SILENCE OF THE SCRIPTURE
Introduction:
A. Read from Document concerning Thomas Campbell's statement
B. State consequences of this principle
C. Show scriptural statements supporting principle
1. (Deu 4:2 KJV) "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you."
2. (2 John 1:9 KJV) "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son."
3845 parabaino {par-ab-ah'-ee-no}
from 3844 and the base of 939; TDNT - 5:736,772; v
AV - transgression 3, fall by transgression 1; 4
1) to go by the side of
2) to go past or pass over without touching a thing
3) to overstep, neglect, violate, transgress
4) so to go past as to turn aside from
4a) to depart, leave, be turned from
5) one who abandons his trust
3306 meno {men'-o}
a root word; TDNT - 4:574,581; v
AV - abide 61, remain 16, dwell 15, continue 11, tarry 9, endure 3,
misc 5; 120
1) to remain, abide
1a) in reference to place
1a1) to sojourn, tarry
1a2) not to depart
1a2a) to continue to be present
1a2b) to be held, kept, continually
1b) in reference to time
1b1) to continue to be, not to perish, to last, endure
1b1a) of persons, to survive, live
1c) in reference to state or condition
1c1) to remain as one, not to become another or different
2) to wait for, await one
3. 1Cor 4:6 (NKJV) "Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other. "
a. Notice that the KJV places "of men" in italics.
4. All things must be of faith
- Whatever is not of faith is sin (Rom. 14:23)
- Faith comes from God’s word (Rom. 10:17)
- Whatever is not from God’s word is sin
I. Establishing Biblical Authority
(Mark 16:15 KJV) "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."
(Acts 8:4 KJV) "Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word."
1. Example of everyday christians preaching the Gospel.
(Mark 16:16 KJV) "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
D. Expediency
A. How we go is optional.
1. We may go by plane, ship, car, motor home, motorcycle, bicycle, skates or walking. All are authorized under the command "go."
II. Examples of this principle
A. (Lev 10:1-2 KJV) "And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. {2} And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD."
1. (Lev 16:12 KJV) "And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil:"
B. David, Nathan and God’s house (2 Sam. 7:1-29)
(2 Sam 7:5-7 KJV) "Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? {6} Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. {7} In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?"
(Acts 15:23-24 KJV) "And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: {24} Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:"
E. (Heb 7:14 KJV) "For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood."
III. Attempts to deny or weaken God's use of silence in the Scriptures.
A. Silence is Consent (http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Crete/4602/Instruments.html - April 99)
"Both groups are equally zealous to practice a hermeneutic that leads to a faithful following of the word of God. The instrumental churches use the same three point hermeneutic as the non-instrumental brethren.
* Is it Scriptural?
* Is it Unscriptural?
* Is it Anti-scriptural?
Scriptural to the instrumental group is the same as when the non-instrumental group says "command." There is agreement on both sides. A command is not optional.
Unscriptural does not mean the same thing to both groups. To the non-instrumentalist, unscriptural means "unauthorized" therefore sinful! By the term unscriptural, the instrumentalist means "not mentioned in scripture." Therefore they refer to items such as song books, public address systems, church buildings, communion sets, tuning forks, pitch pipes, and instrumental music as "unscriptural." But when a thing is not "scriptural" (commanded) and is "unscriptural" they ask is it "anti-scriptural," or "prohibited" by scripture? Anything the scripture forbids is excluded from their lives and worship.
On the subject of instrumental music, the "instrumentalist" reasons:
* Is it scriptural (commanded)? NO
* Is it unscriptural (not mentioned)? YES
* Is it anti-scriptural (forbidden)? NO
With their hermeneutic they believe they have the liberty to proceed with caution. A careful understanding of these two hermeneutics will help each group better understand each fellowship as we pursue unity. It is not a matter of one caring more about Bible authority than the other." --Fred
--- What is the difference in the items mentioned.
song books – still just singing
public address systems – Still just preaching
church buildings – Commanded to come together (Heb. 10:25), The first century christians met in buildings, so are we.
communion sets – Still just partaking of the Lord’s Supper
tuning forks pitch pipes – Not music (No melody or rhythm)– Still just singing.
Instrumental music – Now singing and playing in worship to God.
--- "Anything the scripture forbids is excluded from their lives and worship."
This is not a true statement. It should read "Anything the scripture explicitly forbids is excluded from their lives and worship." When something is specifically authorized that eliminates everything else.
1Cor 4:6 (NKJV) "Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other. "
B. Silence is Neutral (by David Erickson, "One Body" Winter/Spring 87)
"I believe that the silence of Scripture suggests neither prohibition or consent."
"If silence is neutral, I cannot easily grab on to some hermeneutical tool for answers: I am forced to be totally dependent upon the Spirit of God and not upon my own conclusions of those who will try to decide for me."
"Finally, the interpreter must acknowledge and depend upon the role of the Spirit in biblical hermeneutics. One's view of Scripture and the doctrine of the Holy Spirit converge when one faithfully attempts Christian decision-making. We must remember that we can only properly interpret Scripture when the Holy Spirit is within us, making us alert to obey His direction. God is still the God who acts in history and will lead His Church, through the prompting of the Spirit, to new lands and cultures and areas of concern. I believe God's Spirit is doing that today."
---- Notice his view is to let the Holy Spirit within him do the prompting.
Is he claiming inspiration?
If not what is this mysterious inward prompting that guides him to truth?
The Holy Spirit leads by Word not inward prompting.
(Eph 6:17 KJV) "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:"
(Heb 4:12 KJV) "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
Brethren, The scripture doesn’t promise any mysterious prompts from the Holy Spirit, We are told to study, reason and apply (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Even inspired men didn’t always understand
Acts 2:39 > Acts 10
(1 Pet 1:10-11 KJV) "Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: {11} Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow."
- This boils down to plain old subjectivism. If feels right do it.
1Cor 4:6 (NKJV) Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.
Silence does not bind unless the unauthorized action keeps one from performing the authorized action. (from e-mail study)
An example is given
"> later in this article which I won't requote about the priest having to come from the tribe of Levi. That example simply doesn't prove anything, as the tribes are mutually exclusive One cannot be a member of a non-Levi tribe and still be a member of the Levi tribe as was required. However, the instrumentation argument is not mutually exclusive out of necessity. It is indeed physically possible to sing and play an instrument. Let's go to the gopher wood argument I've seen may times. Yeah, if God said use gopher wood to make the whole ship, then that's what he needed to do. Again, it wouldn't have been possible to both make
* it wholly out of gopher wood and include another kind of wood."
---Notice this argument.
The use of an instrument of music does not physically keep us from singing
The command that priest be from the tribe of Levi are mutually exclusive as it is physically impossible for one to be a member of the tribe of Levi and a member of a non-Levi tribe.
(Heb 7:14 KJV) "For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood."
(Num 3:9-10 KJV) "And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel. {10} And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death."
Ex. 27:21, Ex 28:43, Ex. 29:9
Jeroboam appointed priests which were not of the tribe of Levi (1 Ki. 12:31, 13:33)
-- Therefore since it is physically possible to burn incense and sing at the same time, I may add burning incense to God’s command to sing.
-- Therefore since it is physically possible to clap hands and/or stomp feet while singing, I may add clapping hands and/or stomping feet to singing.
One cannot add to God’s commands concerning worship whether it excludes keeping another of God’s commands or not?
1Cor 4:6 (NKJV) Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.
----"Again: If God said use gopher wood to make the whole ship, then that’s what he needed to do. Again, it wouldn’t have been possible to both make it wholly out of gopher wood and include another kind of wood."
Let’s see (Gen. 6:14) "Make thee an ark of gopher wood…" Do you read the word "wholly" in that text? It is interesting that this writer recognized that the command "Make thee an ark of gopher wood" means make it just of gopher wood but does not recognize that when God said to sing that means just sing (no additions). Under his law of "mutual exclusion he could use any other wood as long as he used some gopher wood and using other wood would not keep him from using gopher wood.
--The principle is basic.
This eliminated all other kinds of wood.
1Cor 4:6 (NKJV) Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.
IV. CONSEQUENCES OF REJECTING GOD’S USE OF SILENCE IN THE SCRIPTURES
E. Coke & Hamburger on Lord’s Table
F. Dancing
G. Preaching Andy Griffith in the Pulpit or in Bible Class.
CONCLUSION
--Philip Smith