Free Grace Theology In The Landmark Baptists - Ben M Bogard (1868 – 1951)

Courtesy of the Arkansas State Archives

Ben M Bogard (1868 – 1951) was an influential Landmark Baptist and the founder of the "American Baptist Association". He was a strong critic of the ecumenical movement, believing that Baptists only form the "bride of Christ", going to the radical of teaching that although non-Baptists are saved by faith, they are in a sense "lower rank" Christians. This is a highly controversial view and is often criticized as being an appropriation of the Roman Catholic view of apostolic succession. This "Baptist brider" view is something which I view as clearly anti-scriptural.

However, I often make a point of exploring the writings and ideas of past figures to understand their perspectives. While reading Bogard's debate with Eugene S. Smith, I noticed that, in some respects, his views on eternal security closely aligned with the Free Grace view of assurance and perseverance.

For example, when Eugene S. Smith accused Bogard of trying to preach comfort to Christians, instead of arguing like John MacArthur that "our sanctification is our ground of assurance", Bogard instead replied:

"Well,— now, my friend said Bogard preaches the doctrine of assurance and safety. Yes, sir. In Hebrews 6:18,19, where it says that by "two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong assurance — strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast." A thing that is sure is not uncertain. A thing that is sure, is not unstable. The idea of saying a thing is sure and yet not sure. I preach the doctrine of assurance, indeed I do. Why, he said, I preach, me and my people, Smith and his people preach the doctrine of scare"

Bogard also continues:

"I would be the most miserable man on earth if I thought that I might go to sleep tonight and wake up in the morning in hell, because maybe I did something wrong today, unforgiven"

However, Eugene S. Smith argued that those who fall into sin certainly lose their salvation, as he argued that God would be allowing sin to exist without consequence if people were eternally secure. Yet, Bogard replied that God will discipline those who fall into sin, thus eternal security does not mean that we are consequence free:

"How could he lose it? Well, you say, "Hold on here— won't God punish them? Won't some people die in sin?" Well, I believe that even a preacher sometimes may be put to death on account of sin. Wasn't Moses put to death because he sinned? Yes, sir, God said, "You shan't enter into Palestine because you sinned." But Moses went to heaven— he was punished in the flesh for the sins of the flesh. In the ninth chapter of Mark we find Moses standing up there with Elijah, and Peter and James and John and he is up on the Mount of Transfiguration though he died in the wilderness on account of his sin. Uzza, one of God's men, touched the ark and was struck dead, but does he go to hell? Certainly not— God punishes in the flesh for the sins of the flesh and in I Corinthians 11:30, "For this cause some are weak and sickly among you and many sleep." In other words, people are punished in the flesh for the sins of the flesh— even sometimes causing them to die and cutting off a career that was not finished because of their sins, like it was in the case of Moses"

Bogard even affirmed that Christians who fall into heresy may be saved:

"Well, some erred concerning the faith, made mistakes concerning the faith— don't say they lost salvation"

What I also found interesting was Bogard's understanding of Hebrews 6, as he denies both the Arminian loss of salvation view, and the Calvinist "false professors" view, instead he seems to take a position similar to Charles Ryrie, arguing that the passage is only a hypotethical:

"Hebrew six— "If they fell away after they once received the truth and tasted the good word of God and the power of the world to come, it is impossible to renew them again, unto repentance." That's a fact. If they fall away— but the ninth verse said following "But beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak." There were some who thought they could fall from Grace and Paul said: "If you should fall away you never could get it back." That's all— like it is in the fifteenth chapter of I Corinthians, where it said that some said there is no resurrection. Paul said, "If there be no resurrection, your faith is vain." Did he mean to say that possibly there was no resurrection? Certainly not, but he took them at their own word and if you are right about this thing of there being no resurrection, then there is nothing in our religion at all, so if you are right about your idea of falling away from Grace, and you couldn't get it back again — but, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation though we thus speak."

Now, I think there are better ways to understand Hebrews 6, but it is interesting how Bogard does not take this passage as referring to false professors.

 

Thus, it seems like Bogard's understanding of salvation in some ways was close to Free Grace theology, nevertheless this does not mean he was always fully consistent or always agreed with Free Grace positions,  and there are a number of things which most Free Grace advocates would reject in Bogard's writings. Nevertheless, in some ways Bogard's views were similar to a Free Grace understanding of salvation, showing the emphasis on assurance in Baptist circles.

All quotes are taken from Smith-Bogard Debate. (1942, May 12-15). A Discussion Between Eugene S. Smith (Christian) and Ben M. Bogard (Baptist). Held in Dallas, Texas.