Listening to the Giants

To begin, I want to be clear on one thing: Though in this post I encourage all pastors to be “scholars”, I am not referring to men with multiple degrees or the priority of doing your graduate work overseas. Rather, a scholar is simply “a learner person” or “a specialist in a given branch of knowledge”. All pastors can and should pursue a reasonable and self-defining level of biblical scholarship. It is without debate that John Calvin is the standard par excellence for the Pastor-Scholar. One author wrote, “As far as John Calvin was concerned, almost nothing was more urgent for the church than the reformation of pastoral ministry. For centuries, most ministers had been shockingly ignorant of the Scriptures and thus ill-equipped to preach the gospel. As Calvin said in one debate with a Catholic cardinal (pretending to defend the Protestant cause before God): “Those who were regarded as the leaders of faith neither understood Thy Word, nor greatly cared for it. They drove...

In my opinion, the best biography written on George Müller is George Müller of Bristol , written by A.T. Pierson. One of my favorite sections of the biography is when Pierson presents a list of 24 important steps, steps that he believes were essential in the spiritual formation of George Müller. Here are the first six: 1. First of all, his conversion. In the most unfortunate manner and at the most unexpected time God led him to turn from the error of his way, and brought him to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. 2. Next, his missionary spirit. That consuming flame was kindled within him, which when it is fanned by the Spirit and fed by the fuel of facts, inclines to unselfish service and makes one willing to go wherever, and to do whatever the Lord wills. I would also add that Müller’s missionary spirit was not a global missionary spirit. Many Christians have the wrong idea of missions, which in turn, limits their usefulness in their present context or simply f...

Throughout the next few weeks, this blog will examine certain “snapshots” of George Whitefield, which I hope will bring a deeper appreciation for this servant and a greater love for the God whom he gave his life to. Why should you care about the life and ministry of George Whitefield? 1)       He was one of the first in history to do open air preaching. 2)       He was part of the Holy Club (included John and Charles Wesley). 3)       He was arguably one of the greatest preachers in all of human history. 4)       His theological conflicts with John Wesley led to modern day Methodism. 5)       His perspective on denominational loyalty is balanced and refreshing. 6)       His choice of a spouse was unique and the events surrounding it even more noteworthy. 7)       His gifts as an evangelist d...