Is There A Contradiction
Between Acts 2:38 and Matthew 28:19,20?
Number 4

To Windell Wiser;

I'm sending your literature back. You are a man who only thinks he knows what is going on. I don't want any more of your material, at least until you make some sense. The seventeen questions you ask were absurd. No sense at all. Those Churches in Alabama and the other states don't need checking out by you or anybody else. When you learn how to ask questions that make sense maybe somebody else will put up with you, I don't have time to waste on such nonsense.

Read your questions again and see how silly they are. Maybe your friends have time to put up with you, I have work that has to get done, I don't have time to waste.

I will say something about your oral debate, its your debate, you are the one that has distributed it among churches, I have yet once to send it to anyone outside of my own congregation. I answered your first article on a personal basis, this was between you and I, you destroyed this communication with you foolish debate. But if I ever did meet you in a debate you would become the laughing stock among men. Most of what I have written to your responses, you have misinterpreted, miswritten. You need those men that you call your friends, without them and them without you neither would amount to much.

I'm sorry I have to end with such a letter as I am writing, but I see nothing worth taking my time away from others who have questions that make more sense.

Don't send me any more of your foolishness. And if you ever receive any more of Bible Break Publications, before you try to interpret what I'm writing, open your Bible, it will interpret what I'm saying for you.

Regardless of what you feel about debating, it still remains sinful, and it is a work of the flesh. Those who debate will never associate it with the Church of Christ.

I do hope that you will see some of your own faults before you pass from this life, it would be a disaster to go before the Lord and have to give an account for the questions that I have read in you articles that I have received.

Robert Adams.

IS THERE A CONTRADICTION BETWEEN
Acts 2:38 and Mt. 28:19, 20
NUMBER 4

Bro. Robert Adams of 4196 Hwy. 805, Jenkins, Ky. 41357 wrote me a letter in answer to my third booklet. A copy of this letter is found in the center of this booklet (At the top of this response, E.R. Hall). I suggest you read his letter, before reading my answer to it. I hope that each of you will examine what my dear brother and I have written, in light of the Holy Scriptures. It is obvious that both of us cannot be right. One of us has to be wrong. It should be obvious to each of you that the Bible does not contradict itself. My dear brother Adams and I will stand before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10) to receive the deeds done in our bodies, whether they be good or bad. We shall give an account concerning our deeds in regard to our written discussion (debate), as well as all of our other deeds. Brother Adams will answer to Christ for accusing Him of teaching one formula of words to be said while baptizing someone in Mt. 28:19, 20, and another formula of words to be said while baptizing someone in Acts 2:38. I will give an account for teaching that Jesus gave no formula of words to be said while baptizing someone, in either Mt. 28:19, 20 or Acts 2:38, but instead taught what was do be done. Jesus said nothing about what was to be said. I will give an account for teaching that the teaching of Christ in Mt. 28:19, 20 and Acts 2:38 are exactly the same and mean the same thing. Bro. Adams will give an account for making Jesus contradict Himself.

Answer To His Letter

Bro. Adams says, "I'm sending your literature back". He did what he promised. He mailed it back to me in the same envelope I mailed it to him in. You ask, why would our dear brother send it back? He sent it back for the same reason He sent the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ back to Galilee. He sent the teaching of Jesus Christ back to Galilee, because he thinks Jesus taught one thing at Galilee and another at Jerusalem. He believes Jesus Christ contradicted Himself. I accept the teaching of Jesus Christ both in Galilee and Jerusalem, because there is no contradiction between Mt. 28:19, 20 and Acts 2:38.
He says, "You are a man who only thinks he knows what is going on". My dear brother, I not only think, but I know what is going on. I know you teach both Mt. 28:19 and Acts 2:38 contain formulas of words to be said while baptizing people. If this is the case, they contradict one another. I know you choose Acts 2:38 over Mt. 28:19, while I choose both passages. I know you reject what Jesus taught in Galilee, and claim to accept what Jesus taught in Jerusalem, while I accept the teaching of Christ in both places.
My dear brother says, "I don't want any more of your material, at least until you make some sense". My dear brother, which makes more sense to teach Jesus taught one thing in Galilee and something opposite in Jerusalem, or to teach Jesus taught the same doctrine in both places? Which makes more sense, to make the Bible contradict itself, or to harmonize the Bible?
Our beloved brother says, "The seventeen questions you ask were absurd. No sense at all. When you learn how to ask questions that make sense maybe somebody else will put up with you, I don't have time to waste on such nonsense". Brother Adams, I will be glad for someone else to answer my questions. If anyone can answer them in light of what you teach, I want the answers. I need the answers, because if I ask questions which can be answered and prove what you are teaching to be the truth, I must have the answers to save my soul. If you are teaching the truth, you should have no problem answering my questions. I am convinced with all of my heart that you are not teaching the truth. I am convinced that you cannot answer my questions and continue teaching your doctrine. I am convinced that no man can answer my questions and believe and teach what you are teaching. To make sure that our readers know what the questions are, and can see that they do make sense, and recognize that you cannot answer them and continue to preach what you are preaching, I will list all seventeen of those questions again. My dear reader, what is absurd about these questions? What is there about them that doesn't make sense?

1. Do you believe Mt. 28:19-20 is inspired of God?
2. Do you believe Mt. 28:19-20 should be in the Bible, or will you take the same position Martin Luther took about the book of James, when he thought Paul and James contradicted one another on works; and thus the book of James should not be in the Bible? Do you believe Matthew 28:19-20 should be removed from the Bible?
3. Is there anything else, other than Mt. 28:19, 20 in the book of Matthew that Jesus did not give us access to?
4. By what authority do you have to tell us Jesus did not give us access to Mt. 28:19?
5. Do you mean Jesus told the Apostles to "go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" and then deny them access to what He told them to do? Did Jesus tell the Apostles to do something and then not allow them to do what He told them to do?
6. Did Peter do what Jesus told him to do in Mt. 28:19?
7. If he did not, was Jesus with him always even to the end of the world (Mt. 28:20)?
8. If Jesus did not authorize the baptism of (Mt. 28:19) in the church, where did He authorize it? When was His teaching followed?
9. When did Peter and the rest of the Apostles go teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost?
10. Who was it in Galilee that told the Apostles to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost?
11. Bro. Adams, are you saying Matthew does not belong in the Bible, when you say, "within the Bible itself, there is no contradiction"?
12. Please show me where Jesus gave a formula of words to be said at baptism, during His personal ministry, that was brought to the remembrance of Peter in Acts 2:38?
13. Which one of the following passages: Acts 2:38; Acts 10:48; Acts 8:16; or Acts 19:5 contain a formula of words that must be said when baptizing someone, i.e. "A group of words that are fixed, that cannot be changed by God or by man" as per your definition of formula?
14. What is the formula of words that are fixed, that cannot be changed by God or by man, that must be said when baptizing someone?
15. Does one have to say, "I baptize you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins", in order to baptize someone in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins?
16. Does one have to say, "I am preaching in the name of Jesus Christ", in order to preach in the name of Jesus Christ (Col. 3:17)?
17. Does a husband have to say to his wife, "I love you in the name of Jesus Christ", in order to love his wife in the name of Jesus Christ (Col. 3:17)?

Now, dear reader, after you have read these seventeen questions again, what is there about them that doesn't make sense? Why would our dear brother say they are nonsensical? When you think about his doctrine you can see why he cannot answer the questions and continue to spread his doctrine all over the country. If he answers the questions he is forced to change his teaching. I have no fear standing before Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:10) having asked these questions.
He says, "Those Churches in Alabama and the other states don't need checking out by you or anybody else". My dear brother is referring to my statement on Page 12 of my booklet entitled "Is There A Contradiction Between Acts 2:38 and Mt. 28:19, 20 Number Three". Here is the statement, "Bro. Adams, I asked you to name one church in Alabama which agrees with your teaching. Just one church that teaches the preacher must say, 'I baptize you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins' in order for them to be members of the true church of Christ. You did not name one. Now, I am asking you to come up with the proof of what you said. Give your readers proof of churches of Christ in Alabama, Arkansas, and Missouri who preach what you preach about being baptized. Give us the names so we can investigate to see. We would like to hear it from their mouth. How does he respond to our question? He tells us "Those churches don't need checking out by me or anyone else". Bro. Adams, if you and those churches have the truth, we all need to check them out. Possibly some of them could teach us the truth that you have been unable to teach us! If you are so sure you have the truth and those churches have the truth, why don't you want everyone to check them out? Could it be that you don't know of any such churches? Surely, dear brother, you would not mis-lead us? Those who read this material are going to wonder. It would have been best to have named the churches. Someone might have checked them out and been reached by their teaching to believe what you believe. Bro. Adams, our readers will wonder why you didn't tell us!
Bro. Adams says, "I will say something about your oral debate, its your debate, you are the one that has distributed it among churches, I have yet once to send it to anyone outside of my own congregation. I answered your first article on a personal basis, this was between you and I, you destroyed this communication with your foolish debate". Remember, bro. Adams, I asked you for an oral debate where you would provide a place for half of it and I would provide a place for the other half. You refused to debate me orally, because you said the Bible condemned debating (Rom. 1:29; 2 Cor. 12:20). I agreed with you that the Bible condemned debates such as those mentioned in these two passages. I also referred to the kind of religious discussions Paul had in Antioch (Acts 15) and other places. I did not use the word debate until you used it. I reminded you that what we were doing, i.e. a written discussion, would be no different than having an oral discussion. You say this is my debate, because I have distributed it among churches. You say you did not send it to anyone outside of your own congregation. My dear brother, you admit you sent it to your own congregation. How many congregations would you have to send it to in order for it to become your discussion as well as mine? I thought it was our discussion (debate) because you and I were the ones doing the discussion. Would it not have been our discussion (debate) since we are the disputants whether it was sent to anyone or not? Why does my sending it to more churches than you did make it my debate and not your debate? Where is the logic in that statement? You talk about non-sense, thou art the man. You are complaining that I send out the discussion to more churches than you did. Yet you mailed a letter and two of your Bible Break Publications to churches of Christ in Athens, Alabama and churches outside of Athens in Limestone County. You wrote a letter, a copy of which you can find within the pages of this booklet. In this letter you mentioned my name and some things I teach accusing me of teaching false doctrine asking folks to help me find my way back to Pentecost. How can you do that and say it is my debate? I have no objection to your sending what ever you want to send to Alabama, or anywhere else. I have nothing to fear from your material. I am ready to meet you in oral or written discussion any time. You say you answered my first article "on a personal basis, this was between you and I". Bro. Adams, did you give this answer to your congregation? If so, why would this not be a personal debate between you and I? Bro. Adams, you also wrote an answer to my second article. I know you did, because you sent your answer to me. Did you give this answer to your congregation? Was the first one personal, and the second one something else? Now, in answer to my third article, you sent this letter. I wonder how the first answer could be personal and the second one, along with this letter be impersonal, or something else. I couldn't tell any difference between the first answer and the second answer. I considered the letter proof that you were "throwing in the towel", and that our discussion was over.
Our dear brother said, "If I ever did meet you in a debate you would become the laughing stock among men". My dear brother I am ready for you to make me that laughing stock.
Bro. Adams says, "Most of what I have written to your responses, you have mis-interpreted, mis-written". Why didn't you tell me where I missed it? You said I was disoriented. You should have explained your position better. You should have corrected me, instead of "throwing in the towel". I don't believe I mis-interpreted anything you said. You said, "Open your Bible, it will interpret what I'm saying for you". I have opened my Bible many times. I have never found a formula of words to be said while baptizing someone. I didn't mis-interpret this, did I? You do teach Acts 2:38 contains a formula of words to be said while baptizing, don't you? In your Bible Break Publications, dated February 28, 2001, you say in bold capital letters, "WE ARE NOT TOLD WHAT TO SAY IN BAPTISM HAS BECOME THE CHEAPEST, DIRTIEST, LOWEST AND MOST IGNORANT STATEMENT THAT WILL EVER COME FROM MAN AGAINST THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST". Bro. Adams, I have asked you over and over again to give us the passage that tells us what to say while baptizing someone. You NEVER DID GIVE IT. All you would have had to do was answer questions 12, 13, and 14 with Scripture, but you didn't. You just said they were nonsensical questions. You just said, "It would be a disaster to go before the Lord and have to give an account for the questions that I have read in your articles that I have received". Bro. Adams, I am ready to face Him having asked all those questions. Are you willing to face Him having refused to even make an effort to answer any of them, in view of the statement of the Apostle Peter, "Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" (I Pet. 3:15)?

Windell Wiser
16334 Evans Rd.
Athens, Al. 35611

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