DID Christ die in our law room and stead, according to the popular preaching?

      Answer.--This is one of the many ignorant, unprofitable, vain questions, so strongly reprobated by the Apostle in his letters to Timothy and Titus; "whereof come envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds," &c. "rather than godly edification which is in faith."

      As an advocate for a genuine scriptural reformation by the re-exhibition of the ancient apostolic gospel and law of Christ, once delivered to the saints, I feel imperiously bound to protest against all such impertinent and unprofitable questions, as have no direct tendency to godly edification, of which there are thousands in this speculative, contentious age. For this purpose I would humbly suggest to all who desire to promote and enjoy this desirable reformation, to meet all religious queries with a direct appeal to the Bible; viz. What does the Bible say? Does it afford any direct and explicit information upon the subject? If so, well. Let it be so. But, if not, we have nothing to do with it. Let it pass as an untaught, unprofitable question, with which we have no concern. By so doing, we shall continue in the Apostles' doctrine; for so they teach.

      But if this should not at all times satisfy the querist, we may next for his sake, reasonably appeal to common sense, by inquiring what good, what utility will result from the solution of the question, provided it could be solved with certainty? Would it increase our faith, our hope, our love to God or man? Our piety, temperance, justice, benevolence? Would it make us more devout, more humane, more humble, more pure, more spiritual? In short, would it advance our moral or religious character? If not, why spend time, why exhaust our mental energy in vain speculation? By proceeding thus, we shall avoid those vain janglings and strifes of words, whereof comes envy, &c. so vehemently and repeatedly prohibited by the Apostle. Of this sort is the above query. The gothic barbarism of its form, the awkward abstrusity of its import, consign it to the dark era of monastic ignorance, of scholastic jargon; the bible knows nothing about it; it shocks all common sense. A thousand such questions are not worth a drink of water. The bible furnishes a direct answer, in proper terms, to every important question that can be proposed concerning the death of Christ, either by Jew or Gentile. The apostle to the believing Galatians, tells them collectively, that "he gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of our God and Father." To the Jews among them he declares, that "God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law; that he might buy off those who were under law;"--under the curse; and, that this was accomplished by the manner of his death; for it is written, "Accursed is every one that hangs on a tree." To the believing Corinthians--that "he died for our sins according to the scriptures." To the believing Cretans--that "he gave himself for us to redeem us from all unrighteousness," &c. &c. What need, then, for the above artificial barbarous question, except to support some abstruse speculative theory? If we want to know why Christ died--why on a cross--for what--for whom--the effects of his death, &c. the bible affords direct pertinent answers to all those interesting questions; and this should suffice. Why should we desire to be vainly wise above what is written?

T. W.      

[The Christian Baptist, November 2, 1829, p. 598.]

      The identity of T. W. is revealed in the signature line ("T. W., alias THOS. CAMPBELL") to his "Reply" to a Constant Reader in The Christian Baptist (Vol. 7, No. 4, November 2, 1829). See College Press reprint (1983) of the Burnet edition (1835) of Alexander Campbell's The Christian Baptist, p. 598.

      Thomas Campbell's "Query" was first published in The Christian Baptist, Vol. VII, No. 4, November 2, 1829. The electronic version of the essay has been produced from the College Press (1983) reprint of The Christian Baptist, ed. Alexander Campbell (Cincinnati: D. S. Burnet, 1835), p. 598.

      Pagination in the electronic version has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. I have let stand variations and inconsistencies in the author's (or editor's) use of italics, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling in the essay.

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 11 January 1998.
Updated 7 July 2003.