Chapter-and-Verse
Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. ~ Matthew 22:29
The double-edged sword I do not use.
When someone says, “Show me chapter and verse,” they are using an idiom derived from the religious study and use of the Bible. Used secularly, it means the speaker is requesting to be shown a pertinent reference from an authoritative source that substantiates the claim in question. I have heard engineers use this phrase in reference to manuals or other specifications that govern the design and manufacture of items.
If you spend much time at church and around Christians, you will hear this expression. At best, the phrase means we demand biblical support for our doctrine and practice. It means we hold the Bible to be our only and all-sufficient rule for faith and practice. At least, that’s the ideal.
The other edge is when chapter-and-verse becomes a mentality. Then it does not mean biblical support is required, but rather prooftexting is required. In more extreme cases, it means the proponent demands at least one verse that unequivocally states the claim in the proper formula, or they will not accept it. In other words, the Bible has to say we should not do X exactly or we should do Y exactly. If this criteria is not met, they remain belligerent.
I chose that last word carefully because the chapter-and-verse mentality does not reveal the heart of someone devoted to Scripture. Rather, it reveals the obstinate heart of someone who is rejecting God’s Word and doing what is right in their own eyes. This is not someone who is searching, comparing, interpreting, and applying God’s Word.
Three Biblical Problems with the Chapter-And-Verse Mentality
- It demands something of the Bible that it was not written to provide. The Bible was not written as a list of dos and don’ts. It contains some lists, but even those need interpretation, as we will see in a moment. Think about it. This mentality is demanding the Bible have an unequivocal statement that addresses a particular situation and, if it doesn’t have such, they feel justified in doing whatever they want. The second most used phrase from people with this mentality is: The Bible doesn’t say anything about that.
- The Bible self-testifies that not everyone uses it rightly. Consider this passage from Hebrews:
Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
- Hebrews 5:11-14Those that need milk are “unskilful in the word,” and they are not able to “discern both good and evil.” It is the mature who use the word, exercising their senses, and are able to discern between good and evil. Note that it requires discernment to determine what is good and what is evil. Reading a list of dos and don’ts to find your specific situation does not require discernment.
- This mentality is not how Jesus viewed the Bible. Look at one instance that demonstrates how Jesus read and understood the Scriptures. Immediately after declaring that the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees fell woefully short, He corrected their teaching. They taught: “Thou shalt not kill” (Matthew 5:21) and if one does kill another, he will go to judgment. If you check Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17, that is exactly what those verses say: “Thou shalt not kill.” But Jesus said their teaching was incomplete because He went on to speak about being guilty if you were unjustly angry with your brother, but did not physically kill him.
Jesus indicated that Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17 were not the only word. He referenced Leviticus 19:17-18 to show that the law did not end with physical murder. They were to go beyond chapter-and-verse and search, compare, think, and rightly use the Word of God.
The study of the Bible is not about finding prooftexts to accuse or excuse. It is about knowing God in all that He has revealed of Himself. We are also told we need our minds renewed because they have a sinful bent and we have constant worldly pressure on us (Romans 12:1-2).
Missionary Sparrows
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? ~ Matthew 6:26
Why did Jesus point His disciples to the sparrows for comfort in the face of persecution?
Matthew chapter 10 recounts how Jesus instructed, warned, and comforted His disciples before sending them out on a disciple-making mission. He did not hide or soften the reality. He told them plainly what things they could expect on mission.
He told them to be careful with rulers and those in power. They were to expect trouble with the worldly authorities, including persecution and imprisonment. He warned them about the treachery and disloyalty they would encounter, even among family members. He prepared them to expect to be hated by those whom they tried to reach. They were to expect persecution and even being run out of town. He warned them about the slander they would face. He also told them that some would be killed for the testimony of Christ and His Gospel.
Jesus was always very open about the costs for following Him. It caused many to rethink and depart. This is quite a contrast from the message from so many corners today: “God loves you just the way you are and has a wonderful plan for your life, if you will only just accept Him.” That was not Jesus’ message. It is not the message of the Bible, and it should not be our message today. But I digress. Now to the sparrows.
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
~ Matthew 10:29-31
In the midst of these plain and terrifying warnings, Jesus directed the disciples to consider the sparrows. In fact, He did this immediately after raising the prospect of martyrdom. Why? How were the sparrows to help and comfort them in the face of such persecutions? I believe there are two primary reasons.
God’s Fatherhood
Jesus pointed out the sparrows relatively little worth: “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?” He also pointed out the care “your Father” has for them. This is an argument from the lesser to the greater as Jesus concluded, “Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.”
The lesson is plain. We go on mission in Jesus’ name and we have the care of our heavenly Father. He cares intimately about the insignificant creatures of creation. He is our Father and we are more valuable to Him than many such creatures. We should not then presume we have lost His care because we come into persecution for His name.
This is both comforting and encouraging. But Jesus had another reason for pointing His disciples to the sparrows.
God’s Sovereignty
Jesus said, “And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.” Some would understand this to say that not a sparrow dies without the notice and care of God. That doesn’t quite capture the full picture.
The Bible is clear that God is sovereign over His creation. He ordains life and death. He appoints the times, seasons, and bounds of habitation. This is true of the sparrow and the worm and the king on his throne. The Psalmist paints the manifest wisdom of God’s sovereignty over His creation this way:
These wait all upon thee;
That thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
That thou givest them they gather:
Thou openest thine hand,
They are filled with good.
Thou hidest thy face,
They are troubled:
Thou takest away their breath,
They die,
And return to their dust.
~ Psalm 104:27-29
What is the lesson? When a sparrow falls to the ground, it is ordained of God. Likewise, when we come into persecution, it is ordained of God. He has permitted it and He has purpose in it. Even Jesus said as much to Pilate when facing His own death, “Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above.” (John 19:11)
Take comfort and find courage in the mission of the Gospel in the world. Nothing will befall us that is beyond God’s control. Whatever may come will be for our good and ultimately for God’s glory.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
~ Romans 8:28
The Gospel in the Hole
They took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. ~ Acts 18:26
Have you ever noticed a hole in personal testimonies?
A personal testimony is a relating of our own experience of salvation. It is an account of the powerful work of God in our own life. Some berth must be given for the “personal” aspect, though certain things are always, or should be, the same. Some allowance must be made that not everyone is a theologian or preacher on the order of Paul, yet all testimonies should have some things in common with Paul.
Paul had a dramatic experience on the Damascus road, but he didn’t consider himself to be in a different class of conversion from others. He wrote:
Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
~ 1 Timothy 1:16
If I were to combine and summarize many testimonies I have heard, it would go something like this:
- Personal crisis. This could be a financial loss, medical issue, death of a loved one, etc. In this part, words like “strayed” and “disconnected” are common.
- Help. This could come from a friend, family member, or through a church. In this part, words like “reconnected,” “community,” and “serving” are common.
- Solution. This is where the crisis is resolved or worked out in some way. Words like “peace,” “victory,” and “blessing” are common.
My comments are not intended to be negatively critical of those elements. It’s not so much what is said, but what is not said that is concerning. Such testimonies rarely refer to sin or repentance and you seldom hear much about God or Jesus Christ. There is a gaping hole in these testimonies and primarily the Gospel is missing.
Paul gave his testimony before Agrippa in Acts 26:2-23. There are some marked differences between Paul and what we hear prevalently today. It’s not that Paul did not relate personal experiences, he did. But he also told the truth of the Gospel that gave meaning to his experience.
Consider some of what Paul included.
- The hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers (v. 6)
- That God should raise the dead [resurrection] (v. 8)
- The name of Jesus Nazareth (v. 9)
- I was not disobedient [I obeyed] (v. 19)
- They should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance (v. 20)
- Saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come (v. 22)
- The suffering of Christ, His resurrection, and light to the people (v. 23)
I don’t suggest we have to be theologians or preachers to give our testimonies. I don’t suggest we should embellish our testimonies to sound like we are saved. I do suggest there is a hole in our testimonies and we should put the Gospel in the hole.
Cheesy Fingers
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. ~ 2 Timothy 4:4
You have probably heard the humorous observation of how Christians sometimes pray to ask God to make up for our bad choices. We’ll grab a bag of cheese puffs and a high-sugar, high-caffeine soda and then pray to ask God to bless it to the nourishment of our bodies. If we truly want our bodies to be nourished, apart from a transformative miracle from God, then we must dramatically increase the quality of food we are feeding our bodies.
While that is humorous and hits closer to home than we would like, I wonder how often this is true of our spiritual lives. How often are we snacking on spiritually equivalent cheese coated puffs of air while praying and hoping that our souls will be nourished somehow? One place this is very apparent is our approach to church.
God has designed the church to facilitate the spiritual growth and maturation of its members. This is not the only purpose of the church, but it is a very important purpose. Paul taught this in his letter to the church at Ephesus:
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
~ Ephesians 4:11-16
One of the consequences of “the edifying of the body” is “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine.” The apostle has spiritual maturity in mind. He wants to see the Christians grow up and become men and women of the Word.
So the church is one of the means of sanctification in our lives, yet so few people think of it this way. Many want a church just like they want their snacks—sweet and light and causing a momentary good feeling. A person cannot live on snack food, at least not very long or well.
Paul put this craving this way:
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
~ 2 Timothy 4:3-4
Paul warned Timothy that people would not endure sound teaching, but would seek out snacks for their cravings. He described these people as having “itching ears.” You would think he was talking about America, because we certainly have itching ears. Apparently, we are scratching those ears with cheesy fingers.
