For the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. FOR WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.
Message: Illumining Scripture
Time: This epistle was written to the church that resided in Corinth of Achaia. First Corinthians is a response to a letter that Paul received from the Corinthian church, and that letter was probably a response to another of Paul's letters. This letter was composed in Ephesus around AD 54-55, and such topics as division, sexual immorality, lawsuits, marriage, Christian liberty, order of worship, and the resurrection are covered in this epistle.
What the Lord is Saying:
This is the last day in this study of Sola scriptura - that Scripture is the sole authority of our lives. There are natural revelations in this world - creation which testifies about God but doesn't necessarily save man. But hopefully it brings us to that knowledge. God speaks through people, through dreams, through events, through anything he desires. But his final revelation of who He is and His salvation is through Jesus and was revealed to us in His holy word. And so All scripture is inspired by Him. All scripture is breathed out from him. It provides us every thing that we need for life - everything. It is complete. It cannot be broken. It never fails. Yet he spoke through fallible men, speaking in a unique way through them, through their personalities. And they can still fail. But the word that we now of a scripture is Sola Scriptura - infallible, inerrant. So it is clear. It should be clear. It is meant to be clear in its meaning. The words itself have been set apart as Scripture through a canon process. As God inspired the writers to write, he also has confirmed the text that we consider to be All Scripture. It ended with the witnesses of the resurrection and Jesus testimony. We need to make sure we rightly handle this truth in our lives. We need to interpret it correctly. It is a literal interpretation and yet there are different ways it is spoken - in non-literal language such as phenomenological and anthropomorphic, through different genre's like prophecy, epistles, law, prophets, parables, apostles and in English styles such as personification, hyperbole, and metaphors. There is explicit and implicit teachings. We interpret the Bible with the Bible. If two passages seem to conflict we must realize they don't, they can't. Understand the context. Yet talk to each other through this process. Help one another to understand it better.
And today, I am reminded that all the while, realize that we are not alone as the Holy Spirit is with us illuminating the words. The Holy Spirit is here. Paul instructs us explicitly in this today. He tells us clearly that the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. We have the Spirit in us, illuminating His words to us, helping us understand what we need to know. This Spirit wants us to freely now the things of God. It is like I have to figure out how to filter out everything that is not God in my life, so that I can see Him, and what He is to teach me and have me learn -- so that we may know the things freely given to us by God. I am to take those spiritual thoughts and then communicate with spiritual words. It is like this is to be my language but according to my personality.
But this doesn't mean that natural man or unbelievers cannot know what scripture is saying - just that they lack the illumination of the text and what it means for salvation or come to saving faith. For them it is a textbook. That's what I've always thought of the JW's and the LDS - this book is a textbook to them. And most people see it as a life manual only. They see it as a handbook to living life now and sometimes even in the next life. But, my life in Christ is everything to me. It is to definite my thoughts and then my words. The Spirit tells me what I am to know about God, my creator, my sustenance, and therefore my life. It is not a duty in order to get more people in a church and please the church - it is me with God in this life. It is living with the mind of Christ.
If the Spirit is in me, it is in others and so I can listen to their words.
Promise: In all of my study of Scripture, I must never forget my need of the Holy Spirit's assistance. As I read, I need to pray that the Spirit will illuminate that reading and give me understanding so that I can then apply it. I am not simply a bucket that is at church or in a study to fill up a bucket, but I am to be a hose, spraying out to everyone in my path.
Prayer: O God, there is power in your name, in You, and You are equipping me even now through the Words and Work of the Holy Spirit in my life. I trust in you. I do not trust in me. I want your words thoughts to be my thoughts and your words my words. Thank you for living in me and illuminating me. Thank you for entrusting me with You and providing me all that I need. Clear out the gutter and the garbage in me. Train me according to your godliness. I depend on You, Jesus.
Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with February being about the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve.
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