A Framework For Understanding (Part Two)

We are looking this week at a framework to help us in our approach to and understanding of the scriptures. Yesterday we saw that this framework begins with a high view of scripture, and that this is where we start in farming in our understanding the scriptures. Next, we add our:

Dependence On The Holy Spirit

A recognition that the Bible is God’s Word leads to the next necessary reality—that we cannot come to understand it through mere intellectual exercise. No amount of mental gymnastics is sufficient to pursue understanding of the mind of God. He Himself must reveal its truths to us, and He does that through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

This reality of spiritual dependence is spoken of by both Christ and by the apostle Paul:

• For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. (1 Cor.2:11-14)

• “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” (John 16:13)

It might seem as though it goes without saying, but it does not. We must ever keep before ourselves that our ability to understand the truth (not just the facts) of the Bible, is an ability that rests in our dependence upon the Spirit. The classic illustration is found in Acts (Ethiopian official in carriage). When the official is asked by Philip if he understands the passage he is reading from Isaiah, he responds rightly:

“Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” (Acts 8:31)

That’s right! And, while some in the body have been given the gift of teaching for the building up of the people of Christ, the fact remains that there is no greater teacher for God’s Word than the Spirit who inspired it!

We also need to embrace…

An Expectation Of Understanding

Having said that, however, the wonderful good news is that the Bible is intended to be understood. It was given for our instruction! That means that we can approach the Word of God, enabled by the Holy Spirit, with a very real sense of expectation. Paul wrote:

• For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4)

God has not given us His Word to confuse us or frustrate us—He has given us His Word to instruct us and challenge us and grow us.

Perhaps this is why so much of the Bible has been given to us in the form of the stories of people like us facing challenges like ours. I have often thought what a marvelous thing it is that when God gave us His Word, He didn’t give us a theology textbook (valuable as those may be) but He gave us the record of how He interacts with men and women for our good and His glory. I can learn from that. I can have a sense of expectancy because God has not only given us understandable truth, He also has given it to us in a form that we can relate to and embrace. By seeing God’s truths with skin on, we see them as more than mere theoretical exercises. We see them as tangible and practical, not simply abstract concepts with no real connection to life. For instance:

• Facing temptation, I can learn from Joseph’s wise strategy in responding to Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39)
• Facing uncertainty, I can learn from Shadrach, Meschech, and Abednego’s confidence in the ability of God at the fiery furnace (Daniel 3).
• Facing aloneness, I can learn from the apostle Paul who, deserted by friends, faced trial alone, nevertheless declared the strength of the Lord’s abiding presence (2 Tim.4)

We could list countless other examples, but these suffice. All of this combines together to give us expectancy when we approach the Bible. His God-breathed words can give me tangible understanding of Him and tangible assistance for life.