06/12/2025
Today, I will briefly cover the role of the Holy Spirit in bible interpretation and touch on some schools of thought in hermeneutics.
Seeing that hermeneutics is the science and art of bible interpretation, it is easy to drift into a strictly academic pattern in communicating the scriptures.
We find two extremes:
1. The strictly academic: those who explain the scriptures only on the basis of context, culture, history, etc
2. The strictly spiritual: those who explain scripture mostly by what they believe the holy Spirit revealed to them.
These two on their own are bound to run into error at some point.
Summarily, an exclusive academic inclination to interpretation of Scripture is lifeless.
But what about a strictly spiritual interpretation of Scripture? What would be the disadvantage of this?
Self destructive doctrines of course.
In other words, life without structure. It will collapse...self destruct. Jesus' teaching about the house built on sand is the case here:
(Matt 7:26-27; Matt.7.26 - But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.
Matt.7.27 - When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will fall with a mighty crash."NLT)
So we have the strictly academic interpreters on one hand, and the exclusively spiritual interpreters on the other hand.
One has no life but has structure, so it is dead.
The other has a similitude of life, and no structure, so it collapses.
Both of these on their own eventually do not build the man into what God wants him to be.
But a combination of life and structure 👍👍👍👍👍 Now that's the key to effective Hermeneutics.
This is where the role of the holy Spirit comes in. He is the life giver. He illuminates the hearts of the hearers when the word of God is rightly taught.
A good preacher of God's word must have active dependence on the Holy Spirit.
One who rightly divides the word of Truth must of necessity also rightly depend on the Spirit of Truth.
John.15.5 - I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
The Spirit of God empowers us to yield fruits in our ministering to others.
We must never forget this as we advance in knowledge.
He puts Christ's word that we preach in the forefront of the minds of our hearers.
The holy Spirit takes God's word and makes it real in the hearts of our listeners.
John.16.14 - He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
He is the one who makes them not forget what we have taught them from the scriptures.
John.14.26 - But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
This is very important as we study the principles of Hermeneutics in order to excel in the work of the Ministry.
Always depend on the Holy Spirit, no matter how fluent or intelligent you are.
There can be no renewing of the mind and transformation of man without the Holy Spirit.
2Cor.3.18 - But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
See here that the transformation work is carried out by the Holy Spirit.
Also see this;
1Cor.3.6 - I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
With all our labours, it is God who gives the increase. This increase is not only numerical as many have come to believe, but more importantly the quality of growth of the individual in their knowledge of God that translates into an evident walk with God. The Holy Spirit is the one who empowers fruitfulness in our listeners.
Again, we must NEVER forget this.
Pst Peter E. Nwoji
