By Knowing the Bible Authorizes By Accounts of

1
Lesson 20 By Knowing the Bible Authorizes By
Accounts of Approved Action and Expediency
2
Principles of Biblical Interpretation

• Since the Bible is a propositional revelation,
  then these hermeneutical principles are expected
• DIRECT STATEMENTS
• Would God veil Himself in totally symbolic ways?
  No, not totally.
• Without direct statements, no objective exegesis
  is possible.
• IMPLICATION
• Non-trivial statements imply something.
• To say no begs the question.
• ACCOUNTS OF ACTION IN HISTORY
• Gods revelation is to real people in various
  circumstances.
• God expects us to decide what applies thus, some
  methodology.
• EXPEDIENCY
• No propositional revelation can be exhaustive.
• Expediency increases the practicality and
  endurance of the revelation.

3
The Bible Authorizes By Accounts of Approved
Action

• General Classifications
• Actions which are ACCEPTABLE to God (AUTHORIZED
  by Gods Word)
• Obligatory Actions
• Optional Actions
• These actions provide approved examples/patterns/
  models for us to follow.
• Actions which are UNACCEPBALE to God (NOT
  UNAUTHORIZED by Gods Word)
• Explicitly Forbidden
• Implicitly Forbidden
• Forbidding What God Allows
• Binding What Is Not Essential

4
The Bible Authorizes By Accounts of Approved
Action

• Specific Classifications
• Action which was PERMANENTLY SINFUL
• Ex Betraying Jesus (Matt. 2647-49)
• Ex Denying Jesus (Matt. 2669-75)
• Ex Loving this world (2 Tim. 410)
• Ex Church tolerating false teachers/doctrines
  (Rev. 214-15)
• Action which was OPTIONAL TEMPORARY
• Ex Preaching to Jews only (Acts 2-11 cf.
  1027-28)
• Ex Preaching in the temple (Acts 2126-30)
• Action which was OPTIONAL PERMANENT
• Ex Traveling by ship to preach (Acts 134)
• Ex Eating Lords Supper in an upper room (Acts
  207-8)
• Ex Giving beyond ability to give (2 Cor. 83)

5
The Bible Authorizes By Accounts of Approved
Action

• Specific Classifications
• Action which was PERMANENTLY SINFUL
• Action which was OPTIONAL TEMPORARY
• Action which was OPTIONAL PERMANENT
• Action which was OBLIGATORY TEMPORARY
• Ex Confirming the message through miracles
  (Acts 84-8)
• Ex Desiring possessing spiritual gifts (1
  Cor. 141)
• Action which was OBLIGATORY PERMANENT
• Ex Church partaking Lords Supper on Sunday
  (Acts 207)
• Ex Preaching Jesus incl. necessity of baptism
  (Acts 835-39)
• Ex Baptizing for the remission of sins (Acts
  918 2216)
• Ex Baptizing is a burial in water (Acts 826-40)

6
The Bible Authorizes By Accounts of Approved
Action

• When is an account of action binding?
• Something other than the account of action itself
  must be working to bind us today.
• We must look at the account itself, the immediate
  and remote context.
• We must look for an underlying command.
• We must look for the doctrinal significance of
  the account.

7
The Bible Authorizes By Expediency

• In order to carry out the Christians obligation
  from direct statements, implications and accounts
  of approved action, there is the area of
  expediency.
• Expediency is involved in the fulfillment of
  every action authorized by God.
• When God specifies how an obligation is be
  carried out, the how is just as binding as the
  obligation itself.
• But, if no specification is Divinely given as to
  how the obligation is to be done, then the manner
  and method of fulfillment are left up to human
  judgment, to the realm of expediency.

8
The Bible Authorizes By Expediency

• An expedient is that which
• Expedites
• Aids
• Assists
• Helps
• Benefits
• Is inherently advantageous in carrying out
  obligations or options (not forbidden)
• Is in harmony with the Scriptures

9
The Bible Authorizes By Expediency

• An expedient is that which expedites, aids,
  assists, helps, benefits, is inherently
  advantageous in carrying out obligations or
  options (not forbidden) is in harmony with the
  Scriptures.
• Where there is no Biblical authority (direct
  statement, implication or approved action), there
  is NO EXPEDIENCY.
• One must have a Bible obligation, if one is
  expediting.
• Arbitrarily calling something an expedient does
  not make it so it must be expediting (inherently
  advantageous to) the fulfillment of an authorized
  obligation.

10
The Bible Authorizes By Expediency

• Some criteria in choosing expedients
• Expedients benefit authorized actions (Col.
  317).
• What we do must be authorized. Ex baptize in
  water
• Expedients must not add to authorized actions.
• Theres a difference between benefitting
  adding.
• Expedients are essential to carry out authorized
  actions.
• Ex Command to assemble makes a place time
  essential.
• The type of expedient is optional.
• Assembly in a tent, on beach, in building. Rent,
  buy, in a home.
• Expedients must truly be beneficial (1 Cor. 612
  1023).
• May not be helpful even if lawful
• Expedients must not be enslaving (1 Cor. 612).
• Some traditions fall into this area.
• Expedients must be edifying (1 Cor. 1023).
• The order of worship is an expedient but should
  not confusing.
• Expedients must be done in love (1 Cor. 1614).

11
The Bible Authorizes By Expediency

• There is a difference between an expedient (an
  aid) and an addition.
• Anything which is not authorized by Scripture,
  but which is nonetheless employed, is an
  addition.
• A true aid, an expedient, is authorized by the
  Scriptures.

12
The Bible Authorizes By Expediency

• Examples to illustrate diff between an aid an
  addition
• Command Go into all the world and preach
• We could go by WALKING we can go by RIDING (2
  diff options).
• These 2 options have a direct relationship to the
  obligation (Go) but no particular relationship
  to each other. Walking is not an aid (expedient)
  to riding, and riding is not an expedient to
  walking.
• A walking stick, used while walking, would be an
  expedient/aid.
• Simple illustration the area of perception
• We perceive by HEARING we perceive by SEEING (2
  diff ways).
• Hearing is not an expedient to seeing, nor seeing
  to hearing.
• These are definite, distinct ways of perceiving
  co-ordinates
• Either one can be done without the other.
• Eyeglasses would be an expedient/aid to seeing.
• A hearing aid would be an expedient/aid to
  hearing.

13
The Bible Authorizes By Expediency

• Examples to illustrate diff between an aid an
  addition
• What about making music in worship to God?
• We make music by SINGING we make music by
  PLAYING.
• Singing mechanical instruments are two
  different ways of making music co-ordinates.
• Either one can be done without the other.
• Singing is not an expedient/aid to playing.
• Playing is not an expedient/aid to singing.
• The songbook is an expedient/aid to singing.
• Having someone lead the congregation is an
  expedient/aid to singing.
• When we use the songbook in our singing, we are
  JUST SINGING. We are NOT SINGING AND DOING
  SOMETHING ELSE.
• When God commands us in the NT to sing in worship
  to Him, to play an instrument is to ADD to His
  Word.

14
The Bible Authorizes By Expediency

• Expediency increases the practicality, endurance
  far-reaching application of Gods revelation.
• It is through expediency that we have and can
  defend
• Our church buildings
• Our baptistries
• Our teaching in simultaneous Bible classes,
  adults children
• Our song books
• Our song leaders
• Our invitation songs
• Our individual communion cups
• Our contribution baskets
• Our prayer leaders in the assembly
• Our chalkboards, white boards, PowerPoint
  projectors, etc.
• Our public address systems, video recording, etc.