Inspiration, Illumination & Application

[konroh]

Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit and wrote the inspired word of God. It wasn't a matter of their own private interpretation. When we read the Bible the Holy Spirit can illuminate Scripture in our minds and help us to understand it. The univocal meaning of the text can have many applications in our lives.

I say this because while we should read the Bible devotionally and personally, we have to understand that the Bible is to be understood as what the original author intended to portray to the original audience. The more I understand the true meaning of the Bible, the more I can see it's application in my life. The danger is always in treating the Bible as a magic spiritual manual or an ouija board that speaks to me. It does speak to us but in this process: the Holy Spirit inspired the original authors who were writing to the original audience, from the singular meaning of the text the Holy Spirit can illuminate my own understanding and help me see how I can apply it to my life and my circumstances.

I don't mean to be overly academic, I can sum it up with this: one meaning, many applications.

 

[Cobus]

Konroh I tried doing it as you say, then I got ONE REVELATION in the bible, and I understood PERFECTLY...

Here is how you should RECEIVE THE WORD OF GOD.... All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

Do not think of the original author and original audience... If you ALLOW Jesus to speak to your heart as he did to ALL audiences right through the centuries, you will SEE HOW JESUS REVEALS THE WORD FOR YOU...

Let me share one POWERFUL scripture God came through for me.... God says we should not owe any person anything, save to love them... When I read that verse I was stunned... I said, Lord I have a housebond, still to be paid for twenty years, I have two cars to pay off.... How will I get dept free?

The next morning when I got to my office ate Iscor, a very big steel factory where I was desighn draughtsmen... THere were a very impressive letter from the pension-fund on my table,,,, In the A4 envelope was a letter suggesting that I have all this money in the fund, why do I not use this money to PAY OFF LOANS, and I can pay back to my own pension money at an interestrate I determine myself.... Now if that is not God making a plan, then I never saw God make a plan....

Two weeks later, I was dept free, except owing money to myself....

Let me just thank God again today...

Lord NOTHING is impossible for you and you say so in MAtthew 29, I would like to thank you again Lord, that if we want your Truth in us, YOU COME THROUGH EVERY TIME... You are truly faithful and LOVING. Thank you that you still provide adiquitly and that you will keep us dept free because it is your will. AMEN!

I take the WHOLE WORD OF GOD AS A PERSONAL LETTER TO ME TO GET TO KNOW GOD AND HIS WILL... AND THAT WORD CHANGED ME TO THE MAN I AM TODAY... GOD IS TRULY FAITHFUL. AMEN!

 

[konroh]

I'm not denying your personal experience--it sounds like God has worked in your life in an amazing way. And I'm not denying that Jesus can speak through the Bible to us today, but I do think we have to be very careful in understanding this. The primary meaning is to the original audience, any attempt to say otherwise denies the authenticity of the original Bible text. That it can have application to our lives today through the power of the Holy Spirit and because it speaks truth is significant, but even in the verse you quoted I hope you understand that the original meaning of this is to the disciples, and it came true in that many of the original 12 disciples and followers wrote books of the NT.

If you put your own interpretation above that of the original author to the original audience, then your interpretation is flawed. You have many interpretations about perfection and a Christian who does not sin and others that many here disagree with. This makes sense if you believe your own interpretation can stand above any others. I'm not denying the personal application in your life of what God speaks to you through the Bible, but proper hermeneutics involves the original language to the original audience in the original setting combined with 2000 years of church history's understanding of the text. However, many throughout church history took an allegorical and individualized meaning and had a flawed understanding. This is just what I'm trying to correct.