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In Act 20:27, Paul said, “For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” It is evident that the Apostle Paul felt the obligation to teach the entirety of God’s Word to all men. The obligation he felt came from God according to (Acts 9:15-16). But what did the whole counsel of God consist of? As we consider the Word of God we first recognize that there are specific and generic commands. That is to say that there are some commands that all men are amenable to (God’s plan of salvation). Then there are specific commands such as are given to Elders (husbands of one wife), such commands are only for Elders.
Concerning God’s commands, there are four ways we can determine what God authorizes. First, there are direct commands such as Jesus gave in Matthew 28:19-20. There Jesus said, “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: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Then there are commands of approved example. One example is in 1 Corinthians 11:1, there Paul said, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” The example is that we are to follow Christ as Paul did, even though he came short of commanding such in this verse. There are also commands which we refer to as necessary inference. As an example, we look to Acts 10:34-35. There, the Bible infers that the Gospel was open to all Gentiles, while it falls short of directly stating such. This more plainly comes to light as we study Acts 10:1-33.
Paul didn’t share only the parts of God’s Word that he wanted to share, he shared it all. There have been and continue to be those who share only parts of God’s inspired Word. The Judaizers of Paul’s day were happy to share only part of the truth and with that truth, add in their own beliefs as well. Many religions today do likewise. One example is the doctrine of (faith only). While they teach faith they omit other parts of God’s plan of salvation (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, I Peter 3:21). There are others that take some scriptures out of context for the propagation of their religion. This has a detrimental effect on the souls of men. Satan was guilty of this sin according to (Matthew 4). There he took liberties with the Word of God in his temptation of Jesus. In Acts 18, we find another example. Apollos was guilty of teaching only partial truth. However, when he was more fully taught, he then taught the whole counsel of God.
While it may be easy to suppress the will of God by subverting and twisting it; the result is the whole truth is not explained and men are subject to die in their sins. How fascinating it is that some will accept only part of God’s will, while they will not accept additional truths about God’s Word as it is seen in the Bible. Not only will they not listen they aggressively try to conceal any additional facts offered by the Bible. Such actions only bring further harm to the lives of men throughout the world.
My prayer is that all would accept the truth that there is only one source of authority, Jesus Christ. His will is expressed in His Word, the Bible. He expects all men to follow the totality of His Word. Paul said, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” Colossians 3:17. It is important to be reminded of these things so we can serve the Lord in the way that is pleasing to Him.
Finally, Jesus said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). If we truly love God and His Word, we would never be as the Egyptians and harden our hearts against the truth of God; such action caused their downfall. Knowing this we should take time to consider all the facts. Never allow the suppression of the truth as you seek answers from the Word of God because it alone can set you free from the burden of sin.
(Tony Hoss is minister of the Centerview Church of Christ, Elizabethton)