August 1, 2004, Vol.4, No.15.
Two new articles every two weeks.
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us.
THIS ISSUE: "How
to Tell What the Lord Requires" (see
below)
and "How the Lord Expresses
His Will"
How to Tell What
the Lord Requires
by Keith Sharp
Introduction
The New Testament is a binding pattern of authority (2 Timothy
1:13). Yet, those who deny this fact are quick to point out that
Christians generally do not deem it necessary to follow many
New Testament examples. For example, every time the Scriptures
record where the Lord's supper was observed, it was in an upper
room (cf. Luke 22:7-20; Acts 20:7-8). Yet virtually no one believes
it is necessary to meet in an upper room for the purpose of observing
the Lord's Supper.
But the same possible confusion we face relative to the authority
of approved examples applies to declarations and implications.
The apostle Paul commanded Timothy to bring his cloak, books
and parchments (2 Timothy 4:13). Must we obey this apostolic
command? It is necessarily implied that the apostle Peter was
a married man (Matthew 8:14). Must a preacher of the gospel be
married (as some brethren seem to think)?
It will not do to simply say, We,ve always recognized these
passages are not binding, for that is simply following human
tradition (Matthew 15:1-9). Nor will it do to throw the baby
out with the bath water and simply deny we must follow the New
Testament as a binding pattern, for the Scriptures plainly teach
we must follow apostolic doctrine and not deviate from it (2
John 9). We must find inspired teaching that will lead us to
determine accurately what in a passage is binding and what is
not.
This leads us to the question this lesson will answer. How
can we tell which details of a passage are authoritatively binding
and must be followed and which are not?
The General Approach
The Scriptures demand that we follow declarations, approved
examples, and implications (Philippians 4:9). Thus, our approach
must be that all New Testament declarations (commands and statements),
examples, and implications are binding unless we can prove otherwise.
When in doubt, follow the inspired information as authoritative.
General Rules
There are important, universally recognized rules of Bible
study, rules which actually apply to the understanding of all
language and which we use to determine the meaning of a passage,
which we must also employ to determine what in a passage is authoritatively
binding. These rules can be posed in the form of questions the
answers to which determine both the meaning and authority of
specific details.
We should ask, Who is the speaker? For example, Acts 26:28-29
records two statements, one we must follow and one we must not
follow. King Agrippa said he was almost persuaded to be a Christian.
He was an impenitent sinner, and it would be sinful to adopt
his statement as a guide. Paul, an inspired apostle, replied
that he wished all who heard him were as he is except for his
chains. Paul was an inspired apostle, and we must be Christians
as he was.
We should ask, To whom is the passage addressed? 1 Corinthians
14:27 is a rule for those who exercised the miraculous gift of
tongue speaking in the public worship assembly, and, since miraculous
spiritual gifts have ceased (1 Corinthians 13:8-13), the specific
injunction does not apply today.
We should inquire, What is the subject? 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
is often misapplied by brethren to teach we should not harm our
physical bodies, whereas the context (verses 5-15) indicates
the apostle is forbidding harming the church by following human
wisdom.
We should ask, Is the language literal or figurative? Brethren
who bind the use of just one drinking vessel for the Lord's Supper
should realize we cannot literally divide a drinking vessel (Luke
22:17) and that Jesus, by metonymy, was referring to the contents,
the fruit of the vine, not the container.
We should also ask, Why is this said (or done, or implied)?
In John 13:1-15 Jesus washed His disciples feet and then taught,
"I have given you an example that you should do as I have
done to you" (verse 15). He was not teaching them a ritual
to employ in the worship assembly. He was teaching them to humbly
serve each other, and this principle of humble service to one
another is the authoritatively binding principle.
Three Kinds of Information
So far as authority is concerned, there are three kinds of
material in New Testament passages.
There is information we must not follow. It is negative,
teaching us things it would be sinful to do. The Bible records
both false teaching (e.g., 2 Timothy 2:17-18) and sin (e.g.,
3 John verse 9-11), and we must follow neither. The Jewish council
commanded the apostles not to preach and teach in the name of
Jesus (Acts 4:18; 5:27-28,40), and we, as the apostles, must
refuse to obey such a command (Acts 4:19-20; 5:29-32,41-42).
The apostle Peter denied the Lord three times (Matthew 26:69-75),
but it would be a sin to follow his example. It is implied that
some Christians in Corinth placed their confidence in human wisdom,
but we must not do so (1 Corinthians 2:1-5; 2 Corinthians 10:10).
There is information we may follow. It is permissive,
expressing liberties (cf. 1 Corinthians 7:6-7,25-28,38-40). When
the New Testament records where baptism took place, it was always
in an outdoor body of water (e.g., Matthew 3:5-6; Acts 8:36-38).
I believe these examples are permissive, a liberty, not binding.
Paul commanded the brethren at Corinth, "Let each one remain
in the same calling in which he was called" (1 Corinthians
7:20). Is it sinful to change occupations? (cf. verse 26) It
is implied that the apostles other than Paul refrained from manual
labor to fully devote their time to the Lord's work (l Corinthians
9:l-6). Is it wrong for a preacher to have a secular job?
But there is information we must follow. It is authoritatively
binding. The Lord commanded us to eat the Lord's Supper in remembrance
of Him (1 Corinthians 11:23-25), and we must obey this command.
The disciples ate the Supper on the first day of the week (Acts
20:7), and we must follow their example. It is implied they did
this each first day of the week (Acts 20:7; cf. Exodus 20:8),and
we must do so.
How to Distinguish Between
Requirements and Liberties
It is no problem to recognize negative passages, for the inspired
writers identify the example, command, or implication as sinful.
But how do we tell the difference between permissive passages
and those that are binding? How do we differentiate between a
liberty and that which we are required to do? Five rules of interpretation,
all taught by the Scriptures themselves, enable us to do this.
First is the Principle of Unity.
This means that the binding of a passage as that which must be
followed must not contradict other New Testament teaching. This
principle is true because the Bible is truth (John 17:17), and
truth is always consistent with itself. Thus, we know that the
observance of the Lord's Supper in an upper room is not binding,
for Jesus taught that where we worship is irrelevant (John 4:19-24)
Similar to this is the Principle
of Uniformity. For a binding pattern to exist, there
must not be variation in essential details. This is for the same
reason as the first rule. The Scriptures are truth (John 17:17),
and truth does not contradict itself. There are many illustrations
of this rule. Although the church in Jerusalem met for worship
daily (Acts 2:46), we cannot bind this approved example, for
it is implied the church in Troas met only on the first day of
the week (Acts 20:6-7). Nor can we bind the undivided assembly
(1 Corinthians 14:23) as the only arrangement for the church
to teach, for the New Testament records other approved arrangements
(e.g., Acts 20:17; Galatians 2:2).
Third is the Principle of Universal
Application. Unless the teaching is applicable to
the whole world until the end of time, it is not binding, because
the gospel is for all people everywhere for all time (Mark 16:15).
The apostle Paul taught the women at Corinth to wear an artificial
head covering as a symbol of their submission to their husbands
(1 Corinthians 11:2-16). Feminine subjection to male leadership
in the family and in the local church is a universal principle
(1 Corinthians 11:3). But the apostle specifically identified
the woman's head covering as a "custom" in verse 16
(cf. John 18:39). The woman's head covering as a symbol of submission,
rather than being universal, was confined to a certain group
at a certain time.
Next is the Principle of Legitimate Extension. The teaching
of a passage must only be applied in situations parallel to its
context in essential details. This is true because we must not
go beyond the doctrine of Christ (2 John 9). Although the disciples
in Jerusalem sold all they had to give to the poor saints (Acts
2:44-45; 4:32,34-35), we need not do this unless we face similar
circumstances, where this is required in order to relieve our
own needy (cf. Acts 5:1-4, which shows our right to own and control
our own property).
Finally, we must apply the Principle
of Spiritual Significance. It is the spiritual principle
of a passage that is binding; thus, if the outward act is only
a cultural or incidental expression of that principle, the outward
act is a liberty, not a requirement. This is true because the
kingdom of heaven pertains to the spiritual rather then the carnal
(John 18:36; Romans 14:17; Ephesians 1:3; Colossians 2:20-23).
Although the Lord commanded His disciples to wash one another's
feet (John 13:14-17), this specific act is not bound on us. In
a society in which people usually walked where they were going,
roads were usually of dirt, and the people wore sandals, washing
one another's feet was a welcome expression of service and hospitality
(cf. Luke 7:44; 1 Timothy 5:9-10). In modern society in which
people drive cars on paved streets and wear shoes, foot washing
is simply a meaningless ritual. The Master was teaching us to
humbly serve each other, even as He came as a Servant to all.
The kiss was a friendly greeting in first century society (Romans
16:16). We should greet other Christians in a sincere, pure,
and friendly manner, but we don't have to kiss each other to
accomplish that goal.
Conclusion
The application of these principles will help us to be mature
Christians, able to distinguish good and evil (Hebrews 5:12-14).
We should study for the knowledge we need to discern between
liberties and requirements (2 Timothy 2:15) and pray for the
wisdom to make the proper applications (James 1:5).
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