Using the Methods Taught By
Jesus Christ and His Apostles
Section 1 of 4 Parts
· Why Should We Study The Bible?
“Study to show yourself approved unto God,
a worker who does not need to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the Word of truth.”
2 Timothy 2:15
The verse quoted here in 2 Timothy 2:15 indicates that God expects His people to “study” His Word to rightly discern His Truths. It also indicates by necessary inference that there is a wrong way (an incorrect way) of discerning these Truths which can lead one to be “ashamed” on judgment day.
“But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.”Isaiah 28:13
Here in Isaiah, God reveals through His Word, that one of the reasons that God has chosen the way He has to deliver the Bible is to cull out those who are lazy or who want to believe what they want. To paraphrase this verse, what God is saying is that He has chosen to give the Bible a little here and a little there so that it takes an effort to find everything that God has given on a subject. In simple plain English, God has set the Bible up in the way he has to filter out those who will not study to see what God wants them to do, in other words, God wants to weed out those who are too lazy to study.
“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:12-14
Scripture must be compared with all Scriptureon any given topic, in context, to discover God’s truths on that topic.
Some other verses that shed more light on this subject is: Matthew 7:21-23 when Jesus said,
“Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord’ Lord’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your Name, cast out demons in Your Name, and done many wonders in Your Name?’ And then I will declare unto them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”
We can see from these verses that MANY who actively call themselves “Christians” will not see heaven because of their lack of “rightly dividing” the Scriptures so that they can be obedient to them!
John 4:23-24 when Jesus spoke to the women at the well, “... the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” And in John 17:17, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth”
2 Peter 1:20-21 “knowing this first, that no prophesy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophesy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” The words in the Bible have only the meaning God meant them to have, not the many “private interpretations” of the men of varying denominations and divisions of “Christianity.” It is the task of the one seeking God’s truth to “study to show himself approved unto God ... rightly dividing the word...” to discover what God is saying to us.
2 Peter 3:16, “... in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.”
2 Thessalonians 2:10 speaks of "... those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved."
THE AUTHORITY OF GODAuthority Defined: "the right to command and enforce obedience."
All Authority Has One Source, God: He Has Natural Authority because He Is The Creator Of All Things.
BY WHAT AUTHORITY DID JESUS DO ALL?1. By the authority of creation, Jesus was involved in the creation,
(Genesis 1:1; 18, 26; John 1:1, 14, 33; Mark 1:9-11).
2. Jesus was delegated authority, by the Father; (Matt. 28:18).
3. Jesus delegates authority to disciples,
(Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 24:44-49; Acts 1:5, 8).
4. By command - "makes disciples", ""teach them to observe all things I have commanded you", (Matthew 28:20).
5. ”Do not add or subtract from Scripture" (Rev 22:18-19; Prov. 30:6; Dueteronomy 4:2; 12:32; Heb. 13:7)
"The faith that was once and for all entrusted to the saints.” (Jude 3).
God's Authority Has Been Transmitted: From God The Father And God The Son, Jesus Christ, To The Disciples; From The Disciples, Through The Holy Spirit, To Us Through The Scriptures As Given By God To The Apostles.
· Always include humbly seeking God the Father by earnestly praying and asking Him to reveal His truths as you diligently study the Scriptures: Also ask Him to help you overcome any prejudices or biases that might cause a stumbling-block for you in understanding His will. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:7-11; and Luke 11:9-13)
RULES ARE NECESSARY1We have the Bible that is God's only Word to us. It is complete, without error or contradictions. But why are there so many different denominations , each one "interpreting" it's truths in a different way, when there can only be one truth about what God expects from us religiously and morally? This is the result of erratic Bible study methods, which makes the Bible the source of confusion rather than light.
Upon The Correct Interpretation Of The Bible Rests Our Very Salvation!There also can only be "one truth" in the area of science and mathematics. One and one is always two; when certain chemicals are mixed together under certain defined conditions the result is always the same. The Bible itself says that there is “no private interpretation” of the Scriptures (2 Peter 1:20); God is no respector of persons (Acts 10:34), but has the same plan of salvation and worship for all men. When results are not consistent, then something is missing from the method or "defined conditions".
False Conclusions Caused by False MethodsDuring the dark ages Francis Bacon observed brilliant men arriving at opposite and absurd conclusions. He concluded that the reason for this was the methods (or lack of consistent methods) they were using. If truth is always consistent, then two equally intelligent men must arrive at the same conclusion or they are using a false method. Bacon attacked the methods then in use and became known as the "Father of inductive methods for discovering truth." Galileo and others perfected Bacon's method and today it is recognized by all fields of science as the correct method for determining truth. It has been proven a hundred million times in every field of science.
Francis Bacon (1561-1612) gave four reasons for not arriving at truth:
1) “Wishful" thinking.
2) Personal prejudice;
3) Failure to define terms;
4) The blind acceptance of traditions as authority
.Science deals with physical facts while we are dealing with spiritual facts. Scientists have to observe the physical facts and faithfully record them. Then after all the facts that can be obtained are recorded they follow certain rules to determine the truth about any subject. The only difference is that in this case the facts are already faithfully recorded in the scriptures for us. We do not need to worry about someone giving us the wrong facts. Thus, just as the scientist takes his facts he has gathered from observation, we take our facts revealed by God; he follows certain rules that keep him from error and we likewise can follow these rules to keep us from error, if faithfully applied. These “rules” have been laid down for us By Jesus Christ and the Apostles in the Bible, if we will but take the time to find them.
In the case of different interpretations of God's truth the "something missing" is the same thing that was missing back when Francis Bacon observed brilliant men coming to totally opposite and absurd conclusions about identical observations: the Methods they were using were totally inadequate to the task. The same is true in the Christian religious world. A common structured method of studying the Bible, in which everyone who is truly searching for truth, can come into the knowledge of God's truth. There is but “one truth” when it comes to God’s will, just as there is “one truth” in mathematics and science. Jesus and the Apostles gave us these principles in the Bible for us to follow. This is what we herein attempt to show.
Some rules are necessary or every one could include or exclude anything they desired. The honest person must be guided by the rules of logic or they can:
1) Unconsciously they will put in something he desires;
2) Prejudice will cause them to either insert an immaterial fact or to reject an essential fact;
3) Ignorance will cause one to either insert or reject in the wrong manner.
Structured Bible Study Methods is a ”science”in that it can determine certain principles for discovering the meaning of a Biblical document, and in that these principles are not a mere list of rules but bears a natural relationship to each other. It is also an ”art” because rules can not be applied mechanically but involve skill which is acquired with use and the passion to know the truth of God's Word.
But before beginning --- some basic assumptions must be recognized, or no consistent agreement is possible with what God intends for us:1) The Bible (As Given To The Apostles and Christ’s anointed disciples) Is The Word Of God Almighty.
"All scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is useful for teaching, rebuking, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
"We thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe."(1 Thessalonians 2:13)
Remember, since we do not have the original copies of the Bible books which were written by the inspired men of God; all the translations we have today are translated by men, who were not inspired by God. They all contain some errors, and it our responsibility to “study to show ourselves approved unto God” by ascertaining if the text we are studying agrees with the original text which were inspired by God. We have a wealth of manuscripts available to do this. Through comparisons of different versions and the original text we can ascertain the message as given by God to the writers of the Holy Scriptures!
2) In The Word Of God Is Discovered The Truth.
Jesus said in John 17:17, "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth."
Paul said, "... since we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus , and the love that you have for all saints, and the hope that is laid up for you in heaven, that you have already heard about in the word of truth of the gospel ..." (Colossians 1:3-5)
3) The Truth as Revealed In God's Word Constitutes The Will Of God For Man.
The Jews were amazed about Jesus' teachings and asked, “How did this man get such learning, without having studied?” Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching are not my own, it comes from Him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether My teachings comes from God or whether I speak on My own.” (John 7:15-17)
Ananias told Paul that, "The God of our fathers has chosen you to know His will and to see the righteous One, and to hear the words from His mouth. you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard." (Acts 22:12-15)
4) God's Will Is Written Down In Human Language, In It’s Final Form, So That Men May Know The Truth.
Paul told the Ephesians 3:4-6, “Surely you have heard of the administration of the of God’s grace that was given to me to for you, that is the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. in reading this then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the gentiles are heirs, together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” He concluded His argument in 1 Corinthians 4:6, “... so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.”
· We Are Told Not To Add To, Or To Take Away From What Is Written In The Bible. (Revelations 22:18-19; Dueteronomy. 4:2; 12:32)
Jesus said, "If you hold to My teachings, you are really My disciples, then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (See John 8:31-36)
5) God Intends For Men To Be Able To Understand What His Will For Them Requires.In His discussion of the distruction of Jerusalem, Jesus quoted a passage from the old testament in said, “ ... let the reader understand..."(Matthew 24:15). In explaining the parable of the sower He said, “he that receives seed unto the good ground is he that hears the Word and understands it, which also bears fruit, and brings forth some a hundred fold, some sixty, and some thirty,” (Matthew 13:23).
Paul writes to those at Corinth and Ephesians,
"For we do not write you anything you cannot read and understand..."(2 Corinthians 1:13)
"Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." (Ephesians 5:17)
Some of God's word is easy to understand and some is hard to understand.
(1 Corinthians 3:2; Hebrews 6:1-2; 2 Peter 3:16-18)
This process of understanding what the will of the Lord is called interpretation of Scripture, or Hermeneutics. In the Old Testament Ezra defined it this way: "So they read from the book of the law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read." (Nehemiah 8:8)
Paul was given the words of the scripture by the Holy Spirit, "So that we may understand..."by "comparing spiritual things with spiritual," (1 Corinthians 2:9-13)
6) God Expects Men To Discern And Obey His Will.
"In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent." (Acts 17:30-31)
The Bible says that only those who diligiently seek God’s truth will go to heaven:
Matthew 7:13-15; “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” NKJV
Matthew 7:21-23; “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ ” NKJV
Jesus Himself said in a series of verses from John, "If you love me you will keep My commandments", "Whoever has My commandments and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me", "If anyone loves me, he will obey My teachings”, "He who does not love me will not keep my commandments."; “You are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you.” (John 14:15, 21, 23, 24)
Paul told the Philippians, "Wherefore my beloved, as you have obeyed not only in my presence, but also in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling for it is God that works in you to both to will and to do His good pleasure"; "...take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you."; "Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice." (Philippians 2:12; 3:17; 4:6-9)
These passages serve as but a sampling of the verses contained in the Word of God on the subject, and could be found multiplied many times over! They call to note what cannot possible be over-emphasized:
God's Word Must Be Received In Faithful Obedience If We Would Escape The Eternal Fires Of Hell To Enjoy The Raptures Of Heaven On The Day Of Judgment!
We must never lose sight of the fact that God's Word is intended by God to be the standard by which we base all our actions. God's Word is full of verbs like: will, obey, do, keep, charge, teach, instruct. Likewise it is full of nouns like: commandments, instruction, duty, rule, and pattern are more than plentiful. Whatever system of interpretation that we adopt it must not argue away these fundamental and self-evident truths!
Having established these boundaries, let us see what we can learn about the application of our traditional hermeneutics. Interpretation of scripture requires far more than simply ferreting out a list of obligatory commands, example, or necessary inferences. The Word of God is much more than simply a collection of loosely-nit statements demanding compliance. In it's entirety, and particularity in the New Testament, the scriptures constitute the complete revelation of God's will. This system of God's Grace according to which obedient believers can be saved eternally.
The process of interpretation begins in it's remotest reaches with Biblical Introduction, which is devoted to the Historical Critical Examination of the different books of the Bible. It inquires after their age, authorship, genuineness, canonical authority. At the same time tracing their origin, preservation, integrity; exhibiting their contents, relative rank, and general character in value. It proceeds on to the Textural Criticism, which has it's object of ascertaining of exact words of the original text by the collation and comparison of ancient manuscripts, versions, and scripture quotations.
After the demands of criticism have been satisfied, hermeneutics properly begins. The aim is to establish the methods, principles, and rules that are needful to unfold the sense of what is written. The application of these principles and rules is called exegesis, which describes the process of taking out of the text the meaning that is resident in the words of that text.
In order to arrive at the understanding God intends that we receive from His Word one must of coarse observe carefully the historical context in which the passage is written. We must be entirely sensitive to the written context.
In addition one must recognize the attendant characteristics of the kind of literature being studied. There are ten different kinds of literature found in the Scriptures: The Epistles, the Old Testament Narratives, the Acts, the Gospels, the Parables, the Law, the Psalms, the Wisdom, and the Revelation. We must not limit God or His Word. We must not over-emphasize our studies in one area of the Bible to the exclusion of other areas
The Entire Bible Is Necessary For A Proper Understanding Of The Entire Will Of God On A Matter.(2 Peter 3:16; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 10:11)
From these considerations and works there is obviously much more to correct interpretation of God’s Word than is encompassed by our principle of Command, Example, and Necessary Inference.
However, the establishment of Bible Authority for a practice binding either upon or the collective body of Christians today is another question altogether. In order to establish Bible Authority for a practice one must produce a Command, Example, or Necessary Inference. Such an obligatory instruction must be established in accord with the principles and rules of Hermeneutics. When any of these three; Command, Example, or Necessary Inference is properly advanced, then it constitutes the Authoritative Will of God.
We know that this method of establishing New Testament Authority is the correct one because it was precisely this line of argumentation used by Jesus and the Apostles in the Word of God. The reason these points are valid is because Jesus and the Apostles made them valid.
Does this make other methods wrong or dangerous to one's salvation? The question turns on what is considered as "other methods" Any method of Bible Interpretation which seeks to escape the Authority of God's Word or to lessen it's requirements on man is wrong and extremely dangerous, and will cause someone to lose their soul!
The Divine Pattern“Hold the PATTERN of sound words which thou hast heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:13 ASV)
A Pattern may be defined as a detailed set of instructions for the construction and operation of a particular thing. There are hundreds of examples which could be listed. A blueprint for a house is a pattern. A set of plans for a model air plane is a pattern. Many companies sell clothing patterns consisting of paper overlays which are used as a guide for cutting out cloth so that a garment can be made.
The Apostle Paul makes it very clear that his preaching and teaching formed a Pattern. What sort of pattern? A Divine Pattern revealed by inspiration to be used as the one and only guide for (1) The procedure for becoming a Christian, (2) worship in spirit and in truth, and (3) Living a righteous life. Paul commands Christians to follow this Divine Pattern. This is not optional.
The Pattern PrincipleA pattern is a simple, yet powerful instrument:(1) By following a pattern, an object can be made to a certain size, shape color, and composition.
(2) A single pattern can be used to build any number of identical objects.
(3) A pattern will also allow any amount of time between construction of these identical objects. For example, the famous ship, the Titanic, which was completed in 1912 was obviously built from a set of plans or blueprints. If someone so desired, an identical ship could be built, 100 years later, by following the same plans.
(4) A pattern can only be changed in two ways: addition and subtraction. If a pattern never has anything added to it and never has anything subtracted from it, it will remain unchanged. Under these conditions, change is impossible.
Two Sources Of InformationIt is an indisputable fact that one source of information found in a pattern is “what it says”. What the pattern says may be thought of as the VOICE of the pattern. All patterns give the required information for the construction of the object they portray. This information tells the builder, dressmaker, tailor, or hobbyist what materials he should use, what size to make the object, what the geometry of the object should be, etc. In many cases, the pattern will also specify the sequence of events. For example, when a hobbyist assembles a model airplane, he may be told to put the pilot in before gluing down the canopy. If he ignores this message, he will have made a serious error.
It may be said then, that the voice of the pattern tells one what to do. In every case there are few, if any, warnings against doing things incorrectly, using incorrect materials, or failing to do what is specified. A universal rule which is understood and accepted around the world is that patterns tell one what to do, thereby eliminating the need or long lists of forbidden deviations. Theoretically, there is an infinite number of ways to modify anything, whether it be a hotel building or a model airplane. There are countless ways the structure of a building can be changed such that it will collapse and innumerable ways to construct an airplane such that it will fail to fly. No designer can anticipate all these possibilities and, even if he could, it would take tons of paper to list them all. Certainly no one could afford to pay for such a list and no one could in a Lifetime read such a list.
The Only Practical Solution:
A Second Source Of InformationAs has already been noted, the only practical solution is to allow the pattern to dictate what is to be done, and everything else must be understood to be excluded or forbidden. A simple illustration is the construction of an office building. If the blueprint specifies 10 stories, it cannot be 6 and it cannot be 16. This is true even if the architect has not placed a notice on the pattern, saying, “This building must not be built with either 6 or 16 floors, only 10".
It can be said, then, that a second source of information found in a blueprint is its silence; because, in effect, the silence tells one what not to do. The silence of the pattern actually contains a larger quantity of information than the voice of the pattern. The silence of a pattern is equal to a large library of books, while in many cases the voice of the pattern is a relatively small document.
An Illustration Of The Pattern of SilenceThis concept is very readily understood in the physical world. For example, suppose a builder erects a 15 story building which then collapses. Suppose the government and authorities investigating the disaster discover that the blueprint for the building specified 10 stories, not 15. Obviously, the builder would face both civil and criminal charges. If the collapse of the building had killed someone, he would face a prison term for manslaughter. In his trial, the builder could not successfully argue that since the blueprint did not contain a notice forbidding the addition of 5 stories to the structure, he was at liberty to add 5 stories. The court would not absolve the builder of his guilt because the architect did not include a statement saying, “Thou shalt not add 5 stories to this building”; since the principle of Pattern silence is recognized by civil law.
The Lord’s PatternThe Divine Patterns given during the Patriarchal and Mosaic Ages are important because they demonstrate and illustrate the Pattern Principle, and because they serve as a foundation or understanding the Pattern for the Church.
For example, in the Patriarchal age God gave Noah a Pattern for the construction of the Ark, a huge boat. The Pattern specified the dimensions, the number of stories, the number of windows and doors, and the construction materials. The Pattern specified that the Ark was to be made of “gopher wood”. It was unnecessary for the Lord to specifically forbid every other material in the world. He did not need to say, “Don’t use pine”, “Don’t use oak”, “Don’t use iron”, etc. It was quite enough to simply say, “Make thee an ark of gopher wood” (Genesis 6:14). This example is a substantial illustration of the voice and silence of the Pattern Principle.
In the Mosaic age, God expected the Israelites to follow His Pattern. One especially clear statement of this fact is found in Hebrews 8:5, “Moses is warned of God when he is about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern that was showed thee in the mount”(ASV). This verse contains a number of important facts. First, it is indisputable that Moses was given a Pattern by the Lord. Second, Moses was to follow the Pattern in all things not just in some things. In other words, he had to follow it when making the major tabernacle components and also when making the less important ones. Third, it was so critical that Moses follow this Pattern that God spoke to him as he was about to construct the Tabernacle and reminded him to follow it. This reminder was not in the form of a suggestion or a meek request. On the contrary, the Lord commanded Moses to follow the Pattern in all things.
A careful study of Hebrews 8:1-5 reveals that Paul’s purpose in discussing the Mosaic Pattern was to demonstrate that Christians are to follow the New Testament Pattern just as Moses was required to follow the Pattern for the Tabernacle.
Paul commands Christians to “Hold the pattern of sound words which thou hast heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:13). Contained within the New Testament Scriptures is the Christian Pattern. Christians are obligated to “hold” the Pattern, which means they are to follow its guidance in serving the Father through Jesus Christ. Christians are under no less charge than was Moses with respect to the sacred pattern. Christ’s Pattern is to be strictly followed in “all things”.
Romans 6:17 says, “But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered” (ASV). As indicated by the translators in the footnotes, the word “form” can also be translated “pattern”. The Greek word is tupos, which is the word used in Hebrews 8:5. The Roman Christians obeyed the New Testament Pattern delivered to them through the preaching of inspired men such as Paul. This verse explicitly dictates that the relationship of the Christian to the Pattern is to be one of obedience. Hebrews 8:5 indicates that it is to be complete obedience, not partial obedience.
Do Not Go Beyond What Is Written“Now these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes; that in us you might learn not to go beyond the things which are written.” (I Corinthians 4:6 ASV).
The meaning of this passage is well expressed by A.R. Fausset, “Revere the silence of holy writ as much as its declarations.” As Mr. Fausset observed, this verse confirms the principle of Silence. Not only are Christians to obey what is written but they are also to refrain from regarding the Lord’s Silence as a license to follow human ideas. In short, both the Lord’s Word and Silence are to be obeyed. Those who may be led to believe that the principle of “Authoritative Silence” is a new idea are reminded that Mr. Fausset’s comments were first published in 1869.
If silence rules against a practice, then to engage in such a practice is to add to the word of God! We must not only speak where the Bible speaks, but we must be silent when the Bible is silent. 2 John 9; John 8:31; Hebrews 7:12-14; Leviticus 10:1-3; 1 Corinthians 4:6; Acts 17:11.
If it is true that the scripture is truly silent about a matter, then the silence of the scriptures forbids it.
CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING!PROPER INTERPRETATION always involves studying the authors PURPOSE and observing the contextual considerations. If it be established that one must follow this pattern, or that this is the pattern to be followed in each case of affliction, happiness, or sickness, that in no way impinges on the necessity of Christians to obey God's Word in other areas! It would simply constitute one more obligation to be met, and a possible inconsistency in our own actions that needs to be corrected. It would not lessen out responsibilities to worship according to the New Testament pattern one iota.
When we study a passage of Scripture we must define the context, which is very important in understanding what God is saying to us in the Bible: “Who is speaking?” “To whom are they speaking?” “When was it spoken?” “Where was it spoken?” “and “What is the purpose?” In other words in relation to the words around it; the sentences, verses, chapters, and books before and after it. The Bible must be taken as a "whole" to be understood properly, otherwise confusion results. Psalms 119:160 (N.A.S.) says, "The Sum Of Your Word Is Truth". GOD'S WORD CONTAINS NO CONTRADICT-IONS! Any apparent contradiction is in our understanding and/or lack of enough study on the matter under consideration. God is not the author of confusion ---(1 Corinthians 14:33).
TAKE NOTES: A notebook is a valuable aid to Bible study because we tend to remember what we write down (or at least we can find it). If we forget a notebook helps us to remember.
Also, look up all references with parallel thoughts, through the use of a complete concordance of the Bible. These list every word in the particular version of the Bible you may have and their locations in the Bible, as well as giving their Greek or Hebrew meanings. (Strong’s Complete Concordances, Nave’s Topical Bible, and Trench Synonyms are good but not exclusive choices). Much of this will come from your experience of reading the Bible though many times. Try and get in the habit of reading the Bible through each year to gain an overall understanding of God’s Word. All of the Bible is His Word, and is necessary for our understanding of His will. (Psalms 119:160).
Define word meanings (An Expository Dictionary of Old and New testament Words is very valuable here), things alike and unlike, and write down main thoughts, and central characters. It is helpful to read a passage in various translations, making careful comparisons.
CONSIDER ALL VERSES RELATED TO THAT TOPICRead every verse on a given subject (understanding the context --- of course). Beware of one verse answers. Study the customs and history of the times related to the subject you are studying. For instance, the question, “What is involved in the Lord’s Supper, so that I may be sure I am doing it correctly?” should not be answered with one or two verses. The Old Testament (and is for our “learning” also, Romans 15:4) has much to say to help us understand what God is saying in the New Testament. During the Jewish Passover, when the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Jesus is illustrated in Exodus 12:3-28, 43-49; 13:6-9, and gives much insight into the requirements then in effect, which necessarily carried over for the Lord’s Supper. (i.e. leavening, the “one lamb per household” which represented Jesus body as does the loaf, etc.)
Other New Testament verse further clarify what is required, by asking some questions: “What did Jesus say and do?” “What did the Apostles do?” “Which of these things have spiritual significance today?” 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; 11:24-31; Luke 22:19-20; Matthew 26:17, 26-30; Mark 14:16-26 --- and any other Scriptures that have spiritual significance...
Look for approved (be God) Commands, Examples, or Necessary Inferences (It can be taken no other way logically = “necessary” inference).
Figures of speech should be carefully studied and be understood fully. The meanings must be taken as literal unless the context forces us to take it as figurative, just as we do in daily communication. Word study books give helpful information and a Bible atlas is useful..
Biblical References To Command, Example
And Necessary InferenceLet's examine the three methods of establishing the validity of out Christian practices. Although Examples occur so often that substantiation seems hardly necessary, a few illustrations in respect to:
COMMANDS:
Jesus said, "These things I command you, that you love one another." (John 15:17)
Paul instructed Timothy, "These things command and teach." (1 Timothy 4:11)
EXAMPLES:
Jesus Himself exemplified the observance of the Lord's supper for us on the night He was betrayed. (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:14-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29)
Peter said, "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps." (1 Peter 2:21)
Paul, referring to God's Judgment against idolatrous Israelites, warned us that "all these things happened unto them for examples."` (1 Corinthians 10:6)
NECESSARY INFERENCES:As for Necessary Inferences: In His reply to the Sadducees trick question concerning the Levite law, Jesus Necessarily Inferred that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were still living somewhere, even though there physical deaths had occurred centuries before. (Matthew 22:22-32)
In Acts 15:12, Luke Necessarily implies that the miracles and wonders wrought by Paul and Barnabus among the Gentiles proved that God had accepted the Gentiles as proper candidates for conversion upon the same basis that He did the Jews. In other words, without being made to keep the Law of Moses, or any of its provisions.
In 1 Corinthians 11:26, Paul necessarily implies the use of one cup in the observance of the Lord's Supper by using the figure of speech called metonymy in the phrase "drink this cup".
Finally, in Hebrew 7:14, the writer necessarily implies that Jesus could not be a priest on earth because it is evident our Lord sprang out of Judah, about which tribe Moses spoke nothing about the priesthood."
The point of these illustrations is that We Establish Bible Authority By Command, Example, And Necessary Inference Not Because Anyone Else Does Or Does Not Do It This Way, But Because That Is Exactly How Jesus And The Apostles Applied Their Lines Of Argumentation In The Record Of The New Testament!
WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTHIn John 4:24 Jesus said, “God is a spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth”. The word “must” shows that truthful worship is imperative; it is not optional. There is only one way a person can worship in truth and that is by following the Pattern in “all things”. Those who change, modify, or circumvent the Pattern cannot worship in truth. The Lord has promised to reward the faithful and punish those who refuse to obey the truth of the Gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8).
The expression “obey the gospel” is not restricted to an acceptance of the Plan of Salvation, the Five Steps into Christ: [Hear the Gospel (Romans 10:17), Believe (Mark 1:15)), Repent (Luke 13:3-5), Baptism for forgiveness of Sins (Acts 2:38; 8:38; 22:16; Romans 6:3-5), Continue steadfast in Christ until death (Revelation 2:10)], but incorporates the entirety of the harmony of New Testament Christianity:
(1) the procedure for becoming a Christian
(2) the scriptural work and worship of the Church and
(3) the living of a righteous and holy life
The Pattern is composed of all the elements of the Gospel; thus, obeying the Pattern carries the promise of eternal life, while disobeying the Pattern, in whole or in part, carries the penalty of eternal doom.
End of Part one.
Part two: “Command, Example, and Necessary Inference”
Part Three: “When is an Example Binding?” by George Battey
Part Four: “How Implication Binds and Silence Forbids” by Alan Bonify.
Compiled and Edited by P. Dennis Crawford
References
1. Jim Putterbaugh, Camino, CA, 1993
2. Don Pruit, Manteca, CA, New Years Meeting 1997
3. Glen Osburn, Placerville, CA, 1995
4. Greg DeGolf, Labor Day Meeting 1997
WHAT CAN YOU DO?You can accept the authority of Christ by doing what He commanded (Matthew 7:21; John 14:15; 15:10-14; Luke 6:46). Notice the pattern for becoming a Christian as revealed in the Scriptures. The Gospel was heard, resulting in faith (Romans 10:17). Repentance of (turning away from) sin (Acts 17:30) and confession of Jesus as the Son of God followed (Romans 10:10). Believers were baptized INTO Christ for the remission (forgiveness) of sins (See Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Mark 16:16; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Peter 3:20-21), and added to His church (Acts 2:47). Christians were taught to be faithful even to the point of death (Revelation 2:10).
WE WELCOME YOUFollowing the instructions of the Scriptures, members of Christ’s body assemble as congregations for worship, encouragement, and Bible study. The congregation in your community welcomes you to investigate the Bible with us. With a spirit of brotherly love we would seek to reconcile any differences by following the Bible ONLY. We recognize the Bible as God’s inspired word, the ONLY reliable standard of faith and practice. We desire the unity for which Christ prayed and which the Bible emphasizes in the expression, “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” Together we seek to maintain “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
A friendly welcome awaits you. We do not wish to embarrass you in any way. You will not be asked for contributions. We assemble for Bible study and worship each Sunday morning and we welcome you to meet with us. We would be happy to talk to you about your questions and we want to be of encouragement. Please e-mail me, Dennis Crawford, at BibleTruths@hotmail.com for comments or further Bible information, or for the location of a congregation belonging to Jesus Christ near you.
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