Series Part Two Series Part One
Descriptive or Prescriptive Passages: How do we know when?
(Important rabbit trail for more than just church polity issues)
Believe it or not we all do this when reading and interpreting the scriptures? Consider the following questions:
1. How do we know when a passage only applied to the first century audience?
2. How do we know when a passage also applies to us today? (Think universal applications, timeless truths, whats it mean to me, etc...).
Consider some scenarios (not designed to be straw men but consider the large scale ramifications):
1. Did God command you to build a large wooden ark to be rescued from a flood?
2. Did God command you to save up money and build a large temple for worship?
3. Did God tell you to cross the river and conquer cities in the land of Canaan?
4. Did God command us to only sing the Psalms? We have a whole book full of them.
Leap forward in history. Again how do we know when God is giving a command directly to us as New Testament believers?
By way of reminder again, descriptive passages "describe" for us what was actually happening in the context of the passage. Prescriptive passages actual give us exhortations or commands to follow today (By way of reminder, don't be upset if textbooks on exegesis and/or hermeneutics disagree).
The dangers here are multitude. Consider how many passages you've heard or read about that don't apply anymore because that only applied to a first century situation. On the other hand, consider the number of "universal" applications that have materialized from any given text. Consider some practical applications:
1. Do we go out in pairs of two to share the gospel door to door? (It happened in the gospels and Acts).
2. Do we go around healing people as part of gospel message? (It happened in the gospels and Acts).
3. Considering this church polity series: Do we ordain multiple pastor/elders in each local church? (We have a couple proof texts for this in Acts).
It is this last bullet #3 and the book it draws from that are battle grounds today. Without yet mentioning what I think is a strong case for determining descriptive/prescriptive boundaries (the epistles), please consider the battle ground in the book of Acts (yes this one book all by itself):
1. How should we view the events of Pentecost and later references to miraculous gifts?
2. How should we view the references to faith and baptism in this book (very important for the Baptist denomination)?
3. How should we view the references to apparently multiple elders in a local assembly (only a couple of times in select cities)?
4. How should we view the concept of missions/missionaries found in this book?
5. How should we view Christians still attending a synagogue and a local church?
Hope this gets the brain gears turning in 2016. We have to apply the scriptures to our lives. However the framework by what applies and what does not is not as easy as you would think.
Comments encouraged.
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