The Holy Spirit and the Word: Part 2
Memory Passage
And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus
from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give
life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
Romans 8:11
Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:10-15
.. but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 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. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: ..
Insights
"...the mind of every believer is enlightened by the Holy Spirit-on that you can
count. That doesn't mean everything in the Bible will be instantly clear, of
course...Many Christians who have a life of intimate conversation with God
begin to think that what they understand about the Bible is infallible, that it is
as certain as the Bible itself...He (the Holy Spirit) may have inspired the Bible
authors to write without error, but He does not so illuminate me. My
interpretation, my understanding of the Bible's meaning, might be wrong. And
the most godly and brilliant of Bible scholars can get it wrong too." -Robertson
McQuilken, Life in the Spirit
Consider this!
We must be sober about the fact that what we interpret can be subject to error
if it is not calibrated within community. It is isolation (either one person alone
or a group with a controlling leader) that can lead to terrible error in the
interpretation of God's Word. Even the best of human ability and diligent study
cannot contain or uncover all of the truth in the Word of God. We need the
assistance of other scholars (commentaries, Bible helps), leaders and friends
to confirm or correct our understanding. It is critical that each person be open
to the truth of the Word, communicated by the Spirit, and be willing to seek
confirmation.
Personal Reflection
- We are saddened when we hear of cults that take God's Word and lead people
astray, often ending in tragedy. Yet scores of believers are led astray every day
by an incorrect interpretation of the Word. What safeguards do you have in
place that help you interpret God's Word correctly?
- Can you think of a time when you thought you knew the "truth", only to find out
later that you were incorrect? What changed your thinking? What role did the
Holy Spirit have in leading you to greater understanding?
- While the Holy Spirit impresses our heart with certain thoughts as we read, we
are not infallible. Pray that God will continue to give you an open, teachable
spirit and a willingness to seek and confirm the truths He has given you.
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