| July 18, 1999 |
Vol. II, No. 12
|
“The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4:9). “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1).
For generations brethren have taught that God’s will for us is determined by (1) commands or plain statements (precept), (2) by “approved apostolic examples,” and (3) by necessary inference (or necessary implication). In more recent years, many have begun to reject this concept and insist that we need to develop a “new hermeneutic,” that is, a new system of determining God’s will. This new approach is a direct outcome of brethren over the past 50 years or so not wanting to be limited by the simple organizational structure and pattern of work and worship set forth in Scripture. Elders seek to oversee brotherhood projects rather than being content to oversee the local congregation of which they are elders, Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Titus 1:5; Acts 14:23. Parents want the church to provide recreation and entertainment for their children, etc.
The two passages of Scripture at the beginning of this article make it plain that SOME Bible examples are to be followed. When I was 30 years old and in my third year as a “full time” preacher, I wrote an article titled “When Are Bible Examples Binding?” and had the honor of seeing it on the cover of The Gospel Guardian. If I were writing that article TODAY, I would take a slightly different approach.
I would begin by pointing out that what is binding is God’s will. God’s will is sometimes INDICATED by direct statements or commands; sometimes by EXAMPLES recorded in Scripture. Not every example necessitates direct action on our part, nor does every command apply directly to us. But we can LEARN from ALL the examples (good and bad) and from ALL the statements and commands. And God’s will is binding on us, no matter how we learned it.
With this introduction, I share with you my article from The Gospel Guardian, July 26, 1973...
When Are Bible Examples Binding?
[I acknowledge a debt of gratitude to brethren Robert Farish and Roy Cogdill, whose writings on this subject have been extremely helpful to me in understanding when Bible examples are binding.]
Paul writes in Philippians 4:9, “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” This verse clearly tells us that Bible examples are binding. Yet we read in Acts 20:7, “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.” I doubt that many Bible students would affirm that Paul’s example of preaching until midnight is binding on all preachers, in all ages, under all circumstances. No doubt, preaching until midnight is scriptural, but not necessarily binding. There are a number of things that must be true before a Bible example can be considered binding on all Christians.
(1) The action involved in an example must be in accordance with the present law, the New Testament, in order to be considered binding. Commandments and examples of action under the law of Moses or in the patriarchal dispensation cannot be rightly bound on Christians. Examples of such things as instrumental music in worship, clean and unclean animals, tithes, blood sacrifices, etc., can be found in the scriptures, but none can be found in the present law. Such examples do not even constitute authority for us to act, much less to bind.
(2) Uniformity (sameness) must be present in all examples. Robert Farish has written, “Uniformity in essential details must be present in any example for the action involved to be considered binding. If in the same kind of situation, different actions are taken, no single example of action can be considered as binding to the exclusion of the other examples.” Neither can any example be bound on men that would restrict the freedom that man has in Christ. For instance, the Lord’s Supper was instituted in an upper room, and later in Troas it was observed in an upper room. At first glance, it might seem that this is sufficient grounds to bind upper room observance; however, this would place a restriction on the freedom that Christ has already promised in John 4:21-24, “Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father.” In other words, Jesus taught that in the New Testament dispensation, the place of worship is immaterial so long as the worship itself is in spirit and in truth. Any interpretation placed upon Acts 20:7 that would require all worshippers to have access to a three story building would be a clear contradiction of the words of Christ. Worship in an upper room is scriptural, but not binding. Worship in any other place is also scriptural if offered to God in spirit and in truth.
(3) Before an example can be considered as binding, it must be an example of universal application. Since Christianity is a world-wide religion (Mark 16:15) its requirements must be within the realm of possibility for people in all parts of the world. For instance, water baptism, a requirement of New Testament Christianity (Mark 16:16; Acts 10:48) is practiceable wherever men live. Men will not settle in a place where, there is not enough water to immerse a man, Life in such a climate or atmosphere would be impossible for very long at a time. Jesus admonished his disciples to observe the Lord’s supper in remembrance of him (Luke 22:l9). Again, the things required for this memorial — unleavened bread and fruit of the vine — are within the reach of all men everywhere. Any example in the Bible that made use of something not practical or practiceable in any given area where men are known to live cannot be considered as binding.
As we think of the universality of Christianity, it also should be noted that such limitations as the modes of travel in the first century are not to be bound in the 20th century. Statements regulating local customs must not be viewed as binding those customs on all mankind. In Romans 16:16 Paul admonished, “Salute one another with an holy kiss.” Paul was not binding on them or on us the custom of greeting with a kiss. They already had such a custom dating back at least to the days of King David. What Paul did do, was regulate that custom — make it a holy kiss. Joab saluted Amasa with a kiss (2 Samuel 20:9) but it was not a holy kiss. At the same instant that he kissed Amasa, Joab stabbed him to death with a knife. Judas saluted Jesus with a kiss of greeting (Matthew 25:49) but it was far from being a holy kiss. Let us repeat, Paul did not bind on them (or us) the custom of greeting with a kiss. They had had such a custom for centuries. Paul did regulate that custom.
An open-minded study of what the New Testament says about foot-washing will exemplify the same principle. In the first century when men walked virtually everywhere they went on dusty, unpaved streets, their feet were almost always tired and dirty when they arrived at their destination. The first step of showing hospitality was to loose one’s sandals and wash his tired, dirty feet. Today, our travel is seldom on foot, our shoes are more comfortable and offer better protection, our roads are usually paved. We have other means of showing hospitality much better suited to our times and customs. In fact, if I were to enter into a home, and the host should immediately greet me with, “Sit down. Let me wash your feet!” I would probably assume I should have washed my feet before I left home. In the first century, Jesus washed tired, dirty feet as an act of hospitality. This does not bind us in the 20th century to wash clean feet as an act of worship. Such first century customs are not binding. The principle of showing hospitality is binding, and should be observed in a way befitting 20th century life.
(4) Limits of application within the context of an example must be observed. (a) A command or example of individual action does not apply to collective action. (b) Examples authorizing an action for one purpose (e.g.. churches sent funds to other churches for benevolence; this does not authorize them to send funds for other purposes such as entertainment, recreation, or even evangelism. When churches sent funds for evangelism the funds were sent directly to the preacher in the field [2 Corinthians 11:8]. See Acts 11:27 for an example of action in benevolence. (c) Action brought about by an emergency situation does not apply except in a like situation. Peter and John found it necessary to violate the ordinance of men in Acts 5:29 because men demanded them not to do the very thing the Lord had demanded that they do in all the world. This is an emergency situation. Under similar circumstances, it is binding on us, but it neither binds nor authorizes us to violate the laws of man under normal circumstances. The brethren in Antioch sent relief to the poor brethren in Judea (Acts 22:27Q. This was brought about by an emergency situation. It binds us to do likewise in a like situation, but it neither binds nor authorizes us to send money from congregation to congregation in a normal situation.
(5) Finally, we need to remember that no example is needed to authorize that which has been commanded or necessarily implied. Jesus told His disciples to go, teach and baptize those of all nationalities (Matthew 28:18-20). Even if we could not find an example of their ever doing so, we would know that this is the will of God, and we should go, teach and baptize whether or not there was an example of someone else’s doing so. We may use any method of going, any arrangement for teaching, and any body of water for baptizing. But we are limited in what to teach (gospel, Mark 16:15) and in organizational structure in accomplishing these purposes (Acts 14:23; I Peter 5:14). Let us carefully examine God’s word, acting by divine authority in religious matters; neither binding where God has not bound nor loosing where God has not loosed.
--CRJ
After Jesus sent His 12 apostles out on the limited commission, “He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities. And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, ‘Are You the coming One, or do we look for another?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Go, and tell John the things which you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me’” (Matt. 11:1-6).
We remember at an earlier time, John the Baptist had no doubt as to the true identity of Jesus. He suggested perhaps Jesus should be baptizing him instead of the other way around, Matt. 3:14. In John 1:29-34, we learn that John had clearly identified Jesus as the son of God, and the Lamb who would take away the sins of the world. But like many believers, John had his slumps. He had preached faithfully and was now in prison, facing death, knowing he had been guilty of no wrong-doing. Most likely, John had the same notions and misconceptions others did about the work of Christ and the nature of His kingdom. He had perhaps watched with interest, waiting for some indication that Jesus was about to take charge, build an army, and challenge Caesar and the Herods as king of the Jews.
But Jesus not only had not nothing to resist the Roman rulership of Judea, He had actually slipped away and refused when some of the Jews tried to make Him their king, John 6:15. His followers did not understand such action. John the Baptist did not understand. Even the apostles, at that time, did not understand. They did not understand what Jesus made known later to Pilate during His trial: “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight...” (John 18:36). Jesus’ kingdom is a spiritual rulership -- not a kingdom spread by carnal warfare.
Note that Jesus said the message was to be relayed to John: “Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” The word “offended” used here does not mean to have one’s feelings hurt. It means to be made to stumble. John was cautioned not to stumble because Jesus had not fulfilled his pre-conceived notions. Instead, Jesus pointed to His own works as being of the sort the prophets had foretold. Isaiah had foretold of Him, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God” (Isa. 62:1-2). Jesus’ works were His credentials. He was indeed the One who had been foretold!
--CRJ