Where Did Spirit Go?
Reflections of a Contemplative Celtic Christian
In Thessalonians 5:23, St. Paul writes, “May the God of Peace himself make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Paul was writing to the Greeks, so the phrase “spirit, soul, and body” would have appeared as “pneumatikos anthropos” (spirit man), “psychikos anthropos” (soul man), and “somatikos anthropos” (bodily man).
Strangely, in an inconspicuous decision at the Council of Constantinople in the year 869, the Catholic Church eliminated “spirit man.” The decision (which can be found in the 11th canon) effectively told Christians that they only possess a body and soul.
This strikes me as not only a big deal, but also wrong.
I am no theological scholar, but we can’t just ignore Paul’s words. Moreover, if you read all of 1 Thessalonians (it’s a short book), Paul speaks clearly of God “giving his holy spirit to you.” (1 Thes 4:8).
Furthermore, I am pretty sure Jesus Christ never intended to leave the impression with his followers that they have no direct connection to spirit. If he did, why would he speak so often of “the living spirit” and tell us that “the Kingdom of God is within”?”
We are “pneumatikos anthropos” (spirit man) and, as I wrote yesterday, we can attain this knowledge directly. But don’t take my word, take Paul’s–he is the one who says God has given his holy spirit directly to you.
For those interested in learning more about the momentous effect of the decision at the Council of Constantinople, I invite you to read Owen Barfield’s book, “Unancestral Voice.”
Barfield writes that the decision effectively “severed the past from the future.” His point being that if we, as a society, are to evolve and transform in a healthy direction, it is imperative that we re-acknowledge the ancient wisdom of our direct connection to spirit and then begin working to reconnect with this spirit.
P.S. As an additional reflection, I encourage you to contemplate on what Paul was saying in Galatians 2:20 when he said, “Yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.” How does Paul live in Christ if not “in spirit”?
Related Posts