How To Establish Authority (2)

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How To Establish Authority (2)

Sermon by  Thomas Thornhill Jr


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NOTE: Due to technical issues, my lesson on How To Establish Authority was split into two parts.  Please refer to last week’s lesson for the original lesson.  We have here only part 2 which includes much of that lesson.  The MP3 recording will be posted after the live presentation.  TT

COMMUNICATING WITH GOD (33)

Bible Study (5-2)

 

We are continuing our theme, “communicating with God”.    As we discuss the subject of Bible study (how God communicates with us today), we are currently addressing the subject of authority.  To ensure that we glean from God’s word His intended message to us, we need to approach His word with the attitude that we CAN understand what He wants us to do and how He expects His will to be carried out.

In our last lesson, we established the 3 ways God communicates His will (what He wants us to do) to us thought His word: 1) He tells us (either by command or statement), 2) He shows us by examples, and/or 3) He implies His will.  By “implication” we mean, while something is not directly stated, we have enough “data” to determine what He intended.  We noted that these 3 ways are the same ways we communicate today.  And in realty they are the ONLY ways we present a message.  You CANNOT communicate without doing at least one of these in some way.

To ensure we correctly interpret His message, we need to respect His boundaries (1 Corinthians 4:6, 2 John 9, etc.).  We also need to use common reasoning as we examine the text.  We need to think.

  1. More examples of CENI (Command, Example, Necessary Inference).
    1. We briefly noted John 13:34-35 where Jesus gave a command to “love one another”, He gave the example, “As I have loved you”, and He noted that WHEN we obey Him in this, that 3) others would infer/imply that we are His disciples (they expect it). Consider the “common sense” of this observation – if we do NOT love each other, how are we going to win others to Him? While loving one another might not be the ONLY thing we do, it is certainly a crucial code of conduct.  Yes, it was binding.
    2. We also discussed Acts 10 – Cornelus and Peter, where all 3 methods were used together. 1) Peter was directly told to go with the men to Cornelius’ home “doubting nothing”.  Also while he saw that sheet lowered, 3 times the Lord declared to not call common (unclean) what He had made clean.  2) He had a vision of a sheet lowered with clean & unclean animals and was told to eat. 3) He reached the intended conclusion that he was to go to Cornelius, a Gentile and he and his household were to be permitted to obey the gospel (Acts 10:28, 34-35, etc.).
    3. Consider also Acts 15 – there is more disputes concerning Gentiles being saved. There were Judaizing teachers who demanded circumcision to be accepted.   Paul and Barnabas vehemently disagreed.   They were sent to Jerusalem to discuss the matter (where the problem originated).  When they arrived, the apostles and elders convened to discuss the matter.  They presented the following:
      1. Examples – Acts 15:7-11, Peter retold the conversion of Cornelius. He CONCLUDED (inferred) that it was unnecessary.  He noted they were “testing God” with demands (implying God had never made such a demand).
      2. Example – Acts 15:12- Paul and Barnabas recounted their first missionary journey noting that many Gentiles obeyed the gospel and God NEVER demanded circumcision.
      3. Inference and direct statements – Acts 15:13-19ff – James puts all the facts together, noting the examples mentioned. He further quoted from the Old Law, Amos 9:11-12 where YHWH intended that Gentiles be able to seek the LORD.”    Vs. 19, “therefore I judge…” (he reach God’s intended conclusion by putting together all that had been revealed) – NO! Gentiles do NOT need to be circumcised (become token Jews) to be saved.
      4. Acts 15:22-29 – the apostles write letters and sent them officially (accompanied by designated men) along with Paul and Barnabas. In their response we read: 1) Vs. 24 – the apostles did NOT authorize the false teaching; 2) They stood with Paul and Barnabas: 3) Vs. 28- “it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things…”.
      5. NOTE that they stated their conclusion was AS IF the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:10-11, John 16:13, etc.) had declared this. So their inferences ESTABLISHED authority for what to do and not to do.
  2. Some applications for today
    1. Consider the Lord’s Supper – why do we partake as we do?
      1. The Lord’s Supper is commanded – Matthew 26:26-29, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26ff.  NOTE: In actuality, the institution of the Lord’s supper as recorded in the gospels is an example that INCLUDED commands.   Paul language in 1 Corinthians shows it WAS practiced.
      2. We have an approved example – Acts 20:7 – on the first day of the week. This is the ONLY passage that identifies when they partook of the Lord’s Supper.   To respect God’s boundaries, we ONLY partake of the Lord’s Supper on Sunday.
      3. But how often? Many partake of the Lord’s Supper only a few times a year.  But implied in Acts 20:7 is that it ought to be done EVERY Sunday.
        1. Consider Acts 20:6-7. Paul stayed in Troas 7 days.  We are told in vs. 7, “Now on the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread…”
        2. There is nothing to imply that this was a special Sunday (concerning the Lord’s Supper).
        3. We also have other “clues” such as 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 which notes that on the same day (Sunday), they were to take up a collection (which is why we only take up a collection on Sundays).
        4. 1 Corinthians 11:20ff points to the fact that this was something done often.
      4. That is why we partake of the Lord’s Supper every Sunday and use unleavened bread (which was a Passover requirement) and grape juice (fruit of the vine).
      5. One might ask, WHY is this a binding example? Why is it not simply one example of what we CAN do?  The answer is:
        1. It is a POSITIVE example that we KNOW God approves of.
        2. It is the ONLY Biblical example of when they partook of the Lord’s Supper.
        3. The fact that He has SHOWN us when to do this ought to be enough.
        4. FURTHERMORE, there is no further information (NOTHING said, shown OR implied) about this, so the safe course to respect the boundaries He has set.
        5. Because of this, we are limited as to how we can use it as an example.
    2. Consider baptism – why do we teach that one MUST be baptized to be saved?
      1. Commanded – Acts 22:16, 2:38, Mark 16:16, etc.
      2. Example – The book of Acts is filled with examples of those who obeyed the gospel being baptized – Acts 2:41 (3000 on Pentecost), Acts 8:12-13– The Samaritans, The eunuch of Ethiopia – Acts 8:38-39, Paul – Acts 9:17-18 (22:16), Acts 10:47-48 – Cornelius & his household; Acts 16:31-33 – The Philippian Jailer, etc.   We also find examples of HOW they were baptized – Acts 8:38-39, Romand 6:3-4 – it was by immersion, which the Greek word actually means.
      3. Necessary conclusion –
        1. It is an act of faith – 1 Peter 3:21, “baptism now saves us” was a conclusion based upon the example of Noah in vs. 20. It is a statement with the effect of a command.  In vs. 21, we are told it is “the answer of a good conscience…”  which implies faith MUST be present BEFORE we are baptized.  Also consider Acts 16:30-33 where the jailer is told, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved…”  Then within that context, the jailer and his family are baptized at that very hour.
        2. Also implied, we do not baptize infants, because they CANNOT believe. Someone might ask, “What about the “household” of Lydia and the jailer (Acts 16:15, 34)?”  There is NOTHING in the text to imply infants were present (or the term could be used accommodatively of those who were believers).
        3. We conclude this is water baptism: 1) Vs. 20 made reference to water which implies the baptism we are addressing.
      4. Putting everything together we learn why we need to be baptized and how we need to do that.
  3. Why is this relevant?
    1. Understanding authority will impact HOW we approach scripture – will we respect its boundaries (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:6)
    2. Understanding authority will affect HOW we worship God – what acts we are to engage in and boundaries (HOW) related to each act of worship.
    3. The purity of our doctrine (teachings, beliefs) including salvation, as well as the way we are to live our lives is established by the commands, examples and obvious conclusions we find in scripture.
    4. What we do as a church and how we conduct ourselves is established by what God has said to us in these various ways.

Authority for what we do is important.  But its not just about WHAT we have permission to do, but HOW we do what we do.  To respect God’s boundaries is the ONLY way to ensure that what we do is pleasing to Him.  And we have shown in this lesson that these are the ONLY genuine and logical ways to establish authority.  As we noted last week, much of our religious division is the product of failures to respect the authority of God’s word.  Many mock the idea of CENI.  But I simply ask: IF there is another way to legitimately establish authority, please let me know.  BUT do so without: 1) telling me, 2) showing me, and/or 3) implying a conclusion by putting all the facts together.

What about you?  Will you respect God’s boundaries in everything you do? Think about it!

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