Speak Where the Bible Speaks; Be Silent Where the Bible Is Silent I. Introduction A. A question worth exploring: who are we? 1. An attempt to understand what makes us “us,” and not “them” 2. It can become an attempt to alienate, hate, or condemn “them,” but need not be 3. How come we are who we are, believe what we believe, do what we do? B. The question of “who we are” invariably must reckon with our heritage: what have we been given? 1. We can understand that the past is an anchor in both senses of the term: as providing grounding, but also impeding movement 2. “Who we are” does not have to be entirely defined by “what we have been” 3. Nevertheless, even if we wished to change many things about our heritage, we first still must grapple with that heritage: what is it that we have been given? What was done in the past that continues to shape us? 4. We are not going to be able to effectively understand who we are if we do not reckon with who we have been and why C. The early twenty first century has proven to be a time of identity crisis in the faith 1. All who profess Christ are experiencing one level of identity crisis: who are we as Christians in a society rapidly becoming all the more “post-Christian,” who believes that Christianity has been tried and found wanting (even though the “Christianity” tried has not well reflected the Christ), in which the Christian faith is looked at with great skepticism and derision? 2. As members of churches of Christ, we are experiencing a further level of identity crisis: who really are we and what do we really stand for? a. Having gained some currency in “greater Evangelicalism” thanks to its more ecumenical posture, should we see ourselves in greater alignment with Evangelicalism, or should we continue to insist on our distinctiveness? b. How important is our doctrinal stance versus our practical behaviors? Is “soundness” in a church primarily defined by what is taught or what is done? c. What should be our ideals? What do we privilege and prioritize among the ideals in the messy and compromised world of the real? D. In the midst of such an identity crisis, we do well to explore how we have arrived where we are, and the heritage we have been bequeathed: what of the restoration plea in the twenty-first century? 1. Is there still value to the call to the restoration of the New Testament faith? 2. How do we best restore New Testament faith in the twenty-first century? E. To this end, let us explore the call to speak where the Bible speaks, and to be silent where the Bible is silent 1. Why should we speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where it does not? 2. How might we fall short of this, and to what end? II. Speak Where the Bible Speaks; Be Silent Where the Bible Is Silent A. By common confession in “Christendom” the foundation of Christian faith and practice is found in the record of how God spoke to the fathers through the prophets and in Jesus through the Apostles and their associates (Hebrews 1:1) B. Yet, throughout the history of Christendom many other sources of authority or instruction have been advocated 1. Some have looked to specific authority figures to provide further instruction, be it someone seen as directly inspired by God to provide further revelation, a person or a group of people who pronounce decrees which become binding 2. Examples include the “apostles” prevalent in many Pentecostal groups; the pope, the ecumenical council of the Orthodox, or the “apostles” of the Latter-Day Saints 3. Others seek such authority in documents or tradition: the creeds, or who find greater explication of the faith in the general movement of the “Christian tradition” 4. Especially in our day and age there is a strong and wide belief that we have materially progressed beyond the prejudices of the ancients, and many implicitly or explicitly have no difficulty “correcting” what are either seen as faults in the Biblical authors or cultural limitations which compelled Christians then to adopt things believed to be presently inconsistent with the faith C. However manifest, all such views consider the Bible to be insufficient of itself, and consider it as requiring later enhancement: additional messages where the text is silent, challenging aspects of what the text is saying, etc. D. In such an environment many began to proclaim a need to speak where the Bible speaks, and to be silent where the Bible is silent: to restore the supremacy of the Bible as the standard for Christian faith and practice 1. The problem with all additional claims of authority is their standing; they all claim authority which God nowhere explicitly gave them 2. These additional claims of authority proved divisive and led to all sorts of factionalism 3. Instead, if the Bible were upheld as the primary standard of authority, all Christians could find unity in the faith in Christ proclaimed by the Apostles and their associates, and would not need to be fragmented into different groups espousing the claims of various preachers or solidifying tribal associations 4. The Pope claimed a mandate which did not exist in the first century or anywhere in the earliest form of Christianity; “Tradition” was at its best faithful to the message of the Scriptures, and at worst divisive and fractured over the opinions and cultural assumptions of different people throughout the ages; creeds developed as sectarian documents to delineate who is in and who is out, requiring agreement on precise formulation, and not based in the Spirit of God 5. Furthermore, what was the ground of the basis of the faith, according to the earliest Christians? What had been preserved of the witness of Jesus in the Scriptures! They constantly appealed to the writings of the New Testament as the basis upon which Christians were to believe, teach, and practice E. Affirming the centrality of the Bible as the standard of Christian faith and practice was one thing; and yet the call to speak where the Bible speaks and to be silent where the Bible is silent is also a reminder of how the Bible can easily get distorted 1. 2 Peter 3:16: the ignorant and unstable wrest and distort the Scriptures 2. “Christian” traditions exemplify such things: almost any conceivable idea or position was at some point defended by the appeal to various passages in Scripture 3. The Devil himself quoted Scripture (Matthew 4:6; cf. Psalm 91:11-12)! F. Thus 2 Timothy 2:15: we must be diligent to present ourselves as workmen without need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth, and if we speak where the Bible speaks, and remain silent where the Bible is silent, we will most likely be doing well at handling the word of truth rightly G. Speak Where the Bible Speaks... 1. To speak where the Bible speaks is to recognize the importance of what God has made known in Jesus, and to proclaim that whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27) 2. Speaking where the Bible speaks requires good and effective interpretation: seeking to first understand the text in context, and then to be diligent to make accurate, incisive, and appropriate application to a modern context 3. The preacher of the Word cannot but help notice the 2,000 year interval between himself and the original message, and the voluminous commentary which has developed in the meantime a. Some among us live in denial of the tradition, presuming that almost everyone between the end of the apostolic age and the restoration of the ancient faith were in such error as to render all their writings of little value b. And there are some, especially in some of the more historic denominations, who attempt to argue the singularity of tradition, and attempt to force tradition to fit into one progressive narrative c. Meanwhile many of the greatest among us have recognized that one must interact with and participate in the greater conversation which is embodied in that tradition d. Truth is found in some of the most surprising places; error can even be found among the faithful e. Thus we must at least give pause to consider what the various voices in the traditions of Christendom have to say about various passages of Scripture and the Christian faith: we have much to learn from the many very intelligent and dedicated people who devoted their lives to the study of Scripture, and there will be many aspects of the tradition which we will find rightly disagreeable, and they can help us understand our own biases and presuppositions and how they might lead us to hold to warped or distorted understandings and positions regarding the faith f. Thus, the wise preacher cannot pretend as if nothing has happened between 120 and 1820; we have all been influenced by the developments of the Christian tradition, whether consciously or unconsciously, in terms of what we believe and the positions we challenge 4. To speak where the Bible speaks is to put the emphasis where God placed the emphasis, not on what the preacher, or the church, or the culture wants the emphasis: all must make sense in light of what God has accomplished in Jesus, and be shaped by Jesus’ cross and resurrection (Philippians 2:5-11, 3:1-15) 5. Ultimately, however, the preacher does well to put the primary emphasis on what God has made known to the fathers and in Christ, pointing back to the authority of the Scriptures, and magnifying that authority at the expense of self, tradition, and culture a. The best a preacher can do is to get out of the way, and put the emphasis on the message and its power for shaping life and faith today b. The preacher is one under not only the authority of God but circumscribed by the bounds of what God has made known in Christ: if Scripture is sufficient to equip the man of God for every good work, the preacher finds all he needs in the Scriptures, and is sensitive about the dangers of looking elsewhere (2 Timothy 3:14-17) c. Far too often it is the self, culture, a new fad, an ancient or less than ancient tradition, or other form being the driver and Scripture being used to slap on some justification or precedent; it should be the other way around, and when Scripture is the driver, it is much harder to veer off course d. This is not to say that external examples or resources are useless; nevertheless, if Christ is the treasury of all truth, knowledge, and wisdom, whatever is true from other sources is true because they manifest the truth in Christ in some way, not the other way around, and so Christ should always be central (Colossians 2:1-9) H. ...Be Silent Where the Bible Is Silent 1. Throughout time people have been far too comfortable rushing in to speak where God has not 2. In the “silence” on many issues many have invented new doctrines, justified various prejudices and behaviors, and projected cultural values 3. Many get flustered at matters of silence, not recognizing that perhaps the problem is less about the perceived silence and more about the nature of the question (e.g.“why does evil exist?” vs. “What has God done about evil?”; with more malevolent questioning, cf. 2 Timothy 2:23) 4. But a lot of the time it is sheer speculation, attempting to fill in the “gaps” in the story a. An ancient phenomenon: witness 1 Timothy 1:3-4 b. Israelites developed all kinds of stories about Biblical characters (called midrash); books of these stories are far longer than the Biblical narratives on which they are theoretically based c. To this day people have all sorts of questions about which the Bible is silent, and no lack of preachers willing to speculate d. Paul’s warning remains apt, because such speculation does not engender faith but just more speculation, and all of it says more about the people speculating than anything in the text itself! 5. In terms of authority we recognize that silence, on its own, is neutral: it neither justifies nor condemns a. If God has authorized a matter, aspects of how it is to be done may be matters of liberty, and silence allows for various appropriate ways of doing so; if God has specified a matter, then silence is restrictive, and no additional way can be added which is authorized (Romans 14:13-15, Hebrews 7:12-14) b. Yet many times silence is an opportunity for reflection, for consideration of how Biblical principles may be brought to bear on a matter; yet it can only be an opportunity of reflection if we stop and respect God’s silence enough to hear and not speak (James 1:19) 6. When we are silent when the Bible is silent, we recognize our own limitations, and demonstrate our dependency on what God has made known for our understanding and practice (1 Corinthians 2:1-15) 7. When we are silent when the Bible is silent, we can wonder if the problem is not that God is silent but that we are asking questions, or presuming something, which is counterproductive or not at all God’s purpose to answer or have us know; perhaps we need to reconsider the matter in a different light 8. Ultimately, when we are silent, we demonstrate our recognition that our salvation is based on faith not knowledge; in the silence we have to trust in God’s love and covenant loyalty, that the secret things belong to Him, and He has the necessary understanding and power (Deuteronomy 29:29, Isaiah 29:15-16) I. Thus we can see why we do well to speak where the Bible speaks, and remain silent where the Bible is silent III. The Danger of Being Silent Where the Bible Speaks, and Speaking Where the Bible Is Silent A. Among our people the vast majority will affirm the principle of speaking where the Bible speaks, and being silent where the Bible is silent B. But our great danger is convincing ourselves we are speaking where the Bible speaks, and are silent when the Bible is silent, when, in fact, we at times prove silent where the Bible speaks, and speak where the Bible is silent! C. Silent Where the Bible Speaks 1. According to our pretense we would never imagine we would prove silent where the Bible speaks, but such does happen for various reasons 2. We may think that certain aspects of the faith do not need to be proclaimed because everyone understands them and/or agrees on them 3. Sometimes we think certain issues are too arcane, or aspects of the faith not as relevant, and they do not get preached 4. However implicitly or explicitly, many times certain issues are just beyond a preacher’s view or perspective: perhaps they are issues regarding which an opponent, secular or spiritual, emphasizes; it may involve aspects in which cultural views and assumptions are just assumed to be true even if there is a Biblical critique; and there is the constant concern of “stepping on toes” and avoiding calling out certain sins, distractions, and harmful tendencies lest undue offense is caused 5. One can tell a lot of the psychology of a preacher or Christian by the examples they give – and what they omit! 6. How many times have people been hardened in their sins and prejudices because preachers fell silent on what the Bible said about such things, either by never addressing the relevant passages, or by addressing relevant passages without drawing the connection or specific application? 7. Note well Paul’s sin lists of Romans 1:18-32, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 4:20-5:6: Paul lists sins we normally associate with “the others” (homosexuality, drunkenness) but also “ourselves” (lying, contentions, anger); “major” and “minor” sins, “liberal” and “conservative” matters: a holistic and comprehensive warning 8. Jesus and Paul were unafraid to address the specific issues which would cause offense: they were willing to upset the status quo (John 8:31-59, Acts 13:44-48) 9. The Word of God is to do its thing, which is to penetrate deep in the heart; it cannot do so if it is not fully proclaimed (Hebrews 4:12)! 10. Thus we must prove diligent to truly speak where the Bible speaks: all of it, whether comfortable or uncomfortable! D. Speaking Where the Bible Is Silent 1. We also like to believe we remain silent where the Bible is silent, but again, many times our practice would suggest otherwise 2. We rely heavily on our inferences at times, and can easily string them out beyond anything which the Biblical text could sustain 3. Beyond this, we can easily fall into all sorts of speculation 4. If we think about a lot of the issues regarding which we spend a lot of time discussing, there’s very little, if anything about them in the Bible: abortion, drug use, immodest dress in terms of a lack thereof, instrumental music, church assembly matters, etc. 5. Yes, the Bible does have a few things to say about many of these things, and many others; yes, many of these conversations have been forced on us because of the beliefs and practices of others 6. But if the Bible has so little to say about them, why do we have so much to say about them? 7. And this does not begin to discuss the times when people start taking more culture and even less Bible, and say all kinds of things that have no Biblical basis at all (Matthew 15:5-6, contra Colossians 2:8-10) 8. God’s silence, or lack of emphasis, should at least give us pause: if God has given us every spiritual blessing in Christ, and the Scriptures are sufficient to equip us for every good work, what have we missed? Are we emphasizing certain things out of fear and insecurity, adding our words to “make up” for God’s lack of words in our anxiety? 9. May God’s silence give us reason for pause and reflection! E. Yes, aspects of God’s emphasis are contextual; therefore, we might have to some things not as emphasized in the New Testament, and even must use Scripture to draw principles to speak where God has not F. But any such discussion must be anchored in what God has made known in Jesus, and always attempting to point back to speak where God has spoken, so that we can be silent where He is silent! IV. Conclusion A. We have considered speaking where the Bible speaks, and being silent where the Bible is silent B. We have seen the power of the premise, and the value in rooting what we teach and preach in what God has said, and respect God’s silence C. We must be on guard against the dangers of being silent where God has spoken, and speaking where God has been silent D. May we speak the words of life God has given to us, and not presume to add to them or take away from them, embody the message of Jesus, and obtain the resurrection of life! E. Invitation Scripture, Meditation, and Application 1: God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manners, hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds (Hebrews 1:1-2). God has spoken through the prophets and in Jesus through the Apostles and their associates. We may know the things He has spoken are true, and authoritative for our faith and practice. We do well to speak where the Bible speaks. May we hold firm to the truth of God in Christ and obtain the resurrection of life in Him! 2: But foolish and ignorant questionings refuse, knowing that they gender strifes (2 Timothy 2:23). God has given us all we need to know to be equipped for every work of righteousness. God does not answer every conceivable question, nor is there comment on every subject. Many people wade deeply into speculations regarding which the Scriptures say nothing. We do well to be silent where the Bible is silent. May we put our trust in God that He is good and loyal to covenant, and find life in Him! 3: “For I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). Paul indeed spoke the whole counsel of God to the Ephesians and others in the first century. He challenged Jewish and Hellenistic worldviews. He warned about the dangers of committing “major” and “minor” sins; he spoke of challenges which afflict everyone. It is tempting to remain silent where the Bible speaks on issues which are uncomfortable to us for a variety of reasons. In such circumstances we do all the better to speak where God has spoken, not only in truth but also in love, and come what may! 4: Neither to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questionings, rather than a dispensation of God which is in faith; so do I now (1 Timothy 1:4). For generations people have sought to “fill in the gaps” where God has not given details or has not spoken; whatever their motivations, such people have participated in great folly. If God has given us all we need to follow Jesus, why would we spend more time speaking about things regarding which God is silent rather than what He has actually told us is true and worthy of all acceptance in Jesus? Jesus is the treasury of all knowledge and wisdom; we should pause and reflect before speaking where God has been silent, lest we play the fool. May we proclaim Christ crucified, embody His life and teaching, and obtain the resurrection of life!