Death Blows to Hardshellism

My writings are full of refutations of Hardshellism and Hyper Calvinism. That is especially true with three blogs, The Baptist Gadfly, the Hardshell Baptist, and the Old Baptist Test. Links to the first two are on this page in the list of links. In this post I want to mention two passages of scripture that are insurmountable obstacles for Hardshell Baptists, and for Universalists. First, let us notice these words of the apostle Paul:

"If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha." (I Cor. 16: 22)

I have written on this text as it relates to Hardshellism in this post (here) from four years ago. Hardshell Baptists, with few exceptions, believe that people who do not love the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved. Some of them, the more wise among them, will say that this is a description of what happens to people who have heard the gospel concerning Christ but who reject it and does not refer to those who live and die without ever hearing about Christ. That is not the majority view, for the majority say that many of the elect and born again people will live and die without faith in Christ or love for him. But, that view is clearly overthrown by the apostle Paul in the above declaration. By the words "Anathema Maranatha" he means "accursed (from Christ) at his coming again." Further, Paul's words cannot be interpreted or paraphrased to say:

"If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, with the exception of those who never heard of Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha."

However, the text says "any man," which would exclude no group, even that class of people who lived and died without hearing about the Lord Jesus Christ. I realize that even Christians who believe that one must believe in Christ to be saved will make excuses for those who died without hearing, even saying that those who do not hear may be saved if they live up to the light they have in nature. However, that too is wrong. 

Another text that is a death blow to Hardshellism, and one that produces all kinds of cognitive dissonance among them, are these inspired words of the same apostle:

"For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” (Rom. 10: 13-15)

I have also written on this text many times through the years and how it destroys Hardshellism. How? Because they say either 1) that believing in Jesus and calling upon him is not a condition for "eternal" salvation, though it would be for "time" salvation, or 2) that Jesus is able, and actually does, appear to his chosen people who live in heathen lands and speaks to them, preaching the gospel to them and revealing himself to them. So, we read the following from one of the leading spokesmen and historians for the "Primitive Baptist" denomination, Elder Sylvester Hassell:

"Jesus is the Great Preacher, and, by His omnipresent Spirit, He preaches His gospel savingly to His people (Isa. 61:1-3,10,11; Luke 4:16-30; Heb. 2:11,12; Psalm 110:3)." (From "Questions and Answers" by Elder R.H. Pittman and Sylvester Hassell - See here)

If that is true, then it upholds the teaching of the apostle in Romans chapter ten, affirming that faith in Christ requires learning about Christ. However, the Bible does not teach that Christ personally appears to people and preaches the gospel to them, nor that he sends angels to preach it. If that were true, then why send out the apostles and others to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature?

The apostle Paul clearly says that one must have faith in Christ to be saved and that in order to believe in Christ a person must hear about Christ by a preacher bringing the good news about Christ to that person.

Also, if the view of Hassell is correct (which other leading pbs have stated, such as C.H. Cayce), then all those to whom Christ preaches the gospel will be saved both in time and eternity.