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0544
Debate at Central City, Ky. Nov. 27-30, 1945
1st night Bingham affirmed: Salvation before baptism. He argued : Not of works (Eph. 2:8,9); whosoever will (Floyd Collins, thief of cross, Titanic survivor, solder on battlefield); Cornelius (Acts 10-11). These made up his speech. He spent the rest of his time explaining away baptism passages the bro. Miller had read.
Miller did a fine job of showing that Ephesians is an essay on the church; that Floyd Collins was a member of the church; that the thief on th cross did not live under the new covenant; that Cornelius was not saved until heard Peter preach, but that the Spirit fell on him at the beginning of Peter's sermon. Bro. Miller's argument on the blood was so strong that it, as most others, was let severely alone. Bingham asked 36 questions (with a dozen or two questions underneath them). Bro. Miller answered them all publicly.
The last two nights Bro. Miller affirmed: "The Bible teaches a child of God can so sin as to be finally lost." He advanced the usual arguments with the usual results. Bingham went back to baptism and debated it. Bro. Miller emphasized the moral consequences of this doctrine when Bingham endorsed a statement that "a child of God may commit every sin from idolatry to murder without damming his soul." Bingham announced he would put the capstone on the debate the last night. Just before Miller's first speech he did -- by hanging up a chart reading: "James P. Millers says you can not get to heaven without going through a hole of water."
Miller, on apostasy, pitched his speech on a high plane. Then he took the last 5 minutes to describe the baptism of Jesus and his holy commandment to us. I saw people moved to tears by this thrilling and eloquent description of baptism; I saw them look with pity ay Bingham as bro. Miller said: "And this is the holy commandment which Baptist preachers ridicule by calling it a hole of water." During Miller's speech, as if loosed by unseen hands, the capstone chart fell to the floor. It was not replaced, and the baptism of Jesus was never referred to by Bingham.
This debate leads me to make several observations: A man does not have to be dead with old age to debate. James P. Miller is thirty years of age, and the man dos not live who, in my judgment, could have done a better job than he. In this, his first "full scale" debate, his more than 500 intercollegiate debates stood him in good stead. Not once did he speak to his opponent. Only the last night did he call his opponent's name. He spoke to the audience always.
The day of debates is not over. Special busses rand from Evansville, Ind. And Owensboro, Ky. and other places bringing hundreds of interested brethren. Outsiders attended in droves. Hundreds heard the truth for the first time. Members were strengthened. Christians have gained only by aggression. The apostles carried the fight into the buildings of the opposition. Our pioneer's gained ground by debating, We have fought for every inch of ground we hold today. Many who live in luxury from the sweat and toil of those pioneers oppose debating. Such men are unworthy of the fellowship of Christians.
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James P. Miller vs F. R. Bingham (Missionary Baptist)
December 20, 1945
Central City, Kentucky
(By Geo. W. DeHoff)
December 20, 1945
Central City, Kentucky
(By Geo. W. DeHoff)
Debate at Central City, Ky. Nov. 27-30, 1945
1st night Bingham affirmed: Salvation before baptism. He argued : Not of works (Eph. 2:8,9); whosoever will (Floyd Collins, thief of cross, Titanic survivor, solder on battlefield); Cornelius (Acts 10-11). These made up his speech. He spent the rest of his time explaining away baptism passages the bro. Miller had read.
Miller did a fine job of showing that Ephesians is an essay on the church; that Floyd Collins was a member of the church; that the thief on th cross did not live under the new covenant; that Cornelius was not saved until heard Peter preach, but that the Spirit fell on him at the beginning of Peter's sermon. Bro. Miller's argument on the blood was so strong that it, as most others, was let severely alone. Bingham asked 36 questions (with a dozen or two questions underneath them). Bro. Miller answered them all publicly.
The last two nights Bro. Miller affirmed: "The Bible teaches a child of God can so sin as to be finally lost." He advanced the usual arguments with the usual results. Bingham went back to baptism and debated it. Bro. Miller emphasized the moral consequences of this doctrine when Bingham endorsed a statement that "a child of God may commit every sin from idolatry to murder without damming his soul." Bingham announced he would put the capstone on the debate the last night. Just before Miller's first speech he did -- by hanging up a chart reading: "James P. Millers says you can not get to heaven without going through a hole of water."
Miller, on apostasy, pitched his speech on a high plane. Then he took the last 5 minutes to describe the baptism of Jesus and his holy commandment to us. I saw people moved to tears by this thrilling and eloquent description of baptism; I saw them look with pity ay Bingham as bro. Miller said: "And this is the holy commandment which Baptist preachers ridicule by calling it a hole of water." During Miller's speech, as if loosed by unseen hands, the capstone chart fell to the floor. It was not replaced, and the baptism of Jesus was never referred to by Bingham.
This debate leads me to make several observations: A man does not have to be dead with old age to debate. James P. Miller is thirty years of age, and the man dos not live who, in my judgment, could have done a better job than he. In this, his first "full scale" debate, his more than 500 intercollegiate debates stood him in good stead. Not once did he speak to his opponent. Only the last night did he call his opponent's name. He spoke to the audience always.
The day of debates is not over. Special busses rand from Evansville, Ind. And Owensboro, Ky. and other places bringing hundreds of interested brethren. Outsiders attended in droves. Hundreds heard the truth for the first time. Members were strengthened. Christians have gained only by aggression. The apostles carried the fight into the buildings of the opposition. Our pioneer's gained ground by debating, We have fought for every inch of ground we hold today. Many who live in luxury from the sweat and toil of those pioneers oppose debating. Such men are unworthy of the fellowship of Christians.
VIEW NEXT REPORT >>
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