The Role of Logic

The article below is extremely important. It is LONG, but if you will challenge yourself to read it carefully and thoughtfully, it will bless you with a better understanding of some vital information about Bible study.

The Role of Logic in Biblical Hermeneutics

by Thomas B. Warren

Logic is the science of valid reasoning. It is not mere wishing. It is not mere thinking. It is not mere wrangling. Logic has to do with inference — that is, the inferring of what is implied by explicit statements. It raises the question, Do the premises of this argument imply the conclusion of this argument? First Thessalonians 5:21 affirms, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (KJV).

Some people think very seldom, if at all, specifically about logic; that is, they do not say such things as, “Let me show you the sound argument that proves that Proposition X is true.” However, everyone who is intelligent enough to be accountable for what he does is a logician. And most people are pretty good logicians, although they never have studied logic formally in any college or university.

Because valid reasoning is absolutely essential to correctly interpreting the Bible, knowledge of the principles of logic is vital to everyone who tries to interpret the Bible correctly.

No one can be saved without being obedient to God’s Word. But no one can be obedient to God’s Word unless he knows what that Word teaches. No one can know what to do to be saved without knowing what the Bible teaches one to do to be saved. In order to know what the Bible teaches, one must gather the evidence that is relevant to that problem and correctly handle that evidence after he has gathered it. But no one can handle the evidence he has gathered correctly, even if he has gathered the relevant evidence, in any way other than by drawing only such conclusions as are warranted or implied by that evidence.

After having learned the truth, no one can be saved without obeying from the heart the very things the Bible teaches him to do to be saved. This same general procedure applies to every subject in the Bible.

Hermeneutics is the science of interpretation. Thus, biblical hermeneutics is the science of correctly interpreting the explicit statements of the Bible. Every person should be deeply concerned about biblical hermeneutics. Everyone who studies the Bible and who draws conclusions as to what is taught by the Bible must — or at least should — be deeply concerned about the correct use of logical principles.

Some men have claimed foolishly that only what is explicitly stated can be bound — by either doing or not doing a given thing. Fortunately, this claim is false. If it were true, it would mean that the Bible has nothing to say to any person now living on earth. This is the case because the Bible does not explicitly address anything to — by explicitly stating the name of — any person now living on earth.

For any of us who now live on earth to know that the Bible authorizes us to do a given thing or forbids us to do a given thing, one would have to find his own name explicitly stated in connection with that specific activity — that is, if the “no-logic” view is true. To say that a given proposition is taught implicitly in the Bible is to say that it is impossible for the explicit statements that are involved to be true and yet the proposition that is implied to be false. Theologians with a bent toward misology, the hatred or rejection of logic, or logophobia, the fear of logic, would do well to take note of this truth.

The Bible demands that we prove all things (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Jesus and His apostles all proved their cases. I have dealt with this fact in some detail in my books Logic and the Bible and When Is an Example Binding?

One can, of course, prove that the Bible explicitly teaches a certain proposition if he can find it to be stated word for word in the Bible. But to prove that the Bible implicitly teaches a certain proposition, one must prove that the Bible contains explicit statements that imply that particular proposition. To say that one or more statements imply another proposition is to say that it is impossible for the first statement(s) to be true and the latter to be false. But, may it carefully be noted, this requires argument — not in the sense of mere quarreling, but argument in the sense that such a relationship exists between th evidence and the conclusion that the truth of the evidence demands the truth of the conclusion.

Thus, being a good student of the Bible requires one first to gather the relevant evidence from the Bible and second to draw only such conclusions as are warranted by that evidence, the explicit statements that are involved.

The foregoing requires that one formulate an argument that is valid and prove that all the premises, which comprise the evidence, are true. When such is the case, the argument is sound. Only sound arguments prove anything. When one produces a sound argument, he has proved that the conclusion of that argument is true. Ridiculing the use of logic in the study of the Bible or accusing someone of claiming to “know everything” — just because he claims to prove that a given proposition has been proved to be true — is a tactic that is not worthy of a Christian.

I have noted, on many occasions, that some men, after ridiculing the necessity of sound argumentation, go right ahead, no doubt without realizing just what they are doing, and try to offer logical proof for their own position. It might be difficult to persuade them to admit that such is the case. It is grossly inconsistent to write articles that criticize men because they criticize some things. They also oppose those whom they call “opposers.” And they infer that nothing that has been inferred can be bound on anyone. They claim that only that which is explicitly stated can be binding on anyone — even though the Bible nowhere explicitly states or implies that only that which is explicitly stated can be binding. But men who understand the crucial nature of sound argumentation in regard to the explicit statements of the Bible do not fall into such obvious self-contradiction in regard to such matters.

I have noted that often when men are trying to defend a false doctrine, they suddenly — if, indeed, they have not already done so — turn “anti-logic.” I plead with brethren not to do that. I plead with all who listen to “anti-logic” men not to be misled by their leaps into the dark — the conclusions they have drawn for which no adequate evidence exists.

I submit that no man can find even one instance in all of the Bible where the Holy Spirit, in setting out God’s case, ever used an unsound argument. God expects men to do the same; that is, to set out sound arguments and to demand sound arguments from other men. Let it be noted that faith comes from the evidence of God’s Word (Romans 10:17), not from some leap into the dark to some conclusion that is not implied by the explicit statements of the Bible.

For those who think they can interpret the Bible correctly without gathering the evidence that is relevant to a given proposition and correctly handling that evidence — I offer the challenge to explain this passage without correctly using the principles of logic: Luke 6:12-16, in connection with the question, Did Jesus establish His church when He called the disciples as per this passage? If not, when did He establish it? Was it on the first day of Pentecost after His resurrection from the dead? If so, where is the explicit statement that explicitly says Jesus established the church on the first day of Pentecost after His resurrection?

What about the large number of explicit statements in regard to miraculous gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14? Are men living on earth today explicitly instructed to “desire earnestly spiritual gifts” (14:1)? Are men living on earth explicitly instructed to “prophesy” (14:1)? Has God explicitly instructed Christians living today to “speak in tongues” (!4:5)? And so on and so on in chapters 12-14. No man can either learn or teach the truth about this matter without inferring what is implied by the explicit statements of those and other passages. And, may it carefully be noted, when one has inferred what the explicit statements have implied, the inferences or conclusions are bound, not because he — the man — has inferred them but because God had implied them.

Because no man can understand — correctly interpret — the Bible without inferring what is implied by the explicit statements of the Bible, it behooves every responsible person to study the Bible with an honest, open, and eager mind that is focused on this great truth.

The New Testament is simply filled with sound argumentation by Jesus and His apostles and prophets. Just a few of these are: Matthew 4:1-11; 22:15-22; 22:23-33; 22:34-46; Acts 3:1–4:4; and 1 Corinthians 15:12-19.
Jesus taught that men can and must know the truth if they are to be saved (John 6:45; 8:32). No man can know the truth that applies to him, that is, what is required, what is forbidden, what is allowed or optional, without reasoning correctly about the explicit statements of the Bible.

When one is studying the Bible, he should be careful to note such words as “therefore,” “if,” “then,” “why,” and “because,” because these words usually constitute keys to the sound arguments God is giving to men. At times, of course, they may be used in setting out the unsound arguments the servants of Satan are making.

The truths that have been set forth here constitute at least some of the good reasons I plead with all students of the Bible to infer — by the correct use of the principles of valid reasoning — only what the explicit statements of the Bible imply. Thus, I repeat: God always presents His case in the form of a sound argument — one in which both the argument is valid and all the premises are true. Because this is the case, why have so many brethren allowed themselves to be lured into the acceptance of logic-rejecting philosophies, such as Existentialism, in spite of the fact that God demands that men “prove all things” and “hold fast to that which is good“?
I challenge any man who holds that nothing that is implied by the explicit statements of the Bible can be bound on anyone, to refute denominationalists who use the account of the thief on the cross to conclude that men living today are saved at the point of their faith in Christ, before and without being baptized in the name of Jesus.

Further, I challenge them to find the statement in the New Testament that explicitly forbids the use of instrumental music in the worship of God today. It is forbidden implicitly, but it is not forbidden explicitly. Men must infer this because the explicit statements of God in the Bible do imply it. And it is bound on men today not because they have inferred it, but because God has implied it.

May God help us to love, learn, obey, and teach the truth (Mark 16:15-16; Galatians 1:6-9). May we lovingly strive to be faithful to the Lord that we may be with Him eternally.

Put Off & Put On

Put Off & Put On

When a penitent, believing sinner submits himself to be “buried with [Christ] in baptism,” he is transformed from death unto life as he lives life by “the faith in the operation of God” (Colossians 2:12). The man of the past, who was “dead in… sins,” is now “quickened together with [Christ]” (Col. 2:13). Of course, this is not presently literal, though it will be one day. Still, we are to “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14), which means there is something for us to do while we wait for the Lord’s return, and the consummation of the promise of resurrection. This is what Paul means when he wrote:

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” (Col. 3:1-4)

Old behaviors, such as “…fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry” have been ‘mortified,’ (Col. 3:5) which means “put to death.” These are the things that were supposed to be left behind in the watery grave of baptism. For the most part, the devout Christian recognizes the actions that might fit those general descriptions, and have left them buried and behind. More particular to the Christian as he grows in spiritual maturity, there are other more subtle characteristics that should be put to death along side of the egregious sins. These are things Paul continues to encourage them to “put off” as though it were a type of clothing so vile as to invite the feeling of revulsion at the thought of touching them again.

He says to “put off” (Col. 3:8) such things as “anger.” Yes, we understand that we may “Be… angry and sin not” (Ephesians 4:26), but there is a tremendous difference in someone who has a generally pleasant demeanor becoming righteously angry (e.g. Acts 13:6-11), and someone whose surly disposition makes it hard for anyone to be around them. The proverb writer warns us: “Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go, lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.” (Proverbs 22:24, 25)

After a similar vein, Paul warns us to “put off” such things as “wrath,” which is a willingness to do harm, as well as “malice,” which is a willful desire to do harm. These things have no place in the heart of one professing to represent the Son of God. We are told, “…avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans 12:19). In other words, let the Lord deal out justice; He is much better suited to do it.

Of course, “blasphemy” against God should be “put off,” but contrary to popular usage, the word is more general, meaning, simply “to speak against.” Speaking against others in unconstructive tones and intents will be more evidence against us in the Judgment since it reveals the actual corruption of the heart (see Matthew 12:34-37). In like manner, there should be no room in the Christian’s life for “filthy communication out of the mouth.” Sadly, it is when one is angry and wrathful that words of this nature come spewing out of the mouth. That is a habit of the old man; that is a thing to be put to death that we may have life.

Finally, Paul closes his point with the command to “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Col. 3:9, 10). Telling falsehoods, whether out of anger or otherwise, is a part of the old way of life, part of the ways we gave up when we repented from sin, confessed the name of Christ, and were buried with him in baptism. This “new man” is “renewed in knowledge.” It is the knowledge of Jesus’ character, and thus we endeavor to grow spiritually by “putting on” the nobler attributes of our Lord.

“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” (Col. 3:12, 13)

It is right and suitable that a holy and beloved Christian should “put on” a completely new set of clothes, beautiful and clean, such as “bowels of mercies,” which is to say, an inward emotion that moves us toward being merciful. The idea of “kindness” should not need to be explained to a follower of the Lord. On the other hand, we spend a lifetime learning “humbleness of mind” and “meekness.” No, these do not mean we become a pushover; they mean that, though we have the power to assert our own will, we do not in order to make others happy. If it makes us unhappy, we employ the “longsuffering” and do our best to “[forebear] one another.” We maintain a readiness to forgive, regardless what the quarrel is. This is as our Lord toward us, and so we hope it to continue to be. We must do likewise.

-”Robetron”