Divine Authority: Specific and Generic
1. Gen. 6:12-22 – Was Noah told or commanded to build an ark?
2. Is the command to “build” the same as a command to “buy”?
3. If Noah was specifically told to “build” an ark, would buying an ark have been an act of disobedience?
4. If God had said “get an ark,” Noah could have bought one, built one, borrowed one, or something else.
5. The command to “build” was a specific command that prohibited other options.
6. Since Noah was commanded to “build an ark,” what tools was he required or allowed to use?
7. If God had told Noah he had to build the ark all by himself, this would have meant no helpers.
8. In Gen. 6:14 Noah was told to make this ark out of “Gopher wood.”
9. Would it have been okay for Noah to have used Cedar wood instead of Gopher wood?
10. If there had been a metal factory, could Noah have purchases use steel to build the ark?
11. Gen. 16:14 – If God had simply said, “Seal the ark” Noah could have sealed it in as he wanted.
i) Heb. 11:7 says Noah “prepared an ark” that led to the “saving of” his household.
ii) The “preparation” of this man meant doing things as God had commanded.
IN NOAH WE FIND THREE ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES TO PLEASING GOD.
1) When we look at the Bible we find multiple commands.
2) These commands and instructions use the very same principles we have outlined from Gen. 6.
3) When we find a command from God we typically find a “specific part” to it and a “general part.”
4) Let’s take the subject of baptism as an example.
5) Rather than tell us to simply get others wet, Jesus said we are to “disciple” people and then “baptize” them (Mt. 28:19).
6) The word “baptize” means “dip, plunge, immerse.” God says, “immerse” people who have been taught.
7) He has also specified who is to be immerse; Mt. 28:19 tells us baptism (immersion) is for those who have been taught.
a) If God has specified some things about baptism, do we have the authority to somehow change God’s word?
b) If immersing people is inconvenient, are we authorized to sprinkle or pour water on them? No.
c) Would we want to ever baptize someone in a tub of perfume, olive oil, or something else? No.
8) Some of what the Bible says about baptism is specific just like the ark, but not everything is specific.
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b) Has He specified that baptisms must be inside or outside?
c) Has God told us the water must be of a certain temperature, or even “hot” or “cold”?
9) The things God has authorized often have some optional things we can choose where we freedom to choose.
a) 1 Cor. 11:24-25 says we are to partake of the Lord’s Supper in “memory” of Jesus.
b) This is a specific command, just as Noah was told to build an ark.
10) Jesus has instructed His people to use “bread” and the “fruit of the vine” — specific items.
11) We also have specific information on the “day” for the Lord’s Supper – Acts 20:7 says “first day of the week.”
a) Where are we to partake of the Lord’s Supper? God has not specified that.
b) God has also not specified a time. We could meet and have the Lord’s Supper a second after Saturday ends.
12) I know some have tried to argue for having just one container, but God has not legislated the number of containers.
a) If God had said “make music,” this would have been a general command.
b) “Make music” would mean we could sing, play an instrument, hum or something else.
c) Eph. 5:19 and Col. 3:16 say “sing.” If we “sing and play,” we have gone beyond what is commanded.
d) Where does the Bible talk about having a church building?
e) Rather than read about “the church buildings,” the Bible simply says “the church” (the people).
f) Verses like Rom. 16:5 say, “the church in their house.” 1 Cor. 14:28 means silence “in the assembly.”
g) Philemon 2 says the man who received this letter had a “church in his house.”
h) God has not told us where to meet; He has told us what to do as a church, but not where to do it.
i) We thus might meet in a home, a rented facility or build some type of building.
13) We are to teach people the gospel, but God has not told us how to teach it.
a) We may teach one on one, by Bible correspondence, the telephone, internet, or some other way.
b) God’s word, as we learned last week, is what we must use to authorize all our activities.
14) We are authorized to give, but God has not specified a percentage.
15) We have a command to give on the Lord’s Day, but the method of collection has not been specified.
16) One of the great challenges in life is to learn about the subject of authority and obey this information.
