by jimwalton » Sat Jan 23, 2021 6:37 pm
That’s a great question, and I’m glad to talk about it.
We get the idea that the Holy Spirit helps us interpret Scriptures from 1 Corinthians 2.12-14 (especially v. 14): “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Without the Holy Spirit, the human mind is incapable of evaluating the truths of the Bible. Romans 8.7 expresses the same thought: “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” Their minds are darkened (Rom. 1.21) and depraved (Rom. 1.28).
The Spirit not only gives us understanding (1 Cor. 2.12-14), but Jesus said (Jn. 14.17; 15.26; 16.12-14) that the Spirit is the one who guides us into truth. Putting the two thoughts together, we get the idea that it is the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth and helps us understand the spiritual truths that are written in the Bible. It is the Spirit who gives us spiritual discernment.
Then you add, “Because when we dig more, they accuse us of using our natural mind.” It’s a false accusation. What we are using is our regenerated minds. The Bible speaks abundantly about how the mind regenerated by the Holy Spirit is able to see things differently than the natural man and to understand in a different way than the unregenerate mind. That action of thinking clearly involves meditating on God’s word (pondering its meaning) and research into it (as the Bereans did in Acts 17.11). We know Paul was a student of the Word, and not solely informed by the Spirit (2 Tim. 4.13). Even in prison Paul wanted to keep reading and learning. Remember also that in Acts 26.24, Festus referred to Paul’s learning.
I’ll stop there, so I don’t just write too much. But feel free to continue asking and discussing.
That’s a great question, and I’m glad to talk about it.
We get the idea that the Holy Spirit helps us interpret Scriptures from 1 Corinthians 2.12-14 (especially v. 14): “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Without the Holy Spirit, the human mind is incapable of evaluating the truths of the Bible. Romans 8.7 expresses the same thought: “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” Their minds are darkened (Rom. 1.21) and depraved (Rom. 1.28).
The Spirit not only gives us understanding (1 Cor. 2.12-14), but Jesus said (Jn. 14.17; 15.26; 16.12-14) that the Spirit is the one who guides us into truth. Putting the two thoughts together, we get the idea that it is the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth and helps us understand the spiritual truths that are written in the Bible. It is the Spirit who gives us spiritual discernment.
Then you add, “Because when we dig more, they accuse us of using our natural mind.” It’s a false accusation. What we are using is our regenerated minds. The Bible speaks abundantly about how the mind regenerated by the Holy Spirit is able to see things differently than the natural man and to understand in a different way than the unregenerate mind. That action of thinking clearly involves meditating on God’s word (pondering its meaning) and research into it (as the Bereans did in Acts 17.11). We know Paul was a student of the Word, and not solely informed by the Spirit (2 Tim. 4.13). Even in prison Paul wanted to keep reading and learning. Remember also that in Acts 26.24, Festus referred to Paul’s learning.
I’ll stop there, so I don’t just write too much. But feel free to continue asking and discussing.