The Regulative Principle

Deuteronomy 12:32 (KJV) What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

Correct me if I am wrong, but there is no command to have a "party" after wedding vows. This isn't something "God commanded to be observed"
Yet Christ attended the wedding at Cana (Beginning of John chapter 2) contributed to the festivities greatly by performing his first miracle-water turned into wine.

 

Please elaborate.

(1) Why does this statement from OT law apply to the NT church? "Free from the law, oh happy condition...."

(2) Who were the three men God killed?

 

Still bound to the old schoolmaster, huh?

Oh yeah - scripture - how about Galatians 3v23-25?

 

Good Day,

This is really not an issue I haved gave much thought. I listened to a sermon on this by Mark Driscoll at Mars Hill.

http://www.marshillchurch.org/sermonseries/religionsaves/

In Him,

Bill

 

Good point, Roger. I think the whole book of Galatians is germane. Another good passage is 4:31-5:1, in which the bondwoman represents the law, but we of the churches are free from that according to 5:1.

It seems to me that if the so-called regulative principle were true, then in the NT it would appear in the pastoral epistles. But the arguments I've seen (looking on the Internet) don't mention any passages from there, nor can I find any passage in the pastorals that seems to apply. (I just skimmed all three books.)

Again, the NT passages which describe church services are remarkably free of detail and "how to" instructions, other than that there was preaching (and if a guy falls out of the window and dies you'd better be able to raise him), teaching and prophesying. There may not have even been singing. So if they were to be true to their "principle," the old time churches that practiced the "regulative principle" went too far even by singing the Psalms!! Thank God I live today and not then. :godisgood:

 

I am not going to argue specifics, I am just glad to be freed from the law and he power of those who would steal my liberty.

And that does it for me here

 

J.D. are you a Church of Christ devotee? After all this argument could be carried to say that there should be no piano, organ, stained glass, no sound system, no hymnals, no Bibles (people in those days didn't have one), no steeples, no Sunday School, no extra Biblical literature, no air conditioning, no electrical lighting, nothing called a pulpit... I could go on and on. The regulative principal would regulate the church right out of existence based on the logic that I've heard from you so far.

 

Funny how when God does a work, there are those who choose to condemn that work because it doesn't fit in the nice box they have constructed as a residence in which the Almighty is supposed to "reside."

Why not list 'em all...according to you...

• A baptistry
• the "little cups" we use for communion
• Parking lots
• indoor plumbing
• Printed bulletins
• Lighting in our worship facilities
• Worship facilities themselves
• Sunday school
• Wednesday prayer meetings
• Microphones
• Pews
• Hymnals
• 1,000 more things I could list...

Would all be "sinful."

Does your post bother me? To some degree, yes. I'm not fond of someone questioning my calling. Of course, I could explain the spiritual basis on which I can support my calling....but your mind's made up, so what's the point.

Here's the rub: There have always been folks that didn't like God operating in any way other than what they preferred. I guess some things never change.

very well said.

 

So where is the "regulative principle" in Galatians, or in the NT for that matter? This proves nothing at all. Where is a statement that we must only go so far as the Scripture and no further? That anything not specifically allowed in Scripture is forbidden?

These verses do not prove the regulative principle position that we must go as far as the Word says but never do anything differently than what is specifically stated in Scripture.

Frankly, the study I've done so far makes me think that the "regulative principle" as practiced in history was hypocritical. (This is not to accuse you of hypocrisy, J. D.) While they sang their Psalms (Where is that in the NT church?) and met in special church buildings instead of houses (Where is that in the NT church?) they condemned anyone who did things differently. To give just one example, the founders of the Sunday School movement were condemned. They thought, "How wicked to have a special class on Sundays to teach children to read and teach them the Bible." Idiotic!

 

Hi John, while the Regulative Principle has good intentions, it has fallen short. Thanks for exposing that.

You have Ruined the Regulative Principle.

JD, I have to agree with John on this one.

 

So you're saying that there are NOT many, many "good trees" in the "Garden of Eden?" Heaven's gonna be a pretty "tight" place for you, eh?

skypair

 

I'm all for basing all we do on the Word of God. I promised my preacher father I would do that when I was called to preach. But that includes whether or not to follow the regulative principle, and I just don't find it to be Biblical!

I have to run to the church building (not in the Bible), prepare my message and Bible studies with the church/Bible institute PC (hmm...), copy off some Bible institute tapes (nope, no machines in the church in the Bible), finish the bulletin (hmm...nope, can't find it) and the like.

God bless.

 

The point is that you don't HAVE a point unless you can back it up with scripture.

I don't see anywhere that says we must no longer obey the law.

As you all should know, I really hate people adding to the Bible with laws like don't play cards or go to movies etc.

BUt again, who gives us the right todo as we please in public worship?
Also, for the ones who have brought up things like the air conditioning etc, we are NOT talking about circumstances. We are talking about the elements of worship.
Public worship is NOT a matter of personal liberty.

You do realize that the natural alternative is that anything not prohibited is ok right?

 

John, we are not talking about PCs and tape machines.These are circumstantial.
We are talking about adding and taking away from the elemets of Biblical worship.

Do you have the right to substitute a buffet for the Lord's supper?

Seems like they tried something like that.