Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 3
April 3, 1952
NUMBER 47, PAGE 3,16

"Bro. Waller Delivers Crushing Blow To Campbellites"

Geo. B. Curtis, Poteau, Oklahoma

On page 8 of the Missionary Baptist Searchlight of January 10 is an article by H. E. Waller under the above caption. I judge that the heading is the work of the publishers of the late Ben M. Bogard's paper. I tried to tell the publishers and Mr. Waller that I am not a Campbellite, nor are my brethren, but they are "bound and determined" to cry "Campbellite." There are three types of people who use the term "Campbellite," first, those who do not know any better; second, those who use the word jestingly, and third, those who use the word because of lack of Christian courtesy. Where do you fellows classify?

Mr. Waller again refers to my "pitiable" review of his booklet. It is truly pitiable that one must devote his time to exposing Baptist error, but such is the case. Mr. Waller, as long as you persist in writing this damnable stuff, I shall be found exposing your "pitiable" efforts.

My friend says, "You state that FAITH IS A WORK, giving 1 Thes. 1:3 and Thayer's Greek Lexicon as proof. You either willfully or ignorantly misrepresented God's word and Thayer's Lexicon." He accuses me of majoring in SOPHISTRY in school. Well, we shall see where Bible and authority from the Greek rests.

1 Thessalonians 1:3 reads: "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith." Where did you learn, Waller, that this meant to "turn to God from idols"? Proof, please. Even so, you have faith classed as a work. You'll have to try again on that one. Your attempt to try to shift the meaning to "WORK OF GOD" in John 6:28 is entirely beside the point.

You state, "BAPTISM is your savior." Mr. Waller, you have robbed Christ of the honor of having a church to elevate baptism. You have counted as naught the family of God to wear the name of baptism. You blaspheme that worthy name of the Son of God to wear the name of baptism. God gave a name that is above every name that is named in heaven and earth, and you love the name baptism far better than this highly exalted name. God has told us that there is salvation in no name other than Christ's, yet you seek it in the name of baptism. The church at Pergamos was praised for keeping the name of Christ, yet you'd far prefer the name of baptism. The church at Philadelphia was commended for not denying the name of Christ, yet you, Waller, have forsaken the name of the Son of God for baptism. No baptism, no Baptists. Everything that you are, or ever will be as Baptists depends, primarily, secondarily, periodically and permanently upon baptism. Better look under your own rug before you shout, "Baptism is your savior" any more.

"I want you to tuck it around your heart and drive it deep into your consciousness that Romans 5:19 says we are made righteous by Christ. SAVED, SAVED, SAVED." (Unquote) Here is Romans 5:19: "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." Mr. Waller, "I want you to tuck it around your heart and drive it deep into your consciousness that Romans 5:19" does not say any such thing. It says "many shall be made righteous by his obedience." See? We ask how does the obedience of Christ make righteous men and women? Hear it, Waller!

"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all that obey him." (Hebrews 5:8-9) Aren't you kind of ashamed of yourself?

I showed in my review of Waller's tract that Cornelius was saved as others by the gospel — "He shall tell thee words whereby thou, and thy house shall be saved." He keeps coming back with bare assertions that Cornelius was saved before and without baptism. That shall be taken care of in due time. In fact it has already been cared for. Again he uses the six Jewish brethren who were with Peter to try to get in the Baptist custom of voting one into the church. I asked who voted on Lydia, the jailer, Saul of Tarsus, the Ethiopian eunuch. He thought he could do better by asserting without proof that Peter had the six Jewish brethren from Jerusalem to vote on the reception of Cornelius and his household. Here is all the scriptures there is about the matter: "Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" (Acts 10:46-47) "Tain't there," Waller.

To get Baptist voting into the picture, Mr. Waller, uses the incident recorded in Acts 9:26-27, which reads "And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus." Here is Waller's assertion: "Baptists invite people to join the Baptist Church for the same reason that Paul attempted to join the First Baptist Church at Jerusalem...Baptists call the church together to hear people relate their experience and to vote as to whether or not they are fit subjects for baptism, Acts 10:47." Such unscriptural drivel is nauseating. The apostle sought the company of the disciples. Waller found the word "join" and jumped at the conclusion that it meant to "join the church," a thing unknown to Holy Writ.

So far, we have not found the "CRUSHING BLOW TO CAMPBELLITES"? or even a swat that would kill a fly. This next attempt must be it. After telling the world how ignorant Curtis is of Greek, Greek Lexicons and every thing in general, he unleashes his mighty blow — and blow it is. I gave one of Thayer's definitions of the Greek word pisteuo from which we obtain the word faith in the English translation. For some reason, either on my part or that of my publishers, a typographical error crept in. This made my quotation read: "Greek ganna..." Then followed the definition. Get this, friend, the definition was of pisteuo, not "ganna." This particular definition was under Thayer's subhead designated by the Greek letter "gamma." I suspect that I made this note, and did not get my meaning clear enough and the error crept in. But the definition is not garbled, and still reads: (pisteuo) "used especially of the faith by which a man embraces Jesus, i.e. a conviction, full of joyful trust, that Jesus is the Messiah — divinely appointed author of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God, conjoined with obedience to Christ." I am sorry that this error happened to occur. There is the full explanation, and the quotation still has Thayer defining the word to include obedience.

Mr. Waller called in Dr. Edward Byrd of the Baptist Seminary to unravel this troublesome word "ganna." Dr. Byrd, wise as the bird of wisdom, came up with the fact that there was no such word in the Greek New Testament, nor in Thayer's Greek Lexicon. Waller, I could have told you that, as little as you say I know of Greek. And, Waller, while you were swinging, Samson like, (Read Judges 15:14-16) the jawbone of this Byrd in dealing your crashing blows to Campbellites, your own beloved Missionary Baptist Searchlight, or you, made quite a typographical "bust." This paper in your praise for Dr. Byrd had you say, "I have referred the Greek word "GANNA"...to an interpreter of Greek, Dr. Edward Byrd. Missionary Baptist Seminary, and one of the greatest scholars of Greek in Acts 20:21 will not save the soul ing. (sic)" There is what the Searchlight made you say about Dr. Byrd. You scratched out a line with a pen and wrote along the margin this: "One of the greatest scholars in Greek in America today." If you dealt any crushing "blows" to anybody I failed to find them, but here is a "BLOW" all right.

Now back to the definition of pisteuo; Thayer says that it is conjoined with obedience to Christ. Not having felt the blows of the modern Samson as he wields the jawbone of the Byrd, I shall have the audacity to offer you another, of the Great scholars of the Greek language almost as well recognized as the renowned Byrd — in fact, two Lyddell and Scott, on the meaning of this word. Here is the first definition: to believe, trust, trust in, put faith in, rely on a person or thing. This is the second definition: to believe, comply, obey. Don't you think you'd better call your Byrd again, Mr. Waller?

Mr. Waller, if this article has seemed to be somewhat acid in places, just remember that such terms as "sophist," "garbled," and "ignorant" are not in the discussion as it should be conducted. And, another thing on this matter of faith only, or obedient faith, you might go to the Byrd and have him find you the instance wherein God blessed individuals apart from any test of their faith.

If any one should think that I have in any way dealt harshly with Dr. Byrd, just remember that he is the Byrd that stuck his bill into this business in a way that justifies plucking a few feathers from his Grecian wings, even if he is the greatest scholar of Greek in Acts 20:21. I quote from him in his dealing with my quotation from Thayer: "Regarding a statement in the Gospel Light by Geo. B. Curtis, who attempts to reply to 'Have You Rejected Christ and Accepted Baptism For Salvation' I will say that he either willfully or ignorantly misrepresents Thayer." When Dr. Byrd speaks as a scholar and his voice rings true to scholarship, I respect him: but when he lets Baptist prejudice be printed as Greek scholarship I'll pluck his feathers, even if he is the wisest Byrd in Greek this side of Aristotle. "So mote it be."