tripartism in real life

tripartism is more than the relationship between employers, workers and the government (as we learn in social studies). it is the essence of our existence.

God

as the opening statement of the uccf doctrinal basis affirms, 'there is one God in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit'. this is pretty straightforward stuff. to deny the trinity would be to deny the 'central dogma of christian theology' (the oxford dictionary of the christian church, 2005).

man

one of the debates in the philosophy of mind is between substance monism and substance dualism. substance monists would argue that man is merely a body, while substance dualists would contend that man is both a body and a soul.

however, it is clear from Scripture that man is not merely a body, or even both a body and a soul. rather, man exists in body, soul and spirit; in the image of a triune God.

"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." - 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NIV)

the earthly tabernacle

as roy reinhold explains in his article, new vs old covenant, the earthly tabernacle represents tripartite mankind. the Most Holy Place (Exodus 26:33) represents the spirit, the Holy Place (Exodus 26:33) represents the soul and the courtyard (Exodus 27:9) represents the body.

the greater and more perfect tabernacle

within the Godhead, the Father is the spirit, the Spirit is the soul and the Son is the body (the Word become flesh). this is why we pray to the Father, by the Spirit and through the Son.

"When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" - Hebrews 9:11-14 (NIV)

relationships

"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple." - 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (NIV)

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body." - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)

not only are we created in the image of God; our bodies are the very temples (earthly tabernacles) of God. how now shall we live?

relationship with God

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." - Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (NIV)

just as the spirit (the Father), soul (the Spirit) and body (the Son) of God are one, so we ought to love God as one in spirit (heart), soul (soul) and body (strength). Jesus Himself calls this 'the first and greatest commandment' (Matthew 22:38, NIV).

we simply cannot love God in either spirit, soul or body without loving Him in all three. it is logically impossible to worship God in spirit without also worshipping Him in truth.

"As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." - James 2:26 (NIV)

relationship between a couple

in his excellent book, choosing God's best, dr don raunikar describes the phases in the courtship process. over time, a couple proceeds from spiritual oneness (the courtship period), to emotional oneness (the engagement period) and finally to physical oneness (becoming one in marriage).

there must be spiritual oneness before there can be emotional oneness, and there must be emotional oneness before there can be physical oneness. in other words, there must be unity in spirit before there can be unity in soul, and there must be unity in soul before there can be unity in body.

we simply cannot be married to someone in either spirit, soul or body without being married to someone in all three. to this end, marriage without sex is like faith without works. it is unconsummated, incomplete and dead. at the same time, sex outside of marriage is like works outside of faith. just as works only make sense within the context of faith, so does sex only make sense within the context of marriage.

philosophy, politics and economics

in studying philosophy, politics and economics, it is interesting to read that '[political] ideology, in short, brings about two kinds of synthesis: between understanding and commitment, and between thought and action' (heywood, 2003).

politics is the bridge between philosophy and economics, economics is the bridge between philosophy and politics, and philosophy is the bridge between politics and economics. going back to something i wrote exactly 52 weeks ago, it is even clearer to me now that philosophy, politics and economics have a lot in common.

tripartism in real life indeed.