The Three Mindsets in Which We Read Scripture
A Growth Model for Spiritual Maturity
What follows is nothing new to regular readers. These are The Mindsets restated and applied to this instance. I hope this makes what I write in future (and in reading back) make sense.
Thinking by Ayman Elmaleky
The Three Mindsets in Which We Read Scripture
A Growth Model for Spiritual Maturity
By Daniel L. Bacon
My Brother Aaron,
Asking good questions is essential in studying Scripture, but just as important is what we do when we believe we have found an answer. Hermeneutically, we explore the literary, historical, and cultural truths of the text to develop our Ecclesiology and Christology, among other examples. However, there is another essential layer: understanding what the author means in light of living life according to the Spirit.
Scripture can be approached through three distinct mindsets, each representing a different level of maturity:
---
The Three Mindsets
1. Natural Mindset (Childlike)
Approach: Plain reading. 1+1=2. The goal is to be right.
Key Thought: Right = Righteous
Focus: Accuracy, rules, correctness.
2. Nominal Mindset (Adolescent)
Approach: Motivational reading. The heart matters more than strict correctness.
Key Thought: Meaning well is sufficient.
Focus: Good intentions, sincerity, and being encouraged.
3. Spiritual Mindset (Adult)
Approach: Spiritual reading. Walking in the Spirit is essential to understanding Scripture.
Key Thought: Knowing as we ought to know, in step with the Spirit.
Focus: Discernment, alignment with the Spirit's life, living the mind of Christ.
---
Applying the Mindsets to Scripture Interpretation
Every passage can be read from these three mindsets, yielding interpretations of varying maturity.
Example: Micah 6:8
**"He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Natural Mindset:
God wants us to do the right things: follow the rules, practice justice, be merciful, and remain humble.
Nominal Mindset:
God cares that we mean well and that we pursue justice, mercy, and humility as best as we can.
Spiritual Mindset:
God is inviting us to walk in the Spirit, where justice, mercy, and humility flow from being deeply connected to Him, rather than from striving to achieve them by our own effort.
The core difference is maturity. The interpretations are not necessarily contradictory, but each level reveals a deeper way of living and understanding.
---
Applying the Mindsets to Christology and Ecclesiology
Christology (Study of Christ)
Sample Text: John 14:6 *"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"
Natural Mindset:
Jesus is the exclusive doorway to salvation. Believing in Him is the correct way to avoid eternal punishment.
Nominal Mindset:
Jesus is the loving Savior who provides the way to God for all who sincerely seek Him.
Spiritual Mindset:
Jesus is the living Way. To walk in the Spirit is to live in the way, the truth, and the life of Christ now, not just as a doctrinal gate but as a present, Spirit-led journey to the Father.
---
Ecclesiology (Study of the Church)
Sample Text: Acts 2:42 *"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."
Natural Mindset:
The church should model itself strictly on this pattern: teaching, fellowship, communion, and prayer are the non-negotiable marks of a true church.
Nominal Mindset:
The heart behind the church matters. What is essential is that people love gathering, learning, and sharing life together.
Spiritual Mindset:
The church is a Spirit-formed body where teaching, fellowship, and prayer are not just practices, but Spirit-empowered ways of being, continually discerning what it means to be the living presence of Christ in the world.
> Aside: Community doesn’t always look the same. Church polity (how churches organize themselves) also falls under the mindsets. Some communities may focus heavily on structure (Natural), others on relational warmth and inclusion (Nominal), and others on a fluid, Spirit-led communal life (Spiritual). The external form may vary, but maturity is measured by walking in the Spirit, not by uniformity of structure.
---
Why We Get Stuck in Each Maturity Cycle
> “A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” (Luke 6:40)
Our growth often halts because we lack examples ahead of us. We imitate what we see. Without witnessing someone who has matured beyond our current mindset, we are likely to stay where we are.
Stuck in the Natural Mindset (Childlike)
Cause: Teachers are focused on being correct.
Result: We master precision but lack Spirit-led discernment.
Trap: Believing correctness equals righteousness.
Stuck in the Nominal Mindset (Adolescent)
Cause: Teachers emphasize good intentions but lack depth in Spirit-led living.
Result: Motivational faith without deep discernment.
Trap: Believing sincerity is enough even when we are misaligned.
Stuck in the Spiritual Mindset (Adult)
Cause: Assuming we’ve arrived and becoming disconnected from community.
Result: Isolated spirituality with limited growth.
Trap: Believing we no longer need community or further models.
---
How to Keep Growing
Seek Teachers Beyond Your Current Stage. Find those who are walking deeper in the Spirit.
Create Safe Environments. Build spaces where deeper questions and Spirit-led exploration are welcome.
Practice Self-Examination. Ask: Who am I imitating? Who is inviting me to grow?
Spiritual maturity is not simply about gaining knowledge, but about walking deeper into the life of the Spirit. We move forward when we see living examples who model the next step and when we remain open to continually being trained by the Master.
I look forward to our conversations.
Your Brother,
Daniel