Nicodemus asked me a question. How do I know if something is wrong that is not explicitly called out in the Bible?
I said this:
Apostles applying the commandment directly, for example:
``Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ``Honor your father and mother,'' which is the first commandment with promise: ``that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.'''' -
Ephesians 6:1-3 NKJV
Apostles applying the underlying principle, for example:
``Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?'' -
2 Corinthians 6:14-15 NKJV
The context of that passage is holiness. Compare with this commandment:
``Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly.'' -
Deuteronomy 7:3-4 NKJV
That commandment is not directly applicable to us, but the underlying principle of holiness is. If the direct application of a commandment ends in cultural absurdity, it is a good indication that it is not directly applicable. For example, there was that commandment about marrying only people from Israel. It would be absurd to interpret the commandment directly, however Paul did use the underlying principle to find God's will regarding holiness when marrying.
Another example of underlying principle applied by the apostles.
Notice how Paul unearths the underlying principle:
``Do I say these things as a [mere] man? Or does not the law say the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, ``You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.'' Is it oxen God is concerned about? Or does He say [it] altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, [this] is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown spiritual things for you, [is it] a great thing if we reap your material things? If others are partakers of [this] right over you, [are] we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ.'' -
1 Corinthians 9:8-12 NKJV
It refers to this commandment:
``You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out [the grain].'' -
Deuteronomy 25:4 NKJV
Apostles using examples (which you could find commandments as well):
Many O.T. examples show us the righteousness of God punishing iniquity on one side, and rewarding obedient faith, repentance, and righteousness on the other side.
``Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as [were] some of them. As it is written, ``The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.'' Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.'' -
1 Corinthians 10:6-11 NKJV
The Apostles also used the good examples from godly people.
``Wives, likewise, [be] submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct [accompanied] by fear. Do not let your adornment be [merely] outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on [fine] apparel-- rather [let it be] the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible [beauty] of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.'' -
1 Peter 3:1-6 NKJV
Or the bad examples from ungodly ones.
``They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the [son] of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;'' -
2 Peter 2:15 NKJV
They also applied the Genesis Narrative to teach the will of God:
This is an example of Jesus using the Genesis creation narrative to draw a conclusion of what the perfect will of God is.
``The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, ``Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for [just] any reason?'' And He answered and said to them, ``Have you not read that He who made [them] at the beginning `made them male and female,' and said, `For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.'' They said to Him, ``Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?'' He said to them, ``Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.'''' -
Matthew 19:3-9 NKJV
There are more examples of the use of the Genesis narrative to determine the will of God or determine what is normal or natural. For example:
Romans 1:26-27, 1 Timothy 2:11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:14-15.
In conclusion
The foundation is in the fact that the Scriptures reveals the person of God, so you should be able to find God's will in it.
Things are right or wrong or no good. "No good" meaning that it is not necessarily wrong but it is the reflection that something is wrong in the heart, or it can tempt you to get your heart wrong, or it is not the perfect will of God.
For example, polygamy, which is not explicitly called out in the Bible but because the Genesis narrative of God creating one man and one woman, you can see what God's ideal desire is. You can also see the general tendency to cause issues in later narrative, and finally, Paul making it an issue if you are looking to be an bishop.
Another 'no good' is wine or any substance that has the potential of blurring your good judgment to discern between good and evil (
Leviticus 10:1-11).
Is it right, wrong, no good?
Probably not exhaustive but a good start:
* Look for a Precept. Is it applicable? (No explicitly discontinued, no cultural absurdity if try to apply it)
* Look for a Principle that can be applicable behind a Precept.
* Look for narrative that shows God's will
* Look for teachings of wisdom, or examples that warn you against it, or exhort you to do the opposite.
Another case is when something may not be necessarily bad (e.g. walking down a certain street), but it is an occasion for you to sin, then you need to stay away from it (see teachings of Jesus using the hyperbole of cutting your hand off or plucking your eye out).
What usually happens when something is totally new to you, is that the Spirit of God is already making you feel that something is wrong, or keeps bringing a scripture to your mind. Also, if you are mature and you know God well, your intuition will warn you that something ain't good in that. Then, because the Spirit is also the author of the Scriptures, you should be able to find a case against it in the Scriptures, and even teach it later to others.
What you got?
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