In this final chapter we will be exercising the things we have learned concerning exegesis so that we might begin to hone our skills. These methods we have learned which are to help us rightly divide the word must be exercised constantly so that they may be developed, improved, and sustained. Just as other skills, both physical and mental, must be constantly exercised to remain in optimum condition, so must our mental state relative to proper exegesis of the Scriptures. 

God has recorded directions for man’s conduct in three areas; conduct necessary in order to be saved, conduct in order to properly worship God, and conduct in order to lead an acceptable life as a Christian. In addition to God’s law in these three areas relative to human conduct, God also has recorded rules or laws relative to the structure and government of the church. It is in these four areas of law that we will concentrate the bulk of our final work in this volume.

God’s Law Concerning Salvation.

Salvation is offered to man as an act of grace on the part of God. Ultimately, salvation is all grace in that there is nothing man can do to earn salvation or to put God into his debt. But while it is true that salvation is only by grace, it is not true that it is by grace only. By that I mean that grace is conditional based on the submission of man wholly and always to the divine will of almighty God (Matt. 7:21-24).

There are and always have been many attempts made by man to relieve himself of responsibility concerning his conduct. One of the greatest attacks ever launched to distort the necessity of man to live and act properly is the false and inaccurate presentation of the Calvinistic idea of predestination.

Let me just state here that I believe in predestination. It is taught in Ephesians and Romans and elsewhere and cannot be denied. It is a Bible doctrine and if one believes the Bible, he must believe in predestination. But there is a vast difference between the Calvinistic presentation of predestination and the Bible presentation of predestination. We will briefly view the difference.

Let us begin by remembering the concept of charitable interpretation. That is, knowing that all of the Scriptures are inspired of God, we must not set the one against the other. Instead, we must seek out a reasonable and logical way to harmonize the one scripture with the other so that we do not make it wrongfully appear that the God of the Bible is a self contradicting God. With that in mind, let us look at some of the Scriptures which have some bearing on this issue and see where they lead. 

“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, where he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”
Eph. 1:4-6

“That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In who also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will; That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.”
Eph. 1:10-12

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”
Rom. 8:28-30

“And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the son of man hath not where to lay his head. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:57-62

“For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.”
I Pet. 2:20-22

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
II Pet. 3:9

“Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”
Acts 10:34-35

There are many other scriptures one might read in connection with the study of this subject, but space precludes their inclusion. The student may go back on his own and search out further texts which relate if he so chooses. (Acts 4:24-28, I Pet. 1:1-2, I Cor. 9:24-27, as example). But we have gathered enough information here to glean from them the true Bible position on predestination.

The next thing that we need to do is clarify any terms which might be unclear. We can do this by researching in a Greek dictionary and even back into where the words came from (etymology) so that we might get a true appreciation of what these words really mean.

In this case, we definitely need to understand the meaning of the original Greek word that is translated predestinate. It comes from a word which basically means to decide beforehand. It is translated predestinated (Eph. 1:5), determined before (Acts 4:28), and ordained beforehand (I Cor. 2:7).

From this research we have learned so far that predestination occurred before creation, it was an act of choosing someone or something in advance, it was designed to gather into one (thing) several things and it had a connection to an inheritance.

We further learned that one can look back and that in so doing, he becomes unfit. In fact, we learned that one can not only return to the world from which he escaped but that if he does, he is worse off than had he never escaped in the first place.

We further learned that God does not want anyone to be lost but that He accepts all who are righteous from every nation.

Tying all of this information together, it becomes apparent that the individual is not predestined to salvation or destruction. That would violate the very nature of God in that He doesn’t want anyone to be lost. To predestine an individual to be lost would set God against Himself. That position is absurd. It would also violate the nature of God in that it would guarantee salvation to those who went back to the world and became unfit. That would force God to save the unrighteous in His unrighteousness, a thing God says He would never do (Ezek. 18:21-24).

How then are we to understand predestination? First, we know that these passages have to do with salvation. We also know then that whatever was predestined must relate to salvation. Whatever was predestined had to do with spiritual adoption and a gathering together of all into Christ. Knowing that Christ is the Saviour of the body which is the church (Eph. 1:22-23, Eph. 5:23) and knowing that the church is referred to as the family of God (Eph. 2:13-19, Eph. 3:14-19) the only reasonable conclusion is that the institution that we call the church was predestined, not who would enter into it. I believe that this conclusion is necessarily implied by God and necessarily inferred by the faithful.

Another interesting observation made concerning the doctrine of predestination as taught by Calvin is simply this. The world is extremely divided over the many doctrines created by man. According to Calvin this situation would have to be predestined. So in John 17 we find Christ praying for unity while God has already predestined division. I find this reasoning remarkable!

To the best of my understanding, there are six steps involved in salvation. They are hear the gospel, believe the gospel, repent, confess the lordship of Christ, be baptized in water to wash away one’s sins, and to remain faithful unto or until death. Then, by grace, one will receive eternal life with God. It seems a simple plan, almost too simple for some. Yet that is what the Scriptures teach. We are going to investigate these different steps using our hermeneutic skills just to see if these are correct.

The initial step in God’s plan of salvation is hearing. In Mark 16:15-16 the Bible says,

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”

In this passage the disciples are instructed to preach the word. From the wording of this text listeners are necessarily inferred. Unless one is first a listener, he cannot attain to the blessings offered by God through Christ.

Our next passage to consider is Rom. 10:13-14. There we find the following reading.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”

Here we have the perfect material to practice our syllogism skills. Study the following:

Premise One: One who does not hear does not believe.

Premise Two: One who does not believe does not call on the Lord.

Premise Three: One who does not call on the lord does not receive salvation.

Conclusion: One who does not hear does not receive salvation.

There are some today who contend that it would be unfair for God to condemn to hell those who had never heard the gospel (read Ezek. 18:25 to see that such an attitude is not new). To those one can only say that their position is a position based on emotions and not on scripture. It is clearly stated in Luke 12:47-48 that one cannot count on a plea of ignorance to excuse him from punishment for his sins. We also know from Rom. 3:23 that sin is in the lives of everyone at some point and forgiveness is needed if there is to be any hope of salvation. We know that ignorance is no longer a justification for sin (Acts 17:29-31) because such was taught as true by Paul at Mars hill.

It should be recognized, however, that those who actively seek after God will be provided a way to learn. So says Christ in Matt. 7:7-8. Rom. 15:4 tells us that all Scripture is written for our learning. When one views the spread of the early church, we see in Acts 8:4 the church scattered and going everywhere teaching, Phillip and others going out and planting congregations, Phillip teaching a man of Ethiopia who in turn could carry the gospel to his native land, the Spirit catching away Phillip and presenting the gospel to those of Azotus, ad infinitum. God shows us that He can get His message to the one who is actively seeking Him.

God is not duty bound to tell me everything. But He has told me enough that, by faith in His word, I believe that no true seeker will be left untaught. It is for the millions of non-seekers that we do our mission work, persuading and hoping to persuade them to change their lives and give them over to Christ. Paul tells us that the gospel went throughout the entire world in just a very few years (Col. 1:22-23) and even though I don’t have proof of this, I believe it with all my heart. God gave me enough information in the Scriptures about the early spread of the gospel and, connecting that to the promise made by Christ and the loving and forgiving nature of God, I can come to no other conclusion. It is necessarily implied by God and, therefore, necessarily inferred by me.

After hearing the gospel comes believing the gospel. There are two ways in which the term faith is used in the new testament scriptures. The first is THE faith, that is, the system of things God has given for us to believe and obey. It includes everything relative to Christianity. In other words, THE faith is the system of Christian thought and practice (Jude 3, Acts 6:7, Eph. 4:5, Phil. 1:27, etc.).

The other usage is relative to our personal faith and is referred to by such passages as Mk. 16:16, Rom. 1:8, and many others. This is the faith that relates to one’s salvation, his personal faith in THE faith, that is, God’s system of new testament belief and conduct. It is this second faith, the individual’s faith, that we are now going to be looking at as we continue to practice our hermeneutic skills.

We will begin by looking at a direct statement found in Heb. 11:6 which says,

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

This verse clearly upholds the necessity of faith in the seeking of God and receiving of His blessings. One must believe in God (and all that He has revealed in the Scriptures) in order to please Him. If one does not please God, he surely has no hope.

Another text I would like us to view is Rom. 10:17 which states,

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

This verse lends itself also to an easy syllogism. Consider the following:

Premise One: Faith comes by hearing.

Premise Two: Hearing comes from God’s word.

Conclusion: Faith comes from God’s word.

There are those today that teach that faith has to be given to the sinner from the Holy Spirit by a direct operation on the sinner’s heart. This scripture teaches differently. This Scripture states plainly that faith comes from the written word. That is why in II Tim. 2:15 we are instructed to study to show ourselves approved. It is through and only through the Scriptures that faith is established and maintained.

We will now turn our attention briefly to the subject of repentance. The wording of Acts 2:38 clearly commands repentance and Luke 13:1-5 also states its absolute necessity. But what exactly is repentance? In the Greek language the most common word for repent is metanoeo and means to change one’s mind or to cause a mental turning. With this in mind, a good definition would be, spiritually speaking, to turn around and go in a different direction. Repentance, then, carries more than just being sorrowful for past conduct, it also means that in the future there will be a change of conduct for the better.

Our fourth step is confession. Most people understand the necessity of this step so we will do only a little work in this area. In Matt. 10:32-33 we find a clear statement from Christ which contains an ultimatum. Either we confess Christ or we will be denied by Him. We can put this in a very simple syllogism which is structured like this.

Premise One: Either we will confess Christ or He will deny us.

Premise Two: We will confess Christ.

Conclusion: He will not deny us.

This form is valid in several ways. We might also construct it this way.

Premise One: Either we will confess Christ or He will deny us.

Premise Two: We will not confess Christ.

Conclusion: He will deny us.

We also find in Rom. 10:8-10 that salvation is directly related to the confession of Christ by one who believes. Without that confession of Christ, one cannot attain to salvation. In John 12:42-43 we find that many chief rulers did not confess Christ even though they did believe. Clearly from the contest we see that these individuals are lost. In Acts 26:25-28 we find that King Agrippa believes but he also does not confess. He also is lost. In spite of the fact that modern day prophets are claiming we ought to “throw the calfrope around all who just believe”, no such claim is made in the scriptures. If this claim were true, we would have to rope the rulers, Agrippa, and even the devils (James 2:19). That’s a mighty big rope!

It is easy to see that confession is necessary. But what exactly do we confess? The answer is provided for us in Matt. 16:16, John 4:39-42, John 11:25-27, Luke 4:40-41, Acts 8:37, and other places. Lets take a look at Acts 8:37 because, contextually, it is the one most directly linked to salvation. It reads as follows.

“And Phillip said, if thou believest with all thing heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

The fifth step in God’s plan of redemption is baptism. Again, we find it necessary to clarify the meaning of this word since it was never translated. Baptism is simply a transliteration of a Greek word into English. It originally meant to immerse, submerge, etc., and is the only faithful definition one can attach to it. That means, whatever role it plays in salvation, sprinkling or pouring or touching with a wet finger will not meet God’s commandment of baptism. Only immersion is baptism.

The Bible teaches that it is necessary for one to be baptized in order to be saved. In Acts 2:38 we read:

“The Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

We further read in Acts 22:16 the words of Paul as he reflects on his own conversion. They read this way.

“And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”

It is clear that in these two passages relating to salvation and baptism, that baptism is necessary in order to remove the guilt of sin. Sin separates us from God (Is. 59:1-2). Without its removal we cannot have a relationship with God. Baptism is part of God’s formula for the removal of sin. Baptism is absolutely necessary in the life of a penitent believer in order to be saved.

I would hope that all who claim to be followers of Christ would understand that we are still saved by grace, not works. But we must understand that grace is conditional, that is, grace is only given to those who obey God (Matt. 7:21-24). One who is not baptized (immersed) in water for the washing away of his sins has not obeyed God and will be lost.

God is a logical God. Baptism is a logical requirement in order to receive salvation. There is nothing one can do to earn salvation. Therefore, God has given us something everyone can do to demonstrate his submission to the will of the Lord. That something is to reenact the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, the very act by which salvation was made available to mankind. In so doing, no rational thinking person would believe he had “earned” his salvation. He would know that it was still a gift from a loving God. One can give a gift and make that gift conditional. God has done that very thing.

Since this chapter is designed to exercise reason, not to preach, let us apply another principle to this section of study. In this area of scripture, some have tried to make the concept of baptism mean something different that immersion in water. They have assigned a figurative rather than a literal application to it. A command or direct statement or specific requirement is always denotative unless there is some compelling contextual reason why such is not true. There is no such reason (man’s dislike or disapproval does not count) in this text. Therefore, the term baptism must be taken as denotative and cannot be explained away or dismissed by trying to make it connotative or figurative of something not found in the context.

The last step is obedience until or unto death. The first means until you die, the second means if you have to die because of your faithfulness. The first is taught in Ezek. 18:21-24, the second in Rev. 2:10, Matt. 16:24-25, and many other places. The last step in the process of salvation is concluded only after the individual has met the requirement of death. Then, and only then, has he actually attained salvation.

This concludes the first section of this final chapter. We have done some work in definitions, we have done some work in collecting material for comparison rather that relying on a proof text approach, we have used our understanding about connotative and denotative applications, we have used common sense, we have seen commands and direct statements, used necessary inference, and even done some work with syllogisms. As we continue in the next section, we will expand our use of these reasoning skills we have gained, testing and developing our mental capabilities as we do.

God’s Law Concerning Worship.

Before we begin our hermeneutical exercises on subjects surrounding new testament worship I would like to begin by sharing an article I wrote some time back on the subject of worship.

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The All Sufficiency Of The Christian Worship

What a marvelous creation is the universe! With its millions of stars, planets, moons, nebulae, quasars, and probably scores of things we have as yet not even discovered; all of these things swirling about in unison for several thousands of years. What an amazing and efficient designer is our Heavenly Father (Gen. 1:1)! All of this universe is created in an interrelated fashion functioning timelessly and efficiently together (Job 38-41). What an all sufficient universe is ours, designed by an all sufficient God!

What an amazing planet we inhabit, designed to function as a unit with its tides, seasons, weather, minerals, and so much more. What an amazing array of life from the largest dinosaur to the microscopic flower. How well life fits together with all its interrelationships, interdependent life forms, food chain, and so much more. Truly God is a great and perfect designer and creator to make such a marvelously efficient system!

What an overwhelming achievement is the human body with its endocrine system, nervous system, and other systems working together to cause it to function tirelessly and continuously for its three score and ten years. What an array of organs did God create to cause us to function in the world He designed for us. What a powerful brain did He place in us to operate all of these systems. What tremendous senses do we have to see a bird in flight or a snow covered field; to hear a brook rolling down a hillside or the call of a mockingbird; to smell the roses in the morning breeze or the aroma of the local bakery. Certainly in all of God’s design nothing has been left to chance!

So it is with worship. God designed us with an innate need to worship. Man has worshiped almost everything from trees, stones, other men, beauty, wealth, even non-existent gods (Is. 44:9-20, Acts 17:22-23). Tragically has this happened but the universal desire to worship something, I believe, demonstrates that God gave us such a need.

As in all of God’s creation, whenever He creates something, He completes it (Gen. 1:31, Gen. 2:18). Whenever He designed man with his need to worship He also designed that worship (John 4:24). Such has been the case through the ages; such is the case today.

Into the worship that God ordained He placed five things; The Lord’s supper (Acts 20:7, I Cor. 11), the collection (I Cor. 16:1-2, II Cor. 9:7), preaching (Acts 20:7), prayer (Eph. 6:18, Col. 4:2, I Thess. 5:17), and singing (Eph. 5:19, Col. 3:16). All of these complete the perfect worship assembly to please God and meet the needs of man. Let’s look at these individual things to see how they fit together.

The Lord’s Supper

The Christian religion is a religion of giving (Matt. 25:40, Luke 6:38, Rom. 8:32, II Cor. 9:7). No better way is there to highlight our worship than with the Lord’s supper. It is the celebration and remembrance of the greatest gift ever given — the sacrifice of Christ (Luke 22:19, I Cor. 11:24). This gift is what life is all about for without it life is only a tragedy to be lived in despair and culminated in eternal loss. But because of the amazing grace of God and through the gift of His Son, life can be a celebration of hope culminated in an eternity of bliss.

Giving

Christ is God’s gift to us. In the Christian faith we have an opportunity to respond by giving back to God’s cause from the things we have. Giving should be something we enjoy (II Cor. 9:7, I John 3:17). We should, in fact, enjoy it so much that we sometimes give beyond what anyone would expect; that we give more than we can really afford; that we give until it is really a sacrifice (Mark 12:43-44, II Cor. 8:2-3,12). Giving allows us to demonstrate our appreciation of the gift of Christ and grow in a deeper understanding of what is really valuable and what really matters.

Preaching

Preaching is God speaking to us. It is through preaching (teaching) and Bible reading that we learn of God’s will for our lives. Preaching helps us examine our beliefs and adjust them and fine-tune them until they are in harmony with the mind of God. Preaching opens up new avenues of understanding of God’s abiding presence, His guiding hands, His watchful nature, and His loving mercy. Preaching helps us understand that God is ever-near the one who is His faithful child. Preaching helps us grow and expand our understanding of life. It provides the abundant life on earth and in the world to come. It brings comfort, hope, joy, patience, and abiding peace which is unavailable anywhere else. Preaching is God talking to man.

Prayer

Lines of communication are very important. Just as God has prepared a way to speak to us He has also prepared a way for us to speak to Him through the avenue of prayer (Jer. 33:3). God listens patiently as we pray for our needs, as we ask Him for strength, patience, and wisdom, and as we praise Him for who He is. God listens when we are tired, frustrated, or burdened with sorrow (Psalm 28). He rejoices with us as we proclaim our gratitude for the good things He has extended to us (Psalm 65). God hears us when we have a deep and abiding need or when we just want to talk (Psalm 4:1, Psalm 19:14, Psalm 25, Psalm 42:1-4). Prayer is man talking to God (Psalm 16:1, Psalm 69:17).

Singing

In the design of our nature music plays an integral part. It is used to motivate, relax, or even calm our emotions. Singing can express feelings of sadness, joy, amazement, and humility. God placed singing into our worship because He designed us in such a way that singing is the most efficient way of truly expressing our feelings.

In the Christian assembly singing is used to praise God, teach and admonish one another, learn for ourselves, motivate and guide. It stirs the heart to be valiant and prepared to answer the marching orders assigned us. It reminds us to be thankful and humble before Almighty God. It expresses proper viewpoints and ideas and strengthens them. Most of all it makes God smile.

Conclusion

What a wonderful planned assembly are we allowed to enjoy. By having an opportunity to remember God’s gift and respond with a gift of our own, to listen to God and have Him listen to us, and to culminate this experience by singing praises to Jehovah and His greatness, we have an experience that no other experience in life can match. Truly the Christian worship is perfect and completely sufficient to meet all the needs God designed for us. Pure, simple, meaningful, complete, is God’s design for our worship assembly.

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This article is for your review and is for the purpose of exercising your skills in locating arguments. Practice looking for the arguments contained in this article and construct them into syllogisms. Remember that in writing and/or speaking, some parts of a syllogism might be implied and not given. If so, you must supply the missing parts. Do your best to be objective and if there are errors in the article feel free to point those out in class to your instructor. Also, if you see any logical fallacies note them and discuss them in class. Finally, use your syllogistic skills to locate other things you have learned and see if they are properly used (denotative vs. connotative, definitions, specific vs. generic, necessary inference, etc.).

Scripture teaches that there are specific rules concerning how one must worship the Lord. It was so in the Patriarchal period (Gen. 4:1-7), the Mosaical period (Matt. 15:1-9), and so it is today (John 4:23-24). If we are to please God, then we must worship in spirit (the proper attitude) and in truth (what is authorized). As we study this section we will be looking at five specific things authorized for the assembly of the church and will view them trying to determine what exactly is authorized and what is not authorized.

At this point we want to remind ourselves of three principles. The first is that we must never add to or subtract from God’s divine word. The second is we must never try to add something from the old law to the new. The third is that we must always do that which is right and cannot be wrong. That having been said, let’s begin to reflect on the component parts of the worship assembly as it is revealed to us in the Bible.

The Lord’s Supper.

The first item on our list is the Lord’s supper. While we are instructed to partake of this feast (Mark 14:22-25, I Cor. 11:23-30), we are never told when to do it. Our instructions for when do not come from a command but from an approved example. In Acts 20:6-7 we find that the church had a standing practice of meeting on the first day of the week to take the communion. Paul waited an entire week so that he could participate in this assembly. His waiting and participating demonstrate that this is an approved example of Christian conduct. Had it not been, the apostle would have rebuked them rather than participated with them.

It is also the case that this was the central reason, although not the only reason, why they met in the first place. In fact, while every act of worship can be performed any and every day if so desired, this act of worship is the one exception. Remember, we do that which is right and cannot be wrong. The only time the Scriptures discuss the ‘when’ of taking the Lord’s supper is here and that discussion gives us only the first day of the week for this act. This being our only example and seeing the necessary inference from I Cor. 16:1-2 that the custom and practice of the church was consistently to assemble on the first day of the week, this conclusion is inevitable. It is also the case that one should partake the first day of every week, not monthly, quarterly, or annually. The early church did this with approval weekly and so should the church of today.

Earlier we discussed the items of the Lord’s supper. They are unleavened bread and grape juice, probably non-alcoholic. These items are representative of the body and blood of our Lord which were given on our behalf. The reason we know to use these items is again because it is necessarily implied by God and, therefore, necessarily inferred by us. Christ used the items He had available from the Passover feast and these were the only items available.

Giving.

Early in the church we find that many of its members were eager to give. They sold lands and houses and gave the money to the apostles on behalf of the church (Acts 4:33-37). This seems to have been an almost daily occurrence. It was something they wanted to do; It doesn’t seem that at this time it was commanded. In fact, I Cor. 16:1-2 suggests that this was not necessarily a practice that was a universal custom as is suggested in Acts 20:7 concerning the Lord’s supper, but was an expedient, Paul wanting it collected and ready for him when he arrived.

My statement here is not to be understood to suggest that regular giving was not the practice of the church. It was the practice. I conclude this because Paul is constantly asking for financial support concerning many different needs and even gives some requirements concerning this giving (II Cor. 9:1-7). The thing I want the reader to see is that, unlike the communion, giving was not limited to the first day of the week. It could be done any time there was a need, even if that need came about during the week.

Just here I would like to mention the concept of specific and generic commands as we reflect on giving. That we are instructed to give is without question. God loves a cheerful giver. By this direct statement I can see that God expects me to give. If I were to search the Scriptures, old and new, looking at the practice of giving, I would be almost overwhelmed at how important a subject and practice it is to God. I simply want to point out that in the new testament the term giving is generic and can be obeyed in many ways. What to give is generic. One can give money, land, houses, food, clothing, and other items and still obey this command. When to give is generic. One can give any day and every day to fulfill this command. Giving being a generic command, it is not limited to the assembly of the church.

Preaching/Teaching.

One part of the worship assembly is preaching and teaching. This, of course, would include Bible reading, the source from which all worthwhile preaching is taken. But preaching, like giving, is not confined to the worship assembly. In fact in Acts 8:4 the church went everywhere preaching. So while we know from Acts 20:7 by approved example that preaching was a part of the general assembly, we know by approved example from Acts 8:4 that such a practice was not exclusive to the assembly.

Preaching is a generic command but what we preach is specific; What we preach is the gospel (Gal. 1:6-12). While humor may be used to make a point, the worship assembly is a time of reverence before God and should not become a time of entertainment, jokes, and frivolity. Many today do not show the proper reverence before God and because of this attitude (spirit) their worship is vain.

Praying.

I Cor. 14:15 shows us that prayer is a part of the assembly of the church. Prayer, however, is not restricted to the worship assembly. I Thess. 5:17 and a myriad of other commands and approved examples show that prayer is a large part of the Christian life.

While prayer is not restricted to the worship assembly, it is restricted to the Christian community. Consider the following line of reasoning.

Premise One. All spiritual blessings are found in Christ (Eph. 1:3).

Premise Two. The right of prayer is a spiritual blessing.

Conclusion. The right of prayer is found in Christ.

Having said this, one must deal with the obvious example of the prayer of Cornelius in Acts 10:1-6 which went up before God as a memorial. It is true that God ‘heard’ his prayer. But that prayer could produce neither salvation nor sonship. Remember, God always sees to it that the honest seeker finds. It is only in that sense that God heard the prayer of Cornelius. God was so touched by His life that He made sure someone went and taught this man so that he might be saved. But to beseech God for forgiveness, strength, etc., is reserved only for His covenant people. One must first be in Christ before he may seek spiritual blessings from the Father.

Singing.

Again we find in I Cor. 14:15 that singing is a part of the worship assembly. Eph. 5:18-20 and Col. 3:16-17 reveal that this command includes all Christians and thus we have authority for congregational singing. There is no authority for choirs, choruses, solos, and such like. That being so, the churches belonging to Christ do not use such. Consider the following reasoning:

‘I may use in the worship assembly only that which is authorized by Scripture. Choirs are not authorized by Scripture. Therefore, I may not use choirs in the worship assembly.’

It is also the case that there is no authority for the use of instrumental music in the Christian assembly. Such is not authorized and is, therefore, condemned. This particular practice is not acceptable for at least two reasons. The first is that any addition to God’s directions is prohibited in numerous places, both in the old and new testaments (Deut. 4:1-2, Joshua 1:7, Prov. 30:5-6, Rev. 22:18-19, Gal. 1:6-12). Secondly we are specifically taught in Scripture not to try and add any of the old law to the new (Matt. 9:14-17, Gal. 1:6-12, Col. 2:12-14). Instrumental music was commanded under the old law (II Cor. 29:25-26) and to add it to the Christian assembly is to add a part of the old law to the new. Instrumental music is not acceptable in the Christian worship assembly.

As we conclude the second section of this chapter we need to briefly reflect on the parts of worship. We have seen that the Lord’s supper is unique in that it can only be done on the first day of the week while all the other acts are authorized at any proper time (give – Acts 4:32-37, preach – Acts 8:4, II Tim. 4:1-2, pray – I Thess. 5:17, sing – Eph. 5:19, Col. 3:16, Acts 16:25). It should also be seen that preaching, praying, and giving are not exclusively acts of worship while, by their very nature, communion and singing of spiritual songs are always acts of worship and can be nothing else.

God’s Law Concerning Christian Living.

In all of this work there is a great desire on my part to preach. But it is not the purpose of this book to teach you what to think. It is rather the purpose of this book to teach you how to think. That being the case, we will look at only a few of the hundreds of issues which a Christian faces in life. Follow the reasoning patterns you have learned and test the arguments presented. Ultimately, your salvation will be based on your ability to reason and not on mine. If my reasoning is valid then accept it. If my reasoning is faulty then reject it. But exercise every possible care to come to the conclusions warranted by the Scriptures so that in the day of judgment you will be found faithful and receive a home in Heaven.

We will begin our discussion with the idea of fellowship. Some today are offering to the church the false concept that there are various levels of fellowship. Such cannot be defended by Scripture and is, therefore, a Devil’s lie. Either one is in partnership with God and the faithful wholly and completely or he is not. We have discussed this at some length earlier in this work. It is here that I would like us to reflect on Eph. 4:1-6 and try and understand of what true Christian unity consists.

There are seven ones mentioned in Eph. 4:1-6 which we will briefly discuss, using them as the basis for understanding Christian unity.

The first of the seven ones we will discuss is one God and Father. Christian unity demands that we believe in the one and only true God; The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; The God of the Israelites in old testament times; The God of the followers of Christ in the new. For the Christian there can be one and only one true God.

There are several characteristics one should consider as he reflects on God. We will examine only a few at this time.

(1) He is the Creator and possessor of all that is. What powerful imagery is used by the psalmist in Psalm 33 where he states “. . . For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:6-9). God is the great Creator. In Psalm 50:7-12 we are reminded that “. . . the world is mine and the fulness thereof.” What a marvelous sustainer is the God of Heaven.

(2) God is above all – even Christ. This is clearly stated in Eph. 4:6. But undoubtedly this is not a unique passage. We are told in I Cor. 15:27-28 that while everything has been placed at or under the feet of Christ, there is one exception and that is God Himself! I Cor. 11:1-3 further states that God is the head of Christ and Heb. 1:9 reminds us that the Father is God not only to us but to Christ also. God is supreme!

(3) God demands obedience. Matt. 7:21 tells us that God saves only those obedient to His will. In John 14:21-23 we are reminded that if we love God then we will obey Him. Those who teach that you are saved by faith only clearly go against the teachings of the new testament (James 2:24).

(4) God directs our lives through His word. John 17:17 reminds us that we are sanctified (set apart for a holy purpose) by the Word. It is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105). Truly our God is a marvelous God!

As we continue our study of Christian unity, we will be looking at the second one found in Eph. 4:1-6 which is One Lord. This one Lord is spoken of in I John 5:7 and is referred to as the Word. This concept was a general theme in the new testament where in John 1:1-14 we are told the Word is God and that it became flesh and dwelt among us. That fleshly being was the Lord Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews also uses this description of the Lord in Heb. 4:12-14, strengthening this image of our Lord.

In Acts 4:12, soon after the start of the church, we find the Apostles teaching that it is only through Christ that one can be saved. Salvation is through the Lord and only through the Lord because there is only one Lord and that is Christ. If we are ever to achieve the unity that Christ prayed for and the unity Christianity is supposed to enjoy, then we must do so through Jesus, the Christ, the Lord, the Word.

At this point it will serve us well to look at some of the things the Lord does for us. We will have space for only a few but they should help us understand Christian unity a little better as we look at these characteristics.

(1) The Lord provides all spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:1-3). They are given by God only to those in Christ. One cannot receive forgiveness of sins, sonship, eternal life, or any other spiritual blessing outside of Christ. He is the one Lord and in Him is found the only way to be reunited with the Father.

(2) The Lord is our high priest (Heb. 4:14-16) and it is through His blood offering that we are able to come before the throne of grace and receive mercy.

(3) The Lord is our advocate (I John 2:1) and as our advocate (lawyer) He constantly pleads our case as long as we walk in the light as He is in the light (I John 1:7).

The concept of Jesus as the Word provides the key for Christian unity. Unity can be found through and only through the revealed will of God as we allow the Scriptures to direct our lives (Psalm 119:105). Unity can never be found in a manual, creed, opinion, or preacher. It will be found in and only in the divine Word. John 17:17 says we are sanctified (set apart for a holy purpose) by the Word. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to deliver that Word (John 16:13) and we have it in the last testament of Christ. Only here can we ever hope to find unity.

Our third one is the one Spirit. This is, of course, the Holy Spirit, one of the members of the Trinity (often referred to as the Godhead) consisting of Himself, the Father, and the Word. We find them mentioned many places together and see that they are one in nature and purpose, although they perform different roles in the carrying out of the will of God.

We find in I John 5:7 that these three, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit bear record in Heaven. The record they bear, according to John, is that Jesus is the Christ. Certainly at the testimony of these three to the truth of anything all doubt is removed and it is beyond question. Jesus is Lord.

It is by the authority of these three that the gospel was preached and is preached throughout the world as the only true religion before God (Matt. 28:18-20). There are many religions available today to mankind but the one endorsed by the Trinity is Christianity. All others are without authority.

The Holy Spirit has always been active in the world. He was active in creation (Gen. 1:2), in prophesy (Joel 2:28-30), in the conception of Christ (Matt. 1:20), and so on. It should be recognized by the church that He is still active today through the divine Word once for all delivered to the saints (John 16:13, Jude 3). While for a time the Spirit produced miracles through chosen men, such was to end and did so at the completion of the writing of the new testament (I Cor. 13). But the power to save was never in the miracles, it is in the word of God (Rom. 1:16).

There are several things the Spirit continues to do today through the Word. We will briefly discuss a few. (1) The Spirit calls us through the Word (II Thess. 2:14). Many today are looking for a special calling. If we are to obtain Christian unity, we must recognize such is not the case. We are called by and only by the gospel of Christ. (2) The Spirit sanctifies us (sets us aside for a holy purpose) through the Word (John 17:17). We are not to be set aside by titles or position. In fact, such is condemned in Scripture. We are set aside by our lives as we live them in the manner directed by the Spirit through the Word. (3) The Spirit guides us through the Word (Psalm 119:105, John 16:13). Many wish to receive special directions from the Spirit. Such is not His way. For unity to be achieved we must all rely only on the written Word of God.

Eph. 4:1-6 introduces us to four other ones which, added to the ones we have already discussed, provide the basis for Christian unity. They are one body, one hope, one faith, and one baptism. We will discuss them in this order.

The body is the church (Eph. 1:22-23, Col. 1:18, Eph. 5:23). Jesus said, “. . . upon this rock I will build my church . . .” Whenever we discuss the body we are discussing also the church, the one church that Christ built. If we are to have Christian unity in today’s world, we must all understand that there is only one church and that we must conform to the teachings of Christ in order to obtain entrance into that church.

Unity demands membership in that one church (Eph. 4:25, Eph. 5:30). There is no way one can be outside of Christ and His church and be in unity with true believers. The Greek term for church is ekklesia and means the called out. The church is called out of the world and sin and into the fellowship of Christ. Remember we are sanctified (set apart for a holy purpose) by the word (John 17:17). It is also by the word that we are called (II Thess. 2:14).

Jesus is the Saviour of the one body (Eph. 5:23). That means that we can only be saved if we are a member of His body, His church. It is the church, those called out of sin, that Jesus will return for and gather together to be presented to the Father (I Cor. 15:21-24). One who fails to become a member of Christ’s body will be lost at Christ’s return. One cannot be saved outside the church.

Jesus is the head of the church (Eph. 5:23). If Jesus is the head of the church, and He is, then we in the church must obey Him to please Him (Luke 6:46, Matt. 7:21).

Jesus purchased the church with His blood (Acts 20:28). That being the case, He has total authority over our lives for we are His possession (I Cor. 6:19-20). To have true unity in Christ, all of us must obey His directions and follow Him in all things.

God makes a division between the righteous and the wicked. He has always done so and will do so one final time in the judgment (Matt 25). If we are to teach and believe what Scripture teaches, we must teach the fact of the one church and that Christ is its Saviour.

We will next turn our attention to the one hope mentioned in Eph. 4:1-6 and see what place it plays in that unity. In order to do this we must first establish what hope really is and then what the Christian’s one hope is and then see how it relates to new testament teaching concerning unity.

Let us begin by looking at the term hope. In the Random House dictionary we find that hope generally is considered to mean a feeling that what is desired is possible; to feel something desired may happen. Scripture does not use this term in such a manner. Therefore it is necessary to rethink what hope is so that we may see what God wants us to see. Hope, Biblically speaking, simply means expecting something to occur with great confidence. It is not some vague desire that something might happen but is an assurance that something will happen! Our hope (assurance) is such because it is based on our Lord Jesus Christ (I Tim. 1:1).

Understanding then that the Christian hope is in reality the Christian assurance, what do the holy writers have in mind? Simply, the one hope Christians share is the hope of the resurrection and eternal life with God (Acts 23:6, Acts 24:14-15, Titus 2:1). This is not some “great guess” or some “leap of faith” but is a confidence based on the promises of Christ (John 14:1-3) and the fact of His own resurrection (Acts 2:32-36, I Cor. 15:1-8). These combined, His promise and His demonstration, give the Christian an assurance that God will also raise him up on the last day.

At this point one needs to understand that hope is given to us through the Holy Scriptures (Rom. 15:4). It is through the Scriptures we learn of the promises and the great actions of our Lord and it is through the written word that we are sanctified (set apart for a holy purpose – John17:17). One must be set apart by God if he is to have any hope at all. This is accomplished by a person submitting to the ordinances and commands of our God (Matt. 7:21-24).

Finally, hope provides us with great boldness. Romans 5:1-5 tells us that our hope “maketh not ashamed”. If we truly believe God’s promises concerning a resurrection and eternal bliss in His presence, then we will not be ashamed of our Saviour when confronted by the world. We will exercise the greatest power on earth, the gospel, in all we do (Rom. 1:16).

Next let us turn our attention to the one faith. The new testament discusses in great detail the subject of faith. There is faith that saves (Eph. 2:8-9) and faith that does not save (John 12:42, Acts 26:27-28, James 2:19-20). In today’s world faith is generated by reading and believing God’s divine message (Rom. 10:17). The one faith mentioned in Eph. 4:1-6, however, is not the individual faith one may have but the system designed by God to be followed today. That divine message of hope in Jesus Christ, God’s plan of salvation, God’s plan of worship, and God’s design for a Christian life are all part of that system the Bible calls “the faith”. If we are to have Christian unity, we must accept and follow the teachings of Christ in all these areas. Let’s take a brief look at “the faith” and see what Scripture says about it.

The old law was replaced by “the faith” (Gal. 3:23-25). The purpose of the old law was to bring us to Christ. Once this was done, the old law was taken away and replaced by the law of Christ (Heb. 10:9, Col. 2:14). One cannot today please God by living under the old law. Today one must live under Christ to be acceptable to God.

All of “the faith” has been revealed in the Holy Scriptures (Jude 3). There is no need for any other revelation from God and there has not been any since the Bible was completed around 100 AD.

One must examine himself to see if he is really a part of “the faith” (II Cor. 13:5). One can be deceived and end up lost while believing everything is all right (Matt. 7:2124).

One must be established in “the faith” (Acts 16:5, Col. 2:6-7) and remain steadfast in “the faith” (I Cor. 16:13, Acts 14:21-22, Col. 2:6-7) in order to please God.

One can depart from “the faith” and thus be lost (I Tim. 4:1-6). While many today would teach that once you are saved you cannot be lost, clearly the Scriptures teach exactly the opposite (II Pet. 2:20-22). One must exercise care in doing God’s will if he hopes for a life in Heaven with our God.

We must work together ardently for “the faith” (Phil. 1:27). It was the mission of Christ to seek and save the lost. As His bride, His mission must be our mission (Luke 19:9-10).

Our unity is found in “the faith”, i.e. in the new testament system which Christ established through the sacrifice of His life on Calvary’s cross. It is the Word that sanctifies us (John 17:17) and unifies us in Christ.

The last of the seven found in Eph. 4:1-6 is baptism. There are several baptisms mentioned in the new testament. They are John’s baptism (Matt. 3:1-6), Holy Spirit baptism (Matt. 3:11), fire baptism (Matt. 3:12), and Christ’s baptism (John 4:1). By the time the letter to the Ephesians was written, however, (circa 60 AD) Paul tells us that only one baptism is in effect. Let’s discover which baptism Paul has under consideration in Ephesians so that we might better understand it in the light of the idea of unity.

John’s baptism.

This cannot be the baptism that is under consideration here. John was killed several years before Christ was killed and this is almost thirty years later. The baptism of John was no longer in effect at this time (Acts 19:1-7).

Holy Spirit Baptism.

This also is not under consideration here.. This baptism is recorded only on two occasions, the Apostles receiving it in Acts 2 and the house of Cornelius in Acts 10. Paul can be added to this list even though his is not specifically recorded since it is amply inferred from Scripture.

Baptism Of Fire.

From Matt. 3:12 and continuing we can recognize this to be referring to Hell and is yet future, to be experienced by the wicked after the judgment.

Jesus’ Baptism.

This is the baptism under consideration in Eph. 4:1-6. It still continues today and will continue until the end of the world (Matt. 28:18-20). If we are to be one in Christ, if we are to have the unity Jesus prayed for, we must understand, teach, and practice the baptism of Christ. Let us briefly see what Scripture tells us about it.

First, it was performed by men (Matt. 28:18-20) and the element used was water (Acts 8:35-38). Secondly, it was a burial (Rom. 6:1-4) of the old man and a raising of the new. Immersion is the only form of baptism in Scripture and sprinkling is not authorized. Thirdly, It was only for penitent believers (as was John’s – Matt. 3:5-8) and was for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16). It was not for infants since they are not guilty of sin (Matt. 19:13-15). The one being baptized knew its purpose and that it was a necessary act in order to be saved. Fourthly, those that gladly received the word were baptized and added to the church by the grace of God (Acts 2:41-47). Finally, baptism for the remission of sins was performed on all those who were added to the body of Christ (Acts 2:38-41, Acts 8:12, 38, Acts 9:17-18, et. al.).

In this discussion concerning unity is found also the basis for Christian fellowship. To be in fellowship with Christ one must teach and believe what the Scriptures teach on all these issues; One God, one Lord, one Spirit, one body, one hope, one faith, and one baptism. This encompasses all of the teachings of the Bible relative to life and salvation. If one teaches there are “faithful, devout, mature Christians in all denominations” then he breaks the requirements of unity and fellowship. If one teaches baptism is not necessary for the remission of sins then he also breaks fellowship. If one teaches that one church is as good as another he misses the point that there is only one true church and that all others are simply imposters (denominations). The list could go on and on but the point is established. To be in fellowship with God requires that we teach only as the oracles of God and that we all teach the same thing in every area in which God has spoken (I Pet. 4:11, I Cor. 1:10).

In light of this I am sometimes amazed at the carelessness of normally faithful brethren in their choices relative to fellowship. Consider the practice by some of announcing in their bulletins the activities of unfaithful congregations or the listing within their web pages of unfaithful congregations. We must understand that God will hold us accountable for this carelessness if this carelessness produces a sin. In light of II John 9-11 this careless bidding of God speed to false teachers and false practitioners is an offence before the mighty God of heaven. Only condemnation before the throne of Christ awaits those who carelessly set aside the teachings of the Bible. A faithful Christian must not hold fellowship with those in error or he will become out of fellowship with God and cease to be faithful in the eyes of the Lord.

In further consideration of this concept, I find it incredible that those false teachers who have arisen from the ranks of the church are still referred to as “brother” so-and-so as if nothing had really changed in our relationship. These false teachers are no longer our brothers. One need only to read II John 9-11 to see that we must not encourage them in any way. To call them brother even if we call them liberal is to endorse them at least to some degree. In light of the principle found in I John 2:18-19 that those going out from us are not of us, I fail to see how my brethren can continue to call these heretics “brother”. One should read also Rom. 16:17-18, I Cor. 5:9-13, II Tim. 3:1-7, Tit. 3:10-11, and a host of other passages as he reasons through the issue of fellowship and calling false teachers brother. While we still seek to restore them to the faith, until that restoration we should not do anything to encourage, support, or endorse them in any way. Let us close these thoughts on fellowship and unity with a syllogism.

Premise One. Anyone teaching differently than the Scriptures teach breaks Christian unity.

Premise Two. Anyone who breaks Christian unity is guilty of sowing discord among the brethren.

Conclusion. Anyone teaching differently than the Scriptures teach is guilty of sowing discord among the brethren.

One might close these thoughts with the simple question, “How will God respond in the day of judgment to those that have sown discord among the brethren and to those that have lent support to them in the doing of it?”

Another Christian life issue is creation. Many theories have been presented but all the issues boil down to one thing. Do we believe that God did what God said God did? I believe God and, therefore, evolution is out the window as false science. Again a little syllogism for you.

Premise One. Either creation is true or evolution is true.

Premise Two. Evolution is not true.

Conclusion. Creation is true.

Consider the issue next of marriage, divorce, and remarriage. What a collection of conflicting doctrines the individual has to presently choose from. I have no desire to review the error. I will attempt to simply share the truth.

From the direct statements of Christ in Matt. 5:31-32, Matt. 19:3-9, and Mark 10:1-12 and the statement of Paul in Rom. 7:1-3 we learn several pertinent facts. First, it was God’s plan from the beginning for one man to marry one woman and they were to remain together until death. God, because of the hardness of men’s hearts, allowed for a time divorce for almost any reason. But Christ, as part of his mission on earth, was to restore God’s original plan. His statements, although made while he lived under the old law, applied to the new covenant He was in the process of establishing. It is demonstrated in Matt. 14:1-4 that God’s laws on marriage are universal, applying not only to the Christian but to the non-Christian as well, Herod being a non-covenant person yet still being found guilty of violating God’s marriage laws.

Next let us turn to the issue of social drinking. I confidently hold that social drinking is a sin. But this is not a book of doctrines but of hermeneutics. Therefore, I want us to exercise our new skills as we study one passage relative to this issue. The passage is I Tim. 5:23 and reads as follows.

“Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.”

This passage is the proof-text most often offered in defense of social drinking. Let’s examine it and see what we can learn from it.

First, this passage has no relationship to social drinking. Clearly it is a medical recommendation and nothing else. Secondly, it says to take a little wine, the word little often being overlooked by the one who uses it to defend social drinking.

But there is another interesting facit to this verse usually missed by both sides of this discussion and that is we can necessarily infer from Timothy’s refusal to consume wine that in the first-century church it was generally frowned upon or at best questionable. Knowing that the Christian is to do nothing questionable, social drinking is eliminated from our lives by this verse.

One other thing we will notice before leaving this verse is that it was directed to Timothy, not to the universal church. For one to be able to apply this passage to himself, he must establish that he has the same medical necessity that Timothy had. That is never even an issue in social drinking and Christians need to consider carefully this verse and avoid the casual consumption of alcohol.

Another issue we might review is the necessity of attendance to the assembly. In Heb. 10:23-25 is found the instructions not to forsake the assembly of the saints. Many today argue that only the first day of the week is bound on the Christian specifically and, therefore, even if other opportunities are presented to the Christian, he is not bound to avail himself of them (such as Wednesday night Bible study). Let’s use our reasoning skills to see if this is a valid argument.

We will begin by defining the term forsake located in this text. The Greek word translated forsake is egkataleipo and means to abandon totally. One could argue, then, from this verse that he only had to occasionally attend, even on the first day of the week, perhaps once a month, and meet the demands of this verse. Such might even be true except that this is not the only verse relative to our assembly. Such proof-text Christianity will quite probably land one in Hell. Let’s look at some other passage that might apply.

Certainly we can necessarily infer from Acts 20:7 and I Cor. 16:1-2 that the church assembled the first day of every week. These being approved examples, we have eliminated the justification for occasional attendance.

Let’s next look at James 4:17 where we find the following recorded.

“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

One cannot escape the weight of this passage. Consider the following syllogism.

Premise One. The one who knows to do good and does not do it commits sin.

Premise Two. We know that to attend Wednesday night Bible study is good.

Conclusion. If we do not attend, we commit sin.

One might respond (and many have) that this would put on the Christian an overwhelming demand. Any Bible study, meeting, lectureship, home study, and so on would become something a Christian would have to attend if at all possible. That is exactly what true Christianity demands (Acts 20:7, Matt. 10:34-39, Mark 10:28-30, etc.).

One final thing we need to consider. The faithful generally do not attend these things out of duty, even though it is our duty to attend them. They generally attend them out of desire. Love must be the final motivator in the life of the Christian. Love of God; Love of truth: Love of the church; Love of the lost. Our burning passion for Christ and His church will cause us to seek out every opportunity to grow and serve as we journey towards our final home in Heaven.

As we conclude this section of our study we must remind ourselves again that this book is designed to help you understand how to think and not to tell you what to think. These arguments are presented for your consideration and study for the purpose of developing your reasoning skills and if in that process you discover that I have made a mistake in my reasoning then it is your obligation not to make that same mistake in your reasoning.

As we continue our study and application of the principles of hermeneutics we need to remember something. Every issue is important on which God has produced revelation. There are no little and big issues of doctrine. You must get away from that type of thinking. In so doing you will be more likely to exercise extreme care in the way you handle God’s word.

God’s Law Concerning Church Government.

As we look at the final section of this chapter, we will use a slightly different approach which will hopefully give you another avenue in your exercise of hermeneutics. We will use what I call the thesis approach. We will begin by stating a thesis (a proposition put forward for consideration) and then attempt to defend it from the Scriptures. This is probably the most common approach to study and is perfectly acceptable if one is willing to accept all relevant evidence and make his decisions accordingly. With that so stated, let us begin.

Thesis:

Christ is the head of the church and, therefore, has all authority relative to its structure and function.

We will begin by noticing that God is the Supreme Being relative to everything (Psalm 50:7-12, Psalm 33:6-9). In Matt. 28:18-20 we find that He has given to Jesus all authority in heaven and in earth. This is reaffirmed in I Cor. 15:27 and numerous other places. Jesus, having been made both Lord and Christ by God (Dan. 7:13-14, Acts 2:34-36), is therefore revealed in Eph. 1:22-23 as the head of the church. (See also Eph. 5:22-33, Col. 1:18-20). Indeed, our first thesis is proven by the Scriptures.

Thesis:

The apostles and prophets were given authority to bind doctrine on the earth as they were guided by the Holy Spirit.

We will begin by noticing that Christ issued a commission in Matt. 28:18-20 to the apostles to go and teach, baptize, and teach some more. He promised them that they would be guided by the Holy Spirit (John 16:13-14, Mark 13:11). They were to wait in Jerusalem for the power that He had promised them (Acts 1:8) and they received that power on Pentecost (Acts 2).

We find also in Eph. 2:19-22 that we are built on the apostles and prophets. We know that this is a metonymy actually meaning we are built on the teachings of the apostles and prophets. We know this because we are called by the gospel (II Thess. 2:14), saved by the gospel (Rom. 1:16), sanctified by the gospel (John 17:17), and guided by the gospel (Psalm 119:105). The word is designed to guide all phases of our life and thinking (II Tim. 3:16-17) and it is the word that the apostles and prophets, through the power of the Holy Spirit, delivered in the book we call the Bible. The doctrine of the Bible is binding, immutable, and inerrant. This being true, we have adequately demonstrated the validity of our thesis.

Thesis:

Each congregation is autonomous. That is, each congregation rules its own business and that there is no Bible authority for synods, conferences, districts, diocese, etc., which exercise any power which encompasses more than one congregation.

In Titus 1:5 we find that it is the will of God that elders be appointed in each city (congregation). This is listed in this passage as a work that is still undone. According to this passage and several others (I Tim. 3:1-7, I Pet. 5:1-4, Acts 20:17-28) the elders which were selected and appointed were to have authority over the local congregation. No record of a higher source of government than the local congregation is ever recorded in the Scriptures. As people who speak only as the oracles of God, we have no authority to go beyond what God through His Scripture has authorized. Holding to that Biblical principle, we must conclude that each congregation, though they may assist each other, are not under each other’s authority. While cooperation is acceptable, domination is not. Our thesis stands as true.

Thesis:

Elders hold authority over individual congregations under their oversight.

There are three words used in the new testament to describe those who do the work of an elder. They are presbuteros (elders), episkopos (bishop or overseer), and poimen (pastor or shepherd). All three of these terms are used in some form in Acts 20:17-28 in reference to the elders at Ephesus.

The eldership is not an office to be held but rather a work to be done. That work is to lead, feed, and protect the flock (the congregation). The requirements set forth to qualify someone for this work are found in I Tim. 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. Here, and in other places, the authority of the eldership to rule over the congregation is unquestionable (I Tim. 3:5, I Pet. 5:2, Acts 20:28, Heb. 13:17). Our thesis, then, is amply supported by the Scriptures.

Thesis:

Deacons are placed over selected works and are under the authority of the eldership.

In Acts 6:1-7 we find the appointment of the first deacons. They are appointed over the work of attending to the needs of the widows in the church. Some object to these men being referred to as deacons, arguing that the text does not so name them. Such an objection is unfounded. They do the work of deacons, they must meet qualifications just like deacons, and they “serve” tables. The word “serve” is a form of the word deacon in the Greek. They are deacons.

The requirements for being a deacon are put forth by Paul in I Tim. 3:8-13 and also allude to their specific tasks. Elders are required to be apt to teach while deacons are not. Elders are required to be able to answer false teachers while deacons are not. Elders are to have believing children, demonstrating their ability to lead the house of God spiritually while deacons are not required to have children that are of such an age as to have become Christians. Elders are not to be novices. No such regulation is placed on deacons. From the requirements of elders and deacons we can see that the work of the eldership is generally spiritual in nature while the work of the deaconship is generally physical, loosing the elders so that they can attend to the more important aspect of the body of Christ. Deacons, then, are over certain types of physical works but under the elders who rule their congregation. Our thesis is demonstrated to be true.

Thesis:

The preacher has the authority to preach the gospel.

In I Tim. 4:1-2 young Timothy is commanded to teach the word. That is what a preacher is authorized to do – preach the word. That is the only authority a preacher has unless he is appointed to the eldership. Those who have taken on the mission of a preacher need to remember that whenever they are in a congregation, they too are under the eldership of that congregation. They are preachers, not decision makers. Whenever they leave their God-assigned task then trouble is sure to follow.

This concludes our brief consideration of the church, its structure, and its government. Hopefully, from the study of these arguments you will become better and more confident in the structuring of arguments to defend Bible positions when called on to so do. This section is not intended to cover all arguments concerning these and other issues of church government. Again, it is not our purpose to preach. It is rather our purpose to aid you in developing skills of reason so that you will be able to rightly divide the word of truth.