[Biblemat] S) "WHERE THE SCRIPTURES SPEAK, WE SPEAK" (1)

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  Here is a study from my
ancient files.  Use to the glory of God.

"WHERE THE SCRIPTURES SPEAK, WE SPEAK" (1)

     The famous words of Thomas Campbell, "Where the Scrip-
tures speak, we speak; and where the Scriptures are silent,
we are silent," are probably the most successful and widely
quoted statement which has ever been made summarizing the
fundamental aim of the restoration movement.

ORIGIN OF THE STATEMENT: -- It may come as a surprise to
some readers to learn that this famous slogan was coined by
Thomas Campbell rather than by his famous son, Alexander
Campbell and had already been expressed before Alexander's
arrival in the United States from Scotland.  Thomas Campbell
had become a successful preacher in the Seceder Presbyter-
ian Church in Ireland, but in 1807 he came to America.  Within
less than a year, however, he found himself charged by fellow
Presbyterian preachers with denying their doctrine respecting
the nature of faith, questioning the propriety of human con-
fessions of faith as bonds of fellowship, and with violating 
other Presbyterian practices.  These charges aroused such 
personal bitterness that he renounced the authority of the 
Presbyterian Church.

     Mr. Campbell's withdrawal from the Presbyterian fold did
not interrupt his ministerial work; for he continued to preach,
particularly emphasizing th necessity of returning to the Bible.  Campbell 
recognized the evils of religious division; and
at a meeting, called to consider the course they were pursu-
ing more carefully, he spoke at length on the evils arising from such 
divisions -- divisions both unnecessary and injur-
ious since God has provided His Word as an all-sufficient and
infallible Standard.  After reviewing the ground they occupied,
he stated that the fundamental rule upon which they would
have to act was: "Where the Scriptures speak, we speak; and
where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent."

     These events occurred early in 1809.  Later that year the
Declaration and Address was published, Alexander joined his
father after having renounced the Presbyterian Church in Scotland, and the 
restoration movement was launched.

THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE STATEMENT: -- The statement
of this fundamental principle, "Where the Scriptures speak,
we speak," presupposes certain essential facts which must
be recognized for one to appreciate the principle fully.  These
implications are:

     1. God Has Provided Man With An Intelligible Revelation: --
Man as a moral being, created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27), succumbed to 
temptation and involved himself in the
penalty of physical death and separation from the presence
of God.  Man in such a fallen condition is utterly dependent
upon God's grace to provide a means of redemption, but such a redemption must 
be made known to fallen humanity
through a revelation.  Hence, God has spoken!  (Heb. 1:1-3).

     2. This Revelation Of God Is Contained In The Scriptures:
As Christ is the Seed through whom God is to bless the world
so the New Testament is the climax of that revelation through
which God makes known the terms of redemption.  "The law
was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through
Jesus Christ" (Jno. 1:17).  If the writers of the Old Testament
spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21),
and if the gospel of the New Testament was not after man, but came through 
revelation of Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:12), then
it follows that the Bible is the completed revelation of God.

     3. This Revelation Is All-Sufficient For All Ages: -- Other-
wise Paul could not write: "Every Scripture inspired of God is
also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction which is in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete, 
furnished completely unto every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16,17).  The Scripture, 
then, is complete; it is
likewise lasting.  John wrote that he saw an angel flying in the
midst of heaven, having an ETERNAL GOSPEL to preach to
them that dwell on the earth (Rev. 14:6).  Though flowers may
wither and their beauty fade, "the Word of the Lord abides
forever.  And this is the Word of good tidings which was preached unto you" 
(Jas. 1:25).  It  might be of interest to ob-
serve here that as God has ordained the Bible as an all-suffic-
ient revelation for all centuries, He has preserved it through-
out the centuries uncorrupted adn trustworthy.  People often
inquire, "How may I trust the Bible?  Can I be certain that the
Bible I study is just like the apostles wrote it?"  The answer
is that Modern Textual Criticism Has Established The Accura-
cy Of Our Text Without Question.

     4. Human Authority Means Nothing In Religion: -- Since God has provided 
man with a trustworthy and complete revel-
ation, it is nothing short of rebellion against Him to substitute
any human practices for those ordained of God, nothing short of denying His 
Omnipotence to question in any way the
authority of His revelation.  It is this fact which underlies the
Savior's warning, "But in vain do they worship Me, teaching
as their doctrines the precepts of men" (Matt. 15:9).  Paul
warned likewise, "If any man preacheth unto you any gospel
other than that which ye received, let him be anathema" (Gal.
1:9).  Men must respect the authority of Scripture; they must
speak where the Bible speaks!

     5. Silence Of The Scripture Must Be Respected: -- We have just observed 
that it is essential to respect the Bible's
authority, but it is not sufficient to stop here.  We must res-
pect the silence of the Bible as sincerely as we honor its pre-
cepts.  Some attempt to reason that any practice which cannot be justified by 
(a) express command (b) apostolic ex-
ample or (c) necessary inference, cannot have proceeded from God and 
therefore cannot be done by His authority.  The Bible teaches that certain things are 
expedients -- yes --
but before a thing can be expedient, it must be lawful.  There
is one question, therefore, which one must determine before
he can inquire whether a certain practice is expedient; the 
question is: "Does the Scripture authorize this practice?"

SCRIPTURAL STATEMENTS: -- Though the statement "Where
the Scriptures speak, we speak," is not quoted directly from
the Bible, it is interesting to observe how closely both the 
idea and phraseology correspond with certain passages of
Holy Writ.  Paul reminded the Thessalonians, "For our exhort-
ation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile, but even as we have 
been approved of God to be intrusted with
the gospel, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God who
proveth our hearts" (1 Thes. 2:3,4).  Note the following points
about this passage:  (1) Paul had been entrusted with the 
gospel by God; (2) he had spoken in accordance with this
trust and as pleasing God, not men; (3) his message was not
of error.  When men today preach the gospel as God has giv-
en it (speak where the Bible speaks), they may know with Paul that they 
please God, if not men.

     A very familiar passage which corresponds closely in 
thought with the restoration plea is Gal. 1:6-8: "...there are
some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ
But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto
you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you,
let him be anathema."  This emphasizes that the gospel must
be preached EXACTLY as delivered by the apostles if it is to
continue as the power of God unto salvation; to pervert the
gospel brings the curse of heaven.  This perversion may take
many forms; for one may add to the gospel, subtract from it,
fail to handle it aright, or wrest it to his own destruction.

     The passage whose wording corresponds most nearly with the plea of 
Campbell was penned by Peter, "If any man
speaketh, speaking as it were oracles of God" (1 Pet. 4:11).
"Let him speak as the oracles of God," the KJV reads.  It is
evident that the oracles of God are the Scriptures; hence to
speak as the oracles of God is to speak where the Scriptures
speak.  (More will be posted on this subject tomorrow, the Lord willing, JWS).
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