In the previous article, brother Bill Cavender set forth some common sources cited by individuals to support their right or authority to hold various religious beliefs and to engage in various religious practices. He then went on to show how these sources are wrong and will not result in us obeying God's will. In this companion article, we will discuss the proper way to determine that which God has authorized us to believe and practice. We sometimes refer to this as "establishing Bible authority."

Establishing Bible authority is not a difficult task that can only be accomplished by trained theologians or spiritually gifted individuals. Establishing Bible authority simply has to do with properly understanding the Bible.

God communicates His will to mankind in the Bible. It is God's desire that we properly understand His will (Eph. 5:17). God created us, so He knows how we communicate. We should expect to find God communicating His will to us in the Bible in a way that we can recognize and understand.

We communicate with one another in three basic ways: we hear what someone says, we watch what they do, and we "fill in the gaps." God communicates with us through His word in the exact same way.

Commands and direct statements of truth. One way we can understand the will of God is through the commands and statements that are found in the Bible. When the Bible commands us to do something, we know that we have the authority to do that thing. When the Bible condemns something, we know that we are forbidden from doing that thing. When the Bible says something, we know that it must be true, and thus we are authorized to believe it as fact.

Approved examples. Non-verbal communication is very important. Children learn proper behavior from watching their parents and other adults. The Bible calls upon us to do the same thing. "Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern" (Phil. 3:17). "That you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises" (Heb. 6:12).

Necessary Inference. A necessary inference is when we are not told something specifically, but we understand that it must be true from what we are told. We communicate in this manner all the time. For instance, if someone tells us that they just came back from attending the funeral of a friend, our response would likely be "Oh, I am sorry." Why would we say this to them? Because we just learned that their friend passed away. Although they did not specifically tell us that their friend passed away, we know that it is true because of what they did tell us. We "filled in the gaps."

There are times when God communicates His will to us in this way. For example, the Bible never commands us to have a building in which to assemble and worship God (nor does it forbid us from having such a building). However, the example of the early church was that is assembled together to worship (1 Cor. 5:4, 11:18, 20; Heb. 10:25). This necessarily implies that we have a place in which to assemble.

The question of the frequency of the Lord's Supper is settled with a necessary inference. There is not a verse that commands us to observe this memorial every Sunday. However, in Acts 20:7, we learn that the disciples at Troas came together on the first day of the week to break bread (partake of the Lord's Supper). How often did they do this? Every week has a first day, so we understand that it was every first day of the week. The Jews used the same exact reasoning with the Sabbath Day. They never asked which Sabbath Day they were to keep holy (Ex. 20:8-11). They understood that God meant every Sabbath Day.

Understanding the will of God is not as difficult as some people think. All it takes is a Bible, some time to read and study, and a good dose of common sense. "Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is" (Eph. 5:17).