When Does an Aid Become an Addition?
God often gives commands without specifying every detail of how they are to be carried out. When that happens, we make practical decisions that help us obey the command. These are often called expedients or aids because they assist us in doing what God has commanded without changing the command itself.
For example, Jesus commanded His followers to "go into all the world and preach the gospel" (Mark 16:15). He did not specify how they should travel. Whether they walk, ride a horse, drive a car, or fly in an airplane, the command remains the same. The method helps carry out the command but does not change it.
The same principle applies in many areas of Christian life. A church may meet in a home, a rented building, or a permanent meeting place. Christians may read from a printed Bible or an electronic device. A microphone helps people hear the speaker, but it does not change the message being preached.
An aid becomes something different, however, when it changes what God has instructed rather than simply helping us obey it. If God has specified what He wants, we should not substitute something else in its place. The purpose of an expedient is to carry out the command—not to redefine it.
This is why Christians sometimes disagree about what is an aid and what is an addition. The disagreement is usually not over whether expedients are permitted. It is over whether a particular practice merely assists the command or changes the nature of the command itself.
That is why every question must be examined carefully. Rather than asking, "Do I like this?" or "Is this useful?", we should ask:
What has God commanded?
Does this help carry out that command?
Or does it change what God has instructed?
Those questions keep our attention on the text rather than on personal preference.
As we continue this course, we will apply these principles to several practical questions. Our goal is not to defend tradition or encourage innovation, but to understand how biblical authority guides the choices we make.
Continue Your Study
How do these principles help us think through practical questions? We'll examine several examples and ask the same question each time:
What does the text authorize?
Related Bible Studies
What Does the Bible Teach About Silence?
Building Sound Doctrine
What Is Context?
Companion Video
When Does an Aid Become an Addition?