This week for my New Testament course, the topic of study is the Holy Spirit's role in our Bible interpretation. I'll be blogging periodically regarding my thoughts on this important aspect of hermeneutics. But to begin, I appreciate what Bernard Ramm notes as he speaks with reference to 2 Cor 4:3-4:The Text:
2 Corinthians 4:3-6 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
Ramm's Comment:
When our minds are blinded by the god of this world, everything we read in the New Testament may be equivocated, e.g., 'we are not sure of the Greek,' 'there is a parallel in the mystery cults to this,' 'this is a piece of Judean tradition,' 'this is but Paul's imagination,' or, 'this is a churchy interpolation.' Then, in the midst of our equivocations, God speaks: Let there be light! Immediately this creaturely equivocation ceases; unbelief burns itself out in a moment; and there before the eyes of our hearts stands Jesus Christ giving the light of the knowledge of the glory of God on his blessed face (v.6).Amen.
