08. VIII. VARIETIES OF APPLICATION
VIII. VARIETIES OF APPLICATION Application is of two kinds, mental and practical.
Mental Application
Mental application is concerned with the mind and involves either doctrine or reproof (2 Timothy 3:16-17). When it involves doctrine, biblical teaching is used to inform the mind to enable it to come to a right judgment about what is to be believed. Reproof is using biblical teaching in order to recover the mind from error. When false teaching is refuted during the exposition of Scripture the following cautions should be observed.
Make sure that you thoroughly understand the issue involved, or ’the state of the question’ to be discussed.
Reprove only the errors which currently trouble the church. Leave others alone if they lie dead in past history, or if they are not relevant to the people, unless you know that spiritual danger may still arise from them. This was the situation described in Revelation chapter two when the church at Pergamos was warned to beware of the Nicolaitans whose teaching had already influenced some of them.
If the error is not foundational to the gospel, the refutation should be done not only in a truly Christian fashion (as should always be the case) but also in a friendly manner. Gentle and brotherly disagreement is called for here.
Practical Application Practical application has to do with life-style and behaviour and involves instruction and correction.
Instruction is the application of doctrine to enable us to live well in the context of the family, the state and the church. Itinvolves both encouragement and exhortation (Romans 15:4).
Correction is the application of doctrine in a way that transforms lives marked by ungodliness and unrighteousness. This involves admonition. Such admonition must be done generally at first, without reference to specific circumstances. This principle is well-illustrated in 2 Samuel 12:1-31 where Nathan first made David aware of his sin by means of a general parable. Paul appears to have adopted a similar approach (see Acts 19:26;Acts 19:35;Acts 19:37).
If this kind of reproof does not bear fruit, it should be expressed in more detailed ways (see 1 Timothy 5:20). But our expressions of hatred for sin must always be accompanied by an obvious love for the person who has sinned. Whenever possible the minister should include himself in his reproofs. In this way his preaching, teaching and counselling will be expressed in a mild and gentle spirit (cf. Daniel 4:16-19; 1 Corinthians 4:6; Galatians 2:15).
These different kinds of application can be employed with respect to every sentence of the Scripture. But it may be valuable to use an example drawing on what Matthias Flacius Illyricus (1520-75), the Lutheran, has written on Matthew 10:28 where Jesus urges the disciples not to fear those who can kill only the body, but rather to fear him who can destroy both body and soul in hell.
It would be easy to elicit a wide variety of doctrines from this text, in relation to both our confession of faith and God’s providence.
Doctrine
It is necessary for us to confess publicly the doctrine we know whenever the need arises.
We must make this confession even if it means risking the loss of our possessions and our lives.
We should despise the value of our lives by comparison with the value we place on Christ and his truth.
Eternal punishments which will be experienced both in soul and body are prepared for those who are not afraid to deny Christ and his truth.
God is intent and ready to rule and guide us, to enable us to make our confession aright.
The providence of God is not only general, but also particular, and includes the tiniest details, even the hairs of our head!
Reproof
It is a mistake to think it is adequate merely to embrace in the heart the faith and right views of religion. It is equally mistaken to imagine that it is within human power in the meantime to grant or affirm anything before men, such as the condition of the place, time and persons requires, especially when life seems to be in imminent danger of ending.
Epicureans are in error when they deny divine providence, thinking it beneath the majesty of God to take care of human affairs.
Stoics are in error when they imagine that all things are governed by fate (or by some irresistible and violent necessity).
Those who displace the wise ordination of the divine providence with chance and fortune are also mistaken.
Pelagians are in error in attributing more than is warranted to man’s strength, as though it were in men’s power to embrace the faith at their own pleasure or to continue steadfastly in it and fearlessly confess it to the end.
Others err when they depend more on outward things and unstable riches than on the power and goodness of God.
Instruction
You must, to the full extent of your power, strive to have a true fear of God in view, because you have now learned that the one God is to be feared above all men.
You must learn to despise human things to such an extent that you always desire, having forsaken them, to leave this world and be with Christ in heaven.
The consideration of God’s special providence should teach you to think of the presence of God as all-seeing and all-knowing, to seek his help, and also to believe that you are helped in all things, and finally that there is no danger so terrible but he is able and willing to deliver you from it, when it is fit.
Correction
These words of Christ correct the negligence of those who do not pray for sincere love, so that inflamed with it they would not refuse to lay down their life for his name.
There is here, too, a criticism of the negligence of those who do not acknowledge or see the providence of God showing itself in all things.
There is reproof here for those who do not give God thanks for promising in his providence to govern and defend us in everything that concerns us.
Those who abuse God’s good creation are rebuked here since it is clear that God takes care of all things. Any passage in Scripture can be handled in this way. Note, however, that we should not try to expound every doctrine on every occasion; but only those which can be applied appropriately to the present experiences and condition of the church. These must be carefully chosen, and limited to a few, lest those who hear God’s Word expounded are overwhelmed by the sheer number of applications.