Billingsly/Benton Debate on The Gospels

 
 
 Proposition: 
 The scriptures teach that one will be blessed today who obeys Jesus' righteous principles for His 
 kingdom described to some extent in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the parts of their 
 documents that describe what Jesus said before He died on the cross. 
 
 Affirm:  Terry Benton
 Deny: Dan Billingsly
 
 
 From the unscriptural looks of Terry's second affirmative, it is apparent that he offered no proof 
 for his proposition in the first affirmative and now he offers none in this 2nd. He literally has 
 offered no scriptural arguments that prove his proposition.  Let's take a look.
 
 Terry's Fatal Flaw In Romans 8:3-4
 
 Right in line with the denominational interpretation of Romans 8:3-4,  Terry interprets "the law of 
 sin and death" in this passage as the Old Testament law of Moses.  However,  this phrase refers to 
 "the law of sin and death" (Gen. 2:9-17),  -- "the law written in the heart" (Rom. 2:13-14), or 
 "another law" that Paul could see in his body of flesh (Rom. 7:23-24).  "The law of sin and death" in 
 Romans 8:4 does not refer to the Old Testament law of Moses for two reasons.
 
 "23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me 
 into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 
 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 
 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of 
 God; but with the flesh the law of sin" (Rom. 8:23-25).
 
 1. "The law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:3) applies to all non-covenant youth and alien sinners and 
 the "lust of the flesh. "This is the law of God's sinless nature and innocence  created in every infant 
 as they are born into every part of the world. As Adam was made in the "image of God" (Gen. 
 1:27) so is each infant is born today in the "image of God." God commanded Adam not to eat of 
 the fruit of "the knowledge of good and evil," and explained that the moment Adam broke this 
 commandment he would die. God said Adam, you sin you die and thus was revealed "law of sin 
 and death" to which Paul refers in Romans 8:3-4.
 
 This divine moral law governs youth in their innocence, but youth under the temptation of the 
 "lust of the flesh" cannot maintain their sinlessness under this law because they are "weak through 
 the flesh" (Rom. 8:3).  This is the law that all non-covenant innocent youth -- from the four 
 corners of the earth --  transgress today when they reach "the age of accountability" and become 
 alien sinners and in need of  the salvation through new covenant law. 
 
 The Bible teaches that all men today are accountable to God under divine law, but the Bible does 
 not teach that  all men today are accountable to God under divine covenant law. Innocent youth 
 and alien sinners are accountable to God under the "law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:3-4), and all 
 new covenant Christians are accountable to God under Christ's new covenant law in Acts 2 
 through Revelation 22.  Faith in and obedience to the New Testament law of Christ -- "the law of 
 the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" -- the new covenant gospel of Christ (1 Cor. 15:1-4) makes the 
 Christian free from the condemnation of the "law of sin and death."
 
 2. "The law of sin and death" in Romans 8:3-4 cannot refer to the Old Testament law of Moses, 
 for the law of Moses ended at the cross of Christ (Rom. 10:4) -- decades before Paul wrote the 
 book of Romans. Paul knew this and wrote that Christ "nailed" the old covenant law of Moses to 
 the cross (Col. 2:14), and at the time of the cross in 33 AD all living Jews became "dead to the 
 law." Paul asserts in Romans 8:3-4 that all alien sinners become free from the "law of sin and 
 death" when they obey the New Testament gospel -- the "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus." 
 
 Gentiles, the non-covenant alien sinners of the Mosaical age, were never under the Old Testament 
 law of Moses and could not be made free from the law when they obeyed the New Testament 
 gospel.
 
 Terry has blundered again. He has depended too much on denominational teaching. His ignorance 
 is glaring in the use of this argument.  There are six different laws that Paul refers to in the book of 
 Romans, and these laws must be separated and understood in the apostolic "text and context." 
 Every gospel preacher today should know that Romans 8:3-4 is not referring to the Old Testament 
 law of Moses.  
 
 Terry, please don't argue this point any further, I have written a 202 page book on Romans' 8 and 
 God's Moral Law -- The Law Of Sin And Death -- And Christ's New Covenant Law Of Salvation.
 
 Because Terry has completely misunderstood Romans 8:3-4, this means that every argument that 
 he makes on this passage is erroneous and completely false.
 
 However, even if Romans 8:3-4  was speaking of the Old Testament law of Moses, Terry is still 
 preaching false doctrine for the New Testament condemns Terry's idea that a Christian is to fulfill 
 the righteousness of the Old Testament law of Moses. Just follow the arguments below.
 
 First, readers remember, no interpretation of any verse of Scripture is correct if it contradicts 
 another verse of Scripture within the same book and/or covenant.  This is Terry's mistake with his 
 interpretation of the Old Testament law of Moses in MMLJBC.  In his misinterpretation of each of 
 the proof-verses that he uses in an attempt to prove his  proposition, he contradicts hundreds of 
 clear and plain passages within the same book and/or other books within the same covenant.  We 
 will prove this as we examine each proof-verse he uses.
 
 Terry says, 
 "Dear reader, it is a pleasure to prove to you that you will not be cursed and go to hell 
 if you believe and act upon the basis of something stated in the early parts of the four New 
 Testament gospels."
 
 Now notice what Christ, the Holy Spirit and the apostles teach concerning New Testament 
 Christians in the new covenant church who attempt to keep the teaching and righteousness of the 
 Old Testament law of Moses from  MMLJBC in this new covenant age of Acts 2 through 
 Revelation 22.
 
 "16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, 
 even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by 
 the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" (Gal. 2:16).
 
 "4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen 
 from grace" (Gal. 5:4).
 
 Readers, I will let you decide on whether Christ, the Holy Spirit and the apostles  or Terry is 
 telling the truth.
 
 Righteousness Of The Law
 
 What is covenant righteousness? It is keeping the commandments of the covenant.
 
 Terry and readers,  please note the following new covenant statements of Jesus Christ, the Holy 
 Spirit and new covenant apostles about the "righteousness" of the Old Testament law of Moses.
 
 "20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is 
 the knowledge of sin. 
 21But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law 
 and the prophets; " (Rom. 3:20).
 
 The apostle Paul states that New Testament "righteousness" is without the law of Moses. Terry is 
 wrong again.
 
 Notice in Romans 3:20, how Christ, the Holy Spirit and the apostles demolish Terry's argument 
 that the New Testament Christian and church is to "fulfill the righteousness" of the Old Testament 
 law of Moses. Christ says in verse 21, "But now the righteousness of God without the law is 
 manifested..." Here the apostle Paul speaks of new covenant "righteousness" without the Old 
 Testament law of Moses.  This is far different from  old covenant "righteousness" within the new 
 covenant  for which Terry argues.  Who is right, Terry or Paul?   
 
 New Testament "righteousness" is not warmed-over "righteousness" from the Old Testament law 
 of Moses as Terry would have you to believe.
 
 Paul makes it clear that the Old Testament "righteousness" Christ taught and practiced during the 
 last thirty-three years of the Old Testament age and as describe in MMLJBC, cannot justify  Jew 
 or Gentile in this New Testament age. Terry is trying to do the same thing that the Jews were did 
 in the 1st century after Acts 2. They created a human "righteousness" that would neither save nor 
 receive God's blessing. 
 
 "1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 
 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 
 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own 
 righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 
 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 
 5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those 
 things shall live by them. 6But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise..." (Rom. 
 10:1-6).
 
 Paul makes it clear in Romans 10:1-6, that he desired and prayed for former Old Testament Jews, 
 who were now alien sinners, to be saved in this new covenant age by obedience to the New 
 Testament gospel.  The apostle Paul makes it clear that while these unbelieving Jews were 
 ignorant of God's New Testament "righteousness" in Christ,  they were still laboring under the 
 "righteousness" of the old covenant law of Moses.   Those Jews were trying to establish their own 
 "righteousness" by attempting to perpetuate the Old Testament law of Moses. Sounds just  like 
 Terry, doesn't it?
 
 Readers, Christ, the Holy Spirit and the apostles in Romans 10:1-6, make it clear that  by his death 
 on the cross, Christ was the END of the Old Mosaical covenant and its "righteousness."  Old 
 Testament "righteousness" ENDED at the cross by the death  of Christ; therefore,  Christ does not 
 expect the New Testament church today to "fulfill" Old Testament "righteousness" (keeping the 
 commandments of the law of Moses that he taught in MMLJBC).  Old covenant "righteousness" 
 was taken away, abolished and nailed to the cross (2 Cor. 3:6-14; Col. 2:14).  Terry's theology of 
 human "righteousness" makes the cross of Christ null and void.
 
 The Passover
 
 Once again Terry goes to the Old Testament to prove his concept of New Testament doctrine. 
 However, his example about the Passover is unscriptural.  As Terry freely acknowledges, "Israel 
 had been under a different law system from Patriarchal time and in Egypt. That's right, the 
 passover command of Exodus 12 was given to earlier Jews in the continuation and renewal  of the 
 old Patriarchal covenants that God made with Abraham, and renewed with Isaac and Jacob.
 
 God made a new and different covenant with Moses and the house of Israel at Mt. Sinai (Ex. 20). 
 A covenant that was different in doctrine from the former covenants.  
 "1 And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments 
 which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them. 
 2 The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3The LORD made not this covenant 
 with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day" (Deut. 5:1-3).
 
 In this new covenant  with Israel, God gave a new and different commandment for the observance 
 of the Passover (Deut.  16).  Once again, Terry is wrong because he doesn't understand the 
 difference between the covenants.  Both of Terry's arguments on "righteousness" and the 
 "Passover," like all sectarian error, lies fallen in the street. Terry can't get anything right because 
 he argues outside the teaching of the covenants.
 
 As we will see, Terry, like all denominations who want to combine Old and New Testament 
 teaching, seek to make a difference between circumcision,  animal sacrifices, the sabbath, the ten 
 commandments and the rest of the law of Moses. But dear readers, Terry and the denominational 
 churches just cannot arbitrarily "pick and choose" their doctrine from all different covenants of the 
 Bible. Old  covenant teaching of the law of Moses was never a part of the new covenant that 
 Christ has made with the church. Terry needs to learn that the Bible can only be scripturally 
 interpreted by whole or complete covenants.
 
 1. Romans 8:3-4: Paul is not teaching here that the "righteousness" of the old covenant law of 
 Moses , "righteousness" found in obeying the more than 600 commandments in the law,  would be 
 bound on the New Testament Christian and church in this New Testament age. In this passage, 
 Paul is teaching that by keeping the commandments of the new covenant, because it is a "better 
 covenant established on better promises"  in Christ ( Heb. 8:6), the Christian would more than 
 fulfill all of the requirements and "righteousness" found earlier in the Old Testament law of 
 Moses. Terry finds no help for his failing proposition in Romans 8.
 
 2. Romans 13:8-10: Just like Romans 8:3-4, this passage points to the fact that these Jews in Rome 
 who had formerly been under the Old Testament law of Moses in MMLJBC, but  now having 
 become New Testament Christians and by faithfully keeping the New Covenant of Christ in Acts 
 2 through Revelation 22 -- would accomplish more and fulfill all that the Old Testament law of 
 Moses ever required.
 
 It is absurd for Terry to claim that Romans 8 and 13 teach that Christ has bound all of the more 
 than 600 commandments  designed to produce righteousness among  Old Testament Jews under 
 the  law of Moses  -- on the New Testament church.   Paul denies Terry's doctrine in these two 
 New Testament Scripture.
 
 "I do not frustrate the grace of God, for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in 
 vain" (Gal. 2:21).
 
 "Therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified" (Rom. 3:21).
 
 Terry's interpretation of Romans 8 and 13 is wrong  and his exegesis or explanation is wrong 
 because it is in conflict with Romans 3:21 and Galatians 2:21.  
 
 Terry then goes on to teach, "... it is certainly all right to do what Jesus said was righteous, even if 
 it was expressed under the law." Wow! What an unscriptural thing for a gospel preacher to say.
 
 Readers, let's ask Terry the following.  When Jesus commanded Jews to "...offer the gifts (animal 
 sacrifices in the Jerusalem temple) that Moses commanded" -- it was a righteous thing for Jews to 
 do under the Old Testament law of Moses (Matt. 8:1-4). Is this a righteous thing for New 
 Testament Christians to do? Does Terry and the Trussville church of Christ offer animal sacrifices 
 in the temple at Jerusalem? NO! 
 
 When Jesus  commanded his Jewish disciples to fast  (Matt. 6:16-18) --  it was a righteous thing 
 for Jews to do under the Old Testament law of Moses . Is this a righteous thing for New Testament 
 Christians to do?  Does Terry and the Trussville, AL congregation fast according to the Old Testament 
 law of Moses? NO! 
 
 When Jesus commanded his Jewish disciples  to eat the Passover feast in Matthew 26 -- it was a 
 righteous thing for Jews to do under the Old Testament law of Moses. Is this a  righteous thing for 
 New Testament Christians to do today?  Does Terry and the Trussville church eat the Old 
 Testament Passover? 
 
 Terry is simply wrong on every argument that he makes about the Old Testament law of Moses 
 being New Testament doctrine.
 
 3. Ephesians 6:1-3: Paul gives the New Testament commandment in verse 1, "Children, obey 
 your parents in the Lord, for this is right." The word "Lord" here means Jesus Christ, not Jehovah 
 God. Then Paul quotes Exodus 20:12 to show that God gave a similar law in the Mosaical 
 covenant to  Old Testament Israel. 
 
 In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul has already taught the Ephesian Christians that the church is "saved" by 
 New Testament grace --  not by the Old Testament works of the law of Moses or works of the 
 heathen Gentile religions in Ephesus. To be scripturally understood, Ephesians 6:1-3 must be 
 interpreted in harmony with Ephesians 2:8-9. 
 
 Terry's interpretation of Ephesians 6:1-3 is wrong  and his exegesis or explanation is wrong 
 because it is in conflict with Ephesians 2:8-9.
 
 Tell us Terry, is Exodus 20:8, "Remember the Sabbath, and keep it holy." also New Testament 
 doctrine? Terry must learn that there is nothing inherently evil about the apostles quoting the Old 
 Testament law of Moses.  They did it often to show 1st century Jewish Christians that in keeping 
 the commandments and law of Christ in the  New Testament, they were more than fulfilling the 
 requirements of the Old Testament law of Moses. 
 
 Many Jews of the 1st century were reluctant to turn away from the law of Moses and embrace 
 Christ and the New Testament church for fear that they would not be  doing the "will of God."  
 Quite often, the apostles  explained to  Jewish Christians that in obeying Christ -- they were 
 obeying the  New Testament "will of God" and thus doing and fulfilling  all that God required of 
 them in this New Testament age  (Col. 4:12). Terry must learn that the Old Testament law of 
 Moses is not our enemy -- it is just not New Testament doctrine (See Romans 15:4).. 
 
 4. Galatians 5:13-14: Again, Paul speaks of New Testament doctrine in verse 13 and a similar Old 
 Testament doctrine from Leviticus 19:18 in verse 14. Tell us Terry, do you offer "peace offerings" 
 to the Lord (Lev. 19:5-8)?  Are the "peace offerings" of Leviticus 19 New Testament doctrine? 
 Again,  Terry must learn that there is nothing inherently evil about the Old Testament law of 
 Moses -- it is just not New Testament doctrine. Terry still hasn't proven his proposition.
 
 Terry's interpretation of Galatians 5:13-14 stands in stark conflict with Galatians 5:4, therefore 
 Terry's interpretation and exegesis of Galatians 5:13-14 is wrong.
 
 5. 2 Timothy 2:16-17: Paul said that the Old Testament law of Moses was a "schoolmaster" to 
 bring the Jews to Christ (Gal. 3:24), and it made the Jews "wise unto salvation." All Old 
 Testament Scripture during the old covenant  age taught old covenant salvation for the Jews in 
 Israel.  Timothy and his family had earlier lived under the law of Moses during the Old Testament 
 age, and the during that time the law of Moses was profitable for the salvation of Jews. The Old 
 Testament law of Moses was profitable for salvation during the old covenant age, but now only 
 the New Testament of Jesus Christ is profitable for salvation.
 
 When the New Testament age began in Acts 2,  in  all of Paul's  new covenant books that he 
 authored, he repeatedly taught that now only New Testament Scripture in Acts 2 through 
 Revelation 22 was profitable for salvation. More than any other New Testament writer, Paul 
 taught that the Old Testament law of Moses was abolished and nailed to the cross (2 Cor. 3:6-14; 
 Col. 2:14), and could not be used for access to God and for salvation. Paul taught that Christ "took 
 away" the Old Testament law of Moses by his death on the cross (Heb. 10:9-10). Paul  taught that 
 all Jews became dead to the law by the body of Christ on the cross (Rom. 7:4). 
 
 In this New Testament age, one can be blessed only "in Christ" -- in the New Testament church. 
 For today  "all spiritual blessings" are "in Christ" and his New Testament doctrine. There is no 
 New Testament "blessing" in  the Old Testament doctrine of the law of Moses.
 
 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly 
 dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15).
 
 Terry's interpretation of 2 Timothy 16-17  is wrong  and his exegesis or explanation is wrong 
 because it is in conflict with 2 Timothy 2:15.
 
 6. Romans 2:14-15, 26-27: Finally, Terry admits that he is teaching obedience to the Old 
 Testament law of Moses for the Lord's New Testament church. However, he wants to divide the 
 Old Testament law of Moses into different parts so he can teach some as New Testament doctrine 
 and some as law pertaining only to Old Testament Israel. 
 
 Unfortunately, Terry doesn't realize the "the law written in the heart" of the Gentiles was the "law 
 of sin and death" (Gen. 2:9-17; Rom. 2:14-15; 7:23; 8:1-2) and not the law of Moses. The Gentiles 
 could not have fulfilled the righteousness of the law of Moses for they did not even know what the 
 law of Moses represented.  
 
 The Scriptures teach that there was no covenant law of salvation from sin for the Gentiles during 
 the Mosaical age (Eph. 2:11-12).
 
 Terry argues 
 "...while it is true that the law of Moses has been nailed to the cross, there is something in the 
 law that needs to be fulfilled in us as Christians."
 
 Terry, divine inspiration teaches that only Old Testament Jews -- old covenant children of God 
 were accountable to the law of Moses.  During the Old Testament Mosaical age, only the Jews as 
 the  physical seed of Abraham were under the law of Moses. Gentiles were not under or 
 accountable to the Old Testament law of Moses during the Mosaical age (Romans 2);  neither are 
 alien sinners or New Testament Christians  under the Old Testament law of Moses in this New 
 Testament age.
 
 What Terry doesn't understand is that only Jews in Old Testament Israel, from the time of Moses 
 to the death of Christ, were accountable to the Old Testament law of Moses.  Gentiles nations 
 were never under or subject to the Old Testament law of Moses.  The Old Testament nation of 
 Israel -- the Jews, and the heathen Gentiles of the old covenant age were never "brethren" in the 
 Lord.
 
 Terry's interpretation of Romans 2:12-13, 26-27  is wrong  and his exegesis or explanation is 
 wrong because it is in conflict with Romans 3:21 and 8:3-4.
 
 Question for Terry: Can a New Testament Christian be faithful to Christ and be saved eternally 
 without fulfilling the righteousness of the Old Testament law of Moses?
 
 How can we take Terry seriously when he offers the following erroneous argument.
 
 "As ministers of the New Covenant (2 Cor. 3:6), it is alright to believe that "All Scripture" 
 (including the scripture of the Old Testament) is profitable for doctrine (2 Tim. 2:16-17)."
 
 Terry is simply wrong, wrong, wrong.