In my ongoing devotional wrestling reading through the book of Romans I arrive this morning at the eight chapter of Paul’s epistle. This chapter has several passages that are well-known to believers. Some of the passages most believers are familiar with are: “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus;” “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us;” and “If God is for us, who can be against us?” The chapter concludes with Paul’s inspiring expression of confidence in God’s ability and desire to preserve him to the end: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The passage that caught my attention for the longest, though, was in verses 26 and 27 where we read “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”

Browsing through my entirely-inadequate collection of books and commentaries I found a couple of possible explanations for what this passage teaches about the Holy Spirit’s role in prayer and in particular what the passage means by “groans that words cannot express.” Some teach that these groans are actually made by the Spirit Himself on our behalf while others teach that these are the groans of the believer as he cries out to God. The most plausible and defensible explanation is that these are the groans of the believer. Wayne Grudem (Systematic Theology, page 381-382) explains that the word translated “helps” (as in “the Spirit helps us in our weakness”) is the same word as is found in Luke 10:40 where Martha asks Mary to come and help her. This would indicate that the Holy Spirit does not pray instead of us, since Martha did not want Mary to work instead of her, but that He takes part with us and makes our prayers effective. It would also seem strange that the Holy Spirit would feel such distress that He would be reduced to groaning - a level of anguish that might be appropriate for humans, but would be entirely inappropriate for the Creator.

So what, then, does it mean that the Spirit helps us in our weakness, taking part in our prayers as we groan in ways that words cannot express? The clearest explanation seems to be that the Spirit helps make our prayers effective. The Spirit may bring to mind needs, desires and problems that we have been unable to express. He may help us to bring meaning and expression to our groanings before God. When we do not know what to say, but merely come before the Lord in brokenness, the Spirit makes our prayers effective in ways we may not even understand. He turns our groanings into fervent, effective prayer to the Father.

What an inspiration it is to know that when we do not know what to say, the Spirit Himself will help us, turning our groanings into effective prayer. What confidence it can give us that when words fail us, they do not fail the Spirit who knows the desires of our hearts better than we do. What a great God we serve that He would provide a way for us to cry out to Him even when we have no words to express our longings.

I will conclude with words penned by Charles Spurgeon: “We are to groan for glorification, but we are to wait patiently for it, knowing that what the Lord appoints is best. Waiting implies being ready. We are to stand at the door expecting the Beloved to open it and take us away to Himself. This “groaning” is a test. You may judge of a man by what he groans after. Some men groan after wealth—they worship Mammon; some groan continually under the troubles of life—they are merely impatient; but the man who sighs after God, who is uneasy till he is made like Christ, that is the blessed man. May God help us to groan for the coming of the Lord, and the resurrection which He will bring to us.”

There have been a couple of occasions on this site where I have written about the evangelical church’s apparent belief that unbelievers are really quite dumb. After all, we treat them as if they are unable to pay attention to anything for more than a few minutes, as if they are unable to enjoy any kind of music but what they hear on the radio and that they need pictures, excitement and multimedia to keep them interested in church. You can read more about this in my article Stupid Is As Stupid Does?.

I am currently reading The Word of God in English by Leland Ryken and he addresses this issue as it pertains to the Bible. He points out that the vast majority of Bible translations which rely on dynamic equivalence proceed from the belief that their targeted readers are essentially unintelligent. The translators pride themselves on writing at a level equivalent to junior high school or even lower. Some translations are aimed as low as a sixth grade reading level. He provides ample evidence that many magazines, books and newspapers write at a level significantly higher than that - many of them at a secondary or even post-secondary level. If the average North American is able to read and enjoy USA Today, Sports Illustrated and Christianity Today, why should Bible translations be targeted at a lower level?

Ryken believes it is a fallacy that most contemporary Bible readers have low intellectual and linguistic abilities, and if they read and enjoy magazines and newspapers, this must be true. He believes the average person is able to read, enjoy and understand text written at a late-secondary or even early post-secondary level. He also points out that people who are truly interested in a topic will allow themselves to grow so as to be able to further study. Many who are not at a sufficient skilled to read at a higher level, will make the effort to learn how to so they can enjoy what interests them.

Ryken’s comments are timely, for it was just the other day that I had a profound thought. Actually, to be honest it was not profound at all simply because it was so obvious. Here is the thought: the Bible is an ancient text. While on the one hand this is exceedingly obvious, on the other hand there are implications. If we truly believe in God’s sovereignty we must believe that He provided the Bible at the exact time and in the exact format He desired. He had the Bible written in ancient times in a way people living in an ancient time would understand. This begs the question: how are we to understand the Bible? Are we to understand it by understanding the people and culture in which it was written, or are we to attempt to fit it into our culture? Do we change our understanding, or do we change the Scripture to fit our understanding?

It seems clear that we should not seek to change the Bible. We have to believe that God’s Word, while it was meant to be translated, was not meant to be changed.

Bible translation is a difficult field and the job of a translator is not one I envy (though I would love to have such command of the Biblical languages). There are so many rules and nuances to those rules that must be considered. For example, are we to translate word-by-word or thought-by-thought? And beyond that, how do we translate idiom or metaphor? How do we translate cultural-specific language? These are questions that translators must face each time they look at the text. What I do know is that I would far rather have an exceedingly accurate translation of the Scripture and to the work to understand the culture myself than have a scholar or expert do this for me within the body of the Scripture’s text. When I read God’s Word I want to be sure, in so far as is possible, that what I am reading are His words, and not the interpretation of the meaning of those words.

Here is a relevant quote by John Skilton:

Far from pampering or patronizing the reader by reducing all things…the translator will not stand in the Bible’s way as it enlarges the reader’s horizon, acquaints him with a culture not his own, and challenges him to break the bonds of parochialism and insularity. He will not impede the Scriptures in their educative work; he will not try to bring the Bible down to where its readers may be; but will rather let the Bible bring them up to where it is.

I am enjoying Ryken’s book and it has been challenging me in many ways. I am reading it as part of the research I am doing for a series on different Bible translations this book will be invaluable for that purpose. Ryken served on the translation team for the English Standard Version and I must say that while I already respected that translation, I am even more intrigued by it now. I may have to add one to my ever-increasing Christmas/birthday list!

Revelation, inspiration and illumination are three critical concepts for Christians to understand. While most believers are at least vaguely familiar with the concepts surrounding revelation and inspiration, it seems far fewer understand illumination. We will seek to remedy that today.

It is important that we keep these concepts apart in our minds. We must not confuse them, for they are in no way synonymous. We will look at revelation and inspiration briefly and then turn to illumination.

Revelation

God has revealed Himself to humans in two ways. The first way is known as "Natural Revelation." The word "natural" speaks about nature, so the first way God has revealed himself is through nature - through what He has created. Since we cannot see God, to learn about Him we must see Him indirectly in what He has made. For example, if I am a being that God created, I can surely learn something about God by looking at myself. Similarly I can learn about God from nature. I see that the universe is orderly and not chaotic and this teaches me about God's character. If God created the universe, I can deduce that He is a God of order and not chaos. Similarly, I can learn from nature that God loves beauty and variety.

The second way God has revealed Himself is through "Special Revelation." This includes direct verbal communication such as Adam and Eve enjoyed before the fall, prophecy, God becoming man through Jesus Christ and finally, the Bible. Most of what we learn about God is contained in The Bible. The Bible tells us much about God that natural revelation does not - who He is, what He has done and how He interacts with humans. While we may know of God's existence through natural revelation, we can only be saved by what we learn through special revelation.

Inspiration

The Bible was written by humans under the direct inspiration of God. To understand inspiration it is good to examine what this does not mean. First, it does not mean that it was written in a clever way or by a brilliant person. We may say that Dickens' A Christmas Carol is an inspired story, but this is not what we mean when speak of the Bible being inspired. Second, this does not mean that God gave people thoughts and ideas that they then expanded upon and wrote down. Third, this does not mean the words are the words of men and only become God's words as we read them and as He helps us understand them. Fourth, it does not mean that the people acted like robots are wrote down God's words without thought or feeling. If that had been the case we would not be able to explain the different styles and personalities that are evident in the various authors.

So what does it mean that God inspired men to write the Bible? To understand this, we must understand (as we spoke about in a previous day) that God is eternal and all powerful. God arranged and formed the lives of the people who wrote the Bible so that he was in control of their backgrounds and their personalities. It means that God used people; their thoughts, experiences, backgrounds and personalities, to write His words. If they spoke in simple words it was because God had dictated that they would not be highly educated. If they spoke in complex words and argued their points with great clarity, it was because God had dictated that they would be highly educated. The words they chose were the words God had determined from eternity that they would use. The author's words were their own, yet at the same time, because God had so directed their lives, they were His words too.

Inspiration, then, is what God used to transmit to us the special revelation contained in the Bible.

Illumination

These concepts lead to one further concept which receives far less attention than the other two. Illumination refers to God's work in the lives of believers to make us able to believe and understand the words of the Bible. This does not mean the Spirit gives us new revelation - rather He applies to our lives the truths contained in His existing revelation. While illumination depends on prior revelation, it must be differentiated from it. You and I cannot expect God's direct special revelation in our lives. Instead we have the privilege of looking to his full and final revelation in the Scripture and having assurance that the Spirit will illumine those words for us. Many Christians confuse these. When they suddenly come to understand a deep truth in Scripture, they may believe that God has spoken to them, seemingly indicating a type of revelation. What has happened, though, is that God has illumined their hearts to understand a truth from His word.

We see many examples of God's illumination in the Bible. King David, in writing Psalm 119 asked the Lord "Give me understanding, that I may observe your Law." In the twenty fourth chapter of Luke Jesus, when appearing to the disciples after His resurrection, "opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures." Following His ascension, He sent the Holy Spirit to be our guide and to illumine the Scriptures for us. Paul referred to this many times, often praying that his readers would experience it. Perhaps the clearest example is in Ephesians 1:17-18 where we read "…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints…" Today we continue to experience the privilege of having the Holy Spirit work through us to bring light to the Scriptures.

Illumination is what separates believers from unbelievers when we read the Bible. An unbeliever may read the word and view it merely as a religious or historical document, much like I would read the Koran or the Book of Mormon. But when a Christian reads the Bible, the Spirit guides him to see not merely history and religion, but the very words of God. And even more important, He allows the person to apply the great truths of the Bible to his life. He initiates change through the words of the Scripture. Being a Christian, then, is a necessary prerequisite for the Spirit's illumination.

I would like to address a couple of misconceptions regarding illumination. It would be easy to think that with the Spirit's help we can understand everything the Bible contains, but this is not necessarily so. We know there are some concepts that are too great for us and that God has chosen to remain hidden to us. For example, with the Spirit's illumination we can see the Trinity in the Bible, but we can never truly understand the inner workings of the godhead and truly comprehend how three can be one. Similarly we may not ever know why God allows certain events to happen while keeping other ones from ever taking place.

We might also wistfully think that the illumination of the Spirit precludes us from doing thorough, carefully study of the Bible, but again, this is not so. While we trust the Holy Spirit to guide us as we study His word, we must still labor to fulfill the Bible's commands to "cut it straight" - to accurately handle the word. In this way we can have assurance that the Spirit has, indeed, helped us to see truth and not error. As with most other things in life, God still commands us to work hard and to dedicate ourselves to the task. Just as we would not sit back and expect God to provide for us financially when we refuse to do useful labor, in the same way we should not expect Him to illuminate the Word for us when we are not diligent in seeking the truth.

Conclusion

So let's make this practical. What does the concept of illumination really mean to the average layperson?

First, it gives us assurance that God can and will speak to me through His word. I do not need to rely on my own intellect, but can have confidence that God Himself is working in and through me to bring light to the words of the Scripture. I do not need to rely on experts to tell me what the Bible says, but can rely on God Himself to tell me.

Second, I must seek the Spirit's illumination when I study the Scripture. I should invite Him to guide me as I read and continually turn to Him, asking Him to help me when I am stuck or perplexed.

Third, I must be diligent in my studies. The Spirit works through my efforts, not apart from them. If I am not properly engaged in studying the word, I can not expect Him to help me.

As Christians we believe that the Bible is the word of God. We believe it is, as it says of itself, "living and breathing, sharper than a two-edged sword." We believe that the Bible is the greatest revelation of God - despite the incredible beauty of nature, it pales in comparison to what we find in the Scriptures. Only in the Scriptures do we have the very words of life. It is strange, then, that so many Christians have such trouble dedicating themselves to reading and studying the Bible.

I thought this may be an interesting topic that the community (that's you, the reader) could get involved with. Today I am going to share some of the things I have learned about studying the Scriptures - techniques, study aids and so on. But in studying the Bible I am but a novice, so I am counting on others to provide input. In the tips I provide I am not referring to the type of study a pastor might do in preparation for a sermon, but rather the type of daily study most Christians endeavor to devote themselves to.

I do not believe there is only one correct way to read the Bible. Diversity is good. What works for one person may not work for another, hence the value of having many people share what they have learned works for them. As an aside, I do believe there are many wrong ways to study the Bible, so we can try to point out some of those as well.

Tools

Use your Bible - It is best to consistently use one translation, and even better, one Bible. You will find that after weeks, months and years of studying your Bible, it becomes like an old friend. You will remember passages based on where they appear in your Bible - passages you might not be able to find in any other Bible. Having a Bible you can write in is also a good thing, as it allows you to jot down notes and references. While I think there is value in having a small Bible that you can carry with you when you are out and about, I think a full-sized Bible is best for studying. After all, who wants to squint at tiny print first thing in the morning!

Use a good translation - There are many more poor translations than good ones. Familiarize yourself with the difference between thought for thought translations, dynamic equivalency and paraphrases. I prefer the New King James Version but also recommend the English Standard Version, the New American Standard Bible and the New International Version. Avoid paraphrases such as The Message and The Living Bible for devotional study.

Read with a pen - Even if you do not intend to take copious notes, try to have a pen and paper handy. I think we can all remember times we discovered something profound in the Bible but forgot it by the time we got off the couch. Jotting these things down will help us remember them and give us something to turn to later. For those of us who blog, the back page of a notebook will soon contain 101 great ideas for an article.

Preparation

Be consistent - Reading in a consistent place and at a consistent time will help build the habit. Quiet is good. Teach your children (and even your spouse) that you'd prefer not to be disturbed while you are having time with God.

Pray - Never study the Bible without first praying for the Spirit's guidance and illumination. God promises that the Spirit will illuminate the words for us, so seek that before you begin.

Be humble - The ultimate humility, the most important humility, is to be humble before the Word. Allow yourself to let go of pride in yourself before you begin to read. Let down your guard so the Holy Spirit can convict you. Ask God to convict and change you through the reading of the Word.

Techniques

Bible in a year - There are many programs out there that will guide you through reading the Bible in a year. Most often they combine passages from the Old Testament, the New Testament and Proverbs each day. While there is a lot of reading to do each day using this message, there is great value in ensuring you read all the books of the Bible - even those little Minor Prophets that we always seem to overlook.

Thirty Days In a Book - John MacArthur recommends reading a single book every day for thirty days and suggests 1 John as a good one to start with. I guarantee that by the end of the thirty days you still will not know everything there is to know about the book. For longer books, divide them into sections of 7 or 8 chapters and read each section for thirty consecutive days.

Mix it up - Sometimes it is nice to read ten or fifteen chapters at a time. There is nothing wrong with reading Genesis in two sittings. As a matter of fact, reading a book quickly provides an excellent overview. If you wish you can then return to the book in more depth. Sometimes, though, it is nice to spend an entire session on a single verse. You might be able to spend an hour trying to plumb the depths of just a single sentence. So mix it up.

Recommended Books

Many, many books have been written to help Christians learn to study the Bible. Of course the majority are poor, but here are a few I recommend (links go to my reviews of these books):

How To Interpret The Bible By Yourself by Richard Mayhue.

How To Get The Most From God's Word by John MacArthur.

Knowing Scripture by R.C. Sproul.

How To Study Your Bible by Kay Arthur is an excellent treatment of the inductive Bible study approach.