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The Authority of God's Silence
"The Bible doesn't say not to have instrumental music in church," the young man responded as he and I discussed our differences on the subject. His statement reveals a view which many have toward the teachings of Scripture. It in effect, says that we have to have a "thou shalt not" recorded in the Bible before we should reject something as unscriptural. Was my young friend above correct? Let's see what the Bible says.
Jesus promised His apostles another "Comforter," the Holy Spirit, who would teach them "all things" (John 14:26), and guide them in "all truth" (John 16:13). This promise was fulfilled, beginning on the day of Pentecost, with the baptism of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as recorded in Acts 2. When inspired by the Holy Spirit, the apostles began their work of preaching the gospel, as Jesus had commanded them (Mark 16:15-16); Acts 1:8)
"All truth" (referenced above), has now been revealed in its entirety — "the faith once for all delivered" (Jude 3). It is all-sufficient to do all that God purposed for it to do (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3-4), and, therefore, we must never be guilty of adding to it, taking from it, or perverting it in any way (Revelation 22:18; Galatians 1:6-9). That which the scriptures are silent about (has not been revealed) belong to "the secret things of God" (Deuteronomy 29:29). Many, however, like my young friend above, are not content to abide by what God has specified, and are willing rather to take extreme liberties that go beyond that which is written (cf.1 Corinthians 4:6), breaking the divine boundary of silence with human assumption.
What God's word teaches about this is impressive. Several scriptures address the reverence that should be had toward God's silence. To disregard it is to close one's eyes to what the Bible teaches: "Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son" (2 John 9). To "transgress" would include the carelessness with which many treat God's silence, being considered no less rebellious than others who fail to do what God requires.
In Revelation 22:18 we read: "For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book." Here, the whole of what constitutes disobedience is realized, not only in the "taking away" of truth revealed, but also in the "adding to" of that which God has not revealed. Man's ways and God's way are not the same (Isaiah 55:8-9), and the former must never be substituted for the latter.
Let's consider two Bible examples which illustrate this point. First in Leviticus 10:1-3, there were the two sons of Aaron, priests of God, each qualified to serve at God's altar and instructed by God's law regarding the manner of their service to Him. Rather than obey what God's word said, they used "strange fire" in their offering: "strange" because it was not commanded. The consequence of their disobedience was to perish in fire sent down from God. What's the lesson for us? When God has specified something, man is not a liberty to add other things which are unspecified. God didn't have to list all the wrong ways they were not to sacrifice, in addition to the right way, before these priests could understand. If they had been spared long enough to say, "Lord, you didn't say not to offer strange fire," what would have been the difference in their reasoning with that of my young friend above who sought to add instrumental music in worship when the scriptures specify that we are to "sing" (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16)? Absolutely none! The same is true, also, for any other addition of human wisdom in place of God's specified word (i.e., sprinkling for baptism, denominationalism, church sponsored recreation, church supported human institutions, etc.).
Consider another verse, equally impressive with respect to God's silence: "For it is evident that our Lord hath sprung out of Judah; as to which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priest" (Hebrews 7:14). The subject considered is the priesthood of Jesus Christ, and the inspired author of this epistle shows that with the change of priesthood (from the Aaronic priesthood of the Old Testament to that of Jesus), there must also be a change of law. Why? Jesus could not have been a priest on earth because the Law of Moses specified only the tribe of Levi to be priests. Jesus was from Judah, the wrong tribe!
Our point is that this conclusion is reached without God's law having to state all the tribes that God didn't want to be priests. By specifying the tribe of Levi, all the others were excluded. If God's silence is authoritative and prohibitive here, it most surely is for all that He has commanded us.
May we be challenged to investigate our beliefs in the light of divine truth.
— via Search, Sikeston, Missouri
