301 – Oct. 28 – This Day in Baptist History Past

This is a day of apostacy that is as great as  what Spurgeon faced. Those that will stand will face anger, arrogance, and ridicule for standing faithfully for the express truths of the Word of God.

 

 

Controversy isolated Spurgeon

October 28, 1887 – Charles Haddon Spurgeon withdrew from the Baptist Union. During the height of the dispute before he withdrew he wrote the following that gives insight as to the condition of the Union at the time. “No lover of the Gospel can conceal from himself the fact that the days are evil. A new religion has been initiated, which is no more Christianity than chalk is cheese, and this religion, being destitute of moral honesty, palms itself off as the old faith with slight improvements, and on this plea usurps pulpits which were erected for Gospel preaching. The Atonement is scouted, the inspiration of the Scripture is derided, the Holy Spirit is degraded into an influence, the punishment of sin is turned into fiction, and the Resurrection into a myth, and yet these enemies of our faith expect us to call them brethren, and maintain a confederacy with them!” At the back of doctrinal falsehood comes a natural decline of spiritual life, evidenced by a taste for questionable amusements, and a weariness of devotional meetings. Spurgeon’s early complaints centered upon three problems; the decline of prayer meetings among the Baptist churches, the worldliness of ministers relating to entertainment, and doctrinal problems which stemmed from the inroads of the “higher criticism” of that day. This controversy isolated Spurgeon from many who refused to stand with him for the defense of biblical truth. Many believe that the grief and conflict of this battle hastened his death after a period of illness at Mentone in Southern France. He died on Jan. 31, 1892 at 57 years of age. In our day when apostasy abounds, God grant us men of God like him.

Dr. Greg J. Dixon from: This Day in Baptist History Vol. I: Cummins Thompson /, pp. 447-48.             

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280 – Oct. 07 – This Day in Baptist History Past

 

 

“He had the finest voice of any public man of his time.”

October 07, 1857 – Charles Haddon Spurgeon, in his 23^rd year, preached to 23,654 persons by turnstile count, the all-time attendance record, “the greatest crowd ever addressed by a Gospel preacher,” (to that time), in the central transept of the cyclopean Crystal Palace, a building so large that it was “apparently unenclosed for vastness.” The occasion was a fast-day service. Another interesting incident in connection with this…meeting was Spurgeon’s private afternoon acoustical test in the empty building. He lifted his golden voice and cried, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” A workman in a high gallery heard the voice, was smitten with conviction, put down his tools, went home, and after a season of spiritual struggle, found peace and life by beholding the Lamb of God. Spurgeon must have possessed an extraordinary vocal ability during his ministry in London. One historian says, “He had the finest voice of any public man of his time.” We know that George Whitefield also addressed huge crowds in America. “Benjamin Franklin measured the area reached by his voice and declared, ‘I computed that he might well be heard by more than 30,000.’” Spurgeon was called to the New Park Street Church on April 19, 1854. Within a year’s time, it was necessary to secure a larger building. In less than 3 years they had grown by 425%! In Feb. 1855 Exeter Hall was secured, and then they moved on Oct. 19, 1856 to the Royal Surrey Gardens with its three tiers of Galleries that seated 12,000. For three years they averaged over 10,000. That golden voice was silenced in death on Jan. 31, 1892.

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32 – February 01 – THIS DAY IN BAPTIST HISTORY PAST

 

 

Dr. A.T. Pierson

A Presbyterian became a Baptist

1896 – This was the day that one of America’s greatest Bible expositors, Dr. A.T. Pierson was immersed, in his own words, “to fulfill all righteousness” by Spurgeon’s brother, Dr. James A. Spurgeon at the West Croydon Chapel, London.  Dr. Pierson, one of the most successful  Presbyterian ministers in America, counted among his personal friends such as D.L. Moody, Charles H. Spurgeon, George Muller and A.J. Gordon.  His pulpit ministry was so effective that he resigned in 1859 to devote his full time to Missionary crusades.  In 1891 he was invited to serve the Metropolitan Tabernacle in the Spurgeon’s absence for up to six months, until Spurgeon should recover from his illness.  However, on Jan. 31, 1892, Spurgeon died and Pierson continued the pulpit ministry while Spurgeon’s brother James carried on the pastoral responsibilities.  Pierson had slowly been coming to Baptist views and believed that he should request baptism but feared that his motives would be questioned.  When the Tabernacle called Spurgeon’s son Thomas as pastor that relieved him of that stigma and he was baptized by on Feb. 1 the day that he was invited to preach at Spurgeon’s Tabernacle.  His motives were still questioned and on April 6, 1896, the Philadelphia Presbytery requested his resignation.  “With peace of heart produced by obedience, Pierson wrote the presbytery, ‘Had I this action to take again I would only do it more promptly…’  Thank God for the testimony of Dr. A.T. Pierson.
Dr. Greg J. Dixon, from: This Day in Baptist History Vol. I: Cummins Thompson /, pp.

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322 – Nov. 18 – This Day in Baptist History Past

 

Fundamentalism v Liberalism

 

1910 – Lyman Stewart, a godly business man, recounted in a letter to Dr. A.C. Dixon regarding the first meeting between the two in the Auditorium of the Los Angeles Baptist Temple in 1909. Dr. Dixon had made a trip to California to speak. In one of his sermons he tore into the liberalism that was contaminating many from the University of Chicago. Stewart was in the audience and requested a meeting with the famed preacher who had pastored, at one time, the Moody Memorial Church in Chicago and the Spurgeon’s Tabernacle in London. Stewart proposed that Dr. Dixon should edit a series of booklets, which Stewart and his brother would finance, to counteract the liberalism of the day. Thus was born The Fundamentals: A Testimony to the Truth. The first issue of twelve paperback volumes were sent free of charge to approximately 175,000 preachers in America. Though it did not stop modernism it was mightily used of God to strengthen the faith of Fundamentalists throughout the land and prepare them for the Fundamentalist-liberal battle in the days ahead. Dr. Dixon was born into the family of Thomas Dixon an outstanding Baptist preacher in Shelby, N.C. on July 6, 1854. At the age of 12 he received Christ and was baptized along with 97 other converts. He was called of God to preach and studied theology under Dr. John A. Broadus at the Baptist Theological Seminary at Greenville, S.C. He pastored several Baptist churches including the Hanson Park Baptist Church in Brooklyn, N.Y. In 1893 he was associated with Evangelist D.L. Moody in a Month long Revival Meeting at the World’s Fair. [Gerald L. Priest, A.C. Dixon, Chicago Liberals, and the Fundamentals. (Detroint Baptist Seminary Journal,) 1:113-14.  (This Day in Baptist History II: Cummins and Thompson, BJU Press: Greenville, S.C. 2000 A.D. pp. 630-32]  Prepared by Dr. Greg J. Dixon

 

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92 – April 02 – THIS DAY IN BAPTIST HISTORY PAST

C. H. Spurgeon’s Convictions of Baptist Beginnings

On April 2^nd 1861 a public meeting was held for the Baptist brethren of London at the famed “Metropolitan Tabernacle,” known to many as “Spurgeon’s Tabernacle,” where dedicatory services were extended as church members and London residents united in praising God for His blessings!

Consider the words of greeting from Spurgeon, as he welcomed the area Baptist brethren to the new building.

“We believe that the Baptists are the original Christians. We did not commence our existence at the reformation, we were reformers before Luther and Calvin were born; we never came from the Church of Rome, for we were never in it, but we have an unbroken line up to the apostles themselves. We have always existed from the very days of Christ, and our principles, sometimes veiled and forgotten, like a river which may travel underground for a little season, have always had honest and holy adherents. Persecuted alike by Romanists and Protestants of almost every sect, yet there has never existed a Government holding Baptist principles which persecuted others; nor, I believe, any body of Baptists ever held it to be right to put the consciences of others under the control of man. We have ever been ready to suffer, as our  martyrologies will prove, but we are not ready to accept any help from the State, to prostitute the purity of the Bride of Christ to any alliance with Government, and we will never make the church, although the Queen, the despot over the consciences of men.

Dr. Dale R. Hart: Adapted from: This Day in Baptist History Vol. I: Cummins Thompson /, pp. 134-135.

 

76 – March 17 – THIS DAY IN BAPTIST HISTORY PAST

76 – March 17    Baptists and the Land of the Free

What an important date March 17, 1644, is for American freedom.  It was on that date that Roger Williams obtained a free and absolute charter, entitled “The Incorporation of Providence Plantation, in the Narragansett Bay, in New-England.”  The influence of our godly Baptist forefathers created in Rhode Island the only one of the  thirteen original colonies that featured total religious freedom!  Nine of the thirteen colonies maintained a State church, and others such as Pennsylvania and Maryland offered partial religious freedom, but only Rhode Island granted complete religious liberty.  Though Baptists have been persecuted by many wherever they have existed, they have never persecuted others.  When laying the cornerstone of the great Metropolitan Tabernacle I London, Mr. Spurgeon stated: “Persecuted alike by Romanists and Protestants of almost every sect, yet there has never existed a Government holding Baptist principles which persecuted others; nor, I believe, any body of Baptists ever held it to be right to put the consciences of others under the control of man.  We have ever been ready to suffer, as our martyrologies will prove, but we are not ready to accept any help from the State, to prostitute the purity of the Bride of Christ to any alliance with Government, and we will never make the Church, although the Queen, the despot over the consciences of men.”  Historically Baptists have always held to the principle of voluntarism, and as a result, they would rather provide total religious freedom than to dictate the religious persuasion of another.  Baptists have ever championed a free church in a free state.  Unfortunately today the Baptists reach out their hands to readily join with the state and are no longer the free people our forefathers fought and died for, “Soul Liberty.”

Dr. Dale R. Hart, adapted from: “This Day in Baptist History III”  David L. Cummins. pp. 157 –  158

 

THE LOCAL VISIBLE CHURCH ONLY LESSON 5

THE LOCAL VISIBLE CHURCH

I.STATEMENT OF FACTS.
A.The word “ecclesia” is used 115 time in the Greek N.T.
B.The ways it is translated:
1.Church – 112 times.
2.Assembly – 3 times.
3.The word “church” in I Peter 5:13 is supplied by the translators, and is not in the original Greek.
C.Of the 112 times the word ecclesia is translated ‘church or “churches” it definitely applies to the N.T. Organization, except in one case – Acts 7:38, Here the reference is to Israel assembled in the wilderness.
D.The following breakdown will prove:
1.That 93 of the 111 times ecclesia definitely refers to local congregations.
2.That the remaining 18 times ecclesia refers to the Lord’s church in the institutiona, generic, or abstract sense (lesson 6).

II.SURVEY OF THE REFERENCE TO LOCAL CHURCHES.
A.The Church at Jerusalem”
1.Acts 8:1; Acts 11:22; Acts 15:4
2.Acts 12:1; Acts 15:22 – proved by the passage.
B.The Church at Antioch (Syria):
1.Acts 11:26; Acts 13:1; Acts 14:27
2.Acts 15:3 – by context.
C.The Church at Cenchrea – Romans 16:1
D.The Church at Corinth:
1.I Cor. 1:2; II Cor. 1:1;
2.Romans 16:23 – written from Corinth.
E.The Curch at Laodicea – Col. 4:16; Revelation 3:14
F.The Church at Thessalonica – I Thess. 1:1; II Thess. 1:1
G.The Church at Ephesus – Revelation 2:1; Acts 20:17
H.The Church at Smyrna – Revelation 2:8
I.The Church at Pergamos – Revelation 2:12
J.The Church at Thyatira – Revelation 2:18
K.The Church at Sardis – Revelation 3:1
L.The Church at Philadelphia – Revelation 3:7
M.Churches in houses – Romans 16:5; I Cor. 16:19; Philemon 2; Col. 4:15
N.Plural usages:
1.In Syria and Cilicia – Acts 15:41
2.In Galatia – I Cor. 16:1; Galatians 1:2
3.In Asia – I Cor. 16:19; Rev. 1:4; Rev. 1:11; Rev. 1:20 (twice); Rev. 2:7; Rev. 2:11; Rev. 2:17; Rev. 2:23; Rev. 2:29; Rev. 3:6; “Rev. 3:13; Rev. 3:22.
4.In Macedonia – II Cor. 8:1
5.In Judea – Gal. 1:22
6.In Judea, Galilee, Samaria – Acts 9:31
7.In Lystra, Iconium, Antioch – Acts 14:23
8.Of the Gentiles – Rom. 16:4
O.Proof by context:
1.Jerusalem – Acts 2:47; Acts 5:11; Acts 8:3; Acts 12:5; Acts 18:22 (not at Caesarea); I Cor. 15:9; Gal. 1:13; Phil. 3:6.
2.Corinth – I Cor. 11:18; I Cor. 11:22; I Cor 14:4; I Cor. 14:5; I Cor. 14:19; I Cor. 14:23; I Cor. 14:28; I Cor. 14:35; I Cor. 6:4; I Cor. 14:12.
3.Asia – Acts 16:5; Rev. 22:16
4.Judea – II Cor. 8:19; II Cor. 8:23; II Cor. 8:24; I Thes. 2:14.
5.Macedonia – II Cor. 11:8
P.Churches at any given place:
1.I Cor. 4:17; Phil. 4:15; James 5:14; II Cor. 8:18; III John 6; III John 9; III John 10; Matt. 18:17 (twice); Romans 16:16; I Cor. 7:17; I Cor. 14:33; II Cor. 11:28; II Cor. 12:13; II Thess. 1:4; I Tim. 3:5; I Tim. 5:16; I Cor. 11:16; I Cor. 14:34.

III.QUOTATIONS BY SCHOLARS.
A.These previous parts have covered 97 (4 plus 93) of the 115 times ecclesia is used in the Greek N.T. (the remaining 18 will be covered in the next lesson – the generic use of ekklesia).
B.Overbey says, “Every time ekklesia appears in the New Testament it makes sense translated according to its common menaing of assembly” (The Meaning of Ecclesia in the N.T., Overbey, p. 44).
C.Again he says, “In approaching the N.T. We see that the word is admitted by all to have this mianing (assembly) in about ninety places. The other times it is used there is a difference of opinion. Some contend for assembly, others for a new meaning best described as the universal invisible church. How can we tell which is correct? The principle is used that says the common meaning will not make sense if we are permitted to assume it has a new meaning. Following this principle we find that the word assembly makes sense in every contested passage so that any new sense must be rejected” (Ibid, pl 46).
D.I. K. Cross says, “We here charge that there is no such thing known in the New Testament as a church that includes every saved man on earth. This is the family of God, but never the church of the New Testament” (Canadian Baptists, Cross, p. 5).
E.A. C. Dayton declares, “Each church was complete within itself – independent of all earthly control, and subject only to the law of Christ” (Theodosia Earnest, Vo. II, p. 116).
F.J. R. Graves said, “The proof given that the very work Ekklesia (an assembly) denotes a complete church, equally implies its independency, i.e., that it is dependent upon no other body for its existence or self-perpetuation, or the discharge of all the functions and trusts of a Church of Christ” (The New Great iron Wheel, Graves, p. 134).
G.Graves again, “I have shown that the idea of a great Universal Invisible Church , or a Visible Universal Church composed of all the visible churches, or, as some claim of all baptized, independent of local churches, can not, by any fair exegesis, be found” (Seven Questions and Answers to Church Authority, Baptist Examiner, p. 37).
H.S. H. Ford asserts, “It should be remembered that by church, Baptists mean what the New Testament teaches – a local, real congregation of baptized believers united together for God’s service” (Ibid).

I.H. E. Dana says, “This matter of qualification for citizenship was quite important, for many residents of such a city had no place in the Ekklesia … The term referred to a body of persons having definite qualifications, assembled to carry out certain organized aims on democratic principles. So there wre elements pertinent to its (Ekklesia) New Teatament meaning.
1.The assembly was local;
2.it was autonomous;
3.it presupposed definite qualifications;
4.it was conducted on democratic principles” (The Church, L. L. Clover, p. 94).
J.Overbey says, “Jesus used the word ‘church’ twenty-three times, twenty times in Revelation, and three times in Matthew. Twenty-two times there is agreement among all that the word means assembly. It is either plural or the context is very clear so that there can be no doubt in any mind that he is speaking of a local, visible body. Matthew 16:18 is the only place where some think it has a new meaning. But if Jesus used the word twenty-two times and there is no question concerning its meaning then it seems that we must believe that the one remaining place has the same meaning” (Brief History of the Baptists, Overbey, p. 26).
K.Boyce Taylor asserts, “ . . . The Etymology of the word ekklesia makes it of necessity a local churhc” (Why Be a Baptist, Taylor, p. 47).
L.Armitage concurs, “In the apostolic age the church was a local body, and each church was independent of evgery other church. The simple term ecclesia designates one congregation, or organization assembly, this being its literal and primal meaning . . . It follows, then, that the New Testament nowere speaks of the ‘Universal, Catholic, or Invisible Church,’ as indicating a merely ideal existence separate from a real and local body . . . A local churhc fully expresses the meaning of the word ‘ecclesia’ wherever it is found in Holy Writ” (History of the Baptists, Armitage, pp. 118-120).

IV.SUGGESTED READING.
A.Ecclesia – the Church – B. H. Carroll
B.Why Be a Baptist – Boyce Taylor
C.Ekklesia – the Church – Bob Ross
D.Meaning of Ecclesia in the N.T. – Overbey
E.Seven Questions and Answerw as to Church Authority – Baptist Examiner
F.The Church – L. L. Clover
G.The Origin of Baptists – S. H. Ford
H.Theodosia Earnest, Vol. II – A. C. Dayton.

SUMMATION: The various verses used to try and prove a universal invisible church keeps changing as the correct usage is shown to be always local and visible. Each verse has been addressed and shown the proper usage. There is not, with proper usage and context, any where a universal invisible church can be found in scripture. A hard heart and will-ful desire will resist the truth and destroy even more doctrine in their error.

TAXING THE SUNLIGHT

Dose of Reality 276, Taxing the Sunlight
Joseph Harris Fri, May 4, 2012 at 12:10 PM
May 3, 2012 A Dose of Reality by Joseph Harris Number 276
Comments on Current Events in Government, Religion, Culture, and the Family, from a Conservative Biblical Perspective
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Taxing the Sunlight

An ever growing government must by necessity grow in expanding its revenue (called taxing to the uninformed) and therefore can be very creative in methods for taxing and names for said taxes. Since the phrase “cut spending” is not found in any dictionary or book owned by politicians, the only recourse is to increase revenue. Government makes Robin Hood look like an amateur. Frederic Bastiat was correct when he called taxation legalized plunder.

Of the more than 50 different taxes that exist today on federal, state and local levels, here are a few more familiar and common taxes. Federal income tax, sales tax,bridge tolls, sales tax, commuter tax, dog license tax, gasoline tax, Social Security tax, seven different taxes on telephone usage, and the list continues.

We jokingly talk about how politicians would tax the air if they could. Water is already taxed. If only they could contrive a way to tax the sunlight. Wait…believe it or not…..it’s been done!In 1696, the window tax was enacted in England and it lived into the 1800’s. At the time, the people opposed an income tax because it would require the government knowing everyone’s income. This was considered an intrusive invasion of privacy and a personal attack on liberty (imagine that). Finally someone hit on the idea of taxing based on the number of windows in a house. The larger the house, the more windows the house would, which coincidentally meant the larger the house, the more income the person would have. And after all, the rich should pay more because they have more, right?

So was it a window tax or a sunlight tax? Windows let in the light and to close a window, was to not be able to enjoy the use of light. Even today, some buildings from this period have bricked up windows, a reminder of an early home owner who used the only loophole available at the time to avoid taxes.

Listen to a description from this unlikely source on this subject, the prince of preachers Charles Spurgeon. In reminiscing about his childhood in his autobiography, Spurgeon describes the manse of his Grandfather, James Spurgeon.

“Some of us can remember the window tax, which seemed to regard light as a Latin commodity-lux, and therefore a luxury, and as such to be taxed. So much was paid on each aperture for the admission of light, but the minister’s small income forced economy upon him and so room after room of the manse was left in darkness….What a queer mind his must have been who first invented taxing the light of the sun! It was, no doubt, meant to be a fair way of estimating the size of a house, and thus getting at the wealth of the inhabitant; but, incidentally, it led occupiers of large houses to shut out the light for which they were too poor to pay.” (C. H. Spurgeon Autobiography, Volume I, 1897).

So there you have it. If it can possibly be taxed, politicians have no conscience when it comes to extracting. Water, air, sunlight, who would have thought it.Remember the words of Ronald Reagan concerning governments view of the economy: “If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. If it stops moving, subsidize it.”

Joseph Harris has been a pastor and Bible college professor since 1986. (This article may be reprinted in whole, as long as the name Joseph Harris and
http://www.miniedition.net also appear). The writings of Joseph Harris are based on his beliefs and views and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs and views of Southeastern Baptist College. His writings have appeared on stupidpoliticians.com, the Sword of the Lord, WorldNet Daily, Conservative Daily News, Intellectual Conservative, Canada Free Press, Land of the Free, The Post Chronicle, and News America Daily.