Quest for Godliness # 3

John Owen on Communication from God

John Owen defined communication with God to cover “every divine bestowal of benefit upon man” (82). At the foundation is a doctrine of the Spirit which engages the mind of man bringing about knowledge of God through an act of cognitive communication involving the Word of the Lord. It is God therefore who reveals himself and makes himself known to humanity. God speaks to us and we can understand him through the work of the Spirit in our hearts and minds. However, because of the fall there exist noetic effects of sin which can only be overcome through the divine illumination of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit must open hearts for people to come to knowledge of God. Owen’s work is highly anti-Roman because he argued that it was the Spirit who governed the revelation of God not the Holy Catholic Church.

The first aspect of Owen’s understanding of communication from God is the actually giving of revelation from the Lord to humanity. It is a communication of information from God to man about things which would otherwise remain unknown. Being a work of the Spirit such acts of communication from God became recognizable as coming from him. Therefore, divine revelation demanded obedience and adherence. After the Scriptures have been completely written there was no longer a further need for the Spirit to bring about specific revelations to humanity.

Second, there is the Spirit’s work of inspiring Holy Scripture. Owen defines inspiration as “the inbreathing of the Holy Spirit, whereby revelations are given, received, and transmitted, both orally and in writing” (86). The human subjects of inspiration exhibit both an active and passive state during the inspiration. Passively they are having their minds acted upon by the Spirit. Actively, the Spirit uses the composition of man to help form revelation. So the Spirit which knows the mind of man better than man himself implants his words into the person and life of the one receiving the revelation. The inspiration of Scripture is both true in matter and also in the words themselves. Faith is to be placed in the Scripture as assent to the testimony of the Christian Scriptures. Such faith is again the work of the Spirit in the act of regeneration causing unbelieving hearts to believe and trust in the veracity and divine authority of Scripture.

Third, in Owen’s conception is the authentication of Scripture. The Spirit causes the divine word to be received as truth. In doing so the Spirit creates both an internal and external witness to Scripture. Internally the Spirit works on the minds of men thus enabling them to believe the truth of Scripture. Externally the Spirit gives evidence in and by the Scripture as to its divine originality. Scripture is a light in dark places. It dispels the darkness and illumines the path of Christians. It is also of great power producing spiritual effects upon its readers and hearers. Scripture is also addressed personally to each individual by God himself. The Bible thus bears witness to itself as does the Spirit also bring a truthful internal witness to the complete and whole truthfulness of inspired Scripture.

Fourth, the testimony of the Spirit helps bring about an establishment of faith in Scripture. Man’s spiritual blindness is removed through an inward illumination of the Spirit which brings about understanding and comprehension of Scripture. Scripture becomes an understandable and purposeful book which is spiritual life to those who treasure it and seek to follow its commands.

Fifth, Owen believes in the perspicuity of Scripture so that the interpretation of Scripture is made possible. Therefore, through a careful interpretation of Scripture all Christians can come to an understanding of what they need to live a life of truth and godliness. Yet, the necessity of corporate interpretation cannot be neglected. The Spirit has spoken to many people throughout the ages of the church and we would be wise to hear his voice. In doing so, prayer must be ever before us as we seek the Lord through his Spirit to bring about a light upon our paths so that we may fully comprehend, understand and apply his Word.