It is always good to challenge any practice that individual Christians partake in or that a local church does.  The question of authority for “Bible Classes” is not a new question.  It is a question that those of us who participate in “Bible Classes” should be able to answer.  Looking for authority from the Lord should always be done PRIOR to us partaking in any practice (Colossians 3:17).  Several have taken the position over the years that the church assembles only for worship wherein the Lord’s Supper is taken (Acts 20:7), a collection of the saints is made (I Corinthians 16:1-2), saints pray together (I Thessalonians 5:17), singing occurs (Ephesians 5:19), and preaching is done (Acts 20:7).  Certainly, we all agree that there is authority for the church to assemble for worship.  Such is shown, as noted above, through commands, examples, or necessary inferences.

    When we find authority by way of command, example, and / or necessary inference; we then have to also determine if something is specifically stated or generically stated.  For example, the Lord’s Supper is partaken of when the church assembles together on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7, I Corinthians 11:18; 20; 33).  The emblems are the unleavened bread (Matthew 26:17) and the fruit of the vine (Matthew 26:29).  Those things are specifically stated.  The saints are to assemble together to partake on the first day of the week, but the time of day is generic.  That decision is therefore made by each local autonomous congregation based upon what is most expedient for those brethren.  Also, since the church is to assemble in one place to partake of the Lord’s Supper (I Corinthians 11:20), you also have some congregations that need to find a place large enough wherein the saints can fulfill this command.  Thus, a meeting place is rented or purchased as an expedient (a tool that helps to fulfill a requirement placed on us by God) for the saints to assemble within.  You might ask, what does this have to do with Bible Classes?  The answer – these principles of applying Bible Authority will be used to show authority for brethren to assemble for classes.

     The Lord’s church is the only organization upon the face of this earth that has authority from God to teach His word.  Among evangelists and elders within the local church there is also teachers (I Corinthians 12:28 and Ephesians 4:11).  The church that assembled in Antioch sent men to preach the Gospel (Acts 13:1-3).  The church in Thessalonica had a reputation of doing the work of evangelism (I Thessalonians 1:7-8).  The church is the foundation and support for the truth (I Timothy 3:15).  Thus, the authority for the church to teach is clear in the New Testament.  However, can the church teach during the time in which we assemble to partake of the Lord’s Supper?  Can the church organize times outside of worship to teach?  These questions must be answered.

     The church may assemble together upon the first day of the week for the purpose of partaking the Lord’s Supper and the church is then to have the Gospel taught (Acts 20:7).  As stated earlier, the church may need a facility in which to assemble as an expedient for this purpose.  With this point there is rarely disagreement.  The point of disagreement comes when someone says the church can organize a time or times in which there are classes for the Bible to be taught.  Why is that a question in anyone’s mind?   We have already determined that the church has authority to teach.  A “Bible Class” is an expedient to fulfill the instruction for the church to teach.  The way we come to the authority to rent or purchase a meeting place is one way in which we also determine authority to have classes wherein we teach the Bible outside of the assembly on the first day of the week.  A point of misunderstanding is about what the assembly is, and if the assembly can be divided?  Can biblical lessons be taught if the whole church is not assembled together in one place?

     I cannot speak for every congregation wherein there are “Bible Classes”.  Some churches take the denominational idea of a “Sunday School” of which I would oppose.  I can however speak about where I assemble and work with the saints.  When we have a “Bible Class” it is not an assembly.  The church is not together for worship.  I would oppose a divided assembly.  When the church comes together for worship, it is to be done with all the saints together (I Corinthians 11:18; 20; 33; 14:23).  We meet at the building we purchased to assemble and teach in twice per week outside of the time in which we assemble for worship on the first day of the week.  Just as I have authority to meet a couple at the building the church assembles in for worship to teach them privately, there is authority for public teaching (Acts 20:20 and Galatians 2:2).  The question then becomes, can we teach if the whole church is not together in one place?

     Certainly we find authority in the New Testament to teach when the church is not assembled.  The saints did so from house to house and in the temple (Acts 5:42).  Saints went everywhere preaching the word of God (Acts 8:4).  Brethren preached even when invited to do so in the synagogues (Acts 13:14ff.).  On the Day of Pentecost the Apostles were teaching and “…every man heard them speak in his own language” (Acts 2:6).  The Apostles were teaching in different languages concurrently: “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice…” (Acts 2:14).  The necessary implication is that the Apostles were divided up into different areas teaching at the same time.  What’s that show?  It shows authority for concurrent classes to be held at the same place, same time, but in different areas of that one place.  Yet still, it is one action as is shown by the language “standing up with the eleven”.

     When Paul came to Ephesus he called the elders, not the whole church, together to teach them (Acts 20:17ff.).  Aquila and Priscilla used a private study to teach Apollos about the error he taught (Acts 18:24).  There is certainly more than just a little authority for classes to be conducted.  I suppose the only objections that could be left are answering the abuses of the idea of “Bible Classes”.

     Some might object to classes conducted in the meeting house because of abuses that occur.  For example, one might object because a mixed “Bible Class” gives the opportunity for a woman to overstep her authority.  A woman is to be silent in the assembly (I Corinthians 14:34-35).  However, a “Bible Class”, either within a building purchased by the church or in a home, is not an assembly.  Thus, a woman would not be forbidden the ability to ask a question.  Yet, in any setting a woman is not to take authority over the man or teach over a man (I Timothy 2:11-12).  That is true whether it is in the middle of worship, on a telephone call, email, or over a cup of coffee in a local diner.  Thus, one should not prohibit a congregation from having classes because of that possible abuse no more than one should prohibit a group of Christians meeting at Denny’s for breakfast with the idea that a woman may overstep her bounds.

     Other abuses might be the formation of the denominational concept of a “Sunday School”.  There is no authority for the church to function as a school, but the abuse is not a reason to forgo the role of the church in teaching the Scriptures in any setting outside of collective worship.  The abuse of ignorant questions and debating is not a reason to end class sessions.  Foolish and unlearned questions are to be avoided in any setting (II Timothy 2:23 and Titus 3:9).  On and one we could go, but an abuse in a class is no more of a reason to oppose a Bible Class than an abuse in worship is a reason to oppose worship services.

     The church has the job of teaching the Scriptures.  A Bible Class is an expedient (tool) that allows the church to do her authorized work of teaching.  If there were other Scriptures that were violated by having classes I too would oppose Bible Classes, but to my knowledge there are none that could be presented.  There are several ways the church fulfills her role in teaching.  The church may print a periodical such as a bulletin, preach over the radio, in the newspaper, through tracts or other literature, over the internet, etc.  A Bible Class is no different.  Saints are edified through the teaching of the word of God (Acts 20:32), therefore let us not limit what is implicitly authorized.