The essay started as experience of the author in doing exegetical task. In his attempts for exegesis of the Word, he usually ended up crying, praising and worshiping before God. It is common for exegete to interpret the text for others, without first considering his devotional life prior to interpretation. Fee realized that exegesis and spirituality are not separate disciplines, and the interface between them reflects how the interpretation looks. Good interpretation of the text is the product of exegete’s personal devotion first, followed by the skills to accomplish exegetical tasks properly.
It is the Word of God written by people inspired by the Holy Spirit that one is trying to interpret; therefore only Spiritual people can have a good interpretation. The role of the Holy Spirit to interpreter’s life cannot be ignored. While the goal of true exegesis leads others to respond in worship and obedience, the exegete’s true Spirituality accomplishes the goal. In the Apostle Paul’s writings, the ultimate intention is Spirituality- a life by the Spirit. He did not want to be misunderstood so it is expected that the person must be dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit to arrive at a good interpretation. Thus, the author’s intent can only be interpreted by the Spirit-filled person- one who is devoted in prayer and worship of God. Furthermore, in doing exegetical task, an exegete must be very careful to consider the form of writing he’s interpreting. It is for this reason that the author has been intentional to use such genre to communicate his message.
To complete the circle, Exegesis and Spirituality cannot be treated as separate disciplines. Neither one of the two can be ignored over the other. Again, the goal of exegesis is spirituality, but good interpretation is achieved by the person whose life is never separated from the Spirit. Finally, the interface between exegesis and spirituality is undeniably centered to the interpretation of the text, a good interpretation that’s calls for true action and submission.
Source: Listening to the Spirit in the Text by Gordon D. Fee
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