Chpt. 68 - The Great Commission III

Hardshells cannot agree among themselves in answering the question - "to whom does the Great Commission apply?" In spite of this, they want to tell everyone else, supposedly with a united voice, who it does not apply to, and how it does not apply to every Christian, and how it does not apply to any missionary sent out by a Baptist church; And, they also argue that IF it did in fact apply to any today, it would and could only apply to the Hardshell ministry!

IF this "Great Commission" does in fact apply to the Hardshell ministry, and to them alone (since the days of the apostles), which is, as I have said, the majority opinion, THEN how can they say THEY fit the description? Has the Hardshell ministry "fulfilled" the "Great Commission"? Even IF we allow their argumentation, which says that "this commission applies to every gospel minister in the Hardshell church," then the question becomes - "has the Hardshell ministry fulfilled the command?" No! And, why not?

First, when Hardshells read the words of the "Great Commission," they interpret it to say - "go ye into those parts of the world and preach the gospel to every creature IF you will feel an impression to go." Further, as their history demonstrates, none of their preachers have done this, at least not, until today, and with the "Bradleyites." But, there will be much more on this in upcoming chapters.

Obviously, none of them "felt burdened to go" beyond the borders of their own country. Thus, IF the "great command" is addressed to the Hardshell ministry, THEN why has not a single one done it? Will they blame it on the Lord and say - "he did not burden any to go"? Like they say he has "not called any more learned Pauls into the ministry?"

So, though the command to the Hardshell ministry is - "go into all the world," none have done so because none have "felt burdened of the Lord" to do so! And, further, the Lord has not mirculously made it possible for any to go! But again, much more on all this later.

So, though the Hardshells may say that the "Great Commission" does apply "secondarily" to the Hardshell ministry, it certainly does not apply to them historically, nor is it descriptive of THEIR actual missionary work! Again, more on this in upcoming chapters.

There is no question that the overwhelming majority of those who accepted the "Black Rock Address," with its opposition to missions and varied other things, were united in their denial that the "Great Commission," as given in Matthew and Mark, was given, in any sense, to the eleven as a group representing the church or disciples in general.

The Hardshells are also all united in saying that the "Great Commission" was given "chiefly to" the "eleven" individual apostles as addressed in Matthew's and Mark's accounts of the giving of the "Great Commission."

In summary, let me list the points upon which Hardshells have not been united in their apologetic statements regarding the "Great Commission."

1) The "Great Commission" was fulfilled by the apostles.

2) The "Great Commission" was given "secondarily" to the Hardshell ministry in all ages.

3) Other apostles besides the eleven were later incorporated into the work of fulfilling the commands in the "Great Commission."

It is very easy to pit one view against another here, in much the same way Paul set the Pharisees against the Sadducees. How is that?

If the arguments of the strict view, like Beebe and dad, are correct, then the "Great Commission" has not in any sense, not even "secondarily," been given to any other minister after the apostles.

Thus, those Hardshells who have argued that the "Great Commission" was given to the ministry, in a "secondary" manner, are all wrong, according to Beebe and dad, and according to all those who promote the "strict view," for it was given to none others but to the eleven.

Thus, if the arguments of the "fulfilled" view are correct, then those Hardshells who say that the "Great Commission" was ALSO given to the ministry, throughout the ages, are incorrect.

The majority view, which says that the "Great Commission," though spoken only to eleven apostles, was not restricted to them, but included every minister who is called to preach, are therefore forced to say, against the "strict view":

1) Your argument on the "signs" being coextensive with the fulfilling of the "Great Commission" is not tenable because that would mean:

A) That it was not given also to the ministry in every age, and we are wrong in saying it has been given to us as ministers, and

B) That no one today is, therefore, preaching in fulfillment of the commission, for the signs follow none of our ministers today, and we cannot be under the "Great Commission," no, not even in a "secondary," or any other sense!

Those who hold to the majority and traditional view (which says that the "Great Commission" was also given to the ministry as a separate entity from the church or general band of disciples, against the view that advocates that it was only given to the eleven apostles, or perhaps to the larger circle of apostles) MUST therefore, if they are honest, decry the arguments put forth to prove the "Great Commission" has been "fulfilled"; For, if their "arguments" are valid, then it cannot refer to the ministry after the fulfillment.

Sadly, I have never read where those who advocate the majority view decry the arguments put forth by men like Beebe and like dad! Are they dishonest? Apparently, yes; For we see those who hold to the majority view actually use the arguments of Beebe and affirm it was indeed fulfilled by the apostles!

Does Colossians 1: 26 teach or not teach, that the "Great Commission" has been "fulfilled"? How can those who hold to the majority view honestly say this seeing they believe they are ministers under it? "Oh consistency, thou art a jewel!"

Those of the majority view should join me in saying to those, like Beebe (who advocate the fulfillment of the "Great Commission") that - "Your argument on the passages cited, in an attempt to prove that the "Great Commision" has been fulfilled, in toto, prove too much, for that would also prove that the ministry is not under the "Great Commission," no, not even in a "secondary" sense"! Will those who hold to the majority view today, who believe that the "Great Commision" was given to the ministry, stand up and decry the argumentation of Beebe and of all those who hold to the strict view? And, will those who advocate both views, out of doctrinal hypocrisy, quit doing so?

I mean, there are many Hardshells who will cite their forefathers, approvingly, where they say the bible teaches that the "Great Commission" has been fulfilled, and THEN also cite their forefathers, again with approval, who say that the ministry IS under it in a "secondary sense"? Do they not see how they are "speaking out of both sides of their mouths"? How they again have the "legs of the lame unequal"?

So, the arguments on 1) the sign gifts, and 2) on the passages that say the "Great Commission" is supposedly "fulfilled," if valid, would prove too much, for it would prove that all the Hardshell forefathers who believed the "Great Commission" was given to the ministry, throughout the age of the church, were all wrong!

So, do you see how one sectarian view on the "Great Commission" has pit one sub sect against another sub sect, as Paul set the Pharisees against the Sadducees?

Why is it that those who believe the "Great Commission" was ALSO given to the ministry not denounce these "arguments," on its supposed "fulfillment," as vain? If the arguments on the "signs following," and of the passages that speak of the "Great Commission" as being supposedly "fulfilled," are correct, then it absolutely disproves the majority view that says the "Great Commission" applies to every gospel minister in every age!

When the Lord addressed "the eleven," in Matthew's and in Mark's accounts of the giving of the "Great Commission," did he address them

1) Strictly as a group or collective?

2) Strictly as eleven individuals and not at all as a group?

3) Both as individuals and as a group?

If one asks the typical Hardshell apologist these questions, then you will see all kinds of evasion and attempts to preach a sermon in answer to the simple question, as we saw in the preceding chapter from the excerpts from the "Mt. Carmel Church Trial."

So, was the "Great Commission" truly in fact "fulfilled" or not?

What does the Bible say? What do our Baptist forefathers say? What does history in general say? What do the Hardshell 'founding fathers' say? What does the history of the Hardshells in particular say?
Enough surely has been presented thus far in these three chapters in this series to demonstrate how fitting a metaphor is the term "hot potato" for describing the history and writings of the Hardshells on this topic.

Let me now summarize what I have thus far accomplished and demonstrated, in these three initial chapters in our series, and what I intend to address in the remaining chapters in this important series.

The issue of the "Great Commission" is a "hot potato" topic for the Hardshells. The topic makes them extremely uncomfortable! This is evident from the citations offered from the "Mt. Carmel Church Trial" and will be further shown in this series.

Their leading spokesmen and apologists, on the "Great Commission," have not been united. There have been two leading views among the Hardshells; one says the "Great Commission" was given solely to the eleven or solely to the apostles, and the other says that it was also given to the ministry.

Even though the "strict view" (with its "arguments" on the "signs," and with its "arguments" on passages which supposedly affirm that the "Great Commission" was "fulfilled") militates against the majority view being correct, those of the "majority view" nevertheless do not speak out against the false argumentation of the "strict view," but rather promote it! It is, as I said, "doctrinal hypocrisy."

From the preceding chapter especially, it can be readily be seen how and why the Hardshells got some of their nicknames, like "Hardshell," and "Old Ironsides," and "Do-Nothings," and "Anti-Missionary," and "Ignoramuses," and "Anti-Effort Baptists," and how they got to be known as possessing, as a cult group, certain traits, like arrogance, and pride, and mule-headedness and bull-headedness, and stubborness, etc.

I have also already offered reasons that prove absolutely that the "Great Commission" has not been fulfilled, and will not be fulfilled till "the end of the age," and I did that by simply pointing out the most simplest point in the words of Christ in the "Great Commission," and yet a point that every Hardshell is blinded in seeing! I myself was blind to it till the Lord delivered me from this cult. Notice these simple words of Christ:

"Teaching them (the disciples of the apostles) to OBSERVE ALL THINGS I have (personally) COMMANDED YOU (apostles)..."

Christ told the eleven apostles to command the disciples, all of them, to obey the command to go! But, you see, the Hardshells read the text and in their perverted minds read the words as follows:

"Teaching them to obey every command I am giving to you, EXCEPT FOR THE COMMAND TO GO"!

Do they not exclude this "command" to "GO" in their teaching of their disciples? Do they teach them to obey the command to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature"?

In the upcoming chapters I will prove that the "Great Commission" was given to others besides to the eleven apostles, and also prove that it was the will of Christ that all disciples be instructed in "going," and in spreading the gospel, and in "making disciples" of others, etc. I will also be looking at the topic historically.