CHAPTER II

FAITH, REASON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

IN HERMENEUTICS

John T. Baldwin

Introduction

Interpreting the Scriptures properly is both a privilege and a humbling responsibility. The special
focus of this chapter is to discover biblical and theological principles that relate to the place of faith,
reason, spiritual powers, and the Holy Spirit in the hermeneutical process. The following approach rests
upon the unity and clarity of the Scriptures as a whole and upon the concept that the entire Bible is the
propositional, infallible Word of God. It assumes that what the text meant originally is, in principle, what
the text means for us today.

1. Faith and Reason in Hermeneutics

Faith and Reason in Dialog

Hermeneutics involves a rational process that utilizes the reasoning powers of the human intellect,
thereby assigning a central role to human reason in the interpretation of Scripture. However, a series of
questions addresses reason and faith as related to hermeneutics. Are the truths open to discovery by reason
commensurable with the truths of faith? Is discourse between the two realms possible? Moreover, is reason-
—understood as the human power to think, to deliberate, to solve problems, to distinguish, to judge, and to
choose freely—either a fully trustworthy power or the sole factor in the interpretation of the written Word of
God? What effect might sin have upon human reason? Moreover, can reason be influenced either positively
or negatively by supernatural powers perhaps even unknown to the interpreter?
On the other hand, does faith—understood as a divinely inspired trust in, and commitment to, God and
to the canonical Scripture as the authoritative Written Word of God—play a role in hermeneutics as well? If
so, what is its role and how does this kind of faith relate to reason in hermeneutics?
Moreover, are there limits to human reason in hermeneutics? If so, what are they, and upon what are
they grounded? If faith and reason seem to clash regarding a particular interpretation of Scripture, how
shall the tension be resolved? Should either faith or reason have the final authority in such instances? If
so, on what basis could either be granted final authority?
These issues are so basic that they have received major attention throughout the Christian era and
continue to be vigorously discussed.

Faith, Reason, and Evidence

On the one hand, in discussing faith and reason there is a sense that, in some fashion, it is good to
take account of criticism through rational analysis. Peter urges believers to be prepared to present a
“reason” or a “defense” to anyone who asks questions regarding some Christian position (1 Pet 3:15).
This implies the importance of evidence in relation to belief and, hence, seems to endorse, in some

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fashion, what has been called “warranted Christian belief.” 1 While the Christian may not have
demonstrable proof as warrants for beliefs, the existence of sufficient evidence may be expected. Ellen
White has described the relationship between evidence and faith as follows:

God never asks us to believe, without giving sufficient evidence upon which to base our faith. His
existence, His character, the truthfulness of His word, are all established by testimony that appeals to our
reason; and this testimony is abundant. Yet God has never removed the possibility of doubt. Our faith must
rest upon evidence, not demonstration. Those who wish to doubt will have opportunity; while those who
really desire to know the truth will find plenty of evidence on which to rest their faith (SC105).

On the other hand, in discussions of faith and of reason, we also recognize the value of personal faith,
experiencing the self-authenticating power of the Holy Spirit upon the mind. The question arises: What is
the relationship between reason, faith, and the Holy Spirit? Could the answer be that these elements are
related functionally? The Holy Spirit draws us through the evidence. This amplifies the importance of
the reasoning powers respecting evidence, particularly textual evidence. It also endorses the necessary
contemporary work of God as leading to truth through the evidence. However, are the human reasoning
powers always and fully dependable? This question introduces us to the following discussion of the
distinction between unregenerate and regenerate human reason.

Unregenerate Reason Versus Sanctified Reason in Hermeneutics

According to the biblical worldview the human rational power, reason, or mind consistently is
characterized as impacted by sin. Describing the natural rational power as the “heart,” Jeremiah claims
that it is “more deceitful than all else and desperately sick” (Jer 17:9, NEB). Can this “sick” natural
reason that, according to the Word of God, loves “uncleanness, covetousness” and “foolish talking and
jesting” (Eph 5:3-4, NKJV) and other works of “darkness” (Eph 5:8) interpret the Bible correctly? Paul
responds as follows to this question: “The natural man, [unchanged reason, or rationality] 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” (1 Cor 2:14, KJV).
Paul admonishes his listeners to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove
what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom 12:2). This passage seems
to suggest that a renewed reason is required for a person to understand properly the will of God. Paul
equates the renewing of the mind with the “regeneration by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). Ellen G. White
concurs: “The grace of Christ is needed to refine and purify the mind” (RH, Sept. 23, 1884, p. 609).
This raises the question of whether faith or reason should hold priority in hermeneutics when
apparent conflicts arise between these two contrasting ways of knowing.

The Priority of Faith Over Reason in Hermeneutics

The NT, in particular, addresses this issue. Using military metaphorical language, Paul admonishes
his hearers to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor 10:5, NKJV). The
implication is that the teachings of Christ, as found in the Scriptures, are to be elevated in authority over
competing claims of human reason. In other words, all thoughts, whether geological, philosophical, or
theological, will resonate with, and thus be “captive to” the teaching of Christ.

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 Placing faith above reason in this fashion prepares the Christian to be willing to deny the evidences of
the human senses if empirical phenomena appear to dispute some teachings of Scripture, e.g., Jesus
predicted counterfeit comings of future false Christs (Matt 24:24-27). In view of this, Ellen White asks,
“Are the people of God now so firmly established upon His word that they would not yield to the
evidence of their senses? Would they, in such a crisis, cling to the Bible and the Bible only?” (GC 625).
While it is important in instances of apparent conflict to place faith in the Bible and its claims above
those of secular human reasoning, we may need to confess temporarily and freely our current level of
ignorance in finding methods of resolving certain issues. However, we also may rest by faith on the
assurance that when God finally reveals all things in the new earth, genuine harmony will be seen in
matters that now appear dissonant and irreconcilable. 2 We turn now to a discussion of spiritual
hermeneutical influences.

2. The Cosmic Conflict and Hermeneutics

In addition to the impact of sin upon human reason, accepting a literal interpretation of Scripture
highlights reasons why it is difficult, if not impossible, for the natural mind to interpret the Bible correctly.
Fallen spiritual powers, Satan and his angels, can influence the exegete. This is particularly true when the
biblical interpreter denies that these fallen supernatural powers exist as real beings, able to influence the
mind, and allegorizes them into mere symbols of evil. 3 The attempts of Satan and evil angels to redirect
interpretations of the Bible cannot be dismissed. We must also consider the positive hermeneutical role of
the holy angels upon humans. While the effect of these forces is easily overemphasized, in hermeneutics
we need to be sensitive to the influence of both holy and unholy angels.

The Positive Hermeneutical Influence of Holy Angels

In some biblical passages angels are commissioned to work with specific individuals in understanding
the Word of God. A classic example is recorded in Daniel 8 in which Gabriel is sent to “give this man
[Daniel] understanding of the vision”(Dan 8:16). In the following chapter Daniel asks for further
assistance and receives it; Gabriel tells him, “I have now come forth to give you insight with
understanding. . . . give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision” (Dan 9:22-23).
Angelic assistance in hermeneutics appears also in the NT. Speaking to Mary and to the other women
at the empty tomb, an angel says, “Remember how He spoke to you . . . that the Son of Man must . . . be
crucified and the third day rise again” (Luke 24:6-7). Here an angel not only helps them remember the
words of Jesus but assists them to understand the true meaning of Christ’s words.
Do angels give the same kind of assistance today through their ability to impress human minds? Mrs.
White wrote, “If you come to the study of the Scriptures in humility, with earnest prayer for guidance,
angels of God will open to you its living realities” (ST, Sept. 18, 1893, p. 6). More specifically, she states
that, “Angels are round about those who are willing to be taught in divine things; and in the time of great
necessity they will bring to their remembrance the very truths which are needed” (GC 599).
Ellen White also shares remarkable insights of the hermeneutical influence of heavenly angels in
post-apostolic times. When Luther discovered a whole Latin Bible in the library of the university, she
states: “Angels of heaven were by his side, and rays of light from the throne of God revealed the treasures
of truth to his understanding” (GC 122). Concerning William Miller we are told that “God sent His angel

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to move upon the heart of a farmer who had not believed the Bible, to lead him to search the prophecies.
Angels of God repeatedly visited that chosen one, to guide his mind and open to his understanding
prophecies which had ever been dark to God’s people” (EW 229).

The Negative Hermeneutical Influence of Fallen Angelic Powers

Using warfare imagery, Paul offers a broad comment regarding the impact upon humans of which
Satan is capable: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the
heavenly places” (Eph 6:12). Later, Paul unpacks some of the specific consequences of the warfare:
“But the Spirit explicitly says, that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to
deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Tim 4:1). This statement indicates that fallen angels have
the power to seduce human reason, and implies that they have power to originate doctrines ultimately
contrary to the Word of God. Commenting on this theme and passage, Merrill Unger, whose doctoral
dissertation examined biblical demonology, states: “Paul traces error to its real source in satanic and
demonic activity, rather than in the human agent.” 4
Satan himself plays a role in human misinterpretation of the Word of God. Paul seems to infer this
conclusion in the following passage: “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are
perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might
not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Cor 4:3-4). Satan possesses fatal hermeneutical
capabilities respecting the reasoning power of the biblical interpreter. This truth should strike a note of
caution in the mind of an interpreter of the Word of God. In this same context, Ellen White’s comment is
revealing:

When the word of God is opened without reverence and without prayer; when the thoughts and affections
are not fixed upon God or in harmony with His will, the mind is clouded with doubt; and in the very study
of the Bible, skepticism strengthens. The enemy takes control of the thoughts, and he suggests
interpretations that are not correct (GC 704-705).

Demonic supernatural ability to stir up human minds in order to produce improper expositions of the
Word of God represents a challenge indeed. If both good and evil angels can influence human minds (but
their identity is not revealed), how can one be sure about the validity of a resulting scriptural interpretation?
In response, the following statement by Ellen White provides important clues: “Those who turn from the
plain teaching of Scripture and the convicting power of God’s Holy Spirit are inviting the control of
demons” (DA 258). Expanding upon this theme, Ellen White offers the key to distinguishing the source of
the supernatural hermeneutical influence:

We should not engage in the study of the Bible with that self-reliance with which so many enter the domains
of science, but with a prayerful dependence upon God, and a sincere desire to learn his will. We must come
with a humble and teachable spirit to obtain knowledge from the great I AM. Otherwise, evil angels will so
blind our minds and harden our hearts that we shall not be impressed by the truth (4SP 417).

The quotation implies that rational beings may exercise their free will to adopt a humble, teachable,
and prayerful spirit, wholly dependent upon God, and so avoid demonic hermeneutical influence. White
develops this encouraging truth as follows:

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 The spirit in which you come to the investigation of the Scriptures will determine the character of the
assistant at your side. Angels from the world of light will be with those who in humility of heart seek for
divine guidance. But if the Bible is opened with irreverence, with a feeling of self-sufficiency, if the heart is
filled with prejudice, Satan is beside you, and he will set the plain statements of God’s word in a perverted
light (TM 108).

3. The Role of the Holy Spirit in Hermeneutics

The Holy Spirit Guides the Hermeneutical Process

The familiar words of Jesus that “when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the
truth” (John 16:13) place the Holy Spirit in basic charge of the hermeneutical process. Moreover, His
words also promise that the interpreter will be rewarded with the understanding of the truth sought. If one
is to discover truth, the ultimate cause will be the action of the Holy Spirit.
In addition, the guidance is common to all because the word “you” in this text is plural. This suggests
the value of community checks and balances regarding the nature and discovery of truth. In other words,
the Spirit of truth guides a community of believers into complementary, not contradictory, understandings
of a particular truth. This can guard against the unwarranted absolutization of a charismatic individual in
hermeneutics.
Biblical searching through regenerate reason, as displayed by the Bereans, indicates that
hermeneutical work involves a process characterized as “examining the Scripture . . . whether these things
were so” (Acts 17:11). This suggests a thematic comparative investigation of various biblical passages in
order to discover biblical teaching regarding a specific point in question. One text sheds light upon
another, suggesting not only the unity of Scripture but that the Scripture is its own interpreter.
Consequently, Scripture is not to be subjected to an alleged higher authority such as human tradition or
human reason.
It is precisely in the searching process of comparing one scripture with another that the Holy Spirit
plays an important role outlined by Ellen G. White: “It is the Holy Spirit’s office to direct this search and
to reward it” (1888 Materials, 4:1538). This being the case, it means that the most intense human
endeavors to interpret the Scriptures properly will, in the words of Ellen White, “prove an entire failure
unless the Lord Himself should by His divine power combine with the human agency. ‘Not by might, nor
by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts’ [Zech 4:6]” (4MR 310). This shows that the human
process of comparing scripture with scripture should be guided by the Holy Spirit.

The Transformed Mind and the Mind of Christ

The biblical interpreter must become a child of the Spirit to understand the things of the Spirit. In
Paul’s words, “we have received . . . the Spirit . . . that we might know the things freely given to us by
God” (1 Cor 2:12). In other words, the biblical interpreter needs to “be born of the Spirit” (John 3:6),
otherwise the “things of the Spirit” will forever remain, hermeneutically, foolishness to the natural, sinful
mind (1 Cor 2:14). This means that it is through the work of the Spirit that God prepares one’s mind for
biblical interpretation.
Having the Mind of Christ. Paul’s words, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (1
Cor 12:13), may indicate that the concept of being “born of the Spirit” (John 3:8) can be qualitatively

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compared to the concept of being “baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5). If so, the biblical interpreter
would do well to ask in faith and to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, thereby to be prepared
intellectually, morally, and emotionally to interpret the Word of God. This preparation by the Holy Spirit
is described by Paul as the transformation of the interpreter’s mind from a “fleshly mind” to the “mind of
Christ.”
A core hermeneutical passage in the whole of Scripture is found in Philippians 2:5. Here Paul urges
individuals to “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (KJV). In this passage the word
for “mind” in the Greek is phroneo, meaning, “to think, reflect,” or “set one’s mind.” Paul indicates that
he has “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16).
What is hermeneutically significant about having the mind of Christ? In North America a well-
known and relevant bit of fishing wisdom goes like this: “If you want to catch a fish, you need to think
like a fish.” When the necessary adjustments are made, this advice is perfectly fitting for biblical
hermeneutics. If one wishes to catch the real meaning of the Word of God or to interpret the Word of God
properly, the person needs to think like God. In order to think like God one needs to have the mind of
God. Is this feasible? Reaching out to this stunning goal is precisely the actual human possibility that
Paul addresses in the Philippian passage.
Elsewhere, Paul contrasts the mind of Christ in human beings with a haughty “fleshly mind” (Col 2:18),
also described as a “carnal mind,” or one “set on the flesh” (Rom 8:7). Paul indicates that both of these
minds are at enmity with God and his law (Rom 8:7) and that these types of minds cannot understand the
things of the Spirit (1 Cor 2:14).5 In other words, having a “fleshly mind,” or a “carnal mind,” is death to
sound hermeneutics.
Given the need for the biblical interpreter to have the mind of Christ in hermeneutics, how is the
unregenerate, natural, human “fleshly mind” changed into the “mind of Christ”? Again, Paul opens the
way for our thinking on this matter. We should not be conformed to this world, but we ought to be
“transformed by the renewing” of our mind (Rom 12:2). How does this renewing transformation occur?
In answering this question, Paul appeals to the work of the Holy Spirit in His new covenant blessing (2
Cor 3:3). According to Paul, the Holy Spirit will, upon request by any individual, and through the study
of the Scriptures, create the mind of Christ in the believer.
Veiling of the Natural Mind. Paul’s discussion of the blinding veil (2 Cor 3:14-18) has prompted
much scholarly comment.6 For our purposes we note that the basic point is that the contemporary biblical
interpreter also faces the challenge of this darkening veil. Paul describes its effect on the Jews of his day,
saying, “But their minds [ancient Israelites] were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old
covenant [in the minds of Jews in Paul’s day] the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in
Christ” (2 Cor 3:14).
What caused the change in the understanding of Christ from temporal king to Christ as crucified?
Paul answers this question: “But whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the
Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Cor 3:16-17). This passage
attributes the new interpretation squarely to the mighty work of the Third Person of the Godhead. Thus,
Paul seems to be suggesting that it is by the work of the Holy Spirit that the sinful, spiritually blind
interpreter is enabled to understand the OT as pointing forward to Christ crucified.

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The Holy Spirit Illuminates the Interpreter
Jesus offers a remarkable and encouraging promise regarding the hermeneutical power of the Holy
Spirit: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, . . . will . . . bring to your remembrance all that I said to you”
(John 14:26). What hermeneutical possibilities might these words carry? In light of this passage, the
Spirit can bring to the mind of the biblical interpreter explanatory teachings of Jesus found, for instance,
in the Sermon on the Mount and in the parables of Jesus.
Moreover, if that which the Holy Spirit brings to the mind of a biblical interpreter can be extended to
cover the entire corpus of God’s written Word, the Holy Spirit has the full range of the Old and of the New
Testaments from which to draw material to assist the interpreter. The key insight is that the biblical
exegete can know that, upon request, the Holy Spirit will bring to mind passages and biblical images that
otherwise might not be present. This is a significant, helpful hermeneutical promise showing the need for
faith in the Holy Spirit. It helps to show the spiritual rationale undergirding the truthfulness of the
following hermeneutical claim: “We need greater faith if we would have better knowledge of the Word”
(11MR 3).

Summary

Reason as a Tool. We have seen that the God-given gift of reason is to be endorsed strongly and
engaged rigorously in the hermeneutical process. Careful, circumscribed deep thinking and reflection is
essential to sound biblical interpretation. Reliance on the Holy Spirit must not replace the continuing
effort of human rational powers. These two realities are complementary, not mutually exclusive.
Although human reason is fallen, it can be sanctified by the Holy Spirit and become thereby fitted to
search humbly, willingly, and inductively all of the relevant Scriptures regarding a biblical matter. This
kind of research aids in reducing misinterpretations of Scripture.
Faith the Basis. The Bible supports the posture of faith seeking understanding as the proper approach
to the relationship of faith and reason. While reason and faith ideally are complementary in hermeneutics,
at times they appear to clash. In such instances the interpreter through faith will elevate the teachings of
Scripture above the claims of reason.
Spiritual Powers. A great controversy rages over the interpretation of Scripture. In our enlightened
age the hermeneutical influence of spiritual powers needs to be acknowledged. Unfallen angels and the
Holy Spirit seek to influence the mind of the interpreter of Scripture while, at the same time, evil angels
and Satan work to counter the heavenly influence.
The Spirit and Interpretation. The role of the Holy Spirit in hermeneutics is multidimensional in four
ways: (1) The Holy Spirit guides the hermeneutical process; (2) by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the
biblical interpreter is equipped with the mind of Christ and is prepared for the hermeneutical task with a
softened, unveiled mind, thereby made responsive to the guidance of the Spirit; (3) the Holy Spirit brings
biblical truths and images to the mind of the interpreter; (4) He illuminates the mind of the interpreter
with fresh meaning.
Divine Guidance. Without the supernatural assistance of the Holy Spirit and heavenly angels, there
can be no proper interpretation of the truths of Scripture, no matter how hard one engages the rational
powers. The Spirit who inspired the Bible is needed for its proper interpretation.

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 This conclusion underscores the interpreter’s need to commune constantly with the Holy Spirit,
requesting divine illumination and the influence of holy angels in order to understand and to apply
properly the treasures in the Old and in the New Testaments (Luke 11:13).
Again, above all, hermeneutics cannot be done alone. An interpreter of the Scriptures who, like Paul,
has the mind of Christ and humbly follows a hermeneutical process involving sanctified reason, is subject
to the influence of holy angels and the illuminating guidance of the Holy Spirit. For such an interpreter
the rewards are rich indeed.

References

Unless otherwise indicated, biblical quotations are from the New American Standard Bible.

1. See Alvin Plantinga’s massive influential work entitled, Warranted Christian Belief (New York: Oxford
University Press, 2000).
2. Cf. Jon Paulien, “The Final Deception: An Evil, Counterfeit Trinity Is Now Making Ready for War,”
Adventist Review, Oct. 29, 1998, p. 10.
3. See Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics, vol. III, part 3: The Doctrine of Creation (Edinburgh, T. & T. Clark,
1960), pp. 519-531; Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1951–1957),
1:134, 2:27; Rudolf Bultmann, “New Testament and Mythology,” in Kerygma and Myth: A Theological Debate, ed.
Hans Werner Bartsch, trans. Reginald H. Fuller (London: S.P.C.K., 1957), pp. 4-5.
4. Merrill F. Unger, Biblical Demonology (Wheaton, IL: Van Kampen Press, Inc., 1953), p. 166.
5. The hermeneutical implications of the biblical teaching regarding the “natural” human mind and the
regenerate mind receive insightful treatment in the following article: Frank Hasel, “Theology and the Role of
Reason,” Journal of the Adventist Theological Society 4, no. 2 (Autumn 1993): 72-198.
6. See Philip E. Hughes, Paul’s Second Epistle to the Corinthians; the English Text with Introduction,
Exposition and Notes, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans,
1962), pp. 110-121.

Selected Bibliography

Davidson, Richard M. “Biblical Interpretation.” In Handbook of Seventh-day Adventist Theology, ed. Raoul
Dederen, pp. 58-104. Hagerstown, MD: Review & Herald Publishing Association, 2000.
Dorman, Ted M. “Holy Spirit, History, Hermeneutics and Theology: Toward an Evangelical/Catholic Consensus.”
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 41 (1998): 427-438.
Erickson, Millard J. Evangelical Interpretation: Perspectives on Hermeneutical Issues. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker
Books, 1993.
Fuller, Daniel P. “The Holy Spirit’s Role in Biblical Interpretation.” In Scripture, Tradition, and Interpretation, ed.
W. Ward Gasque and William Sanford LaSor, pp. 189-198. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1978.
Hart, Larry. “Hermeneutics, Theology, and the Holy Spirit.” Perspectives in Religious Studies 14 (1987): 53-64.
Klooster, Fred H. “The Role of the Holy Spirit in the Hermeneutic Process: The Relationship of the Spirit’s
Illumination to Biblical Interpretation.” In Hermeneutics, Inerrancy, and the Bible, ed. Earl D. Radmacher and
Robert D. Preus, pp. 449-492. Grand Rapids, MI: Academie Books, 1984.
Koranteng-Pipim, Samuel. “The Role of the Holy Spirit in Biblical Interpretation: A Study in the Writings of James
I. Packer” (Ph.D. dissertation, Andrews University, 1998).
Pinnock, Clark H. “The Role of the Spirit in Interpretation.” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 36
(1993): 491-497.

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Richardson, Peter. “Spirit and Letter: A Foundation for Hermeneutics.” Evangelical Quarterly 45 (1973): 208-218.
Young, William G. “The Holy Spirit and the Word of God.” Scottish Journal of Theology 14 (1961): 34-59.
Zuck, Roy B. “The Role of the Holy Spirit in Hermeneutics.” Bibliotheca Sacra 141 (1984): 120-130.