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.

Part 13: God’s Pattern For His Church: Summary

Hebrews 8:4-6

The New Testament

Church

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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.”

The Scriptures plainly teach we are not to follow “the commandments and doctrines of men”: Matt....

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Transcript of The Scriptures plainly teach we are not to follow “the commandments and doctrines of men”: Matt....