Spurgeon on Biblical hermeneutics

The following is taken from Spurgeon's daily devotional, Morning and Evening:

“Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures.”

— Luke 24:45

He whom we viewed last evening as opening Scripture, we here perceive opening the understanding. In the first work he has many fellow-labourers, but in the second he stands alone; many can bring the Scriptures to the mind, but the Lord alone can prepare the mind to receive the Scriptures. Our Lord Jesus differs from all other teachers; they reach the ear, but he instructs the heart; they deal with the outward letter, but he imparts an inward taste for the truth, by which we perceive its savour and spirit. The most unlearned of men become ripe scholars in the school of grace when the Lord Jesus by his Holy Spirit unfolds the mysteries of the kingdom to them, and grants the divine anointing by which they are enabled to behold the invisible. Happy are we if we have had our understandings cleared and strengthened by the Master! How many men of profound learning are ignorant of eternal things! They know the killing letter of revelation, but its killing spirit they cannot discern; they have a veil upon their hearts which the eyes of carnal reason cannot penetrate. Such was our case a little time ago; we who now see were once utterly blind; truth was to us as beauty in the dark, a thing unnoticed and neglected. Had it not been for the love of Jesus we should have remained to this moment in utter ignorance, for without his gracious opening of our understanding, we could no more have attained to spiritual knowledge than an infant can climb the Pyramids, or an ostrich fly up to the stars. Jesus’ College is the only one in which God’s truth can be really learned; other schools may teach us what is to be believed, but Christ’s alone can show us how to believe it. Let us sit at the feet of Jesus, and by earnest prayer call in his blessed aid that our dull wits may grow brighter, and our feeble understandings may receive heavenly things.[*]

Can anyone identify with this? I think I can, as I tried to articulate here (in response to a statement by James Kugel). For another interesting and important statement on theological hermeneutics, check out the one by Thomas à Kempis.

[*] Spurgeon, C. H. (2006). Morning and evening : Daily readings (Complete and unabridged; New modern edition.). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.

Spurgeon on the Psalms

"None but the Holy Spirit can give man the key to the Treasury of David; and even he gives it rather to experience than to study. Happy he who for himself knows the secret of the Psalms. In these busy days, it would be greatly to the spiritual profit of Christians if they were more familiar with the Book of Psalms, in which they would find a complete armory for life's battles, and a perfect supply for life's needs."

Amen.

[HT: Logos website]

A Great Psalms Resource

I recently had the pleasure of discovering a new Internet resource: תהלים, a blog dedicated to the Psalms. Run by the author of an article on "The Psalms in Anglican Worship," its purpose is nothing more than "to provide directions to helpful resources on the Psalms." He has an extensive list of online articles and audio material (including two series by Waltke and Wenham) dedicated to the Psalms, which he updates regularly on his blog. Of particular interest on the right hand bar are links to online Christian commentaries (Spurgeon, Calvin, Augustine etc.) and various online Psalters.

Blogs like this are both a blessing and a danger: a danger because they are consistently interesting and thus tempt me away from my actual task of getting my doctorate done; a blessing, not only because of the useful info, but because it provides students working in an esoteric field with a living community that responds to questions, gives advice and basically gives one the feeling that theological students are not such a lone breed after all.

Here's his quote of the week, taken from H.-J. Kraus:

“If we approach the OT Psalms with the question where one should look for and find the God of Israel whom the hymns and songs of thanksgiving glorify, on whom the laments call, and whom all the songs and poems involve, the unanimous, never doubted, and ceaselessly expressed answer is: Yahweh Sebaoth is present in the sanctuary in Jerusalem. Zion is the place of God’s presence.”

Kraus, H-J. (1988) Psalms 1-59. Fortress Press p. 6