Human Spirit

The human spirit is the innermost part of a human being. It corresponds in some way to the nature of God, who is Spirit. Some scholars believe that the human spirit and soul are the same. Others believe they are different. This has led to two main views. The tripartite view (having three parts) sees a human being as spirit, soul, and body (compare 1 Thessalonians 5:23). The bipartite view (having two parts) sees a human being as having a material and an immaterial part.

First Thessalonians 5:23 speaks of spirit, soul, and body. However, other passages use “soul” and “spirit” with similar meanings. For example, in Mary's “Magnificat,” she says, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46–47). Job 7:11 and Isaiah 26:9 also use “soul” and “spirit” in parallel ways. Rather than seeing the soul and spirit as separate parts, some scholars say that a human being has a spirit and is a soul.

The human spirit is often understood as the part of a person that gives life and enables a person to relate to God. In this sense, the human spirit corresponds to God's nature and can have fellowship with God, who is Spirit.

Those who are united with Christ have a spiritual union with him. Paul says that “He who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:17). Paul uses “Lord” here in connection with “Spirit.” Union with the Lord therefore includes the union of the human spirit with Christ's Spirit.

When believers experience regeneration (receiving new spiritual life from God), their spirits are united with Christ's Spirit. Jesus says, “that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). Paul also says that God's Spirit “bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16). These passages connect a believer's union with Christ to the new life that God's Spirit gives to the human spirit.