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Originally Posted by matt.meisberger  I guess the reason I haven't felt overly pressed to begin a consistent daily unassisted bible reading if I'm reading from trustworthy men writing about the bible is that I read something in Hodge's systematic theology book 1 about mysticism in scriptural interpretation and he seems to say that the revealed word of God is objectively knowable to the mind and understanding of the scripture must come through reason or from a rational understanding and seems to be against the idea that the truth of scripture comes from the HS communicating to you on a non rational level. Quote: |
According to [mysticism], God, or the Spirit of God, holds direct communion with the soul; and by the excitement of its religious feelings gives it intuitions of truth, and enables it to attain a kind, a degree, and an extent of knowledge, unattainable in any other way... The mystical method, in its supernatural form, assumes that God by his immediate intercourse with the soul, reveals through the Feelings and by means, or in the way of intuitions, divine truth independently of the outward teaching of his Word; and that it is this inward light, and not the Scriptures, which we are to follow.
| So, should I read the naked Psalms rather than reading Treasury of David. Should I read I Corinthians 13 unassisted rather than reading "Charity and Its Fruits by Edwards"
Thanks for the replies.
Matt |
Matt, two points. One is that reading the Scriptures is not parallel to mysticism, per Hodge's definition that you quoted. Notice that he conceives of mysticism as assuming that divine truth is revealed independently of the outward teaching of God's Word; but that is not opposed to private reading, but rather to an "inward light". If someone says, "I don't need to read the Scripture because God wakes me up at 4:17 a.m. to talk with me," that would be mysticism. And the second ties right in to that observation. It need not be an either or. Should you read the Psalms instead of the Treasury of David? Why need it be an
instead? But let me ask, do you read Hodge directly or do you rely on secondary sources? Then again, do you expect to get the benefit of Hodge without any time spent to digest what he says? And so I would say
ad fontes, and that it is essential that you would meditate on Scripture for yourself (just as, I hope, you wouldn't let someone else chew your own food, even if you let them cook it for you).
More in general, I would ask how anything but a systematic personal reading of the word can guarantee that you are not neglecting some part of what is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness? And I would ask what the attitude of the Psalmist would lead him to do if he had the inestimable privilege of a complete copy of God's word?
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O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.
I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.
I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me.
How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.
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Psalm 119:97-104
If he didn't have a copy of the available Scriptures, it seems he must have been very diligent indeed in acquiring a knowledge of it some other way.
Saying that in history not all believers have had a copy of the Scriptures (or have been able to read at all) is of course true. But in that case two remarks further can be made. One is that they were providentially hindered. Another is that they would have (and their commitment to this goal proves it) counted it a great privilege to have that access. If you have the Psalmist's attitude towards Scripture (and if you don't, you should), and desire to know God's word as it deserves to be known, is there a more straightforward way to arrive at a mastery of it then a consistent use of it, through personal reading and meditation, the use of such helps as one has, and the attendance on the public reading and preaching of God's word?
No doubt this discussion could be drawn out to great length, and various objections could be raised, and on and on. But here are the facts: we all of us have a copy of the Scriptures. We all of us have liberty to read it. We all of us confess that it is God's word written. We confess that this book is able to make us wise unto salvation through faith that is in Christ Jesus. The logical next step is that we make a due use of all the ordinary means: those ordinary means include personal study, individual scrutiny, solitary meditation and systematic reading.
Personally, with regard to the balance, I read the Bible more than any other book, because I am constantly reading the Bible. There are many books I have reread and I trust many I will reread; but I read none of them constantly, except the apostles and prophets.