The Bible is not designed to list everything to which the Lord objects. Imagine
the size of the Bible if the Lord had to tell us everything not to do! We are to walk
by faith (2 Cor. 5:7). Faith comes by hearing God’s Word (Rom. 10:17). We are
commanded to do all things in word or deed in the name of Christ, i.e., relying upon
Christ and doing only what He authorizes (Col. 3:17).
The very nature of divine positive authority is that the Lord tells us what to do.
For example, by telling us to use unleavened bread and fruit of the vine in observing
the Lord’s Supper, the Lord prohibited the usage of everything else. He did not have
to say, “Thou shall not use potatoes, carrots, peas, lettuce, hamburger, coke, etc., in
observing My Supper.” He has specified what He wants and that excludes anything
in addition.
When it comes to serving and worshipping God, there is always a danger in
taking matters into our own hands and presuming that God will accept whatever
we offer. Presumption means, “a presuming; forwardness, effrontery, a taking
something for granted,” Webster’s New World Dictionary. To act upon the silence
of the scriptures is to be guilty of presumptuousness. For example, God did not tell
Nadab and Abihu (two Old Testament priests) that they couldn’t offer “strange fire,”
they chose to do so and were punished. “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron,
took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and
offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there
went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD”
(Lev. 10:1-2). You will note that they offered fire “which he commanded them not.”
Cain was another who was presumptuous and took for granted that God would
accept his sacrifice of the “fruit of the ground,” even though God had specified that
He wanted animal sacrifice (Gen. 4:3-4; cf. Heb. 11:4; Rom. 10:17). God rejected
Cain’s offering and told him to consider what he had done, and be content to simply
do only what is asked of him in order to be accepted (Gen. 4:5-7).
Many evidently feel that the silence of the scriptures means consent. However,
such an idea is simply erroneous. In Acts 15 we read about the problem of Judaism
troubling the churches of Judea. False teachers were claiming that Christians had
to keep certain forms of the law (especially circumcision), in order to be saved (vs.
1). In answer to this problem a letter was sent from Jerusalem to the Gentile
brethren in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. A letter, I might add, that was composed
under the guidance of the Holy Spirit (vs. 28). In the letter we read a most
meaningful statement. “Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out
from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be
circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:” (vs. 24).
Why were Christians not to obey the teaching proclaimed by the false teachers?
Because “no commandment” had ever been given by the Lord authorizing such
teaching. For Christians to obey the doctrine of these false teachers would be to act
upon the silence of God. Acts 15:24 proves that the silence of the scriptures does
not give consent, i.e., approval or permission! We need to learn that the silence of
the scriptures prohibits rather than permits (cf. Heb. 7:12-14).
Let us learn to “speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is
silent,” or as the apostle Peter said it, “If any man speak, let him speak as the
oracles of God...” (1 Peter 4:11).