Chpt. 71 - The Great Commission VI

Elder S. Hassell is asked:

"Was the commission or commandment of Christ given to the church and ministry or to the ministry exclusively, and if to the ministry to the exclusion of the church, how can we escape receiving alien baptism if we admit that God has called any man to preach that is not a member of the visible church of Christ? From whom does the minister receive his authority to baptize, from the Church or from Christ, and if, from the church, is she not in some sense included in the commission?"

Excellent questions for every Hardshell "apologist"! How will the great "defender of the Hardshell faith" answer? He says:

"To my mind and to the minds of nearly all the Primitive Baptists, and I think to all intelligent, candid, and unprejudiced minds, it is not more certain that two and two make four than it is certain that Christ’s command in Matt. 28:16-20 and Mark 16:14-16 to go everywhere and preach the Gospel and baptize and teach was, according to His plain and simple language, given to the apostles representing the gospel ministry; certainly He did not command the whole church to go into all the world and preach and baptize believers and teach His commandments. And all the churches in the world cannot now call and qualify one single man to preach the gospel of Christ. We know that this is the work of Christ, as well as we know our own existence. But, when Christ calls and qualifies for the work, the church will see the gift and gladly recognize it, and help him on his way, as in the apostolic times. And if the church can be present, he will certainly prefer for them to be satisfied of the regeneration of an applicant before he baptizes him, and if the church, or men whom she appoints for the purpose, cannot be present, she will be satisfied with the baptism of an applicant by the chosen minister of Christ; but if the minister is not a member of the visible church of God, the church will consider the nominal baptism as no real baptism. The authority to baptize comes from Christ in the commission, and the church will always gladly recognize this authority." (Gospel Messenger - February 1906)

From both the questions and the answers given above we can see how the topic of the "Great Commission" was truly a "hot potato" while it was in the possession of the great Hardshell "historian" and "apologist," Elder S. Hassell.

It is to be wondered whether any Hardshell debater and apologist today can better address the penetrating questions that were asked of Elder Hassell? Will any be more honest, or "candid," or "unprejudiced" than Elder Hassell?

Certainly the questions that the questioner asked of Elder Hassell, relative to the Hardshell "paradigm" structure on the "Great Commission," were not answered by Elder Hassell, for he only "danced around" the questions. The apologetic that Elder Hassell gave to the questions put to him clearly show that he was in the proverbial "tight spot" relative to that "paradigm."

As far as whether it is the Hardshells who have been the "candid" and "intelligent" and "unprejudiced" bible students, as regards properly understanding, interpreting, and teaching the words of Jesus in the "Great Commission," it has already been demonstrated in this book that these adjectives do not fit the Hardshells when it comes to their aberritions in doctrine respecting regeneration and the birth of the Spirit, and respecting those scriptures that deal with this topic and others related to it, like the topic of "gospel addresses to the lost," and another central question involved in it, the question of whether or not all men are commanded to believe and repent.

They "twist" and distort the words of our great Baptist forefathers, men like John Gill and Samuel Richardson, and do not stop there, but also "twist" the words of scripture to uphold their unbiblical man-made propositions. I have demonstrated this throughout the seventy chapters now written.

The early chapters, wherein I dealt with scriptures that clearly overthrow the Hardshell "hybrid" view of regeneration "without means" and "without faith," and "without conviction of sin" and "without repentance," is also the place where I gave the leading Hardshell "twisted views" of those "plain" passages, stated as they are in "simple language," that men are born again through faith, and through the gospel.

I also show how they "twist" and distort other scriptures that clearly contradict their Hardshell soteriological system. In my series on "Addresses to the Lost," I went through many passages where Jesus and the preachers he sent clearly addressed dead alien sinners and called upon them to believe, to repent, and to come to Christ for salvation. I showed where these dead sinners were called, in the gospel, to come forth from the dead, and to make themselves a new heart and spirit thereby. I showed how the apostles urged all men, without distinction, to "be converted." I also showed how the Hardshells are anything but "candid" or "intelligent" or "unprejudiced" in all this!

I certainly did show the "prejudice" of Elders Daily and Crouse, and of other Hardshells, respecting what Dr. John Gill wrote about regeneration in his "Body of Divinity" and in his "Cause of God and Truth."

But let me now more particularly address what Elder Hassell stated in his reply to the questions posed to him. Elder Hassell said:

"His plain and simple language, given to the apostles representing the gospel ministry..."

I have already responded to his cloaked sarcasm, wherein he asserts that all who disagree with him and the Hardshells on the "Great Commission" are people who are not "intelligent" or "candid" or "unprejudiced," clearly inferring that only the Hardshells are "candid" and "intelligent" and "unprejudiced." Again, as I said in earlier chapters, this is characteristic of a cult, to speak of themselves often as being the "only ones."

Where in the "plain language" of the "Great Commission" (as recorded in Matthew and in Mark) is the word "represented" used? On what basis does Elder Hassell assert that the words of the "Great Commission" were made to the apostles "as representing" anyone?

Further, what words or language did he cite to prove that the group of apostles themselves represented the larger group of a "God called ministry in every age"?

Before I respond more particularly to this "argumentation" of Elder Hassell, let me first make the observation how Elder Hassell does not share the view of Elder Beebe, who believed that the "Great Commission" was given only to the "eleven" apostles addressed and included no others, not even Matthias or Paul, teaching that such men received, like every other gospel minister in every other age, separate commissions different from the "Great Commission" as given to the "eleven." I will show shortly also how Hassell tried to "soft-peddle" this difference with Beebe.

But, Hassell did state the historical prevailing view of the Hardshells, not Beebe. Even the Black Rock Address, which Beebe signed, ironically and hypocritically, stated the belief that Hassell affirms. They did not believe the "Great Commission" was "fulfilled," nor that it was only applicable to the "eleven" apostles, but was rather applicable to every minister in the church in every age till Christ returns.

Those ministers today who are going back and embracing Beebe's views on the "Great Commission" are accepting an extreme minority opinion, and not one that has been publicly endorsed by conventions like the "Black Rock Convention" or the "Fulton Convention," for these conventions endorsed the view that the "Great Commission" was still binding upon every minister, and was not fulfilled, although they all shared the view that the church of Jesus Christ was exempted from any part in the matter of executing the "Great Commission." But, more on this later. Let me now return to asking how Elder Hassell can honestly, logically, or biblically say that the group of eleven "represented" the larger group of Hardshell ministers.

I will observe first that Elder Hassell's "argumentation" is similar to that of his contemporary, Elder J. R. Daily, who's writings on the "Great Commission" I have already addressed. Recall that Daily argued that the words "eat ye" and "drink ye," as spoken to the twelve apostles during the institution of the Lord's Supper, was not limited to the twelve but applicable to the church because, he said, the "church was in session" then but not "in session" when Jesus spoke the words of the "Great Commission" to the eleven! We will see how Elder Hassell's argumentation is similarly nonsensical and whimsical. It is the kind of "argumentation" that one would expect from a "Sophist."

Where is the "plain and simple language" that says the "eleven" represented the gospel ministry to the exclusion of all others? Oh yes, Hassell makes what he thinks is a "logical deduction" of the words of Jesus wherein he thinks that the church or an ordinary disciple cannot possibly be included in the "Great Commission," but he cites no plain nor simple language of Jesus to prove it! Logical deduction, valid or not, to discover a true proposition is not the same as a clear and express statement of that premise or proposition. Besides, I have already shown many instances where Hardshell "logic" is twisted and invalid.

So, instead of citing words that say the "eleven represent the gospel ministry," he makes a logical deduction, or what he thinks is a valid logical deduction, in order to prove that it cannot possibly refer to the church, and therefore it must be limited to the gospel ministry. Well, let us "put to the test" this another instance of Hardshell "logic."

This is similar to neo-Hardshell Elder Ralph Harris who argued that the "Great Commission" could not possibly have been given to the church because, during the Dark Ages the church was hiding out in caves and therefore could not fulfill the commands of the "Great Commission"! I showed how this same argument would likewise forbid it being given either to the Apostles or to the ministry, however. I showed that all the apostles did not fulfill the "Great Commission," for the Apostle James was martyred before it had gone into all the world.

Hassell said:

"Certainly He did not command the whole church to go into all the world and preach and baptize believers and teach His commandments. And all the churches in the world cannot now call and qualify one single man to preach the gospel of Christ. We know that this is the work of Christ, as well as we know our own existence."

Here are more instances where Hardshells use Sophist tactics by throwing out "Red Herrings" and by building "straw men" to fight. What Missionary Baptist believes that men or a group of men, or the church, are the entities that "call" other men into the bishoprick? None! That is a non issue and certainly a "non-sequiter"! But, while we are on this point, let us consider how the Hardshells have "gone to extremes" in their opposing an extreme, or at least what they thought was an extreme, by their completely eliminating the church from the matter of a its members receiving spiritual gifts, including the gift to preach and to teach.

Paul, in I Corinthians 14:1 said to the whole assembly at Corinth - "Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy." And then, in further elaboration of this, he said:

"What then shall we say, brothers? (Notice how he is not addressing only elders and that he does exclude women) When you come together, everyone (not just the elders, but the whole church) has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God. Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command. If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored. Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way." (verses 26-39 NIV)

There are a number of important points in this line of instruction from the apostle that bear upon our discussion of the "Great Commission" and on the question of who is "authorized" to preach, and teach, and to baptize in the church and in the community in which they live.

Notice that Paul is addressing the whole church, or at least the male members, when he speaks in this chapter. Those to whom he speaks are addressed as "brothers," and not as "elders." The Corinthian letters were not addressed to the pastors or elders but to the general membership, or at least the general male membership.

"When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church."

Who is the "you" in the above words of Paul? Is the you the ministerial "you" and thus spoken only to the ordained clergy? Clearly not! And, if the "you" refers to the whole church, or at least to all the male membes of the church, then it is obvious that the norm in the New Testament Church was for each member, or each male member, to have opportunity to teach, instruct, and to speak in the assembly, especially as it concerns some new revelation (growth in understanding) a member has recently received from the Lord and the apostle wants each member to have opportunity to share it with other members.

Paul does not forbid or discourage each member coming to the public gathering with a hymn or a word of instuction but rather commends it, saying "all these must be done for the edifying of the body." In fact, Paul is so anxious to encourage member participation in the public teaching of the church that he tells the speaker who has the floor to STOP his speaking if he sees that someone else has just been shown something and needs to immediately share it. How many preachers are willing to do that? To give the floor temporarily to others?

"If a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged."

Who is the "you" in these words? Is the "you" only the ordained eldership? Certainly not. The "you" is either the whole church, or all the "brothers" or male members. But, Hardshell doctrine on the "Great Commission" forces them to exclude any teaching done by any member other than ordained elders! So, they would have to make the "you" in the above verses to be limited to the eldership!

Recall that Elder Pittman, in his testimony in the "Mt. Carmel Church Trial" (cited in this series), affirmed that no one could teach anybody any gospel truth unless he was ordained! How then would he handle the above passages that clearly encourage every member to teach and speak in the church as they feel led of the Lord to do?

Every member, taught Paul, ought to be allowed to share their faith with other members in the public gatherings of the saints, with of course, the restrictions placed on women which he enumerated in this chapter.

"Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command. If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored."

What penetrating questions for many cults and apostate churches! Do not the Hardshells have an attitude that says "the word of God originated with us"? The Hardshells think they are the "only ones" who have the "pure unadulterated gospel" and that all others are preaching a false gospel. If you want the gospel, you will have to go to those with whom it "originated" or have remained pure, i.e. the Hardshells! Yes, it reflects the same "haughty spirit" that Paul was condemning, by the above words, in the spirit and attitude of the Corinthians.

"Are you the only people it (the gospel) has reached?" Do not the Hardshells think so? The Campbellites too? All false cults also? Paul was attacking a "know it all" attitude on the part of many of the brethren in Corinth, an attitude that manifested itself in their aloofness from other Christians, and in their arrogant pretensions of superiority over other Christians and other churches?

Besides this, let us look at the questions of Paul in a little different light. He asks (KJV) - "did the word of God come unto you only?" If a group of people have had someone bring the gospel to them, then the question is - "has that same group not taken it to someone else?" I think it is obvious, from the history of the Hardshell cult, that they fit the description of someone who have received something to share but who does not share it. The gospel has come to them, but it has not gone out from them, not being missionary minded.

Also, Paul, to my mind at least, seems to allude to the cult mentality of the Hardshells as respects the "Great Commission." When Paul speaks of what he writes, in this chapter, about all being allowed to speak and to teach a word of instruction to the whole assembly, he says that this is in agreement with the "commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ." Is he excluding those commands given in the "Great Commission"? Hardshells would say that he IS excluding those commands! But what does Paul say about those who disagree with what he has written in this chapter about all being allowed to teach (in keeping with Christ's Commission)? Let him be ignorant or ignored!

Hassell argues that since it is not possible for every member of the church to physically "go into all the world," then it cannot apply to them! Oh more glorious Hardshell "logic"! Does he not see how this "logic" also overthrows his view that the "Great Commission" was given to the entire ministry? Has the Hardshell ministry obeyed the "Great Command" then? Has one even gone outside of the United States till recent times? Has one gone to an foreign area where no one knew who was Jesus?

Recall from the last chapter where I cited these words from Harris and which are similar to that of Hassell.

"Not even the modern so-called Missionaries have been able to go into all the world, even with all their organizational machinery and fund-raising apparatus. After two centuries of their supposedly trying to "take the world for Christ" over half of the earth’s population has never heard any form of gospel, much less the true gospel. And are we now to imagine that God has laid it upon the shoulders of a few Old Baptists to over-spread the whole world with the gospel?"

What were the precise questions asked of Elder Hassell? Let me list them and then see if Elder Hassell truly answered the man's questions.

1. "Was the Great Commission given to the ministry to the exclusion of the church?"

2. "How can we escape receiving alien baptism?"

3. "From whom does the minister receive his authority to baptize?"

4. "If from Christ, then the church is excluded in the matter of baptisms?"

5. "Do we admit that men other than Primitive Baptists are called of God to preach the gospel?"

6. "Does the minister receive his authority to baptize from the Church?"

7. "If authority to baptize is given to the church, then is she not in some sense included in the commission?

None of these questions were answered by Elder Hassell. If we were to guess at "which way he is leaning" then we would have to say that he seems to say that the ministry, and not the church, has the responsibility and commission to do the baptizing. But, then he later seems to reverse that view when he concludes by saying that -

"When Christ calls and qualifies for the work, the church will see the gift and gladly recognize it, and help him on his way, as in the apostolic times. And if the church can be present, he will certainly prefer for them to be satisfied of the regeneration of an applicant before he baptizes him, and if the church, or men whom she appoints for the purpose, cannot be present, she will be satisfied with the baptism of an applicant by the chosen minister of Christ; but if the minister is not a member of the visible church of God, the church will consider the nominal baptism as no real baptism. The authority to baptize comes from Christ in the commission, and the church will always gladly recognize this authority."

There can be no ministry without Christ. Okay, we all agree on that. But, no one can be "ordained" to the ministry apart from the church. Also, has the church no authority over the minister after he has been ordained? If the ordination or appointment by the church is what constitutes one a minister of the gospel with authority to baptize, then how can Elder Hassell exclude the church as he does?

Notice also how Elder Hassell wants to give all the authority for baptizing to the ministry and yet says that "in every case" the church will acquiese in the minister's decision! Really, in every case? What if in one case she does not? Is the man baptized or not? Is the baptized man a member of the church or not? Hassell clearly does not want to even admit the possibility that such could occur! And why would he not want to admit the possibility? Because it reveals the weakness of his "paradigm" on the "Great Commission" wherein he takes all responsibility for authorizing baptisms away from the church and makes it the sole perogative of the minister!

It has been argued historically by the Hardshells that they cannot accept the baptisms of Missionary Baptists and others because those churches are not orderly or sound churches. Is that not saying that baptism's correctness depends upon the soundness of the church that votes on its administration?

The traditional Hardshell apologetic response on this has not been to say that the baptisms of the Missionary Baptists are invalid because of the preacher not being "called," but because the church of which he is a member is not sound. Most Hardshells have allowed that God had indeed "called" men to preach who were Missionary Baptists. In fact, those Missionary Baptist preachers who joined the Hardshells all say that they were called to preach before they became Hardshells.

Elder Hassell, after implying that the minister has the sole authority to decide when to administer baptism, then tries to sweep away any "paradigm problems" that the questions asked of him clearly revealed, by saying there is never a conflict! He says the minister will always want the church's approval, even though this is not necessary, and that the church likewise will always approve of the baptisms of her ministers performed without that acquiesence. Is that not a dodge? An evasion? A slippery way of trying to get out of the "tight spot" he is in?

Many years later Elder Hassell is asked another question relative to the "Great Commission."

"To whom did Christ give the commission or commandment to "teach all nations," and "preach the gospel to every creature" (Matt. 28:19,20; Mark 16:15)?"

He answers:

"Primarily to the Apostles, as shown by the connection, and as fulfilled by them initially - (Acts 1:8; 2:5; Rom. 10:18; Psalm 19:4; Col. 1:23), who went and preached the gospel both to Jews and Gentiles, wherever, in all the world, they were directed by the Spirit and Providence of God; and secondarily to all other true ministers of the first and succeeding centuries, as they are directed by the Spirit and Providence of God; and when the latter shall have preached the gospel of Christ (first preached by the Apostles) "in all the world for a witness unto all nations, then shall the end come," says Christ (Matt. 24:14). The end of the world or the age or the Christian dispensation has not come yet, but even until that time Christ will be with His true ministry (Matt. 28:20). The "every creature" referred to in the above passages evidently does not mean every object of the Divine creation, every human being and beast and bird and fish and insect and plant; nor does it mean, I think, every human being on every continent and island and river and lake and sea and ocean; but it is a general term for all human beings, both Jews and Gentiles to whom the Lord sends His ministers to preach His gospel. There are yet millions of square miles on the earth's surface where we have no reason to think that the gospel has been preached." (Pittman & Hassell- Advocate and Messenger - November 1927)

Notice how in this later writing by Hassell that he adds the statement that the apostles "initially fulfilled" the "Great Commission." That is typical of Hardshell hermeneutics. Have it both ways! It was fulfilled and it wasn't fulfilled! It was given to the apostles "primarily" and to the gospel ministers "secondarily." Oh yes, but according to them, all this is but "rightly dividing the word of truth"!

I suspect that Elder Hassell took that position for two reasons. First, he saw it as a compromise with men like Beebe and others who held to the view that the "Great Commission" was completely fulfilled. Secondly, he no doubt had to explain the passage in Colossians that spoke of the gospel as having been preached in all the world to those men who used it to argue for its complete fulfillment. But, he could not accept the completely "fulfilled" view either, for the reasons he gave, reasons, I might add, that do in fact show that the "Great Commission" has not been fulfilled!

Elder Hassell believed what Jesus said. The end of the age will occur when the gospel has been preached as a witness in all the world!

Hassell then speaks of how so many have not heard the gospel yet. But, one must ask this one question - "what have the Hardshells done to take the gospel to any?" Hassell seems to put his hopes on his Hardshell ministry to bring about this universal witness! On the other hand, Elder Harris did not think that a few "Old Baptists," like those with Elder Bradley, could possibly fulfill it! Hassell hopes the Hardshell ministry can do it so Christ will return soon! Where do modern Hardshells stand on this? With Beebe or Hassell, or with both?

Stay tuned for much more as I attempt to complete this series.