Jon Gary Williams
Articles / Resources
0052
Joe H. Blue (Day, Arkansas) vs Sam Ballard (Missionary Baptist)
June 4, 1903
Wheeling, Arkansas
March 3-6 at Wheeling, Arkansas
General Church Proposition (baptism, when church established) Bro. Blue laid down 66 which we, as the Church of Christ, believe and teach. Ballard objected to only four: Establishment of kingdom; operation of Holy Spirit, Apostasy, design of baptism. Ballard admitted that the Mosaic Law was taken away at the cross.
On third and fourth days, Ballard tried to show that the kingdom was established on the Mt. (Mark 3:13-21), using Luke 16:16 as one of the main proof texts. He cited the mission of John the Baptist, as Baptists did in bygone years, to prove that the name "Baptist" is scriptural. Bro. Blue, answered every argument made by Ballard, and filed 41 objections to the Baptist Church. Here some: "It is a republic, not a kingdom (see: Church Manual, p. 43); it puts regeneration before repentance; it teaches that men are saved out of Christ, or before they are in his body; it has no salvation in it (Baptist Church), it teaches that children inherit sin from their parents; it has an unscriptural name.
Bro. Blue asked Ballard 55 questions. Here are some of them: (1) Where is proof that Jesus established the Baptist Church? (2) Where is the proof that apostles set up mourner's bench and invited men to it? (3) How far back in history can you find the name "Baptist Church"? (4) Would you give Peter's answer on Pentecost (Acts 2:38)? (5) Would you baptize a man on the highway like Phillip baptized the Eunuch? (6) Are we married to Christ? If we are married to Christ, what name should we wear? (7) Can a man be a Christian and not be a Baptist?
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