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. (1 Thessalonians 5:23 NABRE)
Concluding his letter to his friends, Saint Paul continues to encourage the young Christian community in Thessalonica, Greece. Today's verse is a beautiful blessing on the people asking the Lord to keep them holy and blameless. Blameless until Jesus returns. Now that is huge! It is a big ask! And I love the faith it implies because God hears our prayers and asks us to believe he answers our prayers. Out of his great concern for his spiritual family, Paul pours his complete faith in Jesus into this request. And he asks for all of us, even today, that our lives be sustained by God's power, despite our sinful human nature, in purity and chastity.*
Look, too, how Paul describes each of us as being made up of three distinct parts: Spirit, soul, and body. I understand the distinction between our physical body and our spiritual aspect, but what is fascinating here is the dual nature of our spiritual selves. Paul writes of a spirit and a soul.
Though I do not claim to have any expertise here, and indeed there are differing theological perspectives on the matter, even different translations of the verse which do not draw this picture of duality of spirit; but, I think we can avoid over-stepping and legitimately adopt a view something like this:
I have a physical body. I also have a spiritual soul which is that eternal aspect of me made in God's image. And the Holy Spirit of God dwells within me. While the words seem woefully inadequate and the concepts honestly beyond my reach, this view lets me extend my understanding of how God may work in my life.
Today, I will repeat Paul's bold blessing, asking God to keep us all perfectly holy in how we live, preserving us as blameless until Jesus returns!
Saint Thomas the Apostle, who exclaimed to Jesus, "My Lord and My God," pray for us.
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