Tag: Bible Study

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Scripture Spiritual Growth

The Illuminated Bible

Since the quarantine, I’ve been teaching through the book of Romans online in daily chapels four days per week. I’ve loved being back in Romans! (The talks are collected on our Videos page)

It has been a strong reminder of the opportunities we all have to simply share the Scriptures, to unfold their truth, and to trust God for the results.

Prepare to Be Illuminated

I prepare each day’s chapel message by praying for God to give me illumination. I want to be illuminated by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 2:14) so that I can understand the day’s passage. JI Packer described illumination in this way:

It is not a giving of new revelation, but a work within us that enables us to grasp and to love the revelation that is there before us in the biblical text as heard and read, and as explained by teachers and writers. Sin in our mental and moral system clouds our minds and wills so that we miss and resist the force of Scripture. God seems to us remote to the point of unreality, and in the face of God’s truth we are dull and apathetic. The Spirit, however, opens and unveils our minds and attunes our hearts so that we understand (Eph. 1:17-18; 3:18-19; 2 Cor. 3:14-16; 4:6). As by inspiration he provided Scripture truth for us, so now by illumination he interprets it to us. Illumination is thus the applying of God’s revealed truth to our hearts, so that we grasp as reality for ourselves what the sacred text sets forth.

Concise Theology

Illumination is essential to sound biblical understanding.

Be Careful

Without this illumination, my historical-grammatical hermeneutic will make me become foundered like a horse that eats too much grass without digesting it properly. What ought to be nutritious (the Word of God) becomes too potent and powerful if it is not taken in with humility (James 4:10, 1 Pet 5:6) and faith (Heb 11:6).

We need to take care to read the Scriptures, asking for them to be illuminated to us. Jeremiah announces:

Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

Jeremiah 23:29

For this reason, I want to pray for illumination when I am prepping studies in the book of Romans or working through any portion of Scripture.

The Lion Has Roared

Famously, Amos described the revelation of Scripture from God as being like the roar of a lion. Amos said:

The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken; who can but prophesy?”

Amos 3:8

This reminds us that the spiritual dynamic of God’s revealed word will impel us to spiritually respond. Now a prophet like Amos would respond by prophesying. A non-apostle, non-prophet like us today would simply respond in believing obedience to start with, and then Spirit-empowered witness flowing out of that.

Charles Spurgeon has been misquoted about this biblical analogy. But what he did say was this:

“Suppose a number of persons were to take it into their heads that they had to defend a lion, full-grown king of beasts! There he is in the cage, and here come all the soldiers of the army to fight for him. Well, I should suggest to them, if they would not object, and feel that it was humbling to them, that they should kindly stand back, and open the door, and let the lion out! I believe that would be the best way of defending him, for he would take care of himself; and the best ‘apology’ for the gospel is to let the gospel out.”

Christ and His Co-Workers, 1866 sermon

The Scriptures are like a lion’s roar, and we ought to ask for God’s illuminating protection (!) as we read the bible.

This is the kind of illuminated bible study I want to do as I study the book of Romans. I pray that you will be illuminated too.

If you’ve read this far, could you answer a few quick questions for me?

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We are considering switching to a subscription-based newsletter that gives us more freedom to talk directly to our small (!) group of readers. It makes it easier, and more worthwhile for us to speak about our home life, our opinions (politics!), and share personal stories as well as ministry resources. We would also release special e-books which we are editing, but bypassing the traditional publishers. Subscribers would get exclusive access to all that stuff…

Let me know your thoughts. You can send me a note at clint.humfrey@gmail.com

Thank you for reading!

Categories
Christel Gospel

Studying Mark’s Gospel: Good News for Imperfect Disciples

Credit: Steve Halama

At Calvary Grace, our women’s group has been studying the gospel of Mark. No matter how many times I’ve read it, I still find the gospel astounding.

Jesus consistently taught his disciples that his mission was to suffer many things, to be rejected and killed, and then rise again on the third day (e.g. Mk. 8:31). But his disciples didn’t know what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it (Mk. 9:32). I can’t really blame them. The whole episode that Jesus undergoes is both too horrific to contemplate and also too wonderful to comprehend. It’s horrific because the blood Jesus shed seems gory to my modern sensibilities, and the payment he made seems unbearable. And yet without blood there is no remission of sins (Heb. 9:22). This impossibly bad news is also paradoxically the best news: every sinful thought or deed that God’s children have ever done (or ever will do) is paid for in full by his “once for all” sacrifice (Heb. 10:10).

Leading up to the cross, the depth of human depravity is starkly juxtaposed with Jesus’ sacrificial love for us. The problem of sin is not whitewashed in Christianity. Even Jesus’ closest companions and star disciples fail him at every turn. The disciples sleep when they should pray. One betrays Jesus. Peter denies him. Nowhere is it implied that if people are given enough opportunity, they can eradicate their own sin problem.

Even the women who knew Jesus best–Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome, Joanna and others (Lk. 24:10) who traveled with Jesus and provided for him “out of their means” (Lk. 8:2)—were momentarily paralyzed by fear when confronted with the empty tomb. These women would have heard Jesus teaching on his death and resurrection, they were eyewitnesses of the former brutality, and of his burial, but still did not understand that Jesus would rise. When confronted with the empty tomb “they said nothing to anyone for they were afraid” (Mk.16:8).

Jesus disciples were far from perfect. The fact of this is both depressing and wonderful. As I read these final pages in Mark, I’m rooting for them. I want them to do better, and yet, I relate to their imperfections. I’m afraid when I should rejoice. I’m asleep when I should be praying. I’m silent when I should be speaking. But Jesus didn’t come to save perfect people, he came to save sinners.

The religious leaders of the time accused Jesus of blasphemy because “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mk. 2:7) And yet, Jesus freely forgave sinners. Despite the unbelief of the Scribes and Pharisees, the gospel accounts all testify that Jesus is the Son of God, both fully God and fully man, and uniquely qualified to redeem humanity and provide deliverance from the weight of sin.

I’ve been a Christian for many years and I still can hardly grasp the gospel. The cost is both too great and too little. Jesus paid an inconceivably vast debt and I paid nothing at all. As the classic hymn says, “All the fitness He requireth. Is to feel your need of Him”.

Jesus came to save sinners, not those who imagine themselves spiritual superstars. When the religious leaders were angry with Jesus for eating with unworthy people (i.e. “sinners and tax collectors” (Mk. 2:16)), Jesus replied, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mk. 2:17).

This is good news for imperfect people. Yes, sin is a great problem.  But Jesus is a greater Saviour.