Answering J. T. Smith
In this issue of the Gospel Guardian will be found an attempted reply to an article I wrote. The article pointed out the defection of J. T. Smith from the truth and that his reason (?) for changing was because of human wisdom and not book chapter and verse. Thus, he wanted truth, but looked in the wrong place. Now, he comes back with the above attempt to belittle and depreciate what I wrote. I shall notice what he says briefly.
Smith Versus Smith
In his first article in the Gospel Advocate, July 7, 1960, he says: "Recently I had the opportunity to talk with a friend, Basil Overton. I told him that I felt I had been misled, and that I felt he could help me. He did!" Now, you see that Smith says: "Overton did not come to me, I went to him because I knew that he was not an 'anti and I wanted to try to teach him the truth concerning these matters." Now, brother Smith, which time did you tell the truth? In both articles, he says "I went to Overton." Notice below the two different reasons he gives.
1st Article 2nd Article
"I felt he could help me." "I wanted to try to teach him the truth...."
There was no implication in my first article that Overton "CRAMMED these things down" anybody's throat.
Give Us The Scripture
Smith like any other sectarian minded preacher desires authority for his practice from the silence of the Scriptures. He asks for the book, chapter and verse "that tells us exactly HOW this work was done," meaning benevolent work. Nearly every institutional devotee comes forth asking for the "how" of doing benevolent wont. They say, "God says for us to do it, but doesn't say how." Yet, they never say who the "us" is. Do they mean individuals, parents, the church or some human institution? Now, everyone knows that these human institutions are doing the work, and if they mean God hasn't told these people how to do benevolence, I reply that God hasn't even told them to do the work of the church! But, if they say God hasn't told parents how to rear children, I commend them to Eph. 6:1-4 and other similar passages. If they say God hasn't told the local church how to do the work she is responsible for, I say Amen. The issue is not now, never has been, nor shall it ever be over methods or means. A. C. Grider told Totty that rearranging the letters of H 0 W to W H 0 would clarify the issue, and so it will.
Smith asks for the scriptures backing up my statement that the church always did benevolence to individuals and not institutions. Read them carefully: "Every man" (Acts 2:42); "Every man" (Acts 4:35); "Widows — daily ministration" (Acts 6:1); "the brethren" (Acts 11:29); "the saints" (Rom. 15:25); "the saints" (1 Cor. 16:1); "the saints" (2 Cor. 9:1); "the saints" (2 Cor. 9:13); "widows indeed" (I Tim. 5:16). Now, brother Smith, give us the Scripture for this assertion of yours: "it is the work of the church to support a home in need." (Gospel Advocate, July 7, 1960, page 422) Will you be as kind to me as I have to you? We shall see.