Inferences From God’s Word (Part 2)
Series: Establishing Authority
By Allan E. McNabb

This week we continue the article on inferences (conclusions made by deduction of facts) by Bible examples of inferences.

Then we’ll talk about inferences as they relate to apostolic examples, and us today.

Bible Examples of Proper Inferences
There are several examples of God’s children making proper inferences, but here we’ll only list a few.

Two very important principles we must understand are that God’s commands infer personal responsibility that cannot be abrogated, and due diligence.
Gen. 6:13-22  Noah was personally responsible for building the ark since God commanded him to build the ark (Gen. 6:13-14).  And he was responsible for exercising due diligence.  For example, he could neither wait three hundred years to begin building the ark nor prolong its completion.
Gen. 22:1-19  Abraham was personally responsible for offering his son since God commanded him to offer Isaac (Gen. 22:1-2).  And he was responsible for exercising due diligence in obeying the command; therefore, he rose early the next morning (Gen. 22:3).
Josh. 6:1-27  Joshua was personally responsible for organizing the march (Josh. 6:2-3).  He rose early in the morning to begin the march (Josh. 6:12).
Acts 10:17-48  Peter was personally commanded to preach to Cornelius (Acts 10:20-22).  He could not abrogate his responsibility to anyone else.  He had to diligently obey (Acts 10:23-24).
Acts 16:31-33  People who hear and believe the gospel must be diligent to obey the gospel (cf. Acts 2:38; 22:16; Heb. 5:9).  God's commands imply due diligence to immediately comply with the command.

Another important precept is that when God commands for something to be done on a specific day without commanding the frequency, we must infer it’s to be observed every time the specified day occurs.
God commanded Israel to observe the Passover, numerous Sabbaths, and numerous feasts on specified days (Ex. 12:1-28, 43-51; 20:8-11; 23:10-19).  He did not specify the frequency (i.e., every week, every year, etc.).  Israel properly inferred that the Passover, Sabbaths, and feasts must be observed every time the specified days occurred.
Christians assemble every first day of the week, because God has not given us any conditions under which we do not assemble on the first day of the week (Heb. 10:24-25; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2).
Christians observe the Lord's Supper and take up a collection every first day of the week, because God has not given us any conditions under which we do not observe the Lord's Supper and take up a collection on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2).

Other examples of inferences from Jesus and the apostles are:
Matt. 4:5-7  Jesus inferred that throwing Himself down from the pinnacle would be tempting God.
Jn. 8:58  Jesus confessed His eternal nature and deity by implication (Ex. 3:14).
Acts 10:9-16, 34  Peter inferred in truth that God does not show partiality toward men (cf. Gal. 2:6).
Acts 16:6-10  Paul inferred that the reason for the Lord calling him to Macedonia was to preach the gospel.
1 Cor. 15:27  Paul points out an obvious inference quoting Ps.8:6.  Christ is subject to God.  God is not subject to Christ.

Inferences and Apostolic Examples
We are commanded to imitate the apostles and hold the apostolic traditions (1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1; 2 Th. 2:15; 3:6-7).

Therefore, anything inferred by an authoritative apostolic example is binding upon us today.

For example, the apostles assembled on the first day of the week to observe the Lord's Supper.  Since the apostles only assembled on Sunday to observe the Lord's Supper, and since God has not given us an exception for assembling on Sunday, we must infer that it is necessary to assemble every Sunday to partake of the Lord's Supper (Acts 20:7; Heb. 10:24-25).

Five Important Present-Day Inferences
There are five very important inferences we must be aware of, which are binding on us today.

For the remainder of this article, I’ll list them here with a few comments.

We must exercise due diligence to carry out God's will.
Every Bible example of obedience to God infers the exercise of due diligence.
Diligence is commanded (2 Pet. 1:5, 10; Heb.11:6).

We are personally responsible for carrying out God's will.
Every Bible example of obedience to God infers personal responsibility.

Christians must assemble on every Sunday.
We are commanded to not forsake our assembling together (Heb. 10:25).
The church assembled on Sunday (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2).
God has not exempted the church from assembling on any Sunday; therefore, the church must assemble on every Sunday.

Christians must lay by in store as they have prospered every Sunday (1 Cor. 16:1-2).
The apostolic command is to lay by in store as we have prospered on Sunday.
The inference is that we must lay by in store every Sunday.  Because, God has not given us any conditions under which we are not to take up a collect on Sunday.

Christians must observe the Lord's Supper every Sunday (Acts 20:7).
We must partake of the Lord's Supper every Sunday since the apostles only assembled on Sunday to observe the Lord's Supper, and since God has not given us an exception for assembling on Sunday.
Many churches assemble and take up a collection every Sunday but do not partake of the Lord's Supper every Sunday.  The result is vain worship (cf. Matt. 15:8-9; Mk. 7:6-9; Col. 2:20-23).