ARGUMENTS FROM SILENCE ARE NO ARGUMENTS AT ALL

Pastor Art Watkins of Coden Bible Church (Coden, Alabama)

March 27, 2018

What does this mean? Just because a NT writer does not mention the same doctrines or truths that other NT writers wrote about does not mean it’s not true of him or the people he wrote to.

For example:

Paul does not mention hell in his epistles like Peter, but this does not mean there is no hell. Paul does not call the church a spiritual house like Peter but that does not mean the church in his epistles is not a spiritual house. Paul does not say he was a steward of the manifold grace of God like Peter but that does not mean he was not a steward of the manifold grace of God. Paul does not say he and his converts were born again by the word of God like Peter but that does not mean they were not. Paul does not say in Romans through Philemon that we have eternal salvation, eternal redemption, eternal perfection like Hebrews says, but this does not mean he and his converts did not have these eternal blessings. Paul does not say our sins are washed away by the blood of Christ like John, but that does not mean our sins are not washed away.

Arguments from silence are not arguments at all.

On the other hand, Peter does not call the church Christ’s body in his epistles but that does not mean he and his converts were not in the body of Christ. The fact is, Peter and his converts were in Christ, Christ was in them and they were one in Christ which is precisely why the church is called the “body” of Christ. Read these verses and see the promise Christ made to his apostles and their converts. This promise came to pass when God sent the Spirit of his Son into the world.

John 14:17-20: The Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, AND YE IN ME, AND I IN YOU.

John 17:20-23: Neither pray I for these alone, (the apostles) but for them also (their converts) which shall believe on me through their word; THAT THEY ALL MAY BE ONE; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, THAT THEY ALSO MAY BE ONE IN US: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; THAT THEY MAY BE ONE, EVEN AS WE ARE ONE. I IN THEM, and thou in me, THAT THEY MAY BE MADE PERFECT IN ONE; that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

As you can see the apostles and their converts were in Christ, Christ was in them and they were one in Christ. This promise was fulfilled when God sent the Spirit of his Son into the world in Acts 2. From that day forward all believers are in Christ and Christ is in all believers and all believers are one in Christ. Christ kept his promise and this why the church is called his “body”. And just because Peter does not call the church his body does not mean he and his converts were not in the body of Christ for its’ obvious they were. And just because Paul is the only apostle that uses the term “body of Christ” does not mean that he and his converts were the only members of the body of Christ. As a matter of fact the 12 apostles and their converts became members of Christ’s body before Paul!

An argument from silence is no argument all.