Westminster Larger Catechism (Q 182)

Dear Church Family,

This past Sunday, in our weekly Sunday school lessons in the Westminster Larger Catechism (WLC), we studied and discussed question 182. Here is a brief review.

WLC 182  How doth the Spirit help us to pray?
A. We not knowing what to pray for as we ought, the Spirit helpeth our infirmities, by enabling us to understand both for whom, and what, and how prayer is to be made; and by working and quickening in our hearts (although not in all persons, nor at all times, in the same measure) those apprehensions, affections, and graces which are requisite for the right performance of that duty.

This catechism question summarizes what the Scripture teaches regarding how the Holy Spirit helps us to pray (Psalm 10:17; Zechariah 12:10; Romans 8:25-27) under two broad categories:

(1) Enabling understanding for whom/what to pray for & how to pray.
(2) Working and Quickening in our hearts the requisite apprehensions, affections, and graces needed to pray.

A Problematic Understanding Regarding the Work and Quickening in the Hearts of Believers

In thinking about the work of the Holy Spirit (how the Spirit works and quickens our hearts apprehensions (items of knowledge), affections (desires), and graces (faith and repentance), there is often confusion among Christians as to what this exactly means. These things must never be thought of as direct or special revelation, nor are they ever to be divorced from Scripture. Most evangelicals would agree that special revelation from God is limited to Scripture, God’s inspired and inerrant written Word. The Westminster Confession of Faith speaks of how in former times “it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in diverse manners, to reveal Himself, and to declare that His will unto His Church” and has committed these revelations and declarations of His will “unto writing; which maketh the Holy Scripture to be most necessary; those former ways of God’s revealing His will unto His people being now ceased” (WCF 1:1). In short, contrary to the Pentecostal or charismatic teaching, God no longer gives special revelation through tongues, prophecy, or words of knowledge.

However, especially because of the influence of revivalism of the nineteenth and then the charismatic movement of the twentieth century, there are some evangelicals who think of the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives as being that of giving them direct feelings or impressions. Instead, we ought to think of these feelings and impressions as coming from our own hearts and minds – hearts and minds which are being shaped and formed in varying degrees by the Holy Spirit speaking to us in the Scriptures.

John Murray gives helpful clarification:

“…we may still fall into the error of thinking that while the Holy Spirit does not provide us with special revelations in the form of words or visions or dreams, yet he may and does provide us with some direct feeling or impression or conviction which we are to regard as the Holy Spirit’s intimation to us of what his mind and will is in a particular situation. The present writer maintains that this view of the Holy Spirit’s guidance amounts, in effect, to the same thing as to believe that the Holy Spirit gives special revelation. And the reason for this conclusion is that we are, in such an event, conceiving of the Holy Spirit as giving us some special and direct communication, be it in the form of feeling, impression, or conviction, a communication or intimation or direction that is not mediated to us through those means which God has ordained for our direction and guidance. In the final analysis this construction or conception of the Holy Spirit’s guidance is in the same category as that which holds to direct and special revelation, and that for the reason that it makes little difference whether the intimation is in the form of impression or feeling or conviction or in the form of a verbal communication, if we believe that the experience which we have is a direct and special intimation to us of what the will of God is. The essential point is that we regard the Holy Spirit as giving us guidance by some mode of direct operation and intimation. We are abstracting the operation of the Spirit, in respect of guidance, from the various factors which may properly be regarded as the means through which we are to be guided. Particularly, we abstract the operation of the Spirit from the infallible and sufficient rule of practice with which he has provided us.” (John Murray, “The Guidance of the Holy Spirit,” The Banner of Truth, October 2014: 13. [Collected Writings of John Murray, vol. 1: The Claims of Truth (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1976), pp. 186-9. Also included as Appendix A in Sinclair B. Ferguson’s From the Mouth of God: Trusting, Reading and Applying the Bible.])

Again, John Murray summarizes:

“The moment we desire or expect or think that a state of our consciousness is the effect of a direct intimation to us of the Holy Spirit’s will, or consists in such an intimation and is therefore in the category of special direction from him, then we have given way to the notion of special, direct, detached communication from the Holy Spirit. And this, in respect of its nature, belongs to the same category as belief in special revelation. The only way whereby we can avoid this error is to maintain that the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit is through the means which he has provided, and that his work is to enable us rightly to interpret and apply the Scripture in the various situations of life, and to enable us to interpret all the factors which enter into each situation in the light of Scripture.” (John Murray, “The Guidance of the Holy Spirit,” The Banner of Truth, October 2014: 14-15)

Inspiration versus Illumination

This is why it is of the utmost importance that we differentiate between the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the illumination of the Holy Spirit. The inspiration of the Holy Spirit refers to the written Word of God and its divine origin (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Deuteronomy 8:3). The illumination of the Holy Spirit refers to the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of men and women to understand, believe, and obey God’s Word (Ephesians 1:17-19; Psalm 119:34). While the illumination of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers continues, the inspiration of the Scriptures ceased with the Apostles and the closing of the canon.

We began a discussion on WLC 183; however, we’ll leave the summary of that catechism question for next week. I hope you will join us for our continuing study of the Westminster Larger Catechism on Sunday mornings at 9:15 am as we learn more about how God’s Word directs and helps us to pray!

The Lord be with you!
Pastor Peter M. Dietsch