Debates are not heard of much these days. Religious debates are heard of even less. However, there was a time when those of conviction would engage in honorable debate. In fact, in time past many Gospel Meetings (Revivals) conducted by our brethren would not come to a close without a challenge to debate from one of the denominations in the community.

Debating is a Biblical concept. Jude said Christians “should earnestly contend for the faith,” Jude 3. Paul said, “I am set for the defence of the Gospel,” Philippians 1:17. Jesus engaged in debates as we see in Mark 12:28, “And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered him well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?” Jesus was a controversialist, so was Paul. In Acts 17:17 we read that Paul, “disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. The word “disputed” in this passage means “to discourse with one, i.e. he reasoned (ASV). Used of a discussion likely to end in a dispute. He engaged in a debate with them.” To engage in debate and set forth the truth of the Gospel has done and still does great good in evangelism. The view was once stated that “a week of debate is worth a year of preaching.”

The advantage to an honest and open religious debate is that both sides of the proposition is set forth. Light has its greatest effect when contrasted with darkness (e.g. religious error). Reading the religious debates of our brethren have the same advantages. Regarding a given issue, the position of a denomination is expressed, and the Bible answer is given by the defender of Truth. There are many debates still in print, either in book form or eBooks, audio recordings, video recordings, etc. There are several debate books in our library and many more can be found online. Such debates as:

James D. Bales and Woolsey Teller:  The Existence of God, A Debate

1. Perry B. Cotham and Peter John: The Cotham-John Debate on Miracles Today
2. B. Hardeman and Ben M. Bogard: Hardeman-Bogart Debate on The Work of The Holy Spirit, The Necessity of Baptism, The Establishment of The Church, and The Possibility of Apostasy.
3. B. Hardeman and Ira M. Boswell: Boswell-Hardeman Discussion on Instrumental Music in the Worship
4. Charles R. Nichol and A. S. Bradley: The Nichol-Bradley Debate on The Kingdom Of Christ Was Established On The First Pentecost After The Resurrection Of Christ and Man Is Wholly Mortal And Unconscious From Death Till The Resurrection.
5. Gus Nichols and J. D. Holder: Nichols-Holder Debate on Salvation Without The Preached Or Written Word, Or Any Condition On Their Part.
6. Gus Nichols and Max R. King: The Nichols – King Debate on The 2^nd Coming of Christ Occurred in 70 AD with the Fall of Judaism. (aka 70AD Doctrine)
7. Foy E. Wallace, Jr. and Charles M. Neal: Neal-Wallace Discussion on the Thousand Years Reign of Christ
8. Thomas B. Warren and L. S. Ballard: Warren-Ballard Debate on Is Obedience (Water Baptism) Necessary For Salvation.
9. Thomas B. Warren and E. C. Fuqua: The Warren-Fuqua Debate on Are Men Out of The Church Amenable to the Law of Christ on Divorce and Remarriage.
10. Guy N. Woods and A. U. Nunnery: The Woods-Nunnery Debate on Baptism and Apostasy

Many of these debates can be found in our church library. Many are still in print and can be ordered from Christian Bookstores (i.e. Tucker Bookstore, Chula Vista Books, etc.). Those listed in this article (and many more) can be found in PDF format through such websites as International College of the Bible (http://www.icotb.org/).

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18

-Jerry D. Sturgill

Many in the world would be surprised to hear that the message of Christ is inclusive, but the reality is­­—as the good old hymn goes–the Gospel is for all. The teaching that Christ only died for a restricted few people whom God has unconditionally chosen is false. God wants all to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9). In Galatians 3:8, Paul writes, “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.” The Gospel in seed form was preached to Abraham in Genesis 12:3. The seed of Abraham who would bless all nations of the world is Christ (Gal. 3:16). Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Mt. 11:28). After His death and resurrection Jesus commissioned that His followers make disciples of all nations (Mt. 28:19), going into all the world to preach the Gospel to every creature (Mk. 16:15). The apostles were to start at Jerusalem and carry the message to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Centuries before Christ issued these marching orders, Isaiah prophesied that all nations would flow unto Jerusalem from whence Christ’s law would come forth (Isa. 2:2-3).

God is not a respecter of persons; He shows no partiality regarding race and nationality (Rom. 2:11; Acts 10:34). Salvation is by God’s grace through man’s faith (Eph. 2:8). Today, God does not have a special benefit package reserved for the Jews. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile in God’s eyes (Rom. 3:22; 10:12). “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:28-29). How much more inclusive could God get?

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not only inclusive, it is all-inclusive—that is, it is comprehensive in its instructions to all regarding what to do to please God and be eternally saved (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:3). While the Gospel of Jesus Christ is extended to all, He provides eternal salvation to those who obey Him (Heb. 5:9).  The totality of Christ’s message was not delivered to His apostles before His death (John 16:12).  But His apostles were guided into all truth by the Holy Spirit (John 16:13). They were reminded of what Jesus had said while physically present with them and they were taught the totality of the message including instruction Jesus did not personally give (John 14:26). For example, Paul had some instruction regarding marriage that the Lord Jesus did not delve into during His earthly ministry (1 Cor. 7:10-12). Through the total message the Holy Spirit delivered by the first-century apostles and prophets, He reproves the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:8). The all-inclusive Gospel commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). Let’s not limit the Gospel to only people who are like us in cultural background, race, and class but strive to cross those boundaries to deliver the soul-saving message to all.

–Mark Day

The Lord Jesus Christ is called the “Lamb of God” in John 1:29. Certainly in His death He fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 53:7 in that, “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth” (Acts 8:32). When the chief priests and the elders accused Him personally, “he answered nothing” (Mt. 27:12). The following verses reveal, “Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly” (Mt. 27:13-14).

However, when attacks were made against His doctrine, He fought back. The silent lamb then became the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5). Opponents to His doctrine were exposed as hypocrites, and left embarrassed, not daring to pursue further argumentation (Mt. 22:18, 46). Though many examples of Jesus’ masterful reasoning in defense of the truth could be explored, space only allows for the examination of one such confrontation in this week’s article.

Jesus cast out a demon from one who, as a result, gained the ability to see and speak (Mt. 12:22). The people marveled at the miracle, asking, “Is this the son of David?” (Mt. 12:23). From the powerful evidence, they had concluded that Jesus must be the Messiah, God’s king, the Son of David. The Pharisees, envious of Jesus’ influence over the people, slandered Him saying, “This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils” (Mt. 12:23). Jesus response thoroughly refuted the charge of His enemies and plainly declared the lesson to be learned from such a staggering display of power in the spiritual realm; He said:

Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.” (Matthew 12:25-28.).

From the fact to which all agreed, a demon had been cast out, Jesus argued (1) that if the demon was cast out by the power of Satan, then Satan’s house would be divided, and (2) the followers of the Pharisee who claimed to cast out demons must then cast them out by the power of Satan as well. The Pharisees would have to admit first that Satan’s house is not divided. It stands and the power of it was evident from the demon possession taking place during that period of time. Next, the Pharisees would have to admit that when their followers claimed to cast out demons, they would not do such a thing by the power of Satan. Given those two admissions, the possibility that this demon was cast out by the power of Satan is removed. The only remaining possibility is that this demon was cast out by the power of God. Thus, Jesus—giving the significance of the miracle—concludes: “the kingdom of God is come unto you.”

Jesus’ wonderful love for the lost made Him go to the cross as a lamb to be sacrificed for the world’s sins, but it also moved Him to stand firm and argue when power-hungry religious leaders tried to obfuscate saving truths in the minds of those who were honest with the evidence. His reasoning was air-tight and His opponents knew it. Love is often redefined as acceptance in today’s world. To expose religious and moral sins that will cause the soul to be lost is thought by many to be unloving. Instead of accepting everything for the sake of others’ feelings, Jesus reasoned with others to bring out the truth and show right from wrong. Certainly, our approach must differ in regard to the attitude of the one involved in religious errors or moral sins (Jude 22-23); notwithstanding, to tell someone what stands in their way of being saved is loving and is following the example of the Lord Jesus Christ (Mk. 10:21). Let us learn to be like our Lord, to be lions or lambs when love deems it appropriate.

-Mark Day

Brother Hugh Fulford is a regular writer for several brotherhood publications. He also posts articles on Facebook under “Hugh’s News and Views”. Recently he posted the above titled article and it contains truths we should all reflect on as New Testament Christians. –Jerry Sturgill

1. Christian living, in its essence, involves walking in the steps of Christ (I Peter 2:21). Marshall Keeble (1878-1968), the great black evangelist, said, “When you take ‘Christ’ out of ‘Christian,’ all you have left is i.a.n., and that just means ‘I ain’t nothing’!” As we say today, brother Keeble was “spot on.”
2. Christian living demands that we “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18).
3. It expects us to observe all that Christ has commanded (Matthew 28:18-20).
4. It involves continuing “steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42).
5. As a Christian everything we do in word or deed is to be done “in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,” i.e., by His authority and for His glory (Colossians 3:17).
6. Christian living requires us to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37-38).
7. It requires us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39)
8. Christian living involves having the mind/attitude/disposition of Christ in all areas of life (Philippians 2:5-8).
9. Christian living requires us to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world (Titus 2:11-14).
10. It requires us to abstain from “fleshly lusts which war against the soul” (I Peter 2:11).
11. It demands that we love not the world or the things of the world (I John 2:15-17).
12. It expects us to “be careful to maintain good works” (Titus 3:8).
13. Christian living involves being the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and letting our light so shine that others may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:13-16).
14. Christian living involves being living epistles (letters), known and read of all men (II Corinthians 3:2).
15. It demands that our conduct/manner of life “be worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27).
16. Christian living requires us to be diligent to present ourselves approved to God (II Timothy 2:15).
17. It necessitates worshiping God in spirit and truth (John 4:24).
18. It involves being regular and faithful in attending the gatherings of God’s people for Bible study and worship (Hebrews 10:24-25).
19. Christian living demands that we “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).
20. It requires us to search the Scriptures daily to differentiate between that which is true and that which is false in religion (Acts 17:11).

“And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch”, Acts 11:26

21. Christian living demands that we “watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong,” and that we “let all that [we] do be done with love” (I Corinthians 16:13).
22. Christian living requires us to present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy, acceptable to God, knowing that such is our reasonable service (Romans 12:1). (Note: The entirety of Romans 12 is a succinct guide to faithful Christian living.)
23. Faithful Christian living demands that we abstain from the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21).
24. It expects us to produce the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-26).
25. Christian living demands that we “walk worthy of the calling with which we have been called” and that we endeavor “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-3).
26. It requires us to put away lying and to speak truth with our neighbor (fellowman) (Ephesians 4:25).
27. It requires us to put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles (snares, traps, tricks) of the devil (Ephesians 6:10-18).
28. Christian living necessitates thinking on the right kinds of things (Philippians 4:8).
29. It involves setting our mind on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:1-2).
30. Christian living requires taking heed that we not develop an evil heart of unbelief in falling away from the living God (Hebrews 3:12).
31. Christian living demands that we make our calling and election sure by adding various Christian graces to our lives (II Peter 1:5-11).
32. It requires that we understand that religion is not something we “get,” but something we do (James 1:27).
33. Christian living requires continuous walking in the light (I John 1:1-10).
34. Christian living demands that we not be gullible in what we believe, but that we put all teachers and teaching to the test, knowing that “many false prophets have gone out into the world,” including many who profess to be followers of Christ (I John 4:1).
35. Christian living requires abiding in the doctrine of Christ (II John 9).
36. Christian living requires earnestly contending for “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).
37. It involves avoiding lukewarmness in our relationship with the Lord, and instead demands that we be “fervent in spirit, serving the Lord” (Revelation 3:14-16; Romans 12:11).
38. Christian living demands that we be “steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,” knowing that our labor is not in vain in the Lord (I Corinthians 15:58).
39. Christian living requires us to be “faithful unto death,” knowing that we shall receive the crown of everlasting life (Revelation 2:10).
40. Christian living is centered in the reality that “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

“Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf”, 1 Peter 4:16

-Hugh Fulford

After presenting the truth that the Christian is under grace, Paul asked, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid” (Rom. 6:15). Rather than a flawless performance of the works of the law, the Christian stands before God in the grace provided by the Lord Jesus; He provides the means to stand justified before God, as Paul wrote in Romans 5:2, “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” In Romans 6:15, the apostle Paul again pursues the question he anticipates from those who misunderstand the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. He begins with “What then?” similar to his question in 6:1—both questions introducing Paul’s clarification of the implications of being under grace. Some had slanderously accused Paul of teaching that we should do evil in order that good may come (Rom. 3:8). Since sin seemed to prime the pump of God’s grace, Paul’s adversaries suggested that his teaching indicated that we should sin more in order to produce more grace. To correct this caricature, Paul affirms the ethical living of those under grace and their complete submission to God. Yes, it is true that God’s grace abounded the more sin abounded (Rom. 5:20), but those who are saved by grace have died to sin (Rom. 6:7); thus, they have undergone a radical paradigm shift in their relationship to sin and would not have the mindset to sin more. The repulsiveness of the consideration to sin more is communicated forcefully by the response “God forbid,” in the KJV and ASV; however, this translation is considered by some to be “semi-profane” because it invokes the name of God while it is not found in the underlying Greek (McGarvey 593). “By no means!”—as the ESV renders it—or “Far from it!” are alternative translations of me genoito in Romans 6:15 (Bauer 197).

Law vs. Grace

To be “not under the law, but under grace” does not mean there are no laws in the Christian age. The question being entertained in verses one and fifteen of Romans chapter six is whether or not we should sin. On this basis Lard makes the point, “For, although we may not be under law, we can sin nevertheless, which implies that we are still under law in some sense” (211). It stands to reason that if there were no laws whatsoever, then no sin would be possible, for no law could be transgressed (1 John 3:4; cf. Rom. 5:13). Paul makes reference to fulfilling the law of Christ in Galatians 6:2; thus, there are courses of action that the Lord expects Christians to pursue. Christ does have laws that can be fulfilled or broken by us today. The point in the book of Romans is law-keeping is not the ultimate basis of one’s justified status before God. At its root salvation results from God’s grace.  Far from being a license to sin, grace, properly understood, motivates one to live so as to please God, the provider of grace.

-Mark Day

(BDAG) Bauer, Walter, F. W. Danker, William F. Arndt, and F. Wilbur Gingrich. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. Chicago: U Chicago Press, 2000.

Lard, Moses E.. Commentary on Paul’s Letter to Romans. Delight, AR: Gospel Light.

McGarvey, J.W. and Philip Y. Pendleton. The Fourfold Gospel. Cincinnati: Standard Publishing Foundation.