Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 6
December 16, 1954
NUMBER 32, PAGE 6

A Glossary Of Terms

Wm. E. Wallace, Akron, Ohio

Quite a number of terms are being used today, most of which are misused and abused. If you want to mark a man in Nashville, call him a "Sommerite" or a "Guardian Angel." In Florida refer to him as a modernist or liberal, in California as a hobbyist or radical, in Texas as a factionist or "anti." Call a man a "Sommerite" and someone might ask you if that means he does not believe in preaching the gospel in the winter season. Call him a Ketchersideite and he will want to know who was "ketched." When a man cusses we say he does it out of ignorance. He cannot think of a better way to express himself. I suspect the use of certain terms today has something to do with ignorance — if not ignorance, cantankerousness. Let's notice some of the terms used:

Anti: He is agin it. Everything that his grandaddy did not have is innovation.

Bollite: The man who is either attracted to the magic of the name Boll, or has a materialistic concept of the work of Christ and the kingdom of God.

Factionist: The minority, whether they be right or wrong. The term is often used in situations where two or three are gathered together "in the name of Jesus Christ" in protest against error. It is a handy label to put on those who do not conform to the "most-ist." I suspect anti-Judaizers were often called factionists.

Fanatic: The character who is excessively zealous in displaying his knowledge on some particular point.

Garrettite: The man who likes Leroy better than Carl. Leroy's men have the "Bible Talk" publication as their guide. Carl's men have the "Mission Messenger."

Guardian Angels: There are two classes of these characters. First, those who have carried the fight against innovation and error effectively for years in spite of various knocks. The second class: "Boys," "not dry behind the ears," who have paddled and embarrassed the more "mature" brethren who are on the other side of the issues.

Half-Baked Sommerite: The term applied by the Gospel Advocate clique to those who admit that the Sommers are children of God, and might be half right in some positions they have taken.

Hobbyist: The fellow who persistently disagrees with someone on a question that Brother Someone deems unworthy of any prolonged Christian consideration.

Ignorant: The man who cannot word what he knows in the same way that I word the same knowledge.

Ketehersideites: Those who fall prey to the courtship of Carl Ketcherside and accept what he teaches along with the admiration and devotion they hold for the man.

Liberal: He is the gent who says let contemporary experience, environment and events dictate conviction. To him a woman who wears an extremely abbreviated, two piece beach costume is displaying feminine modesty.

Modernist: The fellow who lets contemporary scholarship overrule ancient revelation.

Quibbler: One who advances an argument either so simple or naive or fundamental, or irrelevant, the opposition does not know how to meet it, or has forgotten how, or is at loss as to what the quibbler is a gittin' at.

Radical: The disgruntled or over zealous extrovert who preaches revoluntary action against his brethren or for his brethren, regardless of and in neglect of pertinent problems involved.

Rank: The radical who has gone all the way — often the case of a "Sommerite" who leaves "Sommerism" — and goes to the other extreme.

Sommerite: A terms usually used with regard to anyone that would speak a mere sentence in criticism of the Bible colleges. A convenient term to use when you are attempting to put one in disrepute — regardless of whether or not he is one. Call him a Sommerite and you've marked him. Its most popular application seems to be to those who: (1) hold identical views concerning the colleges as did Daniel Sommer before he was "hoodwinked"; (2) think the American Christian Review is the paper of God's providence. W. L. Totty has his own private definition of a Sommerite: Anyone who says W. L. Totty is not the authority on the matter.

I suppose it is right to call a polecat a streamlined kitty with a fluid drive, for that is what he is. Jesus called Herod a fox, the Pharisees hypocrites, some others, fools. Paul called certain men wolves, and Peter and Jude referred to folk as being sensual, filthy dreamers, clouds without water, et cetera. So it looks like there is a place for calling people what they are — but it appears as if we had best know what we are saying and doing. Certainly if a man asks us if we think he is of such and so make up, we must answer with our honest conviction, even if we do think he is a mule.

Some can say "I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproach, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." We all should note: "For we walk not in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal."