Without inspiration no Scripture would ever have been written.
Without Illumination no sinner would ever have been saved.
Definition:
Illumination is that method used by the Holy Spirit to shed Divine light upon all seeking men as they look into the Word of God. Illumination is from the Written Word to the Human Heart.
Eph_1:18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
The understanding has been blinded by sin. The views which people entertain of themselves and of God are narrow and wrong. The understanding is enfeebled and perverted by the practice of sin. It is limited in its operations by the necessity of the case, and by the impossibility of fully comprehending the great truths which pertain to the divine administration. One of the first effects of true Christian faith is on the understanding. It enlarges its views of truth; gives it more exalted conceptions of God; corrects its errors; raises it up toward the great Fountain of love.
Heb_6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
Impossible (ἀδύνατον)
It is impossible to dilute this word into difficult.
Those who were once enlightened (τοὺς ἅπαξ φωτισθέντας)
Rend. “once for all enlightened.” Ἅπαξ is frequent in the Epistle. Comp. Heb_9:7, Heb_9:26, Heb_9:27, Heb_9:28; Heb_10:2; Heb_12:26, Heb_12:27. Indicating that the enlightenment ought to have sufficed to prevent them from falling away; not that it does not admit of repetition. Enlightened, through the revelation of God in Christ, the true light, and through the power of the Spirit. Φωτίζειν in lxx usually to teach or instruct; see Psa_119:130; 2Ki_12:2; 2Ki_17:27. Comp. in N.T. Joh_1:9; Eph_1:18; Eph_3:9; Heb_10:32. Erasmus gives the correct explanation: “Who once for all have left the darkness of their former life, having been enlightened by the gospel teaching.”
Tasted of the heavenly gift (γευσαμένους τῆς δωρεᾶς τῆς ἐπουρανίου)
For γευσαμένους tasted, comp. Heb_2:9. The meaning is, have consciously partaken of. Comp. 1Pe_2:3, and τρώγων eateth, Joh_6:56. The heavenly gift is the Holy Spirit. It is true that this is distinctly specified in the next clause, but the two clauses belong together.
Partakers of the Holy Ghost (μετόχους πνεύματος ἁγίου)
“Heavenly gift” emphasizes the heavenly quality of the gift. The Holy Ghost is the gift itself which possesses the heavenly quality.VWS
A. The Reasons for Illumination.
Why is this third step of Illumination necessary? Why can’t a sinful man merely read and heed the Biblical Message without Divine Aid?
1.It is necessary because of natural Blindness. Paul writes in 1Co 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
The natural man (ψυχικὸς ἄνθρωπος)
The natural man (ψυχικὸς ἄνθρωπος)
See on Rom_11:4, on the distinction between ψυχή soul, life, and πνεῦμα spirit. The contrast is between a man governed by the divine Spirit and one from whom that Spirit is absent. But ψυχικὸς natural, is not equivalent to σαρκικός fleshy. Paul is speaking of natural as contrasted with spiritual cognition applied to spiritual truth, and therefore of the ψυχή soul, as the organ of human cognition, contrasted with the πνεῦμα spirit, as the organ of spiritual cognition. The man, therefore, whose cognition of truth depends solely upon his natural insight is ψυχικός natural, as contrasted with the spiritual man (πνευματικός) to whom divine insight is imparted. In other words, the organ employed in the apprehension of spiritual truth characterizes the man. Paul therefore “characterizes the man who is not yet capable of understanding divine wisdom as ψυχικός, i.e., as one who possesses in his ψυχή soul, simply the organ of purely human cognition, but has not yet the organ of religious cognition in the πνεῦμα spirit” (Dickson). It is perhaps impossible to find an English word which will accurately render ψυχικός. Psychic is simply the Greek transcribed. We can do no better than hold by the A.V. natural.
Does not receive (οὐ δέχεται)
Not, does not understand, but does not admit them into his heart; thus, according to New Testament usage, when the word is used in connection with teaching. See Luk_8:13; Act_8:14; Act_11:1; 1Th_1:6; Jam_1:21.VWS
Our Lord also commented Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Mat 16:17 Jesus answered and said to him, You are blessed, Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but My Father in Heaven.
No natural sagacity, study, or discernment had revealed the great truth. None of these had overcome slowness of apprehension, prejudices of education, slackness of faith. No unregenerate mortal man had taught him the gospel mystery. My Father which is in heaven. Christ thus accepts Peter’s definition of him as "the Son of the living God." None but the Father could have revealed to thee the Son. Pulpit Commentary.
2. It is necessary because of Satanic Blindness
2Co 4:3 But also if our gospel is hidden, it is hidden to those being lost,
2Co 4:4 in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving ones, so that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ (who is the image of God) should not dawn on them.
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| Overt Illuminati Satanic Symbols Pour Out of the American Music Industry, Secular Society Turns a Blind Eye. |
Heb 5:12 For indeed because of the time, you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again what are the first principles of the oracles of God. And you have become in need of milk, and not of solid food.
Heb 5:13 For everyone partaking of milk is unskillful in the Word of Righteousness, for he is an infant.
Heb 5:14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, even those who because of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
2Pe 1:9 For he in whom these things are not present is blind and cannot see afar off and has forgotten that he was purged from his sins in the past.
2Pe 1:10 Therefore, brothers, rather be diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things, you shall never fall.
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| The outer circle stands for the "body" of man, the middle for the "soul," and the inner for the spirit, or what Paul calls the "Carnal" (1 Cor. 3:1-3); the "Natural" (1 Cor. 2:14); and the "Spiritual" (1 Cor. 3:1); parts of man. |
2Pe 1:10 Therefore, brothers, rather be diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things, you shall never fall.
2Pe 1:11 For so an entrance shall be ministered to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:12 Therefore I will not neglect to put you always in remembrance of these things, though you know them and are established in the present truth.
2Pe 1:13 But I think it right, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by a reminder,
2Pe 1:14 knowing that the putting off of my tabernacle is soon, as indeed our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.
2Pe 1:15 And I will also be diligent to cause you to always have memory of these things after my departure.
2Pe 1:16 For not having followed fables having been cunningly devised, but becoming eyewitnesses of the majesty of Jesus Christ, we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord.
2Pe 1:17 For He received honor and glory from God the Father, when was borne to Him a voice from the excellent glory, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
2Pe 1:18 And we heard this voice being borne from Heaven, being with Him in the holy mountain.
2Pe 1:19 We also have a more sure Word of prophecy, to which you do well to take heed, as to a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Daystar arises in your hearts,
2Pe 1:20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture came into being of its own private interpretation.
2Pe 1:21 For prophecy was not borne at any time by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke being borne along by the Holy Spirit.
Your Understanding being enlightened ILLUMINED,
Eph 1:18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, MKJV
be enlightened G5461 φωτίζω phōtizō Thayer Definition:
1) to give light, to shine
2) to enlighten, light up, illumine
3) to bring to light, render evident 3a) to cause something to exist and thus come to light and become clear to all
4) to enlighten, spiritually, imbue with saving knowledge 4a) to instruct, to inform, teach
4b) to give understanding to
the eyes of your understanding being enlightened,
Compare the contrary state of unbelieving, the heart being in fault (Eph_4:18; Mat_13:15).
Translate, “Having the eyes of your heart enlightened” (Eph_5:14; Mat_4:16). The first effect of the Spirit moving in the new creation, as in the original physical creation (Gen_1:3; 2Co_4:6). So Theophilus to Autolycus (1.3), “the ears of the heart.” Where spiritual light is, there is life (Joh_1:4). The heart is “the core of life” [Harless], and the fountain of the thoughts; whence “the heart” in Scripture includes the mind, as well as the inclination. Its “eye,” or inward vision, both receives and contemplates the light (Mat_6:22, Mat_6:23). The eye is the symbol of intelligence (Eze_1:18). JFB
that you may know what is the hope of His calling,MKJV
you will know the confidence that is produced by God having called you,ISV
Barnes The meaning here is, that it would be an inestimable privilege to be made fully acquainted with the benefits of the Christian hope, and to be permitted to understand fully what Christians have a right to expect in the world of glory. This is the first thing which the apostle desires they should fully understand,
the rich glory that is his inheritance among the saints, ISV
what the wealth of the glory of His inheritance in God's people,WNT
And what the riches of the glory of his inheritance - This is the second thing which Paul wishes them to understand. There is a force in this language which can be found perhaps nowhere else than in the writings of Paul. His mind is full, and language is burdened and borne down under the weight of his thoughts; see the notes at 2Co_4:17. On the word “riches” used here, see the notes at Eph_1:7. The phrase “riches of glory” means “glorious wealth;” or, as we would say, “how rich and glorious!” The meaning is, that there is an abundance - an infinitude of wealth. It is not such a possession as man may be heir to in this world, which is always limited from the necessity of the case, and which cannot be enjoyed long; it is infinite and inexhaustible; compare notes, Rom_2:4. The “inheritance” hero referred to is eternal life. notes, Rom_8:17. Barnes
Eph 1:19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us, the ones believing according to the working of His mighty strength
Eph 1:20 which He worked in Christ in raising Him from the dead, and He seated Him at His right hand in the heavenlies,
Eph 1:21 far above all principality and authority and power and dominion, and every name being named, not only in this world, but also in the coming age.
Eph 1:22 And He has put all things under His feet and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
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