How are Believers Guided into "All Truth" | John Owen

Deep Dive into How are Believers Guided into "All Truth" by John Owen John Owen explains that the promise of the Holy Spirit guiding believers into all truth does not refer to academic subjects like history or mathematics. Instead, it refers to the spiritual truth necessary for faith, obedience, and the salvation of the church. This guidance is not restricted to the apostles or the early church; it is a promise for all believers, providing them with the specific spiritual understanding necessary for their individual conditions and duties. This guidance is not an external or objective revelation, nor is it merely the outward preaching of the gospel. Rather, it is the internal teaching of the Holy Spirit, which John’s epistle refers to as an anointing or unction. This spiritual anointing enables believers to rightly understand and discern the divine mind and will already revealed in Scripture. Owen emphasizes that human beings cannot arrive at a true understanding of Scripture without the Spirit's assistance. The effect of this internal teaching is that believers receive a certain assurance of the divine truth, accompanied by a secret witness from the Spirit that provides spiritual sense and judgment. This assurance delivers them from the deceit of seducers and removes their absolute dependence on the teachings of men. However, the Spirit only teaches those who meet the hard conditions of humility, persistent prayer, and diligent biblical study. Furthermore, Owen distinguishes between speculative knowledge, which only informs the mind and can puff it up, and experiential knowledge, which transforms the soul. True spiritual wisdom leads to trust in God and a holy life. Believers must avoid the errors of neglecting the written Word, trusting solely in human understanding, or rejecting both the Spirit and the Word. Ultimately, Scripture remains the believer's rule, and the Holy Spirit is the guide. We must therefore pray continually for this divine guide. Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReformedExplainer Worship Music: https://suno.com/playlist/3a498d0f-c90e-4981-8aa7-59834e7239f7 https://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730