Spiritual Hermeneutics

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.- 1Cor 1:21-24;
and again,
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.- 2:13-14.

There are the rules of language, there are proper approaches to interpreting a given text of whatever book in the world we may discuss. But if we hold that the Scriptures are the very Word of God, do the same rules always apply? And I'm not saying that they don't- please hear this. But the Scriptures are "multi-layered"- like an onion if you will. An example of this are the Jews in their traditional, and mystical approaches to Scriptural hermeneutics. Christianity, prior to modern "higher criticism", also adopted these approaches: 1) literal; 2) figurative; 3) allegorical; 4) spiritual; to these standard approaches may be added: 5) parabolic; 6) typological; 7) gematria; and 8) cryptological (?).

Fundamentally, the truth, let alone the life, of Scriptures cannot be arrived at scholastically, by the ability of the dianoia-mind. While the Scriptures are forced into pseudo-scientific constraints, and imposed delimitations after the natural (soulish) mind, the spirit man is left starving, and the carnal mind proud.

Contrariwise the approach to Spiritual hermeneutics as taught in Scripture Itself, there are at least 4 fundamental necessities:
1) The Holy Spirit Himself;
2) Spiritual discernment;
3) Comparing spiritual with spiritual: Scripture interprets Scripture (note how the Old Testament Scriptures are interpreted by the apostle Paul, and all the writers in the New Testament); and,
4) The preaching of the Cross of Calvary: we may look at the crucifixion of Christ on the cross, the truths thereof, as the "key" to ALL Scripture on all levels.

A final word on spiritual hermeneutics:
A person will hear Scripture on at least 1, or more of 3 levels as exemplified when the Father spoke to His Son from heaven (Jn 12:28), The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.- v.29. Thus in accordance to one's spiritual growth (not "intellectual") when God speaks, as He does in Scripture, what is heard will either be heard, but sealed up as thunder (Rev 10:3-4), heard from the medium of an angel (messenger) as it were, or the voice of God Himself, directly and noetically (gnosis).


Peace.