Jon Gary Williams
Articles / Resources
0104
I. B. Bradley vs Penick (Baptist)
July 24, 1913
Burt, Tennessee
(By J. W. Shepherd)
At Burt, Tennessee, July 1-4.
One of the most pleasant debates we ever had with the Baptists. Perfect order in extremely hot weather. The bearing of the speakers towards each other was such as to give a decided tone to the demand for orderly and decent discussions, free from personalities, anecdotes and humorous displays. There was nothing to mar the debate. This demonstrated that religious differences can be investigated by men of opposite persuasions without engendering strife or bad feelings.
Penick affirmed: "The scriptures teach that a believer has remission of sins before and without baptism in water." He made his principal fight on the 15th chapter of Acts, 10th chapter of Acts, Romans 3 and 4, John 3, using the scriptures usually relied upon to sustain the doctrine of justification by faith only. In reply Bro. Bradley said he believed all these scriptures, but believed that the faith contemplated was a faith made perfect by obedience. He asked Penick if those believers mentioned in John 1:11-12 were sons of God by faith before that right or power was exercised, to which he made no reply. Bro. Bradley called on Penick to "find one case in all of God's dealings with the human family where God promised a blessing upon faith and bestowed that blessing before faith had expressed itself in action." He kept this prominently before Penick until the close of the debate and it was never produced.
The fourth day Bradley affirmed: "baptism for remission of sins." His first argument was to show that God had ever required an obedient faith upon which all his blessings have been predicated; then to show that baptism is the expression of that faith that God requires under the new covenant from an alien; then that it is a part of God's righteousness and must be fulfilled; and that it is in the last, world-wide, and age-lasting commission to be preached to "all nations for the obedience of faith" and made one of the conditions of salvation by the Master (Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:44-47) and so regarded and taught by the apostles and inspired men of the apostolic age (Acts 2:38; 16:30-31; 22:16; Romans 6:3-6, 16, 17) (I Peter 3:21). Bro. Bradley diagramed Mark 16:16 on the board and Penick to notice it and tell why the expressions "that believeth" and "is baptized" do not both modify "he" in the same sense. Penick said: "Mark 16:16 is a declarative sentence and not a conditional one." Then Elder Penick introduced Green's Greek Grammar and read one short excerpt on Acts 2:38, the author's opinion as to the meaning of baptism for remission - that it symbolically remits sins which are really forgiven by faith. Bro. Bradley asked for the book and read Penick's excerpt and then what he gave as a scholar - that the expression "eis Aphesin Hamartion" means "with a view to the remission of sins." This destroyed Penick.
The brethren were delighted with Bro. Bradley's work in the debate and the outcome of the week's work. There was an invitation read at the close of the debate from the Church of Christ at Auburn, Tennessee asking the speakers to repeat the discussion at those two places in the near future. Bro. Bradley accepted the invitations without hesitancy. Elder Penick said he was ready to meet Bro. Bradley anywhere under the sun when his brethren called him as their representative. Bradyville is anxious for the discussion there. Shall we have these three discussions?
There were several Baptist preachers present: J. H. Grimes (who met the lamented J. M. Kidwell near this place more than 20 years ago), W. C. Pherson, T. J. Eastes, and Mr. Mason. The brethren were: Dr. Curlee, Francis M. Turner, Francis McBroom, and J. W. Shepherd. T. J. Eastes moderated for Penick; J. W. Shepherd for Bradley.
Kindness and hospitality excellent. Two of the brethren introduced an innovation - they had water hauled to the place and two colored women were employed to serve it while debate was going on. It helped keep children quiet and added to comfort of older ones.
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