This last point will, for some, seem peculiar as the closing section of our “Long Live the Dead Guys Week” tribute to Old New Calvinists. However, I believe it is incredibly important.

One of the tasks of New Calvinists is to winsomely, correctly, passionately, and effectively discover fresh ways to say old truths. Another task of New Calvinists is to follow in the example of faithful Bible preachers and teachers who have preceded us by handling the big issues of our day as they did in theirs.

This leads us to complementarianism. In our age of great gender confusion—from feminism to chauvinism—and homosexuality, the issue of God-designed, complementary gender roles is incredibly timely and vital for the well-being of God’s people.

Three Views on Gender Roles

There are three basic views prevailing today in the home and church:

• Egalitarian (Feministic): There is no innate distinction between the roles of men and women in the home or church. Women can be pastors and men can be stay-at-home dads so that their wives can pursue their careers.
• Complementarian (Moderate): Men and women are partners in every area of life and ministry together. Though equal, men and women have complementary and distinct gender roles so that men are to lovingly lead and head their homes like Jesus, and only men can be pastors in the church.
• Hierarchical (Chauvinistic): Women are not only commanded to follow male leadership, but are not given a voice with male leaders, as women are often chauvinistically kept under thumb as the polar opposite of egalitarian feminism.

An Undergirding Truth

The New Calvinists are committed to complementarianism in the home and church. In some ways, this is a very important undergirding fact that binds us together. Over a meal in Vancouver, B.C., some years ago, a friend and wonderful brother, Bruce Ware, who has worked tirelessly on this issue, commented that he believed that someone’s view of gender roles in fact reveals much of their theology, including their view of God, the Bible as God’s Word, and how the Bible is to be interpreted. His words were both insightful and helpful.

Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood

I can still remember having been saved a few years when John Piper and Wayne Grudem published the epic book Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood with my friends at Crossway. My pastor told me to read the entire book, and so I did. It changed my life, family, and ministry—including Mars Hill Church, where I pastor, and Acts 29, which is a complementarian church planting movement. That book and my accompanying biblical study solidified for me a complementarian position that has never wavered an inch; the more I am hammered for the issue, like a straight nail, the deeper the conviction goes.

Without the courage shown in the early 1990s on this issue, I do not believe we would have the kind of courageously lovingly and selfless masculine men who are rising up to lead the New Calvinism that Time magazine says is the third most important idea changing the world right now. So, I want to close “Long Live the Dead Guys Week” by thanking the living guys who echoed the dead guys and planted a flag of truth to which a generation is running. Finally, if you want to read that book for yourself, you can find it free of charge here.

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In our own day there are many faithful Reformed Bible teachers carrying on in the legacy of Charles Spurgeon. Among the best known is John MacArthur, a fifth-generation pastor. Like Spurgeon, he has committed his life to Bible preaching and teaching. This commitment extends, as Spurgeon’s did, to leading a school to train people for gospel ministry (The Master's College and The Master’s Seminary, which we have benefited from directly since one of our Mars Hill elders is a graduate), publishing many Bible commentaries, and launching publications. He has also published a long list of books. Among those I found most helpful to me as a newer Christian is The Gospel According to Jesus, which was a seminal book in what has been called the “Lordship Salvation Controversy.” When planting Mars Hill Church, I also gleaned a lot from his books Shepherdology and The Master’s Plan for the Church.

Expository Teaching

Also admirable are his bold stands for the gospel, including appearances on major networks such as CNN, and actually being sued as a church for practicing church discipline because the Bible commands it. MacArthur has always been a strong proponent of expositional Bible teaching through books of the Bible. That idea has definitely caught on among New Calvinists, and it is now the predominant form of preaching in that tribe.

If memory serves me correctly, I was first introduced to MacArthur’s teaching ministry when I heard him on the radio as a new Christian. I went on to listen to literally hundreds of his sermons on cassette (yes, I am old enough to remember cassettes). His radio program recently includes what I believe is a new twist—answering questions from the people in his church. In my opinion, this is some of his richest teaching because he blends his knowledge of the Bible with affection for his people and the occasional insight from his own life and childhood, all of which is quite compelling.

A Bible Preacher and a Calvinist

For many years, MacArthur was not noted as a Calvinist, but rather better known for being a Bible preacher and teacher. In a conversation I had with our mutual friend, John Piper, he said that about fifteen years ago MacArthur started putting Puritan sermons in the back of his books. This prompted Piper to invite MacArthur to the Desiring God Pastors Conference and ask him publicly if he is a five-point Calvinist, to which MacArthur replied, “Yes.” Since that time we have also seen MacArthur mellow out a bit on the cessationist position that some spiritual gifts in the Bible are not for today, which he argued for in Charismatic Chaos. He has gone so far as to welcome C. J. Mahaney—who is both a devoted Calvinist and charismatic—to preach at Grace Community Church and other events. For these and many more reasons, I want to honor MacArthur in our tributes this week.

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Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892) is my favorite mentor outside of Scripture. Visiting his college and the private collection of his library and memoirs was a highlight of my visit to London.

This Child Will One Day Preach the Gospel

Spurgeon was the oldest of seventeen children, though nine died in infancy. Due to financial hardship, at the age of eighteen months he was sent to live with his grandfather, who, like Charles’ father, was a strong-willed Calvinistic preacher. At a young age he began reading his father's and grandfather’s theological books and listening in on their theological conversations with other men. On one occasion the visiting preacher Richard Knill prophesied over Charles, “This child will one day preach the gospel, and he will preach it to great multitudes.”

Free public education was not available in his day and so his father paid for a private education for Charles. By the age of ten, Charles was reading the Puritans with great delight.

Spurgeon the Preacher

Spurgeon began preaching shortly after his conversion to Jesus Christ at the age of sixteen. He soon became the best-known Bible preacher in the world in his day, and perhaps the best preacher in the history of the church outside of Scripture, along with John Chrysostom (347–407). Spurgeon preached up to ten times a week and was heard by twenty million people from his pulpit over the course of his lifetime.

Four years after his conversion, at the age of twenty, he was appointed the pastor of London’s famous New Park Street Chapel, which was previously led by the distinguished Reformed Baptist theologian John Gill. Spurgeon was such a magnetic draw that the previously struggling church, which had dwindled to a few hundred people, soon outgrew their building and had to move to Exeter Hall, and then to Surrey Music Hall. Spurgeon often preached to crowds of more than ten thousand without any amplification. His church became the world’s largest by the time of his death, meeting in the Metropolitan Tabernacle that they had eventually built.

Spurgeon was a committed lifelong student. He had a large library built in his home so that he could study continually and still be near his sick wife. He had a large, round desk with a hinge that permitted him to sit in the middle of it with his beloved books surrounding him.

Spurgeon's Sufferings

Spurgeon was blessed by a rigorous mind and powerful voice but also suffered from poor health. He suffered continually from a variety of ailments, ranging from kidney disease to gout, which occasionally prevented him from preaching and ultimately took his life at age fifty-seven. Additionally, his beloved wife Susannah struggled mightily with poor health. In his seasons of tremendous pain he was forced to pray and trust the goodness of God. Nonetheless, his suffering greatly clarified his understanding of Jesus’ painful atonement and great love for his people.

His prayers also sustained him when he was forced to miss up to seven weeks at a time and lie bedridden in pain rather than preach to his congregation. Spurgeon struggled with depression prompted by his poor health and the painful burden he carried for the many pastors who came to him for counsel. Perhaps the darkest period of Spurgeon’s ministry came when troublemakers began falsely crying “Fire!” to a packed congregation that had come to hear him preach, causing a stampede that killed some people who were trampled underfoot.

Spurgeon's Humor

Spurgeon was known to have a robust sense of humor that spilled out into his preaching, much to the consternation of his many critics. Still, Spurgeon shared the Bible’s love of irony and sarcasm, and his great wit endeared him to people who appreciated the fullness of his emotional life. This made him a real human being from whom people enjoyed learning the Bible. Among my favorite Spurgeon quips is his statement that he loved church committees and believed the ideal committee consisted of three people, two of whom stayed home.

Spurgeon the Activist

Spurgeon was committed to activism and social justice, going so far as to preach against slavery, which made him very unpopular in America, where his printed sermons were banned and burned. Spurgeon was also a very merciful man who opened and oversaw an orphanage for needy children. Many called the orphanage the greatest sermon he ever preached. His wife, Susannah, had a particular burden for poor pastors who could not afford books to assist their studies of Scripture. She raised money for a pastors’ book fund that gave away thousands of books to needy pastors.

Spurgeon the Controversialist

Throughout his ministry, Spurgeon came under continual attack because of both his conservative theology and successful ministry. What has come to be known as the “Downgrade Controversy” ultimately led to Spurgeon being kicked out of his own Baptist denomination for his unwillingness to stop teaching such things as eternal torment in a literal hell, the literal truthfulness of Scripture, a literal creation by God, and the perfection and divine inspiration of Scripture. In his final days, Spurgeon was attacked by hyper-Calvinistic legalists and universalistic liberals alike, the former because he freely preached the gospel to all people, and the latter because he did not believe that everyone would be saved.

Spurgeon's Passion for the Lost

The hyper-Calvinists in his day disdained Spurgeon for his passion for lost people to meet Jesus and his continual offering of the gospel of grace to the masses, which led to the baptism of 14,692 converts during his ministry. Despite much mean-spirited opposition, Spurgeon never shied away from calling all men to repentance. He used unconventional means, such as meeting in a public theater (not a church) and preaching from a stage (not a raised pulpit), in an effort to be more culturally relevant in his ministry style. Curiously, however, he forbade the use of choirs, organs, and other musical instruments in his church services.

Upon his death, sixty thousand people passed before his open coffin in one day, with a similar crowd the ensuing day. Four memorial services were held in one day for the members of the church, ministers and students, members of other denominations, and the general public, respectively. The road to the cemetery from his church was lined with hundreds of thousands of people whose lives had been touched by the power of the gospel through Jesus’ servant, Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

For Further Study

For those wanting to study Spurgeon more in depth, I have particularly enjoyed the following resources and recommend them to you for consideration:

• Spurgeon v. Hyper-Calvinism: The Battle for Gospel Preaching by Iain Murray (159 pages)
• The Unforgettable Spurgeon by Eric Hayden (239 pages)
• The Young Spurgeon by Peter Jeffery (112 pages)
• The Forgotten Spurgeon by Iain Murray (249 pages)
• Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers by Lewis A. Drummond (836 pages)
• Spurgeon by Arnold Dallimore (244 pages)
• Letters of Charles Haddon Spurgeon by Iain Murray (211 pages)
• www.Spurgeon.org houses an enormous amount of information by and on Charles Spurgeon

My wife, Grace, has also enjoyed studying the life of Charles’ bride and recommends the book Mrs. C. H. Spurgeon by Charles Ray.

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George Whitefield (1714–1770) began preaching at the age of twenty-four and is the greatest preacher America has ever seen. He preached eighteen thousand sermons to over ten million people during the Great Awakening. He planted 150 churches in New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. He preached in open air with crowds as large as thirty thousand people at a time. Amazingly, he preached to such crowds without a microphone and would cough up blood from the strain on his throat. It is estimated that most Americans heard him preach at least once. His farewell sermon on Boston Commons drew more people than Boston’s entire population and was the largest crowd ever gathered in America up to that time.

For Further Reading

For those wanting to learn more about Whitefield, John Armstrong’s Five Great Evangelists and Arnold Dallimore’s George Whitefield are good places to start.

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The Puritans remain one of the greatest expressions of biblical Christianity the world has ever known. Puritanism was sparked by many years of conflict in England, where the Church of England vacillated between Catholic and Protestant practices depending upon which king or queen was ruling at the time. For example, many Protestant Christians and pastors were driven out of England during the reign of Queen Mary I, who burned Protestant pastors. Following her death, Queen Elizabeth promoted Protestantism, thus welcoming back to England exiled pastors who had been trained by the great Reformation pastor John Calvin. Elizabeth’s lengthy reign (1558–1603) turned bloody as Protestants and Catholics fought for the soul of the church and the nation.

The Puritans sought to reform the Church of England from within by purifying it from Catholic superstition and tradition via a return to Scripture. King James I then assumed the throne in England and opposed the Puritan reform efforts. The only exception was his consent for the printing of the now-legendary 1611 King James Version of the Bible.

The Pilgrims

Despite hardship and persecution, some Puritans were patiently determined to incrementally work for reform within the Church of England. Some Puritans, however, grew impatient with the slow pace of change and wanted to pursue a radical experiment with a church free to obey Scripture without the hindrances of bishops and kings. These revolutionaries were largely young zealous Christians in their twenties; they came to be known as the Pilgrims.

The Pilgrims felt compelled to set sail for the New World of America and there found a religious experiment where God and Scripture ruled over all of life. So, one hundred Pilgrims left Plymouth, England, on September 6, 1620. Two months later the Mayflower landed at Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and the Plymouth Colony was settled. In an effort to establish law and order, the Mayflower Compact was instituted on November 11, 1620.

The first winter in America was very difficult and roughly half of the Pilgrims died. Thirteen of the eighteen wives died, and only three families were not touched by death. Fortunately, the Wampanoag Indians taught the Pilgrims how to hunt and fish, or the death toll would have been much higher.

The 1630s were the time of the “great migration” led by the preaching lawyer John Winthrop. The Pilgrim population grew to more than nine thousand as the young Christians pursued their dream of a nation marked by God’s rule according to God’s Word.

All of Life Is Sacred

The Puritan vision of the Pilgrims saw the rule of Jesus Christ extending over all aspects of culture. Nothing was considered secular, but rather everything—from work to leisure—was sacred and to be done unto the Lord. Puritan worship included sermons lasting two hours, Sunday as a dedicated day of Sabbath for all, buildings without stained glass or icons, and congregational singing without musical accompaniment.

Oddly, people who deny themselves pleasure according to ascetic legalisms are commonly accused of acting “Puritanical.” However, the Puritans and Pilgrims greatly enjoyed reading books, making music, drinking beer and rum, swimming, ice skating, hunting, fishing, archery, and bowling. In fact, the first permanent building erected at Plymouth Rock was a brewery, and churches were known to publicly discipline husbands who failed to meet the amorous needs of their wives.

For Further Study

Following in the Puritan wake are such great Christian pastors as Jonathan Edwards and Charles Haddon Spurgeon. For those wishing to further study the Puritans and Pilgrims, perhaps the best and cheapest primary sources are the Puritan paperbacks published by Banner of Truth that I cut my theological teeth on as a new Christian in college. Very helpful secondary sources include Leland Ryken’s book Worldly Saints and J. I. Packer’s book A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life.

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The following is an excerpt from the book Vintage Church, which I wrote with Gerry Breshears (see pages 41–42, 44–45, 47):

Catholicism in its various forms stresses the historical and institutional nature of the church. We see this in the official definition of the Catholic Church as found in the documents of Vatican II in chapter 1 of “The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church”: the church is defined as simultaneously “visible structure” and “the Mystical Body of Christ.” (Lumen Gentium) To further explain this, the document continues, “After his resurrection our Saviour handed her [the church] over to Peter to be shepherded (John 21:27), commissioning him and the other apostles to propagate and govern her. . . . This church, constituted and organized in the world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him.”

The document goes on to explain how the church is to be organized. First, we are told that Jesus Christ appointed Peter to lead the apostles, granting to them special power and authority. Second, they then appointed bishops as their successors to continue this proverbial chain of command from one generation to the next, all the way to our present day. Third, the bishops appointed men as priests and deacons to assist them in ministry and “share the sacerdotal dignity” of the bishops and are granted special power, including the power to re-represent the sacrifice of Jesus Christ during the Mass.

The leaders of the Protestant Reformation rejected the Roman Catholic definition of the church on many grounds:

1. The church and its leaders and sacraments do not function between God and his people in a mediatorial manner, because in Scripture Jesus Christ alone is clearly said to be our only mediator and means of saving grace. First Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
2. There is no evidence anywhere in the New Testament that Jesus Christ or his apostles called the church into being with such a rigidly structured institutional hierarchy as purported by Catholicism.
3. There is no evidence anywhere in the New Testament that the apostles appointed bishops.
4. Outside of Scripture the history of the early church flatly denies that it organized itself in the manner described by the Roman Catholic Church.
5. The entire concept of the Roman Catholic priesthood contradicts the repeated New Testament teaching that in the new covenant there is not a special office of priest but rather a special priesthood (1 Pet. 2:5–9). As this priesthood, believers have direct access to God the Father through God the Son by God the Spirit (Rom. 5:1–2; Eph. 2:18), live lives of worship as sacrifices to God (Rom. 12:1), hear the confessions of one another’s sin (James 5:16), and give spiritual guidance and counsel (Col. 3:16).
6. The idea that the appointed leaders and members of the Roman Catholic Church were godly followers and obedient servants of Jesus Christ as the true church on earth simply contradicts even the Roman Catholic Church’s historical record, as many leaders were godless men who served out of political and not spiritual motivation. . . .

As a result, the Reformers defined the church in terms of the presence of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Perhaps the most famous Protestant definition of the church is from John Calvin, who said, “Wherever we see the Word of God purely preached and heard, and the sacraments administered according to Christ’s institution, there, it is not to be doubted, a church of God exists” (Institutes of the Christian Religion). The same definition with minor alterations appears in many strands of Protestantism, including the Lutheran Augsburg Confession (1530), the Forty-two Articles of the Church of England (1553), and the Belgic Confession of 1561.

Today, the ongoing legacy of the Reformers’ view of the church as found in Scripture continues wherever the true church meets around the true gospel.

Known affectionately as “the Doctor” because of his medical career prior to preaching, Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899–1981) is considered by many to be the preeminent British preacher of the twentieth century. He began working at the famed Westminster Chapel in London the day after World War II broke out. That same year he became president of InterVarsity Europe. Lloyd-Jones was famed for his exposition of the Scriptures as he preached different messages on Friday nights, Sunday mornings, and Sunday evenings for upwards of an hour each, often taking many months to work through even short chapters of the Bible.

Joy in the Holy Spirit

Lloyd-Jones retired from preaching at Westminster in 1968 following a major operation. He said that he believed God stopped him from continuing to preach through Romans because he did not personally know enough about “joy in the Holy Spirit,” which was the text of his forthcoming sermon from Romans 14:17.

Lloyd-Jones is widely admired by Christians from a number of networks, denominations, and traditions. In my own experience this would include Tim Keller, Terry Virgo, and J. I. Packer, all of whom have spoken of their great appreciation for the work of Lloyd-Jones and his influence on their ministry.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Many charismatic Calvinists love Lloyd-Jones because he taught that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was a distinct work of the Holy Spirit separate from regeneration. Furthermore, it is reported that he had his own baptism in the Spirit in 1949, which some have called “the moment when the Charismatic Movement in Britain was born.” Not surprisingly, Lloyd-Jones also opposed the cessationistic teaching that some of the gifts of the Spirit have ceased in our age. He critiqued Calvinists such as B. B. Warfield for quenching the Spirit.

Lloyd-Jones was very much led by the Holy Spirit in his preaching, as evidenced by the fact that he would often wander from his planned talks as the Spirit led and the length of his messages varied greatly. He also preached on television a time or two but refused to do it ever again because he felt the time constraints might also quench the freedom of the Spirit.

For Further Study

For those wanting to study more about Lloyd-Jones, Iain Murray’s two-volume biography is a good place to start. For preachers, Lloyd-Jones’ Preaching and Preachers is a must-read. In addition, if you want to hear him preach, you can. For example, I am listening to his sermons on 1 and 2 Peter from 1959 and taking advantage of a free podcast of his sermons here.

Today, the confluence of a love for Calvinism and the Holy Spirit is found in a growing movement thanks in large part to Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology and his other works. God is also using men such as my friend C. J. Mahaney for the purpose of blending the best of what is Calvinistic and Charismatic so that the mind is engaged and the passions are ignited for the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) began ministry at the age of nineteen and went on to be the greatest theologian America has ever produced. Additionally, the Great Awakening began in 1734 in his Northampton, Massachusetts congregation with the young people who had drifted away from the church, but suddenly wanted to begin meeting with him about his sermons. In light of the great interest and controversy surrounding the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Edwards wrote the classic book Religious Affections to speak of the works of regeneration wrought by the Holy Spirit. To explain the Holy Spirit's work in revival he also wrote The Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God, and the follow-up book, Thoughts on the Revival in New England. For those who want to learn more about the teachings and experiences of Jonathan Edwards, there is now an amazing Web site from Yale that you would be well served to spend hours and hours of your time exploring: The Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University.

Today, my dear friend, John Piper, who is mentioned in the Time article, carries on the teachings and passion of Edwards. Anyone who has read Piper's classic book Desiring God or any of his other books, especially his most recent book Finally Alive on the doctrine of regeneration by the Holy Spirit, are immediately aware of his affection for and learning from Edwards.

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Martin Luther towers over Western history as one of the most important people who has ever lived. He lived from 1483 to 1546 during the amazing period of history that included the revolution wrought by the printing press and men such as Copernicus, Henry VIII, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, John Knox, Christopher Columbus, and John Calvin.

The copper miner's son was born in Eisleben, Germany, which is about 120 miles outside of Berlin. Luther's keen intellect was apparent from a young age. He began studying law at the university when he was only thirteen; he finished both his bachelor's and master's degrees in the shortest time period allowed by the university.

I Will Become a Monk

At the age of twenty-one, while traveling home during a severe thunderstorm, Luther was nearly struck by lightning. Fearful, he interpreted it as a sign from God and cried out, "I will become a monk."

Living in Terror of the Wrath of God

As a Catholic monk Luther lived in terror of the wrath of God and sought by every means available to make himself righteous in God's sight. This included a life of prayer, severe fasting that caused him intestinal problems later in life, sleepless nights, freezing cold, and even beating his own body to the point of considerable pain-all in an effort to pay God back for his sin.

All of Luther's self-denial and pain were the result of poor theological instruction. Simply, he had been told that the world is filled with good people and bad people and that God lovingly saves the good people and angrily damns the bad people. Therefore, the only hope a person has is to essentially save themselves by doing righteous things to make themselves holy.

Entirely Born Again

While pursuing a doctorate in Bible, Luther began to see the gospel rightly through devoted studies of the Psalms and book of Romans. Speaking of that time, Luther said, "At last meditating day and night, by the mercy of God, I . . . began to understand that the righteousness of God is that through which the righteous live by a gift of God, namely by faith. . . . Here I felt as if I were entirely born again and had entered paradise itself through the gates that had been flung open."

Righteousness Through Faith

By God's grace through the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit, Luther rightly came to see that righteousness is not a state that a sinner merits for himself or herself. Instead, righteousness is a gift that God gives to the sinner who simply trusts in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. The great biblical truth of justification by faith alone through grace alone by Jesus Christ alone was liberated and the power of the gospel was unleashed to reform the church.

The Ninety-Five Theses

The conflict over the nature of the gospel started with Luther studying Scripture and gained momentum on All Saints' Eve in 1517, when Luther publicly denounced the sale of indulgences. Indulgences were sold by the Catholic Church for the living to purchase-for themselves or their dead relatives suffering in the mythical purgatory-relief from the punishment for sin. Luther called for a public debate on this and other theological matters that he rightly saw as incongruent with the teachings of Scripture, outlining his complaints in the now-legendary Ninety-Five Theses.

Here I Stand

Luther's criticisms of the church gathered enough support that in 1521 he was required to stand before the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, at Worms, Germany. Great pressure was exerted on Luther to recant of his teachings, which caused him much anguish. In the end, Luther boldly said, "Unless I can be instructed and convinced with evidence from the Holy Scriptures or with open, clear, and distinct grounds of reasoning . . . then I cannot and will not recant, because it is neither safe nor wise to act against conscience." Then he added, "Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me! Amen." Luther was subsequently denounced as a heretic, declared as a "demon in the appearance of a man," and forced into hiding for ten months. The remainder of his life was essentially lived as an outlaw on the run.

Luther's Heritage

Nonetheless, Luther translated the entire Bible into German, wrote the great hymn "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God," published many books and pamphlets totaling some sixty thousand pages, and published both the Larger and Smaller Catechisms, which have been loved by Lutherans as well as other Christians ever since for their clear teaching of essential biblical doctrines, despite his own wishes that "all my books would disappear and the Holy Scriptures alone be read."

By the end of his life, Luther knew most of the New Testament and large sections of the Old Testament by heart as he clung to the Scriptures for guidance in tumultuous times. Eventually, Luther simply burned out after years of exhausting work that included extensive preaching; he died in 1546 at the age of sixty-three.

For Further Reading

For those wanting to benefit more from Luther's amazing insights on the cross of Jesus Christ, Alister McGrath's work Luther's Theology of the Cross is very helpful. Furthermore, his insights on a theology of the cross as contrasted with a theology of glory are timeless. Also, everyone who preaches and teaches should read Luther's Lectures on Galatians. Whereas his Commentary on Galatians can be polemical about the papacy as it was for more of a public audience, his lectures on Galatians were for his congregation and hold some unparalleled gospel insights.

Today the influence of Luther's theology of the cross is often echoed in the teachings of Tim Keller and can be read in the amazing book The Cross of Christ by John Stott, in which he explores the many rich sides of the cross from a classic Reformed perspective. Everyone who wants to more fully appreciate the cross should take the time to carefully and prayerfully read this book.

John Calvin is arguably the most influential Bible teacher in the history of the church. He was born on July 10, 1509, in Noyon, France. Calvin's early years were spent studying law until God saved him at the age of twenty-four. Within three years he published the first edition of the legendary Institutes of the Christian Religion, which is perhaps the most significant systematic theological book every written. The final version of The Institutes was published when he was fifty years of age. In the later edition, Calvin more fully articulated the doctrines of God's sovereignty and predestination; he wrote that since the elect are saved by grace, grace would never be taken from them. These doctrines sparked a revolution of vital gospel preaching and comforted the many people who lived in terror of hell.

Calvin preached an average of five sermons a week on various days in addition to Sunday and also taught many Bible classes. His studies culminated in the publishing of a commentary on nearly every book of the Bible. His commentaries remain incredibly insightful and even his most ardent opponents, such as Jacobus Arminius, who founded the anti-Calvin theological system known as Arminianism, said, "Next to Scripture . . . I exhort my pupils to peruse Calvin's commentaries."

The Relentless Preacher

The sheer amount of work he was able to produce is all the more amazing in light of his frequent physical sickness. Calvin suffered from poor digestion, migraines, kidney stones, gout, lung infections, and lung hemorrhages, possibly brought on by too much preaching and teaching. When unable to even walk the few hundred yards to church, he would be carried in a chair to preach. When he was too sick to enter into the winter air, he would fill his bedroom with people who would come to hear him preach. He was so committed to laboring hard for Jesus that he even worked on his deathbed until he breathed his last, saying that he did not want to enter into Jesus' presence as an idle man.

Calvin and Calvinism

Perhaps Calvin is best known for the five points of Calvinism summarized with the acronym T.U.L.I.P, referring to the total depravity of man, unconditional election of God, limited atonement of Jesus, irresistible saving grace of God, and lifelong perseverance of God's true saints. What some people do not know is that the five points of Calvinism were not from Calvin directly but rather were created by his followers some years later based upon his teachings.

Today there are some wonderful New Calvinists following in the footsteps of the Old New Calvinists. Among my favorite that I would commend for your enjoyment are Wayne Grudem and Don Carson. Grudem's Systematic Theology is incredibly rich and in my opinion the best systematic theology on the market today. I recently had the pleasure of hearing Grudem speak live at our Acts 29 boot camp in Raleigh and enjoyed personal time with him in his son Elliott's home. He is a wonderful man, very gracious and kind, brilliant, and tremendously encouraging. Carson is also a very gracious, enjoyable, pastoral, loving, and helpful friend. He has been kind enough to include me on the council of The Gospel Coalition. Carson has written, contributed to, or edited some fifty books and is a wonderful Bible teacher and gift to our age.

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