The Editor's Page
Legalism And The Gospel

“The subjects that have been handled in this meeting are weighty, dealing with issues of vast importance to the church, to society, to all individuals, young or old, great or small. I have felt an appreciation of your interest in them, and your forbearance with me in the extra time required to discuss them.

“The subjects that have had to do with denominational dogmas and doctrines involve issues and controversies that have been debated through the years; but concerning which the young generation has not had the advantage of the thorough indoctrination, such as had our fathers before us, under the early preachers of the church, preachers under whom some of you were reared, and under whose preaching I was tutored. They indoctrinated us. We knew what it was all about. I am firmly convinced that the rising generation should have the opportunity of hearing these issues thoroughly discussed and debated, that they may be anchored to the truth and able to meet ‘every wind of doctrine’ in modern forms of error.

“I was brought up under the preaching of men in Texas well known to many of you, who baptized many more people than are being baptized today; men who debated; men who ‘called names,’ whether in the polemics of debate or preaching in the pulpit. They were men of fervor and faith. We should not forget their crusading spirit. I want to see their spirit revived. Like the spirit of Elijah in John the Baptist, and the spirit of Huss in Luther, I want to see the spirit of the early gospel preachers revived in the young men of today. They put power in their preaching. They moved men. The did not preach sermonettes; they were not preacherettes.

“I can remember when preachers wore cuffs attached to the sleeve by a device of some sort, stiffly laundered cuffs. That way the preacher could wear the same shirt the whole meeting, just change the cuffs! In these difficult days of the rationing of laundry it would be rather convenient for that system to be in vogue. But some of the early preachers preached with such force that they would send a stiffly laundered cuff sailing out over the crowd! It is a bold contrast with some of the milquetoast elocution heard in pulpits today.

“A young man once came to A.J. McCarty, and asked him how to go about making a preacher. Jack McCarty said, in all bluntness that characterized him, ‘Young man, get brimful and running over with the word of God and it will come out!’ And it will come out. It may be spontaneous combustion, but it will ‘bust’ everything it hits. That is the preaching needed today, rather than this ‘go away around by the Joneses’ sort of a preaching; this speak softly, tread lightly, step careful, kind of preaching. I do not believe in croaking out insults against people, but I do believe in the kind of preaching that draws the issue, and draws the blood when the occasion requires it. The purpose of this meeting has simply been to call us back to these old principles.” From Foy E. Wallace's BULWARKS OF THE FAITH (Received by email. Thanks to those who provided it. Editor)

“But, lo, he speaketh BOLDLY, and they say nothing unto them” (John 7:26). “But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached BOLDLY at Damascus in the name of Jesus” (Ac. 9:27). “And he spake BOLDLY in the name of the Lord Jesus, and DISPUTED against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him” (Acts 9:29). “Long time therefore abode they speaking BOLDLY in the Lord...” (Acts 14:3). “And he went into the synagogue, and spake BOLDLY for the space of three months, DISPUTING and PERSUADING the things concerning the kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8). “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort...” (II Timothy 4:2). (Emp. mine, Editor) - Glenn Melton