EXAMPLES, INFERENCES, AND COMMANDS
1. Before a policeman can break down a door and burst
into a residence he must have authority.
2. He must be invested with the right power before he
can enter into a home.
3. When we deal with the spiritual part of life we must
also have authority for what we do.
4. We heard the scripture reading (Col. 3:17).
5. The things we do must be done “in the Lord’s name”
(by his authority).
6. In the world we know how authority works.
7. Our police force asks judges to authorize search
warrants.
8. Lawyers often base their cases upon the authority of
previous court decisions.
9. We live in a world that is governed by authority.
10. In the spiritual realm we are also obligated to have
and use authority.
11. This authority is found in three forms.
12. The first form may be summed up by the word example.
13. In 1 Cor.
14. The Bible uses examples to tell us what to do and
what to avoid.
15. This should not surprise us.
16. In our day-to-day life we draw authority from
examples.
17. Throughout this area people are raking leaves into
the streets.
18. When some see their neighbors raking leaves to the
curb they do the same thing.
19. People follow the example set by others.
20. It must be said that not every example is right.
21. I am not affirming that every example should be
followed.
22. neither am I affirming that every example provides
authority.
23. I am saying that in at least some cases we use
examples for a guide and authority.
24. When properly used examples are one means of
instructing us about authority.
25. A second form of authority is found in the word inference.
26. Let’s suppose that I say that I will not be here
next week.
27. People infer (conclude) from my statement
that someone else will be speaking.
28. Though I do not specifically say I will not be
speaking, inference would allow us to conclude that.
29. In the world and in the Bible there are inferences.
30. We conclude certain things and do certain things
because of what we infer.
31. A third thing that provides us with authority is a
command.
32. Let’s say that our workday ends at
33. If the boss says, “Leave today at 2,” we have been
given a command.
34. We have the authority to leave work early because of
a command.
COMMANDS, INFERENCES, AND
EXAMPLES ARE NOT NEW TO US. WE USE THEM
EVERYDAY.
YET, SOME DO NOT REALIZE THAT THE THINGS WE USE ON A DAILY BASIS
ARE ALSO FOUND IN THE BIBLE AND THESE THINGS TELL US HOW TO SERVE GOD.
A. This lesson is intended to explore authority from
the standpoint of Bible examples.
B. Bible examples fall into several categories.
C. Some examples are positive and some are negative.
D. We can compare Bible examples to children.
E. Parents may see a child who is well behaved.
F. They say to their children, “Look at him. That is the right way to act.”
G. On the other hand parents can find children who
misbehave.
H. The bad behavior is also an example but it is a negative
example.
I. Each year there are young people who are killed in
automobile accidents.
J. These accidents sometimes serve as examples.
K. They are negative examples but they are still examples.
L. In the Bible we find examples that are both positive
and negative.
2. Paul was a positive example (1 Cor. 4; 11).
3. Because he was a good example he said that others
should follow him.
4. As long as he followed the Lord people were told to
imitate his way of life.
5. We also find negative examples in scripture.
6. Those in the Sunday morning adult class that meets
upstairs have studied Eph. 4.
7. This part of Ephesians describes people who are
outside of Christ.
8. The description that Paul wrote is not favorable.
9. In verses 18-19, 17 Paul said, READ.
10. Paul said, “Here is an example of how not
to live.” This is a negative example.
11. “This is the type of life to avoid.”
A. We use tragic accidents to show our young people how
they should not drive.
B. The Bible uses negative examples to show Christians
how they should not to live.
C. The Bible is filled with positive and negative
examples.
D. Another negative example is found in 1 Cor. 10.
E. Paul referred to the ancient Israelites.
F. 1 Cor. 10:1, 6-11.
READ.
12. BIBLE EXAMPLES COVER MANY AREAS.
A. Some of the examples relate to Christian living.
B. Some examples in scripture depict godly living.
C. Acts 9:39 describes a woman who performed many good
works.
D. She is a good example.
E. Passages like Eph. 4 provide negative examples of
Christian living.
13. The examples in scripture go beyond morality.
14. In the book of Acts we have example after example.
A. There are examples of church worship (Acts 2; 20).
B. There are examples of what the church taught.
C. There are examples of church organization (Acts
14:23).
D. There are examples of how the church dealt with the
Lord’s Supper.
E. There are examples of church discipline.
F. There are examples of evangelism.
G. We find examples of benevolence.
H. There are examples of Christians dealing with
persecution.
I. There are even examples of Bible miracles.
J. How many of us have heard some of the claims made by
Pentecostalism?
K. At different times Pentecostal preachers have spoken
to an American audience.
L. These men have said, “I/someone else healed a man of
AIDS in Africa.”
M. “A man was raise from the dead in India.”
N. Fantastic claims concerning far away places are
made.
O. What kind of example do we find in the book of Acts?
P. Did the apostles go to Jerusalem and say, “A man
over in Rome was healed.”
Q. We never find this type of example in the book of
Acts.
R. The apostles healed the local people who were ill.
S. Their miracles were local miracles.
15. The books of the New Testament are not useless
letters.
16. Scripture has a purpose.
17. One of the things that helps us in Acts as well as
the other books is all the examples.
A. These example give us authority.
B. These show us how to do things.
C. When did the first Christians meet and worship?
D. Again and again we are told they came together on
Sunday (first day of week).
E. This is not a useless fact. This is an example to be followed.
F. Remember what Paul said to the Corinthians: follow my example.
G. Examples reveal to us the way things are to be done.
H. Bible examples also help us determine truth from
error.
18. Using Bible examples is right but some have tried to
ridicule this fact.
19. One man alleged, “Which example should we follow?”
20. Should we follow the example of fornication that
existed at Corinth?
21. Should we practice the example of laziness that
existed at Thessalonica?
22. Should we follow the example of the Galatian’s
apostasy?
23. This man overlooked something.
24. He failed to realize that not every example is a
positive (good) example.
A. The example of fornication of Corinth is an
example. It is a negative example.
B. The same is true concerning the problems at the
other first century congregations.
25. If we are going to use the examples in scripture we
must keep some things in mind.
A. The first thing to be observed is that examples
often include extra details.
B. Let’s suppose that we are going to teach one of our
children how to drive.
C. We say to our child, “Let’s go to the car.”
D. On the way out of the house we take a jacket out of
the closet.
E. The child sees us do that.
F. When our child starts to drive must he first take a
jacket out of the closet?
G. Must he get his car keys from the exact same place
that we got ours from?
H. Must the child exit the house through the same door
we used to get to the car?
26. When we talk about examples we must remember that
some things are incidental.
27. That is, some of the things in an example are not
part of the example.
28. In the world and in scripture we must use a little
common sense.
A. If the text says “they went into the house and
worshipped,” what is the example?
B. Is the example found in the worship or is the
example going into the house?
C. The Bible says that Paul preached till midnight.
D. Is the example the preaching or preaching till
a certain time?
E. The apostles evangelized certain areas by sailing.
F. Is the example using a boat to teach people
or teaching people?
G. These are not hard questions.
H. Most would not think of asking these questions about
a secular matter.
29. It amazes me that people can use examples in the
world without difficulty.
30. When we come to spiritual things people say, “I
can’t understand that.”
31. Bible examples are not hard to figure out.
32. Perhaps the easiest way to demonstrate this comes
from foot washing.
A. I have heard people say to me, “You say that Bible
examples are to be followed.”
B. “Yet, you violate the very thing you teach.”
C. “Jesus washed feet and commanded this to be done.”
D. “Why don’t you enforce the example of foot washing?”
33. I may deal with foot washing again but let’s look at
the matter right now.
A. The foot washing text is found in Jn. 13.
B. Jesus arose from the table and prepared to wash the
disciple’s feet.
C. He had washed at least one set of feet and then came
to Peter.
D. Peter said, “Are you going to wash my feet” (verse
6)?
E. Notice verse 7.
F. Jesus told Peter, “You don’t understand.”
34. The disciples
understood footwashing. They knew its
value and importance.
35. Footwashing was a common thing.
36. Jesus’ statement (“you don’t understand”) proves
this eg was not mere footwashing.
37. This was an example but the example was not
footwashing.
38. This was an example of humility.
A. Suppose a young child is trapped in a foyer
restroom.
B. The child is crying because the door is too heavy to
open.
C. A father and son hear the sobbing but dad has his
hands full.
D. This father turns to his son and says, “Son, open
the door.”
E. Has the son been provided with an example? Yes.
F. What is the example that has been given to the son?
G. Is the child to spend the rest of his life opening
bathroom doors for people?
H. The example is:
help people who are need.
I. We immediately understand the point.
J. We understand the secular but many refuse to
understand the spiritual.
39. The example in Jn. 13 was humility.
40. As their teacher Jesus humbled Himself. He didn’t demand to be served.
41. He took the role of a servant.
42. This is what the disciples needed to learn for them
to be effective in the church.
43. We have example after example in scripture and we
are to use them.
44. We are to use them and follow them.
45. We can use Bible examples if we use some common
sense and we study the context.
46. Are we willing to follow the examples found in
scripture?