There has been some interest from a few people in the many writings of Arthur Pink, so I thought I would give you some information about him. Below is what comes out of the Dictionary of Evangelicals.
British Baptist minister and author, was active in the pastorate and also in an itinerant ministry in the United States and Australia from 1910 to 1934, when he withdrew from public ministry to return to Britain. Eventually he settled in the Outer Hebrides and devoted himself entirely to a writing ministry for the remainder of his life; the majority of his works were published only after his death.
Arthur W. Pink was born in Nottingham on 1 April 1886. His parents were Nonconformist Christians, who sought to raise him as such. Young Arthur’s education was extensive, and he applied himself with discipline. However, he was not yet a believer.
By the age of twenty-two Pink was a successful businessman, but still not a Christian. He was a rising leader in the Theosophy Society and was being considered for leadership in the movement. He was scheduled to speak twice at a conference in his home town. When he came home after speaking the first time, his father quoted to him Proverbs 14:12, ‘There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.’ This verse sent him into his room, and he emerged a converted man, who then went and preached the gospel to the Theosophy Society.
Following his conversion, he plunged himself into the study of Scripture. He rejected formal training, being convinced that the theological colleges were teaching errors. He did, finally, in 1910 travel to the United States to study at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, but he left before completing his first summer semester. A strong individualistic spirit, along with a disciplined study habit, had convinced him that he could study on his own. In the years that followed he was an avid reader of the Puritans and other expositional writers. These authors became the foundation of his future writings.
From Chicago, Pink moved to Silverton, Colorado, to pastor a church. He went next to Garden Grove, California, and then to Kentucky, where he pastored two (probably Baptist) churches, one in Burkesville, and the other in Albany. While in Kentucky, Pink, at the age of thirty-one, married twenty-three year old Vera E. Russell on 16 November 1916.
From Kentucky the Pinks moved to Spartanburg, South Carolina, in July of 1917, where he pastored the Northside Baptist Church. (No record of his own baptism exists, but he must have been baptized by immersion before this date.) Here he wrote his most influential book, The Sovereignty of God. This strong Calvinistic work caused problems in his church and with friends, publishers and readers. The first edition sold slowly. In the following years, Pink longed to leave Spartanburg, but no doors would open. He began to think that God might desire him devote himself entirely to his writing ministry. The pressure to leave, and having nowhere to go, led to deep depression, even a nervous breakdown. He resigned from the church in January 1920 with little desire ever to pastor again.
Pink moved to Swengel, Pennsylvania, to be close to his publisher. But he was soon in California, working in various cities. In the autumn of 1920 Brother Thompson, an evangelist who had seen many conversions in a tent mission in Oakland, enlisted Pink to teach the new converts. There followed one of the best periods of Pink’s ministry, and he continued speaking to crowds of hundreds until April 1921, but the burden to write continued to trouble him.
Later in 1921 Pink began what would eventually become his entire ministry, a periodical entitled Studies in the Scriptures. The Pinks, through all their travels, together maintained this monthly journal of biblical exposition, which had a mailing list of around a thousand.
On 3 March 1925 the Pinks left for Australia where, after a period of successful ministry, he was censured by the Baptist Union for denying human free will. Turning to the Particular (Calvinistic) Baptists, he pastored a Particular church, until it censored him for believing in human free will. The reason for this second censure was his belief in the free offer of the gospel and in human responsibility to believe the gospel. After forming a new, independent church, he resigned from it on 25 March 1928, and left for England on 20 July. This pastorate was his last. Pink was still a staunch Calvinist, but he had rejected a premillennial dispensational view of Scripture in favour of covenant theology, including an amillennial view of eschatology.
The Pinks’ return to England afforded no opportunities to preach. Therefore on 22 May 1929 they returned to America, hoping that old friends would welcome them. But when Pink was rejected in Kentucky and California, and in the light of what he perceived to be the serious compromises in the churches, an attitude of isolationism began to invade his mind. On 5 September 1934 the Pinks left for England, hoping that the response would be different there. But again the search for acceptance and ministry proved futile, both in England and in Scotland.
On 24 September 1940 the Pinks moved for the last time, from the Brighton-Hove area on the south coast of England to Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides. Their home had been strafed by a German aircraft passing over their town to bomb London.
From his new residence, Pink maintained his independent status, and continued to produce his monthly periodical, which he had never ceased to publish through all his travels and even during the war. He continued to issue warnings about what he regarded as false churches, and encouraged withdrawal if necessary. The Pinks did not attend any church, but Pink spent Sundays ministering by letters to his readers. For the next twelve years he lived in isolation, leaving his home only for a daily walk. When people came to meet him (and a visit demanded a long trip), he usually refused to receive them.
Pink died on 15 July 1952 at the age of sixty-seven. He was buried in an unmarked grave in a cemetery on the outskirts of Stornoway. Vera Pink kept the periodical in print until December 1953, using material Pink had prepared. Vera Pink died on 17 July 1962 at the age of sixty-nine.
It cannot be denied, even in the light of his unique characteristics, that Pink was committed to knowing and doing God’s will. He believed himself called in his final years to use his pen, not his tongue, to minister to a few people. In later years his voluminous writings, which during his lifetime were known only to a few, were rediscovered; hundreds of thousands of books of his writings have been printed since his death. Through these Pink became a strong bridge between the Puritans of the past and the believers of the last half of the twentieth century. He was one of several writers whose work encouraged a revival of historic Calvinism in the last half of the twentieth century.
Bibliography
R. P. Belcher, Arthur W. Pink – Born to Write (Columbia: Richbarry Press, 1980); I. Murray, The Life of Arthur W. Pink (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1981).
Timothy Larsen, D. W. Bebbington and Mark A. Noll, Biographical Dictionary of Evangelicals (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 528-30.
Showing posts with label Biographies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Biographies. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
John Calvin and His Commentaries
You don't have to be a Calvinist to appreciate Calvin's handling of the Scriptures. Arminius himself recognized Calvin's skill when he said, "...he (Calvin) excels beyond comparison in the interpretation of Scripture...". I find that Calvin's Commentaries are understandable to the lay person as well as being scholarly, and also highly relevant in application. I always appreciate hearing what he has to say about a given text. However, when struggling with a certain text, you will find that going to Calvin’s commentaries that they are not comprehensive and some verses are not covered.
So who is this guy anyway?
John Calvin was a theologian, pastor, biblical exegete, and tireless apologist for Reformed Christianity, and ranks among the most important thinkers in church history. His theological works, biblical commentaries, tracts, treatises, sermons, and letters helped establish the Reformation as a legitimate and thriving religious movement throughout Europe. No theologian has been as acclaimed or assailed as much as Calvin. Calvinism has spawned movements and sparked controversy throughout the centuries. Wars have been fought both to defend and destroy it, and its later proponents began political and theological revolutions in Western Europe and America. The breadth and depth of the engagement with his works since they first appeared four centuries ago—and their continuous publication since then—testifies to Calvin’s importance and lasting value for the church today. Thinking Christians from the twenty-first century who ignore Calvin’s writings do so at their own peril.
John Calvin was born on July 10, 1509 in Noyan, in France. He began his work in the church at the age of twelve, intending—at the request of his father—to train for the priesthood. Calvin attended the Collège de la Marche in Paris, before studying law at the University of Orléans in 1526 and continuing his studies at the University of Bourges. In 1532, Calvin’s first published work appeared: a commentary on Seneca's De Clementia.
On year later, he befriended Nicolas Cop, the rector of the Collège Royal in Paris. This friendship resulted in trouble for Calvin when Cop was branded a heretic after calling for reform in the Catholic Church. Cop fled to Basel, and Calvin was forced from Paris. The controversy expanded when, on the evening of October 18, 1534, anonymous attacks against the Mass were posted on public buildings, fueling the violence in the city. Calvin left France for Basel in January. The controversy, and the trouble it caused Calvin, disciplined him in his writing project, and he began working on the first edition of The Institutes of the Christian Religion, which appeared in 1536.
In June, 1536, Calvin returned to Paris as the violence subsided, but was expelled again in August of 1536. He left for Strasbourg, but was forced to Geneva instead, where he stayed at the request of William Farel. He became a reader in the church in 1537. In late 1537, Calvin fled Geneva after a controversy surrounding the Eucharist. He traveled to Basel before accepting a position at the church in Strasbourg. There, Calvin continued working on both the second edition of the Institutes and his Commentary on Romans. At the urging of his friends, Calvin married Idelette de Bure. He returned to Geneva in 1541.
Upon his arrival to Geneva, Calvin began writing prolifically. He continued his revisions to the Institutes, preached weekly, taught the Bible during the week, and delivered lectures on theology. Calvin also continued work on his New Testament commentaries.
His return to Geneva was not without controversy, however. He faced opposition from the libertines, who, in 1552, compromised his authority and nearly succeeded in banishing him from Geneva a second time. His greatest threat, however, came from his theological antagonist, Servetus. The frequent letters between Calvin and Servetus contain elements of their tenuous relationship, which were exacerbated when Servetus visited Geneva against Calvin’s orders, publicly denied the Trinity, and disgraced the church. He was condemned for heresy and executed.
By 1553, Calvin was praised for his work in uniting Geneva and securing the future of the Reformation. The church housed refugees from England—among them John Knox—who brought the Reformed faith to England. Calvin also sent more than 100 Reformed missionaries to France, and frequently corresponded with both political leaders and second generation Reformers throughout Europe. He also founded a school in Geneva, and Theodore Beza became its first rector. Calvin’s influence quickly expanded beyond the vicinity of Geneva.
During the 1550s, Calvin’s health began to decline, prompting him to undertake a final revision and expansion of The Institutes of the Christian Religion. It was published in 1559, and was immediately reprinted and translated throughout Europe. Calvin became ill in early 1564, and preached his last sermon on February 6 of that same year. His health worsened throughout the spring, and he died on May 27. Thousands flocked to view his body, forcing the council in Geneva to bury him in an unmarked grave.
If you haven’t done so before, maybe because you are scared of the term “Calvinist”, and think that by reading his works you will be labeled one, I would encourage you to put aside your unfounded prejudice and look into a man who devoted his life to the study of Scripture. I am asked, at times, where I stand on this issue, and I will submit to what Charles Simeon said with a conversation he had with John Wesley in regards to this issue that continues to be divisive today.
Simeon was neither an Arminian nor a Calvinist but described himself as “a moderate Calvinist” or “a Bible Christian.” His conviction can be witnessed in a well-known dialogue between himself and the Arminian John Wesley:
[Simeon:] Sir, I understand that you are called an Arminian; and I have been sometimes called a Calvinist; and therefore I suppose we are to draw daggers. But before I consent to begin the combat, with your permission I will ask you a few questions. Pray, Sir, do you feel yourself a depraved creature, so depraved that you would never have thought of turning to God, if God had not first put it into your heart?
[Wesley:] Yes, I do indeed.
[S:] And do you utterly despair of recommending yourself to God by anything you can do; and look for salvation solely through the blood and righteousness of Christ?
[W:] Yes, solely through Christ.
[S:] But, Sir, supposing you were at first saved by Christ, are you not somehow or other to save yourself afterwards by your own works?
[W:] No, I must be saved by Christ from first to last.
[S:] Allowing, then, that you were first turned by the grace of God, are you not in some way or other to keep yourself by your own power?
[W:] No.
[S:] What then, are you to be upheld every hour and every moment by God, as much as an infant in its mother's arms?
[W:] Yes, altogether.
[S:] And is all your hope in the grace and mercy of God to preserve you unto His heavenly kingdom?
[W:] Yes, I have no hope but in Him.
[S:] Then, Sir, with your leave I will put up my dagger again; for this is all my Calvinism; this is my election, my justification by faith, my final perseverance: it is in substance all that I hold, and as I hold it; and therefore, if you please, instead of searching out terms and phrases to be a ground of contention between us, we will cordially unite in those things wherein we agree. (from Charles Simeon: Biography of a Sane Saint)
So who is this guy anyway?
John Calvin was a theologian, pastor, biblical exegete, and tireless apologist for Reformed Christianity, and ranks among the most important thinkers in church history. His theological works, biblical commentaries, tracts, treatises, sermons, and letters helped establish the Reformation as a legitimate and thriving religious movement throughout Europe. No theologian has been as acclaimed or assailed as much as Calvin. Calvinism has spawned movements and sparked controversy throughout the centuries. Wars have been fought both to defend and destroy it, and its later proponents began political and theological revolutions in Western Europe and America. The breadth and depth of the engagement with his works since they first appeared four centuries ago—and their continuous publication since then—testifies to Calvin’s importance and lasting value for the church today. Thinking Christians from the twenty-first century who ignore Calvin’s writings do so at their own peril.
John Calvin was born on July 10, 1509 in Noyan, in France. He began his work in the church at the age of twelve, intending—at the request of his father—to train for the priesthood. Calvin attended the Collège de la Marche in Paris, before studying law at the University of Orléans in 1526 and continuing his studies at the University of Bourges. In 1532, Calvin’s first published work appeared: a commentary on Seneca's De Clementia.
On year later, he befriended Nicolas Cop, the rector of the Collège Royal in Paris. This friendship resulted in trouble for Calvin when Cop was branded a heretic after calling for reform in the Catholic Church. Cop fled to Basel, and Calvin was forced from Paris. The controversy expanded when, on the evening of October 18, 1534, anonymous attacks against the Mass were posted on public buildings, fueling the violence in the city. Calvin left France for Basel in January. The controversy, and the trouble it caused Calvin, disciplined him in his writing project, and he began working on the first edition of The Institutes of the Christian Religion, which appeared in 1536.
In June, 1536, Calvin returned to Paris as the violence subsided, but was expelled again in August of 1536. He left for Strasbourg, but was forced to Geneva instead, where he stayed at the request of William Farel. He became a reader in the church in 1537. In late 1537, Calvin fled Geneva after a controversy surrounding the Eucharist. He traveled to Basel before accepting a position at the church in Strasbourg. There, Calvin continued working on both the second edition of the Institutes and his Commentary on Romans. At the urging of his friends, Calvin married Idelette de Bure. He returned to Geneva in 1541.
Upon his arrival to Geneva, Calvin began writing prolifically. He continued his revisions to the Institutes, preached weekly, taught the Bible during the week, and delivered lectures on theology. Calvin also continued work on his New Testament commentaries.
His return to Geneva was not without controversy, however. He faced opposition from the libertines, who, in 1552, compromised his authority and nearly succeeded in banishing him from Geneva a second time. His greatest threat, however, came from his theological antagonist, Servetus. The frequent letters between Calvin and Servetus contain elements of their tenuous relationship, which were exacerbated when Servetus visited Geneva against Calvin’s orders, publicly denied the Trinity, and disgraced the church. He was condemned for heresy and executed.
By 1553, Calvin was praised for his work in uniting Geneva and securing the future of the Reformation. The church housed refugees from England—among them John Knox—who brought the Reformed faith to England. Calvin also sent more than 100 Reformed missionaries to France, and frequently corresponded with both political leaders and second generation Reformers throughout Europe. He also founded a school in Geneva, and Theodore Beza became its first rector. Calvin’s influence quickly expanded beyond the vicinity of Geneva.
During the 1550s, Calvin’s health began to decline, prompting him to undertake a final revision and expansion of The Institutes of the Christian Religion. It was published in 1559, and was immediately reprinted and translated throughout Europe. Calvin became ill in early 1564, and preached his last sermon on February 6 of that same year. His health worsened throughout the spring, and he died on May 27. Thousands flocked to view his body, forcing the council in Geneva to bury him in an unmarked grave.
If you haven’t done so before, maybe because you are scared of the term “Calvinist”, and think that by reading his works you will be labeled one, I would encourage you to put aside your unfounded prejudice and look into a man who devoted his life to the study of Scripture. I am asked, at times, where I stand on this issue, and I will submit to what Charles Simeon said with a conversation he had with John Wesley in regards to this issue that continues to be divisive today.
Simeon was neither an Arminian nor a Calvinist but described himself as “a moderate Calvinist” or “a Bible Christian.” His conviction can be witnessed in a well-known dialogue between himself and the Arminian John Wesley:
[Simeon:] Sir, I understand that you are called an Arminian; and I have been sometimes called a Calvinist; and therefore I suppose we are to draw daggers. But before I consent to begin the combat, with your permission I will ask you a few questions. Pray, Sir, do you feel yourself a depraved creature, so depraved that you would never have thought of turning to God, if God had not first put it into your heart?
[Wesley:] Yes, I do indeed.
[S:] And do you utterly despair of recommending yourself to God by anything you can do; and look for salvation solely through the blood and righteousness of Christ?
[W:] Yes, solely through Christ.
[S:] But, Sir, supposing you were at first saved by Christ, are you not somehow or other to save yourself afterwards by your own works?
[W:] No, I must be saved by Christ from first to last.
[S:] Allowing, then, that you were first turned by the grace of God, are you not in some way or other to keep yourself by your own power?
[W:] No.
[S:] What then, are you to be upheld every hour and every moment by God, as much as an infant in its mother's arms?
[W:] Yes, altogether.
[S:] And is all your hope in the grace and mercy of God to preserve you unto His heavenly kingdom?
[W:] Yes, I have no hope but in Him.
[S:] Then, Sir, with your leave I will put up my dagger again; for this is all my Calvinism; this is my election, my justification by faith, my final perseverance: it is in substance all that I hold, and as I hold it; and therefore, if you please, instead of searching out terms and phrases to be a ground of contention between us, we will cordially unite in those things wherein we agree. (from Charles Simeon: Biography of a Sane Saint)
Friday, October 9, 2009
Basil of Caesarea
The “Cappadocian Fathers” brought the best gift of all: a powerful scriptural defense of the Trinity and Christ’s divinity against the Arian heretics.
Basil of Caesarea (“the Great”) Pugnacious saint and theologian of the Spirit
Mention the “church fathers” to a Western Christian, and Basil the Great is not usually the first name to come to mind. Nevertheless, even for the Roman Catholic Church, Basil ranks with his friend Gregory of Nazianzus and John Chrysostom as one of the great propounders and defenders of the faith.
Born around 330, Basil grew up in a world where Christianity was recognized by the Roman government but divided between those who believed in the full divinity of Christ and the Arians, who did not. For much of the fourth century, the Arians would enjoy the support of the emperors. The struggle between Christianity and the empire had not ended with Constantine.
After his studies in Athens ended in 356, the young Basil returned to his native city of Caesarea in Cappadocia (southeastern Asia Minor). Though he appeared to have a brilliant secular career before him, instead Basil chose to follow the path of his sister Macrina, renouncing his share in the family property and living an ascetic life with a few companions.
Thus, Basil was one of the first to establish a monastic community in Asia Minor, and the rules he drew up are still normative for Orthodox monks today.
In 370 he became the archbishop of Caesarea, which brought him into conflict with the Arian emperor Valens. In an attempt to intimidate the stubborn bishop, Valens sent the prefect of the imperial guard, Modestus, to threaten him with punishment. Basil answered that he was ready and eager to die for Christ, and that he had so few possessions that banishment, confiscation, or imprisonment would mean nothing to him.
When Modestus complained that no one had ever talked to him like that, Basil answered that perhaps he had never met a bishop before: “When the interests of God are at stake, we care for nothing else.”
The emperor eventually backed down after his young son took sick and died, but the controversy with the Arians continued for the rest of Basil’s life.
In 374 Basil wrote a treatise On the Holy Spirit, which fleshed out the orthodox doctrine of the divinity of the Spirit.
It was while Basil was at Caesarea that the doxology “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit” was first used, placing all three Persons of the Trinity on an equal footing. Basil also authored a liturgy still used by the Orthodox Church.
Basil’s major work of biblical interpretation was the Hexameron, his homilies on the six days of creation. He refused to allegorize away the literal meaning of the text, and is often classed with the “Antiochene” school of exegesis. Along with scientific speculation and theological argument, however, the Hexameron also interprets animal behavior as symbolic of various human characteristics, in order to offer moral instruction. Comparing an unhappy couple to a viper mating with a lamprey surely does not count as “literal exegesis.”
Basil was a difficult man to deal with, even for his friends. He made his friend Gregory of Nazianzus and his own brother Gregory of Nyssa miserable by forcing them to accept positions as bishops of small rural towns, positions for which they were not suited. He was accused of harshness or pride in his defense of the truth. Yet as bishop he devoted immense energy to feeding the hungry and caring for the poor, and his courage and devotion are beyond doubt. Basil’s life showed that the heroic, counter-cultural power of the gospel had not been stifled by government recognition of Christianity, and that even in a state-sponsored church there would always be found those willing to die for Christ.[1]
[1]Christian History Magazine-Issue 80: The First Bible Teachers (Carol Stream, IL: Christianity Today, 2003).
Basil of Caesarea (“the Great”) Pugnacious saint and theologian of the Spirit
Mention the “church fathers” to a Western Christian, and Basil the Great is not usually the first name to come to mind. Nevertheless, even for the Roman Catholic Church, Basil ranks with his friend Gregory of Nazianzus and John Chrysostom as one of the great propounders and defenders of the faith.
Born around 330, Basil grew up in a world where Christianity was recognized by the Roman government but divided between those who believed in the full divinity of Christ and the Arians, who did not. For much of the fourth century, the Arians would enjoy the support of the emperors. The struggle between Christianity and the empire had not ended with Constantine.
After his studies in Athens ended in 356, the young Basil returned to his native city of Caesarea in Cappadocia (southeastern Asia Minor). Though he appeared to have a brilliant secular career before him, instead Basil chose to follow the path of his sister Macrina, renouncing his share in the family property and living an ascetic life with a few companions.
Thus, Basil was one of the first to establish a monastic community in Asia Minor, and the rules he drew up are still normative for Orthodox monks today.
In 370 he became the archbishop of Caesarea, which brought him into conflict with the Arian emperor Valens. In an attempt to intimidate the stubborn bishop, Valens sent the prefect of the imperial guard, Modestus, to threaten him with punishment. Basil answered that he was ready and eager to die for Christ, and that he had so few possessions that banishment, confiscation, or imprisonment would mean nothing to him.
When Modestus complained that no one had ever talked to him like that, Basil answered that perhaps he had never met a bishop before: “When the interests of God are at stake, we care for nothing else.”
The emperor eventually backed down after his young son took sick and died, but the controversy with the Arians continued for the rest of Basil’s life.
In 374 Basil wrote a treatise On the Holy Spirit, which fleshed out the orthodox doctrine of the divinity of the Spirit.
It was while Basil was at Caesarea that the doxology “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit” was first used, placing all three Persons of the Trinity on an equal footing. Basil also authored a liturgy still used by the Orthodox Church.
Basil’s major work of biblical interpretation was the Hexameron, his homilies on the six days of creation. He refused to allegorize away the literal meaning of the text, and is often classed with the “Antiochene” school of exegesis. Along with scientific speculation and theological argument, however, the Hexameron also interprets animal behavior as symbolic of various human characteristics, in order to offer moral instruction. Comparing an unhappy couple to a viper mating with a lamprey surely does not count as “literal exegesis.”
Basil was a difficult man to deal with, even for his friends. He made his friend Gregory of Nazianzus and his own brother Gregory of Nyssa miserable by forcing them to accept positions as bishops of small rural towns, positions for which they were not suited. He was accused of harshness or pride in his defense of the truth. Yet as bishop he devoted immense energy to feeding the hungry and caring for the poor, and his courage and devotion are beyond doubt. Basil’s life showed that the heroic, counter-cultural power of the gospel had not been stifled by government recognition of Christianity, and that even in a state-sponsored church there would always be found those willing to die for Christ.[1]
[1]Christian History Magazine-Issue 80: The First Bible Teachers (Carol Stream, IL: Christianity Today, 2003).
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