Resources/Articles
Silence & Authority
Some hold to the idea that we cannot understand the truth, but that is not what the Bible declares. The Bible can be understood. How just would God be to place my salvation upon “that which is written” and then give me “that which is written” (the Bible), knowing all the time that I could not understand it? Paul wrote, “Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5.17). He also said, “Whereby, when ye read, ye can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ” (Ephesians 3.4).
If the Bible cannot be understood, only one of two reasons would explain why. Either God does not want us to understand it (verses just given prove otherwise; compare 2 Peter 3.9; 1 Timothy 2.3-4), or he is not able to make the word understandable (and who would accuse God of this?). Yet, the Bible says the word is truth (John 17.17; 8.31-32; 7.17) and that we can “know” it (Psalms 119.60; 117.1-2; Proverbs 23.23; John 1.17; 2 Thessalonians 2.10-12). The alternative is, if there is no truth, there is no error; there is no sin and Jesus died for naught!
We can agree on what is written, but we disagree when talking of what the Bible does not say. Note these examples:
- Exodus 3.1-3. God spoke to Moses out of a “bush that burned with fire.” We can know it was a burning bush, but when we speculate on what kind of a bush it was that burned, then we disagree. The Bible is silent on the kind of bush it was.
- John 3.1-2. We can all agree that Nicodemus came to Christ “by night.” However, disagreement comes when we force an opinion on the “why” of his coming by night. Unity comes on the clear statement “by night,” and disunity comes when we try to make opinion a basis for unity.
- John 8.1-8. This scripture explicitly states that Jesus “wrote on the ground.” What did he write? We do not know. The reason we do not know is because the Bible does not say.
- 2 Corinthians 12.7-10. Much has been written about this “thorn in the flesh”, and many ideals and opinions have been expressed as to what it was. We can agree Paul had a “thorn in the flesh” because the Bible says so. We will never be united on what it was because the Bible is silent on that.
- There is no authority in silence upon which man can agree. God does not require unity where there is no authority. What God teaches he expects, and what God has omitted, he rejects.
