If you Google “necessary inference,” you end up finding almost entirely Church of Christ websites, or websites about the Church of Christ and it’s sometimes unique doctrines. The reason? The term was popularized by Church of Christ preachers using a three-finger recital of how we establish Biblical authority for modern church practices: command, example, and necessary inference. But adherence to this methodology didn’t come from Alexander Campbell, or even his father.
“While Thomas Campbell, in his Declaration and Address, says we should use command and example to understand what God would have us do, Alexander Campbell, in his Christianity Restored, spends a hundred pages on hermeneutical principles and never mentions “command, example, and necessary inference.” (Stafford North at Oklahoma Christian University)
“We only pretend to assert what everyone that pretends to reason must acknowledge, namely, that there is a manifest distinction between an express scripture declaration, and the conclusion or inference which may be induced from it.” (Thomas Campbell in Declaration and Address)
“The inferences drawn by the human understanding partake of all the defects of that understanding…. These conclusions, then, are always private property and can never be placed upon a level with the inspired word of God. Subscription to them, or acknowledgement of them, can never be rationally required as a bond of union.” (Alexander Campbell in Christian Baptist)
In other words, Campbell himself relegated inferences to the category of opinion. But let’s look at necessary inference a little more deeply to understand why, and see what it’s all about. Here’s a defintion:
Necessary inference: A conclusion that is dictated by a fact or premise. If the underlying fact or premise is true, then the necessary inference is an unavoidable conclusion that must be drawn. (Source: Nolo Law Dictionary)
The real problem with necessary inference as a hermeneutic is not that it’s necessarily (pun intended) an invalid or unsound argument. If the premises are true, and the conclusion proceeds necessarily from the premises, then it is sound. The real problem is that it’s misused by people who have no clue about the rules of logic. They throw around the term to make it sound like they are saying something authoritative. In reality, they often haven’t even made a sound argument; only an assertion.
When you have to resort to necessary inference to support your Biblical interpretation, in my judgment, it’s probably because you have a flimsy hook to hang your argument on. The problem, as Merie used to say, is that when your premises are faulty, you not only don’t have anything to hang on the hook, you haven’t any hook. Arguments built on so-called necessary inference tend to be built upon a mountain of assumptions, making the conclusion completely untrustworthy—sometimes bordering on the absurd.
The reason this happens when we use necessary inference to interpret the Bible is that we don’t know what we don’t know. We rarely have all of the facts necessary from the Biblical record to draw a conclusion with complete certainty, if it wasn’t already addressed by direct command or approved example (although there are some logical issues with this one as well; more on this later). But when you want to believe a conclusion is true, necessary inference is the perfect vehicle to justify it. I know. I used to do this myself as a young legalist, wanting to debate and justify the beliefs I already held.
As a young Christian, I eagerly consumed books and articles on the rules of logic. I read Aristotle’s “Treatise on Rhetoric,” which discusses debate and the art of persuasion. I loved persuasive writing in my 80’s high school years (usually supporting Reagan and conservativism, only to get a C with my liberal social science teacher). I still love persuasive writing, hence this blog. But nothing fascinated me more than the idea of “necessary inference,” because it seemed so malleable in my hands as a self-styled debater. Not sure how to support an argument clearly from scripture? Paste together a shoestring case that necessary inference demands we accept the conclusion. But I’ve learned some things about the rules of logic since then, thankfully.
When it comes to the assumptions we have to make using necessary inference, there are almost always other perfectly reasonable explanations for why Paul said something, or didn’t say something, or why the Corinthian church did something, or didn’t do something, or why there are no references to a particular practice in the first century. Our shaky assumptions (usually driven by our doctrinal biases—and we all have them) end up sabataging our entire argument.
Let’s use a simple example to illustrate the problem. If we see Bob go into a room that we believe has no doors and windows, and don’t see him come out, we may logically infer that he is still in there. Our logic would go like this:
- Bob entered a room with no doors and windows.
- Bob has not come out.
- Bob is still in the room.
This would be valid logic. We could call this a necessary inference based on rules of logic. But think about all the assumptions present in the premises. What if the room has a door or window we don’t know about? What if there’s a trap door we don’t know about? What if Bob has a motive we don’t know about, and breaks through a wall to escape undetected? Our conclusion that he’s not still in the room may be probable given the facts we know, or may not be if there are more facts as yet unknown. It all depends on our assumptions.
I think you can see that establishing the absolute truth of the premises in any argument is what gives any argument its power of persuasion. Take this example:
- God created everything that exists, or has ever existed.
- Dinosaurs existed.
- God created dinosaurs.
- God created everything that exists.
- Dinosaurs don’t exist.
- God didn’t create dinosaurs.
- We cannot do anything that is not expressly allowed or commanded in the New Testament.
- The New Testament does not expressly allow or command the use of musical instruments.
- We cannot use musical instruments.
- We can’t use a pitch pipe or song book. The NT contains no command, example, or necessary inference to use such a device. And no, they’re not necessary.
- We can’t use Western four-part harmony (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass). The first century church most likely chanted in the relatively monotone tradition of Jewish synagogue worship. Shouldn’t we do the same in order to follow their example?
- We can’t use a P.A. system to address large crowds. Peter seemed perfectly able to address large crowds of 3,000 on the day of Pentecost without such technological innovation.
- We can’t own a building. In NT examples, the church met in homes, synagogues, and public places. In one case, we know Paul stayed in a rented room while he was under house arrest and held Bible studies there. But did any church ever incorporate with the Roman government, open up a checking account, and purchase property?
- We can’t baptize in a baptistry or swimming pool. NT examples seem to all occur in natural bodies of water.
- We can’t take the Lord’s Supper on the ground floor. Believe it or not, all examples where the location of the Lord’s supper is described, it occurs in an upper room.
- Socio-economics. Instruments were probably expensive, and probably not nearly as prevalent as they are today.
- Lack of skill. If instruments were not widespread, few people among the early Christians would have known how to play them.
- Intense persecution. In the latter part of the first century, Christians were persecuted and had to keep moving from house to house to congregate. This would have made moving instruments around difficult, and the playing of instruments would have made their meetings more noticeable to Roman neighbors.
Barton Stone – “I blush for my fellows who hold up the Bible as the bond of union, yet make their opinions of it a test of fellowship; who plead for union of all Christians, yet refuse to fellowship with such as dissent from their notions. Vain men! Their zeal is not according to knowledge, nor is their spirit that of Christ. Such antisectarian-sectarians are doing more mischief to the cause and advancement of truth, the unity of Christians, and the salvation of the world, than all the skeptics in the world. In fact, they create skeptics.”
Alexander Campbell – “We will not hearken to those questions which gender strife, nor discuss them at all. If a person says such is his private opinion, let him have it as his private opinion; but lay no stress upon it; and if it be a wrong private opinion, it will die a natural death much sooner than if you attempt to kill it.”
Alexander Campbell – “But men cannot give up their opinions, and therefore, they can never unite, says one. We do not ask them to give up their opinions–we ask them only not to impose them upon others. Let them hold their opinions, but let them hold them as private property. The faith is public property; opinions are, and always have been private property. Men have foolishly attempted to make the deductions of some great minds the common measure of all Christians. Hence the deductions of a Luther, and a Calvin, and a Wesley, have been the rule and measure of all who coalesce under the names of these leaders. It is cruel to excommunicate a man because of the imbecility of his intellect.”
Much food for thought Kevin. Thank you! As a side note it's so very interesting how different the beliefs and practices of the church of Christ, especially Merie's group, is so different from the early writers/founders of the church of Christ.
Yes, it's a little baffling that they really think they are the true heirs of the Stone-Campbell movement. Their doctrines and practices bear almost no resemblance to the founding principles of Campbell or certainly Stone. Not to mention the fact that Cambell moderated later in life from his early sectarian tendencies.
Another excellent article Kevin. Necessary inference is the answer for Merie's cult when they can't find a direct command or example. Public confessions as has been discussed in some of your other articles is very weak using necessary inference for a reason they have public confessions as part of worship. Talk about adding to Christs doctrine which that alone condemns them as a FALSE RELIGION. Do they use necessary inference as why they tell so many married worthy members why they cannot marry. So sorry you are not spiritual enough. Please. Many will never taste marriage or raise children because… Read more »
Yes Craig, there are preachers who believe they have the right to decide who is spiritual enough to get married and who needs to 'work on things' before getting the 'go ahead' to start courting.
I'll write at some point on the matchmaker culture. Churches have no business seeking control over the marriages of members. We can teach, and try to impart wisdom in those decisions, but at the end of the day, each Christian stands or falls before God on those things.
We actually had some members get married outside the church to get away from this.
Yes, it happens occasionally where a couple will just go and get married by a justice of the peace. That type of rebellion causes quite a stir. How dare they go against counsel and get married!
I wonder if they are eligible for a reception to celebrate their union or if members are discouraged from giving them gifts etc.; after all, they did disobey counsel and got married!
Wow,Sad and sick! I'd get married out of there too. No one would dictate that to me. The thing is so many members hide stuff from the teachers and are so fake with them. I think it's kind of funny. As I've mentioned before, the teachers would constantly come up with stuff in their minds that was so off base it was scary!
I wrote the post about couples disobeying counsel and getting married. I want to make it clear that I was referring to a couple where both of them are in the church. There have been couples who are both in the church who had to go to a JP to get married because the teacher didn't think they should get married based on the teachers assessment of the couple's spirituality.
I think this whole situation is laughable if it were not so sick and sad. That is exactly why I have referred many people to this blog. Spread the word. Let osthers read this and I think it is great if members are reading the blogs and seeing what people are saying. The truth will set you free.
I infer that men should be wearing dress-like tunics instead of a suit and tie to worship!
I think worship should last until midnight by approved example! And men should be kissing each other per command.
Well, that would be the "approved example." 🙂
The controlling of who gets to marry, and who gets to remain married, is a practice of arrogant leaders. In the animal kingdom, in a wolf pack, only the alpha male and alpha female reproduce; the beta wolves are not allowed to reproduce. It is amazing how closely human behavior follows animal behavior and the metaphors and similes used by Christ to describe these type of people brings the word to life. Christ called them serpents, John the Baptist called them a generation of vipers. The Apostle Paul said "after my departure grievous wolves shall enter in not sparing the… Read more »
I'm sure their real reasoning on deciding who will marry is if they have complete control over a person first or not…They always seemed to think that they knew what I was thinking.. And that is one of the reasons I left because they were so far off with their wacko thinking, but yet thought they knew everything.. It really is sad
The arrogant, that is those with a superiority complex, will do anything to get the feeling of superiority. The arrogant love to play domination and control games, domination of others and controlling of others gives a great feeling of superiority. The giving of unwanted or unwelcomed or unqualified advice also gives a great feeling of superiority. The greatest weakness of the arrogant is flattery; the paying attention to someone is a great flattery. The greatest annoyance to an arrogant person is to be ignored. To control an arrogant person just flatter them by paying attention to them, then ignore them… Read more »
Had to laugh as you mentioned he hated me.
When the tow truck preacher would just get sight of me his countenance (facial expression) would change from a smile to anger; just the sight of me would infuriate him. I always had to ask is this teaching scriptural or just a domination and control game? Most of the time it was a domination play. The understanding he gave were way off and I would make it a point to bring them up around the evangelist and I would get corrected very quickly. We were taught that Re 2:13 were Satans seat is means that one of the members in… Read more »
Amazing, if this preacher was telling the other men to work 25 hours a week and get whatever else in benefits from the government. While presenting himself as he is doing just that being an example as a preacher should. However, if he was not disclosing well by the way my parents help me out too, that in my eyes is plain out being deceitful. Some preachers seem to be above the law. As the hypocrite in Portland. It seems it takes preachers that get involved in pornography, those who teach heresy, or if you are a support preacher challenging… Read more »
The bigger picture is to ask: how is a man in the SCOC to provide for his family? Men were discouraged from working overtime, also discouraged from seeking a supervisory position, and I was told not to work a part time job on Saturdays because this was just for "spending money". What I saw with the men who were not working to their full potential was this: borrow money from babes and never repay them, walk around at tax return time and ask brethren "how much of that money is for the brethren?", men were deeply in debt to credit… Read more »
And to not help them when needed. Go to the WORDLY people and get help. Just sick
Luke 16:10 says it best: he that is faithful in the least is faithful in much and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. The least is to provide carnally for yourself and your family, to feed and cloth, and house them. The much is to lead a church family spiritually. The tow truck preacher took from others carnally to feed his family and in his lessons and sermons he plagiarized from every religious book he could find except the bible. I heard many a boring lesson on "Merie said" or "Alexander Campbell said" or… Read more »
What qualifies them to be a preacher? How could anyone go week after week to this boring and sick church? To be fed this none sense?
Anon 5:46 what qualifies them to be a preacher is the approval of the preacher and or teacher that is before them. Are these men proven? No, how could they be if they are following Merie Weiss and her doctrine. Okay they are to be proven in what they have been taught. Basically obey the preacher and teacher. Be a good boy and you'll work your way up the ranks. Yes a lot of non sense is taught, however there is good as well. In the beginnings you get sucked in by the love bombing. The members are almost all… Read more »
When I went in the love bombing was actually kind of creepy.. I'm a very nice friendly outgoing person but it was almost too much for me to handle.. I couldn't even believe it
And Kevin's writing and knowledge is really outstanding! I can't imagine any of the preachers or teachers coming close to something like this!
What are some of the things they do while love bombing anon 1:15?
One thing that is done when love bombing is to never tell them babe they are wrong in anything, do not criticize them, correct them, or reprove them, just smile at everything they say.
I learned never to criticize a babes driving at a Sunday fellowship. We had a Thursday nonmember class in Prescott and on the return drive to Phoenix one teacher and her husband decided to let the babe drive their car back. The man had a boat of a car, I think a 76 pontiac bonnevile or the like, about 40 feet in overall length, and the babes drove back through the town of Mahyer AZ and on Friday this teacher was saying how scared to death she was of this babes driving, which was really saying something because her husband… Read more »
anon 11:55- i find that last part realli hard to believe. im pretty sure youre exaggerating. lets keep this all realistic okay ?
Anon 8:25 you see a huge difference when you have the status quo attending compared to when you have a nonmember attend. You especially see it at a nonmember class. Members are I will use the word trained to give the nonmember extra attention. Ones who may not even shake another members hand trust me Portland has those ones will greet and give a smile to the nonmember. Others may have other examples. When I first attended I was given extra attention. When you get the nonmembers close to baptism or are newly baptized certainly they get the love bombing… Read more »
Anon 8:25 right now I don't want to really give away who I am as I'm talking to some members in two different churches that are reading this. But when I went in it might have been a little bit different because of the situation that I was in. But basically they didn't leave me alone, they were way so over-friendly, but it was kind of extreme.. I'm not saying that that is bad, because all of the members were very nice. It's just to me this was not normal. They were trying way too hard and I noticed this.… Read more »
Don't know if you're baptized or not but early on they'll accept questions and disagreements. But if you stay in long enough and their answers are no longer acceptable tp you, you won't be acceptable to them.
I would be suspicious and not like it either. I like true kind friendships and work at being the same to others. If negative or overbearing or what to control me I would walk away. Never liked people who wanted control in or out of church.
And yet I have heard them say many many times "she isn't a Christian" or "they are not Christians" about other people while ironically "they cannot possibly be Christians" but think they are….so deceived….so sad!
I'm anon 10:16 and yes I was baptized in one church and then went to another
Since necessary inference is not expressly commanded, every proof that says it is permitted must use circular reasoning. One can only "prove" that we may use necessary inference by actually using necessary inference before we have proved that we may use it. When we do that, we show that we don't know to properly use reason.
I understand faulty reasoning leads to erroneous understandings. We use to have question night once a month where you could ask any biblical question and the teacher would give you the answer but it was quickly stopped because it revealed how little the teachers knew or understood themselves. We were told that we had an "unction" and understood all things so there was no need to ask questions. I saw however when a teacher did not know something they said "we will have to call out for council" instead of using the unction they had. The lack of biblical knowledge… Read more »
Anon at least you only endured it once a month. We technically had the same setup in SA, but people were allowed to bring up questions at the beginning of each class. Very often someone would bring up some technical question, say something historical or some minute detail that wasn't totally spelled out and we would spend too much time on a boring topic even though everyone else had studied on one thing. It was so disorderly and frustrating that many times it was one particular person who could just basically hijack the class. And yes sometimes it was left… Read more »
Agreed. I see the behaviors of those with the superiority complex is to make themselves the center of attention, and disregard everyone else as unimportant. Once the feeling of superiority is achieved then the behaviors of the arrogant become dominate and controlling. I see in Genesis with Joseph telling his brethren and father of his dream of how the would bow down to him and his older brothers hated him and sold him into slavery to get rid of him and I see the behaviors with Christ and the Pharisee's how they refused to bow down to him no matter… Read more »
The primary task of USMC boot camp is to teach men to break the commandment "thou shalt not kill" to give young men the will to kill. This goes against everything that Christianity is built upon so it defies understanding why someone would glorify the Marine Corp as a place for a Christian to be; yet that is exactly what happened in the Phoenix SCOC. The military encourages arrogance and narcissism because this greatly benefits the military. The arrogant become oppressors and in combat an oppressor is the best person to lead others by yelling and screaming orders to them.… Read more »
Anon, hey now, careful there with your generalizations. My husband is retired military. He never had to kill anyone but he certainly would never murder. Please see that topic on this blog. There's a difference.And he's a Great husband. Much better than the one who was recruited by Merie's church at 19. One was not a committed or faithful husband and the other is, as well as a good provider. Certainly not a barker even though he was in a leadership position in the military. I would say that rather, Merie's church just reinforces the negatives we already have and… Read more »
True there are exceptions to the rules, you are probably the exception. When I was in the military we went on deployments; for six months at first, then it went to twelve or thirteen months. How does a father spent time with his children when he is gone six to twelve months at a time and repeatedly deployed? When one deploys or "floats" they go on west pac; going to the western pacific. I watched the men I worked with become drunkards, and whoremongers overseas and then return to respectable life when back states side. The women who were native… Read more »
Well those specific men are in the wrong if that's what they did. But if you generalize that all men are leaving babies in other countries, etc. that's off. My ex worked at a large utility company here and a bunch of men there were like that. So those types of men are everywhere. And they're in this church and others. I mean if you're gonna generalize about that, at least 60% of black men leave their kids. I bet that's a higher ratio than military men. But we're not going there, are we?Anyway, the SCOC shouldn't Require men to… Read more »
is ya'll sayings these types of mens are where you are now, also. would'nt the elders and perchers let those guys know about their responsibilites also. i'd think the scoc should let the rascals know of the obligaation they have to man up and be responsibile. after all arent' the hearts of all men evil and the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.Who can understand it? i guess some things are better not said to wives and kept under the table
Whoe, hold the horses now. Black men are the subject only now and if the stats were really known how many percentage points would the white man be at.
(feels like an SCOC class that has gone way off topic; exiting…)
seems like folks are just responding to your response, M Long. Who took us off the topic, again?
M Long, my point that I was driving at is the SCOC makes the claim to be God's sole church on earth and yet the men in the SCOC are allowed to behave worse than infidels by not providing support to the children they have helped to create. The USMC drill instructor has the superiority complex worse than most and yet his behavior is not that of a responsible Christian man, and he was preaching last I heard. If you are going to preach the gospel should you not live the gospel, and by that I mean pay you child… Read more »
This thread sounds immature and with uneducated people chiming in that cannot even spell?
Please let’s get on a good topic that will make us dig into our bibles and grow and also if we do not know how to spell take the time to look up the word please so the comments make sense.
The Apostles were ignorant and unlearned men (Acts 4:13) yet they were more righteous than anyone living today, so poor grammar and poor spelling is not important in the kingdom of God. As far as a good topic lets address men fulfilling their responsibilities to their families and setting a good example for others to follow. What does God require of men who father children? Are the men to abandon and forsake the women and children as has been done many times in the SCOC? Lets address the hypocrisy of leadership allowing men to preach that are deadbeat dads. Lets… Read more »
Thank you anon 6:04. Now maybe we will get back on track and not sidebars of personal attacks.
One thing I have learned as I battle my superiority complex is that those of us who are arrogant tell lies. The person I lie to the most is myself. I constantly catch myself exaggerating situations to make myself feel more important, that is give myself a feeling of superiority. Delusions of grandure can come in the form of believing yourself of great importance or under great persecution, both make you feel important to yourself. There are two kinds of victims; real victims and fake victims. Real victims suffer wrong and go on fake victims exaggerate their situation to gain… Read more »
Thank you for your honesty and food for thought.��
I come to understand this week that the parable of the ten virgins, five wise and five foolish is that the wise are always be prepared, the foolish are prepared only part of the time. The five foolish had lamps and did have oil but did not prepare fully and got left behind. Study is and everyday requirement not just to be able to refute the false teachers but also to keep my pride and lust under restraint through constant reproof. I realized this this week as we have our one winter storm for Arizona and I did not bring… Read more »
Christ taught his disciples to pray and in his instructions he said for the disciples to ask God for their daily bread, which meant they would be praying every day. (Matthew 6:11-15) I find that there is spiritual side to this as well and I have to pray for my spiritual meat everyday, that is I have to ask God for understandings on a daily basis from my studies and amazingly enough he grants me understandings. Christians need to be asking God in prayer for understandings from his word it is how we grow in our faith.
In Tacoma it was taught that you can measure your faith by how much you pray. I tend to believe that. Coming to the throne of grace. There was one member, whom I respected greatly, admitted, one time, that he doesn't pray everyday. That was a little disturbing to me. I pray all day every day and have even prayed in my sleep. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (or by study) How much am I really in tuned with the oracles of God if my prayer is lacking?
Really good post, Lynn. Simple truth is so refreshing.
As I struggle to control my superiority complex and ask God to give me a heart like Jesus, that is a meek and lowly heart, I am overwhelmed by daily problems. There is no one else to do the lowly work that has to be done to solve the daily problems but I don't want to wait tables, I want to do the more important tasks and leave the lowly tasks for someone else (but in my life there is no one else.) In Proverbs 6:6-8 Solomon teaches go to the ant thou sluggard and there are few things more… Read more »