The Spirit’s Role in Illuminating Scripture
For Christians, the Bible is more than just a book – it’s a Spirit-wrought and God-breathed revelation of God’s character and plan for humanity. But the Holy Spirit’s role doesn’t stop with the writing of the texts. Good interpretation is also dependent on the ongoing work of the Spirit to inspire us to understand, receive, and apply what God has spoken.
A Spiritual Matter
The difference between those who truly understand the Bible’s teachings and those who don’t isn’t based on education, skill set, or intelligence. It’s a spiritual matter. The Spirit reveals, instructs, and enables us to apply the beautiful and mysterious teachings of Scripture to our own lives. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:11, “no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”
Common Grace and Spirit-Given Wisdom
While non-Christians may have great insights into various aspects of the Bible, they lack the Spirit-given wisdom that perceives and embraces the reality of which the Bible speaks. There’s a difference between knowledge about the Bible and the Spirit-given wisdom that comes from a personal relationship with God.
The Witness of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit’s work in us ultimately convinces us of the truthfulness of Scripture. As the Westminster Confession states, “our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts.”
Following Jesus by Faith
Following Jesus by faith is the foundation of understanding. We don’t simply understand and then follow. We come to understand as we follow. This is the work of the Spirit. As Jesus says in John 14:26, “the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
Dependence on the Holy Spirit
This spiritual reality means that we must begin and end and saturate all our interpretation of Scripture with a conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit to enable us to understand and apply it. We must ask God to reveal himself to us, to give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, and to open our eyes to the wonders of his Word.
A Prayer for Illumination
Here’s a great prayer from Thomas Aquinas that reflects this understanding and can helpfully guide our study of Scripture:
“Ineffable Creator, Who out of the treasures of Thy wisdom hast appointed three hierarchies of Angels and set them in admirable order high above the heavens… be pleased to cast a beam of Thy radiance upon the darkness of my mind and dispel from me the double darkness of sin and ignorance in which I have been born.”
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