1

The Rev. Robert Wayne Anderson, D.D.

The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 2 LIFE SKETCH & TRIBUTES ROBERT W. ANDERSON—A Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in 1962. Bob BRIEF SKETCH OF HIS LIFE actively supported this agency and its associated churches and missions for many years as a pastor, even traveling and JOHN A. BATTLE speaking on a month-long mission tour of South Korea in 1969. Robert (Bob) Wayne Anderson was born August 7, 1937, and grew up in Shan- After his graduation from Faith in non City, Iowa, with his parents and two 1963, he became the pastor of the Bible sisters.1 There he attended one-room Presbyterian Church in Maryville, Tennes- country schools. Years later, when his see.3 church in Tacoma, Washington, com- pleted the building for its Christian school, In 1965 he attended the convention Pastor Anderson was able to secure the of the International Council of Christian school bell from one of his schools, and it Churches in Geneva, Switzerland. There, now sits atop the building, ready to be near the Reformation Wall with its stat- used to start the school day in its new ues of Calvin and the other Reformers, location.2 Robert proposed to Nancy and they be- came engaged. They were married in In 1956 Bob was converted to Christ Collingswood on September 2, 1966. under the preaching of the Rev. David Otis Fuller. He attended Sterling College in Just six months later, in March 1967, Kansas, and then transferred to Shelton the young minister was called to become College in New Jersey, earning his B.A. the pastor of the historic Tacoma Bible there. Presbyterian Church in Tacoma, Washing- ton. This church had come out from the Bob enrolled in Faith Theological Presbyterian Church USA in the 1930s, Seminary in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, in had been one of the larger Bible Presby- order to prepare for the gospel ministry. terian churches throughout the years, and While studying at Faith, he attended the had consistently and generously sup- Bible Presbyterian Church and sat under ported the agencies of the denomination.4 the preaching of Dr. Carl McIntire. It was He and his new bride moved across the there at the Collingswood church that he country to take on this work. met a young lady, Nancy Titzck, who was later to become his wife. For thirty-seven years Robert Ander- son served as pastor of the Tacoma Bible While a student at Faith, Bob at- Presbyterian Church. During those years tended the convention of the International his consistent preaching and ministry bore Council of Christian Churches in much fruit in the lives of the congrega-

The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 3 tion, and blessed other works as well. building. This had been a desire of many Bob’s biblical, Reformed preaching and in the church for years, to sponsor and teaching through the years is arguably support complete Christian education, the greatest human cause for that church’s from kindergarten through seminary! As present dedication to the doctrines of the a result, Western Reformed Seminary was Reformation. established in Tacoma, being incorporated in 1983. For many years, until his retire- In 1971 he was deeply involved in ment, Robert Anderson served on the the founding of Heritage Christian School, board of the seminary, and he was one of which now includes kindergarten through its strongest defenders and supporters.7 grade eight. Over the years at Heritage Under his leadership the church labored thousands of children have been well and gave sacrificially so that the seminary taught in biblical and Reformed doctrines, could get off to a good start. Through as well as in the important academic sub- the years the Tacoma church has contin- jects. Presently Heritage is the only Chris- ued to house the seminary. tian school in America sponsored by a Bible Presbyterian church.5 When the Presbyterian Missionary Union was formed in 1985, Robert Ander- Bob was and still is very active in the son served on the organizing committee. Northwest Presbytery of the Bible Pres- He encouraged our sister denomination, byterian Church. In 1969 he helped found, the Independent Presbyterian Church of and then, for most of its early years, di- Kenya, when he was the graduation rected the annual summer presbytery speaker for Faith College of the Bible in youth camp near Kalispel, Montana. He 1996. has never missed a camp since, except one year in 1976, when he was attending the ICCC convention in Nairobi, Kenya.6 In addition, he frequently has traveled to His consistent preaching preach in vacant pulpits throughout the presbytery, and to strengthen and encour- and ministry bore much age his fellow ministers. fruit in the lives of the congregation, and blessed In 1978 he was honored by his breth- other works as well. ren in ministry to be elected and to serve as moderator of the 42nd General Synod of the Bible Presbyterian Church. Another highlight of his life and ministry was his Pastor Anderson retired from the pas- Holy Land trip, taken in 1982. torate in November 2004. However, he continues to be active in ministry. He re- Later, in the summer of 1982, Pastor cently returned from a 2½ -month preach- Anderson and the session of the Tacoma ing trip in Australia, and more such trips church invited John Battle, Ron Bergey, are envisioned. and Chris Lensch to come to Tacoma to begin a new theological seminary in the Robert Anderson’s sermons are con- Northwest, to meet in the spacious church sistently well-prepared, biblical, and theo- The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 4 logically oriented. He normally types out service. Every year, in addition to all his all his sermons ahead of time, but delivers other tasks, Bob is the one who them from notes and memory. It would be personally mashes all the potatoes for profitable for his sermons to be collected dinner for all the campers. and published. Some of his sermons can 7 I remember vividly one late afternoon, be found in the Minutes of the various after we had first moved to Tacoma, that synods of the Bible Presbyterian Church.8 our doorbell rang. There at the door He also has written several articles in the was Bob Anderson! He was dirty and WRS Journal,9 and publications for Fun- tired after an exhausting day of physical damental Presbyterian Publications.10 work. He had cut and hauled firewood for our wood stove, and presented us Bob Anderson has through the with a truckload of it on our driveway. years, in one way or another, blessed the Such acts of generous labor are typical lives of thousands of people. He has of him. served the Lord humbly and faithfully, 8 These are noted in the article by Earl through good times and adversities. The Brown in this issue of the WRS Journal. Lord has used him as a positive force for 9 “A Short Biography of Charles His church. He is an excellent example of Hodge” 4:2 (August 1997): 9-13; the true pastor/theologian. “Andrew Melville: Lion of Scotland” 3:2 (August 1996): 42-46; “A Lament” (a 1 We thank Robert’s wife, Nancy look at Lamentations in the light of the Anderson, for supplying most of the terrorism of 9/11) 9:1 (February 2002): details for this article, as well as the 25-29. photograph of her husband. 10 “A Bicentennial Remembrance— 2 The school children sign up in Charles Hodge” (1997), and “Infant advance for the privilege of ringing the Baptism” and “Marring of Marriage” bell. (2004). 3 It was there that I first met Bob, in the summer of 1964. I was a part of the Highland College summer gospel team, traveling with Dr. Robert Kofahl. Bob TRIBUTES cooked a breakfast for our team in his bachelor apartment, delicious Swedish FROM HOWARD CARLSON pancakes! He also played one of his favorite stereo records for us—the God’s standards for a faithful pastor – sounds of steam and diesel locomotives Ezekiel 13:4-16 passing by. 4 For a history of the beginning of the America’s pulpits are suffering a great Tacoma church, see David C. Sinding, crisis of identity over what constitutes “Roy Talmage Brumbaugh: Bible biblical preaching. This was also true Presbyterian Pioneer in the Northwest,” among God’s people 2600 years ago. We WRS Journal 11:1 (February 2004): 8-15. must realize we are in a great spiritual war, 5 Heritage’s website: http:// and defensive as well as offensive steps www.heritagecs.net/staff.html. must be taken. 6 One job is typical of his heart for The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 5 In Ezek 13:4-5, 10, God tells what is required by Him of His spokesmen. We • Fifth, the justice of God and the derive the positive precepts from nega- certainty of judgment for sin tives in the text. must not be minimized by unbiblical, false assurance (v. • First, there must be involvement 10). in the issues of the day and not a convenient sidestepping, like Here is the true interpretation of this pas- a fox in the wilderness which sage. It refers to God’s spokesmen and flees at every hint of danger (v. not to literal building of walls and gaps 4). but: “To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy” (v. 16). • Second, there are “gaps” in the defensive walls of God’s people I have alluded to this passage be- which must be plugged. Our cause in my observation, it was to a very children need the holes in their great extent fulfilled in the long and fruit- knowledge and emotional re- ful ministry of Dr. Robert Anderson. Early sponses to be filled by the faith- on I dubbed him “McInHodge.” His ful preaching and teaching of the preaching style was that of Carl McIntire truth of God (v. 4). and his content was that of Charles Hodge. His sermons did not daub • Third, a “hedge” or surrounding “untempered mortar,” but with the tem- barrier must be built around pered cement of sound biblical exposition God’s people. Theology and he fortified his people against society’s sound biblical preaching should current ills. While all about him pastors be designed to present a con- were building “hedges” with fluff and the sistent, biblical world view. Thus “spectacular,” Dr. Anderson continued a strong barrier against the faithful—week after week—with the world, the flesh, and the devil (Ps deeper things, the theology of the Word. 119:11), would prepare another His ministry of discipleship has stood the generation to glorify and enjoy test. He has left a band of well-trained God (v. 4). servants to carry on the work of Christ. For this we salute him who has been more • Fourth, the truth must be faithful in this than we. preached and not popular fads, pop-psychology, or other fluff which seems to steam from our FROM A L COOK nation’s pulpits. Calvin perhaps rightly said that in so doing, such It has been my pleasure to serve with preachers have “no zeal for Dr. Anderson in our Bible Presbyterian God’s glory.” Even when the Church for the past 43 years. He has my truth is not in fashion, it is the respect as a humble servant of God who only sure way for God’s faithful has faithfully served His Lord and the spokesman to please Him (vv. 6, Church. 10-11). The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 6 We have had good times at Synod friend and colleague in the Gospel minis- making jokes at Bob’s expense and listen- try. Bob Anderson is a man I liked from ing to stories of his courtship of Nancy. the first time I laid eyes on him and have In it all Bob and Nancy just rolled with the come to love the more I know him. He is tide. one of the few people I have ever met who can lift your spirits with a rebuke and I am thankful for Bob’s work in Chris- humble you with praise. He is one you tian Education. He has contributed his can disagree with and still respect with many gifts both to Heritage Christian great affection. School and to Western Reformed Semi- nary, and God has blessed. It is very pos- William Booth, the founder of the sible that our Bible Presbyterian Church Salvation Army, was once invited to speak would be without a Seminary today if it at a banquet in New York and couldn’t were not for the vision and hard work of make it. So he sent a telegram with only Pastor Anderson, the session of the one word. That word was OTHERS. Tacoma Bible Presbyterian Church, and This is the one word that so defines my the dedicated professors who carried out good brother. His phone calls, his coun- the work. sel, and his compassion have not only melted my heart but set me straight. In a very difficult time, I saw Pastor No one I know has come so close to ful- Anderson take his stand for biblical truth filling the Savior’s words in John 13:34, and ethics. It is not always easy to put “A new commandment I give unto you, God first, especially when the choice is that ye love one another; as I have loved between the Lord and a trusted leader of you, that ye also love one another.” He is the Church. By God’s grace, even this a man who loves “in word, in deed, and in was resolved in due time. Bob is a Chris- truth.” tian statesman, as was demonstrated in the way he conducted himself in the midst Someone penned the following of controversy. He has worked to resolve words and they perfectly suit my friend issues in such a way as to build and Bob Anderson: strengthen the Church. “O the comfort, the inexpressible com- We thank the Lord for your life as a fort of feeling safe with a person, hav- pastor, theologian, and educator. It is also ing neither to weigh thought nor mea- good to call you our friend. Have a won- sure words, but pour them out just as derful retirement in His service. Thanks, they are, chaff and grain together, Bob! knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keep- ing, and then with the breath of kind- FROM KEN ORR ness blow the rest away.”

One of the greatest gifts the Lord ever Thank you, Robert, for all your gave me is the friendship of Pastor Rob- kindnesses. ert Anderson; so no one had to twist my arm to write something about my good

The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 7 EXEGESIS OBSERVATIONS ON THE Epistles and that one cannot, therefore, AUTHENTICITY OF THE reasonably regard the absence of the 46 PASTORAL EPISTLES Pastorals in present-day copies of P as evidence of the Pastorals’ inauthenticity. Second, we intend to argue that Paul’s DENNIS W. JOWERS employment of multiple amanuenses in the composition of his letters suffices, to a I. INTRODUCTION great extent at least, to account for the In his article in this issue, Prof. Battle differences in style and vocabulary that draws heavily on 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, distinguish the Pastorals from the other and Titus, the so-called “Pastoral Pauline epistles. Third and finally, we in- epistles,” for words of counsel and en- tend to argue that the techniques of sta- couragement to other pastor-theologians. tistical analysis frequently employed to If the Apostle Paul composed these discredit the Pastorals’ authenticity are epistles under the inspiration of the Holy unreliable guides in inquiries about the Spirit, Prof. Battle is abundantly justified authorship of brief texts. in so doing. It is important to note, how- ever, that the vast majority of NT schol- II. THE ORIGINAL CONTENTS OF P46 ars presently deny that the Pastorals de- As to the first claim: it is by no means rive from the historical Paul and attribute certain that the now only partially extant them, rather, to a second century forger papyrus codex P46 contained a collection concerned to justify innovations in eccle- of Pauline letters that lacked the Pastoral siastical polity. Epistles.5 Jeremy Duff, in particular, dem- onstrates in his “P46 and the Pastorals: A In the context of this issue, therefore, Misleading Consensus?”6 that the cir- it seems eminently appropriate briefly to cumstance that the number of pages7 vindicate the Pastoral Epistles’ Pauline which remained, but are no longer extant, authorship. The work of such distin- after the transcription of 1 Thessalonians guished students of the NT as Joachim in the lone quire of P46 which has survived, Jeremias,1 J. N. D. Kelly,2 Ceslaus Spicq,3 seems insufficient to contain the Pastoral and Luke Timothy Johnson,4 each of Epistles, does not necessarily imply that whom defends the authenticity of the the codex as it originally circulated lacked Pastorals in his commentary on the the Pastoral Epistles. For, as Duff ex- epistles, renders extended comment on our plains, the scribe responsible for P46 seems part unnecessary. We shall argue, none- to have realized that he was running out theless, for three claims, which, in our of space and to have increased the amount view, are worthy of more attention than of text transcribed per page in response; they have been accorded by both liberal indeed, he increased the amount of text and evangelical scholarship. First, we in- per page so much that, if he had main- tend to show that P46, the earliest extant tained the word/page ratio characteristic collection of Paul’s letters, may in its origi- of the quire’s last extant pages and in- nal form have contained the Pastoral cluded no material after Philemon, at least The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 8 nine pages of his quire would have re- P46 does not constitute solid evidence that mained blank.8 It seems quite probable, a significant number of Christians in the therefore, that the scribe in question in- post-Apostolic era, prescinding from tended to include further material in his Marcionites and Gnostics, denied the au- quire. thenticity of the Pastoral Epistles.

Admittedly, even if the scribe had III. QUALITATIVE EVIDENCE maintained the high word/page ratio es- As to the second claim: a great mass tablished in the last extant pages of P46, of the qualitative evidence ordinarily al- the inclusion of the whole of 2 leged against the Pastorals’ authenticity Thessalonians, Philemon, and the seems irrelevant to the questions of the Pastorals in his quire would have required epistles’ authorship and date of composi- at least nine more pages than the quire tion. For many, if not all of the stylistic contained.9 As Duff observes, however, differences between the Pastorals and the the scribe in question could have made rest of the Pauline corpus seem explicable room for these epistles by either: a) add- by the hypothesis that Paul, when com- ing extra leaves to his quire, as the scribes posing the Pastoral Epistles, employed an responsible for the Nag Hammadi codices amanuensis other than those he employed seem usually to have done; or b) adding when authoring the undisputed epistles. one or more extra quires to his codex as As E. Earle Ellis observes, the scribes responsible for Nag Hammadi Codex I and the only extant manuscript of In the Graeco-Roman world the use Origen’s On the Passover certainly did.10 of a secretary was a necessity for any Although one could only with great diffi- extensive writing and it varied with the culty, if at all, prove that P46 as it originally circumstances, from taking dictation circulated contained the Pastoral Epistles, to being a co-author. It is fully evi- then, the evidence currently available dent in Paul’s epistles and need not lends a degree of plausibility to the hy- have been limited to dictation verba- pothesis that it did.11 In any event, the tim et literatim, as some assume. [In purported absence of the Pastorals from fact] it probably went beyond that since in antiquity a trusted and gifted amanuensis customarily shaped the vocabulary, style and composition of When one follows the an author’s work.12 appropriate methodology in investigating the IV. QUANTITATIVE EVIDENCE Pastorals’ authenticity, As to the third claim: the quantita- tive analyses of the Pastorals’ language giving priority to external that fueled opposition to the Pastoral evidence, therefore, the Epistles’ authenticity for much of the authorship of the twentieth century seem now to be thor- Pastorals appears oughly discredited.13 In support of this difficult to dispute. not uncontroversial assessment, we offer three examples of authors whose work tends to undermine the stylometric case The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 9 against the authenticity of the Pastoral Morton uses in 1966 has a different au- Epistles. thor than the text of Romans employed by Morton in 1978.22 Kenny, similarly, Thomas Arthur Robinson, first, de- demonstrates that Morton’s authenticity bunks a mainstay of the linguistic-math- tests based on (1) the frequency with ematical case against the Pastorals’ au- which de& and ga&r appear as the second thenticity in his “Grayston and Herdan’s word in a sentence and (2) on the frequen- ‘C’ Quantity Formula and the Authorship cies of various categories of last words in of the Pastoral Epistles.”14 Specifically, sentences, if applied to the Aristotelian Robinson demonstrates: a) that Kenneth corpus, yield the absurd conclusions, re- Grayston and Gustav Herdan, in their clas- spectively, that (a) Aristotle wrote neither sic 1959 article on the Pastorals’ author- Metaphysics Z and H nor Nichomachean ship,15 artificially inflate the “C” quan- Ethics Z,23 and (b) that Aristotle did not tity16 of the Pastoral Epistles by treating write Nichomachean Ethics D and I nor the Pastorals as a literary whole rather Politics B and G . 24 Morton’s methods, in than three, individual epistles; and b) that, short, seem unreliable. when one treats the Pastorals as discrete units, their “C” quantities do not diverge Kenneth J. Neumann, third, in his The dramatically from those of the undisputed Authenticity of the Pauline Epistles in Pauline Epistles.17 the Light of Stylostatistical Analysis,25 assesses the usefulness of 617 possible Anthony Kenny, second, in his A quantitative criteria of authenticity26 and Stylometric Study of the New Testament,18 eventually rejects all but four as unreli- decisively refutes the claims of Andrew able.27 Even these four uniquely suitable Q. Morton, who employs criteria like sen- criteria, however, prove unreliable in prac- tence length, the frequency and position tice, identifying the letters to the churches of common words like de& and ga&r, and in Rev 2 and 3, for instance, as epistles of the grammatical category (nouns, verbs, Paul. Neumann, regrettably, does not so etc.) of words that close sentences, to dis- much as consider the possibility that the pute the authenticity of all of the Pauline Pastorals might prove authentic in his epistles except Romans, 1 and 2 study, whose principal significance, in Corinthians, and Galatians.19 Specifically, any event, seems to lie in its unintentional Kenny shows that Morton’s methods ei- demonstration of the inadequacy of quan- ther: a) yield results susceptible to a more titative methods of analysis for the pur- benign interpretation than Morton gives pose of determining the authorship of the them; b) lead to absurd results; or c) are Pauline epistles. otherwise fundamentally unsound. For example, Kenny shows that the sentence- V. C ONCLUSION length distribution figures for Romans in The text of the Pastorals itself, then, Morton’s 1978 Literary Detection20 dif- whether evaluated by qualitative or quan- fer so markedly from those employed in titative means, seems to have little worth- Morton’s 1966 Paul: The Man and The while to contribute to the debate over the Myth21 that a consistent application of Pastoral Epistles’ authenticity. In such a Morton’s authenticity tests would lead situation, it seems, one who would deter- one to conclude that the text of Romans mine the authorship of the Pastorals The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 10 should rely principally on external evi- Paris: Gabalda, 19694), 157-214. dence: quotations of the epistles, the opin- 4 Letters to Paul’s Delegates: 1 Timothy, ions of early authorities, etc. The external 2 Timothy, Titus (The New Testament in evidence as to the Pastorals’ authentic- Context; Valley Forge, PA; TPI, 1996), 2- ity, however, seems uniformly to favor the 32. Cf. also the defenses of the Pauline authorship of all three epistles. Pastorals’ authenticity in Donald No one seems to have questioned the Guthrie, The Pastoral Epistles: An authenticity of the Pastorals in antiquity Introduction and Commentary (TNTC; except Marcionites and Gnostics, and Leicester, England and Grand Rapids, even in these cases, the examples of 1) MI; Inter-Varsity and Eerdmans, 19902), Tatian, who, according to Jerome,28 ac- 18-62 and George W. Knight III, The cepted Titus; and 2) those Marcionites Pastoral Epistles: A Commentary on who, according to Chrysostom,29 ap- the Greek Text (NIGTC; Grand Rapids, pealed to 2 Tim 1:18 in defense of their MI, and Carlisle, England; Eerdmans doctrine of a twofold Godhead; prove that and Paternoster, 1992), 13-52 along with opposition was not universal. The only the argument for Pauline authorship of 2 external evidence even potentially preju- Timothy in particular in Michael Prior’s dicial to the case for Pauline authorship Paul the Letter-Writer and the Second of the Pastorals, in fact, seems to be the Letter to Timothy (JSNT.S 23; Sheffield, supposed absence of the Pastoral England; JSOT Press, 1989), passim. Epistles from the original text of P46. We 5 Although P46 is ordinarily considered a have shown above, however, that P46 in document of the early to mid-third its original form may well have included century, Young Kyu Kim has cogently the Pastorals and that the opposite con- argued in his “Paleographical Dating of clusion, in any event, is undemonstrated. P46 to the Later First Century,” Bib 69 When one follows the appropriate meth- (1988), 248-57: a) that features of P46 odology in investigating the Pastorals’ frequently thought to exclude an earlier authenticity, giving priority to external dating, such as the omission of the iota evidence, therefore, the authorship of the adscriptum and the usage of nomina Pastorals appears difficult to dispute. This sacra (256-7) have parallels in papyri is good news, of course, for all who up- conventionally dated before A.D. 100; hold the inspiration and inerrancy of all b) that the calligraphy of P46 exhibits a 66 books in the Protestant, biblical canon; number of traits, such as a consistent, in light of Prof. Battle’s findings, more- “striking effort to keep to the upper over, it is especially good news for the line” (249) unparalleled in papyri dated discouraged pastor-theologian. later than A.D. 100; c) that its overall style closely resembles a number of 1 Die Briefe an Timotheus und Titus papyri dated earlier than A.D. 100 (250- (NTD; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & 54); and d) that P46, consequently, Ruprecht, 19536), 3-8. probably originated before A.D. 100. 2 A Commentary on the Pastoral 6 NTS 44 (1998), 578-90. Epistles: I Timothy, II Timothy, Titus 7 Although the final pages of this quire (BNTC; London: Adam & Charles Black, are no longer extant, one can calculate 1963), 3-34. the number of pages that it originally 3 St. Paul: Les Épitres Pastorales (EtB; contained, because the middle leaf, The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 11 which: (a) in any quire is easily identifi- Bird’s “The Authorship of the Pastoral able as the only leaf on which two recto Epistles—Quantifying Literary Style,” pages face one another, and (b) in this RTR 56 (1997), 118-37. quire contains legible page numbers, 14 NTS 30 (1984): 282-88. has survived. 15 “The Authorship of the Pastorals in 8 Duff, “P46 and the Pastorals,” 584. the Light of Statistical Linguistics,” NTS 9 We offer the estimate of Eldon Jay 6 (1959-60), 1-15. Epp, which appears in his, “Issues in 16 The “C” quantity of a literary work = the Interrelation of New Testament [the number of words peculiar to the Textual Criticism and Canon,” in Lee M. work in question + the number of words McDonald and James A. Sanders, ed., common to every work of the author’s The Canon Debate (Peabody, MA: corpus] / [the total number of words in Hendrickson, 2002), 485-515 at 498, n. the work in question]. Cf. ibid., 8. 49. Epp errs, incidentally, in attributing 17 Cf. Bird’s account of these develop- to Duff the claim that the scribe would ments in “Quantifying Literary Style,” have required “about four extra pages” 124-8. and then “correcting” this claim with his 18 Oxford: Clarendon, 1986. own estimate of nine in n. 49. Duff, in 19 Kenny discusses Morton’s work in fact, offers substantially the same his Stylometric Study, 101-15. Bird, assessment as Epp. “With only a likewise, discusses Kenny’s work in fraction more compression [!] on the “Quantifying Literary Style,” 134-5 and missing pages,” Duff writes, “the scribe Morton’s in ibid., 129-32. would have needed an extra four leaves 20 Literary Detection: How to Prove [1 leaf = 2 pages] to be added to the end Authorship and Fraud in Literature of the codex in order to fit in the and Documents (Bath: Bowker, 1978). Pastorals” (“P46 and the Pastorals,” 587). 21 Morton and James McLeman, Paul, 10 “P46 and the Pastorals,” 587-8. the Man and the Myth: A Study in the 11 Harry Y. Gamble, who earlier claimed Authorship of Greek Prose (London: that P46 “almost certainly did not Hodder & Stoughton). contain…Timothy (1-2) and Titus” 22 Kenny, Stylometric Study, 108. (Book and Readers in the Early 23 Ibid., 113. Church: A History of Early Christian 24 Ibid., 115. Texts [New Haven: Yale University 25 SBL.DS 120; Atlanta: Scholars Press, Press, 1995], 59, n. 74) has recently 1990. reversed himself in the light of Duff’s 26 Cf. Table III.A in ibid., 120-23. findings, admitting that “it can be 27 Cf. Bird’s discussion of Neumann’s cogently argued that the Pastorals did work in “Quantifying Literary Style,” have a place in it” (“The New Testament 135-7. Canon: Recent Research and the Status 28 Commentarius in Titum, prologus; Quaestionis,” Canon Debate, 267-94 at CCL 77C, 3. We owe this reference to 285). Duff (“P46 and the Pastorals,” 582, n. 12). 12 “The Pastorals and Paul,” ExpTim 104 29 Homilia II in Epistulam II ad (1992), 45-7 at 45. Timotheum, PG 62, 613-18 at 615. 13 We are deeply indebted for the arguments of this section to Anthony E. The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 12 PASTORAL IMPERATIVES: tive ideas. The most common is the im- PAUL’S USE OF THE perative mood of the verb. Prohibitions are formed by using the negative particle IMPERATIVE MOOD IN HIS mh/ me with the present imperative. An- LETTERS TO TIMOTHY other way to express prohibitions is me AND TITUS plus the aorist subjunctive.2 Simple indicatives also could convey the impera- JOHN A. BATTLE tive idea, as when Paul might say, “I com- mand, urge, exhort such-and-such.”3 In the entire canon of the Bible, there However, the number of simple impera- is no part that so explicitly instructs the tives far outnumbers these other meth- pastor as Paul’s three Pastoral Epistles. ods.4 This article will examine these im- Timothy and Titus had accompanied Paul perative verb forms in the Pastoral on his mission journeys and had helped Epistles. By doing this, we should be able him in important ways in his dealings with to appreciate the importance and empha- the churches. They were then established sis Paul associated with each pastoral to lead the churches in Ephesus and in duty. Crete. In his later years Paul wrote to them, providing counsel, instruction, encour- PRESENT AND A ORIST IMPERATIVES agement, warning, and directions.1 Paul’s Some older grammarians have sought inspired exhortations to these two to distinguish from the tenses of impera- younger pastors are timeless. After two tive verbs the type of action commanded thousand years we still receive them as or prohibited.5 However, a more thorough God’s word. Pastors, in particular, find study of the examples of these construc- here the guidelines for being a pastor/ tions in the New Testament has clearly theologian, a workman of God, bringing demonstrated that these conclusions are the truth of God to our churches today. not justified.6

When a new minister is ordained, or Rather, as the modern term “aspect” a new pastor is installed in a church, very for the older word “tense” would indicate, frequently the sermon or the charge to these tenses show us the author’s view the minister will be taken from the Pasto- of the action, the way he wants us to think ral Epistles. They provide a wealth of ap- about the action, not necessarily the ac- propriate texts for the occasion. But which tion itself. It may be that the action pro- of these injunctions are the most impor- hibited is already in progress, or it may tant? One way to get a complete picture not be in progress; the context has to de- of Paul’s instructions is to examine all the termine each case. imperative statements in the letters. By looking at all his imperative statements, In general, the aorist tense indicates we see what his emphases were. We see that the action commanded or prohibited that Paul desired ministers to be pastor/ is viewed as a single whole. We frequently theologians. find this tense used for commands that are more “one-time” events. For example, There are several ways that a writer when Paul asks Timothy and Titus to greet could express commands or other impera- certain individuals when they receive his The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005

. 13 letters, he uses the aorist.7 The aorist does INDIRECT COMMANDS USING THE THIRD not mean the command is necessarily PERSON IMPERATIVE more urgent,8 but that it simply is viewed Greek is unlike English in that it uses overall, not as a particularly durative or a third person imperative (“let him do repeated action. something”) in addition to the more com- mon second person imperative (“you do Unlike the aorist, the present tense something”). When Paul tells Timothy to “looks at the action from an internal view- “let them serve as deacons,”10 he is com- point. It is used for the most part for gen- manding, not only that the deacons eral precepts—i.e., for habits that should should meet their qualifications and do characterize one’s attitudes and behav- their duty, but that Timothy should exert ior—rather than in specific situations.”9 himself to see to it that they indeed meet In the Pastoral Epistles Paul uses the those qualifications and do that duty. In present imperative more frequently than that sense, the third person imperative is the aorist. In general his commands and an indirect second person imperative. The prohibitions are permanent injunctions, person who receives this command is to which were to apply to their entire minis- take appropriate action, to be consistent tries, as well as to ours. with the other person’s fulfilling the stated command. This table shows how often Paul uses the present and aorist imperative forms in The Pastoral Epistles use the third the Pastoral Epistles. person imperative sixteen times. Five times these commands are directed to the con- Pres. Impv. Aor. Impv. Total gregation as a whole: “let no one despise 11 1 Tim 41 (95%) 2 (5%) 43 you [Timothy, Titus]” (used twice), “let them [the elders] be honored,”12 “let our Titus 11 (79%) 3 (21%) 14 people learn of good works,”13 and “let 2 Tim 17 (52%) 16 (48%) 33 everyone abstain from wickedness.”14 In Totals 69 (77%) 21 (23%) 90 three of these cases Paul commands the pastors to conduct themselves and to Paul uses the present imperative 77% of teach so that the church members will re- the time, total. The spread in Titus is spect and honor them and the elders, and about average for these letters. In 1 Timo- twice to teach the people to live godly thy Paul nearly always uses the present lives, separate from the sinful culture. imperative (95%), perhaps because he is concerned to establish Timothy’s minis- The other examples of the third per- try on a permanent foundation. However, son imperative are directed to specific in 2 Timothy he uses the aorist much more groups within the church. Once he in- frequently, perhaps because he is soon structs Timothy to “let a woman learn in to die, and he sees all these commands, all submission.”15 Three times he directs both the personal, “punctiliar,” actions as the choosing and responsibilities of dea- well as more permanent injunctions, in a cons: “let these men be tested first,”16 “let more immediate light. them serve as deacons,”17 and “let dea- cons be husbands of one wife.”18 Four times he gives orders concerning the sup- The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 14 port of widows: “let them [the families] no such immediate command. He tells learn to take care of their widows,”19 “let Titus to “be diligent to come to me,” to not a widow be enrolled,”20 “let her “help Zenas and Apollos on their way,” [younger Christian woman in family] sup- and to “greet those who love us in port them,”21 and “let not the church be faith.”26 Just before his martyrdom Paul burdened.”22 And three times he directs made similar commands to Timothy: “be the activities of church members who are diligent to come to me,” “bring Mark with slaves: “let them regard their own mas- you,” “bring the cloak,” “greet Priscilla ters,”23 “let them not despise [their mas- and Aquila,” and “be diligent to come ters],”24 and “let them serve.”25 before winter.”27

In all these cases, whether address- Since these commands are one-time ing the congregation as a whole or groups events, they normally are given in the within the congregation—women, dea- aorist tense.28 The six aorist imperatives cons, widows and their families, slaves— in this category account for many of those the third person imperative is directed to in the Pastoral Epistles. If we remove the the pastors so that they will teach, in- eight examples in this category, the aorist struct, and organize their churches so that imperative is used only 18% of the time in all those in the congregation will fulfill the rest of these letters. their respective duties. Although these commands are the DIRECT COMMANDS USING THE SECOND most time-bound of those in the Pastoral PERSON IMPERATIVE Epistles, they are significant nonetheless. Paul uses the second person impera- The commands to greet Paul’s friends in- tive (“you do something”) most frequently, struct us in the importance of maintaining seventy-four times in the Pastoral personal contact and friendship within the Epistles. While the third person impera- church, and his personal requests show tives address the need to instruct others us the duty of helping one another in the in their particular duties, the second per- ministry, especially those who are in any son indicatives refer primarily to the pas- kind of need. tors’ lives and ministries themselves. These imperatives cover a wide area of Church Life the pastor’s life and ministry. I have di- vided them into five different categories: There remain sixty-six imperatives in immediate commands, church life, per- the Pastoral Epistles that can be divided sonal life, study, and preaching. among this and the remaining three cat- egories. However, many of these impera- Immediate Commands tives are applicable to more than one cat- egory. Therefore, I will be including some The Pastoral Epistles contain eight usages in more than one category, and examples of Paul’s using the imperative the total of the four categories will exceed to request or command an immediate par- sixty-six. ticular action on the part of Timothy or Titus. These are grouped at the ends of Twenty-one imperatives in the Pas- Titus and 2 Timothy. 1 Timothy contains toral Epistles address the pastor’s con- The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 15 duct in the church, the way he lives among ues all through the week, as they make the people. Most of these command him contact with people in and out of their to treat particular people or groups of congregations. people in the church in a particular man- ner: “exhort him [an elder],”29 “honor wid- Personal Life ows,”30 “refuse young widows,”31 “do not receive an accusation against an el- Not only does Paul instruct pastors der,”32 “rebuke [the ones sinning],”33 “do concerning their lives in the church, but also in their own personal lives and walk with the Lord. This aspect of the ministry The preaching in the is vital. Paul twenty-three times in these letters commands pastors in this area, pulpit must be founded on notably in his letters to Timothy. the labor in the study. An effective pastor must first In one case these commands are very be a sound theologian. practical in nature: “do not drink water” and “use a little wine for your stomach’s sake.”46 not lay hands [ordain a new elder] Paul commands Timothy to share in quickly” and “do not [thereby] share sins his life of suffering for the gospel: “join of others,”34 “command the rich,”35 “re- with me in suffering,”47 “suffer hardship prove them [sinners like the Cretans] with [me],”48 and “endure hardship.”49 sharply,”36 “encourage the young men,”37 “reject a heretic,”38 “entrust to Usually, Paul exhorts the ministers to faithful men,”39 “reprove, rebuke, exhort avoid snares of sin and to live consis- [these may be directed to individuals as tently with their preaching: “exercise your- needed],”40 and “against whom self for godliness,”50 “be an example for [Alexander] guard yourself.”41 It can be believers,”51 “be in these things [contents seen that frequently the ministries of Timo- of preaching],”52 “give attention to your- thy and Titus concerned their daily con- self and to the teaching” and “remain in tacts with people in their congregations. them,”53 “keep yourself free from sin,”54 They were to be pastors at all times, ap- “flee these things [love of money and re- plying the word of God to them as appro- lated sins],”55 “pursue righteousness,”56 priate. “fight the good fight of faith” and “take hold of eternal life,”57 “be strong in the A few of these examples concern the grace,”58 “avoid worldly empty chatter,”59 pastor’s life in the church in a more gen- “flee youthful lusts” and “pursue righ- eral way: “avoid foolish controversies,”42 teousness,”60 “avoid these [godless] “think about what I say [concerning the men,”61 “remain in the things you church supporting the pastor],”43 “refuse learned,”62 “be sober,”63 and “fulfill your foolish questions,”44 and “do the work of ministry.”64 an evangelist” and “fulfill your minis- try.”45 All the imperatives in this category All these imperatives speak to the remind pastors that their calling contin- pastor’s life as a whole. We are to live the The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 16 gospel we preach, constantly guarding The preaching in the pulpit must be ourselves against sin and people who founded on the labor in the study.81 An would lead us into sin. We are to pay at- effective pastor must first be a sound theo- tention to our lives, so that they may en- logian. hance the gospel testimony, and that we ourselves would be blessed by God. Preaching

Study The final category of imperatives in the Pastoral Epistles is that dealing with Eighteen times in these epistles Paul preaching. I would place thirty-seven ex- encourages and commands the pastor, amples in this large category. Most of Timothy in this case, to study God’s word these examples have been included in pre- and theology, so as to preach truth to the vious categories as well, especially the people. categories of church life and of study. Clearly, however, Paul viewed the pulpit Three times Paul encourages “nega- ministry as a central task of the ministry. tive study,” that is, keeping away from false teaching and scholastic distractions: As with the warnings in the previous “keep away from foolish myths,”65 “avoid section, Paul commands the pastors to foolish controversies,”66 and “refuse fool- resist the temptation to preach on unprof- ish questions.”67 The reason for this cau- itable subjects: “keep away from foolish tion is emphasized in another imperative, myths,”82 “avoid foolish controver- showing what Timothy must be remem- sies,”83 and “refuse foolish questions.”84 bering: “know this: difficult times will These same three imperatives refer to come.”68 preaching as well as to study.

The other fourteen examples in this Preaching is to be Scripturally based: category encourage continual study, to “pay attention to the [public] reading [of master and guard the teaching Paul com- the Scripture].”85 Paul commands loyalty mitted to him, and to prepare to preach to the apostolic doctrine: “take pains with them to the people: “do not neglect the these things” and “be in these things,”86 spiritual gift that is in you,”69 “take pains “give attention to yourself and to the with these things” and “be in these teaching” and “remain in them,”87 “guard things,”70 “give attention to yourself and what has been committed to you,”88 to the teaching” and “remain in them,”71 “speak the things that are fitting for sound “guard what has been committed to doctrine,”89 “have the pattern of sound you,”72 “have the pattern of sound words,”90 “guard the good thing en- words,”73 “guard the good thing en- trusted to you,”91 and “preach the trusted to you,”74 “be strong in the word.”92 Note also that the three impera- grace,”75 “remember Jesus Christ,”76 “be tives in 2 Timothy 4:2, “reprove, rebuke, diligent to present yourself,”77 “remain in exhort,” are all connected to the phrase the things you learned,”78 “be ready in “with all longsuffering and doctrine.” Paul season, out of season,”79 and “fulfill your clearly expects pastors to preach theologi- ministry.”80 cally. The great body of Christian truth

The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 17 contained in the Bible is to be the subject Jesus,”111 “be diligent to present your- when the pastor ascends the pulpit. self to God,”112 “be ready in season, out of season,”113 and “fulfill your minis- Frequently Paul commands simple in- try.”114 struction in the truth. This is shown in most of the examples quoted in the previous para- CONCLUSION graph. In addition, other passages show Paul’s final letters to Timothy and how Paul wants pastors to encourage and Titus are the best and most concentrated instruct the congregation, or parts of the source of instructions for ministers. congregation, in knowledge and in their Ninety times Paul commands pastors, duties as Christians: “encourage [believ- using the imperative verb. Analysis of ers to do these things],”93 “encourage the these occurrences reveals that, in addi- young men,”94 “speak these things” and tion to personal requests made at the “encourage,”95 “remind them to be subject time, he addresses their personal lives, [to rulers],”96 “entrust [the doctrine] to their personal contacts with Christians, faithful men,”97 “remind [them] of these their studies, and their preaching. He things,”98 and “do the work of an evange- also instructs them to be the conduit for list.”99 his commands to the believers in their churches. Pastors are to be true pastor/ Sometimes preaching must be nega- theologians, living, studying, and tive, attacking false beliefs and practices, preaching the faithful apostolic tradition and warning against sin: “rebuke [the ones recorded in Scripture. sinning],”100 “fight the good fight of faith,”101 “reprove them [Cretans] 1 This article is assuming the Pauline sharply,”102 “reprove with all authority,”103 authorship of the Pastoral Epistles. For and “reprove” and “rebuke.”104 a defense of this position, see the accompanying article in this issue of This matter of authority in preaching the WRS Journal by Dennis W. was important to Paul. Timothy, especially, Jowers, “Observations on the Authen- seemed to need this encouragement. In ticity of the Pastoral Epistles.” addition to rebuking sin while preaching, 2 This form is much less frequent than other aspects of preaching also need to be me with the present imperative. Daniel done with authority: “command these B. Wallace notes that of the 50 things” and “teach these things,”105 “com- prohibitions in the NT using one of mand these things,”106 “teach these these two forms, only 10 use the aorist things,”107 “command the rich,”108 and “ex- subjunctive, Greek Grammar Beyond hort.”109 the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: All of a pastor’s ministry must be based Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), on the enabling work of the Holy Spirit, 724, n. 29. I detected two of these uses and it is the pastor’s duty to cooperate with in the Pastorals, 1 Tim 5:1, “Do not that work, and to constantly renew his spiri- rebuke an elder,” and 2 Tim 1:8, “Do tual strength to preach the gospel: “do not not be ashamed.” neglect the spiritual gift that is in you,”110 3 For example, 1 Tim 1:3; 2:1. In “be strong in the grace that is in Christ addition, there is one example in the The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 18 Pastoral Epistles using the optative class he mentioned a counter-example to mood with me, 1 Tim 4:16, “Let it not be the barking dog story. When he was in counted against them”; here the force is Greece riding a bus he saw inside the that of a prayer. bus a Greek sign posted, “Do not be 4 I tallied 90 examples of the imperative talking to the driver”; it was in the mood in the Pastoral Epistles. These will present imperative; however, it certainly be referenced throughout this article. did not imply that the passengers were 5 E.g., H. E. Dana and Julius R. Mantey, then talking to the driver and had to A Manual Grammar of the Greek New stop! Testament (New York: The Macmillan 7 Titus 3:15; 2 Tim 4:19. Company, 1956), 301-302, state categori- 8 Boyer, “Classification of Imperatives,” cally, “A prohibition expressed with the 45-46. present tense demands the cessation of 9 Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the some act that is already in progress,” Basics, 721. while “a prohibition expressed in the 10 1 Tim 3:10. aorist tense is a warning or exhortation 11 1 Tim 4:12; Titus 2:15. against doing a thing not yet begun” 12 1 Tim 5:17. (emphasis theirs). They refer to the 13 Titus 3:14. famous “barking dog” story involving a 14 2 Tim 2:19. grammarian who, while traveling in 15 1 Tim 2:11. Greece, heard a barking dog’s master 16 1 Tim 3:10. command his dog not to bark, using the 17 Ibid. present indicative. From that clue, and a 18 1 Tim 3:12. similar usage found in Plato, he deduced 19 1 Tim 5:4. that this grammatical construction in the 20 1 Tim 5:9. NT implies the stopping of an action in 21 1 Tim 5:16. progress; for the story, see James Hope 22 Ibid. Moulton, A Grammar of New Testament 23 1 Tim 6:1. Greek (Vol. 1 of the 4-vol. set; 24 1 Tim 6:2. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1906; reprinted 25 Ibid. 1988), 122. 26 Titus 3:12, 13, 15. 6 See, e.g., the excellent discussion in 27 2 Tim 4:9, 11, 13, 19, 21. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the 28 All are aorist except “bring Mark with Basics, 714-725. My dissertation advisor you” and “bring the cloak” in 2 Tim in postgraduate school, James L. Boyer, 4:11, 13. Perhaps he used the present was one of the pioneers in this work, as indicative in those two cases, with the he was involved in the GRAMCORD subconscious thought of the planning project, using the new computer and preparation necessary to carry out technology (this was in the 1970s!) to those tasks. These commands could be identify and catalog in a searchable expanded, “[and while you are coming] database all the examples of various be bringing Mark with you,” and “[and grammatical forms and constructions in while you are coming] be bringing the the NT. See his “A Classification of cloak.” Imperatives: A Statistical Study,” Grace 29 1 Tim 5:1. Theological Journal 8:1 (1987) 35-54. In 30 1 Tim 5:3. The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 19 31 1 Tim 5:11. 76 2 Tim 2:8. 32 1 Tim 5:19. 77 2 Tim 2:15. 33 1 Tim 5:20. 78 2 Tim 3:14. 34 1 Tim 5:22. 79 2 Tim 4:2. 35 1 Tim 6:17. 80 2 Tim 4:5. 36 Titus 1:13. 81 My high school debate coach used to 37 Titus 2:6. tell us, “Debates are won in the study, 38 Titus 3:10. not on the platform.” His debate teams 39 2 Tim 2:2. frequently won honors in regional and 40 2 Tim 4:2. state competitions. 41 2 Tim 4:15. 82 1 Tim 4:7. 42 Titus 3:9. 83 Titus 3:9. 43 2 Tim 2:7. 84 2 Tim 2:23. 44 2 Tim 2:23. 85 1 Tim 4:13. 45 2 Tim 4:5. 86 1 Tim 4:15. 46 1 Tim 5:23. 87 1 Tim 4:16. 47 2 Tim 1:8. 88 1 Tim 6:20. 48 2 Tim 2:3. 89 Titus 2:1. 49 2 Tim 4:5. 90 2 Tim 1:13. 50 1 Tim 4:7. 91 2 Tim 1:14. 51 1 Tim 4:12. 92 2 Tim 4:2. 52 1 Tim 4:15. 93 1 Tim 6:2. 53 1 Tim 4:16. 94 Titus 2:6. 54 1 Tim 5:22. 95 Titus 2:15. 55 1 Tim 6:11. 96 Titus 3:1. 56 Ibid. 97 2 Tim 2:2. 57 1 Tim 6:12. 98 2 Tim 2:14. 58 2 Tim 2:1. 99 2 Tim 4:5. 59 2 Tim 2:16. 100 1 Tim 5:12. 60 2 Tim 2:22. 101 1 Tim 6:12. 61 2 Tim 3:5. 102 Titus 1:13. 62 2 Tim 3:14. 103 Titus 2:15. 63 2 Tim 4:5. 104 2 Tim 4:2. 64 Ibid. 105 1 Tim 4:11. 65 1 Tim 4:7. 106 1 Tim 5:7. 66 Titus 3:9. 107 1 Tim 6:2. 67 2 Tim 2:23. 108 1 Tim 6:17. 68 2 Tim 3:1. 109 2 Tim 4:2. 69 1 Tim 4:14. 110 1 Tim 4:14. 70 1 Tim 4:15. 111 2 Tim 2:1. 71 1 Tim 4:16. 112 2 Tim 2:15. 72 1 Tim 6:20. 113 2 Tim 4:2. 73 2 Tim 1:13. 114 2 Tim 4:5. 74 2 Tim 1:14. 75 2 Tim 2:1. The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 20 HISTORY TWO EARLY AMERICAN tance for the servant of the Lord is the PRESBYTERIAN PASTOR- necessity of knowing Whom he serves. THEOLOGIANS: SAMUEL There are plenty of false prophets today DAVIES AND ARCHIBALD and mercenary shepherds who view the ALEXANDER ministry as just another profession that is part of the care industry, albeit within a religious context. These blind leaders of CHRISTOPHER K. LENSCH the blind will bear a greater judgment be- fore God’s throne. To serve the living God, INTRODUCTION however, is to serve as His duty-bound American Presbyterianism has a rich ambassador, declaring and doing His will tradition of producing pastors who have without regard to one’s personal desires. been interested in theology. Since the Reformation, Presbyterianism has Secondly, because the study of God stressed the importance of an “educated is unfathomable, pastor-teachers should ministry.” If pastors are to teach their make it their life-long pursuit to begin to flocks how to “love the Lord your God know the perfections and purposes of with all your mind,”1 then they themselves God. To plumb the excellencies of God must cultivate this faculty in pursuit of should, ipso facto, lead pastors and their the knowledge and enjoyment2 of God. flocks to glorify God for who He is. Some pastors complain of dry wells after a num- Besides requiring extensive training ber of years of preaching; oftentimes the in theology and biblical studies, dearth is the result of doing all ministry Presbyterianism encourages its prospec- and not “doing theology.” tive pastors to gain a solid foundation in the liberal arts. One reason for this is be- Of course, the study of theology cause pastors will be ministering to souls should be more than an academic exer- from almost every social strata and from cise. Pastors pursue the knowledge of God many levels of education and life experi- for God’s sake, and a third reason is to ence. His breadth of knowledge and his learn practical uses of that knowledge. maturity of thought will open opportuni- Pastors are spiritual leaders who must lead ties for the pastor to relate to people from God’s flock into green pastures. different strata in life. A college education can accelerate and collocate what other- Finally, the mastery of theology wise might take 20+ years of adult life ex- coupled with the tools of logic and rheto- perience. ric will enable pastors to defend revealed truth3 against its adversaries, because not MASTERS OF DIVINITY SHOULD MASTER all men have faith.4 THE SUBJECT The initial rigorous and then on-go- PRESBYTERIAN PARADIGM FROM EARLY ing study of theology by the pastor AMERICA serves several purposes. Of first impor-

The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 21 Francis Makemie, the earliest Pres- Early America was blessed with many byterian church planter in the new world, noted pastor-theologians, with none had taken formal training in theology be- greater than Jonathan Edwards.7 While fore receiving his ministerial credentials numerous examples could be cited, this from the Presbyterian church in Ulster. His article will survey two key Presbyterians: advanced training served him well in plant- Samuel Davies, a leader in the first Great ing churches on the eastern seaboard and Awakening before America’s indepen- in organizing the first presbytery of min- dence, and Archibald Alexander, who isters who had been arriving from the Old helped cultivate the groundwork of the World (1707). His liberal arts training and second Awakening and who labored dur- his Reformation perspective also were ing the formative years of the new nation. particularly useful when he was forced to defend his right to preach against the SAMUEL DAVIES unjust governor of New York. Edwards, who sparked the Great Awakening in New England in the early While other early American denomi- 1740s, was interested in revivals in other nations5 did not always encourage for- colonies, especially after he met George mal training for their ministers, colonial Whitefield, who was the common denomi- Presbyterians insisted upon maintaining nator in the spread of the Awakening. In their hallmark of fielding educated minis- 1749 Edwards took note of the activities ters. Presbyterian ministers of the colo- of the young Samuel Davies in Virginia, nial 1700s found training at institutions and wrote, either in the British Isles or at New En- gland Congregational bastions like Yale I have heard lately a credible account University. Many also were tutored by of a remarkable work of conviction and skilled ministers at the tutor’s home church. conversion among whites and Ne- Often an annex to the church was erected groes at Hanover, Virginia, under the and dedicated to the training of prospec- ministry of Mr. Davies, who is lately tive ministers. These rough-hewn cabins settled there, and has the character of became derisively known as “log col- a very ingenious and pious young leges.”6 man.8

Out of these log colleges, however, Samuel Davies, of Welsh descent, came some of America’s most skilled was born in Delaware in 1723. His Baptist churchmen and pastors for that era. Chief mother named him “Samuel” because she among these were Gilbert Tennant with had asked him of God after a time of not his brothers, and Samuel Davies. These being able to bear children. Samuel late in men were classically trained. To them were life confessed that he believed his most imparted the great truths of historic Chris- important blessings were the result of the tianity. Their grasp of true doctrine prayers of his pious mother. coupled with the Reformation spirit that they imbibed from their Presbyterian fore- His pious parents also guided him fathers gifted them for fruitful ministries. toward the ministry. Unable to afford a university education, young Samuel was given into the hands of Samuel Blair at The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 22 Faggs Manor, Pennsylvania. Davies his ministry and dear family was would write fondly in his journal of those the knowledge that he might be days at the Log College,9 and he was more useful in England than in happy whenever he could return there Virginia in seeking religious free- even after Mr. Blair had passed to glory. dom for dissenters.12

At age 22 Samuel Davies was li- 3. Finally, Samuel Davies had a for- censed to preach the gospel by the New mative influence on the young Castle (Delaware) Presbytery, and a year Patrick Henry.13 Henry’s Angli- later he was ordained as an evangelist to can mother, who had embraced Virginia. In his new assignment he Presbyterianism during the Great pastored seven churches spread through Awakening, first took her son at five wilderness counties. His later prin- age eleven to hear the evange- ciple area of activity became Hanover list Davies. Many more visits to County in eastern Virginia. There he left the Hanover Meeting House fol- his mark in three significant ways: lowed during Henry’s teenage years. Young Patrick delighted 1. Davies was the driving force in as much in Davies’ rhetorical organizing the Hanover flare as in the gospel message Presbytery, of which he was the and the message of personal first moderator.10 This freedom in Christ. Patrick Henry presbytery included all Presby- later revealed the beginnings of terian ministers in Virginia and oratorical aspirations: “I was first North Carolina. taught what an orator should be by listening to Davies 2. Davies ministered in a colonial preach.”14 era when the Anglican Church was the only legal church—all A gifted public speaker with the no- others were “sects” that had to blest of messages, Davies used his gifts apply to the crown for a license and organizational skills to bring the light to preach and assemble.11 of the gospel to America’s first colony. Samuel Davies was the leading Many call him the “Apostle of Virginia.” voice of his day in advocating religious liberty and early civil In demand as a gifted preacher and rights, and through his prudent colonial leader, Davies’ last change of and gracious approach to the course as a pastor-theologian came when governor, a measure of liberty he reluctantly responded to a call to serve was attained. When the college as the President of the College of New of New Jersey asked him to visit Jersey at Princeton. Jonathan Edwards England in behalf of the college had just died in that position after a short to raise funds for a new campus tenure, and the board wanted someone at Princeton, he refused twice. with wide recognition like Edwards’, who Upon reconsideration at the had scholastic talents and ministerial ex- third appeal, a major factor in perience, and who also was sympathetic moving him to take leave from to New Side (revivalistic) Presbyterianism. The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 23 Samuel Davies, who had raised money for Pardon for crimes of deepest dye, a Princeton, was that servant leader. pardon bought with Jesus’ blood. Davies served from 1759-1761 and influ- O may this strange, this matchless enced a host of graduates who would grace, this god-like miracle of love, enter service to the new country as Fill the whole earth with grateful judges, congressmen, signers of the Dec- praise, and all th’angelic choirs laration of Independence, and chaplains above. in the Continental Army, as well as a host of faithful ministers of the gospel. He died ARCHIBALD ALEXANDER of pneumonia, burned out from a life of Archibald Alexander was born in over-exertion before age 38. 1772 in a log cabin on the western slopes of the Blue Mountains of Virginia. His grandfather Alexander had immigrated to Out of these log colleges, Pennsylvania from Londonderry, Ireland, just a few years before the Great Awaken- however, came some of ing, from which time he counted his con- America’s most skilled version. Archibald’s father was a Presby- churchmen and pastors for terian elder and prosperous farmer in the that era. Chief among central valley of Virginia. these were Gilbert Tennant Archibald’s early farm experiences with his brothers, and taught him personal responsibility and Samuel Davies. self-reliance. He loved the outdoors, from which he later would relate vivid yet homey sermon illustrations. He was read- ing the New Testament at age five, and by A poet in his own right, Davies had the age of seven he had memorized the been asked on different occasions to com- Westminster Shorter Catechism. pose burial epitaphs for the tombstones of his church members. Christian hymns In 1774 the Hanover Presbytery had that he left Christ’s church are part of his established a training institute in own lasting legacy. Recognized as Alexander’s neighborhood, the “Liberty America’s first hymn writer in the mold of Academy.”15 There his early teen years Isaac Watts, one of his most famous is were spent under the tutelage of William “Great God of Wonders,” set to music by Graham, who had sat under the august John Newton: John Witherspoon at Princeton. Graham taught his students classical languages, “Great God of wonders! All Thy science, and Archibald’s favorite subject, ways are matchless, God-like, and philosophy. Graham exercised consider- divine; able personal influence over his students, But the fair glories of Thy grace and one of his dictums left a lasting im- more God-like and unrivaled shine. pression on Archibald Alexander: “If you In wonder lost, with trembling joy, ever mean to become a theologian…you we take the pardon of our God: must come at it not by reading but by think- ing.”16 The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 24 God was preparing the young His time at the academy polished his Alexander to play a pivotal role in the for- critical thinking skills and exposed him to mation of Princeton Seminary, renowned the world of ideas. Young Alexander for its balance of scholasticism and evan- showed scholarly promise early, and by gelical piety. By age 24 he had taken over age 16 he himself was tutoring his own the presidency of Hampden-Sydney Col- pupils in eastern Virginia. Teaching Latin lege, an institution founded by the forced him to master the language, a tool Hanover Presbytery to train pastors in that would open for him the theological Virginia. Showing the heart of a pastor, he works of western Christianity.17 He had a kept one of his congregations in the early gift for languages, and their mastery cul- stages of this new duty. tivated in him a precision of thought and facility of expression. A life-long habit was After several years at the helm of the to read daily a chapter from the Hebrew college, he left to re-enter the pastorate. Testament. He also married, “finding a good thing” in Janetta, the daughter of one of the lead- While tutoring away from home, the ing Presbyterian preachers of Virginia.20 writings of the Puritan, John Flavel, deeply As he began his labors at the Third Pres- impressed young Archibald. In fact he byterian Church in Philadelphia, Archibald counted his own spiritual transformation Alexander could not see that he was from a Sunday evening when he was read- shortly destined to serve for the rest of ing a Flavel sermon to friends. Thereupon his life as a seminary professor and ad- he drank deeply from many Puritan writ- ministrator. Janetta would be God’s gift21 ers, but confessed his greatest debt to to reinforce in him the supreme importance Flavel.18 of preaching God’s Word.

At the encouragement of Graham, his America was growing westward in old mentor, Archibald Alexander was li- the early 1800s. In response to pleas from censed to preach in 1791. He was only 19 the pastor of Philadelphia’s influential years old. Between this time and his ordi- Third Presbyterian Church and other like- nation three years later by the Hanover minded colleagues to produce more labor- Presbytery, he ventured into an extended ers for the harvest, the General Assembly period of itinerant preaching, often com- determined to establish a new seminary posing his sermons in the saddle. David at Princeton. The location would give ac- Calhoun captures the critical importance cess to the resources of the College of of this development for the budding pas- New Jersey there, and it was located on tor-theologian: “Alexander’s whole min- the border of the two largest synods of istry was shaped by the experiences of Philadelphia and New York. Archibald these years. He learned to preach simple Alexander was drafted to lead the fledg- sermons in plain language, combing the ling endeavor. great doctrines and themes of the Bible with searching application.”19 Later as a With his pastoral experience on the seminary professor he would prescribe frontier as well as in the urban setting of itinerant preaching to his own students. Philadelphia, and with his academic and administrative credentials from his time at The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 25 Hampden-Sydney College, Alexander was Princeton Seminary in his inaugural mes- the right choice. In 1812 he moved his fam- sage when he preached from the words of ily of six to Princeton. That year his home Jesus: “Search the scriptures; for in them served as the seminary’s classroom, li- ye think ye have eternal life: and these are brary, chapel, and dining hall.22 Alexander they which testify of me.”26 That is the undertook the burden of developing a theological duty of all pastors who are new curriculum while teaching every sub- called to know Christ and to make Him ject in every department. A later student known. wrote of that first year, “We are appalled at the burden that was laid on one pair of 1 Mark 12:30. shoulders!”23 2 Westminster Shorter Catechism #1. 3 “Holding fast the faithful word as he CONCLUSION hath been taught, that he may be able Such is the heart of the pastor-theo- by sound doctrine both to exhort and to logian. Ministry means sacrificial service, convince the gainsayers” (Titus 1:9.). even for those who minister God’s Word 4 2 Thess 3:2. inside ivy-covered halls. Ministry means 5 Methodists and Baptists kept up diligent labor in the Word24 even when better with frontier expansion after one is called to shepherd the sheep. The America’s independence by ordaining ministry is more than the method, and it is willing, though untrained, lay leaders. even more than the message. Gifted men 6 The most famous account of one of like Alexander and Davies modeled the these log colleges was written by standard of the apostle—they imparted Archibald Alexander and is available their own lives along with the message.25 from Banner of Truth Press. The Log College describes the setting and Samuel Davies put his life at risk and training that William Tennant, who was he had to commit his family to God when trained in Ireland, offered his sons and he crossed the stormy Atlantic during the other young men. This log college was winter in order to raise money from En- at Neshaminy, Penn., northeast of gland to relocate the College of New Jer- Philadelphia. Another famous log sey to Princeton. He saw God bless that college was the Rev. Samuel Blair’s at endeavor and he gained his own desire of Faggs Manor, Penn., south west of a greater measure of freedom for dissent- Philadelphia. Samuel Davies was trained ing preachers in Virginia. Davies’ theo- in theology there. The “graduates” of logical and classical training prepared him the log colleges played prominently in for these opportunities and for others that promoting the first Great Awakening. followed. 7 Edwards, a Congregationalist, is justly recognized as one of the top five Alexander’s first year as the sole pro- theologians in Christian history, and fessor at Princeton Seminary was difficult one of the best thinkers that America but rewarding. His reward was to set the has produced. Edwards did the prepon- course of the institution and to shape the derance of his theological writing during tenor of the ministries of its graduates for his 35+ years as a pastor and frontier more than a hundred years. This pastor- missionary. Holding Presbyterian theologian marked his imprint upon sympathies, he spent the last few The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 26 months of his life as president of the patriotic spirit flashing in the tapestry of College of New Jersey (Princeton), but fire he wove with every message.’” – otherwise he must be recognized as the Cited at http://www.pastwords.net/ classic “pastor-theologian.” pw222.html. 8 Cited at http://www.pastwords.net/ 15 Not quite a “log college,” this church pw222.html. sponsored 24’X 28’cabin was a prep 9 Davies wrote, “Oh, how dreadful is academy. this place! This is none other than the 16 Cited in Calhoun’s Princeton house of God, and this is the gate of Seminary, I: 48. heaven.” 17 Alexander confessed that in the last 10 The Hanover Presbytery was the half of his life he had read more works in mother of Presbyterianism in the South. Latin than in English. Cited in Calhoun, Its spiritual heir still exists today under Princeton Seminary, I: 45. the same name. More information on the 18 “To John Flavel I certainly owe more modern Hanover Presbytery may be than to any uninspired author.” J.W. found at http://www.rpchanover.org/. Alexander’s Life of Archibald 11 Davies was the first dissenter ever to Alexander, p. 44. receive a government license to preach 19 Calhoun, I: 49, 50. in Virginia. 20 Janetta was the daughter of James 12 During his year in England he Waddell who had been encouraged to actually did preach for King George II. undertake the ministry by none other 13 Delegate to the Constitutional than Samuel Davies. An eloquent Convention, George Mason, described pulpiteer, Patrick Henry claimed inspira- Henry’s oratorical skills: “He is by far tion from Wadell’s preaching also. the most powerful speaker I have ever 21 Alexander’s decision to take a detour heard. Every word he says not only to meet the famous Rev. Wadell, who by engages, but commands the attention, then was blind, proved to be life- and your passions are no longer your changing. Alexander could confess with own when he addresses them.” Cited in Eleazer, “I being in the way, the Lord led “Foundations of Liberty: Patrick Henry,” me” (Gen 24:27). p. 26. 22 How fitting that the first building on 14 “‘From Davies, young Patrick the campus of Princeton Seminary grasped the force and devastating effect should be renamed “Alexander Hall” of well-directed forensics,’ wrote Eva C. following the founder’s years of service Hartless in her 1977 biography of and since the school had grown out of Henry’s mother, Sarah. ‘The skills of his home. speaking—measured enunciation, 23 Cited in Calhoun, I: 59. carefully structured thinking, the 24 1 Tim 5:17. harmony of words, the rhythm of 25 “We were well pleased to impart to language, the subtle persuasion of you not only the gospel of God, but spontaneous gesticulation—all were also our own lives [viz., souls]” (1Thess evidenced in Davies’s sermons. Patrick 2:8); ctr. v. 6. looked upon him as the greatest orator 26 John 5:39. he ever heard. In addition, he caught from him the inspiration of the free and The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 27 THE SHEPHERD STUDENT “through the things which he suffered” (Heb 5:8). It is in this capacity that Christ EARL L. BROWN, JR. in the New Covenant provides a superior Shepherd and student (see 1 Pet 2:21). The Breath of Breath says Qoheleth, the active obedience of Christ merited the whole is breath. Not only was passive obedience of Christ upon the Qoheleth wise but he also taught cross. His atonement was worthy because knowledge to the people; he studi- He was worthy. ously weighed and arranged many proverbs. Qoheleth sought to find Only a definite atonement of Christ delightful words, and to write true for his people could do proper honor to words with precision. The words of His name as the Shepherd of the sheep the sages are like prods, and the col- (John 10:11). The dying words of J. lected sayings are like firmly fixed Gresham Machen were apt: “The active nails; they are given by one shepherd. obedience of Christ, no hope without it.”4 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. There is no end to FROM PALESTINE TO PRINCETON: FROM the making of many books, and much FIRST CENTURY TO TWENTIETH CENTURY study is wearisome to the body. Hav- We travel almost twice the time dis- ing heard everything, I have reached tance from the last interval, the first cen- this conclusion. Fear God and keep tury A.D. to the scholarly defense of the his commandments, for this is the faith as it existed at Princeton Theological whole duty of man. For God will evalu- Seminary.5 In the tradition of William ate every deed, including every se- Henry Green (1825-1900),6 Robert Dick cret thing, whether good or evil. Wilson (1856-1930) expressed his educa- tional philosophy as best quoted by his Ecclesiastes 12:8-14 protégé Allan Alexander MacRae (1902- [Brown adaptation of NET Bible1 ] 1997)7 :

The text set before us is not only the Build solidly. Prepare thoroughly. key to the interpretation of the book, but Never be satisfied with superficial an- it accurately coalesces the convergent swers. God’s Word can stand the most philosophy of life as a précis of the life of thorough investigation. Do not shirk Solomon,2 as it is paraphrased in the lives the difficult problems but seek to bring of Robert Dick Wilson, Allan MacRae, and the facts to light; for God’s Word and Robert W. Anderson.3 God’s world will never contradict one another.”8 LIFE TRANSITIONS: FROM SOLOMON TO JESUS, FROM DAVID’S SON TO DAVID’S FROM CALIFORNIA TO PRINCETON: FROM GREATER SON THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS A NGELES TO Solomon was the Old Covenant pro- PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY totype for the masterful Shepherd Student. In 1912 Reuben Archer Torrey (1856– Unlike Solomon, however, Jesus learned 1928) became academic dean of Biola, in his earthly human nature, obedience which was founded in 1908.9 Dr. Torrey

The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 28 was a mentor to many. Briefly, we con- A DANCE INSTRUCTOR AND AN INSURANCE trast two of his protégés. SALESMAN Donald Grey Barnhouse, command- Donald Grey Barnhouse (1895-1960) ing Bible teacher with explosive Walter at seventeen enrolled at Biola, the year Winchell delivery technique, was highly Torrey became academic dean.10 The regarded by two of his converts. The first young impressionable Barnhouse quickly was Samuel Lewis Johnson, Jr. (1915 - emulated his mentor, to the chagrin of Dr. 2004), who was affectionately dubbed Torrey. Barnhouse became so bombastic “the Barnhouse of the South.”14 The sec- with regard to dispensational truth, that ond was D. James Kennedy (b. 1930).15 when he enrolled at Princeton in 1915, as Both Johnson, who was originally by trade a junior in his first theology class with an insurance agent, and Kennedy, who Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield (1851- was an Arthur Murray dance instructor, 1921), in bibliology, he engaged his pro- were originally natives of the South.16 fessor in the intricacies of dispensational Both men became ministers of the gospel, premillennialism.11 one a seminary professor at Dallas Theo- logical Seminary, the other a chancellor of Knox Theological Seminary.17 These men, like Torrey and MacRae, were to become The same characteristic “men who mastered one Book,” who mas- of being unassuming and tered other books as conduits to channel unpretentious would people back to the Bible.18 characterize the life of Dr. Robert W. Anderson. FROM PRINCETON TO PHILADELPHIA AND TO TACOMA: FROM THE REORGANIZATION OF PRINCETON TO THE REORGANIZATIONS OF FTS Allan Alexander MacRae was unas- suming and unpretentious, yet in many When Allan MacRae enrolled at Biola ways was the embodiment of Old in 1925, Dr. Torrey impressed upon this Princeton after its reorganization in 1929.19 young protégé to unlearn the bad example He was greatly misunderstood by his of Barnhouse, who had blemished the friends at Westminster for his resignation reputation of the fledgling institute.12 from its faculty in the spring of 1937.20 He MacRae, much more disciplined than found great solace in his friendship with Barnhouse, never relied upon a bombas- James Oliver Buswell, Jr. (1895-1976), tic personality to intimidate by means of which later became strained due to the strength of personality. His hard work paid first reorganization of Faith Theological off. In two years he earned two degrees, Seminary in Elkins Park in 1956. MacRae the Th.B. from the seminary and an M.A. would find solace in a former student, John from the University of Princeton.13 W. Murray (1913-1996).21

FROM PHILADELPHIA TO CORAL RIDGE AND Nineteen years elapsed, from 1937 to DALLAS: FROM THE BIBLE STUDY HOUR TO 1956, before the first reorganization of Faith Seminary. Unexpectedly, the next The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 29 reorganization would come some fourteen ing various settings in time with clarity, years later.22 The great solace Dr. MacRae charity, and brevity.28 Robert Anderson found in his friendship with Dr. John W. excels in this. Murray would sustain him in the task of the founding of Biblical Theological Semi- Dr. Anderson, now as a father in the nary.23 Bible Presbyterian Church, demonstrates that “for the faith and by faith” was not Twelve years after 1971, another cri- merely the advertising slogan of Dr. sis developed at Faith Theological Semi- McIntire’s replicated in the next century.29 nary. This time the man, Dr. John Allen He demonstrates one who consistently, Battle, Jr., had to turn to a former student constantly and concisely appreciates the of Dr. MacRae’s, Dr. Robert W. Anderson mustering of biblical musar.30 Robert W. and the Tacoma church, to establish a Anderson, with cunning skill as a hunter, Bible Presbyterian seminary on the West in his analytical skill strips off the camou- Coast, originally intended to complement flage of liberal reconstructions with prob- the work of FTS in Philadelphia. This new ing acumen and exemplifies a well-trained seminary became Western Reformed Semi- Christian Warrior.31 He continues the nary of Tacoma, Washington.24 MacRae and Princeton tradition: “On es- sentials unity, on distinctives clarity, but The same characteristic of being un- on application of universals, charity.”32 assuming and unpretentious would char- acterize the life of Dr. Robert W. Ander- 1 The author has supplied a number of son. His love of history and zeal for both footnotes concerning the translation of the Reformed faith and the premillennial this passage. Because of space return of Christ demonstrated on numer- limitations they are not included in this ous occasions his depth of knowledge of printing. They will be available in the one Book buttressed with that of many electronic version of this article on the other books.25 WRS website (www.wrs.edu/ wrs_journal.htm). LIFE TRANSLATIONS: MACRAE’S APPROACH 2 See Thomas Vernon Taylor, “The AND ROBERT W. A NDERSON: ULTIMATE Significance of Ecclesiastes 12:8-14 for DESTINATION, THE SHEPHERD STUDENT IN the Authority, Inspiration, and Interpre- TRANSLATION FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST tation of the Words of Coheleth” CENTURY (unpublished S.T.M. thesis, Faith Robert W. Anderson, much like his Theological Seminary, Elkins Park, Pa., mentor Dr. MacRae, absorbed the spirit 1967), 134. Worthy of note recently, of Old Princeton.26 Dr. Anderson is as Peter Enns, “The Whole Duty of Man acutely and keenly aware that life, not only and the Evaluation of Qoheleth’s history, consists of objective realities, Wisdom in Qoh 12:13, or “The A is so subjective assessments, and providential and what’s more, B, Theology of arrangements.27 Ecclesiastes” in The Ideas of Biblical Interpretation: Essays in Honor of One has to keep straight current ap- James L. Kugel, ed. by Hindy Najman plication of life to personages, in their and Judith Newman (Lieden: Brill, 2004), placement of events in movements enact- 125-137. This author, as Taylor, would The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 30 disagree with Enns’s adaptation of Brown, Jr., “Christianity and Culture,” Michael V. Fox’s framework hypothesis Tenth: An Evangelical Quarterly 11:4 for the composition of the book and (October, 1981): 2-13. In this article the Tremper Longman III, The Book of author compared the attitudes of the Ecclesiastes (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, church to culture at the beginning of the 1998), 15-20. For a discussion which Twentieth Century via four prevailing updates commentary survey on views and compared them to similar Ecclesiastes see: James C. Pakala, “A views in the latter half of the Twentieth Librarian’s Comments on Commentaries Century, by four premillenarians: Carl 12 (Ecclesiastes),” Presbyterion 27:2 Curtis McIntire, Donald Grey (Fall, 2001): 147-149. Barnhouse, James Oliver Buswell, Jr., 3 Robert Dick Wilson (1856-1930) is and Francis August Schaeffer, Jr. treated in Bible Interpreters of the 5 Our focus is upon the Old Testament Twentieth Century, eds. Walter a. Ewell scholars at Princeton; they are covered and J. D. Weaver (Grand Rapids: Baker, in David B. Calhoun, Princeton Semi- 1999), “Robert Dick Wilson,” by Walter nary 1812-1869: Faith and Learning, C. Kaiser, Jr., pp. 73-81; D. G. Hart’s and Princeton Seminary 1869-1929: article concerning Wilson appeared in The Majestic Testimony (Carlisle, Pa.: both Dictionary of Christianity in Banner of Truth, 1994, 1996). America, ed. by Daniel G. Reid, Robert 6 William Henry Green (1825-1900) is D. Linder, Bruce L. Shelley, Harry S. treated in Bible Interpreters of the Stout (Downer’s Grove: Intervarsity, Twentieth Century. ed. by Walter A. 1999), and Dictionary of the Presbyte- Ewell and J. D. Weaver: “William Henry rian & Reformed Tradition in America, Green” by Marion Ann Taylor, pp. 22-36. ed. by D. G. Hart and Mark Knoll Both Dictionary of Christianity in (Downer’s Grove: Intervarsity, 1999). He America and Dictionary of the Presby- is barely mentioned in Randall Balmer, terian & Reformed Tradition in Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism America contain the same article by (Louisville: John Knox/Westminster Richard B. Gaffin. Peter Ennis, “William Press, 2002). For a full treatment on the Henry Green and the Authorship of the life of Dr. Allan A. MacRae, see: Earl L. Pentateuch: Some Historical Consider- Brown Jr., “Scholastic Legend and ations,” JETS 45:2 (September 2002): Legacy in the Bible Presbyterian 385-403. Church, 1938-1956,” WRS Journal 11 7 Although Oswald Thompson Allis (February, 2004): 20-34. The connection (1880-1973) is generally regarded as the between Allan MacRae and Robert W. successor to Robert Dick Wilson (see: Anderson will shortly be advanced. Bible Interpreters of the Twentieth 4 On the dying words of John Gresham Century, 22-130, and the article by D. G. Machen (1881-1937) see Ned B. Hart in both the Dictionary of Chris- Stonehouse, J. Gresham Machen: A tianity in America and the Dictionary Biographical Memoir (Grand Rapids: of The Presbyterian & Reformed Eerdmans, 1955), 508; Stephen J. Tradition in America), recent evidence Nichols, J. Gresham Machen: A Guided has come to light from the MacRae Tour of His Thought (Phillipsburg: P&R, papers at Covenant Theological 2004), 230, 235-237. See also Earl L. Seminary which leads one to suspect The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 31 that Dr. Wilson had a closer relationship Archer Torrey,” in Encyclopedia of with Allan A. MacRae than with Dr. Evangelicalism. Allis. On page two of a two page letter, 10 Donald Grey Barnhouse is treated by presumably written by Dr. MacRae to Bill J. Leonard, “Donald Grey his parents, dated 10/14/30, Allan Barnhouse,” Biographical Dictionary MacRae wrote that Mrs. Wilson, as of Evangelicals, and by Joel A. Carpen- executrix of Dr. Wilson’s will, invited ter in both Dictionary of Christianity in Allan MacRae to assume the task to America and Dictionary of The Presby- oversee the manuscripts that Dr. Wilson terian & Reformed Tradition in had written. This document can be America. Randall Balmer, “Donald Grey found: http://www.pca.net.org/history/ Barnhouse”, Encyclopedia of Evangeli- findingaids/wilson/decease.pdf. [cited calism; Allen C. Guelzo, “Barnhouse,” 18 April 2005]. Making God’s Word Plain (Philadelphia: 8 Robert Dick Wilson, “Is the Higher Tenth Presbyterian Church, 1979), 63-87, Criticism Scholarly?” (Philadelphia: reproduced in Philip G. Ryken, ed. Tenth Sunday School Times, 10th printing, Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia: 1922), preface. In addition to this dictum 175 Years of Thinking and Acting Dr. MacRae also believed in two other Biblically (Phillipsburg, N.J.: P.& R. dictums that I have not been able to Publishing, 2004). For a critical assess- trace to either R. D. Wilson, or to R. A. ment of Dr. Barnhouse’s position on Torrey: “When the plain sense of biblical separation see Earnest Scripture makes sense, seek no other Pickering, Biblical Separation: The sense.” David L. Cooper: “Always Struggle for a Pure Church interpret the obscure in light of the clear (Schaumburg, Ill.: Regular Baptist Press, and the incipient antecedent by the 1979), 199-200 and Miles J. Stanford, relevant progressive revelation.” “Build “Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse and Neo- upon the explicitly clear, the sufficiently Evangelicalism, http:// near; avoid the insufficiently clear and www.withchrist.org/MJS/ the obscure, reduce speculation to a neoevangl.htm; http://www.hrist.org/ modicum.” MJS/neoevan1.htm [cited 18 April 2005]. 9 Reuben Archer Torrey is treated in 11 Personal interview of the author with Biographical Dictionary of Dr. Allan A. MacRae, spring of 1978. Evangelicals ed. by Timothy Larsen, Paul Hokins, “What Made the Man?” David Bebbington, Mark A. Noll Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. (Downer’s Grove, Ill.: Intervarsity Press, http://www.alliancenet.org/ [cited 18 2003), s.v. “Reuben Archer Torrey,” by April 2005]. William Vance Trollinger, Jr. J. Kennedy, 12 Ibid. At the time Biola had only been Maclean, Torrey and Alexander: The in existence some seven years. Students Story of Their Lives (London: S. W. coming from Bible institutes were Partridge & Co., 1905). Roger Martin, R. beginning to obtain a reputation for A. Torrey: Apostle of Certainty themselves as being individuals who (Murfreesboro, TN.: Sword of The Lord, came to seminary to teach and not to 1976). Paul C. Wilt, “Reuben Archer learn. Unfortunately, young Donald Torrey,” in Dictionary of Christianity in Barnhouse fit the stereotype. America. Randall Balmer, “Reuben 13 See: Earl L. Brown, Jr. “Scholastic The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 32 Legend and Legacy in The Bible 19Those who knew Allan A. MacRae Presbyterian Church, 1937-1956,” p. 25. would defend that statement but The attitude of “student vs. teacher” is understand that he would be the first to being described. Note that Barnhouse deny it. After the 1956 division in the graduated late from Biola for not having Bible Presbyterian Church, as long as his notes completed on time. Paul Dr. MacRae was still associated with Dr. Hopkins, “What Made The Man?” McIntire, McIntire still retained a degree 14 For Barnhouse’s love affair with of credibility with the world outside the radio, see Editors of Eternity magazine, confines of the Twentieth Century “They Grew Up Together,” Alliance of Reformation Movement. Once Dr. Confessing Evangelicals, http:// MacRae and his associates were found www.alliancenet.org/ [cited 18 April to be outside the pale of the movement, 2005]. For biographical information on Dr. McIntire never quite enjoyed the Samuel Lewis Johnson, Jr., see: “S. same degree of credibility that he once Lewis Johnson Now with the Lord,” enjoyed being associated with Dr. Allan Dallas Morning News (30 January 2004) A. MacRae. In McIntire’s mind, as in at http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/ others’, MacRae was the tie back to Old religion/1068322/posts [cited 18 April Princeton. 2005]. For a complete listing of extant 20 The MacRae resignation from sermons via the internet see: http:// Westminster Theological Seminary on www.believerschapel.org/authors/ Sunday, April 25, 1937, was indeed a sad authors.htm. but necessary move on the part of Dr. 15 For biographical information on D. MacRae. The resignation has been James Kennedy see Randall Balmer, criticized as being precipitous. See: “D(ennis) James Kennedy,” Encyclope- Edwin H. Rian, The Presbyterian dia of Evangelicalism. For a full Conflict (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, biography see Herbert Lee Williams, D. 1940), 212-214 (pagination identical in James Kennedy: The Man and His the 1992 reprint by The Committee of Ministry, (n.p.: n.p., 1990). For further The Historian of The Orthodox Presby- biographical summary, see: Coral Ridge terian Church). In an interview with Dr. Ministries, “About D. James Kennedy,” MacRae, spring 1978, Dr. MacRae stated at www.coralridge.org. that he had sent all relevant correspon- 16 Ibid. for the information on S. Lewis dence to the seminary, and to the Johnson and D. James Kennedy. newspapers, but for some reason the 17 Ibid. mail had been delayed that Monday, 18 George M. Marsden, Fundamental- and the newspapers received his ism in American Culture (New York; resignation before the seminary Oxford University Press, 1980), 129-130, officially did. MacRae’s remarks cited in Earl L. Brown Jr., “Christianity addressed legitimate concerns about the and Culture,” pp. 4-5 (quote concerned public perceptions of Westminster R. A. Torrey and James M. Gray, and Theological Seminary at that time. this author applied it to Barnhouse). MacRae felt that it was morally duplici- This application could equally be made tous to raise funds for the seminary of Dr. Allan A. MacRae and Dr. Robert from premillennial sources and have W. Anderson. some premillennial board members, but The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 33 have that viewpoint unmercifully church history. Wolley did not see the criticized both in the classrooms and in attack on dispensationalism as one on print by professors of the seminary. The premillennialism. MacRae felt that in the item that pushed MacRae over the edge final analysis no form of was an article by Dr. Kuiper: R. B. premillennialism would eventually be Kuiper, “A Plea for Peace,” Presbyterian acceptable to “the Dutch school.” His Guardian 4 (24 April, 1937):20. For a warm friendship with professor John most helpful discussion of the matter Murray (1898-1975) became somewhat see R. Todd Mangum, “The Falling Out strained. However, over the years they Between Dispensationalism and remained cordial. Dr. MacRae had an Covenant Theology,” (Unpublished enduring friendship with Dr. John Ph.D. dissertation; Dallas Theological Hamilton Skilton (1906-1998). It was Seminary, May 2001), 107-109. common knowledge that Dr. MacRae felt A further perspective is in order. that Dr. VanTil’s apologetics was Princeton under the tutelage of Charles “dangerous.” Hodge moved in theological instruction 21 I call these upheavals reorganizations from Turretin to his own notes and because they resemble the reorganiza- Systematic Theology. Princeton went tion of Princeton Theological Seminary, from a no-future-millennium empahsis to which caused it to become something a postmillennial one. Charles Erdman other than what the institution was was the only premillennial professor at originally intended to be. In 1956 Dr. Princeton, teaching practical theology. MacRae had to build almost from Beginning in 1930 there was a new scratch a new faculty at Faith Seminary, resurgence felt in the theological world largely due to the mass exodus of concerning this old position but faculty to the newly founded Covenant recently coined “amillennialism,” which College and Seminary. The essential was felt at Westminster. The new core with the exceptions of Drs. Alfred militant resurgence of “amillennialism,” Winfield Eppard (1906-1977) and Albert in order to reestablish its credibility, Franklin Faucette (1900–1995) helped Dr. vociferously and viturperatively MacRae start Biblical School of Theol- attacked both premillenniarians who ogy, now Biblical Theological Seminary were making outlandish claims, and since 1977. Faith Theological Seminary dispensational premillennarians, whose divided again in 1976. Those leaving system was perceived as being out of then founded the American Presbyterian harmony with the Westminster Stan- Church. For more information on the dards. What appeared to be the demise American Presbyterian Church site, see of postmillennialism and the false http://www.amprpress.com/. Faith confidence premillennialists imbibed Seminary had to be reconstituted again was soon shaken by the influx of after the founding of Western Reformed insurgent amillennialism, as it had been Seminary in 1982-1983. dubbed enthusiastically by Abraham 21 During the 1956 division in the Bible Kuyper (1837-1920). Presbyterian Church it was often said MacRae felt that he did not want to that the Collingswood Synod was run be a token premillennialist, with the by the three M’s, McIntire, Murray and exception of Paul Wolley who taught The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 34 MacRae. For more information on John news to Dr. MacRae; (2) Faith Seminary Weir Murray (1913-1996) see Philadel- was going to relocate to Cape May, phia Inquirer March 29, 1996. A lengthy another decision without any prior biographical sketch goes beyond the consultation; and (3) Faith Seminary scope of this article. Dr. “Jack” Murray was going to start to charge tuition, and Dr. Allan A. MacRae were born not something unheard of in its history to far from each other. Dr Murray was born that time, again without prior consulta- in Laurium, Michigan, and Dr. MacRae tion. Only the third proposal ever in Calumet, Michigan, just over one mile materialized. Dr MacRae and most of the from each other. faculty felt that they could no longer 22Although events developed over a serve in an institution which was being period of time, the straw that broke the conducted in such a manner. Dr. camel’s back occurred within the time MacRae accepted Dr. Murray’s invita- period of 24 hours, on May 25, 1971. In tion to start a school, but instead of a the spring of 1971, Dr. Murray contacted Bible Institute it would be a theological Dr. MacRae for consultation in the seminary. For Dr. McIntire’s interpreta- possibility and feasibility of founding a tion of the founding of Biblical Theo- Bible Institute. Dr. Jack Murray founded logical Seminary, see: Faith Theological a Christian organization in each room in Seminary: Training Leaders for the his house in Abington. Tension was Twentieth Century Reformation great the academic year of 1970-71. Movement (1971), 16, and Faith Pressures placed upon the administra- Theological Seminary 1937-1977 tion by the President of the Board of (1977), 40. Note his already evident and Directors, Dr. Carl McIntire, were keenly verifiable reconstruction of the “facts” felt by the president of the faculty, Dr. between 1971 and 1977, p. 28. Contrast Allan A. MacRae. When MacRae drove these materials with the written tran- from Western Pennsylvania, he heard script of Dr. McIntire’s address at the Dr. Mcintire’s Twentieth Century commencement in 1971, p. 6. Materials Reformation Hour broadcast and his exonerating Dr. MacRae include: 1) announcement that Dr. Gary Cohen was Allan A. MacRae, “Report to The Board leaving the seminary to become a of Directors of Faith Theological curator of a Christian museum which Dr. Seminary, May 25, 1971, p. 13, and an McIntire was going to establish at the untitled, seriatim rebuttal of Dr. Cape Canaveral Bible Conference. McIntire’s first booklet; it is unsigned Without prior consent of all parties but the style of the document betrays involved it appeared that Dr. McIntire Dr. MacRae’s hand. wanted to be able at whim to move Similar disotrtions transpired with the faculty into any independent agency at beginning of Western Reformed his beck and call. Seminary, with ensuing events leading 23 The night of commencement May 25, up to the schism of 1984. Drs. Battle 1971, proved equally disastrous. At the and Anderson are of the similar MacRae commencement Dr. McIntire announced mind-set to forgive rather than further three things not even discussed in the circularize the church. afternoon board meeting: (1) Dr. 24 Western Reformed Seminary was MacRae was going to retire, which was The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 35 originally conceived as a West Coast 2004, IV. 20-24). seminary that would complement the 26 For example, Dr. Anderson wrote a work of Faith Theological Seminary in short treatise on Charles Hodge, Robert the East in training Bible Presbyterian W. Anderson, A Bicentennial Remem- ministers. For the history of Western brance: Charles Hodge 1797-1878: A Reformed Seminary, see: http:// Look at the life and Witness of the www.wrs.edu. WRS stands proudly in Great Princeton Theologian (Charlotte, the theological line of tradition of NC.: Fundamental Presbyterian Publica- Princeton, Westminster, Faith, Cov- tions, 1997). See, also: Robert W. enant, and Biblical Seminaries. Anderson, “Why Charles Hodge Is the 25 The most striking example of Dr. Person I Quote the Most,” (A Sermon Anderson’s preaching ability under delivered at the 61st General Synod of duress was when he preached at the The Bible Presbyterian Church) in funeral of Dr. Carl McIntire. Although Minutes of the 61st General Synod of the during the schism of 1984, which took Bible Presbyterian Church, July 31- place in the Tacoma Church, Dr. August 5, 1997, Tacoma, Washington, McIntire proved to be extremely III. 63-66. untrustworthy, the spirit of Christian 27 Interpretation and History: Essays in love genuinely poured forth from Dr. Honor of Allan A. MacRae, ed. by R. Anderson at Dr. McIntire’s funeral on 26 Laird Harris, Swee-Hwa Quek, and J. March, 2001; see http://www.bpc.org/ Robert Vannoy (Singapore: Christian resources/mcintire/rwanderson. Life Publishers, 1986); s.v. Thomas Other examples of Dr. Vernon Taylor, “Church History Anderson’s sermons found in print from Revisited,” pp. 253-271. Taylor’s Synod minutes include: “Christ Lifted observations about MacRae’s philoso- Up,” Outline of a Communion Medita- phy of teaching church history can be tion, Minutes of the 49th General Synod seen in the person of Dr. Robert W. of the Bible Presbyterian Church, Anderson. August 1-6, Nashville, Tenn., 1985, 54- 28 Ibid. 55; the following minutes are available 29 Rev. Carl McIntire, as a proud 1931 on the internet from the Bible Presbyte- alumnus of that institution, originally rian General Synod web site: http:// advertised Westminster Theological www.bpc.org/synod/index.html “Revela- Seminary as: “For the Faith and by tion 3:3b,” (Minutes of the 60th General Faith” prior to the inception of Faith Synod of the Bible Presbyterian Church, Theological Seminary (interview with August 5-10, Cinncinatti, Ohio 1996, 86- Allan A. MacRae, spring 1978). This 91); “Abraham Leaving Ur of the motto was then applied to Faith Chaldees: Facing A New World,” Theological Seminary. (Minutes of the 64th General Synod of 30 The noun rsWm’ occurs 50 times in the the Bible Presbyterian Church, August Old Testament. Dr MacRae would begin 3-8, Cincinnati, Ohio 2000, III 7-11); each year at Biblical Theological “Christ The King over His Church Seminary, at least during the years of (Matthew 28:19-20)” (Minutes of the 68th 1975-1979, with a practical sermon on General Synod of the Bible Presbyterian this noun. The following entry by Church, August 5-10, Cincinnati, Ohio, Eugene Merrill from NIDOTTE is The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 36 noteworthy: “The common deverbal carries all the nuances . . . instruction, SERMON correction, chastisement, discipline, punishment. Fundamentally, it has to do with teaching/learning by exhortation THE CENTRALITY OF and example, with warning as to the PREACHING consequences of disobedience, and with the application of penalty following TOM LYON failure to adhere.” 31 “Training Christian Warriors” became [A sermon delivered in June, 2005, the motto of Shelton College (1907- before a gathering of ministers in 1992). Robert W. Anderson graduated Dublin, Ireland.] from Shelton College in 1960. Dr. Anderson is a true “son of the move- Preaching has fallen on hard times. ment” in the sense in which it was Calvin wrote: “At the present day there originally conceived by Dr. McIntire, but are many who are well-nigh sickened by not to the perversions to which it had the very name of preaching, because befallen by a vocal minority in the there are so many stupid, ignorant men student body of FTS in 1971. The who blurt out their worthless original concept of “Twentieth Century brainwaves from the pulpit.”1 That was Reformation,” as conceived by Rev. Carl 450 years ago! Today, not only has C. McIntire in his first and only theoreti- preaching been decentralized, but the cal work on the concept meant a simple greater part of what is called “preach- basic concept. According to McIntire, ing” no longer deserves to be at the cen- the Twentieth Century Reformation was ter. This has created a vacuum, and few “to redeem the word Christian” from the have raised a voice while a Pandora’s Liberal abuse of the concept; Carl Curtis Box of replacements has rushed in to fill McIntire, Twentieth Century Reforma- the void. tion (1st ed.; Collingswood, N.J: Chris- tian Beacon Press, 1944, 2nd ed., 1945, 3rd A. W. Tozer saw the danger: rev. ed., 1946), pp. 3-10 in all three editions. Dr Robert W. Anderson has “One of the most popular current er- striven in excellence to be foremost a rors, and the one out of which Christian gentleman who has adhered to springs most of the noisy, bluster- Niagara Fundamentalism in Reformed ing religious activity in evangelical and Presbyterian form. Unlike some of circles, is the notion that as times his detractors he organized both car change the church must change with caravans for protest meetings and also them. That mentality which mistakes for evangelistic meetings with equal Hollywood for the Holy City is too fervor. gravely astray to be explained oth- 32 Rupertus Meldenus (1627) para- erwise than as a judicial madness phrased the thought of Augustine visited upon professing Christians thusly: “In essentials unity, in nones- for affronts committed against the sentials liberty, in all things charity.” Spirit of God.”

The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 37 From these influences preaching has not And John MacArthur aptly de- recovered. Lloyd-Jones saw the connec- scribed it: tion:

“Worship services in many churches “Is it not clear that the decadent peri- today are like a merry-go-round. You ods and eras in the history of the drop a token in the collection box; it is Church have always been those peri- a good ride. There’s music and lots of ods when preaching has declined? motion up and down. The ride is care- What is it that always heralds the dawn fully timed and seldom varies in of Reformation or of a Revival? It is length. Lots of good feelings are gen- renewed preaching.” erated, and it is the one ride you can be sure will never be the least bit There is much discussion among the threatening or challenging. But pundits of religion to account for the de- though you spend the whole time feel- cline in preaching. “At one time we were ing as if you’re moving forward, you told that poverty was the explanation. get off exactly where you got on.” Today we are being told that affluence is the great problem” (Lloyd-Jones). This The 16th century Reformation, 17th confusion is multiplied by the fact that century Puritanism, and the 18th century the assault is joined on two fronts: both Great Awakening were all revivals of the modern pew and the pulpit have preaching! Whatever else they were, they agreed to place everything but preaching brought preaching back to the center. Simi- at the center. Moreover, the center now larly, periods of decline were marked by a being occupied, nothing short of a Co- corresponding decline in preaching. The pernican revolution would restore preach- 19th century languished under the influ- ing to its rightful position. In the midst of ence of Finney’s “new measures.” Preach- this, apparently no one has had the te- ing was reduced to “moral suasion.” This merity to ask the question: What has God is reflected in modern “crusade evange- called for to be placed at the center? lism,” in which the sermon has become a mere prelude to the “invitation.” The 20th TWO PRIMARY FORCES ARE AT WORK century dawned with the pulpit histrion- The first is anti-intellectualism. Nowa- ics of Billy Sunday. Preaching had become days, especially in religion, it is consid- “pulpiteerism.” A more sophisticated re- ered an insult to be called upon to think. treat was found in the “quiet talks” of in- Preaching declines with the decline of spirational liberalism. “Sharing” rather doctrine, and preaching has faded today than preaching marked the advent of a for the simple reason that nowadays there “kinder, gentler” Christianity. is a lot less to preach. The modern pulpit has been dumbed-down because the gos- “The miserable phrase, sharing pel is no longer considered to be a theo- Christ, which so sickens those of us logical discipline. who believe that the work of preach- ing is not that of sharing an experi- “Many a preacher has been warned ence but of proclaiming a message” about preaching over the people’s (Machen). heads. I ask, ‘What are people’s heads The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 38 for? God Almighty gave them those “Despise not prophesyings” (1 Thess heads and I think they ought to use 5:20). “By the term prophesying I mean them!’ As a preacher, I deny that any the science of the interpreting of Scrip- of the truths of God are over the heads ture. The statement is remarkable for of the people. I deny it!” (A. W. Tozer) its commendation of outward preach- ing” (Calvin). “The Puritans understood that a mind- less Christianity will foster a spine- “True preaching, and the obedient less Christianity. An anti-intellectual hearing of revealed truth, are an ac- gospel will spawn an irrelevant gos- ceptable form of worship to the Most pel that does not get beyond “felt High, and perhaps one of the most needs.” That’s what is happening in spiritual in which the human mind can our churches today. We’ve lost our be engaged” (Spurgeon). Christian mind, and for the most part we do not see the necessity of recov- Where this “science” and “obediential ering it” (Joel Beeke). hearing” is de-centralized, the present vague and vapid state of religion is the The second is individualism. melancholy result. Whereas preaching declines with the eclipse of doctrine, it is equally frustrated Returning to the previous thought: with the decline of a robust view of the What has popularly filled the void left by church. Preaching is an “event”—an the dereliction of preaching? Perhaps the event which occurs only in the midst of a most obvious answer is found in Rome’s church gathered for worship. “There is substitution of the “mass” for the exposi- something in the very atmosphere of tion of the Bible (and their “homilies” do Christian people meeting together to wor- not answer to any sensible definition of ship God and to listen to preaching” expository preaching). This is sadly re- (Lloyd-Jones). That “something” is lost flected in the architecture of even Protes- where the gathered church is jettisoned tant churches where the pulpit is tellingly in favor of privately reading sermons shifted to one side in favor of a central- (even the best) or listening to tapes. To- ized altar. day, sermons may be accessed electroni- cally, but the ethos of preaching is lost. Then there is the entrance of coun- This arm-chair, atomistic view of private seling which has in no small part contrib- religion is the bane of preaching. uted to the demotion of preaching—a re-

“Among ourselves, are there not many that reject the ordinance of God? Is not, say they, reading of good books The content cannot be at home as good as going to church? disassociaed from the Do not such confess that the rivers of vehicle. The word of God Damascus are as good as Jordan? We is “manifested in must come to heaven by the foolish- preaching.” ness of preaching” (Richard Sibbes).

The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 39 definition of the business of the Christian Beyond this there is a thesaurus of minister, who now transfers his energy departures from preaching itself. A bliz- from handling the word of God to hand- zard of unregulated proxies intrude. A pa- ling people. One noted author in this field rade of concerts, dramatic skits, celebrity (Jay Adams) has defined preaching as “testimonies,” and the occasional nothing but group counseling, and ob- “miracle” await the congregation. If there served no difference between counseling is any time left, perhaps a moment for and preaching except that the latter is “popular preaching.” The operative word louder. But J. Gresham Machen warned here is “popular.” It is anecdotal, perfor- 70 years ago the danger of “the minister mance oriented, even exhibitionistic. ceasing to be a specialist, and becoming Preaching is become a jejune personality merely a sort of general manager of the cult. Symptomatic of this is the charismatic affairs of a congregation.” Spurgeon “preacher” who announced as he walked opined, 100 years before the modern coun- to the pulpit: “I can’t wait to hear what I seling craze, this trend “criminally sacri- am going to say.” Rather than faithful ex- fices the study to the parlour.” Lloyd- position there is spontaneity and novelty, Jones similarly observed: “As preaching aiming at the perceived needs of the con- goes down personal counseling goes up.” gregation rather than the real needs de- The Scriptures are not “God’s advice for termined by Scripture. This quest for mo- successful living”! dernity and relevance, this “penchant to articulate the Christian faith in the idiom And there is this contemporary no- of everyday affairs, this vernacularizing tion that preaching is not an end in itself, of the Christian message” (D.G. Hart), sup- but rather a device to equip for “every- poses modern man to be wiser than God, member ministry.” The preacher is re-cast and people to be more important than as the coach and cheerleader of the con- truth. A constellation of modern phobias gregation, who sends them onto the field are dictated to the pulpit. This “Tell us to “win one for the Gipper.” where you hurt and what you hope for, and we will show you how Christ can sat- A century ago Warfield warned: isfy your needs” opts to listen to the voice of our inner child rather than to the voice “If the minister comes to be thought of the living God! of, for example, fundamentally as merely the head of a social organiza- OUR CONFIDENCE MUST BE IN PREACHING tion from whom may be demanded What confidence in preaching is re- pleasant manners and executive abil- quired for it to be placed at the center? ity; or as little more than a zealous ‘pro- moter,’ if the minister’s whole function 1. Confidence that preaching is the is summed up in these or such things, only conveyance which enjoys if the whole function of the minister is God’s blessing. ‘inspirational’ rather than ‘instruc- tional,’ then, no doubt, we may dis- Namely, that preaching is an “or- pense with all serious study of the dinance” of God. A sacrament in Scripture.” the truest sense. Preaching can claim the center because God The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 40 has placed it there, and has left 3. Confidence that God’s capacity no room for it to be contested. to bless preaching is greater than my ability to preach. “It pleased God by the foolish- ness of preaching...” (1 Cor 1:21). James Henley Thornwell, reput- True, it is not preaching per se, edly one of the greatest preach- but “the thing preached.” But it ers produced in 19th century is that thing preached: “the America, lamented: “My own preaching of the thing.” The performances fill me with dis- content cannot be disassociated gust. I have never made, much from the vehicle. The word of less preached, a sermon in my God is “manifested in preach- life, and I am beginning to de- ing” (Titus 1:3). spair of ever being able to do it.”

Spurgeon always wrote his Lloyd-Jones confided: “I can say notes in purple ink, considering quite honestly that I would not it to be color of royalty. He cross the road to listen to my- viewed his pulpit-work as an self preaching.” ambassadorial charge from the King Himself! And James Stalker: “I always seem to myself to be only begin- 2. Confidence that preaching is the ning to learn my trade; and the word of God. furthest I ever get in the way of confidence is to believe that I Praedicatio Verbi Dei Verbum shall preach well next time.” Dei Est—“The preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God” The church today is beset with prob- (2nd Helvetic Confession). lems. It is continually stumbling upon new measures. Problem is, these measures ex- “It is put to us whether our acerbate rather than solve its problems. It people should not be taught to dreams of answering felt-needs, building come to church for the purpose self-esteem, and motivating “purpose- of speaking to God rather than driven” or “promise-keeping” lives. But in order to be spoken to by a amidst all these fads and inventions, the man. This has a pious sound, but one thing, the only thing which will serve there is a fallacy in it. Preaching to overcome its distress is a return to God- is not merely the speaking of a honored and God-honoring preaching. man. If it is, then it is certainly not worth coming to church for. 1 Documentation details are not Preaching, if it is of the right kind, supplied in this sermon. For questions is the voice of God” (James regarding individual quotations, please Stalker). contact the author ([email protected]).

The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 41

The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005