And let’s see what does GOD say about His Word and Who will instruct us in understanding.
The Holy Spirit will be the one to transmit the knowledge of God direct to us.
1. “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” (1 Corinthians 2:10)
2. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, HE WILL TEACH YOU ALL THINGS, and bring to your remembrance all things that I have said to you.” (John 14:26)
3. “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, HE WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH ...” (JOHN 16:13)
And let’s see what does GOD say about His Word and Who will instruct us in understanding.
The Holy Spirit will be the one to transmit the knowledge of God direct to us.
1. “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” (1 Corinthians 2:10)
2. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, HE WILL TEACH YOU ALL THINGS, and bring to your remembrance all things that I have said to you.” (John 14:26)
3. “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, HE WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH ...” (JOHN 16:13)
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I’m sure you know the old story:
A devout Christian heard a flood was coming. A man drove up to his house and said “Get in, I will drive you to safety.” The devout man said “No need, God will save me.” After the waters started to rise a man in a boat came by and said “Get in, I will take you to safety.” The devout man again refused help. The water continuted to rise and the devout man was sitting on the top of his house. A helicopter came by and offered to fly him to safety. The devout man again refused saying “God will save me.” The waters continuted to rise and the man drowned. In Heaven the devout man asked God “Why didn’t you save me?” God replied “I sent a car, a boat, and a helicopter.”
I read a story by at one very fundamentalist preacher that for years felt the same way you do. He avoided dictionaries, concondances, and commentaries because he believed he didn’t need them, only the Holy Spirit. Then he realized that God had provided those things for his use understanding the scriptures. The Holy Spirit had gifted men with the ability to teach scripture for his benefit.
Taken to the extreme, you stance would indicate that we don’t need any translations at all. We should just give people Greek & Hebrew copies of the text and let the Holy Spirit guide them.
When the Bible says the Holy Spirit will guide you in all truth, maybe part of that is guiding you to the right teacher, commentary, or even Bible translation that will help you understand.
God has alwasy shown a strong propensity to work through men. Don’t turn up your nose at help that comes from another man. For all you know, the Holy Spirit is working through that man to help enlighten you.