In theology, specifically in pneumatology (i.e., the doctrine of the Holy Spirit), there is an instruction known as illumination. According to those who endorse this doctrine, this teaching considers that the Holy Spirit is personally involved in assisting the believer in understanding God's word, as one website notes.
Illumination is that doctrine that describes the work of the Holy Spirit in helping the believer to understand God’s Word. Though regeneration is required to rightly understand the Word, while having spiritual eyes comes before having spiritual sight, they are not, strictly speaking, the same event. Rather illumination describes how the Spirit comes to us as believers opening up the Bible.
Sproul, R (2021). What is the doctrine of illumination? Retrieved from https://rcsprouljr.com/what-is-the-doctrine-of-illumination/
There are several points those who believe in this particular instruction highlight concerning illumination:
1) The illumination of the Holy Spirit is a lifelong process for the believer, and that illumination, through regeneration, begins before the unbeliever's conversion.
2) Illumination is not a shortcut to understanding Scripture. Even though the Holy Spirit illuminates a person's mind to understand Scripture, the person still has to study the Scripture to receive a thorough understanding of the text.
3) Illumination is a divine quickening of the mind by the Holy Spirit, enabling believers to understand the spiritual truths of God. This emphasis on the role of the Holy Spirit can inspire and guide believers in their spiritual journey.
4) Illumination requires a response from the believer to obey what the Holy Spirit revealed from the word of God.
5) Illumination involves the Holy Spirit's guidance in applying Scripture directly to the believer's personal life.
The doctrine of illumination is an instruction that is also underscored in the annals of church history. Augustine details the importance of the illumination of the mind with the following words:
The mind needs to be enlightened by light from outside itself, so that it can participate in truth, because it is not itself the nature of truth. You will light my lamp, Lord. None other than you is teacher of the truth, wherever and from whatever source it is manifest.
Cited by Pasnau, R (2024). Divine Illumination. Retreived from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/illumination/#Aug
The philosopher Thomas Aquinas also endorsed a process of illumination in the following statement below:
It is necessary to say that the human soul cognizes all things in the eternal reasons, through participating in which we cognize all things. For the intellectual light that is in us is nothing other than a certain likeness of the uncreated light, obtained through participation, in which the eternal reasons are contained. Thus it is said in Psalm 4, Many say, Who shows us good things? To this question the Psalmist replies, saying The light of your face, Lord, is imprinted upon us. This is as if to say, through that seal of the divine light on us, all things are shown to us.
Cited by Pasnau, R (2024). Divine Illumination. Retreived from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/illumination/#Aug
The statement in Scripture used to instruct the doctrine of illumination is First Corinthians 2:14-16. Paul wrote the following words to the believers in the region of Corinth.
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.
One thing to notice is that the statement starting in verse 14 begins with a Greek conjunction de (translated as "but"). This conjunction indicates that this is a continuation of Paul's thought. So, a noteworthy question is as follows: Where does the thought of Paul in this letter begin? The author would submit that the thought of Paul begins in First Corinthians chapter 1:11, which says
For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.”
Paul addresses the believers in Corinth concerning their quarrels with certain teachers, even though they all were teaching the same message from the same Source-Christ (First Corinthians 1:12-17). Paul went into detail discussing the message and how the Jews and Greeks found the message that Paul, Apollos, and Peter brought to these groups found it foolish. However, Paul encourages the Jewish and Gentile believers in Corinth that because they were convinced by the foolishness of the message Paul, Apollos, and Cephas were proclaiming, they were justified and made holy in the sight of God (First Corinthians 1:24-31). The main idea of Paul, at this point in the letter, is focusing on the unity of the message of Christ amongst the teachers.
To highlight the previous point, the Greek word translated "we" (hemeis) in this section of Paul's letter occurs three times (First Corinthians 1:23. 2:12, and 2:16). Additionally, Paul used the Greek conjunction κaγώ (kago), which is translated "and I" two times in this text (c.f., First Corinthians 2:1, 2:3). The personal possessive pronoun μου (mou) occurs once to refer to the message he gave the Corinthian believers (First Corinthians 2:4). Based on the language that Paul used, it would seem that the main point he was making was exclusive to the teachers (spec. himself, Apollos, and Cephas).
Another point is that all of the actions in this text that Paul writes are to the immediate audience within the letter. For example, Paul used the Greek word uμaς (humas), which is translated as "you" and occurs five times between chapters 1 and 2 (First Corinthians 1:7, 1:8, 1:10, 2:1, and 2:3). This informs us that the audience that Paul is addressing is the believers in Corinth. With these two points, it now seems reasonable to address First Corinthians 2:14-16.
Before verse 12, Paul discusses the Source of Paul's, Apollos, and Peter's wisdom: The Holy Spirit. Paul contrasted the human wisdom within the culture of Corinth, and the world at large (c.f., First Corinthians 2:6-11). Paul underscored that because of the Source of their message demonstrated, they had the Spirit of God, which gave them proper doctrine. Once more, this contrasts the human wisdom found within the culture at large (c.f., First Corinthians 2:13). Paul makes his point here in this statement below.
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
The Greek word for natural is ψυχικός (psychikos). This word is an adjective and only appears six times in the Greek Scriptures. This word describes the nature and character of the body that believers are in presently (i.e., natural) versus the body believers will receive when Christ appears (i.e., spiritual) (c.f., First Corinthians 15:44-16). James used this word to refer to contrast the quality of the wisdom that impacts the believer's perspective and conduct towards one another (c.f., James 3:15). With the use of this word with the connection of the Greek word aνθρωπος (anthropos) is using this adjective to describe a certain type of person. Paul explains that this type of person does not accept (or receive) the things of the Spirit of God (which Paul, Apollos, and Peter have). Then Paul stated that the messages God gave them in the Spirit were foolish. This Greek word translated as foolishness is the word μωρία (moria). This word only occurs in First Corinthians is the same word that appears in chapter one:
For the word of the cross is foolishness (moria) to those who are perishing, but to us whoare being saved it is the power of God. For it is written “I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE. Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness (moria) of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness (moria), but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
So it would appear, based upon the context and the use of the language, that those who are convinced that the things of God (i.e., the gospel) are foolish are those who have worldly wisdom or physical signs as thier primary perspective. This matter brings up Paul's last statement about the natural man. The natural man is not able to understand, not because they lack the ability to understand and they need to be illumined by the Holy Spirit but because thier natural (i.e., human) teaching influences them to see the wisdom God gave to Paul and others as foolish. This previous point is why the contrast between the natural and spiritual man is made. The natural man cannot examine spiritual things because the source of his wisdom is natural, whereas the spiritual man can examine all things because his wisdom comes from God.
The overall context of the Paul letter is not telling them that God will illuminate them as believers. Nor is he telling them that the spiritual man needs to continue becoming illumined by the Holy Spirit as they study His word. Paul, in one sense, wrote these admonishing statements to speak of the unity of the message of Paul, Apollos, and Peter and contrasting it with the quarreling amongst the Corinthian believers (c.f., First Corinthians 1:11-12). The believers in Corinth ought not to argue and quarrel like those who are natural in thier thinking, as Paul, Apollos, and Peter all have the mind of Christ. How do we know that this is the main idea? Because Paul repeats himself concerning this point in the next chapter (c.f., 3:1-6).
The doctrine of illumination may preach well. However, First Corinthians 2:14-16 ought not to be used as a prescriptive text that instructs that the Holy Spirit is personally involved in illuminating the believer's mind to the truth of God's word. However, even though it does not teach the doctrine of illumination, this statement underscores important theological doctrines. This writing of Paul to the Corinthian believers affirms the doctrines of inspiration and infallibility and underscores that the Holy Spirit is the primary author of Scripture. With these things in mind, Christians can be confident that when they study God's word, they can understand it without divine intervention.
Until Next Time...
Soli Deo Gloria!
Dr. LS
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