Church Of Christ View On Biblical Silence
The Church of Christ's view on biblical silence is rooted in the understanding that Scripture is the ultimate authority in matters of faith and practice. This perspective is grounded in biblical passages that emphasize the importance of adhering to the teachings and practices explicitly mentioned in Scripture.
One key aspect of this view is the principle that what is not explicitly prohibited or commanded in Scripture should not be considered essential to Christian doctrine or practice. This principle is often referred to as the "regulative principle" of worship and church governance. According to this principle, churches should only engage in practices and observe rituals that are explicitly commanded or exemplified in Scripture [8].
The concept of silence in Scripture is multifaceted. In some instances, silence is associated with wisdom and prudence. For example, Ecclesiastes 9:17 states, "Verba sapientium audiuntur in silentio, plus quam clamor principis inter stultos" ("The words of the wise are heard in silence, more than the cry of a prince among fools") [2]. This verse highlights the value of quiet reflection and the careful consideration of wise counsel.
In the New Testament, the apostle Paul instructs the Thessalonians to "study to be quiet" and to "work with silence" (1 Thessalonians 4:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:12) [7, 1]. This emphasis on quietness is not merely about avoiding noise but also about avoiding unnecessary or unprofitable talk. The early Church Fathers also emphasized the importance of silence in the context of Christian discipleship. For instance, Clement of Alexandria is quoted as saying, "It is better for a man to be silent and be [a Christian], than to talk and not to be one" [3].
The Church of Christ's perspective on biblical silence is also influenced by its understanding of the nature of God's revelation. According to this view, God's revelation is complete and sufficient, and it is not necessary to add to or subtract from it. This understanding is reflected in the writings of John Calvin, who argued that the Church should not deviate from the explicit teachings of Scripture [8].
In contrast, some Christian traditions have a more expansive view of authority, which includes tradition and ecclesiastical authority alongside Scripture. For example, the Catholic Church has a complex understanding of authority that involves the interplay between Scripture, tradition, and the teaching authority of the Church [5].
The Church of Christ's emphasis on biblical silence has implications for its approach to worship and church governance. By adhering strictly to the practices and teachings explicitly mentioned in Scripture, the Church of Christ seeks to maintain a simplicity and purity in its worship and doctrine. This approach is grounded in a commitment to the authority and sufficiency of Scripture.
The historical development of the Church of Christ's view on biblical silence is closely tied to the Reformation emphasis on sola scriptura. The Reformed tradition, which includes the Church of Christ, has consistently emphasized the importance of adhering to the explicit teachings of Scripture in matters of faith and practice [4, 6].
Sources
- II Thessalonians “II Thessalonians 3:12 (DRC) — Now we charge them that are such and beseech them by the Lord Jesus Christ that, working with silence, they would eat their own bread.”
- Ecclesiastes “Verba sapientium audiuntur in silentio, plus quam clamor principis inter stultos. -- Ecclesiastes 9:17”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 1: Clement, Polycarp, Ignatius, Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus — CHAP. XV.--EXHORTATION TO CONFESS CHRIST BY SILENCE AS WELL AS SPEECH.: It is better for a man to be silent and be [a Christian], than to talk and not to be one. It is good to teach, if he who speaks also acts. There is then one Teacher, who spake and it was done; while even those things which He did in silence are worthy of It is better for a man to be silent and be [a Christian], than to talk and not to be one. "The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power."(17) Men "believe with the heart, and confess wit”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 99: For, not to mention other reasons, they cannot be at the same time the members of Christ and the members of a harlot. In fine, when Christ himself says, ‘He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him’ ( John 6:56 ), he shows what it is to eat the body of Christ, not sacramentally, but in reality. It is to abide in Christ, that Christ may abide in him. For it is just as if he had said, Let not him who abides not in me, and in whom I abide not, say or think that he eats my body or drinks my blood.” Let ”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of the Way in Which Christ Is in This Sacrament, Art. 8: Article: Whether Christ's body is truly there when flesh or a child appears miraculously in this sacrament? I answer that, Such apparition comes about in two ways, when occasionally in this sacrament flesh, or blood, or a child, is seen. Sometimes it happens on the part of the beholders, whose eyes are so affected as if they outwardly saw flesh, or blood, or a child, while no change takes place in the sacrament. And this seems to happen when to one person it is seen under the species o”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 71: taken and broken; and therefore it was the bread which He affirmed was, either literally or figuratively, his body. Lutherans themselves cannot avoid saying and admitting that the bread in the Lord’s Supper is the body of Christ. Thus Luther ( Larger Catechism , v. 12, 13; Hase, Libri Symbolici , p. 554) tells his catechumen to say, “Though infinite myriads of devils and all fanatics should impudently demand, How bread and wine can be the body and blood of Christ? I know that all spirits and all learned men put together have not as much i”
- 1 Thessalonians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 Thessalonians 4:11: That ye study to be quiet - Though in general the Church at Thessalonica was pure and exemplary, yet there seem to have been some idle, tattling people among them, who disturbed the peace of others; persons who, under the pretense of religion, gadded about from house to house; did not work, but were burdensome to others; and were continually meddling with other people's business, making parties, and procuring their bread by religious gossiping. To these the apostle gives those directions which the whole Church of God should enforce wherever such troublesome”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 90: the word of God; and Christ declares the same thing of him, when he promises him to the Church. And so indeed it is. The soberness which our Lord once prescribed to his Church, he wishes to be perpetually observed. He forbade that anything should be added to his word, and that anything should be taken from it. This is the inviolable decree of God and the Holy Spirit, a decree which our opponents endeavour to annul when they pretend that the Church is guided by the Spirit without the word. 14. Here again they mutter that the Church ”