Speak Where the Bible Speaks
Posted by Chris on May 18, 2008 under Sermons
any of the images, graphics, or charts on this page. |
“Accept Him Who is Weak”
- David Lipscomb (1875):
- “So long as a man really desires to do right, to serve the Lord, to obey his commands, we cannot withdraw from him.”
Declaration and Address
- Thomas Campbell (1809):
- Where the Bible is unclear or silent, no disagreement should divide Christians.
- When Campbell spoke of “being silent where the Bible is silent,” he allowed for strong opinions on what that silence meant.
1832 Union
- Raccoon John Smith:
- Silent on the precise positions that Christians might take that are not part of the gospel.
- Speak where Bible speaks = simply use the words of Scripture.
All Silence is Not Equal
- Silence permitted the Missionary Society
- Silence forbade instrumental music in worship
Three-Part Hermeneutic
- Focus is on what practices the Bible authorizes:
- Direct Command,
- Approved Example, and
- Necessary Inference
Other Considerations
- Does this practice reflect the nature of God?
- Is it in line with the biblical story of redemption?
- Does it build up the church?
- Does it promote Christian virtue?
- Is it a “weightier matter”?
Speaking Where the Bible Speaks
- Black Churches of Christ
- “I have had to rely upon God, he is the only one I had. The white man didn’t like me because of the color of my skin. The colored man didn’t like me because of my religion. Now, son, who else did I have?” — Marshall Keeble