Ongoing Spiritual Growth Through Continuous Learning

The concept of ongoing spiritual growth through continuous learning is rooted in biblical teachings and has been a cornerstone of Christian theology across various traditions. The biblical anchor for this concept can be found in passages that emphasize the importance of perseverance in prayer and the pursuit of spiritual maturity. For instance, Paul's prayer for the Colossians, as recorded in Colossians 1:9-10, highlights the desire for believers to be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding ^[5].

The idea of continuous spiritual growth is also reflected in the lives of biblical figures. Luke 2:40 describes Jesus as a child growing and becoming strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom, and having the grace of God upon him ^[3]. This narrative sets a precedent for understanding spiritual growth as a developmental process. Similarly, the apostle Paul exhorts believers to continue steadfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving (Colossians 4:2) ^[2], and to rejoice in hope, endure in troubles, and continue steadfastly in prayer (Romans 12:12) ^[4].

In the patristic tradition, Augustine emphasizes the role of love in spiritual growth, noting that as one grows in love, they are led to a better and fuller knowledge ^[7]. This perspective underscores the intrinsic link between spiritual growth and the deepening of one's understanding of Christian truth. The Reformed tradition, as represented by John Calvin, also highlights the importance of spiritual growth, citing the transformation of believers into the image of Christ "from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18) ^[8].

Theological reflection on spiritual growth has evolved over time, with various traditions contributing to its understanding. The Catechism of the Catholic Church notes that the understanding of the faith can grow in the People of God, guided by the Holy Spirit and the Magisterium, allowing for a deeper penetration and fuller application of the faith in daily life ^[11]. Charles Hodge, representing the Reformed (Old Princeton) tradition, observes that spiritual growth is a natural and inevitable process for believers, marked by an increase in the compass, clearness, order, and harmony of their knowledge ^[6].

The concept of ongoing spiritual growth is closely tied to the idea of the Church as a living organism. The image of the Church growing into a holy temple in the Lord (Ephesians 2:21) illustrates this dynamic ^[9]. This growth is not merely quantitative but qualitative, involving a deeper understanding and application of Christian truth.

A key aspect of ongoing spiritual growth is the role of the Holy Spirit. According to Augustine, the Holy Spirit teaches believers all truth and guides them in all truth ^[7]. This guidance is essential for spiritual growth, as it enables believers to understand and apply the teachings of Christ more fully.

The various Christian traditions represented in the sources converge on the importance of continuous learning and spiritual growth. While the specifics of how this growth is understood and facilitated may differ, the underlying commitment to the idea that believers should continually deepen their understanding and practice of their faith is a common thread. As Tertullian notes, the process of spiritual growth involves being imbued and molded by the institutions of the true and everlasting law, ultimately leading to a fuller possession of the perfect institutions of heaven ^[10].

The biblical imperative to "study to have an unoffending conscience, towards God and men, continually" (Acts 24:16) ^[1] underscores the importance of ongoing effort and dedication to spiritual growth. This growth is not limited to individual believers but is also a characteristic of the Church collectively.

Sources

Acts “Acts 24:16 (Rotherham) — herein, even I, myself, am studying to have, an unoffending conscience, towards God and men, continually.”
Colossians “Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving; -- Colossians 4:2”
Luke “The child was growing, and was becoming strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. -- Luke 2:40”
Romans “rejoicing in hope; enduring in troubles; continuing steadfastly in prayer; -- Romans 12:12”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 38: he does not once only, but in one psalm repeats the same prayer almost ten times, the repetition intimating how strong the necessity which urged him to pray. What he thus asked for himself alone, Paul prays for the churches in general. “For this cause,” says he, “we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you might walk worthy of the Lord,” &c. ( Col. 1:9, 10 ). Whenever he represents this as ”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 37: effected by a continual and gradual progress. The same progress has taken place in theological knowledge. Every believer is conscious of such progress in his own experience. When he was a child, he thought as a child. As he grew in years, he grew in knowledge of the Bible. He increased not only in the compass, but in the clearness, order, and harmony of his knowledge. This is just as true of the Church collectively as of the individual Christian. It is, in the first place, natural, if not inevitable, that it should be so. The Bible, altho”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 7: Augustine — Homilies on John — CHAPTER XVI. 12, 13. (part 5): small a measure, is also loved, by the self-same love one is led on to a better and fuller knowledge. If, then, you grow in the love which the Holy Spirit spreads abroad in your hearts, "He will teach you all truth;" or, as other codices have it, "He will guide you in all truth:"(2) as it is said, "Lead me in Thy way, O Lord, and I will walk in Thy truth."(3) So shall the result be, that not from outward teachers will you learn those things which the Lord at that time declined to utter, but be all taught of God;(4) so t”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 58: the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Again, “Be renewed in the spirit of your minds” and “put ye on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Again, “Put ye on 516 the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” 310 310 2 Cor. 3:18 ; Eph. 4:23, 24 ; Col. 3:10 ; 2 Cor. 4:16 . Accordingly through the blessing of Christ we are renewed by that regeneration into the righteousness of God from which we had falle”
Ephesians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ephesians 2:21: In whom--as holding together the whole. fitly framed--so as exactly to fit together. groweth--"is growing" continually. Here an additional thought is added to the image; the Church has the growth of a living organism, not the mere increase of a building. Compare Pe1 2:5; "lively stones . . . built up a spiritual house." Compare Eph 4:16; Zac 6:12, "The Branch shall build the temple of the Lord," where similarly the growth of a branch, and the building of a temple, are joined. holy--as being the "habitation of God" (Eph 2:22). So "in the Lord" ”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — CHAP. VI.--ON THE END OF THE WORLD. (part 9): easily, after the training of the law, receive the more perfect principles of Christ; so also another earth, which receives into it all the saints, may first imbue and mould them by the institutions of the true and everlasting law, that they may more easily gain possession of those perfect institutions of heaven, to which nothing can be added; in which there will be, of a truth, that Gospel which is called everlasting, and that Testament, ever new, which shall never grow old. 9. In this ”
Catechism of the Catholic Church (Catholic) “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Article 2 (part 5): "By this appreciation of the faith, aroused and sustained by the Spirit of truth, the People of God, guided by the sacred teaching authority (Magisterium),. . . receives. . . the faith, once for all delivered to the saints. . . the People unfailingly adheres to this faith, penetrates it more deeply with right judgment, and applies it more fully in daily life."56 Growth in understanding the faith 94 Thanks to the assistance of the Holy Spirit, the understanding of both the realities and the words of the heritage of faith is able to grow in t”

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