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[Note: <\/strong>This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles<\/strong>\u00a02 page.]<\/span><\/p>\n What is the significance of Biblical silence, or has it any significance at all? Does Scriptural silence grant freedom to act in religious matters, as many allege? Does the silence of the Bible have a prohibitive force? How shall we deal with the silence of Scripture? All such questions relate to the subject of Biblical authority for doctrine and practice and the way by which that authorization is ascertained<\/span><\/p>\n The foregoing questions may appear immaterial, given the fact that the modern approach to \u201cChristianity\u201d pays little attention to the New Testament for the most part. The only \u201cauthority\u201d that matters to most Protestants is whatever will draw the crowds and keep them coming. Simple New Testament worship has been prostituted, redefined in terms of \u201cChristian\u201d rock band and \u201cpraise team\u201d performances and hand-clapping\/hand-fluttering cultic hysteria. The pop-psychology, make-me-feel-good \u201csermonettes\u201d that come from so many pulpits are a travesty when contrasted with the Bible\u2019s prophets and preachers.<\/span><\/p>\n But how do these practices relate to Biblical silence? The worship corruptors are ready with their defense: \u201cThe Bible doesn\u2019t say not to employ such in worship.\u201d In other words, if the Bible doesn\u2019t explicitly forbid a practice, they assert their right to engage in it.<\/span><\/p>\n Only in religion, it seems, are men willing to follow this flawed course. It is axiomatic that when a doctor prescribes a medicine, he authorizes only that medication. Only a fool would ask him for an attendant list of all of the medicines he was not prescribing. Those who shop Online will never be asked to list all of the items they are not ordering. The doctor\u2019s silence regarding other medications and one\u2019s silence regarding additional merchandise is therefore prohibitive\u2014 rather than permissive\u2014in force. The doctor, patient, merchant, and buyer understand that fact without its being stated.<\/span><\/p>\n The Bible calls attention to the prohibitive force of God\u2019s silence. Nadab and Abihu presumed upon God\u2019s silence regarding the fire in their censers. They lost their lives by doing so. Their fire was not \u201cstrange\u201d because God had explicitly forbidden it, but because He \u201ccommanded it not\u201d (Lev. 10:1\u20132). His silence prohibited rather than permitted. Jesus could not be a priest on earth (Heb. 8:4) because He was of the tribe of Judah, \u201cas to which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priests\u201d (7:14, emph. added). Scriptural silence never implies<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n authorization. To allow all that is not expressly forbidden is to open a Pandora\u2019s Box and throw away its lid\u2014which is where \u201cChristianity\u201d is today.<\/span><\/p>\n [Note: This article was written for and appeared in the Denton Record-Chronicle, Denton, TX, August 22, 2014.]<\/span><\/p>\n Attribution: From thescripturecache.com; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 2<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Views: 2 [Note: This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles\u00a02 page.] What is the significance of Biblical silence, or has it any significance at all? Does Scriptural silence grant freedom to act in religious matters, as many allege? Does the silence…<\/p>\n