II GENERIC AND SPECIFIC COMMANDS

Our topic this morning is “Generic and Specific Commands.” This subject may sound like a very technical one; but it is, in fact, a very practical one. A study of this topic is valuable, not merely for its own sake, but also because it throws light on many other questions, and is designed to help in the study of some lessons which are to follow:

The Bible teaches that man must not add to, or subtract from, the word of God. For instance, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you” (Deut. 4:2).

“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book; and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Rev. 22:18-19).

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I A Problem in Application

These Scriptures show very plainly that one must neither add to nor subtract from the word of God. This fundamental principle is taught in both the New Testament and the Old Testament. However, some have difficulty in applying this teaching to many questions arising today. Because of this difficulty we find people who object to such things as a baptistry in the church building, Sunday morning Bible classes, individual cups, song books, collection baskets, etc. These objections arise from a misunderstanding of the basic principle announced in the Scriptures just quoted. We hope that what is to follow will help.

First of all, let it be understood that a commandment authorizes everything essential to obeying that commandment. For instance, the commandment to meet and worship God authorizes a place and an hour of meeting. The Bible does not tell us where to meet to eat the Lord’s supper or upon what hour of the day to meet, but the very commandment to observe this institution authorizes some place and some hour for the meeting.

This leads us to consider the difference between a generic or general commandment and a specific one. A generic commandment is one that authorizes or commands a certain action, but does not give the details as to how that commandment shall be carried out. The difference between generic and specific 21 commandments must be recognized in applying the Scriptures that have been mentioned. Let it be remembered that a commandment may be mixed, partly generic and partly specific. It may be generic with respect to certain details which it comprehends, and specific in reference to others.

II Examples

1. The best way I know to make these distinctions clear is by giving a number of examples. God told Noah to build an ark. He specified the kind of wood that should be used. He told Noah to use gopher wood. That authorized gopher wood and eliminated every other possible kind of wood. Since God specified that gopher wood should be used, it would have been wrong for Noah to have used any other sort of wood. It would have been a sin for him to have used cedar wood, or oak, or any other kind which might be named. God also told Noah to put a door in this ark, in the side of it. But he did not tell him in which side to put it. Hence, the commandment to build an ark was generic as to the side in which the door should be located.

God specified the dimensions of the ark. He told Noah to build the ark 300 cubits long. It would have been a sin, therefore, for Noah to have built it 301 cubits long or 299 cubits long, or any other length except the one which God specified. God also told Noah to build some rooms in this ark, but did not 22 tell him how many to build. This commandment, therefore, was generic as far as the number of rooms was concerned. On that point Noah was free to build the number of rooms which he thought was best.

Of course, he had to build some number. The very command to build rooms authorized some number of rooms, but God did not specify the number so Noah was free to exercise his own judgment in that respect. God specified the animals that were to be taken into the ark. He told Noah to take certain ones but he did not tell him which animals to take into the ark first. You see, therefore, that the commandment to build the ark was specific in some respects and was generic in other respects.

2. The commandment to offer a passover sacrifice may also be used as an illustration. If God had merely commanded the Jews to offer an animal, that would have left them free to offer any sort of animal which they chose. But he specified that they should offer a lamb, which meant either a sheep or a goat. It was also specified that it should be of the first year, a male, and without blemish. These details were specified with the commandment. It would have been a sin for the Jews to have ignored any of these specifications. In those days the word “lamb” was understood to mean either a sheep or a goat. The Jews were free to offer either, but they had to heed the specifications that it be of the first year, without blemish, and of the male sex.

3. Coming to the New Testament for an illustration, we refer to the great commission as recorded 23 by Mark in the 16th chapter of his book, verses 15 and 16: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned.”

Here again we have a commandment which is partly generic and partly specific. The word “go” is generic with respect to the means of travel to be used. The general form of this commandment leaves one free to travel by any suitable method. In obeying this commandment one may travel by rail, by boat, by airplane, by automobile, on foot, on horseback, or by any other method that is in decency and in order.

I recently held a meeting in Alabama which people attended by practically every means of transportation. They came by train, by bus, by automobile, on tractors, in buggies, on horseback, on foot, in wagons, in trucks—in almost every conceivable way except by airplane or motorboat. The general commandment to go leaves one free to travel in any of these ways.

But this same commandment is specific in respect to what shall be taught after one gets to the place of teaching. It specifies that one shall preach the Gospel. The message that is to be delivered is therefore specified. It must be the Gospel.

4. Matthew’s statement of this same commission says, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” The 24 commandment to teach is specific as to the message, but it is generic with reference to the method that shall be used in the teaching.

According to the general command to teach, the lesson may be either oral or written. The teacher may be either a man or a woman, and the size of the class may be whatever circumstances and expediency justify. This commandment to teach does not specify the number that shall be in the class, or the sex of the teacher, or whether the lesson shall be an oral one or a written one.

In this same great commission we have the commandment to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost those who have been taught. Since these names have been specified, it would be a sin to baptize in the name of any human being or any human institution.

The word “baptize” itself denotes the act. It means to be immersed, buried in water (Col. 2:12). However, this commandment does not tell us how the immersing shall be done. We may immerse one according to this commandment face foremost, sideways, lying down, standing up or in any other appropriate way, just as long as we obey the commandment to baptize; that is, to immerse or bury in water.

III The Principle Applied

1. Some one may say that according to this principle of interpretation instrumental music may be 25 justified. Let us see if this is true. If God’s word had merely told us to make music, that would have been generic as far as the type of music is concerned. But it so happens that God did not leave this commandment in such a general form. He specified the type of music we shall use in worshiping him.

Ephesians 5:19 says, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” God, therefore, has specified the kind of music. He tells us to sing.

If God had merely told Noah to build an ark, he could have used any kind of wood that he chose or any other material. He could have used either cedar or gopher, but when God commanded him to use gopher wood, that drew a ring around the word gopher and eliminated every other type of building material. If he had merely told the Jews to offer a sacrifice at the passover, they might have offered either a calf or a lamb; but when he commanded them to offer a lamb, that drew a ring around the word lamb and eliminated every other type of sacrifice that might be conceived.

Likewise, with reference to the music that we offer in our worship, if God had just said, “Make music,” then we could have used any kind we chose, but he has specified singing. This eliminates every other 26 conceivable kind of music as far as our worship to Jehovah is concerned.

Sometimes I hear people say that God does not tell us not to use instrumental music. This is a mistake. He does tell us not to use it. He does so in Colossians 3:16 and in Ephesians 5:19. Those Scriptures that tell us to offer vocal music in our worship tell us, as plain as day, not to offer any other kind.

Surely everyone will agree that it would have been a sin for Noah to have built the ark out of cedar wood. Everyone will likewise agree that it would have been wrong for the Jews to have offered a cow as a passover sacrifice. By the same line of reasoning, and just as clearly to be seen, it would be wrong today for people to substitute some other kind of music for the kind that God has specified.

2. The commandment to eat the Lord’s supper in memory of Jesus Christ is generic in some respects and specific in others. The Bible specifies the day of the week upon which this institution shall be observed. This lesson is taught by means of divinely approved example as recorded in Acts, chapter 20 and verse 7: “Upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.”

The Bible therefore specifies that the Lord’s supper shall be observed upon the first day of the week, but this teaching is generic as far as the hour of the day is concerned. There have been people who argued that it would be a sin to eat the Lord’s supper 27 at 7:30 P.M. There are others who believe it is wrong to eat it at 11:00 A.M., just because the Bible does not specify that hour. But the same objection could be raised to any other hour mentioned, and thereby eliminate the possibility of eating it at all. The commandment to eat the Lord’s supper upon the first day of the week, necessarily implies that it should be eaten at some hour, and God has seen fit to leave man free to use his own judgment in selecting the hour of the day.

The Bible specifies that the fruit of the vine shall be used, but it does not say whether that fruit shall be fermented or unfermented. The failure to recognize this fact has led some to contend that it’s a sin to use grape juice. The very same type of error has caused others to contend that it would be wrong to use wine. We must recognize the fact that God has left this commandment generic as to whether the fruit of the vine shall be fermented or unfermented.

Likewise the Bible does not designate the number of cups that shall be used, leaving us free to use our own judgment upon that point as well. It is true that the Bible refers to “the cup,” but every careful student knows that that refers to the contents and not to the vessel. As a matter of fact, there must be some distribution made between the original container and the lips of those who partake. The Bible does not specify at what stage this distribution shall be made. God has endowed us with intelligence, and expects us to use it in applying these commandments which are left in generic form.

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3. Other examples of generic commands of a slightly different form are these: “Therefore, all things ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets” (Matt. 7:12). “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-13). “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this; to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (Jas. 1:27). All of these are general commandments governing Christian conduct. They announce certain general principles that should guide us in our behavior. We must use our own best judgment in applying these principles to the various questions that arise, and we should pray for wisdom to make the proper application. (Jas. 1:5).

IV Important Conclusions

1. There are certain important conclusions which should be drawn from what has already been said. First, in a sphere where God has made specifications we must heed them. We must not ignore them. We must not change them. What he specifies must be done. In executing a command we must heed these 29 specifications. To do otherwise would be an act of disobedience to God Almighty.

2. Second, where God has made no specifications we should not make any and try to bind them on others. To do so would be to add to the word of God, and to violate the principle taught in Revelations 22:18-19 and at many other places in the Bible. God had a good reason for leaving certain commandments in a general form. For me to work out specifications concerning how those general commandments should be obeyed and undertake to bind my inventions on others would be a very grievous sin.

In the execution of a general commandment, each individual and each congregation is left to make its own choices. It’s just as much harm to make specifications where God has made none, as it is to ignore those specifications that he has made. It would be just as wrong to specify that the Lord’s supper must be eaten at 7:30 P.M. as it would be to ignore the specification that music used to worship God must be vocal.

3. Third, in the execution of these general commandments, we should use wisdom. Someone has said that there are three kinds of sense: revealed sense, common sense, and nonsense. Where there is revealed sense we must follow it; but where there is no revealed sense, where God has given a general commandment and left us free to execute it according to our best judgment, we should use common sense and not nonsense. In all matters, wisdom should be exercised.

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There are many Scriptures that verify this conclusion. For instance, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord” (James 1:5-7).

Wisdom has been defined as the ability to properly apply knowledge. In this connection it would be ability to properly apply the knowledge that we have received from God’s word. Such wisdom comes as a result of experience and age and study and prayer. Hebrews 5:14 says, “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

Evidently that is the reason God has ordained that the older or experienced men shall be the overseers of the local congregation. Evidently that’s also the reason he ordained that children should obey their parents rather than parents obey the children. Oftentimes those who are older can discern good or evil where the younger and less experienced are unable to do so.

Even the apostles were admonished to use wisdom. Christ said to the twelve in Matthew 10:16: “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40).

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4. Remember then these three important conclusions. First, in a sphere where God has made specifications we must heed them. We must not ignore them or change them. We must not substitute something of our own choosing, for that which Jehovah has specified. Specifications in a given sphere automatically eliminate everything else that comes within the same sphere or category. Second, where he has made no specifications we must not make any. We certainly must not try to bind any on others. And, third, in applying his general commandments, we should use wisdom. We should use common sense and not nonsense. Recognition and proper application of these principles will furnish a ready solution to many otherwise difficult questions.

5. In reference to the plan of salvation, God has been very explicit. He specifies that one must believe in order to be saved (Acts 16:31). He specifies that repentance is essential (Acts 3:19). He likewise specifies that we should confess with our mouths the faith that we have in our hearts (Acts 8:37). And he is equally definite in teaching that baptism is a condition of salvation. “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). You are invited and urged to heed these specifications.

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