Revere Franklin Weidner, D.D., LL.D. served as Professor of Theology in the Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary. His book, The Doctrine of Man, drew from 30 years of teaching and classroom discussion. In addition to biblical research, his primary sources authors were described “those who believe in God’s inspired Word, and especially as confessed by that large and rapidly increasing Church, known as the first Protestants in history” (p. vii). He listed them:
- Luthardt’s Kompendium der Dogmatik,
- Krauth’s Conservative Reformation,
- Delitzsch, System of Biblical Psychology
- Julius Mueller, The Christian Doctrine of Sin
- Harless, System of Christian Ethics
The Lutheran theologians are more likely to teach the trichotomy of man, as Luther did, wheres theologians in the Calvinistic tradition are usually dichotomist. His teaching is consistent with holistic trichotomy: man is one in personhood, with two separable elements, but three distinguishable parts. Here is an excerpt of Dr. Weidner’s content in the chapter on “The Constituent Elements in Man” (pp. 15,16):
The spirit and soul of man are to be distinguished as primary and secondary, but not with the view that the spirit and soul are substantially one and the same. Two passages, in this connection, claim special consideration, 1 Thess. 5:23 and Heb. 4:12.
1) In 1 Thess. 5:23 the apostle stringently analyzes the human constitution into spirit, soul, and body. But these three elements, to every one of which the work of sanctifying grace extends, are in nowise three essentially distinct elements.
2) So likewise in Heb. 4:12, there are two elements in the psychical life of man; how else could a dividing asunder of soul and spirit, which God’s word effects in us, be spoken of?
The apostle’s view, in the final result, is certainly dichotomic, body on the one hand, and soul and spirit, inseparably joined together, on the other.
- But spirit and soul are of a similar nature.
Spirit and soul are not two distinct natures, but two distinct elements in the psychical life of man. The body and the spirit of man are of distinct nature, but the soul belongs to the side of spirit.
Man has received his life-principle immediately from God. From this one principle are derived both his bodily his spiritual life. The body without the spirit is dead (James 2:26). There is no natural soul between spirit and body, but only a life of the soul that proceeds from the spirit itself. The spiritual or understanding soul and the bodily soul are in their essence and nature one. The one thing on which we must lay stress is that the soul is of one nature with the spirit.
- The soul proceeds from the spirit.
If, according to Scripture, the soul does not belong to the side of man’s bodily nature, but to the side of his spirit, it is either one and the same with his spirit, or else the soul proceeds from his spirit. The true view is that the soul, whether it be called substance or potentiality, is not the spirit itself, but another nature conditioned by the spirit, although standing incomparably nearer to it than to the body. Possibly it is best to say, the spirit and soul are of one nature, but of distinct substances.
- Delitzsch and Zezschwitz agree in the definition of the spirit of man.
The pneuma or spirit, is with perfect justice defined by Von Zezschwitz as the highest spiritual power, comprehending, ruling, penetrating all the powers of the soul and the body in the power of its own connection with God.
- The main proof is the important passage, Gen. 2:7, “Jehovah God . . . breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.”
The spirit stands in immediate causal relation to God, and for this reason all the divine operations having redemption in view address themselves first of all to the pneuma or spirit, and only thence attain to the psuche or soul, and when God manifests Himself He appeals to the spirit of man, and first of all man’s spirit is renewed (Ps. 15:10, “renew a right spirit within me;” Tit. 3:5, “according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost”).
The soul is the mediating link of the spirit and the body, the peculiar form of the personality of man. The spirit is the inbreathing of the Godhead, and the soul is the outbreathing of the spirit. The spirit is the life-centre provided for the body, and the soul is the raying forth of this centre of life. The spirit is the inward being of the soul, and the soul is the external nature of the spirit.”
R. Weidner, The Doctrine of Man: Outline Notes Based on Luthardt. Chicago: Wartburg, 1912.
Dr. Weidner’s other published works:
Theological Encyclopedia:
Vol. 1. Exegetical Theology
Vol. 2. Historical, Systematic, and Practical Theology
Biblical Theology of the Old Testament
Biblical Theology of the New Testament
Vol. 1. The Teaching of Jesus, and of Peter
Vol. 2. The Teaching of Paul, and of John
Studies in the Book. 5 vols
New Testament:
Vol. 1. Historical Books, General Epistles, and Revelation
Vol. 2. Early Epistles of Paul
Vol. 3. Later Epistles of Paul
OLD TESTAMENT:
Vol. 1. Genesis
Vol. 2. Exodus
Vol. 3. Historical Books
Vol. 4. Prophetical Books
Vol. 5. Wisdom Literature
COMMENTARIES:
Commentary on Mark
Commentary on Four Gospels
-JBW
Biblical Psychology 