In 1938 in Little Rock, Arkansas, a momentous religious debate occurred between Ben M.
Bogard and N.B. Hardeman. Mr. Bogard was probably the most famous and capable champion of
the Baptist faith at that time. The 4-day debate explored four major areas of disagreement between
members of the churches of Christ and the missionary Baptists. In order to grasp the tremendous
influence this debate has had, consider the following words of introduction by L.O. Sanderson:
“Taking into consideration the number of people in attendance, numbering approximately one
thousand each service, the vast radio audience (for all save one session were broadcast over Little
Rock stations), and the great number of those who will read the book, it has been conservatively
estimated that more than a quarter of a million people will have come into contact with the truth
taught on this occasion.”
The third proposition in the debate concerned the establishment of the church, specifically,
whether the church was established on the day of Pentecost 50 days after Christ’s resurrection, or
during the personal ministry of Jesus. The Missionary Baptists contended for the latter position.
Mr. Bogard presented an argument which probably seemed brilliant when it was first heard by the
vast audience, but suffered complete devastation when it was exposed by the light of Scripture. In
attempting to approve the unscriptural position that the church was established prior to the day of
Pentecost, Mr. Bogard appealed to biblical typology. Here is the Baptist argument in Mr. Bogard’s
own words:
“Professor Hardeman will acknowledge that the tabernacle set up in the
wilderness was a type of the church. He will also acknowledge that the tabernacle
was set up, completely finished, before the sacrifice was offered. The sacrifice was a
type of the sacrifice of Christ, and was made after the tabernacle was completely
finished. He will also acknowledge that the High Priest was the type of the priesthood
of Christ. That being true, it follows that if the type is fulfilled, and is a true picture
of the church, and the priesthood was a picture of Jesus Christ, the type of Christ, he
must also acknowledge that after the sacrifice of the lamb, a type of Jesus Christ, then
the priest, the type of the priesthood of the Christ, took the blood of that sacrifice,
and went through the tabernacle into the Holy of Holies, and put the blood on the
mercy seat, which is a type of heaven. Unless the picture is a false picture, unless the
type failed of the fulfillment, then Jesus established his church, then offered himself
in sacrifice, then as High Priest took his own blood through the church into heaven.
Read Leviticus, first four chapters, and read about these sacrifices, how they were
offered in front of the tabernacle, and how the priest took the blood of the sacrifice
and went through the tabernacle into the Holy of Holies, type of heaven. This is
precisely what Jesus did.” (Hardeman Bogard Debate, pg. 163).
At first glance, Bogard’s argument seems unanswerable. I wonder what any of us would
have done were we in brother Hardeman’s position, whose task it was to publicly respond in the
next speech. Notice how brother Hardeman so capably handled this false argument, and exposed
it for the error that it is:
“Furthermore, does he not know that when Jesus Christ went into the Most
Holy Place to offer the sacrifice, there was not a living soul in the Holy Place? Let
me read it to you. Lev. 16, I am calling your attention to what is here said. Lev. 16:
17. Now hear it, “And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation
when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have
made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation
of Israel.” When the high priest went to offer that sacrifice once a year, everybody
had to vacate the first department. But that’s the church. Then the church was knocked
out of existence; there wasn’t a soul in it; there couldn’t be anybody in there while
Jesus Christ was offering in the Most Holy.” (ibid, pg. 173).
If you read through the rest of the debate, you can find various efforts by Mr. Bogard to
revisit this argument, but he never recovered from brother Hardeman’s clear, scriptural answer.
Certainly the church existed in prophecy, and in promise, as a concept of an eternal God. But there
was not yet any member in the church, not one person, until after Christ died, and offered his blood
a sacrifice as our great High Priest!
