The Church v2 8 Respecting The Silence of The Scriptures
Two attitudes affect how we look at the silences of the Scriptures. First, we view God’s silence as permissive. If He did not clearly forbid from doing something, we are free to do it. This is the prevailing attitude even among many churches of Christ. It means we can do many things that we can never find in the Scriptures and still think we are pleasing to God. Second, we view God’s silence as restrictive. If He is silent about something, we do not read His mind and practice something we guess He would be pleased with. Therefore, we must have book, chapter and verse for all that we do in His name. What attitude does the Bible teach? Why is it important in relation to Divine authority and the work of His church? We note examples of God’s silence in the Old and New Testaments, among denominations and churches of Christ. We also, will know more about how our view of God’s silence affects how we apply His Word in the organization, worship and work of a local church.
