O May 4-7, 1996 soldier Stephen Wiggins met Vince Lewis, Mike Luther and
Peter Monod of Catholic Response in public debate at the Gulf Coast Lectures in
Portland, Texas. I was privileged to moderate for brother Wiggins. Stephen,
having now had some eight debates, was well qualified for the task at hand.
Catholic Response, on the other hand, severely suffered the piercing power of the
sword of the Spirit from beginning to end. It was apparent to all that they were
whipped puppies and being tormented before their time.
First & Second Day
Wiggins had these boys on the run from the beginning. On the first two
days Steve affirmed that “the New Testament is the sole, complete, and final
authority for the Christian religion.” Using a beautifully constructed sheet chart,
Wiggins argued in a very simple yet precise manner that the Scriptures are all
sufficient. Wiggins put his grinder in gear as he introduced several charts on 2
Timothy 3:16-17 which exhibit beyond all doubt that the Scriptures make the man
of God “complete” and “thoroughly furnished” for “every” good work. Catholic
Response man Peter Monod countered that Christians are to live by every word of
God (Mt. 4:4). Yet, said he, we don’t have the words which Jesus spoke while in
Samaria for two days (Jn. 4:40). “They must be somewhere!” piped Peter. Peter’s
point was that the “oral tradition” of the Roman Catholic Church contains those
words which the Bible leaves out. Strangely, even Peter admitted that he doesn’t
know what Jesus said in Samaria! Wiggins skillfully showed that we don’t have a
record of everything Jesus said. But that which is recorded is fully sufficient to
cause belief and give eternal life (Jn. 20:30-31).
Catholic Response wasn’t content with just one speaker. Instead of using
one man for the full twenty minute time, they divided it up between two speakers.
Before the debate started Wiggins and I thought this format might work to our
disadvantage. Instead, this rather awkward format turned out to our delight as it
enabled us to note the utter confusion among the speakers! Peter rose in the first
negative and insisted that not all things necessary are written in the Bible. But the
Very Vincible Vince rose for the second half of the first negative and quacked that
“all Catholic teaching is written” in the Bible! At this point I commanded Wiggins
to press without mercy. And press he did! Throughout the entire debate
(especially day two) Stephen exposed some twenty-three Catholic contradictions.
A good example of this came when Catholic Response denied three essential
pillars upon which Catholicism stands. First, they denied the necessity of the
Bible. Second, they insisted that oral tradition is not necessary. Third, they even
denied the need for a pope! With his clever ability to detect inconsistency
Wiggins exposed two very important points: If the Bible is not needed and oral
tradition is not needed then the gospel itself is not needed. Further, if neither oral
tradition nor the Pope are necessary then the Catholic Church itself is not needed
since Catholicism’s very existence is built upon these two doctrines.
By the second day Vince Lewis moaned and groaned that Catholic
Response wouldn’t respond to Wiggins anymore. Can’t you see why? In a
desperate attempt to degrade the all sufficiency of the word, these guys said that if
anyone can be saved without the Bible then the Bible is not the only authority.
They pointed out that infants need not the Bible to be saved. Wiggins simply
turned to Ezekiel 18:20 and proved that those wearing Pampers have no sin and
therefore need not salvation.
By the last speech of the second day the house was on fire. Vince Lewis’
business card makes the claim that Vince is “invincible.” My dictionary says that
invincible means, “incapable of being defeated.” It was obvious to both sides that
Vince wasn’t so invincible after all. Stephen pointed out that the reason Vinny
couldn’t sit still was because his pants were getting hot. And hot they were! As
Vince rose for his last negative he confessed that he would probably have to
apologize to the ladies before the debate was over since he felt his tongue would
get out of control. Bless his burnt britches, he didn’t use language unfit for the
ladies, but he did insist on several occasions that Wiggins wasn’t on his top-ten list
of best friends. “We don’t like you,” said he on day four. Wiggins had
commented from time to time that Vince really liked him. At this point Steve
admitted error. Vince and his Catholic cohorts didn’t like Steve because the truth
was blistering their britches —and they knew it!
Third & Fourth Day
As Stephen pointed out, by the third and fourth day Catholic Response was
“gone, gone, gone.” Nevertheless, the proposition they affirmed was that “The
Roman Catholic Church is the one true church of Christ, identical in origin,
organization, name, worship, and doctrine with the New Testament church, and in
it alone is salvation from sin received.” Mike Luther and varmint Vince affirmed.
Luther’s primary argument was that a church must meet the identifying marks of
the Bible to be the true church of Christ. How true! But Stephen noted some
thirty-six doctrines taught by the Catholic Church which are a far cry from the
church of the Bible. Instead, as Wiggins pointed out in his own masterful way,
Catholic doctrine developed over a period of time. How can the Roman Catholic
Church be identical in doctrine to the New Testament Church when so many
Catholic doctrines didn’t develop until the fourteenth century and beyond?!
Luther affirmed that one identifying mark of the true church was infallibility.
Vince asserted all the while that he and buddy Luther were both infallible.
Strangely enough, these so-called infallible men used a chart on this very argument
which mistakenly quoted Acts 2:38 as Acts 3:38! Infallibility?? Bahh!!
Perhaps the crowning point in the debate came with Stephen’s use of
Matthew 23:9. Jesus said, “Call no man your Father...” V. Lewis proclaimed that
“we don’t take this passage seriously!” That’s obvious. Wiggins squeezed harder
and harder on these boys till Vince stuck out his big tongue in intense anger!
Stephen didn’t see this as he was speaking, but be assured that the audience did.
Do you see how easy it is to answer these guys? My wish is that thousands
like Stephen Wiggins will debate these heretics. Stephen, myself, and Bill
Lockwood all have debates scheduled with these boys. We take great pleasure in
exposing every false way.
Order these debate tapes today. You’ll be glad you did. Video tapes are
$45.00 plus shipping; audio tapes are $25.00 plus shipping. They may be ordered
from: Tullstar Tape Ministry, 504 Cosgrove, San Antonio, TX 78210. The phone
number is (210) 533-1866.
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