Guest Blogger Evan Curry asks the question: How does the Holy Spirit lead us into all truth in our Tradition?

I have to say that I often struggle with the role of the Holy Spirit in much of anything outside of comforting people when they lose their jobs (“let the Spirit lead you,” kinda thing). So, when people ask me, how does the Holy Spirit play into the relationship between Scripture and tradition? I often respond with a blank stare, thinking to myself, “I’m not sure I could even tell you since the Holy Spirit transcends my own comprehension. He/she/it’s work is unfathomable and so mysterious in my mind.”

But let me take a stab at this – In John 16, Jesus explains how he must leave soon, but he will be sending the Spirit to be with the disciples. He continues with a slightly odd statement –

I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you (vv. 12-15 TNIV; emphasis added).

Now, I’m just aiming into the dark on this, but is it possible that Jesus had so much more to say that he sent the Holy Spirit to guide his Church into all truth and this came full-scale into our tradition, in our story?

In Romans 8 (before our favorite verse 28), the apostle Paul speaks about how creation, God’s people, and the Spirit groan together in waiting for the renewal of all creation. He explains,

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God (vv. 22-27; emphasis added).

What are we all (creation and God’s people) groaning for? The complete adoption of God’s people and the redemption of their bodies. We hope for this, and we wait for it patiently. In the meantime, the Spirit intercession-groans to God on behalf of his people.

Now, hold on to that thought, and let’s use the Eucharist for example – a tradition that has taken place every Sunday for about 2,000 years. There has been much debate on what happens with the bread and wine (err…grape juice, kids) during the tradition, but I do not desire to engage in this debate at this time (at all). In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul claims to pass on this tradition that he received from Christ, and, then after repeating the statements of Christ, Paul says, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes” (v. 26). The ritual reminds us of the past and the future simultaneously. Jesus’ past death is why we partake of the Eucharist, but the Church does so until his future coming.

It seems from Romans 8 and 1 Corinthians 11 that the Church is simultaneously reminded of her past story and her future one and brings them both together to create her story in the present, and all this takes place through – the relationship between Scripture and tradition. The “hope” in Romans 8 (Scripture) completes itself in Jesus’ final appearing. But in the meantime, the Spirit intercession-groans for us, and we wait patiently for our hope to be fulfilled, but until then, we use tradition to proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. This past-present-future phenomenon comes together in our tradition only by the Holy Spirit.

The Church, in reading Scripture, is led by the Holy Spirit into all truth. As the Spirit intercedes in groans, we wait patiently, but we worship by partaking in our story along with the Spirit until we all (creation, Church, and Spirit) can celebrate on the day our hope is realized.

The Holy Spirit leads us to worship. He/she/it leads us to all truth. We find this in our reading of Scripture – which we believe is God’s truth, and who leads us into all truth? I think you know – the Spirit. We find this in our creeds – that we believe are truth and are led there by the Spirit. We find this in baptism – which we finding as expressing the truth of the resurrection and so are led there by the Spirit. We find it in confession – which the Spirit leads us to the truth of our need for Christ. We find this in prayer – like the Lord’s Prayer (or the Our Father) which we find in Scripture and believe its truth by the leading of the Holy Spirit (try forgiving the debts of others without the Spirit’s leading).

Scripture is our story. Our tradition is our story. It is a true story, and, through Scripture and tradition, the Spirit leads the Church into all truth.