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0406
September 21-24 at Poughkeepsee, Arkansas.
C. R. Nichol was scheduled to meet Ben M. Bogard, who was "not able physically." Bogard substituted Chastain. Nichols refused to meet Chastain because he was inexperienced and could not adequately represent the Baptist. So I was asked to meet Chastain.
1st day Chastain affirmed: "Salvation comes at the point of faith in Christ and with further acts of obedience." It was amusing to hear him introduce Mk. 16:16 in support of this proposition. It was pointed out that since the passage required baptism in addition to faith as a condition of salvation, it therefore, disproves the proposition. Since his proposition required no "further acts of obedience" beyond faith in Christ in order to salvation, I asked Mr. Chastain if such faith was living or dead faith. He refused to answer for some time, but finally said it was "a living faith." Then I asked him how it could be a "living faith" he was contending for, since "faith without works is dead," and his proposition called for no "further acts" beyond faith. He never answered!
On the 2nd day, 2nd affirmative: "baptism for the remission of sins." Chastain quickly denied Mk. 16:16 as being inspired. But he got into trouble. I said Mk. 16:16 had not been left out of any of the various translations, and Chastain had used it in his first speech to prove one is saved before baptism. Think of a Baptist preacher using an "interpolation to Mark's gospel narrative" to prove such doctrine. He was challenged to produce evidence from the Bible where an apostle of Christ ever commanded a Christian or saved person to be baptized "because of the remission of sins." Failing to do this, his defeat was manifest unto all those present.
On 4th and final day I affirmed that "salvation is in the N. T. church for all responsible people living in the present age of dispensation." It was contended that "the N. T. church" is the spiritual body of Christ on earth (Eph. 1:19-23; Col. 1:18-24), and that one cannot be "in Christ" where salvation is promised (Acts 4:11,12; II Tim. 2:10), without being in and a part of this body. Furthermore the word EKKLESIA, from which we have the word "church," means "the called out." If one is saved before he becomes a member of the N. T. church, he is saved both before and without being "called out." This would place salvation in the world and such is in conflict with I John 5:19 which declares, "the whole world lieth in darkness." Again, the church of our Lord is referred to as his "household" or "family" upon the earth (Eph. 2:19-22; Eph. 3:15). As one must become a child of God in order to be saved and cannot become a child of God outside of his family, the church, it follows that salvation is in the church.
Mr. Chastain would not notice these arguments. He spent most of his time in an effort to prejudice the minds of the people against the truth.
Mr. Bogard moderated for Chastain; Joe H. Blue moderated for Hedge. Many preachers and brethren were present.
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John W. Hedge vs Hoyt Chastain (Baptist)
Nov. 25, 1948
Poughkeepsee, Arkansas
(By John W. Hedge)
Nov. 25, 1948
Poughkeepsee, Arkansas
(By John W. Hedge)
September 21-24 at Poughkeepsee, Arkansas.
C. R. Nichol was scheduled to meet Ben M. Bogard, who was "not able physically." Bogard substituted Chastain. Nichols refused to meet Chastain because he was inexperienced and could not adequately represent the Baptist. So I was asked to meet Chastain.
1st day Chastain affirmed: "Salvation comes at the point of faith in Christ and with further acts of obedience." It was amusing to hear him introduce Mk. 16:16 in support of this proposition. It was pointed out that since the passage required baptism in addition to faith as a condition of salvation, it therefore, disproves the proposition. Since his proposition required no "further acts of obedience" beyond faith in Christ in order to salvation, I asked Mr. Chastain if such faith was living or dead faith. He refused to answer for some time, but finally said it was "a living faith." Then I asked him how it could be a "living faith" he was contending for, since "faith without works is dead," and his proposition called for no "further acts" beyond faith. He never answered!
On the 2nd day, 2nd affirmative: "baptism for the remission of sins." Chastain quickly denied Mk. 16:16 as being inspired. But he got into trouble. I said Mk. 16:16 had not been left out of any of the various translations, and Chastain had used it in his first speech to prove one is saved before baptism. Think of a Baptist preacher using an "interpolation to Mark's gospel narrative" to prove such doctrine. He was challenged to produce evidence from the Bible where an apostle of Christ ever commanded a Christian or saved person to be baptized "because of the remission of sins." Failing to do this, his defeat was manifest unto all those present.
On 4th and final day I affirmed that "salvation is in the N. T. church for all responsible people living in the present age of dispensation." It was contended that "the N. T. church" is the spiritual body of Christ on earth (Eph. 1:19-23; Col. 1:18-24), and that one cannot be "in Christ" where salvation is promised (Acts 4:11,12; II Tim. 2:10), without being in and a part of this body. Furthermore the word EKKLESIA, from which we have the word "church," means "the called out." If one is saved before he becomes a member of the N. T. church, he is saved both before and without being "called out." This would place salvation in the world and such is in conflict with I John 5:19 which declares, "the whole world lieth in darkness." Again, the church of our Lord is referred to as his "household" or "family" upon the earth (Eph. 2:19-22; Eph. 3:15). As one must become a child of God in order to be saved and cannot become a child of God outside of his family, the church, it follows that salvation is in the church.
Mr. Chastain would not notice these arguments. He spent most of his time in an effort to prejudice the minds of the people against the truth.
Mr. Bogard moderated for Chastain; Joe H. Blue moderated for Hedge. Many preachers and brethren were present.
VIEW NEXT REPORT >>
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