In my last chapter I looked at the argumentation of the great Hardshell debater and apologist, Elder John R. Daily, wherein he attempted to prove that the "Great Commission" was not given to any but to the clergy, and that it contains no commands that are general for the body of Christ.
Elder Daily was of course upholding the "traditional view," or the majority view. This view says that the "Great Commission," though not given to the church, was nevertheless given to the ministry (in a "secondary sense" to that of the apostles).
So, Elder Daily did not argue for its fulfillment or annulment, as did Elder Beebe, and as others have since his day. In this chapter I will begin to look at what neo Hardshell, Elder Ralph Harris, and others, have written in defense of the "strict view" of Beebe and others.
Harris's defense was written to uphold the "Pitt's Resolution" with its stated opposition to the belief that the "Great Commission" is yet operative (not fulfilled), and was also written to convince all Hardshells that the observing of the Great Commission's command to go and preach and teach all the heathen nations (which is now newly being done by those who are alligned with Elder Lasserre Bradley Jr. - or the "Bradleyites") is "heresy," and is not to be suffered nor allowed, certainly not supported or applauded.
If you support a missionary in preaching the gospel to the heathen, then you are a heretic! "Hear oh Heavens and give ear oh earth!" Who hath heard such things as these?
Elder Ralph Harris wrote:
"I am persuaded that if what is commonly called "The Great Commission" was not fulfilled in the days of the apostles, unto whom it was given by Christ (Matt 28:16-20 & Mark 16:14-16) then it will never be fulfilled, for since their day, and since the withdrawal of the gift of tongues, the conditions have never again been in place that would be necessary for any group of ministers or any religious organization to go into all the world and preach the gospel as the Commission required."
Where in the bible is the spread of the gospel made to depend upon the gift of tongues? Elder Harris cites scripture to show that Christ commissioned disciples to go announce the glad tidings, but where did he cite any scripture that made the fulfilling of the "Great Commission" to depend upon the supernatural gift of tongues? He must have gotten that out of II Harris 2:15, for it is not in the bible. It is Elder Harris' attempt to try to add another argument to the arsenal of weapons forged to fight the belief that the disciples at large or church in general is under obligation to spread the gospel of Christ.
Elder Harris mentions his "necessary conditions" for the "fulfillment" of the "Great Commission" and reasons that one of these is the presence of the gift of tongues! But he implies other "necessary conditions" by speaking of "conditions" (plural) being either "in place" or not "in place," for the "fulfilling" of the "Great Commission."
But history and the obvious present state of things in the world prove him wrong! History proves first that the gospel did not in toto go to every creature and to every "uttermost part" of the earth, the verses cited by the Hardshells notwithstanding. It did go to many parts of the Roman Empire, but there is no reliable historical evidence to prove the gospel was known beyond those borders till many years after the death of the apostles.
Secondly, many Hardshells, like Hassell (both father and son), have correctly pointed out how providence had made things ready for the apostles to take the gospel to a large part of the world as it existed at that time. For instance, the Roman road system was perfectly used by the Lord for his apostles and evangelists to take the message of Christ to the further parts beyond the land of Israel.
But, if such were a providential opening and means existing then, why then is it not even more so now? By Elder Harris's reasoning, there are impossible roadblocks existing now, rather than greater opportunities for taking the message to the "uttermost parts of the world"! Unbelievable!
I mean really, has not modern technology provided a greater way of taking the message of the cross to the heathen nations? Has not better roads? And airplanes and automobiles? And radio and television? Besides, there are far greater means available now for translating the bible into scant and local dialects than ever before. Are we to suppose that these are not superior means, but the supernatural "gift of tongues" are superior means? And not only superior, but what was and is necessary? By Elder Harris' logic, all the modern means for disseminating the gospel of Christ can avail nothing without the supernatural gift of tongues!
But, observation of the facts surrounding us today show him to be in some kind of "fog" for the gospel is now going further by these modern means and without this gift of tongues!
Besides, as I shall more fully develop later, Jesus clearly taught that the "end of the age" would come immediately upon the heels of the fulfillment of the "Great Commission." (Matthew 24: 14) Will he, or is he, a "Preterist" like many of his brethren?
Besides all this, where in the bible is the gift of tongues said to be given for the purpose of translating scripture? Or for the purpose of spreading the gospel to nations that spoke languages unknown to the evangelists?
I really do not think that this hybrid argument of Elder Harris will "pass muster" and stay in the arsenal of "tried weapons" for the Hardshell apologist who defends the Hardshell denomination on the "Great Commission"! Hopefully too, by the time this series is over, there will not be a single "weapon" or "argument" left remaining!
Elder Harris writes further:
"Not even the modern so-called Missionaries have been able to go into all the world, even with all their organizational machinery and fund-raising apparatus. After two centuries of their supposedly trying to "take the world for Christ" over half of the earth’s population has never heard any form of gospel, much less the true gospel. And are we now to imagine that God has laid it upon the shoulders of a few Old Baptists to over-spread the whole world with the gospel?
What can we say to all this?
Before I begin to address particularly what is said by Harris in the above citation, I desire to refer the reader to an interesting exchange that occurred between the editor of the "Baptist Builder," a Missionary Baptist publication, and Elder C. H. Cayce, a well known Hardshell debater, at the beginning of the 20th century.
The first exchange is recorded in Elder Cayce's first volume of his "Editorial Writings," which writings were published within the pages of the famed Hardshell periodical called "The Primitive Baptist" (not to be confused with the first periodical by that same name in the early 19th century).
On page 149 of Volume I Elder Cayce copies the following from the "Baptist Builder," wherein the editor was suggesting propositions for a debate with the Hardshells on "missions," a subject that Elder Cayce was continuously decrying in the pages of his paper, and lambasting the Missionary Baptists in their belief in and support of missions, especially foreign missions. Here is the advertisement that occurred in the "Baptist Builder."
"Notice the following clear cut propositions:
1. "Missions as taught and practiced by the Missionary Baptists are authorized by the word of God."
2. "Missions as taught and practiced by the so-called Old School Baptists are authorized by the word of God."
Did Cayce readily accept? No! And why not? The answer is obvious to anyone who has a smidgeon of information about this cult. But, upon this point I will surely have more to say later.
Here is some of what Elder Cayce wrote in response to the proposed propositions for debate that were published in the Missionary Baptist paper, the "Builder."
"It is evident that the Builder man does not intend to meet the issue. Instead of doing that, he tries to confuse the minds of the people, and throw dust in the air, to draw their minds away from the issue. It is the teaching and practice of the Missionary Baptists on the mission question that has been assailed and called in question."
Why is the historical practice of the Hardshells, regarding their own missionary work, not an integral part of "the issue" in dispute between the Hardshells and the Missionary Baptists?
Could it possibly be because they have been "all talk and no action" in respect to missionary work? Oh how they love to "occupy the negative" when it involves them attacking the missionary practices of others!
But ought not the Hardshells, who have steadily "dished out" criticism of the Missionary Baptists in their missionary endeavors, not be themselves willing to let others "occupy the negative" in regard to their practices regarding the missionary work of their ministers and of their denomination?
If the champion debater of the Hardshells would not sign a proposition which made him defend his brotherhood's record on missionary activity, then I have little doubt that any of today's Hardshells will want to do so! It is more of that "hypocrisy" that characterizes this sect and of which I wrote about in earlier chapters in this book.
Cayce, writing to the Missionary Baptist, who was willing to let him "occupy the negative" on the question of the historical practice of missions, but only so long as Cayce was willing to do the same with the record of his people, said in response:
"However, if you wish us to affirm a proposition, we will affirm this:
"The church of which I (C. H. Cayce) am a member, known as Old School or Primitive Baptists, is Scriptural in doctrine and practice." We will affirm this. Will you deny it? And will you affirm that "Missions as taught and practiced by the Missionary Baptists are authorized by the word of God?" (Page 363, 364)
Look at this glaring hypocrisy and think about what it reveals about this cult group. Cayce wants the Missionary Baptist elder to defend his church's record on Missions but he will not do the same himself for his own Primitive Baptist record on the same!
Why is he so reluctant to do so? Could it be because he must defend such things as were said in the "Mt. Carmel Church Trial"? Such foolish things? Such shameful things in regard to evangelism?
Surely every person wants to ask every Hardshell the same question that the attorney asked Elder Pittman, in regard to missionary and evangelistic work, "What have YOU done?" Surely Christ will ask the same question of every Hardshell in respect to what he or she has done in telling others about Jesus!
He and others testified that they did not even like the term "missionary," casting doubt about its scriptural validity, and clearly showing a distaste for the term, and not really wanting to be considered, in any sense, a "missionary."
Others, however, though speaking more favorably of the term, yea, even claiming that Hardshell preachers are the only "true missionaries," yet they say this when they really have no love or affinity for the words mission, missionary, or commision. It is not a part of Hardshell cult jargon, being rather terms associated with the enemy!
Later Cayce and the editor of the "Builder," Elder Clifton, continue to talk about missions, Cayce continually decrying all the missionary work then in progress among the Baptists. On pages 380 and 381 Cayce writes:
"There are many of the Lord's children who have never heard an Old Baptist sermon delivered...The very best way in the world to let them know what Old Baptists teach is to go into the neighborhood where are and preach the gospel to them, as the Lord opens the way."
Well, he must be very disappointed in his Hardshell ministry on that score!
Cayce continues:
"The Fuller and Carey plan, as practiced by the New School Baptists, is for a board or society to assign the minister his field of labor and send him out. The Bible plan is that the Lord sends them out and assigns them their field of labor, and they go trusting the Lord for guidance and for support."
What is this "bible plan"? Do you recall how the attorney tried to get Elder Pittman to tell him what that plan was? And, how the Hardshells have historically practiced it? Did he ever get an answer? Did Elder Pittman ever point to some historical practices of his Hardshell minister brothers who were being missionaries on the "bible plan"?
By Cayce's line of reasoning, he puts the blame on the Lord for not assigning Hardshell ministers to any other regions outside of their own neighborhoods!
But, getting back to the flaky reasoning of Elder Harris, and his statement that "Missionaries have not been able to go into all the world" and his "argument" that this non-fulfillment somehow proves that all missionary efforts of the church and ministry thus far to fulfill it, have all been in vain since the apostles. It is such a silly argument that is not hardly worth a response. But, I add it here just so the reader can see the degree of blindness to the truth that is prevalent in the sect and to also demonstrate how stubbornly resistant they are to spreading the gospel of Christ.
He speaks of about half of the present population of the world as now ignorant of Jesus and the precious saving gospel. Does it bother him that many of his idol worshipping yet "regenerated" brothers in heathen land are starving for his "gospel food"? We shall see as we further examine what he wrote!
Plus, according to Harris' reasoning, the half who know the gospel know it 1) without any thanks to him or to the Hardshells! and, 2) without the gift of tongues being a means or reason for it!
And, further, by his distorted reasoning and logic, he makes it absolutely impossible for the other "half," who have not yet heard the gospel, to ever hear it (unless he believes the gift of tongues will be given again)!
Further, seeing he believes that the gospel has already been preached to every creature, then why is there any "half" at all"! "Half" who have never heard the gospel preached by the apostles? How can that be if it has been preached to every creature?
Finally, consider the fact that the "gift of tongues" was not given merely to the apostles, nor simply to the ministry, but to the whole church!
If Elder Harris connects the gift of tongues integrally with the fulfilling of the "Great Commission," then his argument proves too much, for the gift of tongues was given to ordinary disciples, including women!
Elder Harris continues:
"At the time the apostle Paul wrote the epistle to the Colossians, the gospel had already come unto "all the world" and had been preached "to every creature which is (was) under heaven" (Colossians 1:5-6 & 1:23), and there is no other period in the history of the church in which this can be said. This clearly shows that the commission Christ gave to His apostles has already been fulfilled by them."
This is but a repetition of a previous argument, except that he throws in his assertion that some verses in Colossians teach that the "Great Commission" has been fulfilled. I will not address the issue of fulfillment at this time, saving that question for a chapter all its own, but I do wish to remark that his statement that "there is no other period in the history of the church in which this can be said" is a gross falsehood.
Today there are more avenues for fulfilling the "Great Commission" than every before, not vice versa as Elder Harris argues.
He then writes:
"If the "Great Commission" was given to the Church as a body, can we suppose that during the Dark Ages when they had to hide in the dens and caves of the earth they were complying with the requirements it laid upon the apostles? I don’t see how anyone can think so. They had to remain as inconspicuous as possible and could not have even attempted such an undertaking."
Let us ask Elder Harris this question in response to his - "was the gift of tongues given to the church?"
And this question also - "did the ministry of the dark ages hide out in caves?" He seems to think that since the church was persecuted to such a state where it could not preach the gospel to every creature, then it must not have been given to them to do! Oh more glorious Hardshell "logic," hey?
The argument I brought up earlier in this series, about the death of the Apostle James, surely destroys this reasoning of Elder Harris. If hiding out in a cave is a hindrance to fulfilling the "Great Commission," then why is his death not a hindrance? Why does Elder Harris not see the death of one of the apostles as proof that the apostles could not fulfill the "Great Commission"?
I might also ask Elder Harris, in view of his argumentation as expressed above, - "when Peter was imprisoned, after the death of James, was he fulfilling the Great Commission"? Was the Apostle John "fulfilling" it while he was an exile on Patmos? Was his writing and sending out the Book of Revelation a fulfillment or a hindrance to the "Great Commission's" fulfillment?
Elder Harris continues:
"It appears to us that if Christ gave the "Great Commission" to the Church, or even to its ministry, then He laid a requirement upon them that it was, and is, impossible for them to fulfill, and I am sure the Lord has never operated that way."
Well then, answer the arguments above about the death of the Apostle James, and about the imprisonment of the Apostle Peter, and about the exile of the Apostle John.
No, he did not lay upon them a task that was impossible for either the apostles or the church to fulfill, but he did give them one that he knew would take "till the end of the age" to fulfill! But, more on this too later.
Elder Harris continues:
In all my study of Old Line Primitive Baptist history I have never found where they have ever undertaken to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to "every creature," whatever that may or may not entail. Why, then, if as some are contending, our Primitive Baptist forefathers believed the Commission was given to the Church, did they not at least try to "go into all the world"… "And teach all nations," etc., and why did they withdraw fellowship from those among them who started advocating such a venture?"
Excellent questions for the Hardshells and, ironically, uttered by a Hardshell himself! So blind are they! That is precisely the point I raised earlier! It is the reason why Elder Cayce did not want to defend in debate the historical record of the Hardshells on how much they have helped to spread the gospel! Recall Elder Dalton's statement that he does not believe that the gospel is something that "spreads" very well!
I don't care if we are considering the Hardshell "church" or the Hardshell "ministry," for neither, as Elder Harris confessed, has done anything to help spread the gospel! They have not helped to print or to pass out one bible! They have not given one cent to a missionary who is taking the gospel to those who have never heard the precious name of Jesus!
Why indeed are the "Bradleyites" now doing what other Hardshells have historically refused to do? Maybe they reject all this devilish opposition to the spread of the gospel? Besides, as I will show in upcoming chapters, Elder Bradley and his movement and attempted reforms, have all been tried before, by others who attempted to "stem the tide" of the "ultras"!
Elder Harris asks this question about his Hardshell forefathers - "why did they not at least try to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature?"
Another excellent question! Since the majority view has been that the "Great Commission" has not been fulfilled, and is yet binding upon all whom God calls into the ministry and whom the church sets apart in ordination, then why has NOT one single minister risen to do it? Does it not make one think of the old proverb that says "actions speak louder than words"? Does it not show that they really do not believe their ministers are under the "Great Commission" no matter what they may say otherwise in their "sophisticated" writings.
Elder Harris continues:
"Are we to conclude that the Old Baptists have been rebelling against the "Great Commission" all these many centuries and that in these last days the Lord is just now impressing a few Old Baptist preachers to start trying to fulfill it? I hardly think so. And if these men are being impressed of God to fulfill a commission that they say applies as much to the Church as it did to the apostles, are they actually going to try to comply with what that commission required of the apostles? Are they now going to "go into all the world and teach all nations," etc.? And are they going to do it like the apostles did it, and not first make up money for the journeys. Unless they do I cannot see how their conduct is going to be consistent with their professed beliefs."
Oh how unwilling is he to admit his and his denomination's errors in regard to their duty under the "Great Commission"! He wants to argue that no Hardshell can be correct today in trying to obey the Great Commision, since his forefathers did not! Is that not some powerful argument? He is really arguing from a premise that affirms that his Hardshell forefathers, like the pope, cannot possibly have erred in their understanding and practice of the "Great Commisssion"!
How does Elder Harris know that the Apostles did not take money with them? Did he cite a verse that said such? No, and further more, there is no such verse! But, upon this point I will also enlarge in future chapters.
"Consistent with" what "professed beliefs"? It certainly doesn't contradict the Old Baptist Confessions of faith, neither the London nor the Philadelphia. It certainly doesn't contradict Calvinism and the doctrines of grace. Even Elder Cayce had to acknowledge this, saying of Missionary Baptists - "There are many of those who are identified with the Missionary Baptists who are sound on the doctrine of salvation by grace." ("A Call For Prayer And For Peace" in Volume IV, page 119)
Elder Harris continues:
"If the commission of Mark 16:14-16 was given to the Church as a body, and if it was given to them for all the ages of its existence, how many times does the Church need to "go into all the world," etc.? A new generation arises about every twenty years, no doubt numbering in the billions. Does God require His Church to go into all the world and preach to every new generation and baptize every believer into their body? Or is just one time around enough? How are we to imagine a few thousand relatively poor Old Baptists coming up with enough money to over-spread the whole earth with the gospel, even one time, much less many times?"
Is this not the silliest argumentation you ever heard? Again, this is another argument that should not "pass muster" and make it into the Hardshell apologetic's arsenal or arguments to defend their non-compliance with the "Great Commission." It is another "argument" that really deserves no response but is included because I want to give "full vent" to what Elder Harris has written, just as I did for the defense that Elder Daily made for the Hardshell denomination.
Every unbiased reader, outside of the cult, ought to be able to see how Elder Harris, while handling this "hot potato" issue, has not done very well while it is in his possession, and so the best he can do is to just yell "hot potato" and pass or toss it to some other better "sophisticated" Hardshell to handle!
Elder Harris continues:
"There are presently over two hundred nations in the world, and a world population of well over five billion people. Many nations will not even allow modern missionaries to enter their borders. How, then, are a few Old Baptists going to penetrate those barriers and overcome innumerable other such impossible hindrances and obstacles?"
Oh the faithlessness of this Elder! Is it not ironic that he is one who "gave up before he even started" or even tried, and yet he condemns others for trying? And ironic also how he has decried Missionary Baptists who tried to get financial support, before leaving on the mission field, as not trusting in God in doing so, and then here are some of his own Hardshell brothers trusting God to help them and all Elder Harris can do is to criticize it and call it a vain and unprofitable enterprise!
He continues:
"If the Commission was given to the Church as a body, isn’t the Church commanded to "go"? And if the Church is supposed to "go," can they fulfill the commission by sending someone else? And if the whole Church "goes," will they have to vacate their meeting houses and let them stand idle until they get back home? And if so, will there be no church left here in America until they get back? The absurdities multiply more and more the further a person looks into the heresy of the Commission being given to the Church as a body."
No, ironically, the real "absurdity" is in this whole line or argumentation by Elder Harris! No, obviously, as I have already shown, the words "go ye" do not require that those to whom it was spoken must themselves, individually, go into each part of the world and personally speak the gospel to each human being. Not even Elder Harris believes, surely, that any, certainly not all, of the apostles, did exactly as he thinks the words of the "Great Commission" require! But, again, I will enlarge upon this more in upcoming chapters.
He then writes:
"If the ministers of the Church are under the command to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, why was the gift of tongues withdrawn before the close of the apostolic age? I do not know how many different languages there are in the world, but I only know one, and I don’t know that one very well. The World Almanac lists over 220 languages that are presently being spoken in the various countries around the world. How many Old Baptist preachers do we know who can fluently speak more than one language?"
He is just being repetitious here in his continued argumentation. I have already overthrown his twisted Hardshell "logic" on this point.
He continues:
"If we are now under a command to go into all the world and teach all nations, how are we to overcome this barrier? And if we are under such a command does this not require some kind of Divine direction? Does it not require the opening of a great many doors by the Holy Spirit and corresponding impressions on the part of the ministry to "go"? How many preachers would it take; how many leadings, openings and impressions would be necessary for such a commission to be fulfilled now? Where is the evidence that God is opening the prodigious number of doors it would require? Where are the host of preachers it would take, and how many of them are impressed to undertake such an overwhelming task? I personally have never had the slightest desire to go into other nations, not even to go on a vacation to such places, much less to preach to people that don’t want to hear me in the first place. But if I have been commanded to "go" as a result of being under a divine commission, does it not follow that I ought to "go" whether I have any impressions to "go" or not?
Perhaps I should here insert a citation from Elder John Watson and from his famous book, "The Old Baptist Test" which will address some of what Elder Harris has written above. And Elder John Clark also. Both of these men went on record as saying that they believed that the Old Baptist ministry ought to be ever on the alert for openings in divine providence to take the gospel to those who have never heard. Is Elder Harris blind? Does he not see all kinds of doors "open" today or he is blind? Surely he is blind.
Do you also see how Elder Harris seems to put himself in the Lord's place in the way he questions how everything will work? How it will be successful? Why does he not simply do what the Lord says and let the Lord deal with the hurdles and the hindrances, and with the success of it?
Elder Harris has never felt impressed or burdened to be a missionary and to take the gospel to a foreign country. What does this prove? To Elder Harris it proves that no one else should feel impressed or burdened to do so either! After all, no one is more holy, zealous, or evangelistic, than he, right? How does he know the heathen do not want to hear him? I can understand them not wanting to hear him as a man, or to hear his Hardshell errors, or his "anti" preaching, but surely they would want him to tell them some "good news," perhaps?
Elder Harris continues:
"I understand that a number of churches have now been established in the Philippines. When those churches were given a charge, were they told that they are now under the obligation to go into all the world and preach the gospel, etc.? I have been told by reliable sources that those people live in great poverty and that their ministers cannot even come to America unless someone pays their way. In such a case how are they going to comply with the requirements of "the Great Commission"?"
"These are just a few of the problems I find with the contention that the Church is under the obligation to fulfill the "Great Commission." I believe that if Christ had placed His Church under the enormous burden of evangelizing "all nations" He would also have given the Church inspired answers to these and all other questions regarding the matter. The epistles would give clear and detailed instructions as to how such a prodigious work was to be performed and achieved."
"I realize that I cannot express my concerns along this line without being further accused of being opposed to Scriptural evangelism, but that is of no great importance to me. The Lord knows my views on the matter very well, and He also knows how hard I have labored over the last forty-five years in the interest of His cause and the spread of His truth. And, if He ever says to me, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel," etc., I will start looking for Him to provide the way. However, until He does I am sure it would be very wrong for me to go presumptuously."
("To Whom was the Great Commission Given?" - Essential Baptist Principles - Volume 4 Current Article June 1, 2005 issue 6)
(http://essentialbaptistprinciples.org/ebp_published_articles/great_commission_rharris.htm)
Well, again, all this needs little comment. Elder Harris mentions modern Hardshell missions in the Philippines and elsewhere, and I will discuss this modern phenomenon in upcoming chapters. He states also that he is not concerned about being accused of not caring about evangelism, and he does not care about this. Why should he? He has already shown that his chief concern is to put roadblocks in the way of any Hardshell who desires to fulfill the "Great Commission."
Elder Harris mentions the "problems" (as he has enumerated them) that those who do not believe the "Great Commission" is fulfilled, have to face. But, I have shown that the supposed "problems" are really no problems at all, but are all in his head and stems from his perverted logic. Actually, it is the fulfilled Commission view of Beebe and Harris that has all the problems associated with it. Besides this, Elder Harris is out of line with most of his Hardshell Baptist forefathers on what he writes.
More on all this in the remaining chapters of this series.
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