the scriptures plainly teach we are not to follow “the commandments and doctrines of men”: matt....
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Introduction
The Scriptures plainly teach we are not to follow “the commandments and doctrines of men”: Matt. 15:9; 1 Cor. 2:4-5; Rom. 1:16
This does not mean what a man says is of no value: 1 Pet. 4:11 Thomas Campbell (1763-1854): early
leader of the Restoration Movement (1790-1840) sought to remove the “rubbish” of the human traditions of denominationalism and follow the NT pattern.
“Where the Scriptures speak, we speak; and where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent.”
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Introduction
Battle over these two views: Tertullian (A.D. 150-222):
Silence permits: “the thing which is not forbidden is freely permitted.”
Silence forbids: “I should rather say that what has not been freely allowed is forbidden.”
Reformation (16th century): Silence permits: “What is not against
Scripture is for Scripture, and Scripture for it.” (Martin Luther)
Silence forbids: practices “not enjoined or taught in the New Testament should be unconditionally rejected.” (Ulrich Zwingli)
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Introduction
Most “Christians” view the “silence of the Scriptures” as granting permission to exercise human wisdom in religious matters.
According to this view “silence permits,” “silence grants liberty” to exercise human wisdom.
A very small minority believes “silence forbids.”
If God’s word says nothing, nothing is auth-orized.
Every generation must deal with this issue.
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The Bible’s View of Silence
Predominant view: “silence permits.”
Minority view: “silence forbids.”
How do we decide? Rom. 4:3; 1 Pet. 4:11
Patterns: Summary
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The Bible’s View of Silence
Baptism: God clearly commands it:
Acts 2:38; Mk. 16:16 Baptism clearly immersion:
Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12 Bible says nothing of
“sprinkling.” Does God’s silence permit
“sprinkling”?Patterns: Summary
The principle that “silence forbids” applies to biblical interpretation and
to human communication in
general.
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The Bible’s View of Silence
Baptism: God’s will is only expressed by what He
says in the Scriptures: 1 Cor. 2:9-11; Heb. 1:1-2; Jn. 12:48; 14:26; 16:13; Eph. 3:1-5; 1 Cor. 14:37
God does not express His will by what He does NOT say, but by what He does say!
God says “baptism,” not “sprinkling”!
To teach sprinkling is speculative, presumptuous, and an injection of human wisdom into the divine scheme of redemption.
Patterns: Summary
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The Bible’s View of Silence
Noah: Genesis 6 God said “make yourself an ark of
gopherwood”: Gen. 6:14
God said nothing about oak, maple or pine.
God’s uttering of “gopherwood” automatically eliminates every other kind of wood.
Terms that mean anything a man wants them to mean may mean everything and speech becomes meaningless.
Patterns: Summary
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The Bible’s View of Silence
Priesthood of Jesus: Hebrews 7 Hebrew writer: “having become High
Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek”: Heb. 6:20
Obviously the priesthood changed: Heb. 7:11-12
Priests under Law of Moses from Levi: Heb. 7:5
Jesus not a Levite, but from Judah: Heb. 7:13-14
Patterns: Summary
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The Bible’s View of Silence
Priesthood of Jesus: Hebrews 7 God was “silent” about old covenant
priests from Judah: “of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning the priesthood”: Heb. 7:14
Even Jesus could not presume on God’s silence and include Himself in the Mosaic priesthood.
If Jesus had to adhere to the principle that “silence forbids” who are we to assert “silence permits”?
Patterns: Summary
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The Bible’s View of Silence
Uzziah: 2 Chronicles 26 Uzziah was a king of Judah (792-740
B.C.) and of the tribe of Judah.
God said only men from tribe of Levi allowed to officiate as priests: Ex. 28:1; 40:15; Num. 3:10-12
However king Uzziah entered “the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense”: 2 Chron. 26:16
No big deal, right? Isn’t it good to burn incense to the LORD?
Patterns: Summary
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The Bible’s View of Silence
Uzziah: 2 Chronicles 26 God thought it was a big deal! 2
Chron. 26:19 Why? 2 Chron. 26:18 Recall why the Old Testament
was given? Rom. 15:4 Did silence grant Uzziah
permission? Are we learning?Patterns: Summary
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The Bible’s View of Silence
Nadab & Abihu: Leviticus 10 Sons of Aaron of the tribe of Levi and
legitimate priests.
God told priests where to get “fire” for burning incense: Lev. 16:12-13
However, they used “strange fire” or as the NIV says, “unauthorized fire”: Lev. 10:1
Did silence grant Nadab and Abihu permission? No! Lev. 10:2
Patterns: Summary
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The Bible’s View of Silence
Moses on Plains of Moab: Deut. 4 Notice what Moses tells the children
of Israel:
“You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the com-mandments of the LORD your God which I com-mand you.” (v. 2)
Could God make it any plainer?
Prohibitive silence is fundamental in God’s revelation.
Patterns: Summary
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The Bible’s View of Silence
More on Moses: Deuteronomy 29:29 Notice what Moses tells the children
of Israel:
“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”
What God has not said is not for man to know; wise and obedient men leave it at that.
What God does say enables man to “do all the words” of His law: cf. 2 Tim. 3:17
Patterns: Summary
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The Bible’s View of Silence
We can only establish the design, nature, character, organization, work, worship, etc. of the NT church by what God has said. Speaking where God is silent is
“presumption.” It is injecting human will and wisdom
and elevating human traditions above God’s word.
Speaking when God is silent brings condemn-ation: Rev. 22:18-19
It makes unity an impossibility: 1 Pet. 4:11; 1 Cor. 1:10
Patterns: Summary
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Patterns and the New Testament Church
Membership: God speaks His mind on salvation in the
“Great Commission”: Matt. 28:19-20; Mk. 16:16; Jn. 8:24; Heb. 11:6; Acts 17:30; Rom. 10:9; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Mk. 16:16
Comply with God’s conditions of grace and He remits sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16), adds to the church (Acts 2:47; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:23), enrolls in the Book of Life (Heb. 12:22-23).
God’s plan of salvation was spoken through inspired men (Jn. 16:13); the revelation is complete and cannot be changed (Jude 3; Gal. 1:6-9).
Patterns: Summary
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Patterns and the New Testament Church
Membership: In the first century when men spoke
concerning salvation where God had not spoken they were condemned: Acts 15:1, 24
These men spoke on salvation where God had said nothing, they taught that it was necessary to be circumcised.
The gospel Paul preached was silent concerning circumcision; God “gave no such commandment”: Acts 15:24Patterns:
Summary
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Patterns and the New Testament Church
Membership: Paul reacted firmly and unequivocally to
this violation of God’s silence.
He plainly told them is was not part of the original gospel but was part of a “different gospel”: Gal. 1:6
It was a perverted gospel, which was anathema to preach! Gal. 1:7, 8
Paul went further to say violating God’s silence on this matter had drastic consequences! Gal. 5:4
Patterns: Summary
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Patterns and the New Testament Church
Foundation/Head: The foundation of the church is Christ:
1 Pet. 2:6-7; Eph. 2:19-22; 1 Cor. 3:11 Jesus is “head” of the church: Matt.
16:18; Acts 20:28; Eph. 1:22 God is silent concerning other
heads/foundations of the church: e.g., Peter, pope, Martin Luther, John Wesley, John Calvin, Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddy
For man to appoint anyone as head or foundation of the church other than Christ violates God’s silence; violates God’s pattern: Gal. 1:6-9; 2 Jn. 9
Patterns: Summary
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Patterns and the New Testament Church
Name: The church belongs to Christ, He built it,
He pur-chased it, He is its Savior: Matt. 16:18; Acts 20:28; Eph. 5:23-27
Several times God mentions the name of the church: 1 Cor. 1:2; Rom. 16:16
Yet men give the church names like Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, Roman Catholic
God’s word is silent concerning these names; they are man-made names; not part of God’s revealed pattern.
Patterns: Summary
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Patterns and the New Testament Church
Organization: The church of the first century knew
nothing larger than local congregations.
God said every church should have elders (i.e., bishops, pastors): Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9
God said elders were to serve as “overseers, to shepherd the church of God” “the flock of God which is among you”: Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:1-3
Patterns: Summary
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Patterns and the New Testament Church
Organization: God is silent concerning:
A bureaucratic hierarchy of priests, bishops, archbishops, cardinals, and pope.
A national assembly of presbyters, synod of bishops, convention of representatives, etc.
God is silent concerning elders overseeing congregations which did not appoint them.
To follow any other pattern of organization violates the silence of the Scriptures; it is “another gospel”; it is “accursed”!
Patterns: Summary
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Patterns and the New Testament Church
Mission:
God told the church its primary mission was to engage in evangelism and to edify its members in the faith: 1 Tim. 3:15; Eph. 4:11-16; Acts 8:1-4; 13:1-3; 2 Cor. 11:8; Phil. 4:15-16
A secondary mission was to care for its destitute members: Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-37; 11:27-30; 1 Cor. 16:1-3; Rom. 15:25-26
Patterns: Summary
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Patterns and the New Testament Church
Mission: God is silent concerning the “country
club” atmosphere typical of denominational churches and liberal churches of Christ.
Silent concerning church kitchens, fellowship halls, game rooms, athletic fields, etc.
Silent concerning use of carnal attractions as a tool of evangelism: Jn. 6:26-27, 66
God says His “calling card” is “the gospel”: Rom. 1:16-17; 2 Thess. 2:13-14
Patterns: Summary
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Patterns and the New Testament Church
Mission:
God is silent in regards to:
Involving the church in anything but evangelism, edification and benevolence to needy saints.
Creating organizations (e.g., Missionary Society) to carry out the work of the church.
Creating a “sponsoring church” to oversee the work of several churches.
Patterns: Summary
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Patterns and the New Testament Church
Worship:
God told the first century church to assemble for worship: Jn. 4:24; 1 Cor. 11, 14, 16; Heb. 10:25
Lord’s Supper: Acts 2:42; 20:27; 1 Cor. 11:23-26
Singing hymns: Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16
Prayer: Acts 2:42; 1 Tim. 2:1-2; 1 Thess. 5:17
Preaching/teaching: Acts 2:42; 20:7
Giving of means: 1 Cor. 16:1-2
Patterns: Summary
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Patterns and the New Testament Church
Worship:
God did not tell the first century church to:
Professional musicians
Instrumental music
Dramatic productions
Ritualistic prayers
Hand clapping, shouting, emotional outbursts
Patterns: Summary
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Conclusion
Three things should be crystal clear:
There’s a huge difference between the church Jesus built as recorded in the NT and the modern practices of Roman Catholicism and Protestant denomina-tionalism.
The NT presents a pattern for Christ’s church which is profound, yet sublime in its simplicity of organization, work, worship, terms of membership, etc.
The NT church is singular, unique and designed by God to meet man’s every spiritual need.
“Where the Scriptures speak,
we speak; and where the
Scriptures are silent, we are
silent.”