Issue #2: Spiritual Reading of Scripture

Previous Issue: Christian Spirituality—First Things

Have you ever noticed how people interpret Scripture differently? This happens for many reasons. We all bring our theological traditions and personal experiences to the text—our culture, family, and even our emotions shape our reading. Our previous encounters with a passage of Scripture can also influence how we understand it. So, we bring our own context to Scripture, whether we like it or not, which means that it’s difficult for us to remain objective and neutral when reading the Bible. In this blog, I’ll introduce you to the considerations for interpreting Scripture, and then we will look at the Holy Spirit’s role in Scripture and the part he plays in the interpretive journey. Next, I’ll discuss how the reading of Scripture is in some sense sacramental. I’m sure you are starting to see spiritual progression here. Lastly, I’ll highlight mystical insights into Scripture. Let’s get started with Biblical interpretation and context.

Interpreting Scripture

There are two kinds of biblical contexts: the first is the literary context. This is the context within the biblical book. For example, the genre or type of literature of the passage, the flow of argument of the book, grammar, syntax, and the meaning of the words, sentences, and paragraphs that surround the passage. The second is the historical-cultural context. This is information that usually sits outside the text and helps us understand the passage. For example, information about the biblical author and his audience, the date that it was written, the circumstances of the author and his audience, and their relationship. Other important details might include social, religious, economic, political, geography, architecture, agriculture, and so on. Our interpretation and understanding of any biblical text should be consistent with the context of the passage we are reading; after all, context determines meaning. We will surely twist the Scriptures if we ignore context, which in turn will result in a muddled understanding of Scripture and even false teaching.

As we approach the Bible, we need to be aware of our preunderstanding of the biblical passage, be open to changing our preunderstanding, and be humble and submit ourselves to the authority of God’s Word because the Bible is the inspired Word of God. The Bible is trustworthy and true; it’s unified yet diverse, despite its tensions.

The Holy Spirit’s Role in Scripture

There is a fine line between a spiritual reading of Scripture and spiritualizing Scripture. Think of it like this: Spiritual reading seeks the divinely intended spiritual meaning of a biblical text, interpreting it in line with its context and submitting to the Holy Spirit’s guidance with the purpose of personal transformation in mind. Spiritualizing Scripture, on the other hand, usually disregards the biblical context and imposes one’s subjective interpretations. This contradicts the intended meaning of the original author. To put it more plainly, spiritual reading seeks to draw out the inherent spiritual truth, while spiritualizing inserts personal or allegorical meanings.

So, avoid fanciful imagination and excessive use of symbolism that is foreign to the original intended meaning of the selected passage. To help us with this, we can invite the Holy Spirit to illuminate the truth of Scripture and its meaning to us (John 16:12–14). While he may certainly help illuminate Scripture, the Holy Spirit also expects us to use our intellect to engage properly with interpretive methods to bring the meaning of the biblical passage to bear on our lives. He uses Scripture to convict us, to impress the meaning of Scripture on our lives, and to encourage spiritual growth.

Scripture as Sacrament

While careful Bible study is essential, we must remember that Scripture is not just an academic text—it is also a place of encounter with God. When we engage with spiritual reading of Scripture, we want to be aware of all that I’ve said above, and yet we want to allow space for the mystical or spiritual reading of Scripture and allow it to speak to us in a meaningful manner with the help of the Holy Spirit to deepen our faith and foster spiritual transformation.[1] I want to introduce you briefly to the work of three theologians who have developed valuable insights on the spiritual reading of Scripture:

Kevin Vanhoozer, in his excellent book, Mere Christian Hermeneutics: Transfiguring What It Means to Read the Bible Theologically, explains that the Bible is the medium by which God primarily chooses to speak to us, and therefore, to read Scripture is to encounter the personal voice of God, which is living and active.[2] The words of Scripture ought to awaken us to the reality of God.[3] This is why when we read, study, or meditate upon Holy Scripture, we should adopt “the posture of prayer.”[4] While he acknowledges the technical aspects of reading Scripture, which he refers to as “Scholastic reading,” he also advocates for the spiritual reading of Scripture in search of God, that is, a “Monastic reading.” Vanhoozer explains that the medieval monastery combined the study of the grammar of the biblical text with its devotion to God. “The goal of the monastic reading culture,” he says, “was spiritual maturity, not the discovery of a single meaning,” fostering “a marriage of faith and reason.”[5] The first part of this blog introduced you to the technical aspects, namely the literary and the historical-cultural contexts, but later in this series, I’ll introduce you to the Monastic reading, namely, Lectio Divina, meaning “Divine Reading.” Lectio Divina is a simple technique for meditating on the Scriptures or praying the Scriptures.

Have you ever thought of reading Scripture as a sacrament? By sacrament, I mean that reading Scripture has a special kind of spiritual significance, that is, it’s a visible sign of an inward, spiritual grace. In other words, it’s a channel through which God’s grace is conveyed to the believing reader. I don’t mean to say that it’s the same as the sacraments of the Eucharist or Baptism, or any of the other sacramental rites. But there is no doubt of the real presence of Christ in the reading of Scripture. Hans Boersma picks up on this idea in his helpful book, Scripture as Real Presence: Sacramental Exegesis in the Early Church. He goes to great lengths to show how the ancient Church Fathers viewed Scripture as a sacrament.[6] He says that the understanding of the reading of Scripture as a sacrament is helpful because it reminds “us that God uses not only baptism and Eucharist but also many other activities, rites, objects, people, and celebrations to fill the church’s saints with grace.”[7]

I am sure you have felt at times that God was speaking to you personally through Scripture. This is why some theologians describe Scripture as sacramental—it’s a means of grace, a place where Christ meets us.[8] Jesus’s presence is experienced through the work of the Holy Spirit as he illuminates Scripture to us. In other words, he reveals himself to us through the words of Scripture.

Craig Carter also highlights the sacramental nature of Scripture in his book, Interpreting Scripture with the Great Tradition: Recovering the Genius of Premodern Exegesis. He writes, “Scripture participates in the sacramental reality of the spiritual realm as well as the material realm and is a suitable revelation to us creatures, who, made up of both bodies and souls, inhabit both the material and spiritual realms. So biblical interpretation involves both a vertical and a horizontal dimension.”[9] According to Carter, a responsible reader of Scripture:

1. Believes the Bible is divinely inspired and obeys its teachings.

2. Seeks the Holy Spirit’s guidance through prayer.

3. Studies the Bible deeply by reading, meditating, and praying over the text.

4. Views Scripture as a unified whole centred on Christ.

5. Avoids interpretations that contradict the plain sense of Scripture.

6. Seeks first the literal sense of Scripture while allowing for a fuller spiritual sense.

7. Ensures the spiritual sense grows out of the literal sense.

8. Ensures the meaning does not contradict the literary and historical-cultural contexts.

9. Has a deep and broad knowledge of all of Scripture.

10. Believes the Bible can be read and understood by ordinary laypeople who are willing to study diligently and to humbly seek the Spirit’s leading.[10]

Christian Mysticism in Scripture

Now that we have carefully considered how to interpret Scripture correctly, explored the Holy Spirit’s role in Scripture, and Scripture as Sacrament, I would like us to briefly consider Christian Mysticism in Scripture. Mystics interpret and connect with the Old Testament, particularly Psalms 16, 19, 27, 42, 63, and 139, with various themes like:

1. A Journey: Mysticism is seen as a path, guided by God, leading to eternal life.

2. The Presence of God: The concept of God’s presence is central, with mystics seeking to feel and experience it. This is often linked to the “face of God” in Scripture.  

3. The love between God and humanity: This is often expressed through metaphors of sweetness and beauty.

4. Longing for God: The Psalms express a deep yearning for God, even during periods of perceived absence and struggle.

5. Guidance: God is seen as a guide, leading and holding those who seek Him.

6. Awe and Fear: The “fear of the Lord” encompasses awe, respect, and understanding the consequences of disobeying divine law.[11]

Lastly, the New Testament builds upon the Old Testament’s foundation for Christian mysticism, focusing on the figure of Christ. These emphasize the intimate relationship between God, Christ, and humanity, focusing on the following themes:

1. The importance of prayer and asking: Matthew 7:7–8 is cited as a foundational principle, emphasizing the necessity of actively seeking God.  

2. Love and obedience to the commandments: John 14:21–23 connects love for God with keeping his commandments, stating that God will manifest himself to those who love him.  

3. Union with God and Christ: John 14:20’s language of Christ being in the Father, and believers being in Christ and Christ in them, is highlighted as central to Christian mystical thought.  

4. The vine and branches metaphor: John 15:5–6 emphasises the essential connection between believers and Christ, and the importance of bearing fruit (good deeds).  

5. Jesus’s prayer for unity: John 17:25–26 is a powerful expression of Jesus’s desire for believers to be united with him and the Father.

6. Paul’s experience in the third heaven: 2 Corinthians 12:2–4 focuses on the ineffability of mystical experiences and the limitations of language to describe them.

7. Crucifixion with Christ and life in the Spirit: Galatians 2:20 explores the paradoxical nature of mystical union and the tension between the self and Christ.

8. The fruit of the Spirit and the flesh: Galatians 5:22–25 contrasts the desires of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit, highlighting the struggle between these two aspects of human existence.

9.  Living in the Spirit: Romans 8:9–10 highlights the tension between flesh and spirit, emphasizing the importance of the Spirit’s presence in believers.[12]

I hope that the Bible will come alive as you and I begin to read it spiritually. As important as a more academic reading of the biblical text is, may the spiritual reading of Scripture form us and change the way we live and worship.

Task

For this task, I would like you to read the excerpt from The Mystics of the Church by Evelyn Underhill, focusing on Chapter 2, Mysticism in the Bible—St. Paul. Based on your reading, write a 300-word descriptive essay on St. Paul’s mystical experiences, reflecting on the impact they may have had on his life and teachings. You can find a copy here.

AI Disclaimer:

This article has been edited for grammar, clarity, and readability using AI-assisted tools. The core content, theological insights, and personal reflections remain my original work.

[1] The above is a summary of Parts 1–3 of Duvall, J. Scott, and J. Daniel Hays. 2020. Grasping God's Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible (4th ed.). Grand Rapids; Zondervan Academic.

[2] Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Mere Christian Hermeneutics: Transfiguring What It Means to Read the Bible Theologically (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2024), 9.

[3] Vanhoozer, Mere Christian Hermeneutics, 14.

[4] Vanhoozer, Mere Christian Hermeneutics, 15.

[5] Vanhoozer, Mere Christian Hermeneutics, 70–74.

[6] Hans Boersma, Scripture as Real Presence: Sacramental Exegesis in the Early Church (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2017), 53.

[7] Boersma, Scripture as Real Presence, 54.

[8] Boersma, Scripture as Real Presence, 54.

[9] Craig A. Carter, Interpreting Scripture with the Great Tradition (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2018), Ch. 6.

[10] Carter, Interpreting Scripture, Ch. 6.

[11] The Bible and Mysticism Part 1: The Old Testament, 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o087R5Xm5vk.

[12] The Bible and Mysticism Part 2: The New Testament, 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1pkeCA5_e8.