WHEN IS SILENCE PROHIBITIVE?

BEN F. VICK, JR.

 One of the Restoration slogans is "We speak where the Bible speaks and are silent where the Bible is silent."  We do not have any problem understanding that when the Lord speaks through his word, we know we have authorization for a particular teaching or practice. However, the issue is that some have a problem in respecting the silence of the Scripture. The question is raised:  When is the silence of the Scripture prohibitive, and when is it permissive?

When the Lord has given a specific command, authorization is given to carry out that command.  One cannot go beyond that command and be right with God. 

The Lord commanded Noah to make an ark of gopher wood (Gen. 6:14).  If Noah had used any other kind of wood or used another type of wood in conjunction with the gopher wood, he would not have been obeying God. But God did not say:  Do not use pine, oak, elm, ash, cedar, etc. Because God said what to use that eliminated all others. In this case, the silence was prohibitive.

Leviticus 10:1-2 reads:  “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.” Why were Nadab and Abihu slain by God? They "offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not." God had instructed them as to the exact location of the fire they were to use.  They disobeyed. They learned that in that case silence was prohibitive. 

God had instructed Israel that the Levites were to carry the tabernacle and all that pertained to it.  In particular, the Kohathites were charged with carrying the tabernacle's furniture (Num. 3:31). They were prohibited from even touching “any holy thing, lest they die.” (Num. 4:15).  Fast forward four hundred years or so.  David was king of Israel.  He wanted the ark of the covenant moved out of the house of Abinadab.  So, it was loaded on a cart drawn by oxen.  First mistake.  When the oxen stumbled at Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah, one of the sons of Abinadab, reached out to steady the ark with his hand.  Second mistake.  The Lord's anger was kindled when he touched it, and Uzzah fell dead (1 Sam. 6:1-11). I do not know if Abinadab was a Kohathite or not, but the ark was not to be touched.  Someone might say:  Well, under the circumstances, God did not specifically tell Uzzah not to touch it. No, He did not, but he said how it was to be carried and that the Kohathites were not to touch it.  Uzzah learned the hard way that, in some cases, silence is prohibitive.

When God has not spoken, it is presumptuous for man to speak or act.  David desired to build the temple.  Nathan, the prophet, told him to go and do all that was in his heart.  However, God sent Nathan back to David to say to him:  “Thus saith the Lord, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?” (2 Sam. 7:5-7.)   Up to this point, God had not authorized anyone to build him a house of cedar.  God's silence was prohibitive.

  In arguing that Jesus is our high priest after the order of Melchizedek, not after the old Levitical system, the writer of Hebrews says, “For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.” (Heb. 7:12–14.) In, this case, the silence of the Scripture is prohibitive. 

Azariah/Uzziah, King of Judah, learned the hard way when he got “too big for his britches” and attempted to enter the temple to burn incense upon the altar of incense. Azariah, the priest along with eighty other priests, withstood him, saying, “It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God.” (2 Chron. 26:18.) God struck him with leprosy and remained a leper till the day of his death.

In the New Testament, the Lord said, "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;” (Eph. 5:18–19.) The parallel passage reads, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (Col. 3:16.) These verses authorize singing.  This singing is reciprocal and mutual. It is absurd to say this is not congregational.  Though not limited to congregational singing, it certainly includes it.  Paul was writing to the churches of Ephesus and Colosse. How would those churches carry these commands out? 

The fact that God said "sing" in worship to Him excludes playing on a mechanical instrument, clapping, or humming. A mechanical instrument cannot teach; it may soothe one's ears, but it does not teach nor admonish.  Neither does humming or clapping.  There is just as much authority for humming and clapping in worshiping God as playing a piano, organ, guitar, etc. 

LIFTING UP CHRIST - II

BEN F. VICK, JR.

The lifting up of Christ is the greatest need in the world today.  Another way this can be done is by a denial of one’s self.  “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”  (Matt. 16:24.)  To deny one’s self means to disregard “one’s own interests.”  (Vines, p. 292.)  Of course this does not mean we should neglect our own salvation.  (Acts 2:40; Phil. 2:12.)  But we are living in troubled times when men are “lovers of their own selves.”  (II Tim. 3:1-2.)  The world says, “After me, you’re first.”  It is the “me-generation” and people put on “Us-Festivals” for the enjoyment of their own pleasure.  Let us remember that Christ did not come to this earth to please himself.  “For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.”  (Rom. 15:3.)

Even within the church of Christ there needs to be a refocusing on Matthew 16:24.  Selfishness leads to envy; envy to strife; strife to division.  (I Cor. 3:1-5.)  The exalting of self means to lower the Christ from his high and lofty place.  When self is placed in the forefront, Christ is removed to the background.  Every member of the Lord’s body is obligated to hide behind the cross of Calvary.  Paul wrote, “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.”  (II Cor. 4:5.)  We are all servants for Jesus’ sake.  We are brethren and share the same relationship one toward another and to Christ.  Those who love their titles and degrees tacked to their articles and/or books and encourage the church to subscribe to or buy them are no better than those the Lord condemned in Matt. 23:5-12.  What is the purpose of advertising one’s attainments?  Is it to show one’s qualifications?  If it be so, why not let the author’s work be proof enough?  Jesus said, “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased.”  (Matt. 23:12.)

In Revelation 4:9-11 the beloved apostle wrote, “And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power:  for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”  Through worship the twenty four elders honoured and exalted the Christ.

We too, through our worship, can lift up the Christ.  The songs we sing should be praiseworthy, considering the preeminence of the Christ.  (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16.)  The expressions of our hearts to God in prayer should lift up the Christ.  Jesus, in teaching his disciples how to pray, said, “After this manner therefore pray ye:  Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name…”  (Matt. 6:9.)   We can elevate Christ by the use of the solemn pronouns rather than the common, everyday, street pronouns.  In partaking the Lord’s supper we can lift up the Christ by taking our minds back to the trials and death of Christ on the cross.  (I Cor. 11:17-34.)  Christ is lifted up in our preaching when the truth is preached and all listen attentively.  (Jn. 8:32; 17:17.)  Christ is exalted when all give as the New Testament directs.  (I Cor. 16:1-2; II Cor. 9:6-7.) 

To lift up the Christ means to spread the gospel and stand for the truth.  Jesus commands us, “Go ye into all the world,  and preach the gospel to every creature.”  (Mk. 16:15.)  It is not lifting up the Christ for congregations to sit on large sums of money while thousands of people are dying unprepared to meet God.  The church is not in the banking business.  “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion.”  (Amos 6:1.)  Also, it is impossible to spread the gospel and not defend the truth.  The apostle Paul, in spreading the gospel, had to defend the truth on many occasions.  (Acts 19:8, 9.)  Those who think they can do the former without the latter will stand for nothing and fall for everything.  Paul said, “I am set for the defense of the gospel.”  It is not possible to put the pure in until the impure is removed.  (Jer. 1:10.) 

Jesus Christ is honored and exalted when he is reverenced and respected in the hearts and lives of Christians.  Jesus is “the light of the world.”  (Jn. 9:5.)  He is the source of light.  The Master Teacher, in his sermon on the mount, said, “Ye are the light of the world.”  Thus, in a sense, he is the source of light and we are reflectors of that light.  Now the question comes to you and me, “What kind of reflector am I?”  Those in the world receive either a dim or bright view of Christ by seeing his reflection in us.  Jesus exhorts us, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”  (Matt. 5:16.)  The apostle Paul adds, “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.”  (Phil. 2:15.)  How do you suppose the world views Christ when we are seen faithful in attendance, visiting the sick, teaching the gospel to others, etc.?  Such lives do lift up the Christ in the eyes of the world. 

Many other ways might be considered in lifting up the Christ.  But these are enough for now.  Remember: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.”  (Rev. 5:12.)  Brethren, let us lift up the Christ.

—The Informer

     Vol. 35, No. 46.  Oct. 3, 1982

LIFTING UP CHRIST

BEN F. VICK, JR.

“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ” wrote to “the saints” which were “at Ephesus” and to “the faithful in Christ Jesus” the following words: “Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” (Eph. 1:20-23.)  These words express the exalted position of Christ.  He is sitting at the right hand of the Majesty on high.  (Mk. 16:10; Acts 2:30,33,34; Heb. 1:3.)  Yet, despite his glorified place, men continue to tread “under foot the Son of God” and “put him to an open shame.”  Too many in our day and age have placed the honorable Christ with the common, mundane, and ordinary.  There needs to be separation of “the precious from the vile”  (Jer. 15:19), and people still need to be taught “the difference between the holy and profane.”  (Ezek. 44:23.)  This can be done by lifting up the Christ in a number of ways.

Lifting up Christ means to elevate the church to the highest position.  It was predicted to begin in an exalted position. Isaiah, the Messianic prophet, wrote, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.  And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths:  for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”  (Isa. 2:2-3.)  Even though it is literally so that the church began in Jerusalem which is 2,600 feet above sea level, the prophet has in mind more than the topography of the land.  The church began “far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named.”  (Eph. 1:21.) 

Though the church began exalted and glorious, man has tried to bring it down.  This is attempted by the false teacher who says, “It doesn’t matter in which church you are a member as long as you believe in Jesus.”  But the church cannot be separated from Christ.  To do so would be to behead the church, since Christ is its head.  Paul says plainly, “Christ is the head of his body, the church:…”  (Col. 1:18; see also Eph. 1:22-23.)  Any attempt to take the church from Christ is an underhanded endeavor to take the kingdom from the King.  (I Tim. 6:15; Acts 2:30, 33; Col. 1:13.)  To steal the kingdom is to dethrone the King; but “he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.”  (I Cor. 15:25.)  Therefore, such a rebellion shall not succeed.  To ridicule and deride the church is to count or consider “the blood of the covenant...an unholy thing.”  It is in essence saying, “The shedding of his precious blood is of no value; it is worthless.”  This has to be the case, because Jesus shed his blood for the church.  (Acts. 20:28; I Pet. 1:18,19.)  If his church is of no value, then neither is his blood with which he purchased it.  But the church is valuable and his blood is precious.  Therefore, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”  (II Cor. 9:15.)  The church is to be exalted throughout the ages: “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.”  (Eph. 3:21.)  “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”  (Eph. 5:27.) 

Lifting up Christ means to hold high his word.  The sweet singer of Israel wrote, “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth:  for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” (Psa. 138:2.)  Though the word of the Lord endureth forever, Satan and his servants are untiring in their attempts to steal our spiritual food, disarm the soldiers of the cross, put out the light from our path, remove the seed from the soil, quench the fire, and seize the hammer from our hands.  (I Pet. 2:2, Eph. 6:10-16; Psa. 119:1-5; Mk. 4:15; Jer. 23:29.)  But we must be “set for the defense of the gospel,” remembering, “For ever, O Lord thy word is settled in heaven,” and that one ay we shall all be judged by the book.  (Jn. 12:48; Rev. 20:11-15.) 

The devices of Satan, in order to remove that which is so precious to the Lord’s people, are many.  Those who teach the direct operation of the Holy Spirit (in sanctification and/or edification) are denying the all-sufficiency of the Scriptures.  “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (II Tim. 3:16-17.)  Those who borrow Jehoiakim’s penknife by the encouragement of modern translations are simply instruments in the hands of a devising devil.  (Jer. 36:22-25; Gal. 1:6-9; Rev. 22:18-19.) 

Men who have “high regard” for Christ but little respect for his word, in truth, have neither regard nor respect for either.  In order to lift up Christ, we must elevate his word as well.  Does a child honor his father by wilful disregard for his father’s word?  Friend, let us elevate the Bible; and in doing so, we will lift up the Christ.  (To Be Continued)

—The Informer

  Vol. 35, No. 45.  Sept. 26, 1982

DISCUSSING I CORINTHIANS 16:1, 2

Guy N. Woods

        “Please discuss 1 Cor. 16:1, 2; and explain how this passage may properly be cited as a pattern for a church treasury from which funds may be taken for many purposes when it was originally intended to provide for the needs of poor saints only.”

“Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.  Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” (I Cor. 16:1, 2.)   Earlier, perhaps in a previous letter the apostle had written to the church at Corinth (5:9) or, what is more likely, on the occasion of his last visit with them, he had revealed his plans to provide for the poor saints in Jerusalem in a great contribution he proposed to raise from Gentile congregations in Macedonia, Achaia, Greece, and Asia Minor, and the Corinthians had given immediate assurances of their willingness to assist.  The time had now come for their promise to be translated into performance; and, it was his design in the instructions given in 1 Cor. 16:1, 2, to indicate the manner in which their obligation was to be performed.

(1) The time when the contribution was to be gathered was “upon the first day of the week.”  The Greek phrase is kata mian sabbatou, literally, “upon one of the sabbath,” Hebrew idiom for the first day of the week. The word sabaton was by them used to designate the week (cf. Luke 18:12); hence, day one of the week is the first day thereof.  We thus learn that the church was accustomed to meet on the first day of the week (see also Acts 20:7), and it was, therefore, appropriate that the obligation being enjoined by the apostle should be performed on that day.

(2) The duty embraced “every one” capable of giving of his means.  It was not limited to the rich or to those possessed of abundance; the poor were to participate to the extent of their ability.  In a later exhortation, this aspect of the matter was repeated: “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”  (II Cor. 9:7.)

(3)  The amount each was to give was to be determined in harmony with the prosperity he had enjoyed.  The word God, though not in the Greek text, is implied, inasmuch as he is the source of every blessing.  Each would give as he was able, thus distributing the obligation in such fashion as not to be unduly burdensome to any. (II Cor. 8:13.) 

(4)  The design of this arrangement was to avoid the necessity of contacting each disciple for his contribution when the apostle arrived.  With their gifts pooled into a common treasury, the contribution would be ready on short notice, thus freeing Paul and his associates from the arduous and often unpleasant task of raising the money directly by personal appeals.  This is sufficient refutation of the conjecture of some commentators, and all Sabbatarians, that the disciples were merely asked to place in a treasury at home their gifts, in which case the “gathering” which Paul desired to avoid would yet be required to be made.  Each disciple was to give; each disciple was to give as he had been prospered; each disciple was to give upon the first day of the week, into a common treasury of the church.

(5)  The purpose of this contribution was to relieve want and destitution among the poor saints in Jerusalem.  (Rom. 15:26; 1 Cor. 16:3.)  It is worthy of note that only here is a Lord’s day contribution enjoined; and the only specific purpose for it was to relieve the poor in the Jerusalem congregation.  There is here no definite and detailed pattern of using the Lord’s day contribution to “pay” the preacher, purchase Bibles, song books, literature and communion supplies, or to erect auditoriums in which to meet for worship.  There is, indeed, no apostolic example of using the money thus raised for the poor saints of the congregation [but] raising money only [for] the poor of another congregation!  It is therefore absurd to insist, as do some extremists today, that general authority (as, for example, the command to “visit” the fatherless and the widows, in James 1:27), is not sufficient; and to demand a detailed description of every duty from the Scriptures, while they hesitate not to cite 1 Cor. 16:1, 2, to justify the use of the money for all the purposes indicated above, and many others besides, excepting, of course, a home for the homeless, sometimes styled orphanages!

But, do not all of us cite I Cor. 16:1, 2, as the proper way in which to meet all of the financial needs of the church in its work and worship today?  Indeed so; but, not on the ground that it provides a specific and detailed pattern of such, because it does not.  We have, in this passage, a demonstration of the way in which apostolic congregations, under the direction of an apostle, met a legitimate need.  The need, in that instance, was to relieve the poor which then abounded in the congregation in Jerusalem.  That great church had impoverished itself, in large measure, in providing for the great host of disciples who were in the city on the day of Pentecost, and for sometime thereafter; and subsequent persecution from unbelieving Jews had added to their burdens.  In addition to the sense of obligation Paul felt toward all the poor (Gal. 2:9), he taught that it was an act of Christian brotherhood designed to promote greater fellowship between Jewish and Gentile Christians for the Gentile churches to come to the aid of the Jewish church in the city where the church was established. (Rom. 15:25-27.) 

The churches thus met a need by means of a Lord’s day contribution.  We reason, therefore, that in any instance, when a need has been established, it may be met in the same way.  Support for the preacher, literature, songbooks, Bibles, the communion supplies, church buildings, an other matters in the same category, are proper and legitimate needs of the church.  They may, therefore, be provided for from the treasury of the church supplied from the Lord’s day contributions. 

—Questions & Answers-Open Forum.  1976, pp. 354-355.

DOES THE CHURCH MATTER?

BEN F. VICK, JR.

 When traveling to the church building on the Lord’s day, I see ball fields filled with children and adults, people at Starbucks, and others out working in the yard or walking their pets.  And I wonder:  Will they be going to worship today?  Have they been?  Are they more interested in their children and grandchildren playing ball or learning the Bible?  Imagine if all these people were as interested in the church as they are in other activities.  Does the church matter to them?

If the church does not matter, then the teaching of Jesus does not matter.  Christ said, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” (John 7:17.)  Jesus invites us to learn of him: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30.)  However, if the church does not matter, the teaching of Jesus does not matter.

If the church does not matter, the blood of Christ does not matter.  The writer of Hebrews says, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” (Heb. 9:22.)  The apostle Paul said we have redemption through the blood of Christ (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:13-14).  To the elders of Ephesus, Paul said, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28.)  Jesus shed his blood for the church. Would he have done that if the church was not important?

If the church does not matter, then salvation does not matter.  No, the church is NOT our savior, but Christ is (2 Peter 1:1).  Jesus came to save (Matt. 1:21; Luke 19:10).  Salvation is only in his name (Acts 4:12).  All spiritual blessings are in Christ (Eph. 1:3).  One of those blessings is salvation.  No, the church does not save, but it is the realm in which we are saved.  Paul wrote, “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.” (Eph. 5:23.)  One needs to be in the body of Christ to be saved (Gal. 3:27).

If the church does not matter, then the preaching of the gospel does not matter.  Paul said, “These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” (1 Tim. 3:14-15.)  The church is the support of the truth.  If anything is going to uphold the truth, it is the church, the manifold wisdom of God (Eph. 3:8-10).

If the church does not matter, then worship does not matter.  Jesus tied the Lord’s supper to worship on the Lord’s day in his kingdom (Matt. 26:29; Luke 22:29-30).  Paul gave specific instructions to the church at Corinth regarding the observance of the Lord’s supper (1 Cor. 11:17-34).  It is a church action.   We remember the Lord’s death till he comes each first day of the week (Acts 20:7).  This is why we should assemble with the saints each Lord’s day (Heb. 10:25).  Jesus said to his disciples, “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 19:14.)  These individuals wanted Jesus to bless their children.  They brought their children to Jesus.  Nowadays, parents and grandparents are taking their children everywhere but to Jesus.  The children will be blessed if they attend Bible classes prepared for them.  They will be blessed if they are in the worship assembly.  However, if the church does not matter, then worship as God has prescribed does not matter (John 4:24).

 If the church does not matter, then heaven does not matter.  In Christ, we have the hope of heaven.  Paul wrote, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.” (Titus 1:2.)  He spoke of one hope (Eph. 4:4-6).  Peter spoke of this inheritance: “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.” (1 Peter 1:4.)  Jesus left this earth to prepare a place for his disciples (John 14:1-3).

The church does matter.  It was in the mind of God from eternity.  Paul penned these words to the saints at Ephesus: “Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.” (Eph. 3:8–12.)