Subscribe to this page via e-mail here - Subscribe
0780
Debate was on Feb. 4-7 and White House, Tenn.
Bro. Totty affirmed: "The method of teaching the Bible, with the people divided into classes, with women teaching, with the use of uninspired literature, under the oversight of the elders, is scriptural." Bro. Johnson denied and affirmed that bro. Totty's affirmation was false. The 3rd night the overflowing audience had to move to the large high school gym. The last night all seats were taken and many stood. Fifty gospel preachers attended.
Bro. Totty used Acts 2:4 as one of his strongest proof texts for the class method. He stressed the fact that all began to speak in other tongues at the same time. He cited verse 6: "Every man heard them speaking in his own language." Bro. Johnson replied that the people on Pentecost could not understand when the apostles spoke in tongues, for Paul said: "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God" (I Cor. 14:2). Bro. Totty showed that bro. Johnson misapplied I Cor. 14:2, and one should not fight scripture with scripture. Bro. Totty read from Acts 2:8-11: "and how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?....we do hear them speak in our the wonderful works of God."Bro. Totty said they understood, for they heard in their own tongues the wonderful works of God. If they did not understand, how did they know that the apostles spoke the wonderful works of God?
One of the arguments of much interest for the class method was from Luke 10:23: "And turning to the disciples, he said privately, Blessed are the eyes which seethe things that ye see." Some of bro. Totty's best work during the debate was from this example of Jesus teaching a class. Bro. Johnson admitted that bro. Totty found a class in Luke 10:23. He said that he often taught a class on Sunday, yet he objected to a Sunday school. Bro. Totty showed that a school taught on Sunday is a Sunday school just as a school taught on Monday is a Monday school. Bro. Totty clearly showed, from these admissions of bro. Johnson himself, that bro. Johnson had a class or school and that he taught it on Sunday; therefore, a Sunday school. Bro. Johnson has the very same thing in his practice on Sunday that he preaches is sinful among the brethren using the class method. Bro. Totty stated that bro. Johnson was causing division among the brethren over something he himself believes and practices. He quoted Rom. 2:1.
Bro. Johnson did not give a name for his one-class method taught on Sunday. It is a school. He conducts it on Sunday. Is it a Sunday school? Will he name it?
Women teachers: Bro. Totty introduced Tit. 2:3-5. Here Paul tells women to teach. Bro. Johnson said women can only teach "domestic" matters. Bro. Totty showed that women were to be a teacher of "good things," and Paul named holiness, soberness, discretion, and chastity. He asked bro. Johnson if these virtues were only domestic matters. Bro. Johnson did not answer. Totty showed these virtues were a part of Christian living and not merely domestic matters. Yet God wills that these be taught by women.
Bro. Johnson introduced I Tim. 2:12. He said "over the man" modified the infinitive "to usurp" only. Bro. Totty pointed out that if the infinitive "to teach" was not modified, then a woman could not teach anyone anything. This position of Johnson contradicted Paul in Tit. 2:3-5, where Paul tells her to teach. What, then, is the meaning of the passage? Bro. Totty showed that the infinitives "to teach" and "to usurp," connected by the conjunction "nor," were parallel and that both infinitives were modified by the phrase "over the man." As parallel verses he used Acts 2:38 and Acts 4:18. Understanding the meaning of these parallel verses, one is made to see the meaning of I Tim. 2:12. The woman is not to teach over the man nor usurp authority over the man.
Uninspired literature: Bro. Johnson said that he did not object to the study of uninspired literature, but objected to the teaching of it as a text. Bro.Totty showed that in the Sunday school or classes inspired literature was used as the text. The "lesson text" used in the Sunday school literature is selected from the Bible. Bro. Totty pressed Johnson to tell why it would be sinful to use uninspired comments that were written and it would not be sinful to make uninspired comments orally, as bro. Johnson does in teaching his class on Sunday. Bro. Johnson did not answer.
Bro. Totty has engaged in several debates. He has splendid knowledge of the Bible. He is an able defender of the faith. He clearly points our religious error and presents the truth with force and power. To him the word of God is like a hammer that breaketh the rock to pieces. It is his weapon with which to conquer.
VIEW NEXT REPORT >>
Print
W. L. Totty vs Alna Johnson (Class question)
February 21, 1946
White House, Tennessee
(By Boone Douthett)
February 21, 1946
White House, Tennessee
(By Boone Douthett)
Debate was on Feb. 4-7 and White House, Tenn.
Bro. Totty affirmed: "The method of teaching the Bible, with the people divided into classes, with women teaching, with the use of uninspired literature, under the oversight of the elders, is scriptural." Bro. Johnson denied and affirmed that bro. Totty's affirmation was false. The 3rd night the overflowing audience had to move to the large high school gym. The last night all seats were taken and many stood. Fifty gospel preachers attended.
Bro. Totty used Acts 2:4 as one of his strongest proof texts for the class method. He stressed the fact that all began to speak in other tongues at the same time. He cited verse 6: "Every man heard them speaking in his own language." Bro. Johnson replied that the people on Pentecost could not understand when the apostles spoke in tongues, for Paul said: "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God" (I Cor. 14:2). Bro. Totty showed that bro. Johnson misapplied I Cor. 14:2, and one should not fight scripture with scripture. Bro. Totty read from Acts 2:8-11: "and how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?....we do hear them speak in our the wonderful works of God."Bro. Totty said they understood, for they heard in their own tongues the wonderful works of God. If they did not understand, how did they know that the apostles spoke the wonderful works of God?
One of the arguments of much interest for the class method was from Luke 10:23: "And turning to the disciples, he said privately, Blessed are the eyes which seethe things that ye see." Some of bro. Totty's best work during the debate was from this example of Jesus teaching a class. Bro. Johnson admitted that bro. Totty found a class in Luke 10:23. He said that he often taught a class on Sunday, yet he objected to a Sunday school. Bro. Totty showed that a school taught on Sunday is a Sunday school just as a school taught on Monday is a Monday school. Bro. Totty clearly showed, from these admissions of bro. Johnson himself, that bro. Johnson had a class or school and that he taught it on Sunday; therefore, a Sunday school. Bro. Johnson has the very same thing in his practice on Sunday that he preaches is sinful among the brethren using the class method. Bro. Totty stated that bro. Johnson was causing division among the brethren over something he himself believes and practices. He quoted Rom. 2:1.
Bro. Johnson did not give a name for his one-class method taught on Sunday. It is a school. He conducts it on Sunday. Is it a Sunday school? Will he name it?
Women teachers: Bro. Totty introduced Tit. 2:3-5. Here Paul tells women to teach. Bro. Johnson said women can only teach "domestic" matters. Bro. Totty showed that women were to be a teacher of "good things," and Paul named holiness, soberness, discretion, and chastity. He asked bro. Johnson if these virtues were only domestic matters. Bro. Johnson did not answer. Totty showed these virtues were a part of Christian living and not merely domestic matters. Yet God wills that these be taught by women.
Bro. Johnson introduced I Tim. 2:12. He said "over the man" modified the infinitive "to usurp" only. Bro. Totty pointed out that if the infinitive "to teach" was not modified, then a woman could not teach anyone anything. This position of Johnson contradicted Paul in Tit. 2:3-5, where Paul tells her to teach. What, then, is the meaning of the passage? Bro. Totty showed that the infinitives "to teach" and "to usurp," connected by the conjunction "nor," were parallel and that both infinitives were modified by the phrase "over the man." As parallel verses he used Acts 2:38 and Acts 4:18. Understanding the meaning of these parallel verses, one is made to see the meaning of I Tim. 2:12. The woman is not to teach over the man nor usurp authority over the man.
Uninspired literature: Bro. Johnson said that he did not object to the study of uninspired literature, but objected to the teaching of it as a text. Bro.Totty showed that in the Sunday school or classes inspired literature was used as the text. The "lesson text" used in the Sunday school literature is selected from the Bible. Bro. Totty pressed Johnson to tell why it would be sinful to use uninspired comments that were written and it would not be sinful to make uninspired comments orally, as bro. Johnson does in teaching his class on Sunday. Bro. Johnson did not answer.
Bro. Totty has engaged in several debates. He has splendid knowledge of the Bible. He is an able defender of the faith. He clearly points our religious error and presents the truth with force and power. To him the word of God is like a hammer that breaketh the rock to pieces. It is his weapon with which to conquer.
VIEW NEXT REPORT >>
| Powered By |
| TheLordsWay.com |
| Click here to host your own church web site today! |
