The Role of the Holy Spirit in Hermeneutics


1. The Spirit's ministry in Biblical interpretation does not mean He gives new revelation. His work is always through and in association with the written Word of God.

2. The role of the Spirit in interpreting the Bible does not mean that one's interpretations are infallible. Inerrancy and hence infallibility are characteristics of the Bible’s original [authors and] manuscripts, but not of the Bible’s interpreters. [Inspiration (of the text) must be carefully distinguished from illumination (of the reader).]

3. The work of the Spirit in interpretation does not mean that He gives some interpreters a mental ability for seeing truths under the surface that are not evident to other dedicated Bible students. [If an interpretation is valid, others will also be able to see it and affirm it.]

4. The role of the Holy Spirit in Bible interpretation means that the unregenerate do not welcome and apply God's truth though they are able to comprehend many of its statements cognitively. [Biblical ‘knowledge’ has an experiential or personal dimension.]

5. The Spirit's role in hermeneutics does not mean that only Bible scholars can understand the Bible. The Bible was given to be understood by all.

6. The Holy Spirit's role in interpreting Scripture requires spiritual devotion on the part of the interpreter.

7. The Holy Spirit in interpretation means that lack of spiritual preparedness hinders accurate interpretation.

8. The role of the Spirit in interpretation is no substitute for diligent study. [The Holy Spirit usually works in and through careful Bible study and prayerful meditation on God’s Word.]

9. The Spirit's work in Biblical interpretation does not rule out the use of study helps such as comment-aries and Bible dictionaries.

10. The ministry of the Holy Spirit in Bible interpretation does not mean interpreters can ignore common sense and logic. ...The Spirit (of Truth!) does not guide into interpretations that contradict each other.

11. The place of the Holy Spirit in interpreting the Bible means that He does not normally give sudden intuitive flashes of insight into the meaning of Scripture.

12. The Spirit's ministry in interpreting the Bible is included in but not identical with illumination.

13. The role of the Spirit in scriptural interpretation does not mean that all parts of the Bible are equally clear in meaning.

14. The Spirit's work in interpretation does not result in believers having a comprehensive and completely accurate understanding of the entire Scriptures.



[Taken from Roy B. Zuck, “The Role of the Holy Spirit in Hermeneutics,” BibSac 141 (1984): 120-130]