STUDYING THE BIBLE EFFECTIVELY (episode 3)

D. Only Divine Authority, not Human Authority, Is Acceptable in Religion.
When a practice in not included in what God has authorized, should we participate in it or not? Remember, the Scriptures provide us to every good work. What about works it does not provide? Consider the Bible teaching:
The Bible teaching about wisdom
Isaiah 55:8,9 - God's thoughts and ways are so different from ours - so completely higher than ours - that we cannot possibly know what He wants without revelation. [Luke 16:15]
Jeremiah 10:23 - The way of man is not in himself. Man is not wise enough to direct his paths without Divine guidance.
Proverbs 14:12 - Ways that seem right to us, result in death. This is why we must not follow human wisdom in religion.
1 Corinthians 1:21-24; 2:5 - Human wisdom leads men to reject God's will. We must follow God's wisdom, but it is completely revealed in the Scriptures.
Do not add to nor take from God's word (Rev. 22:18,19). To practice things not found in the word is to follow human wisdom. This displeases God. [Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Prov. 30:6]
The Bible teaching about worship
John 4:23,24 - Worship God in spirit and truth. God's word is truth (John 17:17) and provides us with all truth (John 16:13). Hence, we must not worship in any way not revealed in God's word.
Matthew 15:9,13 - Worship is vain (worthless) when based on human doctrines. But every practice not from God must be from man. If God did not originate it, man did. Since the Bible includes everything God revealed, practices not revealed in the Bible must be human in origin and therefore vain.
Worship is intended to please and glorify God. We respect Him by doing what He says. To do what men say is to respect human wisdom, not God's wisdom. Note the example in Lev. 10:1-3.
The Bible teaching about love
Matthew 22:37 - The greatest command is to love God completely. Love leads us to obey God's commands (John 14:15; 1 John 5:3). But all His commands are in the Bible. Hence, love teaches us to do only what we find in the Bible. To follow human doctrines shows love, not for God, but for men.
People often defend their practices by saying "I think it's beautiful," or "We're satisfied with it." But this is irrelevant when we are serving God. Does a man show love for his wife by getting her a power tool for her birthday because he wants it? We serve God by offering what HE likes, and that is completely revealed in the Bible.
The Bible teaching about faith
We cannot please God without faith (Heb. 11:6). But we must walk by faith (2 Cor. 5:7). Faith is a way of walking or living that must be demonstrated in action. [Gal. 2:20; 5:6; James 2:14-26; Heb. 11]
Romans 10:17 - Faith comes by hearing God's word. The only way to know God's will is by what He has revealed. To practice things not revealed is to fail to walk by faith.
Proverbs 3:5,6 - If we trust in the Lord, we let Him direct our paths. We do not lean on our own understanding. Human wisdom is not adequate to determine God's will.
If a man has complete faith in his doctor and not in himself, would he reject the doctor's prescription and follow his own? No, that shows faith in self instead of the doctor.
The teachings that we follow are a demonstration of whom we trust. To practice things not found in the Bible is to trust human wisdom instead of God's.
The Bible teaching about authority
2 John 9 - Whoever does not abide in Jesus' teaching does not have God. To have God, we must abide in the teaching. To practice things not found in Jesus' teaching would separate us from Him.
Galatians 1:8,9 - Any man is accursed if he preaches a gospel that differs from what inspired men taught in the first century.
God never intended for His word to itemize everything we should not practice. Instead He tells us what He DOES want. Then He forbids our practicing things He has not authorized. Instead of asking "Where does God forbid this act?" we ought to ask, "Where does God tell us to do this act?" If an act is not included in what He said to do, we should leave it alone.
[Col. 3:17; 1 Peter 4:11; 1 Cor. 4:6; 2 Cor. 10:18; Rom. 10:1-3; Col. 2:8]
E. God May Teach in General or Specific Terms.
Our practices must fit the definition or fall within the meaning of the instructions God has given. However, people sometimes misunderstand Scripture because they fail to distinguish specific language from general language.
A statement of the principle
Specific authority: God has told us not to practice things that do not fit the meaning of His instructions. So when He wants us to do a thing in a particular way, He instructs us by choosing words that are specific or narrow (limited, restricted, exclusive) in their meaning. If we then do things differently, outside the limits of the meaning of the terms He uses, we displease Him.
General authority: When God wants to leave men free to choose from several alternative ways of doing a thing, He instructs us with words that are more general or broad (inclusive, comprehensive, all-encompassing) in their meaning. We still must do only what fits the instruction, but we are free to choose any of the various alternatives that fit. Any such choice would be acceptable because we would still be doing what God said.
Applications of the Principle
Noah and the ark - Gen. 6:14
God told Noah to make an ark of gopher wood. Metal, pine, walnut, etc., do not fit the definition of gopher wood. They constitute different kinds of materials. God did not expressly say not to use them, but He excluded them by saying "gopher wood" and remaining silent about metal, pine, etc.
Had God wanted to leave Noah free to use any kind of material, He could simply have said to make an ark, and specified no material at all. Then Noah could have chosen any kind of material and He would still have been obeying God. But when God specified the material, the use of any other material would have been disobedience.
On the other hand, there are many things a person can do that would fit the definition of "making" an ark. He might use a hammer and saw, or pegs and glue. None of these things are specifically mentioned, but they would have been acceptable because, while using them, Noah would still be doing what God said to do.
Going to preach the gospel - Mark 16:15
God said to go preach the gospel to every creature. If we preach man-made doctrines, we are not preaching the gospel. Therefore, to preach them is unacceptable.
On the other hand, there are many ways a person might "go" into all the world. He might walk, ride a donkey, car, chariot, plane, etc. These things may not be specifically mentioned, but any or all of them would be acceptable because they fit the definition of "going".
In the same way, there are many things a person could do that would constitute preaching the gospel. He might speak to a group of people, write them a letter, divide them up into classes, speak over radio or TV or write on a blackboard or overhead projector. All such would fit the meaning of what God said to do.
Likewise, many other things are wrong in religion, though nowhere specifically forbidden, because they do not fit what God specifically said to do. Other things are acceptable, though nowhere specifically mentioned, because they do fit general instructions in God's word. Study the chart below for other examples.