Eddie K. Garrett II
2/2/54 - 6/12/25
I lost my older brother Eddie Garrett II to pulmonary fibrosis on June 12th. He was 71. It is the same disease I have. I was diagnosed with it five years ago. He lived about twelve years with it. His last couple years were rough on him. Eddie at one time was a musician and wrote many songs, many on his Web Page and some on Youtube. He was a worldly man until one day he supposedly had a vision of Jesus who said to him "It will be alright Eddie." Following this vision he gave up his vices, his music, and became a professing Christian. He joined the "Primitive Baptists" and was baptized by our father and ordained to preach. Later he left the Hardshells and joined the "Church of Christ" and preached for them a couple years. He left them and began to write books and go back to his music.
Eddie and I never got along too well when he became a preacher. I tried to witness to him about how the Hardshells and Campbellites held to serious doctrinal errors. I was also skeptical of his vision. The two church groups he was with I think discouraged him from speaking of it, saying it was for his own benefit. Later, when he left the Campbellites he went into other doctrinal errors through the influence of Anthony Buzzard, a well known denier of the Trinity, a believer in soul sleep, and that Gentiles are to keep the law.
All that being said, Eddie reached out to me about three years ago and we began to talk. Eddie was at odds with his family (mostly siblings). My sister Judy would not even speak to him. He could at times be so full of himself and prideful. As I began to speak to Eddie he began to listen to me as he had never before. God used me to bring him to reconcile with his family and I believe to reconcile him to God. I taught him out of some of his errors, and some he no longer held to firmly. He could pray the sweetest prayers at times. We would talk, without arguing, for hours. In fact, the nearer he got to his dying hour, he would call me several times a day. Sometimes it took a lot of perseverance to do that but I am so glad God used me as his instrument to save his soul, for I don't believe he was really saved until the last couple years. Now I rejoice to know that he has not seen a mere vision of Jesus, but Jesus himself.
He was very anxious about having to suffer a horrible death with pulmonary fibrosis and we often prayed to God that he would give him (and all of us) a quick and easy death. God answered that prayer for when he started "transitioning" (he was under Hospice care) he died within two days. The nurses said that while he was conscious he kept saying "will you come and pray with me."
A year ago he decided to give me his used Mercedes automobile. It was his pride and joy. But, he knew his driving days were over. My younger brother Joe and I went down to Sarasota, Florida where he lived with Barbie, his longtime companion. We stayed with him for a couple days. I will never forget pulling out of the parking lot to drive back to North Carolina and seeing him standing there watching us leave! Later we went to Eddie's this past Christmas and stayed a couple days. It was obvious that his body was shutting down. In fact, all agree that he needed 24 hour care and he went into an assisted living facility about three months ago, a thing which he was reluctant to do. But, since none of his family lived near Florida, being either in Ohio or North Carolina, it was necessary as Barbie could not, with her age, give him the care he needed. In fact, none of us could attend his funeral cremation.
When I was there, I got terribly sick on Christmas morning, picking up a nasty bug from him or his environment. Thank God my brother Joe could drive us back to North Carolina. I was sick for over a week with that bug.
I know I only have a short time left, having so many health issues. Besides pulmonary fibrosis, I have a heart stent, and have to watch my blood pressure, plus I have numerous other not so serious issues such as a bad back. I think the Lord will keep me alive long enough and healthy enough to take care of my wife, believing she would go first (she has been on oxygen for several years with COPD) and has been in the hospital several times the past few years. About two years ago she was on a ventilator and we were doubtful of her recovery, but she is such a super trooper that she has come through it. God has been merciful to both of us.
I also think that God wants me to finish some writings I have plans to do, and some other reasons for him extending my days awhile. I am nearing my end to my lengthy analysis of who are the weak brothers Paul speaks about in Corinthians and Romans. I have plans to write on the history and heresies of "Two Seedism," a thing much needed. I also want to write upon "Prevenient Grace." Actually I have several hundred drafts for future articles.
I began blogging seventeen years ago, beginning with the Baptist Gadfly blog (See here). Shortly after that (2008) I spent a whole year producing a morning and evening Bible Study under the heading "My Daily Bread" (See link on this blog). I have not been able to check my page views statistics in years on that blog as I don't remember the Blogger password). It was one of my best works and I encourage all who can to read each day's morning and evening Bible Study lessons.
In the early days of the Baptist Gadfly I had a lot of Internet written debates via the comments sections, with others over Hyper Calvinism and Hardshellism, and over the "ordo salutis" debate or the "born again before faith" error. I was truly a "Gadfly" to some folks! Like Socrates was to the Athenians. I wrote many articles in that blog and as of today have 1119 published articles. I don't write much in that blog any more but get many page views still. Last month that blog had over twenty thousand visits from people all over the world. One thing that has helped that is because I have in my blogs a Google Translate app on each page where a reader can get a translation of the blog's articles in his own language. That blog has lots of good articles. In fact, my writings have been in the tradition of my long lost brother, editor and preacher, doctor Bob L. Ross of Pilgrim Publications, who was himself a fluent writer and published several good books. If I put many of my series into books I would have close to a hundred! If all my short articles were published in pamphlet form, I would have over a thousand I believe. My father also was a fluent writer. So, it sort of runs in the family. However, I do believe this is the ministry God placed me in. I get to study, do research, and write every day, sharing the fruits of my labors in the word and doctrine. I think this is what really qualifies a man to be called "doctor" religiously. Though I have a Master's Degree in theology yet my writings entitle Brother Ross (through his writings) and me to that title. Not that he or I coveted such. Dr. James White has said that his writings and debates, besides his "official" credentials, entitles him to be called "Dr. White." Well, same with us. I am not bragging, nor would brother Ross. In fact, I hate even writing this, but perhaps saying these things are not all bad.
In those early years, I would get a thousand or fifteen hundred page views per month for that one Blog. Later I began to write almost extensively in the Old Baptist Test Blog and was happy that Elder Kevin Fralick, a former Hardshell as I, joined with me to create this Blog. Later I was glad that Reverend Brother Kenny Mann also joined this blog, who is a Baptist historian and Bible teacher. At one time brother Jeremy Sarber, also a former Hardshell minister (See link to his writings on this page), was a contributing editor but left to form his own place to write. The past few years have seen a dramatic increase in viewership of The Baptist Gadfly and Old Baptist Test blogs. This past month I had 40, 353 page views on the Old Baptist Test and 20, 453 on the Gadfly blog. All the blogs (14 excluding My Daily Bread blog) for the past month had 65, 952 page views. It took seventeen years to get here.
I pray to God often about the blogs, the way I am able to use my teaching gift. I pray for every visitor that he or she will be edified by it, by either being saved, recovered from backsliding, corrected, or taught sound doctrine, or simply edified.
I appreciate the comments I have gotten, though many of them come to me personally via my e-mail address (octoberday5@yahoo.com). I don't hear from the Hardshells much any more though I know many of them read what we write. In fact, I don't get but few comments anymore like I got on the top post of all time on The White Horse of the Apocalypse. But, I covet feedback. I desire that my learned preacher brethren would let me know if they disagree with views on something, for I do not want to be wrong. But, I think my points (propositions) are so well defended that very few want to challenge me on them.
I have had about twelve oral debates with those of the "Church of Christ" on several subjects, such as whether water baptism is essential for salvation, whether true believers may lose salvation, original sin, etc. I have also had many one on one debates informally. Several of my debates with the Campbellites are available on the Internet. Bob Ross and I did a video series on Hardshellism back around 1993. They too are available on YouTube.
Pray for us.
1 comment:
Praying for you always dear friend and brother. Imagine, that when the Apostles wrote their letters to the churches, they had but few "views". Did they know what they wrote would be read still 2000 years later? BILLIONS of views. Of course they were inspired, but how much they knew about that we cannot tell. They just wrote. We of course are not infallibly inspired, but whatever truths we may hold up, or errors exposed, by the leading of the Spirit of God, He will see that it does not fade away until it has pierced the hearts intended for it.
Our time is short. I often wonder how the Apostle John felt as his brother apostles left this world, and he was the last one. Did he wonder who would carry on? Did he worry that what he had not written enough? Ah the worry we allow ourselves, yet still we know it is HE that perseveres in us, through us and for us. He will see that our work is complete. Praise the Name of the Lord!
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