Several nights ago I heard on the radio the voice of a preacher in Del Rio, Texas. I soon learned that he was a follower of Alexander Campbell. He would call himself a member of “the Christian Church,” or say that he belonged to “the Disciples of Christ.” When we speak of “Campbellites,” it is that we might be specific and distinguish between these “Christians” and the other Christians we have mentioned in our heading. This radio preacher was pleading and urging, with sincerity, pathos, and fervor, as a loyal “Campbellite,” that his radio listeners hurry to some preacher of his denomination and be immersed in water for the remission of sins before it was too late.
There is no doubt about it, that preacher was in earnest. Moreover, he was more consistent than another zealous preacher of his denomination who, for ten nights, was conducting a revival in his church. He preached every night that it was not possible for any one to be saved without belief and baptism. He quoted Mark 16:16, “he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” During the first five or six nights a number of men and women responded to his invitation. Then, on Sunday, after seven days of the evangelistic campaign, he announced that on the following Wednesday night all who had come forward in the meetings would be immersed. A friend of mine said to him, “brother, you are not consistent.” “If what you have been preaching is true, any one of these converts may die before Wednesday night and, according to what you have taught concerning water salvation or baptismal regeneration, that one would go to hell.” “Why don’t you practice what you preach?”
The Campbellites agree with the Plymouth Brethren, with most Pentecostalists and with the Premillennial Baptists, that the Christian Church began on the day of Pentecost. All of these groups believe and teach that the Church which began on the day of Pentecost is the one Body of Christ mentioned in Ephesians 4:4 and described in Ephesians 1:19 to 2:21. And they are generally agreed that the Lord gave no commission to the Apostle Paul that superseded the commission of Mark 16:14 to 18, and that in 1941, A.D., God’s servants are still working under Christ’s orders in Mark 16:15 to 18.
The Campbellites affirm that if this is true, then the salvation message for Jews and Gentiles alike, in the day of grace, is Acts 2:38 “. . . Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Note carefully the order. It does not read, repent, be saved and then be baptized with water after you receive the Holy Spirit.
Read carefully again Mark 16:16: “he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” Then compare with Peter’s message on the day of Pentecost: “repent, and be baptized for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38.
If the Campbellites thus prove, by Mark 16:16 and Acts 2:38, that their salvation message is scriptural, can we prove that it is unscriptural? We shall proceed to prove that, if the Lord Jesus did not give to the Apostle Paul a commission which superseded Mark 16:14 to 18, that is, if this Mark 16 commission sets forth the program for evangelists who are members of Christ’s Body, the Campbellites are far more consistent than are the Plymouth Brethren or the Baptists. Also we will show that if this is true, then the only consistent group among the four we have mentioned, is the Pentecostal group; that even the Campbellites are not.
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