The Role of the Holy Spirit

Aldwin Naruse (Miyagi)

9 Dec 2013

The Holy Spirit

The role of the Holy Spirit in biblical interpretation is to inspire human authors of Scriptures so that their work will convey what God desires to communicate (Duvall and Hays 206).  Inspiration means God-breathe.  So the work of the Spirit is finished.  (Duvall and Hays 206).  Inspiration is the Word of the Holy Spirit upon human authors.   In reference to 2 Tim. 3:16,  “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”

The Holy Spirit is needed to breathe and bring to life the revelation of God.  The written word on paper is only logos, but when the Holy Spirit is animated and brings the Scripture to life, it becomes Rhema.  It becomes alive.  It is only through this one agency of the Godhead which is the Holy Spirit can this occur.  According to Genesis 2:7, it states, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”  The Lord formed man and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being.  So we can see the Holy Spirit’s work in the creation account in the book of Genesis.  God’s breath brought man into life from the dust of the ground.  God breathe the Holy Spirit into man.  The Holy Spirit is the breath of life and man became a living being.

The Holy Spirit animates the Word of God and brings it to life.  So the Holy Spirit will transfer the written word of God into the breath of life  If the Word of God is not animated and brought to life through the Holy Spirit, it is only logos.  

Acts 2:4 states “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”    

Bible interpretation of the written Word of God can only be accomplished through the agency of the Godhead which is the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit cannot fill an unregenerate reader.  He must be born again.  Those who by faith are in Christ will receive inspiration that is beyond any human understanding and will be able to make even the foolishness of this world be unto salvation of eternal life through Jesus Christ.  

Duvall said that it refers to the on-going work of the Spirit as cited in John 16:12-14.

“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”  

The Holy Spirit will bring glory to God by taking what is God’s and making it known to you (Duvall and Hays 206).  The degree of a person’s illumination is contingent upon his choice.  For many, they choose to operate under grace and mercy.  But for others, they have a desire to seek truth.  They have the Holy Spirit to be imparted in its entirety to receive the fullness of the agency of the Godhead and receive the depth, width and height of Scripture.  

The more a person wants to have the Holy Spirit, the more His eyes of understanding will be opened.  The Scriptures will not be just a parable to him.  As Jesus spoke to this disciples, blessed is he whose eyes see and ears hear.  Matthew 13:14-17 said, “ And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:  For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be  converted, and I should heal them.  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.”

So in reference to Matthew 13:14-17,   Jesus Christ is saying that according to a prohecy of Isaiah, they will hear and not understand.  They will look and not see.  Their hearts have gone dull.   But blessed are you whose eyes see and ears hear.  For Jesus is saying that many prophets and righteous man desire to see what you see.  The way to get blessed of Jesus is to have the fullness of the Holy Spirit upon you.  How does this Holy Spirit affect Bible Interpretation?  Without the Holy Spirit, you will not understand or know what the Scripture is saying.

With regards to the question “ if the Holy Spirit inspired the original writers, then certainly he can impart his meaning without recourse to such means as historical or grammatical study,”  there will definitely be recourse because without the Holy Spirit, a person’s eyes are not illumine and he will not be able to see.  God had already predestined whom He chose to reveal His divine revelation to man on earth.  These men needed to be the excellency of God’s choice.  They needed to be holy men of God.  They could not speak the will of men because they were dedicated to the service of God.  If it is generally accepted that Moses was the writer of the pentateuch, then he must be the holy man of God, committed and loyal to God.  Similarly, if the apostle Paul was chosen of God to write, convey and express God-breathe Scriptures, then he must have had to demonstrate his holiness to God as a man of God.  It is clear from historical evidence that Paul died a martyr.  He was executed for his faith in Christ Jesus.  The holy men as history has recorded were true men of God.  They were committed and loyal to the end.   

Therefore, without the Holy Spirit, using Bible Interpretation tools will just be a mechanical exercise.  Without the Holy Spirit in a person, it is impossible to do Bible Interpretation.