How Can Scriptural Authority be Established?
TEXT
: 2 Tim. 1:13-14; 2 John 9INTRODUCTION
:A. IN OUR LAST LESSON WE DISCUSSED HOW THAT WE MUST HAVE AUTHORITY FOR ALL THAT WE DO.
B. IN THIS LESSON, WE WANT TO DISCUSS HOW SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY CAN BE ESTABLISHED.
I.
HOW DO THE WRITINGS OF THE APOSTLES, THE NEW TESTAMENT, TEACH?A. BY PRECEPT – A direct command or statement.
B. BY DIVINELY APPROVED EXAMPLE – By this we mean the practice of the church in the New Testament under apostolic guidance and which the apostles had received from the Lord, and therefore by divine guidance.
C. BY INFERENCE – That which though neither expressly stated nor specifically exemplified yet is necessarily implied by the clear import and meaning of the language used
D. LET’S NOTICE SOME ILLUSTRATIONS:
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____________________ LORD’S SUPPER_________________ CHURCH MUSIC
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Precept
_______________1 Cor. 11:23, Observe _________________ Eph. 5:19, SingExample
______________Acts 20:7, When to take _______________Acts 16:25, SingInference
* ____________Acts 20:7, Frequency __________________2 John 9, Sing only*Which first day is not specified, like which Sabbath day was not.
Every Sabbath was to be observed. Every first day is to be observed.
II.
THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF AUTHORITY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT:A. GENERIC - Includes any thing, method, or means of execution that comes within the same order or class of the precept, example or inference - INCLUDES! Where God has not been specific.
B. SPECIFIC - Excludes everything, method or means of execution that comes within the same order or class which is not particularly specified in the precept, example, inference. EXCLUDES! God has specified.
C. GENERIC AUTHORITY ILLUSTRATED:
1. Mat. 28:19-20. "Go!" How? "Teach!" What method?"Baptize!" Where?
2. Heb. 10:25. "Assemble!" God did not specify, man must choose for himself.
3. Eph. 5:19. "Sing!" From a book? Memory? Overhead? God didn’t specify, man cannot bind.
4. Whatever expedient is chosen, it must not violate any law or principle found in the New Testament.
D. SPECIFIC AUTHORITY ILLUSTRATED:
1. Noah’s Ark( Gen. 6:14 ). Gopher wood excludes oak.
2. Lord’s Supper( Mat. 26:26-29 ). Unleavened bread and fruit of the vine excludes pie and ice cream. Acts 20:7 excludes Monday observance.
3. Music( Eph. 5:19 ). Sing excludes other kinds of music.
CONCLUSION
:IN THIS LESSON WE HAVE ESTABLISHED THE NEED FOR UNITY, AND THE NEED FOR ESTABLISHING SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY. THE UNITY THAT PLEASES GOD IS BASED ON HIS WORD. UNITY BASED ON ANYTHING ELSE IS WRONG. WE MUST LEARN NOT TO GO BEYOND THE THINGS THAT ARE WRITTEN.
WE ALSO SAW THAT THERE IS ONE FAITH, ONE CHURCH. THAT CHURCH IS RECOGNIZED BY ITS CONFORMITY TO WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT THE CHURCH OF THE LORD. IN OUR NEXT LESSON, WE NEED TO DISCUSS THE IDENTITY OF THE CHURCH.