Jon Gary Williams
Articles / Resources
0612
Gus Nichols vs O. G. Lodge (Holiness)
September 26, 1940
Vinemont, Alabama
(By Horace A. Holt)
Sept. 10, 11 at Vinemont, Ala.
In the first session bro. Nichols ably affirmed the usual church propositions. He set forth in a clear, forceful manner, the teachings of the N.T. on the church. Mr. Lodge did not try to refute a single argument or answer a scripture used by bro. Nichols in the first night of the debate. Instead of taking notes, Mr. Lodge spent 60 minutes running back and forth before the audience, jumping up and down, keeping the audience in an uproar most of the time.
The second night Mr. Lodge was supposed to affirm the same propositions concerning his church. His efforts were very little better than the night before. He did not define his proposition, even after bro. Nichols asked him to do so. His speeches were made up on unreasonable assertions which he made no attempt to prove. Bro. Nichols answered every scripture Lodge used and turned them all against him, showing that they taught just the opposite of this affirmation. Bro. Nichols showed that Lodge contradicted himself a number of times and made him admit twice that he had knowingly perverted the scriptures.
Before the debate started, Lodge said they needed 4 nights. The 2nd night he asked bro. Nichols to allow each speaker to have an extra 20 minutes in order to get through. At the end of bro. Nichols' 3rd speech, Mr. Lodge wanted to call off the last speeches. Bro. Nichols would not agree to this, but did agree to cut them to 10 minutes. Mr. Lodge used only 5 of his 10 minutes in his last speech. He said people were getting cold in the open air. It was obvious to almost everyone present that it was the extreme portion of Mr. Lodge's anatomy that was getting cold. To anyone desiring the truth humbly proclaimed and false teaching exposed I recommend bro. Nichols . I believe him equal to any situation calling for a forceful, convincing debater. Close to 1,000 people heard the gospel during this discussion and it is sure to do a world of good.
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