Authority = right, liberty

Deity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 1:2; John 16:7)

• → Inspired people: apostles, prophets (John 16:13; Acts 8:18)

• → Inspired scripture: Bible (I Thessalonians 2:13)

Gather all the facts

• Commands

  • Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 17:7-10; I Corinthians 7:19; I Thessalonians 4:1-2, 11; II Thessalonians 3:4-6; II Peter 2:21-3:2; I John 2:3-4; 3:22-24; 4:21-5:3; II John 1:4-6

• Statements

  • Psalms 119:104; Matthew 10:34-37; 15:9; 21:42-45; Acts 20:35

• Examples

  • John 15:12; Acts 20:35; I Corinthians 4:16; 10:6-11; 11:1; Philippians 3:17; 4:9; I Thessalonians 1:6; II Thessalonians 3:7-9; Hebrews 4:11; III John 1:9-11

• Inferences

  • Creation → Romans 1:18-21

  • Genesis 2:24-25 → Matthew 19:3-6

  • Genesis 14:18-20 + Psalms 110:4 → Hebrews 7:7-11; 8:6

  • Exodus 3:6 → Mark 12:26-27

  • Psalms 16:10 → Acts 2:24-32

  • Psalms 110:1 → Matthew 22:41-46; Acts 2:33-36

  • Matthew 9:6 → Matthew 9:2

  • Acts 16:9 → Acts 16:10

Harmonize the facts into a conclusion

• Acts 10

  • Vision: unclean animals, “God has cleansed” (Acts 10:10-16)

  • Spirit: “accompany them” (Acts 10:19-20)

  • Angel to Cornelius: “send for … Peter” (Acts 10:5, 22)

  • → Peter infers/concludes: “I should not call any man unholy or unclean” (Acts 10:28, 34-35)

• Acts 11

  • The vision and the commands (Acts 11:5-10)

  • The angel telling Cornelius to send messengers (Acts 11:11-14)

  • Holy Spirit’s command for Peter to go with them (Acts 11:12)

  • The Holy Spirit falling on the Gentiles (Acts 11:15-16)

  • → Jews infer/conclude: “God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.” (Acts 11:18)

• Acts 15

  • Peter: inference from events with Cornelius (Acts 15:6-11)

  • Paul and Barnabas: examples from 1st preaching journey (Acts 15:12)

  • James: statements from prophets (Acts 15:13-18)

  • → Apostles and elders lead them to a conclusion: “do not trouble” Gentiles (Acts 15:19)

• I Corinthians 9

  • Statement: Deuteronomy 25:4 (I Corinthians 9:9a)

  • Inference: from Deuteronomy 25:4 (I Corinthians 9:9b-10)

  • Example: Old Covenant priests (I Corinthians 9:13)

  • Command: Jesus, Luke 10:7-8 (I Corinthians 9:14)

  • → Paul leads them to a conclusion: Preachers have a “right” to support (I Corinthians 9:4-6, 18)

What we need to know

• We must reason logically and objectively from the text (Acts 17:2, 17; 18:4, 19, 28)

• The failure to do so has resulted in tons of religious division and error (Matthew 15:3-9)

• This did not originate with the Restoration Movement (II Timothy 2:15)