[Biblemat] The Buckhorn Teacher 12-30-07

Sun Dec 30 15:21:11 CST 2007

THE BUCKHORN TEACHER

"Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." 2.Tim.4:2

Buckhorn church of Christ - Thomas Thornhill - editor. 13675 Hwy 341, Randolph MS 38864-9117. Tel. 662-568-2960. Cell 662-419-5378. E-mail thornhill1 at frontiernet.net 

Vol.6                                                 December 30, 2007                                            No.16

Since this is the last issue of "The Buckhorn Teacher" for 2007 I want to take this opportunity to thank all who read it. It is very encouraging to hear from those who take time to make comments on the articles I write whether it be pro or con. I spend considerable time writing and rewriting to make sure that what I write is not only the truth as I understand it, but also that it is plain enough to be understood. Nothing I write is copyrighted and any who wish to do so have my permission to use the material if it will do good. I look forward to doing more in 2008 and I wish all the readers a very happy and prosperous year in 2008. My motto for the year will be, "Keep it straight in 2008." God bless all - 3rd John v.2. 

MAN'S NEED FOR BIBLE AUTHORITY - No.11

So far in studying the use of expedients in fulfilling God's commands we have seen that before an expedient can be used 1. It must be lawful 1.Cor.6:12; 10:23. 2. It cannot be specified. 3. It must edify 1.Cor.10:23; 14:26. 4. It must not offend the conscience of a THbrother in Christ 1.Cor.10:32. (Take time to check the previous two articles, No's. 9,10 for a fuller discussion of these points).

The last article closed pointing out a fifth point about expedients. An expedient must not be a substitute for, or an addition to what God has spoken.  Anything that will add to, take from, or change the command of God into something beyond that which is already authorized is forbidden 2.Jn.9-11; Gal.1:6-9. When men, under the guise of expediency, take the liberty to do more, less, or different than what God has authorized they practice lawlessness (commit iniquity) Matt.7:23 and are transgressors of God's law. 

We must remember that the Bible is the mind of God revealed to us by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Only He, the Spirit of God, knows the mind of God 1.Cor.2:10, and He inspired men to write exactly what He wanted written and recorded for man to know and do. Since the Spirit has already revealed all that God wants us to know, "that pertains to life and godliness" 2.Pet.1:3, we do not have the right or liberty to assume that we can improve on His inspired word by adding to, taking from, or changing what He caused to have been written. In fact, Jesus said that when men presume to speak for God using their own ideas they "draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" Matt.15:8-9. Mark adds, "making the word of God of no effect through your traditions which you have handed down. And many such things you do" Mk.7:13. 

As has already been pointed out, expediency involves the right of choice only within the realm of that which is authorized. Roy Cogdill in his booklet "Walking By Faith" pg.21 gave some examples to illustrate this point. Much of the following three examples come from his booklet. Let's notice them in studying when and how an expedient can lawfully be used. 

Christ has commanded us to teach. "He has not specified the method, but He has specified the organization which is to do it - the church - the pillar and ground of the truth Matt.28:18-20; 1.Tim.3:15. We have no choice as to organization, for to build another to do the work which Christ established the church to do is to ignore God's arrangement for our own. But we do have a choice as to which method - public or private, entire assembly or class, with or without human aids such as literature, etc." A.C. Grider, in debating this point with one who wanted to build a different organization than the church to do the teaching, made the point that men mixed up the spelling between the WHO (organization - the church) and the HOW (methods used in teaching).  

In taking the Lord's Supper, Christ commanded "drink this cup" 1.Cor.11:25-28. Jesus was emphasizing the contents of the cup, the fruit of the vine Matt.26:27-29, not the container. One does not drink the container, but the contents. The element to drink is specified (fruit of the vine - juice of grapes), so we have no choice as to the element, but we do have a choice as to the number of containers used in serving the element to be drunk. Since the number of containers is not specified, men have a choice in how many containers to use. 

Christ commanded us to assemble Heb.10:25. Note, the command to assemble implies and includes within its scope some place as essential to meet, but the command does not specify how the place of assembly shall be secured, whether the house in which the saints assemble shall be rented, borrowed, or owned. This would be a matter of expediency or choice determined by the saints. But, remember if there were no command to assemble then there would be no authority for a building, whether rented, borrowed, or bought. 

In the study of Bible authority, one of the methods first mentioned in determining how something is authorized and binding is the use of Approved Apostolic Examples. I write, approved apostolic examples because not all examples found in the NT are approved examples to be followed. The example of Judas betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver certainly is not an approved example. Neither are the actions of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 or that of Peter in Gal.2 approved examples for Christians. Such are examples NOT TO BE FOLLOWED. On the other hand, approved apostolic examples are things Christians practiced and the apostles by their participation in and/or writing approved of it being done. But in approved apostolic examples there are sometimes things found in the text that are simply incidentals, and are not necessary to be observed in obeying the command/example. 

One of the these apostolic examples, that of Christians observing the Lord's Supper on the first day of each week - Acts 20:7 - has an incidental appearing within it (the upper  room) that some say is also necessary if the first day of the week is binding as the day in which the Lord's Supper is to be eaten.  (This will be pursued more next issue). 
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