Twenty Years of Writing

Twenty years ago I began my Internet writing on scripture. I began with the "The Baptist Gadfly" blog in 2006, then began this blog, "The Old Baptist Test," and then later "My Daily Bread" blog in 2008, and then all the later blogs which are devoted to consolidating all my writings on particular subjects. Links to them all are on this blog. The "Old Baptist Test" blog was initially begun for the purpose of writing against Hyper Calvinism and Hardshellism, but has become the place where I now do almost all of my writings. I titled this blog "Old Baptist Test" after the title of Elder John M. Watson's book "The Old Baptist Test," which was first published in the mid 1850s and then later revised in 1866 shortly before his death, and promoted by Elder R. W. Fain and Elder J. B. Stephens and others who published the weekly paper "The Baptist Watchman" in the late 1860s through the 1870s. I chose this in order to determine who are the real old or primitive Baptists.

I have affirmed since I began this blog that I am the real "Old" or "Primitive" Baptist and that those who call themselves so today, i.e. the "Hardshells," are not so, being the new school, or what Elder R.B.C. Howell called "new test men." There are some groups who call themselves "Primitive Baptist" who are not Hardshell, not even being five point Calvinists, such as the Eastern Association of Primitive Baptists. Further, the Missionary Baptists who remained Calvinists after the division with the Hardshells refuted the idea that the Hardshells were the true Primitive Baptists. I have shown historical evidence over these past twenty years that showed that the forefathers of today's Hardshells did not deny that God used the preaching of the Gospel and word of God in the eternal salvation of sinners, did not deny that perseverance was necessary for final salvation, and thus showed that those who now deny those teachings show that they are not "primitive" or "original" at all. I have challenged them to come and debate these things but they have, with but one exception, chosen to run from such a debate. 

I thank God for Elder Fralick who has been a contributing writer for this blog since its inception. He has written some very good articles through the years in this blog. I also thank God for Elder Ken Mann who became a contributing editor later and who has also written some fine articles. I thank Elder Jeremy Sarber, who used to be a contributing editor, but who left to write for his own Internet sites. He and I remain friends and communicate periodically. I also thank God for the several other ministers who I have helped to come out of Hardshellism, such as Elder (Dr.) Stephen D. Emmons of Texas. I write about this in this post (here). Elder Sarber was already seeing the errors of the Hardshells prior to his departure from them, but I hope we were a help to him in making that move. We could mention many others who either left the Hardshells or who were kept from joining that cult. Some of these people are from Russia and the Philippines. In fact, one whole church left the Hardshells through our writings, and brother Mann has been serving them for several years. 

Many of the Hardshells despise my outreach ministry to their members and use all kinds of disgraceful tactics to keep their members from reading what we write. They make all kinds of false accusations and ad hominem attacks against me. Those who have left comments over the years show this to be the case, being guilty of hit and run tactics, slander, and taking pot shots at our character. 

I know my time is short. I have had a heart stent, have high blood pressure, and have had pulmonary fibrosis now for five years. My older brother recently passed away from the same disease, having it for about twelve years, which is above the normal time that people with it live. His last two years were very bad. I am heading that same way unless the Lord wills otherwise. I intend, however, to write as long as I can, to "occupy till he comes" for me in death. My wife of forty years continues to decline, now battling lung cancer again. Please keep her in your prayers. 

I thank God for all our readers, which number has increased through the years. Over the past year we have had a couple months where we received about 130,000 page views per month. I regularly pray for the readers, that what they read will help them to see the way of the Lord more clearly, that saints and sinners would be saved by their reading. I thank all of you who have left comments, who have encouraged us, who have prayed for us. 

These past twenty years have been the best years of my life. I have been retired or semi-retired during this time and have been able to spend nearly every day in prayer and study of the word of God. I get to teach nearly every day by means of these blogs. I know many Hardshells wish that I would quit. In fact, about eighteen years ago I had one Hardshell ask me -- "how long can you go?" He meant how long can I go on attacking the errors of Hardshellism and Hyper Calvinism. Well, I am still going like the energizer bunny.

Brothers and Sisters, pray for us, that the word of God, by our writings, may have "free course and be glorified" (II Thess. 3: 1).