Following Jesus Without Denominationalism
Further Thoughts Related To Authority In Religion - Part One
In the past two lessons in this series, I have stressed that to be free of religious division we must have the same "standard of authority". That standard is the Will of Christ as revealed in the "apostles' doctrine", that is, the teaching of Christ's apostles, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, and preserved for us in the pages of the New Testament. Other standards, both objective and subjective, are not suitable guides to lead us in the way of salvation. Not the Old Testament, majority rule, parents, preachers, creeds and traditions of men, nor conscience, human wisdom, or feelings.
Before we leave the subject of authority, there are some questions I believe worthy of our consideration. Exactly how does one use the New Testament to establish authority? Are there limitations placed upon how far we may go in matters of religion? Will having the same standard of authority "guarantee" unity among followers of Christ? -- In this lesson I wish to share some thoughts along these lines. Beginning with how authority is established.
Authority can be established in one of three ways. Direct command or precept - a direct statement of something that can or cannot be done. Example one, "repent and be baptized" - Ac 2:38. Example two, "love one another" - Jn 13:34. Example three, "abstain from sexual immorality" - 1 Th 4:3. Approved example - an illustration that shows a practice was done with the approval of the Lord's apostles. As an apostle, Paul taught by both precept and example. He encouraged others to imitate him, and sent Timothy to remind people of "his ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church" - 1 Co 4:16-17. The God of peace will be with those who do the sort of things both heard (precept) and seen (example) in an apostle like Paul - Ph 4:9. So when we have an example that meets with apostolic approval, we know there is authority for the practice. Such as, having a plurality of elders in one church - Ac 14:23; 20:28; Ph 1:1. Or, meeting on the first day of the week for the purpose of breaking bread (such as, the Lord's supper, 1 Co 10:16-17) - Ac 20:7. Necessary implication, or "forced conclusion" - something neither expressly stated nor specifically exemplified, yet it is necessarily implied by the clear import and meaning of the language used so that one can only draw a particular conclusion. Jesus appealed to necessary implication when He reasoned that there must be a resurrection of the dead based upon the implication of God's statement to Moses - Mt 22:29-33. Peter and the brethren in Judea understood the necessary implication of the Gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit, that it meant Gentiles were permitted to be baptized and enjoy the repentance that leads to life - Ac 10:44-48; 11:15-18. Therefore, if the evidence of the Scriptures warrant it, we may draw certain conclusions because of the necessary implication, for example, the issue of baptizing infants. The prerequisites for baptism include faith and repentance - Mk 16:16; Ac 2:38; 8:37. Infants are incapable of faith and repentance. Therefore the necessary implication (or forced conclusion) is that baptism is not required of infants. Another example is the matter of using unleavened bread in partaking the Lord's Supper. There is nothing expressly stated nor specifically exemplified in reference to using unleavened bread as we observe the Lord's Supper. But when Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper at the Last Passover, we know that He was using unleavened bread - Lk 22:7-19. Therefore the necessary implication is that we should use unleavened bread as we keep His command to observe the Lord's Supper.
There is both "general" and "specific" authority. Using a "direct command" as an example, sometimes it is "general" in its authority. That is, "not limited in scope, area, or application" (American Heritage Dictionary) For example, the command to "go" in Mt 28:19 is generic enough to authorize all methods of transportation. Sometimes a "direct command" is "specific" in its authority. That is, "explicitly set forth; definite" (American Heritage Dictionary). The example would be, when God commanded Noah to build the ark with "gopher" wood (Gen 6:14), the specific nature of the command ruled out using any other kind of wood. A "specific" command may itself have a degree of "general" authority. As an example, the command to "sing" specifically authorizes acapella music. It is not generic enough to authorize instrumental music which is totally different class (or kind) of music, but it is generic enough to authorize different aids or "expedients" (see below), such as song books, to carry out the command to sing.
"Expedients" may be used to carry out authorized practices, such as singing. "Expedient" means "appropriate to a purpose" (American Heritage Dictionary). Thus an "expedient" is an aid that is suitable for carrying out that which is authorized. Sample "expedients" based upon what is authorized in the Scriptures:
Assembling is authorized, so the meeting house is an expedient to carry out the command to assemble.
Teaching is authorized, so arrangement in classes is an expedient to carry out the command to instruct.
Giving is authorized, so collection baskets are an expedient for gathering the contribution.
Baptism is authorized, so the baptistery is an expedient to provide a place for immersion.
Singing is authorized, so hymn books are expedient to helping us sing.
These principles on how to establish authority from the Scriptures may seem prosaic, but they can be very useful in applying the "apostles' doctrine" (i.e., the Word of God) to our lives. When properly understood and applied correctly, they can be useful "tools" to maintain the unity and peace of a local congregation.
Another question that often arises when the subject of authority in religion is being discussed: "Are there limitations placed upon how far we may go?" I.e., must we have authority for all that we do in religious matters? We will look into the answers to this question in our continuation of this lesson in Part Two.
God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year
Join my Bible Study Group at internet-bible-studies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday, October 30, 2006
Sunday, October 22, 2006
What Many Accept As Authority In Religion - Part Two
Following Jesus Without Denominationalism
What Many Accept As Authority In Religion - Part Two
We left off our lesson by looking at just one objective standard used for authority in religion. We will look at some more of these objectives as we continue this study.
Another objective standard used for authority comes from parents. Some think "If it was good enough for Mom and Dad, it is good enough for me.". Yet as much as we may love and respect our parents, Christ must come first - Mt 10:37 "If you love your father or mother or even your sons and daughters more than me, you are not fit to be my disciples." If every generation had simply followed their parents, then we who are Gentiles would likely still be idol-worshippers and polytheistic!
Yet another objective standard people follow is preachers. It is common for people to place their trust in their "preacher," "priest," or "pastor". They reason in their hearts that surely these "men of God" could not be wrong or lead them astray. Yet Paul warned of how we can easily be misled - 2 Co 11:13-15 "Anyway, they are no more than false apostles and dishonest workers. They only pretend to be apostles of Christ. And it is no wonder. Even Satan tries to make himself look like an angel of light. So why does it seem strange for Satan's servants to pretend to do what is right? Someday they will get exactly what they deserve." And Jesus warned about the "blind leading the blind" - Mt 15:12-14 "Then his disciples came over to him and asked, "Do you know that you insulted the Pharisees by what you said?" Jesus answered, "Every plant that my Father in heaven did not plant will be pulled up by the roots. Stay away from those Pharisees! They are like blind people leading other blind people, and all of them will fall into a ditch."’ Our attitude needs to be like that of the Bereans, who carefully examined Paul's teachings in light of the Scriptures - Ac 17:11 "The people in Berea were much nicer than those in Thessalonica, and they gladly accepted the message. Day after day they studied the Scriptures to see if these things were true." Yet many accept blindly what they are taught.
The final objective standard people follow are creeds and traditions. This is where the denominations really get most of their authority. Indeed, adherence to the creeds of men is what produces denominations. Accept the Bible only, and you become a Christian only. Accept the Bible along with some Creed, and you become something else! Accept the Bible and the Book of Mormon, and you become a Mormon. Accept the Bible and papal authority, and you become a Roman Catholic. Accept the Bible and the Lutheran Catechism, and you become a Lutheran. Creeds are really not even necessary. If they say more than what the Bible says, they say too much. If they say less than what the Bible says, they say too little. If they say exactly what the Bible says, then why not let the Bible be our creed book? The fact is, creeds are filled with the traditions and commands of men, many of which conflict with and displace the commands of God! - Mk 7:6-9 "Jesus replied: You are nothing but show-offs! The prophet Isaiah was right when he wrote that God had said, "All of you praise me with your words, but you never really think about me. It is useless for you to worship me, when you teach rules made up by humans." You disobey God's commands in order to obey what humans have taught. You are good at rejecting God's commands so that you can follow your own teachings!"
Creeds of men, preachers, parents, majority rule, even the Old Testament itself, are some of the objective standards that people turn to rather than the authority of the Lord's apostles. But there are also "Subjective" standards of authority people look to or follow. One of those is "Let your conscience be your guide" is the motto of many. But our conscience cannot always be reliable. Paul had served God with a good conscience throughout his life - Ac 23:1 "Paul looked straight at the council members and said, "My friends, to this day I have served God with a clear conscience!". Even at a time when he was persecuting Christians! - Ac 26:9-11 "I once thought that I should do everything I could to oppose Jesus from Nazareth. I did this first in Jerusalem, and with the authority of the chief priests I put many of God's people in jail. I even voted for them to be killed. I often had them punished in our meeting places, and I tried to make them give up their faith. In fact, I was so angry with them, that I went looking for them in foreign cities." Our conscience is like a clock, which works properly only if set properly. Once our conscience has been "set" by "the apostles' doctrine", then it can be a good guide.
Another "Subjective" standard many feel is that through their own wisdom they can determine right and wrong. But God's thoughts and ways are not always our own - Isa 55:8-9 "The LORD says: "My thoughts and my ways are not like yours. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, my thoughts and my ways are higher than yours." In fact, God has chosen to save man in a manner specifically designed to confound those who depend solely upon human wisdom - 1 Co 1:18-29 "The message about the cross doesn't make any sense to lost people. But for those of us who are being saved, it is God's power at work. As God says in the Scriptures, "I will destroy the wisdom of all who claim to be wise. I will confuse those who think they know so much." What happened to those wise people? What happened to those experts in the Scriptures? What happened to the ones who think they have all the answers? Didn't God show that the wisdom of this world is foolish? God was wise and decided not to let the people of this world use their wisdom to learn about him. Instead, God chose to save only those who believe the foolish message we preach. Jews ask for miracles, and Greeks want something that sounds wise. But we preach that Christ was nailed to a cross. Most Jews have problems with this, and most Gentiles think it is foolish. Our message is God's power and wisdom for the Jews and the Greeks that he has chosen. Even when God is foolish, he is wiser than everyone else, and even when God is weak, he is stronger than everyone else. My dear friends, remember what you were when God chose you. The people of this world didn't think that many of you were wise. Only a few of you were in places of power, and not many of you came from important families. But God chose the foolish things of this world to put the wise to shame. He chose the weak things of this world to put the powerful to shame. What the world thinks is worthless, useless, and nothing at all is what God has used to destroy what the world considers important. God did all this to keep anyone from bragging to him." For us to know God's will, it was necessary for Him to reveal it to us - 1 Co 2:9-12 "But it is just as the Scriptures say, "What God has planned for people who love him is more than eyes have seen or ears have heard. It has never even entered our minds!" God's Spirit has shown you everything. His Spirit finds out everything, even what is deep in the mind of God. You are the only one who knows what is in your own mind, and God's Spirit is the only one who knows what is in God's mind. But God has given us his Spirit. That's why we don't think the same way that the people of this world think. That's also why we can recognize the blessings that God has given us." This He has done through His Spirit-inspired apostles. Who in turn shared it with us through their writings - Ep 3:1-5 "Christ Jesus made me his prisoner, so that I could help you Gentiles. You have surely heard about God's kindness in choosing me to help you. In fact, this letter tells you a little about how God has shown me his mysterious ways. As you read the letter, you will also find out how well I really do understand the mystery about Christ. No one knew about this mystery until God's Spirit told it to his holy apostles and prophets."
Feelings are often the "standard of authority" for many people who go by whatever "feels right". They place stock in a religion "better felt than told". Yet the Bible declares the danger of trusting in "feelings". "There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." - Pr 14:12. "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool..." - Pr 28:26. "O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps." - Jer 10:23
Because the way we should live is "not in man" we need an "objective standard" for our authority in religion. We can't depend upon "subjective standards" like conscience, human wisdom, or feelings. But which "objective standard"? Not creeds of men, preachers, parents, majority rule, or even the Old Testament. Only "the apostles' doctrine", i.e., the New Testament is the objective standard we should follow. For the apostles were personally selected to be Christ's ambassadors. For the apostles were inspired by the Holy Spirit, to be guided into all the truth and they were inspired to write all that Christ would have us to know and do. When we are content to abide in "the apostles' doctrine", then we can be assured that we are "Following Jesus Without Denominationalism"! Are you following Jesus by "continuing steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine"? Or do you follow some other standard of authority in religion?
God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year
Join my Bible Study Group at internet-bible-studies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/internet-bible-studies/join
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What Many Accept As Authority In Religion - Part Two
We left off our lesson by looking at just one objective standard used for authority in religion. We will look at some more of these objectives as we continue this study.
Another objective standard used for authority comes from parents. Some think "If it was good enough for Mom and Dad, it is good enough for me.". Yet as much as we may love and respect our parents, Christ must come first - Mt 10:37 "If you love your father or mother or even your sons and daughters more than me, you are not fit to be my disciples." If every generation had simply followed their parents, then we who are Gentiles would likely still be idol-worshippers and polytheistic!
Yet another objective standard people follow is preachers. It is common for people to place their trust in their "preacher," "priest," or "pastor". They reason in their hearts that surely these "men of God" could not be wrong or lead them astray. Yet Paul warned of how we can easily be misled - 2 Co 11:13-15 "Anyway, they are no more than false apostles and dishonest workers. They only pretend to be apostles of Christ. And it is no wonder. Even Satan tries to make himself look like an angel of light. So why does it seem strange for Satan's servants to pretend to do what is right? Someday they will get exactly what they deserve." And Jesus warned about the "blind leading the blind" - Mt 15:12-14 "Then his disciples came over to him and asked, "Do you know that you insulted the Pharisees by what you said?" Jesus answered, "Every plant that my Father in heaven did not plant will be pulled up by the roots. Stay away from those Pharisees! They are like blind people leading other blind people, and all of them will fall into a ditch."’ Our attitude needs to be like that of the Bereans, who carefully examined Paul's teachings in light of the Scriptures - Ac 17:11 "The people in Berea were much nicer than those in Thessalonica, and they gladly accepted the message. Day after day they studied the Scriptures to see if these things were true." Yet many accept blindly what they are taught.
The final objective standard people follow are creeds and traditions. This is where the denominations really get most of their authority. Indeed, adherence to the creeds of men is what produces denominations. Accept the Bible only, and you become a Christian only. Accept the Bible along with some Creed, and you become something else! Accept the Bible and the Book of Mormon, and you become a Mormon. Accept the Bible and papal authority, and you become a Roman Catholic. Accept the Bible and the Lutheran Catechism, and you become a Lutheran. Creeds are really not even necessary. If they say more than what the Bible says, they say too much. If they say less than what the Bible says, they say too little. If they say exactly what the Bible says, then why not let the Bible be our creed book? The fact is, creeds are filled with the traditions and commands of men, many of which conflict with and displace the commands of God! - Mk 7:6-9 "Jesus replied: You are nothing but show-offs! The prophet Isaiah was right when he wrote that God had said, "All of you praise me with your words, but you never really think about me. It is useless for you to worship me, when you teach rules made up by humans." You disobey God's commands in order to obey what humans have taught. You are good at rejecting God's commands so that you can follow your own teachings!"
Creeds of men, preachers, parents, majority rule, even the Old Testament itself, are some of the objective standards that people turn to rather than the authority of the Lord's apostles. But there are also "Subjective" standards of authority people look to or follow. One of those is "Let your conscience be your guide" is the motto of many. But our conscience cannot always be reliable. Paul had served God with a good conscience throughout his life - Ac 23:1 "Paul looked straight at the council members and said, "My friends, to this day I have served God with a clear conscience!". Even at a time when he was persecuting Christians! - Ac 26:9-11 "I once thought that I should do everything I could to oppose Jesus from Nazareth. I did this first in Jerusalem, and with the authority of the chief priests I put many of God's people in jail. I even voted for them to be killed. I often had them punished in our meeting places, and I tried to make them give up their faith. In fact, I was so angry with them, that I went looking for them in foreign cities." Our conscience is like a clock, which works properly only if set properly. Once our conscience has been "set" by "the apostles' doctrine", then it can be a good guide.
Another "Subjective" standard many feel is that through their own wisdom they can determine right and wrong. But God's thoughts and ways are not always our own - Isa 55:8-9 "The LORD says: "My thoughts and my ways are not like yours. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, my thoughts and my ways are higher than yours." In fact, God has chosen to save man in a manner specifically designed to confound those who depend solely upon human wisdom - 1 Co 1:18-29 "The message about the cross doesn't make any sense to lost people. But for those of us who are being saved, it is God's power at work. As God says in the Scriptures, "I will destroy the wisdom of all who claim to be wise. I will confuse those who think they know so much." What happened to those wise people? What happened to those experts in the Scriptures? What happened to the ones who think they have all the answers? Didn't God show that the wisdom of this world is foolish? God was wise and decided not to let the people of this world use their wisdom to learn about him. Instead, God chose to save only those who believe the foolish message we preach. Jews ask for miracles, and Greeks want something that sounds wise. But we preach that Christ was nailed to a cross. Most Jews have problems with this, and most Gentiles think it is foolish. Our message is God's power and wisdom for the Jews and the Greeks that he has chosen. Even when God is foolish, he is wiser than everyone else, and even when God is weak, he is stronger than everyone else. My dear friends, remember what you were when God chose you. The people of this world didn't think that many of you were wise. Only a few of you were in places of power, and not many of you came from important families. But God chose the foolish things of this world to put the wise to shame. He chose the weak things of this world to put the powerful to shame. What the world thinks is worthless, useless, and nothing at all is what God has used to destroy what the world considers important. God did all this to keep anyone from bragging to him." For us to know God's will, it was necessary for Him to reveal it to us - 1 Co 2:9-12 "But it is just as the Scriptures say, "What God has planned for people who love him is more than eyes have seen or ears have heard. It has never even entered our minds!" God's Spirit has shown you everything. His Spirit finds out everything, even what is deep in the mind of God. You are the only one who knows what is in your own mind, and God's Spirit is the only one who knows what is in God's mind. But God has given us his Spirit. That's why we don't think the same way that the people of this world think. That's also why we can recognize the blessings that God has given us." This He has done through His Spirit-inspired apostles. Who in turn shared it with us through their writings - Ep 3:1-5 "Christ Jesus made me his prisoner, so that I could help you Gentiles. You have surely heard about God's kindness in choosing me to help you. In fact, this letter tells you a little about how God has shown me his mysterious ways. As you read the letter, you will also find out how well I really do understand the mystery about Christ. No one knew about this mystery until God's Spirit told it to his holy apostles and prophets."
Feelings are often the "standard of authority" for many people who go by whatever "feels right". They place stock in a religion "better felt than told". Yet the Bible declares the danger of trusting in "feelings". "There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." - Pr 14:12. "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool..." - Pr 28:26. "O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps." - Jer 10:23
Because the way we should live is "not in man" we need an "objective standard" for our authority in religion. We can't depend upon "subjective standards" like conscience, human wisdom, or feelings. But which "objective standard"? Not creeds of men, preachers, parents, majority rule, or even the Old Testament. Only "the apostles' doctrine", i.e., the New Testament is the objective standard we should follow. For the apostles were personally selected to be Christ's ambassadors. For the apostles were inspired by the Holy Spirit, to be guided into all the truth and they were inspired to write all that Christ would have us to know and do. When we are content to abide in "the apostles' doctrine", then we can be assured that we are "Following Jesus Without Denominationalism"! Are you following Jesus by "continuing steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine"? Or do you follow some other standard of authority in religion?
God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year
Join my Bible Study Group at internet-bible-studies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/internet-bible-studies/join
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday, October 15, 2006
What Many Accept As Authority In Religion - Part One
Following Jesus Without Denominationalism
What Many Accept As Authority In Religion - Part One
In our previous study, I endeavored to show that it is through the writing of the apostles, "the apostles' doctrine", that the Lord speaks to and directs His Church. That the New Testament is how Christ speaks to us today and leads us to life everlasting. That it is "the apostles' doctrine" which ought to be our standard of authority in matters of religion in which we must "continue steadfastly"! - Ac 2:42
Many people say that they accept "the apostles' doctrine" as their authority in religion. But when faced with an issue in which a cherished position or view is being challenged they often appeal to a source for their authority that is quite different. This is easy to do, and perhaps the best way to avoid this is to be aware of other sources of authority in religion. Some are objective standards of authority - sources outside of ourselves that we look to direct us. Others are subjective standards of authority - where we look within ourselves for the answers we want. In this study we shall briefly touch upon various standards that people commonly turn to when faced with questions about what they believe and why they practice the things they do in religion.
Let's start with the "Objective" standards of authority beginning with the Old Testament. It is common for people to resort to the O. T. to provide authority for some practice(s) when they can't find authority for it in the teachings of Christ and/or His apostles. For example, a clergy-laity system, burning of incense and use of instrumental music in worship, keeping the Sabbath, etc. But the O.T. was designed to be temporary, to fulfill a specific purpose and as a covenant has been replaced by the New Covenant (i.e., the New Testament). It was given because of transgressions, till Christ should come - Ga 3:19 "What is the use of the Law? It was given later to show that we sin. But it was only supposed to last until the coming of that descendant who was given the promise. In fact, angels gave the Law to Moses, and he gave it to the people." For those under the Law (Israel), it was a tutor. A tutor (teacher) designed to lead them to Christ - Ga 3:24 "In fact, the Law was our teacher. It was supposed to teach us until we had faith and were acceptable to God." A tutor that has been taken away - Ga 3:25 "But once a person has learned to have faith, there is no more need to have the Law as a teacher." When those who were under the Law came to Christ they became dead to the Law - Ro 7:4 "That is how it is with you, my friends. You are now part of the body of Christ and are dead to the power of the Law. You are free to belong to Christ, who was raised to life so that we could serve God." They were delivered from the Law - Ro 7:6 "But the Law no longer rules over us. We are like dead people, and it cannot have any power over us. Now we can serve God in a new way by obeying his Spirit, and not in the old way by obeying the written Law."
As prophesied by Jeremiah, God has made a "new covenant" to replace the "first covenant" which is now obsolete - He 8:7-13 "If the first agreement with God had been all right, there would not have been any need for another one. But the Lord found fault with it and said, "I tell you the time will come, when I will make a new agreement with the people of Israel and the people of Judah. It won't be like the agreement that I made with their ancestors, when I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. They broke their agreement with me, and I stopped caring about them! "But now I tell the people of Israel this is my new agreement: 'The time will come when I, the Lord, will write my laws on their minds and hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Not one of them will have to teach another to know me, their Lord.' "All of them will know me, no matter who they are. I will treat them with kindness, even though they are wicked. I will forget their sins." When the Lord talks about a new agreement, he means that the first one is out of date. And anything that is old and useless will soon disappear." In their handling of the issue of circumcision, the apostles demonstrated that one cannot use the O.T. to teach something which the apostles themselves did not command. Some sought to enforce circumcision and the Law upon Gentile believers - Ac 15:1 "Some people came from Judea and started teaching the Lord's followers that they could not be saved, unless they were circumcised as Moses had taught.", 6 "The apostles and church leaders met to discuss this problem about Gentiles." But the apostles, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, were able to defuse the problem by simply stating they themselves "gave no such commandment" - Ac 15:22-29 "The apostles, the leaders, and all the church members decided to send some men to Antioch along with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Silas and Judas Barsabbas, who were two leaders of the Lord's followers. They wrote a letter that said: We apostles and leaders send friendly greetings to all of you Gentiles who are followers of the Lord in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. We have heard that some people from here have terribly upset you by what they said. But we did not send them! So we met together and decided to choose some men and to send them to you along with our good friends Barnabas and Paul. These men have risked their lives for our Lord Jesus Christ. We are also sending Judas and Silas, who will tell you in person the same things that we are writing. The Holy Spirit has shown us that we should not place any extra burden on you. But you should not eat anything offered to idols. You should not eat any meat that still has the blood in it or any meat of any animal that has been strangled. You must also not commit any terrible sexual sins. If you follow these instructions, you will do well. We send our best wishes."
This is not to say the O.T. is not of value to Christians. It was written for our learning, to provide patience, comfort, and hope - Ro 15:4 "And the Scriptures were written to teach and encourage us by giving us hope." It was written for our admonition, that we not make similar mistakes - 1 Co 10:6 "What happened to them is a warning to keep us from wanting to do the same evil things.", 11 "These things happened to them as a warning to us. All this was written in the Scriptures to teach us who live in these last days." ...we just can't use it to enjoin religious practices upon others which the apostles' themselves did not teach!
Another objective standard is Majority Rule. Many people accept whatever the majority thinks about something. But consider the words of Jesus, in describing the end of the majority - Mt 7:13-14 "Go in through the narrow gate. The gate to destruction is wide, and the road that leads there is easy to follow. A lot of people go through that gate. But the gate to life is very narrow. The road that leads there is so hard to follow that only a few people find it." If you had followed the majority in Noah's day, you would have perished in the flood. In Joshua's day, you would have perished in the wilderness. Rather than simply following the majority, let our attitude be like that of Joshua: "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." - cf. Jos 24:14-15
This is just one of several objectives that we want to look at. We will continue to look at more when we continue this lesson in Part Two.
God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What Many Accept As Authority In Religion - Part One
In our previous study, I endeavored to show that it is through the writing of the apostles, "the apostles' doctrine", that the Lord speaks to and directs His Church. That the New Testament is how Christ speaks to us today and leads us to life everlasting. That it is "the apostles' doctrine" which ought to be our standard of authority in matters of religion in which we must "continue steadfastly"! - Ac 2:42
Many people say that they accept "the apostles' doctrine" as their authority in religion. But when faced with an issue in which a cherished position or view is being challenged they often appeal to a source for their authority that is quite different. This is easy to do, and perhaps the best way to avoid this is to be aware of other sources of authority in religion. Some are objective standards of authority - sources outside of ourselves that we look to direct us. Others are subjective standards of authority - where we look within ourselves for the answers we want. In this study we shall briefly touch upon various standards that people commonly turn to when faced with questions about what they believe and why they practice the things they do in religion.
Let's start with the "Objective" standards of authority beginning with the Old Testament. It is common for people to resort to the O. T. to provide authority for some practice(s) when they can't find authority for it in the teachings of Christ and/or His apostles. For example, a clergy-laity system, burning of incense and use of instrumental music in worship, keeping the Sabbath, etc. But the O.T. was designed to be temporary, to fulfill a specific purpose and as a covenant has been replaced by the New Covenant (i.e., the New Testament). It was given because of transgressions, till Christ should come - Ga 3:19 "What is the use of the Law? It was given later to show that we sin. But it was only supposed to last until the coming of that descendant who was given the promise. In fact, angels gave the Law to Moses, and he gave it to the people." For those under the Law (Israel), it was a tutor. A tutor (teacher) designed to lead them to Christ - Ga 3:24 "In fact, the Law was our teacher. It was supposed to teach us until we had faith and were acceptable to God." A tutor that has been taken away - Ga 3:25 "But once a person has learned to have faith, there is no more need to have the Law as a teacher." When those who were under the Law came to Christ they became dead to the Law - Ro 7:4 "That is how it is with you, my friends. You are now part of the body of Christ and are dead to the power of the Law. You are free to belong to Christ, who was raised to life so that we could serve God." They were delivered from the Law - Ro 7:6 "But the Law no longer rules over us. We are like dead people, and it cannot have any power over us. Now we can serve God in a new way by obeying his Spirit, and not in the old way by obeying the written Law."
As prophesied by Jeremiah, God has made a "new covenant" to replace the "first covenant" which is now obsolete - He 8:7-13 "If the first agreement with God had been all right, there would not have been any need for another one. But the Lord found fault with it and said, "I tell you the time will come, when I will make a new agreement with the people of Israel and the people of Judah. It won't be like the agreement that I made with their ancestors, when I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. They broke their agreement with me, and I stopped caring about them! "But now I tell the people of Israel this is my new agreement: 'The time will come when I, the Lord, will write my laws on their minds and hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Not one of them will have to teach another to know me, their Lord.' "All of them will know me, no matter who they are. I will treat them with kindness, even though they are wicked. I will forget their sins." When the Lord talks about a new agreement, he means that the first one is out of date. And anything that is old and useless will soon disappear." In their handling of the issue of circumcision, the apostles demonstrated that one cannot use the O.T. to teach something which the apostles themselves did not command. Some sought to enforce circumcision and the Law upon Gentile believers - Ac 15:1 "Some people came from Judea and started teaching the Lord's followers that they could not be saved, unless they were circumcised as Moses had taught.", 6 "The apostles and church leaders met to discuss this problem about Gentiles." But the apostles, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, were able to defuse the problem by simply stating they themselves "gave no such commandment" - Ac 15:22-29 "The apostles, the leaders, and all the church members decided to send some men to Antioch along with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Silas and Judas Barsabbas, who were two leaders of the Lord's followers. They wrote a letter that said: We apostles and leaders send friendly greetings to all of you Gentiles who are followers of the Lord in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. We have heard that some people from here have terribly upset you by what they said. But we did not send them! So we met together and decided to choose some men and to send them to you along with our good friends Barnabas and Paul. These men have risked their lives for our Lord Jesus Christ. We are also sending Judas and Silas, who will tell you in person the same things that we are writing. The Holy Spirit has shown us that we should not place any extra burden on you. But you should not eat anything offered to idols. You should not eat any meat that still has the blood in it or any meat of any animal that has been strangled. You must also not commit any terrible sexual sins. If you follow these instructions, you will do well. We send our best wishes."
This is not to say the O.T. is not of value to Christians. It was written for our learning, to provide patience, comfort, and hope - Ro 15:4 "And the Scriptures were written to teach and encourage us by giving us hope." It was written for our admonition, that we not make similar mistakes - 1 Co 10:6 "What happened to them is a warning to keep us from wanting to do the same evil things.", 11 "These things happened to them as a warning to us. All this was written in the Scriptures to teach us who live in these last days." ...we just can't use it to enjoin religious practices upon others which the apostles' themselves did not teach!
Another objective standard is Majority Rule. Many people accept whatever the majority thinks about something. But consider the words of Jesus, in describing the end of the majority - Mt 7:13-14 "Go in through the narrow gate. The gate to destruction is wide, and the road that leads there is easy to follow. A lot of people go through that gate. But the gate to life is very narrow. The road that leads there is so hard to follow that only a few people find it." If you had followed the majority in Noah's day, you would have perished in the flood. In Joshua's day, you would have perished in the wilderness. Rather than simply following the majority, let our attitude be like that of Joshua: "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." - cf. Jos 24:14-15
This is just one of several objectives that we want to look at. We will continue to look at more when we continue this lesson in Part Two.
God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Determining Our Standard Of Authority
Following Jesus Without Denominationalism
Determining Our Standard Of Authority
As dealt with in previous lessons, following Jesus without denominationalism begins by heeding the call of the gospel. For the Lord "calls" us through His gospel - 2 Th 2:14. As we respond to the call, the Lord Himself adds us to His church (His "called-out" group of people), not a man-made denomination - Ac 2:41,47. But I also suggested that if we are to be simply Christians, members of the Lord's church as we read about in the New Testament, then we must follow the example of the early church who "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine..." - Ac 2:42.
The importance of this relates very closely to the subject of authority in religion. It is impossible to maintain unity unless we can agree upon a "standard" of authority. This is true in all areas of life. Imagine the confusion if we did not have a standard of authority relating to weights and measures. We could not even agree on the length of a line, the volume of a tank of gasoline, etc. Confusion would reign supreme in the market place if we did not all agree on one standard of authority in regards to weights and measures. An essential key to having unity on any subject is this: We must accept and submit to the same standard of authority! This is especially true in matters of religion. If people can agree on the standard of authority in religious matters, unity is possible when we submit to that same standard. There are other elements necessary to have unity (which I will discuss in a later lesson), but without a standard of authority upon which we all agree, unity is impossible!
What should be the standard of authority for Christ's church? Let's begin with a point with which I am sure all those professing to be Christians can all be in agreement with. Jesus Christ has been given all authority. He claimed all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him - Mt 28:18 "Jesus came to them and said: I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth!" He therefore expects us to observe all things He has commanded - Mt 28:19-20 "Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world." His Apostles taught that He is HEAD of the BODY (the church) - Ep 1:22-23 "God has put all things under the power of Christ, and for the good of the church he has made him the head of everything. The church is Christ's body and is filled with Christ who completely fills everything." As such, we are to submit to Him in everything - Ep 5:23-24 "A husband is the head of his wife, as Christ is the head and the Savior of the church, which is his own body. Wives should always put their husbands first, as the church puts Christ first." If Jesus were on earth today, we could solve all religious questions by simply asking Him. But since He is not on earth, what then? This leads to our next point that Jesus has delegated some of His authority to His Apostles.
To receive Christ, we must receive His Apostles as Jesus taught in Jn 13:20 "I tell you for certain that anyone who welcomes my messengers also welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me." Please note that the word "apostle" means "one sent". So as Jesus speaks of "whomever I send", He has particular reference to His apostles. The apostles were sent as "ambassadors" for Christ - 2 Co 5:20 "We were sent to speak for Christ, and God is begging you to listen to our message. We speak for Christ and sincerely ask you to make peace with God." Therefore the early church "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine" - Ac 2:42
To ensure reliability, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit. The Spirit would teach the apostles all things, reminding them of what Jesus spoke to them - Jn 14:26 "But the Holy Spirit will come and help you, because the Father will send the Spirit to take my place. The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you." The Spirit would guide the apostles into ALL truth - Jn 16:12-13 "I have much more to say to you, but right now it would be more than you could understand. The Spirit shows what is true and will come and guide you into the full truth. The Spirit doesn't speak on his own. He will tell you only what he has heard from me, and he will let you know what is going to happen." The Holy Spirit guided them into "all" the truth. Paul said he taught "the WHOLE counsel of God" - Ac 20:27. Peter wrote God "has given to us ALL THINGS that pertain to life and godliness" - 2 Pe 1:3. So the apostles were given ALL the truth God (and Christ) wanted us to know. If the apostles were on earth today, we could simply ask them to settle religious differences. But again, they are not on earth. What then?
In the New Testament (NT), the Apostles have written what Christ wants us to know! In the NT, we have what the Apostles were given by the Holy Spirit. As Paul explained in Ep 3:1-5 "Christ Jesus made me his prisoner, so that I could help you Gentiles. You have surely heard about God's kindness in choosing me to help you. In fact, this letter tells you a little about how God has shown me his mysterious ways. As you read the letter, you will also find out how well I really do understand the mystery about Christ. No one knew about this mystery until God's Spirit told it to his holy apostles and prophets." He wrote, so that when we read his writings we can have his same understanding. Peter wrote his epistles that we might always be reminded - 2 Pe 1:12-15 "You are holding firmly to the truth that you were given. But I am still going to remind you of these things. In fact, I think I should keep on reminding you until I leave this body. And our Lord Jesus Christ has already told me that I will soon leave it behind. That is why I am doing my best to make sure that each of you remembers all of this after I am gone."; 3:1-2 "My dear friends, this is the second letter I have written to encourage you to do some honest thinking. I don't want you to forget what God's prophets said would happen. You must never forget what the holy prophets taught in the past. And you must remember what the apostles told you our Lord and Savior has commanded us to do."
In the NT we have the commandments of the Lord himself. As Paul made clear in 1 Co 14:37 "If you think of yourself as a prophet or a spiritual person, you will know that I am writing only what the Lord has commanded." As Peter confirmed, such writings as Paul's were considered Scripture - 2 Pe 3:15-16 "Don't forget that the Lord is patient because he wants people to be saved. This is also what our dear friend Paul said when he wrote you with the wisdom that God had given him. Paul talks about these same things in all his letters, but part of what he says is hard to understand. Some ignorant and unsteady people even destroy themselves by twisting what he said. They do the same thing with other Scriptures too." Therefore, when we have questions about what the Lord would have us to do we don't have to ascend to heaven for an answer. We don't have to ask Jesus personally, nor His apostles. We simply need to turn to the apostles' writings (i.e., the New Testament)! In the New Testament, the repository of the "apostles' doctrine", is where we can turn to learn the will of Jesus, given through His selected and inspired ambassadors, the apostles. But this raises another question: Is the New Testament a complete guide for us today? Is it sufficient?
Let’s turn our attention to answering this question. It must be complete, for "the faith" has been revealed "once for all" - Ju 3 "My dear friends, I really wanted to write you about God's saving power at work in our lives. But instead, I must write and ask you to defend the faith that God has once for all given to his people." "Once for all" literally means "one time for all time". We cannot expect further revelation in the future. The writings of the apostles as collected in the New Testament are all we have. Our task, is not to look for further revelation, but to "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints"!
According to the Apostles themselves, these writings (scriptures) are indeed sufficient! Sufficient to make one complete, furnished unto every good work - 2 Ti 3:16-17 "Everything in the Scriptures is God's Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. The Scriptures train God's servants to do all kinds of good deeds." They provide all we need to enjoy life and godliness - 2 Pe 1:3 "We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God's own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness." By heeding the writings of the apostles we will have the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ - 2 Pe 1:8-9 "If you keep growing in this way, it will show that what you know about our Lord Jesus Christ has made your lives useful and meaningful. But if you don't grow, you are like someone who is nearsighted or blind, and you have forgotten that your past sins are forgiven." An abundant entrance will be supplied into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ - 2 Pe 1:10-11 "My friends, you must do all you can to show that God has really chosen and selected you. If you keep on doing this, you won't stumble and fall. Then our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will give you a glorious welcome into his kingdom that will last forever."
We are left with God’s providence and His Word. As Paul prepared the elders of the church at Ephesus for his departure, he commended them to God and the word of His grace - Ac 20:32 "I now place you in God's care. Remember the message about his great kindness! This message can help you and give you what belongs to you as God's people." He did not instruct them to appoint apostles to take his place. He did not instruct them to seek further revelation (for Paul had already proclaimed "the whole counsel of God" to them - Ac 20:27 "I have told you everything God wants you to know.") He simply directed them to two things: To God Himself (i.e., His Divine Providence). The word of His grace (that word which had been revealed by Paul himself). These two blessings, Paul was confident, were able to do two things. Build them up and give them an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
"The New Testament", then, is how Christ speaks to us today. He leads us to life everlasting! It is through the writing of the apostles, "the apostles' doctrine", that the Lord speaks and directs His Church! It is "the apostles' doctrine" that is the standard of authority in matters of religion. It is "the apostles' doctrine" in which we must "continue steadfastly"! - Ac 2:42
There is more to be said about authority in religion, which we will cover in the next lesson. But I hope that our attitude is such that what was said about the Thessalonians can also be said of us:
"For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe." - 1 Th 2:13
Is that your attitude toward "the apostles' doctrine"?
God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year
Join my Bible Study Group at internet-bible-studies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/internet-bible-studies/join
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Determining Our Standard Of Authority
As dealt with in previous lessons, following Jesus without denominationalism begins by heeding the call of the gospel. For the Lord "calls" us through His gospel - 2 Th 2:14. As we respond to the call, the Lord Himself adds us to His church (His "called-out" group of people), not a man-made denomination - Ac 2:41,47. But I also suggested that if we are to be simply Christians, members of the Lord's church as we read about in the New Testament, then we must follow the example of the early church who "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine..." - Ac 2:42.
The importance of this relates very closely to the subject of authority in religion. It is impossible to maintain unity unless we can agree upon a "standard" of authority. This is true in all areas of life. Imagine the confusion if we did not have a standard of authority relating to weights and measures. We could not even agree on the length of a line, the volume of a tank of gasoline, etc. Confusion would reign supreme in the market place if we did not all agree on one standard of authority in regards to weights and measures. An essential key to having unity on any subject is this: We must accept and submit to the same standard of authority! This is especially true in matters of religion. If people can agree on the standard of authority in religious matters, unity is possible when we submit to that same standard. There are other elements necessary to have unity (which I will discuss in a later lesson), but without a standard of authority upon which we all agree, unity is impossible!
What should be the standard of authority for Christ's church? Let's begin with a point with which I am sure all those professing to be Christians can all be in agreement with. Jesus Christ has been given all authority. He claimed all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him - Mt 28:18 "Jesus came to them and said: I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth!" He therefore expects us to observe all things He has commanded - Mt 28:19-20 "Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world." His Apostles taught that He is HEAD of the BODY (the church) - Ep 1:22-23 "God has put all things under the power of Christ, and for the good of the church he has made him the head of everything. The church is Christ's body and is filled with Christ who completely fills everything." As such, we are to submit to Him in everything - Ep 5:23-24 "A husband is the head of his wife, as Christ is the head and the Savior of the church, which is his own body. Wives should always put their husbands first, as the church puts Christ first." If Jesus were on earth today, we could solve all religious questions by simply asking Him. But since He is not on earth, what then? This leads to our next point that Jesus has delegated some of His authority to His Apostles.
To receive Christ, we must receive His Apostles as Jesus taught in Jn 13:20 "I tell you for certain that anyone who welcomes my messengers also welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me." Please note that the word "apostle" means "one sent". So as Jesus speaks of "whomever I send", He has particular reference to His apostles. The apostles were sent as "ambassadors" for Christ - 2 Co 5:20 "We were sent to speak for Christ, and God is begging you to listen to our message. We speak for Christ and sincerely ask you to make peace with God." Therefore the early church "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine" - Ac 2:42
To ensure reliability, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit. The Spirit would teach the apostles all things, reminding them of what Jesus spoke to them - Jn 14:26 "But the Holy Spirit will come and help you, because the Father will send the Spirit to take my place. The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you." The Spirit would guide the apostles into ALL truth - Jn 16:12-13 "I have much more to say to you, but right now it would be more than you could understand. The Spirit shows what is true and will come and guide you into the full truth. The Spirit doesn't speak on his own. He will tell you only what he has heard from me, and he will let you know what is going to happen." The Holy Spirit guided them into "all" the truth. Paul said he taught "the WHOLE counsel of God" - Ac 20:27. Peter wrote God "has given to us ALL THINGS that pertain to life and godliness" - 2 Pe 1:3. So the apostles were given ALL the truth God (and Christ) wanted us to know. If the apostles were on earth today, we could simply ask them to settle religious differences. But again, they are not on earth. What then?
In the New Testament (NT), the Apostles have written what Christ wants us to know! In the NT, we have what the Apostles were given by the Holy Spirit. As Paul explained in Ep 3:1-5 "Christ Jesus made me his prisoner, so that I could help you Gentiles. You have surely heard about God's kindness in choosing me to help you. In fact, this letter tells you a little about how God has shown me his mysterious ways. As you read the letter, you will also find out how well I really do understand the mystery about Christ. No one knew about this mystery until God's Spirit told it to his holy apostles and prophets." He wrote, so that when we read his writings we can have his same understanding. Peter wrote his epistles that we might always be reminded - 2 Pe 1:12-15 "You are holding firmly to the truth that you were given. But I am still going to remind you of these things. In fact, I think I should keep on reminding you until I leave this body. And our Lord Jesus Christ has already told me that I will soon leave it behind. That is why I am doing my best to make sure that each of you remembers all of this after I am gone."; 3:1-2 "My dear friends, this is the second letter I have written to encourage you to do some honest thinking. I don't want you to forget what God's prophets said would happen. You must never forget what the holy prophets taught in the past. And you must remember what the apostles told you our Lord and Savior has commanded us to do."
In the NT we have the commandments of the Lord himself. As Paul made clear in 1 Co 14:37 "If you think of yourself as a prophet or a spiritual person, you will know that I am writing only what the Lord has commanded." As Peter confirmed, such writings as Paul's were considered Scripture - 2 Pe 3:15-16 "Don't forget that the Lord is patient because he wants people to be saved. This is also what our dear friend Paul said when he wrote you with the wisdom that God had given him. Paul talks about these same things in all his letters, but part of what he says is hard to understand. Some ignorant and unsteady people even destroy themselves by twisting what he said. They do the same thing with other Scriptures too." Therefore, when we have questions about what the Lord would have us to do we don't have to ascend to heaven for an answer. We don't have to ask Jesus personally, nor His apostles. We simply need to turn to the apostles' writings (i.e., the New Testament)! In the New Testament, the repository of the "apostles' doctrine", is where we can turn to learn the will of Jesus, given through His selected and inspired ambassadors, the apostles. But this raises another question: Is the New Testament a complete guide for us today? Is it sufficient?
Let’s turn our attention to answering this question. It must be complete, for "the faith" has been revealed "once for all" - Ju 3 "My dear friends, I really wanted to write you about God's saving power at work in our lives. But instead, I must write and ask you to defend the faith that God has once for all given to his people." "Once for all" literally means "one time for all time". We cannot expect further revelation in the future. The writings of the apostles as collected in the New Testament are all we have. Our task, is not to look for further revelation, but to "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints"!
According to the Apostles themselves, these writings (scriptures) are indeed sufficient! Sufficient to make one complete, furnished unto every good work - 2 Ti 3:16-17 "Everything in the Scriptures is God's Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. The Scriptures train God's servants to do all kinds of good deeds." They provide all we need to enjoy life and godliness - 2 Pe 1:3 "We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God's own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness." By heeding the writings of the apostles we will have the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ - 2 Pe 1:8-9 "If you keep growing in this way, it will show that what you know about our Lord Jesus Christ has made your lives useful and meaningful. But if you don't grow, you are like someone who is nearsighted or blind, and you have forgotten that your past sins are forgiven." An abundant entrance will be supplied into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ - 2 Pe 1:10-11 "My friends, you must do all you can to show that God has really chosen and selected you. If you keep on doing this, you won't stumble and fall. Then our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will give you a glorious welcome into his kingdom that will last forever."
We are left with God’s providence and His Word. As Paul prepared the elders of the church at Ephesus for his departure, he commended them to God and the word of His grace - Ac 20:32 "I now place you in God's care. Remember the message about his great kindness! This message can help you and give you what belongs to you as God's people." He did not instruct them to appoint apostles to take his place. He did not instruct them to seek further revelation (for Paul had already proclaimed "the whole counsel of God" to them - Ac 20:27 "I have told you everything God wants you to know.") He simply directed them to two things: To God Himself (i.e., His Divine Providence). The word of His grace (that word which had been revealed by Paul himself). These two blessings, Paul was confident, were able to do two things. Build them up and give them an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
"The New Testament", then, is how Christ speaks to us today. He leads us to life everlasting! It is through the writing of the apostles, "the apostles' doctrine", that the Lord speaks and directs His Church! It is "the apostles' doctrine" that is the standard of authority in matters of religion. It is "the apostles' doctrine" in which we must "continue steadfastly"! - Ac 2:42
There is more to be said about authority in religion, which we will cover in the next lesson. But I hope that our attitude is such that what was said about the Thessalonians can also be said of us:
"For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe." - 1 Th 2:13
Is that your attitude toward "the apostles' doctrine"?
God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year
Join my Bible Study Group at internet-bible-studies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/internet-bible-studies/join
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Is Baptism A Necessary Part Of The Gospel? Part Two
Following Jesus Without Denominationalism
Is Baptism A Necessary Part Of The Gospel? Part Two
As we continue this lesson allow me to expand on the point that baptism is integral to the gospel. I am encouraged to see a return to this emphasis. I am excited to see that many people are beginning to carefully restudy the biblical evidence concerning baptism, and returning to what was taught for nearly 1500 years. For example, G.R. Beasley-Murray, Principal of Spurgeon's College in London, later Senior Professor at Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, KY, wrote a modern classic, Baptism In The New Testament. He gives chapters which thoroughly discuss baptism in the Gospels, in Acts, in Paul's writings, and in other apostolic writings. In his introduction, Beasley-Murray said:
"This book is intended to offer a Baptist contribution to the discussions on baptism that are taking place throughout the Christian world." "But the indefinite article should be observed; the impression must not be given that my interpretations are characteristic of Baptist thought generally. At most it can be claimed that they represent a trend gaining momentum among Baptists in Europe." "I have striven to interpret the evidence of the New Testament as a Christian scholar, rather than as a member of a particular Christian Confession." -- G. R. Beasley-Murray, Baptism In The New Testament, Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1962, pp. v-vi.
From his chapter on baptism in Acts, Beasley-Murray said: "Consequently, baptism is regarded in Acts as the occasion and means of receiving the blessings conferred by the Lord of the Kingdom. Admittedly, this way of reading the evidence is not characteristic of our thinking, but the intention of the author is tolerably clear." (Ibid., p. 102). "Whatever the relationship between baptism and the gift of the Spirit elsewhere in Acts, there appears to be no doubt as to the intention of Acts 2:38; the penitent believer baptized in the name of Jesus Christ may expect to receive at once the Holy Spirit, even as he is assured of the immediate forgiveness of his sins." (Ibid., p. 108).
Some concluding statements from his chapter on baptism in Acts, Beasley-Murray said::
"In light of the foregoing exposition of the New Testament representations of baptism, the idea that baptism is a purely symbolic rite must be pronounced not alone unsatisfactory but out of harmony with the New Testament itself. Admittedly, such a judgment runs counter to the popular tradition of the Denomination to which the writer belongs..."
"The extent and nature of the grace which the New Testament writers declare to be present in baptism is astonishing for any who come to the study freshly with an open mind."
"...the 'grace' available to man in baptism is said by the New Testament writers to include the following elements:
forgiveness of sin, Ac 2.38 and cleansing from sins, Ac 22.16, 2 Co 6.11; union with Christ, Ga 3.27, and particularly union with Him in his death and resurrection, Ro. 6.3ff, Co 2.11f, with all that implies of release from sin's power, as well as guilt, and the sharing of the risen life of the Redeemer, Ro 6.1-11; participation in Christ's sonship, Ga 3.26f; consecration to God, 1 Co 6.11, hence membership in the Church, the Body of Christ, 1 Co 12.13, Ga 3.27-29; possession of the Spirit, Ac 2.38, 1 Co 6.11, 12.13, and therefore the new life in the Spirit, i.e., regeneration, Ti 3.5, Jn 3.5; grace to live according to the will of God, Ro 6.1ff, Co 3.1ff; deliverance from the evil powers that rule this world, Co 1.13; the inheritance of the Kingdom of God, Jn 3.5, and the pledge of the resurrection of the body, Ep 1.3f, 4.30. -- Ibid., pp. 263-264 (No scripture text has been inserted by this teacher in order to keep the quotes of the originator as they originally appear. I leave it to the reader as a student to open their own Bibles. JMN)
One cannot and should not preach the Gospel without teaching the command to be baptized. Peter proclaimed the command to be baptized in the first gospel sermon - Ac 2:36-38. Philip, when he preached Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch, must have proclaimed baptism in his message about Jesus, in view of the question raised: "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" - Ac 8:35-36. Indeed, Beasley-Murray stated the following conclusion in a chapter entitled "Baptismal Reform and Church Relationships":
"First, there ought to be a greater endeavor to make baptism integral to the gospel."
"It is taken as axiomatic amongst us [Baptists] that the proclamation of the Gospel consists of making the redemptive acts of God in Christ known and calling for faith in Christ as the due response; baptism is then a proper subject for exposition in the enquirers' class, along with instruction as to the nature of the Church, of worship, of Christian obligation in the Church and to the world, etc."
"Peter's response, however, to the cry of his conscience stricken hearers on the Day of Pentecost was not "Repent and believe", but "Repent and BE BAPTIZED"! (Ac 2.38).
"Naturally faith was presumed in repentance, but Peter's answer told the Jews how to become Christians: faith and repentance are to be expressed in baptism, and SO they are to come to the Lord."
"Baptism is here a part of the proclamation of Christ. In an Apostolic sermon it comes as its logical conclusion."
"An effort ought to be made to restore this note in our [Baptist] preaching." -- Ibid., p. 393
I could not say it better myself, other than to add that an effort ought to be made to restore this note in EVERYONE'S preaching! Let's be sure to follow the example of apostolic preaching (cf. Ac 2:36-38)... Calling upon people not only to believe in Jesus and repent of their sins, but to climax their response to the gospel by submitting to the Lord's command to be baptized for the remission of their sins. For then we can be assured that we will receive all those blessings the Bible ascribes to the act of baptism (see Beasley-Murray's summary above), by virtue of God's gracious working! Dear friend, have you responded to the saving call of our Lord's wonderful gospel? "And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." - Ac 22:16
God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Is Baptism A Necessary Part Of The Gospel? Part Two
As we continue this lesson allow me to expand on the point that baptism is integral to the gospel. I am encouraged to see a return to this emphasis. I am excited to see that many people are beginning to carefully restudy the biblical evidence concerning baptism, and returning to what was taught for nearly 1500 years. For example, G.R. Beasley-Murray, Principal of Spurgeon's College in London, later Senior Professor at Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, KY, wrote a modern classic, Baptism In The New Testament. He gives chapters which thoroughly discuss baptism in the Gospels, in Acts, in Paul's writings, and in other apostolic writings. In his introduction, Beasley-Murray said:
"This book is intended to offer a Baptist contribution to the discussions on baptism that are taking place throughout the Christian world." "But the indefinite article should be observed; the impression must not be given that my interpretations are characteristic of Baptist thought generally. At most it can be claimed that they represent a trend gaining momentum among Baptists in Europe." "I have striven to interpret the evidence of the New Testament as a Christian scholar, rather than as a member of a particular Christian Confession." -- G. R. Beasley-Murray, Baptism In The New Testament, Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1962, pp. v-vi.
From his chapter on baptism in Acts, Beasley-Murray said: "Consequently, baptism is regarded in Acts as the occasion and means of receiving the blessings conferred by the Lord of the Kingdom. Admittedly, this way of reading the evidence is not characteristic of our thinking, but the intention of the author is tolerably clear." (Ibid., p. 102). "Whatever the relationship between baptism and the gift of the Spirit elsewhere in Acts, there appears to be no doubt as to the intention of Acts 2:38; the penitent believer baptized in the name of Jesus Christ may expect to receive at once the Holy Spirit, even as he is assured of the immediate forgiveness of his sins." (Ibid., p. 108).
Some concluding statements from his chapter on baptism in Acts, Beasley-Murray said::
"In light of the foregoing exposition of the New Testament representations of baptism, the idea that baptism is a purely symbolic rite must be pronounced not alone unsatisfactory but out of harmony with the New Testament itself. Admittedly, such a judgment runs counter to the popular tradition of the Denomination to which the writer belongs..."
"The extent and nature of the grace which the New Testament writers declare to be present in baptism is astonishing for any who come to the study freshly with an open mind."
"...the 'grace' available to man in baptism is said by the New Testament writers to include the following elements:
forgiveness of sin, Ac 2.38 and cleansing from sins, Ac 22.16, 2 Co 6.11; union with Christ, Ga 3.27, and particularly union with Him in his death and resurrection, Ro. 6.3ff, Co 2.11f, with all that implies of release from sin's power, as well as guilt, and the sharing of the risen life of the Redeemer, Ro 6.1-11; participation in Christ's sonship, Ga 3.26f; consecration to God, 1 Co 6.11, hence membership in the Church, the Body of Christ, 1 Co 12.13, Ga 3.27-29; possession of the Spirit, Ac 2.38, 1 Co 6.11, 12.13, and therefore the new life in the Spirit, i.e., regeneration, Ti 3.5, Jn 3.5; grace to live according to the will of God, Ro 6.1ff, Co 3.1ff; deliverance from the evil powers that rule this world, Co 1.13; the inheritance of the Kingdom of God, Jn 3.5, and the pledge of the resurrection of the body, Ep 1.3f, 4.30. -- Ibid., pp. 263-264 (No scripture text has been inserted by this teacher in order to keep the quotes of the originator as they originally appear. I leave it to the reader as a student to open their own Bibles. JMN)
One cannot and should not preach the Gospel without teaching the command to be baptized. Peter proclaimed the command to be baptized in the first gospel sermon - Ac 2:36-38. Philip, when he preached Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch, must have proclaimed baptism in his message about Jesus, in view of the question raised: "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" - Ac 8:35-36. Indeed, Beasley-Murray stated the following conclusion in a chapter entitled "Baptismal Reform and Church Relationships":
"First, there ought to be a greater endeavor to make baptism integral to the gospel."
"It is taken as axiomatic amongst us [Baptists] that the proclamation of the Gospel consists of making the redemptive acts of God in Christ known and calling for faith in Christ as the due response; baptism is then a proper subject for exposition in the enquirers' class, along with instruction as to the nature of the Church, of worship, of Christian obligation in the Church and to the world, etc."
"Peter's response, however, to the cry of his conscience stricken hearers on the Day of Pentecost was not "Repent and believe", but "Repent and BE BAPTIZED"! (Ac 2.38).
"Naturally faith was presumed in repentance, but Peter's answer told the Jews how to become Christians: faith and repentance are to be expressed in baptism, and SO they are to come to the Lord."
"Baptism is here a part of the proclamation of Christ. In an Apostolic sermon it comes as its logical conclusion."
"An effort ought to be made to restore this note in our [Baptist] preaching." -- Ibid., p. 393
I could not say it better myself, other than to add that an effort ought to be made to restore this note in EVERYONE'S preaching! Let's be sure to follow the example of apostolic preaching (cf. Ac 2:36-38)... Calling upon people not only to believe in Jesus and repent of their sins, but to climax their response to the gospel by submitting to the Lord's command to be baptized for the remission of their sins. For then we can be assured that we will receive all those blessings the Bible ascribes to the act of baptism (see Beasley-Murray's summary above), by virtue of God's gracious working! Dear friend, have you responded to the saving call of our Lord's wonderful gospel? "And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." - Ac 22:16
God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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