Constant Coulibaly

The Hebrew writer prefaced his book with the truth that God communicates with man. He said, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds”.

God’s speaking to man is divided into two distinct periods. The term “in time past” refers to Old Testament revelation delivered through the prophets. The “last days” denotes New Testament revelation through Jesus Christ. This covers the Christian era, which began with the reign of Jesus over the church (Acts 2:36).

The Old Testament and New Testament present revelations in the form of words that man can understand. The proof of man’s ability to understand God is seen in the exchange between Eve and Satan (Gen. 1:1-3). Satan subtly twisted God's command, saying, "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" But Eve replied, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." (cf. Gen. 2:16-17) Eve accurately recalled and articulated God's command. This indicates that God had effectively communicated His message, and it was understood by Eve.

Over in the New Testament, the gospel of Mark records that when Jesus preached, "the common people heard him gladly" (Mark 12:37). This means that Jesus' audience was able to understand the message He proclaimed, whether they were educated or not. His teaching resonated with the public, indicating that His words were accessible to all.

The reason God can communicate with man is that God created man in His image (Genesis 1:27). By creating man in His own image, God endowed him with intelligence, making him capable of thinking, reasoning, and understanding.

Man being capable of rational thought and communication led the Lord to invite Israel to a dialogue, as we see in Isaiah's words: "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord..." (Isaiah 1:18).

God, through His word, guides and directs man (Ps. 119:105). Man must rely on God for guidance in life on earth. This truth stands in stark contrast to the view held by some that God created the universe, then took a backseat, allowing it to run its course with no intervention or involvement from Him. Man must have a standard for truth. The Bible is that standard (Jn. 17:17).

Man must have authority for what he believes and practices in religion. Given that Christ reigns over the church, He has authority over it. Christ's authority is expressed in the words of the New Testament. In the Christian era Jesus is Lord, and Christ (Acts 2:36). Only the words of Christ are binding today (Col. 2:13-14).

We should therefore not teach or act when God is silent. We must not keep silent on matters God has spoken about either. There is, for instance, no place in the New Testament where water is ever said to be sprinkled on a person for their salvation. Christ rather said, "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he who does not believe shall be condemned." The Greek word rendered "baptism" means immersion. The Apostle Paul preached this doctrine when he said in Romans 6:4 that baptism is a burial. The examples of Jesus and the eunuch’s baptism, respectively in Matthew 4 and Acts 8, demonstrate that baptism is performed with water.

Concerning the subject of marriage and divorce, Jesus said that the only reason for divorce is fornication (Matt. 5:32, 19:9). But some people believe and teach that an unbeliever deserting a believer is grounds for divorce (1 Cor. 7:10-16). They argue that the believer can remarry, just like the innocent party in the case of Matthew 5:32 and 19:9. But nowhere in the passage from 1 Corinthians 7 are the words "marry another" found. There is no authority for either the believer or the unbeliever to remarry.

The same principle of silence or speaking of the Scripture applies to various aspects of Christian practice such as preaching, singing, the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week and other New Testament teachings. Unless we have a direct command to do something, an approved example for it or an implication involved, we cannot teach or act.

Everything man believes and practices today can be examined in the light of the New Testament. Only if we, as students of the Bible, appreciate the authority of Christ can we truly understand the Bible. To do so, we must approach the Scriptures as the spoken and written words of God and treat them with respect.