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Holy Bible

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › Holy Scripture › Holy Bible

The question

In St Paul’s letter, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, the Holy Bible mentions that man is body, soul, and spirit. Where is the heart and mind in regards to these three? Is the heart part of the soul? Is the mind part of the soul? If so, why did our Lord command that we love the Lord with all our hearts, souls, mind, and strength, if the heart and mind are part of the soul?

The answer

Your soul is who you are as a person, a human being. Every aspect of your existence is intricately interwoven. The heart has the function of your emotions and your mind has the function of our thoughts and reasoning.

The Holy Scripture refers to the word “soul” as the whole person (as in 1 Peter 3, when he spoke about eight souls that were saved from the flood); or to the human spirit only; or the soul only (as in 1 Thessalonians 5); or to the heart (as when the Lord said, "My soul is sorrowful unto death"); or to the desires of the person, etc.

The heart and mind are parts of the soul, but when the Lord said, “And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30), He meant, from all your emotions, all your desires, all your thinking, and all your strength.

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

Related questions

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 2195 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.