The Lord Is the Spirit. John A. Studebaker
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Название: The Lord Is the Spirit

Автор: John A. Studebaker

Издательство: Ingram

Жанр: Религия: прочее

Серия: Evangelical Theological Society Monograph Series

isbn: 9781630876852

isbn:

СКАЧАТЬ has the authority to testify biblical truth to the individual, thus giving the Spirit authority over the individual believer. While believers are utterly destitute of the light of truth, they are not ignorant that this Word is the instrument of the Spirit’s illumination.128 Calvin’s emphasis is always on the work or agency of the Spirit of Truth whereby the Spirit serves as the source of internal or spiritual interpretation within the believer. This implies an interpretive authority of the Spirit that is essentially instrumental—the Spirit is the instrument through which Christ speaks his Word in the human heart. While Calvin essentially limited the Spirit’s work to that of salvation and sanctification, the Spirit is attributed with a certain veracious authority to restore order to humankind and “seal our minds” in truth.129

      As a result, Luther and Calvin portray the Spirit as possessing an interpretive, veracious authority, which is in turn an expression of the Spirit’s “executorial authority.” This authority is enacted with respect to Scripture and within the Church. This illuminating Spirit, in other words, authoritatively resides over the Church and yet executes his authority under Christ, speaking through the Word. Because the Word is a product of the Spirit and because the Spirit continues to speak this Word in contemporary confirmation, the witness of the Holy Spirit is seen as the interpretive authority established for man by God. For the Reformers the Spirit is not bound to the Word but always speaks through the Word or in accordance with the Word, thus remaining consistent with himself.

      Ramm strongly asserts that the “Protestant Principle of Authority”—the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scriptures—is the only means for avoiding the imposition of the erring voice of man upon the authoritative Word of God. His convincing logic runs as follows:

      As a result, the “storyline” development of the Spirit’s authority has now reached a level of practical objectivity. In other words, Protestants could begin to see Scripture as an objectification of the Spirit’s authority, and thereby begin to grasp God’s character and will with much more significant detail than ever before.

      Modern Theology

      Friedrich Schleiermacher