Non-Scriptural Examples in Church History for Spiritual Concepts
While the Bible is the primary source for Christian spiritual concepts, various non-scriptural examples and analogies have been used throughout church history to explain and illustrate these ideas. These examples often draw from common human experience or philosophical understandings to make complex theological truths more accessible.
One such example is the use of anthropomorphic language to describe God. Augustine, for instance, discusses how "carnal and weak" believers might picture God in human form when they hear biblical descriptions of God's "eyes or ears" [1]. He contrasts this with "spiritual men of the Catholic faith" who understand that the divine substance does not have material extension or a bounded shape [1]. This highlights the challenge of communicating spiritual realities in human language and the potential for misunderstanding when figurative language is taken literally.
Another significant non-scriptural analogy is the comparison of the Church to Eve being formed from Adam's side. The Jamieson, Fausset & Brown commentary on Ephesians 5:30 explains that Adam's deep sleep, from which Eve was formed, is an "emblem of Christ's death, which was the birth of the Spouse, the Church" [3]. This analogy connects the creation narrative in Genesis with the New Testament understanding of Christ and the Church, suggesting a profound spiritual unity between them.
In discussions of the Lord's Supper, the concept of the bread and wine becoming the body and blood of Christ has been a point of theological debate, with various interpretations arising. Martin Luther, for example, in his Larger Catechism, asserts that the bread in the Lord's Supper is the body of Christ, challenging those who question how this could be [4]. This illustrates how theological concepts, even those rooted in scripture, often require non-scriptural explanations or affirmations to clarify their meaning within a particular tradition.
Furthermore, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers is a core spiritual concept. Charles Hodge notes that the Scriptures teach the Spirit of God dwells in believers individually, making each Christian a "temple of the Holy Ghost" [2]. While this is a scriptural teaching, the implications and experiences of this indwelling often lead to non-scriptural expressions and testimonies about the Spirit's work in guiding and transforming individuals [5]. Hodge also mentions that beyond the "great doctrines of salvation," the Spirit "guides into all truth" and teaches "whatsoever is needful" for a Christian to know, including practical matters not explicitly detailed in Scripture [6]. This suggests a reliance on the Spirit's ongoing work and guidance that extends beyond the written word, even if it does not contradict it.
Sources
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 4: Augustine — Anti-Manichaean, Anti-Donatist — CHAP. 23.--THE ANTHROPOMORPHITES NOT SO (part 1): BAD AS THE MANICHAEANS. 25. Compare, now, not spiritual men of the Catholic faith, whose mind, as far as is possible in this life, perceives that the divine substance and nature has no material extension, and has no shape bounded by lines, but the carnal and weak of our faith, who, when they hear the members of the body used figuratively, as, when God's eyes or ears are spoken of, are accustomed, in the license of fancy, to picture God to themselves in a human form; compare these with th”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 31: Galatians v. 16-26 . Another passage of like import is Galatians v. 16-26 , “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not full the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would,” etc., etc. The Scriptures teach that the Spirit of God dwells in his people, not only collectively as the Church, but individually in every believer, so that of every Christian it may be said, he is a temple of the Holy Ghost. God is”
- Ephesians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ephesians 5:30: For--Greek, "Because" (Co1 6:15). Christ nourisheth and cherisheth the Church as being of one flesh with Him. Translate, "Because we are members of His body (His literal body), being OF His flesh and of His bones" [ALFORD] (Gen 2:23-24). The Greek expresses, "Being formed out of" or "of the substance of His flesh." Adam's deep sleep, wherein Eve was formed from out of his opened side, is an emblem of Christ's death, which was the birth of the Spouse, the Church. Joh 12:24; Joh 19:34-35, to which Eph 5:25-27 allude, as implying atonement by His blood”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 71: taken and broken; and therefore it was the bread which He affirmed was, either literally or figuratively, his body. Lutherans themselves cannot avoid saying and admitting that the bread in the Lord’s Supper is the body of Christ. Thus Luther ( Larger Catechism , v. 12, 13; Hase, Libri Symbolici , p. 554) tells his catechumen to say, “Though infinite myriads of devils and all fanatics should impudently demand, How bread and wine can be the body and blood of Christ? I know that all spirits and all learned men put together have not as much i”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 139: mind derived from the Word; for by the reasons, motives, and persuasive arguments which the Word affords, are our minds affected, and our souls wrought upon in our conversion unto God, whence it becomes our reasonable obedience. And there are none ordinarily converted, but they are able to give some account by what considerations they were prevailed on thereunto. But, we say that the whole work, or the whole of the work of the Holy Ghost in our conversion, doth not consist herein; but there is a real, physical work, whereby He infuseth a”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 29: immediate objective revelation to the soul by the Spirit. Besides the great doctrines of salvation, there are many things the Christian needs to know which are not contained in the Scriptures. In these matters he is not left to his own guidance. The Spirit “guides into all truth.” “Therefore,” says Barclay, “the Spirit of God leadeth, instructeth, and teacheth every true Christian whatsoever is needful for him to know.” For example, whether He is to preach; and, if called to preach, when, where, and what he shall preach; where he is to go”