Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 04025 There is a real difference between reading the Bible as a piece of ancient literature and reading it as the living Word of God speaking into your situation. That difference is not primarily about intelligence or education. It has everything to do with the Holy Spirit’s work of illumination, the ministry by which…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 04120 Jesus’s words in John 16:8-11 describe the Holy Spirit’s work in relation to the world: “when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgement.” This is one of several works the Spirit performs, and it is distinct from His illuminating ministry within believers. Recognising the difference is practically…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 01148 One of the most practically significant questions in contemporary Christianity concerns the difference between the Holy Spirit opening a person’s mind to understand what Scripture already says, and the claim that the Spirit provides fresh revelation that goes beyond or supplements the biblical text. Getting this distinction right matters enormously for how Christians…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 01149 There is a beautiful coherence to the doctrine of Scripture that is sometimes missed in debates about inspiration and interpretation. The same Holy Spirit who oversaw the production of the biblical text is the Spirit who opens the minds of believers to receive it. The Spirit who breathed out the words is the…