r true reasoning in spiritual things is =based=
on an attitude of faith, while rationalizing rejects that attitude as an
essential preliminary to correct conclusions, and therefore reasons either
entirely apart from or in order to faith. Such an attitude as opens the
vision does not precede the action of reason, and the conclusions cannot
help being destructive of faith, for they are pronouncements on things
utterly unseen and unknown, and which the Bible says are "foolishness" to
the man who sees only through his natural vision. But the attitude of
willingness toward the will of God so opens the vision to the whole
spiritual realm that the real foolishness is seen to be even the least
attempt to pronounce upon or repudiate that which is utterly unseen and
unknown.

This is the fundamental reason why there is such divergence, even to the
point of mutual exclusion, between the different "interpretations" of
Scripture given forth by the believer and the rationalist. The rationalist,
with heart and vision closed to spiritual truth, can give no interpretation
except that which seems reasonable in view of what he sees; while the
believer, in the attitude of faith toward God, =sees= the interpretation of
Scripture through the illumination of the Holy Spirit.

The interpretation of the Word is the very work for which the Holy Spirit
has come into the world. That is not all of His work, but a very essential
part of it. He is God's official Interpreter of His truth to the believer.
Not to the rationalizer, but to the believer. And His work is so divinely
perfect and absolutely final that all human attempts at interpretation,
which are devoid of faith, are an insult to Him. He is the One who wrote
the Word, and so He knows the meaning, not only of what He said, but even
of what He left unsaid, and therefore none but He can interpret either the
words or the silences of Scripture.

For example, when Melchizedek flashes, meteor-like, across the page of Old
Testament history, and then disappears without a word as to beginning of
life or end of days, who but the Holy Spirit could interpret those silences
into spiritual meanings of unfathomable richness? Who but He who was
responsible for those omissions could interpret them into some of the
richest revelations of all Scripture concerning the eternal Priesthood of
the slain and risen Son of God? And if the Holy Spirit can thus seize upon
the very silences of Scripture in showing us th