EXCERPTS FROM THE MINISTRY

THE THREE PARTS OF THE SOUL—
MIND, WILL, AND EMOTION

There are three parts to the soul and three parts to the spirit. We must discover what are the three parts of both the soul and the spirit. Furthermore, we must also define the heart. First Thessalonians 5:23 indicates that we are a tripartite being—spirit, soul, and body—but it does not mention the heart. What is the heart, and how can we relate it with the inward parts and the hidden part?

God’s Word proves clearly and definitely that the soul is of three parts—the mind, the will, and the emotion. The shaded area in the diagram below illustrates the parts of the soul.

Proverbs 2:10 suggests that the soul needs knowledge. (Note also Proverbs 24:14; cf. 19:2, KJV.) Since knowledge is a function of the mind, this proves that the mind is a part of the soul. All three of these verses from Proverbs tell us that we need to have knowledge in the soul. Then Psalm 139:14 says that the soul knows. To know is something of the mind, which again proves that the mind is a part of the soul. Psalm 13:2 says that the soul considers, or takes counsel, which refers to the mind. Lamentations 3:20 indicates that remembrance is of the soul. That is, the soul can remember things. From these verses we can see that there is a part in the soul that knows, considers, and remembers. This part is called the mind.

The second part of the soul is the will. Job 7:15 says that the soul chooses. To choose something is a decision made by the act of the will. This proves that the will must be a part of the soul. Job 6:7 says that the soul refuses. To choose and refuse are both functions of the will. First Chronicles 22:19 says, “Set your...soul to seek.” Just as we set our minds to think, so we set our souls to seek. This is, of course, the soul making a decision, which proves that the will must be a part of the soul. Then in Numbers 30 binding one’s soul is mentioned ten times (KJV). When we read this chapter, we understand that to bind the soul is to make a decision. It deals with a vow that is made with the Lord. To make a decision to bind the soul is to make a vow to the Lord. Thus, it is proven that the will must be a part of the soul. Psalm 27:12; 41:2; and Ezekiel 16:27 (KJV) translate the Hebrew word soul into “will.” The prayer made by the psalmist is, “Do not give me over / To the will of my adversaries.” In the original it means, “Do not give me over to the soul of my adversaries.” This proves clearly that the will must be a part of the soul.

The emotion is the third part of the soul. With the emotion there are many aspects, for example, love, hatred, joy, grief, etc. All of these are expressions of the emotion. References to love are found in 1 Samuel 18:1, Song of Songs 1:7, and Psalm 42:1. These verses show that love is something in the soul, proving, therefore, that within the soul there is such an organ, or function, as the emotion. Concerning hatred, note 2 Samuel 5:8, Psalm 107:18, and Ezekiel 36:5. These passages indicate that hatred is something of the soul. Since hatred is an expression of the emotion, these verses also prove that the emotion must be a part of the soul. Ezekiel 36:5 is better translated using the expression despising in their soul. It means the dislike or hatred of the soul. Joy, an element of the emotion, is also a part of the soul, as seen in Isaiah 61:10 and Psalm 86:4, again proving that emotion is a part of the soul. Then there is the matter of grief, mentioned in 1 Samuel 30:6 and Judges 10:16. Grief is another expression of the soul. Another aspect is desire: 1 Samuel 20:4, Deuteronomy 14:26, Ezekiel 24:25, and Jeremiah 44:14. As to Ezekiel 24:25 and Jeremiah 44:14, the right meaning is reached when the American Standard Version is checked with the Young’s or Strong’s Concordance. Desire, an element of the emotion, is shown by these verses to be in the realm of the soul.

These verses establish the ground to verify the three parts in the soul: the mind, the will, and the emotion. In the Scriptures it is difficult to find any additional parts of the soul, for these three parts cover all the functions of the soul. The mind is the leading part, followed by the will and the emotion. These are the verses which best reveal what are the three parts of the soul.