"FOLLOWING JESUS WITHOUT DENOMINATIONALISM" Further Thoughts Related To Authority In Religion by Mark Copeland

 

 

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"FOLLOWING JESUS WITHOUT DENOMINATIONALISM"

Further Thoughts Related To Authority In Religion

INTRODUCTION

1. In the past two lessons in this series, I have stressed that to be free of religious division we must have the same "standard of authority"
1. That standard is the Will of Christ...
1. As revealed in the "apostles' doctrine", that is, the teaching of Christ's apostles
2. As inspired by the Holy Spirit, and preserved for us in the pages of the New Testament
2. Other standards, both objective and subjective, are not suitable guides to lead us in the way of salvation...
1. Not the Old Testament, majority rule, parents, preachers, creeds and traditions of men
2. Nor conscience, human wisdom, or feelings
2. But before we leave the subject of authority, there are some questions I believe worthy of our consideration...
1. Exactly how does one use the New Testament to establish authority?
2. Are there limitations placed upon how far we may go in matters of religion?
3. Will having the same standard of authority "guarantee" unity among the followers of Christ?
-- In this lesson I wish to share some thoughts along these lines

[Beginning with...]

1. HOW AUTHORITY IS ESTABLISHED
1. AUTHORITY CAN BE ESTABLISHED IN ONE OF THREE WAYS...
1. Direct command or precept - a direct statement of something that can or cannot be done
1. E.g., "repent and be baptized" - Ac 2:38
2. E.g., "love one another" - Jn 13:34
3. E.g., "abstain from sexual immorality" - 1Th 4:3
2. Approved example - an illustration that shows a practice was done with the approval of the Lord's apostles
1. As an apostle, Paul taught by both precept and example
1. He encouraged others to imitate him, and sent Timothy to remind people of "his ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church" - 1Co 4:16-17
2. The God of peace will be with those who do the sort of things both heard (precept) and seen (example) in an apostle like Paul - cf. Php 4:9
2. So when we have an example that meets with apostolic approval, we know there is authority for the practice
1. E.g., having a plurality of elders in one church - Ac 14:23; 20:28; Php 1:1
2. E.g., meeting on the first day of the week for the purpose of breaking bread (i.e., the Lord's supper, cf. 1Co 10:16-17) - Ac 20:7
3. Necessary implication, or "forced conclusion" - something neither expressly stated nor specifically exemplified, yet it is necessarily implied by the clear import and meaning of the language used so that one can only draw a particular conclusion
1. Jesus appealed to necessary implication when He reasoned that there must be a resurrection of the dead based upon the implication of God's statement to Moses - cf. Mt 22:29-33
2. Peter and the brethren in Judea understood the necessary implication of the Gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit, that it meant Gentiles were permitted to be baptized and enjoy the repentance that leads to life - cf. Ac 10:44-48; 11:15-18
3. Therefore, if the evidence of the Scriptures warrant it, we may draw certain conclusions because of the necessary implication
1. E.g., the issue of baptizing infants...
1. The prerequisites for baptism include faith and repentance - Mk 16:16; Ac 2:38; 8:37
2. Infants are incapable of faith and repentance
-- Therefore the necessary implication (or forced conclusion) is that baptism is not required of infants
2. E.g., the matter of using unleavened bread in partaking the Lord's Supper...
1. There is nothing expressly stated nor specifically exemplified in reference to using unleavened bread as we observe the Lord's Supper
2. But when Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper at the Last Passover, we know that He was using unleavened bread - cf. Lk 22:7-19
-- Therefore the necessary implication is that we should use unleavened bread as we keep His command to observe the Lord's Supper
2. THERE IS BOTH "GENERAL" AND "SPECIFIC" AUTHORITY...
1. Using a "direct command" as an example, sometimes it is "general" in its authority
1. That is, "not limited in scope, area, or application" (The American Heritage Dictionary)
2. E.g, the command to "go" in Mt 28:19 is generic enough to authorize all methods of transportation
2. Sometimes a "direct command" is "specific" in its authority
1. That is, "explicitly set forth; definite" (The American Heritage Dictionary)
2. E.g., when God commanded Noah to build the ark with "gopher" wood (Gen 6:14), the specific nature of the command ruled out using any other kind of wood
3. A "specific" command may itself have a degree of "general" authority
1. E.g., the command to "sing" specifically authorizes acapella music
2. It is not generic enough to authorize instrumental music...
1. ...which is totally different class (or kind) of music
2. ...but it is generic enough to authorize different aids or "expedients" (see below), such as song books, to carry out the command to sing
3. "EXPEDIENTS" MAY BE USED TO CARRY OUT AUTHORIZED PRACTICES...
1. "Expedient" means "appropriate to a purpose" (The American Heritage Dictionary)
2. Thus an "expedient" is an aid that is suitable for carrying out that which is authorized
3. Sample "expedients" based upon what is authorized in the Scriptures:
1. Assembling is authorized, so the meeting house is an expedient to carry out the command to assemble
2. Teaching is authorized, so arrangement in classes is an expedient to carry out the command to instruct
3. Giving is authorized, so collection baskets are an expedient for gathering the contribution
4. Baptism is authorized, so the baptistery is an expedient to provide a place for immersion
5. Singing is authorized, so hymn books are expedient to helping us sing

[These principles on how to establish authority from the Scriptures may seem prosaic, but they can be very useful in applying the "apostles' doctrine" (i.e., the Word of God) to our lives. When properly understood and applied correctly, they can be useful "tools" to maintain the unity and peace of a local congregation.

Another question that often arises when the subject of authority in religion is being discussed: "Are there limitations placed upon how far we may go?" I.e., must we have authority for all that we do in religious matters? To help answer such questions, consider these...]

2. WARNINGS FOUND IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
1. WE MUST NOT CHANGE ITS MESSAGE!
1. This is especially true in regards to the gospel of Christ! - Ga 1:8-9
2. Even if we claimed a change was authorized by an angelic messenger, we would be accursed!
3. Therefore, the gospel of salvation in Christ must be preserved in every respect!
2. WE MUST NOT ADD TO OR TAKE AWAY FROM IT!
1. We find such a warning at the conclusion of the last book of the Bible - Re 22:18-19
2. Though primarily applicable to the book of Revelation, this warning is consistent with others pertaining to the revelation of God's will to man - Deut 4:2; Pr 30:5-6
3. WE MUST ABIDE IN THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST!
1. Otherwise, we will not have fellowship with the Father and the Son - 2Jn 9
2. Is this passage referring to the doctrine "about" Christ, or the doctrine "taught by" Christ (along with His apostles)?
1. As pointed out in the Expositor's Bible Commentary, the question is of little importance for John holds equally to both positions
1. It is fundamental to the faith to hold to the proper views about Christ - cf. 2Jn 7
2. It is fundamental to the faith to obey the commandments of Christ - cf. 1Jn 3:24
2. Thus what John says here applies in either case
4. WE MUST NOT ALLOW "TRADITIONS OF MEN" TO MAKE THE "COMMANDS OF GOD" OF NO EFFECT!
1. Jesus charged the Pharisees with "vain" worship for doing this - Mk 7:5-13
2. In view of this warning, we should evaluate our religious practices:
1. Are they based upon "traditions of men", or the "commandments of God"?
2. If "traditions of men", does our keeping them render the "commands of God" of no effect?
3. E.g., by keeping the man-made tradition of sprinkling for baptism, we render the command of God for immersion (Grk. "baptizo") of no effect
5. WE MUST NOT ABUSE OUR LIBERTY IN CHRIST!
1. In Christ we enjoy wonderful freedom, but we must be careful in our use of it - Ga 5:1, 13
2. We must be considerate of our brothers' consciences - Ro 14:14-15:3
3. We should be willing to forego our liberty rather than let it destroy a brother - 1Co 8:9-13
4. We should not only ask "Is it lawful?", but also "Does it edify?" - 1Co 10:23-24,31-33

[With such "warnings" weighing upon our hearts, we are more likely to approach the Word of God with the humility it deserves as we seek to establish the authority for our service to God.

But one last question related to having the same standard of authority: Will it "guarantee" unity among the followers of Christ?]

3. AGREEING UPON THE SAME STANDARD WILL NOT GUARANTEE UNITY
1. THERE ARE STILL CHALLENGES TO FACE...
1. Which commands are binding today?
1. Some commands must be understood to be limited in application
2. Effort must be made to determine whether a command was intended to be limited or universal in application
2. Which approved examples are to be considered normative for the church today?
1. Much of what we learn about the church pertaining to its work and organization is by example, not precept
2. Effort must be made to determine whether an example should be understood as teaching a binding principle for the church to observe universally
3. When are necessary implications really necessary implications?
1. People often infer things from the Bible and call their conclusion a "necessary" implication
2. But it may only be a "possible" implication, not one to be "necessarily" inferred
-- These are some of the questions or challenges faced by every congregation of Christians
2. AS CHRISTIANS SEEK UNITY, WE NEED MORE THAN JUST THE SAME STANDARD OF AUTHORITY...
1. Barton W. Stone, an effective promoter of Christian unity in the early 1800's, had these insightful words in an article entitled "Christian Union" published in The Christian Messenger (1828):

   "On no other foundation can the parties ever meet, than on the Bible alone, without note or comment; and in no other name will they ever unite, but in that given to the disciples at Antioch--CHRISTIAN. But should all the professors of Christianity reject all their various creeds and names, and agree to receive the Bible alone, and be called by no other name than Christian, will this unite them? No, we are fully convinced that unless they all possess the spirit of that book and name they are far, very far, from Christian union." (As quoted by J. M. Powell, The Cause We Plead: A Story Of The Restoration Movement, 20th Century Christian, 1987, p. 56)

2. In addition to agreeing on the same standard of authority (i.e., the Word of God), we need the proper spirit to "rightly divide the word of truth" - cf. 2Ti 2:14-16
3. As Paul told Timothy, the servant of the Lord must carefully apply the Word when seeking to teach others - 2Ti 2:23-25

CONCLUSION

1. The apostle Paul has more to say on the attitudes necessary to "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace", but we will consider those in our next lesson
2. My purpose in this lesson has been to share some thoughts that I pray will help steer us in the right direction as we "Follow Jesus Without Denominationalism":
1. The Bible teaches us, not only by way of direct commands, but through approved examples and necessary implications
2. It is helpful to understand the principles of general and specific authority, and when something may be expedient to fulfill things that are authorized
3. Warnings throughout the scriptures should serve to keep us on the "straight and narrow"
4. But as valuable and needful the same standard of authority may be, simple agreement on what the standard is will not guarantee unity - we need to apply the proper spirit of love, patience and humility as we grow together towards unity in Christ

What is your attitude toward the authority of God's Word? Are you willing to accept the authority of Jesus Christ, as delegated to His apostles? - cf. Mt 28:18-20; Ac 2:36-38

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