Silence Excludes
Authority is expressed in what the Bible says, not in what it does not say. The writer of Hebrews said, “to which of the angels did He ever say: You are My Son, Today I have begotten You?” (Heb. 1:5). He never said that to an angel, but “to the Son He says: Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom” (v. 8). We conclude that the Son was different from angels, because of what the Father never said to an angel. Later in the book, the author said that Jesus could not be a priest on earth because He was from the tribe of Judah - of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood (Heb. 7:14; 8:4).
When Judaizing teachers taught that Gentiles had to be circumcised to be saved, the apostles, elders and brethren in Jerusalem wrote: “Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, You must be circumcised and keep the law—to whom we gave no such commandment” (Acts 15:24). No such teaching had come from the apostles and therefore should not be accepted.
Brethren continue to have a problem with how to look at the silence of Scripture. In 1993, Hugo McCord wrote: “Long ago the digressives split the body of Christ by speaking where the Bible does not speak, by refusing to respect the silence of the Scriptures. Now some gospel preachers are not following the pattern. If one is not bound by the silence of the Scriptures he cannot oppose infant baptism, nor dancing in the worship, nor clerical vestments, nor candles...nor non– prescription drugs, nor lotteries and other gambling” (Spiritual Sword 10/93).
A church that wears the name of Christ in Lubbock (Tx.) participated in infant baptism four years ago. They had a joint service with a denomination to “baptize” a baby. Some are using instrumental music, as well as providing social and recreational events. That is the fruit of not understanding how Bible authority is established - by precept, example or necessary inference—not by silence.
When Judaizing teachers taught that Gentiles had to be circumcised to be saved, the apostles, elders and brethren in Jerusalem wrote: “Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, You must be circumcised and keep the law—to whom we gave no such commandment” (Acts 15:24). No such teaching had come from the apostles and therefore should not be accepted.
Brethren continue to have a problem with how to look at the silence of Scripture. In 1993, Hugo McCord wrote: “Long ago the digressives split the body of Christ by speaking where the Bible does not speak, by refusing to respect the silence of the Scriptures. Now some gospel preachers are not following the pattern. If one is not bound by the silence of the Scriptures he cannot oppose infant baptism, nor dancing in the worship, nor clerical vestments, nor candles...nor non– prescription drugs, nor lotteries and other gambling” (Spiritual Sword 10/93).
A church that wears the name of Christ in Lubbock (Tx.) participated in infant baptism four years ago. They had a joint service with a denomination to “baptize” a baby. Some are using instrumental music, as well as providing social and recreational events. That is the fruit of not understanding how Bible authority is established - by precept, example or necessary inference—not by silence.