THE FORCE OF EXAMPLES

INTRODUCTION--

1. When Thomas Campbell was writing his Declaration and Address, he stated that "approved precedent" was to be considered as authorization for certain practices and doctrines. (Transparency: Prop. #3) "....Nothing ought to be inculcated upon Christians as articles of faith; nor required of them as terms of communion, but what is expressly taught and enjoined upon them in the word of God. Nor ought anything to be admitted, as of Divine obligation, in their church constitution and managements, but what is expressly enjoined by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles upon the New Testament church; either in express terms or by approved precedent." (Approved precedents are those in which a person vested with with either original or designated authority, as in the cases of Jesus or the Apostles, has participated in an event of spiritual significance with tacit approval.)
   
2. In recent years, a phenomenon has risen which has challenged the force of "approved precedent" or "approved example." This is by the promotion of the so-called "new hermeneutic."
   
   1. The word, Hermeneutic, is derived from the Greek word meaning "interpreter." Hermeneutics is "the science of interpretation, especially the branch of theology that deals with the principles of Scriptural interpretation." (Transparency. Hermeneutics)
      
   2. Modern religious innovators have said that the "old hermeneutic" is not really "scientific," and needs to give way to the "new hermeneutic," which is more flexible, less restrictive, and more tolerant of change.
      
3. Forgotten is the counsel of Campbell that we need to rid ourselves of all unauthorized human innovations, and build a "fence" with tight rules against such unscriptural innovations. (Transparency: Quote #1) His purpose was "To prepare the way for a permanent scriptural unity among Christians -- clearing the way before them by removing the stumbling blocks -- the rubbish of ages, which has been thrown upon it, and fencing it on each side, that in advancing toward the desired object, they may not miss the way by mistake, or inadvertency, is at least the clear intention of the above propositions...."

--Thomas Campbell

LESSON--

1. The obvious questions for this lesson are.....
   
   1. Do so-called "approved examples" have the force of limiting us to the precedents found in them?
      
   2. How do we judge which examples are "binding?"
      
2. Certainly, the Lord and the writers of the New Testament used examples to show what may, or may not be done.
   
   1. Jesus used examples to teach and illustrate His doctrine.
      
      1. The "sign of Jonah." Matthew 12:39-41 "But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet: 40 for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here."
         
      2. The brass serpent. John 3:14-15 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; 15 that whosoever believeth may in him have eternal life."
         
   2. The Apostles used examples to teach truths.
      
      1. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 10:1-12 . "For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 and did all eat the same spiritual food; 4 and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them: and the rock was Christ. 5 Howbeit with most of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9 Neither let us make trial of the Lord, as some of them made trial, and perished by the serpents. 10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them murmured, and perished by the destroyer. 11 Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. 12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."
         
      2. Peter, in 2 Peter 3:1-7. "This is now, beloved, the second epistle that I write unto you; and in both of them I stir up your sincere mind by putting you in remembrance; 2 that ye should remember the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and the commandments of the Lord and Saviour through your apostles: 3 knowing this first, that in the last days mockers shall come with mockery, walking after their own lusts, 4 and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water, by the word of God; 6 by which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 but the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men."
         
3. Three views of the force of examples exist.
   
   1. ALL EXAMPLES ARE BINDING. None hold this view consistently, for there are some things that obviously are not necessary to follow.
      
   2. NO EXAMPLES ARE BINDING. This is the ultimate goal of those who champion the "New Hermeneutic," since objective consideration of New Testament examples suggests limitations on our practices, and they want no limitations on what they can invent, or innovate, in their effort to "enhance the efficiency" of what they consider to be the antiquated organizational principles found in the New Testament.
      
   3. SOME EXAMPLES ARE BINDING, OTHERS ARE INCIDENTAL. All Christians should hold this view, though the methods for determining which examples are incidental are disputed.
      
      1. The most disputed passage, regarding examples, is Acts 20:7. "And upon the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul discoursed with them, intending to depart on the morrow; and prolonged his speech until midnight."
         
         1. This passage is our only example which designates a day for the observance of the Lord's Supper. (1st day of the week.)
            
         2. But the context of this verse contains "incidental information" regarding the meeting place. (An upper room, with lights, and a window, vs. 8-9.)
            
      2. Some have said that the marking of distinctions in examples (whether they are "essential," or "incidental") is determined in a subjective and arbitrary way by those who treat examples as binding authority.
         
         1. They do not say this because they want to follow all examples, but because they do not wish to be bound or limited by any example.
            
         2. There are some objective guidelines to determining which examples are essential to follow, and which are incidental.
            
4. Criteria for the treatment of examples.
   
   1. Its force is enhanced when it is in "harmony" with other teaching of the New Testament. (The importance of meeting on the 1st day of the week in Acts 20:7 is in harmony with the day of Christ's resurrection (Luke 24:1-6), the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1), and the command of 1 Corinthians 16:1-2. "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I gave order to the churches of Galatia, so also do ye. 2 Upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come."
      
   2. It must have a "material connection" to the thing taught. (The taking of the Lord's supper in an "upper, lighted, windowed room" is immaterial, or irrelevant to eating it.
      
   3. It must have the possibility of "universal application." (Everyone in every place, upper or lower room, lit or unlit, ventilated or not, can determine the first day of the week, and observe it.)
      
5. Certain things restrict the binding of examples.
   
   1. If an inference from an example bears the mark of presumption, it is not acceptable to those who cannot perceive the same inference. (EXAMPLE: Some have taught that the benevolent gifts collected in Antioch, for the future relief of the saints from the coming famine in Judea, was distributed through the Jerusalem church, which was the "only one" that had elders, to other congregations in the province of Judea. This teaching is an attempt to establish an "approved precedent" for the modern innovation of the "Sponsoring Church."
      
      1. The passage used is Acts 11:27-30 (Transparency). "Now in these days there came down prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. 28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be a great famine over all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius. 29 And the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren that dwelt in Judea: 30 which also they did, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul."
         
      2. Neither these verses, nor any others, speak of the existence of several churches without elders in the province of Judea, nor of any distribution to them by the elders at Jerusalem. These presumptions cannot form part of the example. We need to "stay within the lines."
         
   2. Some New Testament teaching cannot serve as binding examples, because it has application that is limited by circumstances.
      
      1. EXAMPLE: Some of the hypothetical examples given by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 7 regarding marriage must be interpreted by the fact that they were given "in view of the present distress" (vs. 26). Only a careful study of this chapter can glean which of those practices are imposed more generally by Paul on all Christians.
         
      2. EXAMPLE: The foot-washing performed by Jesus in John 13 is not a precedent for a church ceremony, because it was used by Jesus only to illustrate the need for humble service to his chosen Apostles for their application. Foot-washing that is mentioned elsewhere only demonstrates the qualifications of the foot-washer. See 1 Timothy 5:10

APPLICATION-- We should look for, and willingly apply, all "approved examples," using rational criteria for determining which examples have the force of authority. They are precedents to follow, in order to be pleasing to the God who inspired the recording of them, and Who reveals the rules and rationale by which they can be discerned.