Jon Gary Williams
Articles / Resources
0816
J. D. Tant
My Last Three Debates
January 5, 1928
During the past months I have been called for 3 debates. I have noticed that about 8 people will come to a debate where only 1 will go to hear the gospel preached. I have been debating Baptist preachers for the past 40 years, and have held 100 debates with them. They all tell the same tale. I have not heard a new argument among them for 25 years. There may be some Baptist preachers who will tell the truth and rightly represent their opponents in debate, but I have never met one.
I heard C. M. Pullias say once that Jesus Christ was the greatest controversialist the world ever produced. I think his statement is true. A.G. Freed, one of the greatest Bible teachers in the church of Christ, said that when he preached a sermon that pleased the sects he felt like going into the pulpit and preaching it over.
There are three stages in all religious movements. First, is the fighting stage, when people are few and humble and lean on God for support. At that stage they all fight and try to overthrow the teaching of men, as the Jews did as recorded in Deut. 7.
Second, is the stage of greatness when we become strong and respected and want fine houses and big schools like the sects around us. The Jews reached that stage when they rejected God and wanted a king like the people around them.
Third, is the age of compromise when we don't want the differences between the church of Christ and the denominations debated, for fear we will hurt someone's feelings. We are drifting.
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