Spirit Hermeneutics

By Jeremy Groves

I love the Holy Scriptures. The Holy Scriptures point us to Jesus and unveils the beauty of God, who He is, His eternal plan, and our place within it.

A journey with the Holy Spirit through the Scriptures is a deeply personal experience, akin to walking through the most beautiful building you can imagine on a tour with the one who designed it.

The engineer drafted the blueprints and possesses the expertise to explain why he made the decisions that led to the creation of such a masterpiece of architecture. He knows all the hidden compartments and things you can’t readily see.

He delights in revealing the hidden things within his design. So it is with the Holy Spirit. He wrote the Scriptures, and truly knowing them requires the author to teach us His Word.

We are to submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit so that when we get into the Word, it is an encounter that transforms us. Delving into the Scriptures is our face-to-face encounter with God.

With this in mind, let us delve into the concept of hermeneutics, the process by which we understand and interpret the Scriptures.

My hope is that we will be equipped with the tools necessary to discover the deep things of Scripture while remaining faithful to what the Holy Spirit intended through them. Merriam-Webster defines "hermeneutics" as "the study of the methodological principles of interpretation (as of the Bible)." (n.d.)

However, I do not want us to view hermeneutics as just a literary, scientific, or scholarly process. It is much more than that. Many people I have spoken to over the past several years have expressed difficulty in understanding the scriptures, let alone interpreting them with integrity and faithfulness.

However, with a practical, Spirit-empowered, and led approach to hermeneutics, we can all become capable interpreters of the Word.

Throughout this writing, I want to share with you my view of a Spirit submitted hermeneutics that my good friend Dr. Rob Covell echoes in his astounding book "DAW-RASH: How To Read Your Bible and Understand it" as primarily a relational journey with the Holy Spirit as He guides us into the discovery of the Scriptures or rather the Person of the Scriptures, Jesus Christ (2023).

The Holy Spirit, our divine guide, will often reveal Kingdom principles or concepts through His Word to our understanding so that we can have so-called "spiritual intelligence" to know God and partner with Him more effectively.

A deep relationship is built by intimacy through understanding. There are often principles or concepts we can apply understanding to within the context of a relationship based on known facts of how people think and respond to certain situations or, instead, what makes them "tick."

What motivates this person? What kind of character and nature does this person have? What are their goals? Understanding these things helps us gain insight into who this person is.

As we engage in communication and relationship with the person, we begin to see how they express these values and influence us based on our disposition towards them and the value we place on who they are and what they believe.

Hermeneutics is simply the process by which we engage with the sacred text and how to ask the right questions to draw out the revelation of God and the way He "ticks" so that we may more intimately know and understand Him and conform ourselves to those same values.

This is why I opened by defining Hermeneutics as primarily relational. If we reduce it to a mere archeological process of acquiring facts, we will miss the purpose of studying the sacred text. To know the One who desires to be known.

In this cyclic approach of seeking and finding, we grow spiritually. It is God's pleasure to woo us in pursuit of Him. As Proverbs 25:2 states, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings." (NIV, 1973/2011)

The Hermeneutic Process

As I stated above, hermeneutics is the process by which we faithfully and integrally draw out the beauty and meaning of the Scriptures. In “DAW-RASH: How to Read Your Bible and Understand it,” Dr. Rob Covell describes it as a 10-point process (2023).

This method is not just a scholarly exercise but a vital tool that guides us in understanding the Scriptures. I will briefly outline and summarize each of the 10 points, providing a few questions you might ask the Holy Spirit at each stage.

The Occasion

I would describe the occasion as asking, "What is the immediate context of this passage of Scripture?" Questions I would ask at this stage are "Who wrote this letter, and who is the audience they are writing to? Where does it fit in the greater context of Scripture? What is happening in the narrative, and what issues are they dealing with?"

Cultural

It is very easy for Western Christians, or any Christian really, to read the text through the lens of their own culture. This is dangerous because our culture may not align with a biblical worldview. Hebraic culture has different meanings and concepts for things that differ from what we commonly understand.

This could cause us to miss or misinterpret nuances in Scripture that are culturally defined. At this stage, we must ask: "What background does the writer have, and what do we know of his worldview and beliefs? What about the audience? How would they have understood and applied these Scriptures in the context of a Hebrew, Greek, or Roman Culture?"

Historical

Understanding the historical context of Scripture helps us connect it not only to the flow of Scripture but also to the flow of history itself. We would ask questions such as, "Who are the people and places involved, and when? What was going on at that time in history? What about the state of the land and the ruling kingdoms or nations? Were they a flourishing city or a city ridden with poverty?"

Theological

This is a pivotal stage because all Scripture testifies of a Person, Jesus Christ. Scripture is meant to shape our theology, or our understanding of God, who He is, what He has done, how He accomplishes His actions, and how we relate to these aspects of God and His overarching plan for humanity.

Our theology creates the framework by which we experience God. It is pivotal to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to shape our theologies through our revelation of Scripture so that our experience of God and His Kingdom is empowered by our theology and not hindered.

Covenant Process

It is important to ask ourselves, 'Which covenant does this scripture belong to?' Understanding whether a scripture falls within the New or Old Covenant is crucial for accurately interpreting the context and what it communicates.

The old covenant was defined by the law of sin and death and the consequences of our actions. The saving work of Jesus Christ defines the new covenant that transforms us and how we live now that He has come.

Understanding the covenant under which a scripture falls can significantly impact our interpretation and application of the text.

New Testament Supercession

I heard it said that the New Testament reveals what the Old conceals. Many passages in the New Testament explain or interpret Old Testament passages, which can aid us in understanding how the writers understood and interpreted Scripture, so that we may also see what is hidden.

This stage involves understanding how the New Testament illuminates the Old Testament, offering a more comprehensive understanding of the biblical text.

Make note of when you see Old Testament Scriptures show up and are interpreted in the New Testament, and ask yourself how this impacts your understanding of related passages.

Literal

We would look literally at the Scripture and ask ourselves if it can be understood without any other aiding factors or knowledge of the text.

Lexical

Lexical study would assist us by examining the original languages of the text we are studying to see if any nuances or meanings are not conveyed in our translation.

For example, in English, there is one word for love. In Greek, four different words for love describe very different expressions of love.

Sub-Genre

As we study Scripture, it would be wise to understand the type of literature the text represents. For example, reading the proverbs versus the book of Hebrews would be different because one is a letter while the other is "wise sayings."

We need to understand how the biblical writers understood and expressed these genres to draw out the intrinsic meaning of the text.

Appropriation and Practical Application

This is where we take what we have discovered through our interpretive journey and, by the Holy Spirit, translate the nutrients of the passage into our modern context and personal experience in a transformative and influential way, conforming ourselves and the world around us to God's testimony.

The Exegetical Method

Dr. Rob Covell beautifully defines exegesis in “DAW-RASH: How to Read Your Bible and Understand it” as the fruit that flows out of our hermeneutics when done faithfully and with integrity (2023).

Exegesis is vital because it is the spiritual process by which we assimilate, appropriate, and present the truths we draw from Scripture. We carefully reflect on what we have learned, how it applies to us, and how we can share this truth with others for their benefit and growth.

It is essential to be integral with exegesis. This is where most mistakes are made, and when we inject our ideas and desires, we harm ourselves and others. I will briefly outline a few key touchpoints that should guide our exegetical method.

Firstly, we should be followers of Jesus, surrendered to the Holy Spirit, who, at the core, is our guide in understanding the Word and applying it to our lives.

We must ensure that we release all presuppositions and biased opinions to the best of our understanding as we approach the scriptures to faithfully receive what the Word is saying.

We must seek to understand the cultural, historical, and literary context of Scripture so that we don't create "one-liner theologies" and can faithfully develop a theological framework that resonates with what the Lord conveys through His Word.

We must be aware of prophetic scriptures, their relationship to the historical narrative, and how specific words are used in specific situations.

These concepts are not exhaustive, but they serve as the starting point and key to a faithful exegetical process as we seek to know and understand the beauty of the Lord and His Kingdom.

Three Modern Schools of Systematic Theology

Systematic Theology aims to create a systematic, connected, and aligned flow of beliefs and biblical concepts through which we understand and relate to God. In our modern context, there are currently three schools of thought in systematic theology. I will briefly describe them.

Progressive Theology

The first is the progressive school of thought. This theology is liberal in nature and views Scriptural concepts and doctrine as evolving and consistently developing over time, or, in other words, as progressive.

Progressive theology is more human-centric than God-centric, focusing on humanity's development rather than God's purpose and plan. This type of theology is easily influenced by current world conditions and widely held societal beliefs.

It does not view the Scriptures as inerrant, but rather uses modern sciences and philosophical positions to understand the meaning of the Bible. 

Dispensational Theology

Second is the dispensational school of thought. This view is relatively new and holds to some conservative views, such as the inerrancy of Scripture. It believes God's dealings with humanity are separated by how He relates to Israel and how He relates to the rest of the world.

Cessationism gained considerable prominence due to its association with the dispensational view and a futurist pre-millennial outlook on eschatology.

Dispensational theology sees humanity failing to accomplish what God gave us to do, therefore creating a situation in which God has to rapture a dying Church to save them. These three characteristics —failure to obey, instruction, and rescuing mercy — characterize each dispensational period. 

Covenantal Theology

Lastly, there is the covenantal school of thought. This school of thought is the first and longest-standing systematic theological tradition. It is characterized by the view that God deals with humanity through covenants.

It sees God progressively revealing Himself and His eternal plan to humanity through successive covenants, culminating in the New Covenant inaugurated by Jesus Christ. The New Covenant reveals and clarifies the purpose and revelations of the preceding covenants.

Covenantal theology examines the context of Scripture and the fulfillment of covenants, understanding apocalyptic and prophetic literature within its proper context.

They view the Church as ruling through Christ in this age and being successful in the Great Commission, fulfilling all that God has given us to do. I hold to this view.

Primary Genres of Scripture

Understanding the primary genres of Scripture will help us understand and apply the revelation found within these remarkable passages. In many ways, poetic literature can communicate more of God and His heart than any other time in Scripture because of the literary conveyance of emotion often found in these texts.

I will briefly summarise the significant sections of the genre found in Scripture.

Parables and Allegories

Jesus often taught using parables and allegories, which are essentially stories or verbal and visual illustrations designed to convey a spiritual point. This type of literature employs similes, metaphors, and other similar devices.

Hebrew Poetry

This type of biblical literature is terrific because it is meant to connect God's emotions with our own, not only expressing them but also evoking them, thereby revealing elements of God's heart that we could not have otherwise discovered.

Examples of this type of literature include the Psalms and the Song of Solomon.

Types and Shadows

The Bible uses symbols to illustrate or convey spiritual revelation, concepts, or prophetic information. For example, a snake in prophetic literature often depicts satan or his demons. This type of literature also employs stories and historical narratives to convey prophetic and/or revelatory truths.

The Old Testament contains many messianic types and shadows, such as Moses, who was depicted as a deliverer of Israel, and how this representation foreshadows Jesus as the coming deliverer of all humanity.

Proverbs/Dark Sayings

The books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are prime examples of "dark sayings," as they are condensed stories or parables that convey hidden wisdom or have a deeper spiritual meaning beyond the surface understanding of the text.

Biblical Numbers

God uses every detail of Scripture to reveal Himself, including numbers. As you study Scripture, you will find patterns in the narrative, such as the number 40 repeatedly showing up connected to times of testing, such as 40-day fasts, 40 years in the wilderness, and 40 days and nights of rain.

Spirit Hermeneutics

I pray that this writing has blessed you and provided you with some tools to delve deeper into the Scriptures with the Holy Spirit. I pray you would be transformed as you meditate on His Word and become all He designed you to be.

My own deep love for the Word of God has led me to dedicate my life to faithfully understanding the hidden and plain mysteries of the Scriptures so that I may embody and convey the truth to everyone God sends me to with integrity and power.

I look forward to continuing my journey with the Holy Spirit as He leads me in the discovery of God and His wonderful Kingdom.

References

Covell, R. (2023). Daw-rash: How to read your bible and understand it. Independently published.

Holy Bible: New International Version. (2011). Zondervan. (Original work published 1973)

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Definition of hermeneutic. Retrieved April 25, 2025, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hermeneutic