Brother Otey's Reply To The Society Arguments
In our previous paper we quoted from J. B. Briney and others the arguments made in defense of the Missionary Society. I believe that the basic error in those arguments is the failure to distinguish between "methods" and "organization." Brother Otey effectively shows this in his answers. I also feel that this is a basic error among those today who are seeking to uphold human organizations and sponsoring churches. Let us observe Brother Otey's answers:
II. Answering The Society Arguments
A. What is the Issue? And The Question of Expediency.
1. "The question to be considered is not whether the Gospel should be preached to the whole world, if possible. That is not the question ,but the question is, Through what organization shall it be done — the church, or such organizations as the Illinois Christian Missionary Society — the Foreign Christian Missionary Society, etc. That is the question." (Otey, Otey-Briney Debate, p. 176.)
2. "I will say that, insofar as their object and purpose to send the gospel to those who have it not, their purpose is all right. We are not objecting to that. It is the organization through which it is done. That is the issue ... It is the question of authority." (Ibid, p. 203.)
3. "Now, I want to call your attention to this fact, the use of that word, "method." Suppose he organizes a society. Will not the Society have to adopt methods to do the work? Then, why not let the church itself do the work? Now, he confuses method with organization." (Ibid, p. 207.)
4. "My dear friends, I will say to you that I am not here opposing the good they do. I am only opposing the organization through which they do it, and he knows it, and you know it." (Ibid, p. 245.)
5. "I am not denying that it is right to care for the aged preachers. That is not the question. It is not what you do, but the organization or channels through which it is done ... My opponent's position is that God has authorized people to organize such institutions as these societies through which to do
it. That is the issue between us." (Ibid, p. 257.)
6. "Timothy 5:9. What institution or organization is in view here? The one body of Christ, the church." (Ibid, p. 274.)
B. The Answer To The "Silence" Argument
1. "He says that the 'silence of the Scriptures authorizes these societies.' The silence of the Scriptures authorizes them — that is his language, and I will submit it to the notes of the reporter — that these societies are 'authorized by the silence of the Scriptures.' It (the proposition) says that these organizations are 'authorized in the New Testament Scriptures.' How is he going to prove it? By silence? We can prove anything by silence, so far as that is concerned, that is not specifically mentioned in the New Testament." (Ibid., p. 204.)
2. "Then he mentioned these schools and papers, and put the two on a par, and then he said, 'Of course, nothing is said in the New Testament about establishing a school.' Now, 'let me see. He puts the two on a level, that is, the society and a school. He says, 'Nothing is said in the New Testament about a school,' and therefore, of course, it cannot be authorized; the kind he is describing is not mentioned. Then neither can the society be authorized . . . The whole point is logically and virtually surrendered." (Ibid., p. 180-181.)
C. Brother Otey's Arguments to the Err or of the Society may be outlined briefly as follows:
1. There is but one religious body authorized in the New Testament. (Eph. 4:4-6.)
2. Christ is the head over all things to the church. (Col. 1:18.)
a. He is the Head over not a part or many, but all things.
b. Who is the head over all things in the society? The official board.
3. The Lord has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. (2 Pet. 1:3.)
a. If God has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness, to what do these institutions that men give us belong?
b. No man can find an imperfection in what God has done.
4. The church is to make known the manifold wisdom of God — not the societies. (Eph. 3:10-11.)
5. The Glory is to be given God in the church. (Eph. 3:21.) "How dare we transfer this glory from God in the church to another institution?" (Ibid, p. 279.)
6. "How can a church that can give but ten dollars work without working through a society? ... Now, my friends, we are going to tell you exactly what the Word of the Lord says about it. We are going to turn to Paul's letter to the church of Philippi ... Phil. 4:15-16 . . . Now, who sent it? Was it some great missionary society or organization? Oh, no, but the church in Philippi, sent directly to Paul, the man in the field. Could the weak church now do that? That church did it." (Ibid, 280.)
How would you answer the arguments made by the society advocates? When you answer the arguments on "silence of the scriptures," "methods," "expediency," and "prejudice" made by the advocates of the Missionary Society, you will have answered the same arguments made today by those seeking to justify human arrangement and organizations.
May God help us to discern truth and to follow that truth always.