In last week’s article, we noted that God is the proper source of authority in religious matters. Our authority must come from heaven and not from men (Matt. 21:25). God has given authority to His Son, Who gave the Holy Spirit to the apostles. These and other inspired men have written the New Testament. In this article, we will consider the proper way to understand how God is speaking to us today through the New Testament.
God reveals His wisdom and power through His creation (Ps. 19:1; Rom. 1:20), but He has revealed His mind and will to us through the Scriptures. Some people have the idea that the Bible can’t be understood by ordinary people. They mistakenly believe one must be gifted or specially trained to properly understand the Bible.
God created man and He created communication. He knows how we learn and comprehend, so He understands perfectly how to communicate His will to us. God’s word is meant to be understood (Eph. 3:4). We can understand the New Testament by following the rules we use to communicate with one another: we listen to what others say and watch what others do.
1. Direct Statements and Commands. God’s word speaks to us through direct statements of truth to be believed and commands to be obeyed. When the New Testament says Jesus is the Son of God (John 20:31), we are to believe this truth. When it commands us to repent and be baptized for the remission of our sins (Acts 2:38), we know we must meet these conditions to receive this great blessing.
2. Approved Examples. Sometimes God’s will can be understood by following the examples of those who were acting with His authority. The apostle Paul told the Philippians, “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern” (Phil. 3:17). The apostles taught believers to observe all things commanded by the Lord (Matt. 28:20). Their obedient actions are a pattern for us to safely follow today.
3. Necessary Inference. Sometimes we communicate with one another by “filling in the gaps.” An inference is when we aren’t told something specifically but understand it must be true from what we are told. For example, if I told you that I attended the funeral of a friend, you would probably offer condolences for the passing of my friend. I didn’t specifically say that my friend died, but you correctly understood this to be true from what I told you. God’s word does this as well.
All of these methods are used regarding the Lord’s Supper. The observance of this memorial is a command “received from the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:23). He commands us to “do this in remembrance of Me” (vs. 24-25). Through direct statements we know the elements of the Supper are bread and fruit of the vine (Matt. 26:26-29). Following the approved example of the church in Troas, we assemble to partake of the Supper on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). Using necessary inference, we know the bread must be unleavened, because this was the only bread available as Jesus was instituting the Supper (Matt. 26:17, 26). The frequency of this memorial is also established using necessary inference. Every week has a first day (Sunday), so it is necessary for us to infer that the church in Troas assembled to partake of the Lord’s Supper every first day of the week (Acts 20:7).
These basic rules of communication are how we can properly understand God’s will from the New Testament. In our next article, we will consider the difference between generic and specific authority.