The Current Issues, Foy E. Wallace, Jr.

The Current Issues, Foy E. Wallace, Jr.



It takes courage for a person to change long held views; especially when flexibility has diminished with age. There are exceptions to this rule but often we “go down with the ship” of our opinions. One such exception I witnessed is in the life of a dear departed Christian, Bill Clevenger. Bill Clevenger was a WW2 veteran who served under General Patton. He had held the Non-Institutional (NI) position most of his life. Around 1998, Bill’s health decline prompted him to move to Streetsboro where we attend church. He sought to worship with us stating “I want to worship peaceably and will not involve myself in the business aspect even though I don’t agree with some of these practices.” We welcomed Bill to our services which he attended faithfully and even led prayers. After a year or so, Bill came to our apartment for dinner after he hinted how much he would like to visit with us since he used to live in our neighborhood. We discussed freely our mutual concern for the church and had a wonderful visit. As time went by he requested that I visit him at his residence. Unfortunately circumstances repeatedly interfered, but Bill persisted and others began telling me how much Bill wanted me to visit him. Since I saw him at every service I knew something was on his mind. So a friend and I went to visit him as we were in town one evening. Bill was being called upon by Christian friends from the congregation he formerly attended, who were concerned about his worshipping with those who did not share their viewpoint. I decided it was a good time to approach him about this subject.


“Bill, have you ever heard the name of Foy E. Wallace, Jr.?” I knew based on books he had that that name would ring a bell. I asked him if he knew brother Wallace had broken from the new NI party. He had not. I went on to explain that Wallace had to make public statements orally and in print that he was not a part of this new party. Wallace, at first, was involved closely with those who would become heavily steeped in this mindset. Wallace was close friends with one of the leaders of the new party, even conducting his wedding. I told him that one of the breaking points between Wallace and NI party came over cooperative meetings. Both men fully supported these arrangements in the past by which a congregation would work with other congregations to pool resources to bring a preacher into a large venue of a major city. One of these famous cooperative gospel meetings was held in the Music Hall in Houston, TX from January 21-28, 1945. Wallace’s friend, who became a leader in the NI party, not only arranged the meeting but also arranged to have Foy E. Wallace’s sermons published in book form which became known as God’s Prophetic Word.


The Current Issues is a booklet that Foy E. Wallace, Jr. published to set the record straight of his views on this new party that went about troubling churches with their newly restrictive doctrine. Wallace points out that both parties had fellowship on cooperative meetings but the new party had changed. Wallace points out that he held the same positions that his father, Foy E. Wallace, Sr. had also held. Wallace’s main issue which the NI crowd seeks to claim his as one of their own was on Christian Colleges. Wallace was not opposed to Christian Colleges; he sent some of his children to Freed-Hardeman College. He was concerned that Christian Colleges would usurp the operation of local churches. This period of division was driven largely by personalities and much damage was done to the brotherhood. Some today are not even aware of the specifics of these issues. This book is a good reference work on this period of division from one that the new party sought to claim in their camp and his repudiation of such efforts.


Often I hear the process that gave rise to the NI party was that they drew their circle of fellowship smaller so that fewer fit in it. Then, they re-drew the circle even tighter and fewer fit. Eventually they drew it so tight that barely anyone fits into it. If they have not already done so, they will be as it is reported about two Yorkshire men conversing: "Everyone in the world is quite mad, except for me and thee. And sometimes I have my doubts about thee." Our plea is to let the New Testament be our guide, but some have a narrower viewpoint on matters than the Scriptures. As those who debated with this new party often pointed out—“It is just as much a sin to create a law where the Bible does not as it is to loosen a law that actually exists.” This is a fair description of the NI position. I admire our mutual determination to have a “Thus Saith the Lord”, but they are sometimes too restrictive where the Bible actually provides more liberty.


Bill was captivated as I explained these events to him. Bill had become practically blind, but he wanted to read this book. So, I asked the church secretary, Nina Blackford, if she would be willing to read the book into a tape recorder for Bill to hear, which she graciously did. I didn’t hear much more about the issue for some time. Then, during the summer of 2001, Bill came forward to express to our interim preacher, John Harris that he wanted it known that he had now rejected his former views and wanted to be in full unity with the congregation. Eventually our new preacher, Ralph Price, would come to work with us and become very close to Bill, even conducting his funeral in January 2006. Ralph later told me that he wanted to read the book that convinced Bill. While I had known of Bill’s change, I did not know that The Current Issues had such an impact on his thinking.


This is proof that minds, regardless of age, can be reached.

The Gospel for Today – An Extended Edition of the Certified Gospel, Foy E. Wallace, Jr.

The Gospel for Today – An Extended Edition of the Certified Gospel, Foy E. Wallace, Jr.

One may find it puzzling why a book of sermons would endure after many years. This usually speaks to two factors—the deliverer and the message. In this case, Foy E. Wallace, Jr. delivered a series of lessons in a gospel meeting in Port Arthur, TX in 1937 which were released in book form and entitled The Certified Gospel. Due to the book’s enduring popularity and increased demand for the preaching of brother Wallace, it was expanded to its present format, The Gospel for Today which was released thirty years later. Today, over seventy years after the original release, it remains one of my personal favorites, even though the expanded version was released just a few months after I was born. I never had the privilege of knowing Wallace; however, my father inspired me from his recollections of days at the Nashville School of Preaching where he heard stories about brother Wallace and was able to watch him preach. I have been blessed to know his youngest son, Wilson and his wife Peggy. They are a delight to visit with and if you have the pleasure of their company to discuss his father, cherish it!

The message of the book is timeless—gospel sermons. We need more straight-from-the-book gospel preaching. Young preachers would do well to obtain brother Wallace’s preaching books. Now, brother Wallace packed so much material in his sermons that one may likely find multiple sermons from just one chapter of the book. Brother Wallace was known for preaching well over an hour or more. People travelled well over 100 miles just to hear him speak one night! There are sermons here we need to continually ring forth from our pulpits—“The Certified Gospel”, “Who Wrote the Bible”, “How and When the Church Began”, “What to Do to Be Saved”, “What Must the Church Do To Be Saved”, “The Sin of Sectarianism”, “Bible Baptism” and others.

My personal favorite from this work is “Why Send for Peter?” I wish every member of the church would read this sermon or their preacher would preach it to them or both! In this lesson brother Wallace deals with several miraculous manifestations including the appearances of an angel to Peter and Cornelius and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Cornelius’ house. Brother Wallace points out the significance of these events and we do well to remember these. For example, Wallace writes concerning the angel which appeared to Cornelius and God’s plan that men preach the gospel, not angels or the Holy Spirit directly:

But why did the angel not tell him [Cornelius] what to do to be saved? Because that is not God’s plan. Angels cannot preach the gospel to men. Cornelius might have said to the angel: “Now, I am ready to do what God commands, why send for Peter, when you are here already; just let Peter stay in Joppa, and let me stay in Caesarea, and avoid three days delay—just tell me what God would have me do.” If ever the gospel plan should vary under any circumstances, would this not have been the one time when it should have varied enough for an angel to tell a man what to do to be saved? (Page 164).

Brother Wallace expands the lesson to point out some additional important points of which we must not lose sight:

We have now learned the purpose of all three of the miracles in this case. First, the appearance of the angel to Cornelius—that was miracle No. 1, and its purpose was to inform Cornelius where to find the preacher. Second, the vision at Joppa—which was miracle No. 2, and its purpose was to show Simon Peter that he should go and preach to the Gentiles. Third, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the household of Cornelius—Miracle No. 3, the purpose of which was to convince the whole Jewish church that the Gentiles were acceptable to God as gospel subjects. (Page 168).

One will not agree with everything brother Wallace writes. He was not perfect and he made mistakes—we all do. We should keep these matters in mind but never let his great accomplishments and writings go unnoticed. People have and still do criticize the man when his name is brought up, but let them show forth their works for the kingdom and see how these set in the balance with brother Wallace’s labors for the Kingdom. Sadly, many of us may find ourselves more akin to Belshazzar than Foy E. Wallace, Jr.

Originally printed West Virginia Christian, Vol. 17 No. 2, February 2010, p. 8. Reprinted by permission.

God’s Prophetic Word, Foy E. Wallace Jr.

God’s Prophetic Word, Foy E. Wallace Jr.

In 1995, my wife and I were honored to meet brother Wilson Wallace, son of Foy E. Wallace, Jr. We traveled nearly 250 miles to converse with Wilson about his father. I told him how I had spent time at the church building waiting to walk to work (since we had only one car). During one of my stays at the building I leafed through the church library and came across God’s Prophetic Word, which was placed there in the memory of Olive Hill. This interested me since Olive Hill was once my grandfather’s girlfriend. Since I never met neither my grandfather nor Olive Hill, I was interested in this book since it was placed in her honor.

God’s Prophetic Word contains three chapters to the proposition that the Bible is inspired of God, infallible, complete, and prophetic. The book proves there is no hope for the nation of Israel as “God’s chosen people” without Jesus Christ. The author shows conclusively the church/kingdom was established as prophesied and was not postponed. Then the false eschatological view of premillennialism is refuted. The author shows that we cannot know that “Jesus Is Coming Soon” as the premillennialists assert based upon their misapplication of Matthew 24. Foy E. Wallace also supplies material refuting Seventh-Day Adventists and Anglo-Israelism. He concludes with a defense of pioneers who are misrepresented by premillennialists. A final chapter on prophecy proof-texts is extremely valuable. Although the book was put on the market in 1946 and the author went on to his reward on December 18, 1979, the book is still vital. It is indeed a classic. Testimony to the value of this book is further substantiated by the fact that another writer has labored to provide a scriptural index to God’s Prophetic Word.

Wilson Wallace told me that one time when his father was away preaching in a gospel meeting, their house caught on fire. The firemen told his mother, Virgie Wallace, the house would surely be lost. She said if they could only save the contents of the library, it would be all right to let the rest of the house go. They were able to save books which no doubt reached well back into the 1800's. She realized the value of good books and so should we. I do not know who placed God’s Prophetic Word in the library in honor of sister Hill; however, I am very grateful that they did.

Originally printed in West Virginia Christian, Vol. 7, No. 4, April 2000. Reprinted by permission.

The Neal-Wallace Discussion on the Thousad Years Reign of Christ, Foy E. Wallace, Jr.

The Neal-Wallace Discussion on the Thousand Years Reign of Christ, Foy E. Wallace, Jr.

With the popularity of the Left Behind series that teaches the false doctrine premillennialism, have you ever wondered why churches of Christ were not swallowed with the pernicious doctrine? One of the main deterrents against this error was Foy E. Wallace Jr. who was the editor of the Gospel Advocate. Wallace fought against this error and those who were trying to take the churches of Christ down this road to perdition. If you think that one can believe in premillennialism and be a faithful Christian, then you have not read the works of Foy E. Wallace, Jr. or you are blinded from the truth. Everyone should read this debate.

One of the great benefits of religious debates is the ability to gather the facts of two points of view and see the pros and cons tested against one another. It can be brutal for the opponent who is wrong; however, the truth is the victor and that is what the purpose of debates are. This discussion in January 1933 in Winchester, KY is a premier example of truth winning and winning decisively.

The proposition was pushed by Charles Neal who dared anyone to sign on the dotted line in opposition to his debate proposition—“The Bible clearly teaches that after the second coming of Christ and before the final resurrection and judgment, there will be an age or dispensation of one thousand years during which Christ will reign on the earth.” The editor of the Gospel Advocate signed the proposition, which began one of the more thrilling debates that can be read.

Wallace did not hesitate to use humor to force his points. My father tells of staying up late at night to read the debate and come across a funny incident. It would be so funny that he would wake up my mother to relay her the story. Needless to say as funny as the story was, it was not funny to my mother at the time! One of the examples where the humor shines is Wallace’s attack of prophecies having to have a literal rather than literal or symbolic fulfillment relates to a prophecy about John the Baptist.

In Luke 3:3-6 is this prophecy in Isaiah 40:3-4 about John the Baptist: “3And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; 4As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; 6And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

Here is what Wallace states to drive the point home that not all prophecies were fulfilled literally: “According to the statement in Brother Neal’s book, John the Baptist would literally pull down the hills and fill up the valleys; for according to him, ‘every prophecy that the Bible says has been fulfilled has been fulfilled literally.’ John the Baptist was not a preacher at all. He was a road builder, operating a steam shovel, going out to pull down the hills and to build up the valleys, constructing a literal highway. That alone shows the fallacy of his statements that every prophecy is fulfilled literally.”

I have a photocopy of a letter Foy Wallace wrote to a friend about the second debate Neal agreed to have in Chattanooga, TN. During this debate Wallace basically began refuting Neal’s positions before he could present them. This so defeated Neal that he quit the debate. Neal’s mentor for this doctrine was R. H. Boll. Boll refused to debate Wallace and it is evident that it was the arguments used by Wallace were true. The premillennialist movement was basically stopped in its tracks. Indeed the church is better because of men like Foy E. Wallace, Jr. He may be dead, but his work lives on. All his works are available on CD. Anything by Foy E. Wallace, Jr. is worth studying.

Originally printed West Virginia Christian, Vol. 10, No. 1, January 2003, p. 5. Reprinted by permission.

Foy E. Wallace, Jr.—Soldier of the Cross, Nobel Patterson and Terry Gardner, Editors

Foy E. Wallace, Jr.—Soldier of the Cross, Nobel Patterson and Terry Gardner, Editors

Foy Esco Wallace was born September 30, 1896 and died December 18, 1979. Foy’s father had four sons all of who were preachers. Foy E. Wallace, Jr. was involved in the major controversies confronting the church from 1930s to the 1960s.

Soldier of the Cross chronicles the life of Foy E. Wallace, Jr. with extensive photos, essays, articles about and by brother Wallace. Terry Gardner provides an excellent series of articles that were reprinted from Faith and Facts, which covers brother Wallace’s life from sunrise to sunset.

Foy Wallace will most likely always be remembered for his defense of the truth against the assault of premillennialism. The controversy was started by the speculative writings of R. H. Boll. Foy Wallace accepted a debate challenge by Charles M. Neal, an associate of Boll. Two debates were held one in Winchester, KY and the other in Chattanooga, KY. The first debate was published and Neal abandoned the second debate. Through the debates and writings of Wallace, premillennialism was stopped in its tracks.

Foy Wallace served as editor or staff writer of the Gospel Advocate (1930-1934), original Gospel Guardian (1935-1936), the Firm Foundation (1936-1937), The Bible Banner (1938-1949), and Torch (1950-1951). Wallace also wrote several books including: God’s Prophetic Word, Bulwarks of the Faith, The Mission and Medium of the Holy Spirit, and The Instrumental Music Question.

Foy Wallace was also known for long, extensive sermons. People would travel far and wide to hear brother Wallace preach for as long as 2 to 3 hours. Hugo McCord relays a story of his driving 450 miles to Washington, NC to hear brother Wallace only to have brother Wallace insist that Hugo do the preaching that night!

Foy Wallace conducted gospel meetings across the country. In fact, he had put over 300,000 miles on a 1966 Buick Skylark. A grateful set of contributors raised funds to replace the Wallace’s car with a new Buick in 1974. Wallace’s impact is seen in a several page birthday card for his 83rd (and last) birthday, which was signed from preachers covering 40 states and reads like a “Who’s Who Among Preachers for the Churches of Christ.”

One of the great examples Foy Wallace left for us was his devotion to his wife who suffered from a rare cerebral stroke in 1952. Virgie, his wife, was told she would never walk again but with the efforts of Foy, she would be able to walk with a cane and walker for a while. Foy Wallace took his wife with him on all his meetings. He would bath, dress, and care for her with great devotion. Some say the memory of an old white haired man pushing his wife in a wheel chair will be forever etched in their memories.

Foy E. Wallace, Jr. is buried in Hereford, TX. His stone reads “Soldier of the Cross”. His wife is now buried along his side with the inscription “Faithful Companion”. I have never met Foy E. Wallace, Jr., but I have met his son, Wilson Wallace. One can have a great appreciation of Foy E. Wallace by reading his works. He is one of my heroes and I hope someday to meet him after this life is over.

Originally printed in West Virginia Christian, Vol. 8, No. 10, October 2001, p. 4. Reprinted by permission.