In the last article, which can be accessed here, we began our search for the biblical means of establishing the authority of King Jesus. Again, Jesus is our King and as such, He has all authority in heaven and on earth (Mt. 28:18). His authority (in the form of divine law) has been expressed to us in the New Testament as was proven in a previous article. And yet we understand that we are not obligated to obey every detail of the New Testament. There are, in other words, personal remarks, incidental details and even certain commands which cannot logistically or reasonably be obeyed. So the question is: how do we know which details to obey?
As was shown in the last article, Jesus Himself teaches us (by both example and command) that direct commands are a valid means of establishing biblical authority. In this article, consider with me Jesus' treatment of the approved examples of Scripture.
In Matthew 12, after the Pharisees accused Jesus and His disciples of violating the Sabbath law, Jesus responded by saying, "Have you not read what David did..." (Mt. 12:3) and went on to describe how David's actions (his example) related to their current contention. Granted, Jesus wasn't using David as a positive example in this case, for according to Jesus, what David did "was not lawful" (vs. 4). But still, Jesus made His point by appealing to a Scriptural example. Do such examples aid us in our efforts to distinguish between what God accepts and doesn't accept? Yes!
Also in Matthew 12, Jesus appealed to a number of Old Testament examples to prove the wickedness of the first century Jews. The Ninevites repented at the preaching of Jonah (Mt. 12:41), and the Queen of the South acknowledged the wisdom of Solomon (Mt. 12:42), yet Jesus' contemporaries failed to acknowledge His wisdom. There are clearly things to be learned from the examples and stories of the Bible. As we approach decisions in our own lives, or as we face times of hardship, the examples of the Bible can do much to guide our steps in a way that will more accurately reflect the wisdom and will of God.
Finally, in Matthew 19, when Jesus was confronted about the matter of divorce, He appealed to the example of the first marriage union in Genesis 2. He said, "Have you not read, that He who made them from the beginning made them male and female" (Mt. 19:4). He appealed not to a command regarding the composition or permanancy of marriage, but to an example...and that example carried a lot of weight in His explanation of marriage and divorce.
Did Jesus follow every example from the Old Testament? No. Did he use the plethora of positive examples to govern every detail of His life? No. Did He believe that every example carried with it some kind of authoritative weight? No. Throughout His ministry, Jesus held up Abraham, Moses, David and others as being great examples of faith, but did Jesus imitate their every action and mannerism? No.
With this in mind, there seems to be three different kinds of examples:
- Examples of incidental actions
- Examples which impart wisdom
- Examples which carry authoritative weight
Regarding examples of incidental actions, I'm referring to the irrelevent (incidental) details of these same Scriptural examples to which Jesus referred. Again, He used Jonah's ministry in Nineveh to illustrate His point in Matthew 12, but does that mean that Jesus Himself went through the whole city in one day just as Jonah did (Jonah 3:4)? Did He feel compelled to go to Nineveh to replicate this pattern of behavior, or did He at least follow that example in Jerusalem? No, He didn't. The fact that Jonah walked through the entire city in one day was purely incidental and wasn't intended to become the standard for all prophets and evangelists moving forward.
Likewise, there are a number of New Testament examples that contain equally irrelevent and/or incidental details. We know that the early church sometimes met in "upper rooms" but this doesn't mean that churches today MUST do the same. When Paul obeyed the command of the Great Commission to go into all the world preaching the gospel (Mark 16:15), he walked or sailed to his destinations. Must we walk or sail to our destinations today? Are we thus forbidden from driving, cycling or flying by plane? By no means! Common sense, if nothing else, makes this all very clear.
Regarding examples which impart wisdom, I'm referring to those examples that indirectly relay to us certain spiritual principles but that do not necessarily require strict imitation. In John 8:39-40, Jesus responded to their assertion that they were children of Abraham. He said to them, "If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham. But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do." He plainly told them to follow Abraham's example, but He didn't mean that they were to imitate every detail from Abraham's life. He was simply encouraging them to reconsider Abraham's actions of faith, and to imitate, not the actions per se, but the kind of faith that Abraham had.
Likewise, there are a number of New Testament examples that we're not required to strictly obey but that do impart wisdom unto us. In Acts 2-4, we learn that the Christians in Jerusalem sold their properties and possessions, donating their earnings to the needy brethren among them. No one today argues that we must do the same! However, the actions of the Jerusalem church in this matter do teach us to be giving and sacrificial towards our brethren.
Finally, regarding examples which carry authoritative weight, I'm referring to those examples which must be followed or applied to our doctrines and practices today. Jesus used the example of David's unlawful actions in Matthew 12:3-4 to address charges against Him, and in Matthew 19:4-6, Jesus used an example to teach God's will on marriage (and to mandate a certain view of marriage).
How do we determine which examples are authoritative and must be strictly obeyed and/or taught today? I would suggest to you that no such example stands alone but is supported or backed by a direct command of some sort. In other words, there is a command for some activity followed by an example of how that command (or some aspect of that command) is fulfilled. Not only is this true of the two Old Testament examples cited in the previous paragraph, but this is true today.
First of all, there aren't that many examples in the New Testament that we strive to fully imitate today, and even fewer that are controversial. One such example, however, is that of the Lord's Supper observance in Acts 20:7. In fact, this example in Acts 20:7 illustrates all three kinds of examples (listed above). Consider this example with me before we conclude our study.
"And we sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas within five days; and there we stayed seven days. And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight."
The disciples in Troas waited all week for Sunday to come around. On Sunday, they assembled together for the purpose of "breaking bread." This is a reference to the Lord's Supper, an activity that was not only commanded by Jesus (Matthew 26:26-29) but also by Paul (1 Cor. 11:22-34). In this passage, we find incidental details, details which impart wisdom, and details which must be obeyed today.
The fact that they met in an upper room is incidental. The fact that Paul preached until midnight is invidental. The fact that Eutychus (vs. 9) was sitting in an open window is incidental. The fact that they were burning lamps for light is incidental (vs. 8). It would be foolish to argue that these details are anything more than incidental.
The fact that these disciples listened to preaching is not incidental, but neither is this detail to be strictly obeyed. After all, when Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, he explained to them what it meant, but He didn't preach to them. Neither does Paul command an accompanying sermon in 1 Corinthians 11:22-34. It is apparent to me that Paul preached to these disciples in Troas simply because they had assembled for spiritual purposes and it was therefore a convenient time to preach. Must we preach a sermon following every observance of the Lord's Supper? I don't believe so? Must we preach until midnight? Certainly not. But is there wisdom in using that assembly as an occasion to preach and study God's word? I think so.
Finally, while so much of this story in Acts 20:7 is either incidental or at least non-binding, there are a few things that I believe must be strictly obeyed. The fact that the Lord's Supper was observed by the church is significant. While individuals partake of the Supper, the greater context of Scripture makes it clear that the Lord's Supper is a collective activity. We don't find first century Christians observing the Lord's Supper individually or separate from the church (again, see 1 Cor. 11). It's also significant that they observed the Lord's Supper on Sunday, the first day of the week. Not only does this teach us that God is pleased with our observing the Lord's Supper on Sunday (we cannot know that He is pleased if/when we observe it any other day), but when compared to passages such as 1 Corinthians 16:1-2, it is easy to see that based on the pattern of Scripture, the first century churches met regularly on Sundays. That detail, in other words, is not merely incidental or suggestive, but mandatory.
So much more could be said about the matter of approved examples, but based on these few points, it is abundantly clear that the divine authority of King Jesus can be properly expressed through the examples of the New Testament. Just as Jesus placed instrinsic value on the examples of the Old Testament, so also must we pour over the examples found in the gospels and especially in Acts as we strive to be the people that God would have us to be.
In my next article, I'd like to make one other point about approved scriptural examples. So stay tuned!
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