Any study that you do within the Word of God or about the Word of God will be instructive and/or transformative. In “In the Volume of a Book” we’ve been considering some basic concepts about the formation and propagation of the Scriptures.
- We initially looked into how we physically obtained the Bible: how it was compiled and completed.
- We discovered that this whole process was initiated and superintended by God. This in itself is quite fascinating.
- Then we identified nine grounding principles to help us read and understand the Bible on its own terms. Below we continue to unpack those principles.
God initiates communication with us. He often gets our attention through what we call “general revelation,” which involves God speaking to man through history, our conscience, and through creation. Of course, He also communicates through special revelation: the written Word of God (the Bible) and the living “Word” of God (Jesus Christ). The method by which He communicated or revealed his written Word to us is called inspiration: revealing His complete and connected thought through humans without diminishing their individual or literary styles. This entire process was under the complete supervision of God.
Now we turn to three concepts which describe the ability we are given to comprehend and understand the Message of the Scriptures. These concepts have a seamless relationship to each other: illumination (comprehension), interpretation (accuracy), and imagination (affection).
As the Holy Spirit influences those who pursue God to comprehend and apply truth to everyday living, we are experiencing illumination. Allowing or enabling us to deal credibly, accurately, and confidently with the various texts and the overarching metanarrative of the Scriptures is called interpretation. This is the application of principles and practices inherent within the Scriptures, that begin to emerge the more we study them. Orienting our thoughts to be able to assimilate the wideness and wildness of God’s grace and glory, in contrast to the diminishing and corruptive culture, requires us to develop a sacred and sanctified imagination.
These Scripture passages below give us a partial understanding of these concepts. They are by no means exhaustive. Reading them, you’ll also notice their seamless nature, as one melds into the others. Psalm 119 contains them all.
Illumination
Psalm 19:7-11
Luke 24:25-27
John 5:39; 16:13-15
Romans 8:14-16
Ephesians 1:17-18
Interpretation
I Corinthians 2:10-16
II Corinthians 10:3-5
I Timothy 3:16
II Timothy 2:15
II Peter 1:16-21
Imagination
Deuteronomy 29:29
Luke 24:32
Romans 8:37-39
Colossians 1:3-14
I Peter 1:10-12