Thursday, June 01, 2006
from 'Religious Affections' by Jonathan Edwards
To spiritually understand Scripture means we correctly understand the Scripture's objective content; it does not mean we creat some new meaning for it. Scriptural enlightment allows us to see what we would have otherwise been blind to- but in this case, no one could see this obscure new meaning blind or not, for it was nevert there before man's circumstances occured. The spirtiual enlightment of which the Bible speaks means that our eyes are opened to what has always been there; "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law" (Psalm 119:18). This verse implies that the meaning was there all along, but that the psalmist's eyes were shut; the psalmist does not indicate that he hopes to discover some new meaning that never existed prior to his prayer.
When we create a new meaning for the Scripture, it is the same as if we were making a new Scripture; it is adding to the Word, which the Bible warns us not to do. True spirtual enlightment does not discover private meanings hidden in the Bible; it does, however, perceive the sweet, bright revelation of Christ and the excellence of salvation. Real spirtual enlightment enables us to understand that Christ is the sum of our heart's need, and spirtual light shines on the Bible's promises, making them glow with meaning. All this was always in the Bible; there are no new meanings meant for individual persons.
p. 162-163
Edwards words are still true today. We should not be looking to the Bible to find new teachings that no one else has ever found.
When we create a new meaning for the Scripture, it is the same as if we were making a new Scripture; it is adding to the Word, which the Bible warns us not to do. True spirtual enlightment does not discover private meanings hidden in the Bible; it does, however, perceive the sweet, bright revelation of Christ and the excellence of salvation. Real spirtual enlightment enables us to understand that Christ is the sum of our heart's need, and spirtual light shines on the Bible's promises, making them glow with meaning. All this was always in the Bible; there are no new meanings meant for individual persons.
p. 162-163
Edwards words are still true today. We should not be looking to the Bible to find new teachings that no one else has ever found.
