Does God help us understand the Bible? [99 in :99]

Does God leave me to my own devices to figure out how to understand the Scriptures, or does He offer some help? Let’s explore the answer to this question as we look at a doctrine called the illumination of Scripture.

God has blessed us with so many aids in understanding the Bible. In our time, we have more commentaries and interpretive tools at our fingertips than any previous generation. We even have software that lets us explore the meanings of biblical words and phrases in their original languages!

These are all incredible and very useful gifts, that play a significant role in how we understand the Bible. But as important as they are, we don’t rely solely on our Bible study tools, nor do we rely solely upon institutions and the work of generations of scholars.

God gives us something better to assist us… or maybe it’s better to say He gives us someone better: the Holy Spirit, who gives us wisdom to understand the truth of Scripture, and helps us see God’s plan to redeem the whole world develop on every page of Scripture. He is the One we ultimately rely on to understand God’s Word, because it is only through His illuminating work in our hearts and minds that we can fully grasp spiritual truth—especially that salvation is only possible through faith in Jesus Christ.

Aaron Armstrong

Aaron Armstrong is the Brand Manager of The Gospel Project, and the author of several books including Epic: The Story that Changed the World, Awaiting a Savior, and the screenwriter of the documentary Luther: the Life and Legacy of the German Reformer. Follow him on Twitter.

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