May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body: These words are at the center of an age-long debate about the nature of man. Is he composed of two entities or three? This is one of the verses that suggests man is triune with each entity being distinct and distinguishable from the others. Morris says, however, "Paul is not analyzing the nature of man, but uttering a fervent prayer that the entire man be preserved" (111). On the other hand, Coffman says: "this writer cannot resist the thought that these words do indicate that man, like his Creator, is a trinity. After all, was he not made in the image of God?" (72). Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown have an interesting comment on this verse: