SPC

First Century Christianity In the Twenty-First Century Establishing Bible Authority, Part 2

The Basis Of Authority ➡ The Need For Authority ➡ Lack Of Authority Is Punishable ➡ Source Of Authority: Heaven or Men?

How To Establish Bible Authority ➡ Direct Commands - Mt 28:19; Mk 16:15,16; Col 3:16; Eph 5:19 ➡ Approved Apostolic Examples - 1 Cor 11:1; Acts 20:7 ➡ Necessary Inferences - Jn 3:2; Mt 21:31,32

The Types of Commands ➡ General Commands

General Commands “involving, relating to, or applicable to every member of a class, kind, or group; not confined by specialization or careful limitation”

“Go Into All The World” ➡ The means by which we are to “go” are not specified. ➡ Some traveled in a chariot, some traveled by ship, some walked ➡ Cars, airplanes, Internet, radio, television, etc.

“Build An Ark...” ➡ The means by which Noah was to build the ark was not specified. ➡ In order to build the ark he needed a hammer, nails, measuring tools, scaffolding, a saw, etc.

The Types of Commands ➡ General Commands ➡ Specific Commands

Specific Commands “restricted to a particular individual, situation, relation, or effect.”

Specific Commands ➡ There are two broad and general types of music: instrumental and a cappella. ➡ Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 specify singing as pleasing worship to God. ➡ Logic demands the law of exclusion, i.e., when a thing is specified it excludes everything else - Heb 7:12-14

The Law Of Exclusion Inclusio unius est exclusio alterius is defined as “the inclusion of one thing is the exclusion of another. The certain designation of one person is an absolute exclusion of all others.” (p. 687)

The Law Of Exclusion ➡ A will specifies who will receive an inheritance, not those who are not to receive it. ➡ A deed to property specifies the property owned. It does not list all the property one does not own. ➡ A prescription for medicine specifies the medication one is to receive, not all the medications one may not receive.

The Silence Of The Scriptures “We should abolish all that is not expressly contrary to Scripture.” Ulrich Zwingli

The Silence Of The Scriptures “What is not against Scripture is for Scripture, and Scripture for it.” Martin Luther

The Silence Of The Scriptures ➡ Silence is permissive unless there is a law that expressly forbids a particular practice - Heb 10:25 ➡ However, if Scripture specifies a certain activity and work of the church then silence is prohibitive - Eph 5:19; Col 3:16

The Laws Of Expediency ➡ The expedient must be lawful - 1 Cor 10:23 ➡ The expedient cannot be specified ➡ The expedient must edify - 1 Cor 10:23; 14:26 ➡ The expedient must not cause a brother to stumble - 1 Cor 10:32; 8:7-13 ➡ An expedient cannot change a command

The Argument For Expediency ➡ Church support of orphan’s homes? ➡ Sponsoring church arrangement? ➡ Church supporting colleges? ➡ The Missionary Society? ➡ The Social Gospel?

The Argument For Expediency “Before arguing the ‘law of expediency’ for putting colleges in the budgets of the churches, let the authority be cited for the church to support human organizations and institutions, working through man- made boards, showing such to be lawful, and it will then be time to discuss whether it is expedient or not.” Foy E. Wallace, Jr., Torch, August 1950

Expedient Or Addition? CommandExpedientAddition Sing Pitch pipe, leader, songbooks, etc. Instruments Assemble Building, carpet, lights, etc. Fellowship Halls Baptize (Immersion) Baptistery, lake, swimming pool, etc. Sprinkling Edify Classes, Sunday evening service, Wednesday service Fellowship Halls

Conclusion ➡ These principles are fundamental to the rest of our discussion concerning the work, worship, activity, and organization of the church. ➡ In the next lesson we will study the church in the sense of the universal church and the local church.