2. Is it necessary to believe that the spiritual world interacts with the physical world in a personal, individual level?

 Linkage:  This is part of the study "Scriptural View of the Body, Soul and Spirit".  You should read that Introduction first.

 

Quick Answer:  Yes.

 

Key Passage:

             Acts 1:16 “…the <hagios pneuma> by the mouth of David spoke…”  The Holy Spirit spoke through David to prophesy about Jesus.  There are many other verses like these that indicate that the Holy Spirit had a direct influence over an individual that resulted in a very physical, material outcome (words spoken and heard, words written and read, people healed, etc.). 

 

Caveat:

             I don't see any possible way that deism can co-exist with Christianity.  The very idea of "Immanuel" - God with us - is at the heart of Christianity.   The idea that God is "hands-off" when it comes to the physical universe is a non-Christian and anti-Christian idea.

             However:  this is not the same as saying that there is not a natural order to the universe.  The universe does operate under many natural laws.  These laws do not appear to require any supernatural influence; at least not in any obvious or measurable way.  As human history progresses, we find more and more of these laws that explain what we see happening in the world around us.  At this moment in history, the momentum of discovery is such that we expect that there is a natural law to explain every single thing we observe.  I don't believe such a view is contrary to scripture or contrary to Christian teaching, as long as you allow for the possibility of miracles.  In fact, you need a backdrop of an extensive "natural order" in order for miracles to become obvious.  For Christianity, miracles are necessary (e.g. virgin birth, resurrection, etc., etc.!) [especially I Cor 15:19].

 

Related Scriptures and Thoughts:

             Acts 2:4  The Holy Spirit spoke through the early Christians.  This is one perfect example in which God performs a miracle through a group of human beings.  The spiritual world (God) directly interacts with the physical world (the early believers).

             Acts 7:51  It is possible for our "self" to resist the Holy Spirit.  I think, in most cases, the battle between our own desires and the Holy Spirit occurs in the mind or soul. 

 

Discussion:

             I don't see how it is possible to believe anything about Christianity without believing that God, who is spirit, interacts with the world and especially with human beings, who are physical.  But the Bible does not detail how this happens.  For example, I imagine that, in most cases, the Holy Spirit influences our soul and our soul influences our physical behavior.  But that is just my own view and not something that could be considered part of Christian doctrine in any way.  As Christians, I think we have to be rather flexible as to the details of exactly how the spiritual world interacts with the physical world.  We can come up with ideas from examples in scripture and from our own personal experience, but I do not see anything in scripture that prescribes or detailed this interaction. 

             Regarding Christians knowing where the boundaries are with respect to science, I would just say that Christianity leaves no room for a purely materialistic view of the universe.  God is non-material.  Human beings are at least partly non-material.  And the non-material (supernatural) world interacts with the physical world.  If science claims that all that exists is the material, physical universe, then Christians should not accept that statement for two reasons:  1) it is a statement outside the realm of what science can comment on, and 2) it is against the clear teaching of scripture.