• 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; 10:12; II Peter 2:21-3:2; I John 2:3-4; 3:22-24; 4:21-5:3; II John 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 9-11

    • Inferences

      • Creation → Romans 1:18-21

      • Genesis 2:26 → 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)