Yes — Scripture distinguishes the soul from the spirit, and Les Feldick teaches that the Bible divides them even though they are closely intertwined.
The Apostle Paul lists spirit, soul, and body separately in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, and Hebrews 4:12 describes the Word of God piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit. At physical death, however, the soul and spirit leave the body together, and God's plan is to reunite them with a resurrection body.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 — Paul names the spirit, soul, and body separately, showing they are distinct parts of a person.
Hebrews 4:12 — Describes the Word of God piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit — the clearest biblical statement that the two can be separated.
Genesis 1:26 — Man is created in God's image, which Les connects to the invisible soul and spirit rather than the physical body.
Scripture presents man as having a spirit, a soul, and a body. In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, the Apostle Paul prays that the believer's 'whole spirit and soul and body' would be preserved blameless, naming each part separately. Hebrews 4:12 is even more pointed: the Word of God is 'quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit.' These verses show that the soul and spirit are not merely two words for the same inner self — Scripture distinguishes them and even describes a dividing between them. Scripture also indicates that at death the inner part of a person continues in the Lord's presence. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that he is willing 'rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.'
Les Feldick teaches that man is a tripartite being of body, soul, and spirit, which he pictures with three circles. He acknowledges that the soul and spirit are so closely intertwined that many people think of them as the same, but he insists that the Scripture does separate the soul and the spirit, pointing to Paul's prayer in 1 Thessalonians. He notes that some theologians reduce man to only spirit or only soul, but Les takes the position that all three are real and distinct. Les defines physical death as the separation of the invisible part of man — the soul and spirit together — from the body. He teaches that believers who die go immediately into the presence of the Lord in soul and spirit, not in soul sleep, while their bodies remain in the grave. He also stresses that nowhere in Scripture does a human being have any valid existence or worth apart from a body, which is why God plans to raise the body and reunite it with the soul and spirit. In eternity, believers will be complete entities of body, soul, and spirit.
Les Feldick rejects the idea that man is only spirit or only soul. He teaches that Scripture divides man into body, soul, and spirit, and that the soul and spirit — though very closely related — are separated by the Word of God. He points to Paul's prayer in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, where the whole spirit and soul and body are named separately, as proof that the Bible treats them as distinct. Hebrews 4:12 confirms the distinction: the Word of God pierces to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit.
Les teaches that death is the separation of the soul and spirit from the body. At physical death, the soul and spirit take flight from the body together. He rejects soul sleep, teaching that believers who die go immediately into the presence of the Lord in soul and spirit, while their bodies remain in the grave. The body that is raised in resurrection power is still void of the soul and spirit until the reunion takes place.
Les emphasizes that God is concerned with the whole man — body, soul, and spirit — not just in this life but in the life to come. God has made plans to reunite the body with the soul and spirit at the resurrection. Les challenges his readers to find any place in the Bible where a person has anything of worth in this life or the life to come separated from a body. After the great resurrection day, every believer will have a new body, and in eternity each person will be a complete entity of body, soul, and spirit.
Les distinguishes physical death — the separation of the body from the soul and spirit — from spiritual death, which is a separation from God. He calls spiritual death the more important death, and he notes that the Bible refers to the second death as that eternal separation from God. He also teaches that hell and the lake of fire are two distinct things, though hell will one day end up in the lake of fire.
Man as Body, Soul, and Spirit
Les teaches that Scripture divides man into body, soul, and spirit, pointing to 1 Thessalonians to prove the soul and spirit can be separated even though they are closely related.
Death Separates Soul and Spirit from the Body
Les defines physical death as the moment the soul and spirit take flight from the body, showing the invisible part of a person departs together.
Adam's Spirit Died at the Fall
Les explains that Adam's spirit died instantly when he ate, losing fellowship with God while the body began to die — evidence that the soul and spirit are distinct from the body.
Believers Present with the Lord in Soul and Spirit
Les teaches that departed believers are not in soul sleep but exist in soul and spirit in the Lord's presence, waiting for the resurrection — though nothing valid of a human operates apart from a body.
God Redeems the Whole Man
Les stresses that God is concerned with the whole man — body, soul, and spirit — and that physical death is the separation of the body from the soul and spirit.
Resurrection Body Reunited with Soul and Spirit
Les explains that the body raised in resurrection power is still void of the soul and spirit, which are already in glory, pointing to 2 Corinthians 5.
Spiritual Death Is Separation from God
Les distinguishes physical death (body separated from soul and spirit) from spiritual death (separation from God), and notes God plans to reunite body with soul and spirit.
Eternity as a Complete Entity
Les teaches that believers will spend eternity as complete entities of body, soul, and spirit, not just a soul or spirit alone.
1 Thessalonians 5:23: And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul names spirit, soul, and body separately, showing man's tripartite makeup.
Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The Word of God penetrates to divide soul and spirit — the clearest biblical proof that they are separable.
Genesis 1:26: And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Man is made in God's image, which Les connects to the invisible soul and spirit, not the physical body.
2 Corinthians 5:8: We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Shows that the soul and spirit continue in the Lord's presence after the body dies.
Yes. Hebrews 4:12 says the Word of God pierces even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and 1 Thessalonians 5:23 names spirit, soul, and body separately. Les Feldick agrees, noting that though the two are closely intertwined, the Scripture does divide them.
Les teaches that at physical death the soul and spirit depart the body together; they do not separate from each other. Death, as he defines it, is the separation of the invisible part of man (soul and spirit) from the body.
Les rejects soul sleep. He teaches that believers who die go immediately into the presence of the Lord in soul and spirit, while their bodies remain in the grave until the resurrection.
Les teaches that God is concerned with the whole man. Nowhere in Scripture does a person have anything of worth separated from a body, so God promises a resurrection body, reuniting body, soul, and spirit for eternity.
Watch the Teaching: Genesis 1:26-27: Who Are "Us"? The Trinity in Creation