REPLY TO THE FOREGOING

W. Carl Ketcherside

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     9. I do not share the views of either sectarian preachers or Brother Lemmons as to the extent of the one body. They think it is composed of all sects; he thinks it is limited to one party, that is, to those heirs of the restoration movement listed in the United States Census as "Churches of Christ." The body of Christ is neither a sect or a party. It is composed of every sincere immersed believer on this earth who is joined to Jesus as head. I do not attack the church. I love it as does my blessed Lord. The problem with my good brother is that when I point out the sectarian attitude of the particular faction with which he is allied, he thinks I am attacking the church. To him "the entire brotherhood" is composed of those only who oppose instrumental music and certain societies. True I once was associated with a smaller faction than the one which my brother now represents but since coming to "know where the boundaries of the church are" I have renounced all factionalism and factional alliances. I no longer intend to be hemmed up in any partisan corral, God being my helper.

     10. I do not hold that any person is in "the fellowship" who has not been immersed into Christ. This I have repeatedly stated and many readers are disturbed about the motive which prompts Bro. Lemmons to misrepresent my position. All such should remember that our brother is editor of a party journal and he must defend its orthodoxy at any cost. In other articles, when not directly attacking my position, he has conceded virtually everything for which I contend. He needs the prayers of all that he will be able to shake off the chains of orthodoxy and be a free man in Christ Jesus. Then he will not need to employ those tactics which place a false construction on the words of a brother with whom he disagrees. I do not contend that "the sincere sprinkled" or "the pious unimmersed" are in the fellowship. I never did do so. He cannot find any such statements in my writings!

     The gospel is the good news proclaimed by one person, baptism is the act by

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which another, a believing penitent who hears the news, responds to it. It is the act of enrollment in the school of Christ by one who believes the report. Our good brother now concedes there are "people in the denominations who may have become children of God through satisfactory obedience to the gospel." How can this be when he thinks the gospel includes everything contained in the new covenant scriptures? Are there any in the denominations who have given satisfactory obedience to every word the apostles wrote? For that matter, has Brother Lemmons himself done so? Our brother needs to be careful or he will be making a difference between the gospel which makes people "become children of God" and the doctrine upon which they grow. That is my position and he is learning rapidly. To God be the praise!

     11. I do not deny the existence of disunity. I am devoting my life to helping overcome disunity among the saints. There is a difference between the actual unity conferred by the indwelling Spirit as a gift of God, and a practical demonstration of it by weak mortals such as ourselves. Every person in whom the Spirit dwells is united with every other such person through Jesus Christ. But we allow opinions, interpretations, and personal convictions to disrupt our corporate witness. My approach to the problem is to recognize that the unity conferred by the Spirit is greater and nobler, being of divine origin, than any of the walls we have erected. I shall recognize that unity, stress it and allow it to guide my behavior until I can show to the whole world that I am one with every child of God in spite of mere human differences. I shall make nothing a test of fellowship which God has not made a condition of salvation. We are actually united in Christ while divided from each other and that unity in Him is more precious to me than our disunity.

12. I am glad that every sincere Christian is in hearty agreement with my objectives. Of course, any viewpoint which differs with Brother Lemmons is an "unscriptural doctrine" because our brother mistakes orthodoxy for God's word and his fallible interpretation for divine revelation. This is true of all of our factions. There are "accursed children" and the same verse describes who they are in this language, "They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have been trained in greed." Does Brother Lemmons apply this to those who differ with him about cups, classes, colleges, Herald of Truth, orphan homes, or instrumental music? If not, why did he introduce it? What does it have to do with being in the fellowship with pure and humble saints who differ with us about the things that divide us into rival parties? I hold no brief for fellowship with "cursed children" but what I want to know is why Brother Lemmons is not in fellowship with those who are not cursed. I want the whole world to know that I am in the fellowship with every sincere immersed believer who trusts in the Lord Jesus and seeks to serve Him. I would suffer my right arm to be cut off before I would brand one of "these little ones" as being in the category of those alluded to in 2 Peter 2. If it is poison to plead that we love all of God's children and our brothers then I have been poisoned on the love of God shed abroad in my heart through the Holy Spirit!

     We can never unite all of the believers in Christ Jesus so long as we equate our own party with the one body. We must recognize that those whom we seek to unite, and with whom we seek to be united, are as much believers in Him as ourselves. The exclusivistic attitude which assumes that God belongs only to us cause we belong unto Him is wholly out of tune with the divine revelation and with the quickening spirit of our times. Never before have those within the restoration movement heritage had such a wonderful opportunity to share with other eager seekers the truths they have discovered. I have resolved at all cost to go wherever a great door and effectual is opened and share the little truth I have gleaned. I am willing to answer unto Him for doing so!