Jon Gary Williams
Articles / Resources
0368
S. H. Hall vs J. J Walker (Christian Church)
May 24, 1923
Russell Street church of Christ and Woodland Street Christian Church, Montgomery, Alabama
(By H. Leo Boles)
May 7-11 at Montgomery, Alabama.
Walker affirmed instrumental music in church worship is scriptural. The debate began in Central Christian Church, but on second night was moved to the large First Baptist Church that seated more people. Walker affirmed that the instrumental idea inhered in the word "psallo" and that, since psallo is used in Eph. 5:19 and Col. 3:16, we are commanded to use the instrument.
The 2nd night he took the position that we could sing with or without the instrument. On the 4th night he abandoned his former positions and said you could sing with or without an instrument and leave it up to a majority vote. Bro. Hall followed him very closely, and clearly and very satisfactorily answered every argument, and should that each shifting position that bro. Walker took contradicted his former position. Walker refused to answer a long list of questions Hall gave him.
On the 4th night Hall distributed several hundred copies of the questions to the audience. Walker refused even to mention the questions until after the close of the 5th night and then asked the chairman moderator for permission to distribute answers to these questions in type written form. The chairman ruled that he was out of order, since he had had four nights to answer the questions.
The debate caused many people to read their Bibles and study the music question. The chairman moderator, judge Stanford, a Methodist, for 50 years said publicly that he had never heard the word "psallo." He had just listened to Methodist preachers. He was a splendid moderator and very fair. O. P. Spiegel, Montgomery, Alabama, moderated for Walker; H. Leo Boles moderated for Hall.
The loyal churches in Montgomery are expecting great results. "We have no greater debater than S. H. Hall. He loves the truth and knows how to defend it. He addresses himself directly to the propositions in hand and deals kindly, yet with crushing effect, with his opponents arguments."
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