Here are some wise words on the subject of “Prayer” from Dr. J. I. Packer:
Dr. J. I. Packer (1926-2020)
“The prayer of a Christian is not an attempt to force God’s hand, but a humble acknowledgement of helplessness and dependance. When we are on our knees, we know that it is not we who control the world; it is not in our power, therefore, to satisfy our needs by our own independent efforts; every good thing that we desire for ourselves and for others must be sought from God, and will come, if it comes at all, as a gift from His hands. If this is true even of our daily bread (and the Lord’s Prayer teaches us that it is), much more is it true of spiritual benefits. This is all luminously clear to us when we are actually praying, whatever we may be betrayed into saying in argument afterwards. In effect, therefore, what we do every time we pray is to confess our own impotence and God’s sovereignty. The very fact that a Christian prays is thus proof positive that he believes in the Lordship of his God.”
Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, 11-12
These are words I certainly agree with when it comes to prayer! Let us humble ourselves before God and trust that His ways are far better than our ways when it comes to answering our prayers.
Once all churches were closed to him by a jealous English clergy, Whitefield resorted to “field preaching”
Written by Dr. Marcus J. Serven
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:15
Early one Sunday morning, on September 30, 1770, after having energetically preached an eloquent two-hour long sermon the night before, that great preacher, the Rev. George Whitefield, left this world and went into the presence of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The people of the First Presbyterian Church of Newburyport, Massachusetts grieved the loss. Not only in this congregation, but in thousands of congregations throughout all thirteen colonies, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and the Netherlands, Christians gathered together upon hearing the news of his death to thank God for the life of this choice servant of God. The well-known hymnist William Cowper penned these thoughtful lines about George Whitefield’s life and ministry,
“He loved the world that hated him: the tear that dropped upon his Bible was sincere; Assailed by scandal and the tongue of strife, His only answer was a blameless life, And he that forged and he that threw the dart, Had each a brother’s interest in his heart.”
William Cowper…In Dallimore, George Whitefield: God’s Anointed Servant, 198.
With his “lazy left eye” sometimes George Whitefield was derisively called “Dr. Squintum” by his many detractors
What was it about this itinerant evangelist that inspired such lines and made such a tremendous impact on the church of the 18th Century? Who could possibly have kept up the arduous schedule of regularly preaching over forty hours each week and when challenged to rest replied, “I had rather wear out, than rust out?” How was it possible that a single man could preach such powerful sermons without any amplification to upwards of 30,000 people in outdoor settings? Such were the facts concerning this great man of God—the Rev. George Whitefield.
The Old Bell Inn, Gloucester, England
George Whitefield was born on December 16, 1714 in Gloucester, England. He was the seventh and last child of his parents, Thomas and Elizabeth Whitefield. The family made their living from running the Bell Inn. It was in the midst of the constant comings and goings of people at the Inn that George developed a love and appreciation for all types of people. When George was only two years old his Father died. As a result, his Mother ran the Inn with her children’s help, but still insisted that her children attend worship at the local parish. Early in his life George would preach “practice” sermons to his friends and siblings. He had a flair for the dramatic, and developed a mastery of illustrating Bible stories. Although he was not yet a Christian, his passion for the Word of God seemed evident even in his youth.
Pembroke College at the University of Oxford
It became Elizabeth’s aspiration that George would end up not as an Inn-keeper, but that he would attend Oxford University and become a minister in the Church of England. This lofty goal seemed impossible for they could not possibly afford such a high expense. Eventually, Elizabeth Whitefield discovered a way that her son could attend the University; he would go as a servitor meeting the needs of well-to-do gentlemen in exchange for tuition. He entered a preparatory school near Oxford in the Fall of 1730 at age fifteen, and was then formally received into Pembroke College at the University during his seventeenth year.
Both John and Charles Wesley were good friends to Whitefield during the early years of his Christian life–however later they became theological opponents…
Whitefield performed exceedingly well in his studies at Oxford University learning to read in both Greek and Latin. He was soon tested in his personal character as to whether he would follow the pattern of revelry and riotous living of his well-to-do classmates, or not. In this test he firmly resisted their invitations and gave himself over to a pursuit of holiness and study. It was because of his restrained lifestyle that he was noticed by other like-minded students and became close friends with John and Charles Wesley. This friendship was to last a lifetime and would become a significant influence upon his future ministry. The three men along with several other students were part of a private religious society which was committed to regular attendance at worship, the study of Scripture, the practice of prayer and fasting, and ministering to orphans and the imprisoned. They were derisively called by their critics the “Holy Club,” the “Bible Moths,” and the “Bible Bigots.” This group, though, became the proving ground of what, a short time later, would become known as the Methodist movement of the First Great Awakening.
Whitefield’s conversion came about through the reading of the devotional classic The Life of God in the Soul of Man, written by the Scotsman Henry Scougal (1650-1678). In this work Whitefield became acquainted with the doctrine of the “New Birth.” As he studied Jesus’ words in John 3:1-15 he hungered after this experience and earnestly prayed that God would make him “born again.” Wrongly, Whitefield thought that this could come about through deeds of self-denial, charity, and holiness. He constantly read his Greek New Testament, denied himself food and drink, confessed his sins with long detailed lists, and even contemplated giving up his association with the “Holy Club” since he felt so unworthy. Finally, after becoming extremely ill in the Spring of 1735 he fully cast himself upon Christ and rejected all efforts of works righteousness. God wonderfully opened his eyes and by the grace of God his heart was regenerated resulting in a genuine conversion. He writes of this time,
“God was pleased to remove the heavy load, to enable me to lay hold of his dear Son by a living faith, and by giving me the Spirit of adoption, to seal me, even to the day of everlasting redemption. O! with what joy—joy unspeakable—even joy that was full of and big with glory, was my soul filled when the weight of sin went off and an abiding sense of the love of God broke in upon my disconsolate soul! Surely it was a day to be had in everlasting remembrance. My joys were like a springtide and overflowed the banks.”
Dallimore, George Whitefield: Life and Times, Vol. 1, 77.
Once converted, Whitefield would habitually arise at 4 AM spending long hours on his knees reading his English Bible, studying each verb tense in Greek, and then considering the learned thoughts from Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Bible. He made it his unique practice “to pray over every line and every word” in both English and Greek. These initial periods of fruitful study built a strong foundation of scriptural understanding that would last his entire lifetime. Once Whitefield graduated in 1736, he was ordained as a Deacon in the Church of England and began preaching in local parishes. He had a noticeable effect upon the spiritual apathy of his listeners and began to receive many invitations to speak.
Here is a fine example of an 18th Century sailing ship of the kind Whitefield traveled on to Georgia
In the midst of these successes Whitefield’s old friend from the “Holy Club,” John Wesley who was then serving in Georgia as a missionary, invited Whitefield to come to the colony as a missionary as well. After a brief time of consideration he determined to go. The crowds that attended his preaching were extremely sad to see him leave, but he was convicted that God had called him. While on ship, Whitefield let it be known that he was a clergyman, but this had little effect on the coarse behavior of the crew. Nevertheless, Whitefield asked God to give him an opportunity to proclaim the gospel—and He did give such an opportunity. As the days at sea wore on, Whitefield took it upon himself to tutor the sailors at reading and writing. He also began a small catechism class which began to grow as the days went by. Finally, he asked the Captain for permission to preach to the ship’s officers, whereupon the Captain granted him permission to speak to the entire ship’s company. A pulpit of sorts was built for him amid-ships out of thick wooden planks laid across two sturdy chairs. After preaching with great effect that day, the Captain asked him to preach again the next day. The other ships, of which there were two, jealously moved in closer to the lead ship so that they too could hear the twenty-three year old preacher. Imagine the sight of several hundred sailors, officers in their dress uniforms, soldiers in their red coats, and many passengers gathered on the three ships sailing side by side in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean! What a unique and memorable worship service that was! Eleven profitable months were spent in Georgia preaching the Word of God throughout the colony, and this one visit was to have a great effect on shaping Whitefield’s life work. Several of the colonists had died leaving orphans that desperately needed to be cared for. Whitefield’s heart went out to them and he determined to found an orphanage for them that would be called “Bethesda.” From then on wherever he preached, he called for an offering to help with the work of the Orphan House in Georgia.
Howell Harris (1714-1773)
Upon his return to England to be ordained as a Priest he resumed his itinerant preaching wherever he was invited, usually preaching two or three times each day of the week. However, burning in heart was a desire to try the open air preaching style that was beginning to bear fruit in Wales under the ministry of Howell Harris. His first opportunity came on a hill overlooking the entrance of a Welsh coal mine in 1739. The hardened and rough miners were wonderfully moved by the simple declaration of God’s Word. Whitefield could tell that he was reaching them by seeing the white furrows that their tears would leave down their smutty cheeks. Many other open-air preaching opportunities followed these initial successes with growing crowds numbered as large as 30,000 people. The First Great Awakening in England had fervently begun and the preaching of George Whitefield was at the forefront of this vast outpouring of spiritual renewal.
George Whitfield preaching to the Welsh coal miners at Bristol
Along with the continuous preaching that characterized the life of George Whitefield, there was also a vigorous commitment to starting organizations that would disciple the new converts. These groups were called “societies,” and met during the week for the purpose of Bible study, prayer, accountability, and service. It was the members of these initial societies that later became known as “Methodists.” Whitefield never intended to start an organization that would compete with the Church of England, however, over the years a determined hostility grew towards him so that in 1743 he accepted a position as the Moderator of the Calvinistic Methodists.
John Wesley at mid-career
Within the Methodist movement there developed a division over the nature of salvation. The central question was this: is each person so lost and unable to save himself that salvation is exclusively brought about by God (Calvinism), or is each person able to freely exercise his own will by choosing God in the matter of salvation (Arminianism)? George Whitefield’s sympathies lay squarely with a Calvinistic view, however, his friend and co-worker John Wesley opted for the Arminian view. Sparks flew between the two sides, prompted especially by John Wesley’s polemic tracts and verbal warnings against Whitefield’s Calvinism. To his credit, Whitefield strove to quietly resolve the issues. He wrote in his defense, “I embrace the Calvinistic scheme, not because Calvin, but Jesus Christ has taught it to me.” Eventually, he even stepped down from his position as head of the Calvinistic Methodists so that he could become “a servant of all.” It is for this reason that John Wesley has become known as the “father of Methodism,” rather than George Whitefield.
He traveled for the rest of his life preaching throughout England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Holland, and America—making thirteen crossings of the Atlantic Ocean in all. In America he worked with the Congregationalist Jonathan Edwards, Dutch Reformed Theodore Frelinghuysen, Presbyterians William and Gilbert Tennant, Baptists and Lutherans, and even with the agnostic scientist and statesman Benjamin Franklin—all of whom helped to shape the “Great Awakening” in the Colonies. During one six-week whirlwind preaching tour of New England in 1740, Whitefield set America on fire with spiritual revival. In forty-five days he preached over one hundred and seventy-five sermons to tens of thousands of listeners. His method of preaching was simple and direct. He had an extraordinary power to hold people spellbound from every walk of life. Benjamin Franklin estimated that he could be clearly heard in the open air by up to 30.000 people at one time. Whitefield was probably the earliest celebrity of America; wherever he went he was thronged by legions of listeners.
Whitfield was a eloquent preacher who held congregations spellbound with his gift of oratory
One famous account of his preaching was written by a farmer Nathan Cole. He reports,
“When I saw Mr. Whitefield come upon the scaffold he looked almost angelic, a young, slim, slender youth, before some thousands of people and with a bold, undaunted countenance…it solemnized my mind and put me in a trembling fear before he began to preach for he looked as if he was clothed with authority from the Great God. Hearing him preach gave me a heart wound [so that], by God’s blessing, my old foundation was broken up and I saw that my righteousness would not save me, then I was convinced of the doctrine of election and went right to quarreling with God about it because all that I could do would not save me…”
Dallimore, George Whitfield: Life and Times, Vol. 1, 541.
George Whitefield in his maturity
Whitefield suffered physically from all of his speaking and travel, but with rarely a complaint. Sometimes he was completely bed-ridden, but would revive while he stood in the pulpit and preach with great energy. Whitefield noted, “While at times he was weary in ministry, he never found himself becoming weary of ministry.” He endured repeated criticism from ecclesiastical foes of the Awakening who felt that it was so much “enthusiasm.” The common rabble abused him with interruptions, insults, and injury. Nevertheless, he genuinely sought to minister to all who came to his open-air preaching events. Some have criticized him for owning slaves and not speaking out forcefully enough on this issue. However, in his defense it must be noted that he received the slaves and a plantation as a gift from appreciative followers in South Carolina as a means of providing food and income for the Orphan House. In 1741 he married Elizabeth James, a widow ten years his senior, and enjoyed this relationship until her death in 1768. They had one child, a boy named John, who died a few months after birth. In 1748 he began a new dimension of his ministry—preaching to the nobility in London on a regular basis. These gatherings were sponsored by Lady Huntington, a generous financial supporter of the Awakening in England, and resulted in the conversion of many within English royal society. When in London he alternately preached in two massive buildings, the Tabernacle, constructed in 1741 by his enthusiastic supporters, and the Chapel, built in 1753 in an effort to reach a spiritually darkened part of the city. The ministry of these two congregations became the foundation of the evangelical movement in England for the next one hundred years. In 1768 Whitefield helped organize and promote a college for training preachers at Trevecca in Wales.
Rev. George Whitefield’s grave under the pulpit in the First Presbyterian Church in Newburyport, MA
Whitefield made his seventh and final trip to America in 1769 at fifty-three years of age. Although his health was quickly failing, his preaching was still powerful in its effects and thousands came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. He died suddenly at Newburyport, Massachusetts, and is buried under the pulpit of the First Presbyterian Church. The whole nation grieved, Christian and non-Christian alike, for a man who spent himself “as a servant of all” had passed from the earth into the presence of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Here are five of my favorite books on the life and ministry of George Whitefield–each is a gem!
Resources for Further Study:
This is the first book on Whitefield I ever read–it was eye-opening!
Ahlstrom, Sydney E. A Religious History of the American People. 2 Volumes. Garden City, NY: Image Books, 1975.
Galli, Mark, ed. Christian History. Issue 38. Published by Christianity Today Inc.
Dallimore, Arnold A. George Whitefield: God’s Anointed Servant in the Great Revival of the Eighteenth Century. Wheaton,IL: Crossway Books, 1990.
Dallimore, Arnold A. George Whitfield: The Life and Times of the Great Evangelist of the 18th Century Revival. Two Volumes. Edinburgh, Scotland: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1970.
Douglas, J. D., ed. The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church. Revised edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1978.
“Arminianism” by Robert G. Clouse
“Calvinism” by William S. Reid
“Calvinistic Methodism” by A. Skevington Wood
“Edwards, Jonathan” by Paul Helm
“England, Church of” by John A. Simpson
“Franklin, Benjamin” by Harry Skilton
“Great Awakening, The” by Bruce L. Shelley
“Harris, Howell” by Ian Sellers
“Methodist” by A. Skevington Wood
“Tennent, Gilbert” by Howard A. Whaley
“Wales” by R. Tudor Jones
“Wesley, Charles” by A. Skevington Wood
“Wesley, John” by A. Skevington Wood
“Whitefield, George” by Arthur Pollard
Douglas, J. D., ed. Who’s Who in Christian History. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992.
Dowley, Tim, ed. The History of Christianity. Revised Edition. Oxford: Lion Publishers, 1990.
Elwell, Walter A., ed. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1984.
“Halfway Covenant” by Mark A. Noll
“Edwards, Jonathan” by Mark A. Noll
“New England Theology” Mark A. Noll
“New Light Schism” by W. A. Hoffecker
“Old School Theology” by W. A. Hoffecker
“Revivalism” by M. E. Dieter
“The Great Awakenings” by Mark A. Noll
Houghton, S. M. Sketches from Church History. Edinburgh, Scotland: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1980.
This is a readily available biography on Whitefield’s life–its a good place to start if you want to know more!
Latourette, Kenneth Scott. A History of Christianity. 2 Volumes. Revised edition. New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1975.
Lawson, Steven J. The Evangelisic Zeal of George Whitefield. Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust Publishing, 2013.
Lovelace, Richard F. Dynamics of Spiritual Life: An Evangelical Theology of Renewal. Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varisty Press, 1979.
Marshall, Peter, and David Manuel. The Light and the Glory. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1977.
Murray, Iain H. Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1987.
Noll, Mark A. A History of Christianity in the United States. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing House, 1992.
Philip, Robert. The Life and Times of George Whitefield. First Published in 1837; Edinburgh, Scotland: Reprint, The Banner of Truth Trust, 2007.
This fine volume is a wonderful starting place for research on figures in American Christianity!
Reid, Daniel G., ed. Dictionary of Christianity in America. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1990.
“Great Awakening” by H. S. Stout
“Whitefield, George” by H. S. Stout
Ryle, J. C. Christian Leaders of the Eighteenth Century. Edinburgh, Scotland: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1978.
Select Sermons of George Whitefield. Edinburgh, Scotland: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1958.
Tracy, Joseph. The Great Awakening: A History of the Revival of Religion in the time of Edwards and Whitefield. Originally published in 1842; Reprint, Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1976.
Wells, David F., ed. Eerdman’s Handbook to Christianity in America. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing House, 1983.
Woodbridge, John D., ed. Great Leaders of the Christian Church. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1988.
“Edwards, Jonathan” by Paul Helm
“Wesley, John and Charles” by A. Skevington Wood
“Whitefield, George” by Arnold A. Dallimore
Dr. Marcus J. Serven, ThM and DMin
The Genevan Foundation – Copyright 2024 – All Rights Reserved
Our church elders have recently approved the development of a new ministry at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Austin, TX. It is called Redeemer Theological Academy. We will be offering college-level classes in Biblical studies, Theology, Church History, Apologetics, and Ministry skills. I will serve as the director of this endeavor. Other instructors will be added over time. Our plans for the winter months (2024) are twofold:
“The Doctrine of Salvation” – This weekly class begins on Thursday, January 18th in Calvin Hall [Thursday mornings 9:30-11:30 AM, Room 208]. It will be taught by Pastor Marcus Serven. As part of the class we will read J. I. Packer’s Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, and John Murray’s Redemption: Accomplished and Applied.
“Burning Theological Questions” – These occasional Friday evening seminars will focus on some of the key questions that many Christians have about the Christian faith—such as “Is there any hope for the future?” and “What evidences are there for the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ?” [dates and locations to be determined]. Various speakers will be presenting these seminars. More information coming soon!
Both classes and seminars are provided free-of-charge to all members and attendees of Redeemer Presbyterian Church. In addition, students will be able to take classes for “credit” towards a Certificate of Theological Studies, or to “audit” classes. A Certificate of Theological Studies gives each successful student a strong foundation in the study of the Bible and Christian theology so that they can better serve the church in appropriate ministries. Men and women are welcome, plus mature High School and College students.
” Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ…” 2 Cor. 5:20a
Following the resurrection of Jesus, he boldly declared to his disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) By this, Jesus calls both individual Christians and the church at large to engage in “witnessing.” But what does “witnessing” actually mean? Theologians, Craig Bartholomew and Michael Goheen, explain “witnessing” in this way,
“Witness characterizes the meaning of this time period in God’s story. Yet, this could easily be misinterpreted: one might reduce mission or witness to evangelism or cross-cultural missions. While these dimensions are important to the church’s mission, they are too limited. When we grasp that the salvation of the kingdom restores the creation, and all of it, we see that witness to God’s kingdom is as wide as creation. Witness will mean embodying God’s renewing power in politics and citizenship, economics and business, education and scholarship, family and neighborhood, media and art, leisure and play. It is not just that we carry out evangelism in these areas of life. Again, this is important but not enough. It means that the way we live as citizens, consumers, students, husbands, mothers, and friends witnesses to the restoring power of God. We may suffer as we encounter other equally comprehensive and competing religious stories trying to shape our culture. Nevertheless, a broad mission is central to our being.”
Bartholomew and Goheen, The Drama of Scripture, 218
Could it be that “witnessing” for Jesus Christ involves not only giving a Gospel presentation, but it also involves our faithful participation in all the normal aspects of life as “ambassadors” for Jesus Christ? This is the central argument that Bartholomew and Goheen are making–to not separate life into neat categories, such as the “sacred” and the “secular.” In other words, they speak against the idea that ordinary callings in life are somehow disconnected from a Christian witness. Instead, they maintain that one’s calling as an artist, a teacher, a plumber, a lawyer, a homemaker, a musician, a soldier, or a politician, can be just as “spiritual” of a calling as a missionary or a pastor. This type of thinking closely parallels the Reformation doctrine of “calling” and “vocation.” Calvin writes,
“The Lord bids each one of us in all life’s actions to look to his calling. For he knows with what great restlessness human nature flames, with what fickleness it is borne hither and thither, how its ambition longs to embrace various things at once. Therefore, lest through our stupidity and rashness everything be turned topsy-turvy, he has appointed duties for every man in his particular way of life. And that no one may thoughtlessly transgress his limits, he has named these various kinds of living “callings.” …From this will arise also a singular consolation: that no task will be so sordid and base, provided you obey your calling in it, that it will not shine and be reckoned very precious in God’s sight.”
Calvin, Institutes 3:10:6
In addition to our individual callings, Bartholomew and Goheen remind Christians everywhere that the Lord seeks to restore the entire created order to righteousness. They cite Matthew 19:28; Romans 8:18-22; and Revelation 21:1-5a in support of the “renewal of all things” that is God’s overarching plan. Consider these three passages,
— “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, in the new world (i.e. Gk. “in the regeneration”), when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.'” Matthew 19:28
— “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.” Romans 8:18-22
— “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.'” Revelation 21:1-5a
Each one of these Bible passages gives us a vision of what life will be like in “the new heavens and the new earth.” They also imply that our Lord calls us to begin living out the truth right now of the “renewing of all things.” Therefore, everything that we do in life–whatever our personal calling might be–ought to reflect the new reality that God is bringing all things under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Doing all things unto the glory of God is our “witness” in this world. We not only accomplish this individually but also corporately. In this way, the Church of Jesus Christ is a “witnessing” community.
Following the earnest prayers of their pastor, Rev. John Robinson, the Pilgrims prepare to embark from Delfshaven, Holland to Southhampton, England, and thereafter to the New World.
Written by Dr. Marcus J. Serven
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34
Introduction:
William Bradford (1590-1657)
There exists a vast trove of eyewitness evidence to show the providential work of God in the life and circumstances of the Pilgrims. Three volumes in particular written during the formative years of Plymouth colony give us the the majority of the details. The first of these volumes is William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation (written in 1651). Bradford joined with the Pilgrim congregation as a young man when they initially began to meet at Scrooby Manor back in England. In 1608 he immigrated along with them to the Netherlands and then in 1620 he made the journey on the Mayflower to the New World. Bradford served as the second Governor of the Plymouth Colony and was an “eyewitness” to all that happened to the Pilgrims. It is due to his personal discipline and his meticulous record-keeping that we know so much about what happened at Plymouth Plantation. His journal, On Plymouth Plantation, is a national treasure and the best known source of information on the Pilgrims and the establishment of their colony.
Edward Winslow (1595-1655)
In addition, Bradford’s friend and assistant, Edward Winslow, penned his own unique testimony about life in Plymouth Colony twenty-nine years before Bradford’s reflective volume. Winslow’s book is entitled Mourt’s Relation (written late in 1621) and it provides a colorful and optimistic report of all the adventures experienced by the Pilgrims in the establishment of their new colony. Winslow wrote his personal “relation” (or testimony) to a fellow-Pilgrim, George Morton. Morton was a passenger on the Speedwell, but had to remain in England when it proved to be unseaworthy. Winslow hoped that his short testimony of all that transpired in Plymouth, would encourage other English Separatists to cross the Atlantic Ocean in order to join the Plymouth Colony. George Morton himself and his entire family did exactly that by sailing from England in the pinnace Ann arriving at Plymouth late in the Fall of 1622.
Here is the title page of New England Memorial by Nathaniel Morton (1669)
The third volume of note is that written by Nathaniel Morton, George Morton’s son. Nathaniel served as the personal secretary to Governor William Bradford. Nathaniel Morton wrote a detailed history of the settlement at Plymouth Colony in 1669. It is simply called New England’s Memorial and has become one of the most quoted sources for assembling all of the details about the people, places, and events in early Plymouth. It records the names of the key residents, the results of local elections, and the outcome of major events–both good and bad–in the fledgling colony. One significant bit of information in New England’s Memorial is that it lists the forty-one names of those men who signed the Mayflower Compact in 1620. That list occurs nowhere else. The Mayflower Compact established the form of civil and legal government in New England. Without it the settlers who insisted they were no longer under any governing authority would have “become a law unto themselves.” But with it, both “Saints” (the Pilgrims) and and “Strangers” (the English settlers) formed a “body politic” that provided order, stability, and law.
It is clear from reading Bradford, Winslow, and Morton’s writings that these three men firmly believed in the providence of God. In brief, it can be stated that they resolutely affirmed that God was involved in the affairs of men. His “invisible hand” directed them in the multitude of discussions, debates, and decisons that were necessary to set-up a new colony. When difficult circumstances arose, they trusted that God would superintend all of the events of their life and that in the end these trials would prove to be for their benefit. This aspect of their faith gave them personal assurance and an unwavering confidence. The historic Westminster Confession of Faith (1647) defines the doctrine of “God’s Providence” in the following manner:
“God the great Creator of all things doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by His most wise and holy providence, according to His infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of His own will to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.”
Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 5, Article 1
The Pilgrims were well-acquainted with this doctrine. They trusted God to “uphold, direct, dispose, and govern” all the circumstances of their life. Below are twelve notable examples of God’s providence in the life of the Pilgrims. These are an amazing display of God’s providential care for the Pilgrims and their colony.
Twelve Testimonies of the Providence of God:
1. The Pilgrims spent nearly twelve years in Leiden living in relative peace and safety (1608-1620). The Lord providentially delivered them from untold misery and death just prior to the resumption of war between the Netherlands and Spain when they determined to move to the New World.
The City of Leiden proved to be a peaceful location for the Pilgrims–but war was on the horizon!
— “After they had lived here for some eleven or twelve years,—the period of the famous truce between the Low Countries and Spain,—several of them having died, and many others being now old, the grave mistress, Experience, having taught them much, their prudent governors began to apprehend present dangers and to scan the future and think of timely remedy. After much thought and discourse on the subject, they began at length to incline to the idea of removal to some other place; not out of any new-fangled-ness or other such giddy humor, which often influences people to their detriment and danger, but for many important reasons, the chief of which I will touch upon…” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 19)
— “…for the twelve year’s truce was now over, and there was nothing but beating of drums and preparation for war. The Spaniard might prove as cruel as the savage of America, under the famine and pestilence as sore in Holland as across the seas.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 23)
— “At length the conclusion was reached that they should live as a separate body by themselves, under the general government of Virginia; and that through their friends they should sue his majesty to be pleased to allow them freedom of religion. That this might be granted they were led to hope by some prominent person of rank and influence, who had become their friends. Whereupon, two members of the congregation were sent to England at the expense of the rest, to arrange the matter. They found the Virginia company anxious to have them, and willing to grant them a patent, with as ample privileges as they themselves had or could grant and to give the best assistance they could…With this probability of success they urged that they should trust to God’s providence for the outcome, as they had done in other things.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 25-26)
— “So they left that good and pleasant city, which had been their resting place for nearly twelve years; but they knew they were pilgrims, and lifted up their eyes to the heavens, their dearest country, and quieted their spirits.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 49)
The Mayflower II is a replica of the original ship which carried the Pilgrims from Southampton, England across the Atlantic Ocean to New England
2. Having left the Netherlands, the Pilgrims went to England to finalize arrangements with the “Merchant Adventurers.” But they were delayed in sailing due to the Speedwell’s leaks (their 2nd hired ship) and some troublesome disputes with the “Merchant Adventurers,” their chief opponent being the contentious Thomas Weston. The Lord providentially protected them in the midst of these trials, reduced their number (like Gideon’s army), and increased their dependance upon Him as they embarked on their journey in the Mayflower.
The departure of the Mayflower from the quay at Southampton
— “…they set sail from Southampton, about the 5th of August…” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 56)
— “…Mr. Reynolds, the captain of the smaller ship, complained that he found her so leaky that he dare not go farther till she was mended. So the captain of the bigger ship, Mr. Jones, being consulted with, they both resolved to put into Dartmouth and have her mended…” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 57)
— “So with good hope they put to sea again, thinking they would go comfortably on, not looking for any more hindrances of this kind. But after they had gone 100 leagues beyond Land’s End holding together all the while, the captain of the small ship again complained that she was so leaky that he must bear up or sink at sea, for they could scarcely keep her afloat by pumping. So they consulted again, and both ships resolved to bear up again and put into Plymouth, which accordingly was done.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 57)
— “It was afterwards found that the leakiness of the ship was partly caused by being over-masted and too much pressed with sail; for after she was sold and put into trim she made many voyages, to the profit of her owners. But it was partly due to the cunning and deceit of the captain and his crew, who had been hired to stay a whole year at the Settlement, and now, fearing want of victuals, they plotted this stratagem to free themselves, as was afterwards confessed by some of them.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 58)
— A letter of Robert Cushman to Edward Southworth: “Our pinnace will not cease leaking, else I think we had been half way to Virginia. Our voyage hither has been as full of crosses as ourselves have been of crookedness…As for Mr. Weston, unless grace is with him he will hate us ten times more than ever he loved us, for not confirming the conditions…Friend, if ever we establish a colony, God works a miracle; especially considering how scanty our provisions will be and most of all how disunited we are among ourselves, and devoid of good leaders. Violence will break all.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 59-60)
— “After they enjoyed fair winds and weather for some time, they encountered cross winds and many fierce storms by which the ship was much shaken and here upper works made very leaky.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 62)
— “So they committed themselves to the will of God, and resolved to proceed.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 63)
Signing the Mayflower Compact in the New World
3. After a rough crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, the Pilgrims eventually landed at Cape Cod rather than in “Northern Virginia” due to their late sailing and serious storms. The Lord overruled any problems with the weather, and potential plots against them. In the end, He providentially brought the Pilgrims to a place of safety and isolation where they could establish their colony in peace. In New England they were able to live as “free men” and worship according to the Bible.
— “But to be brief, after long beating at sea, on November 11th they fell in with a part of the land called Cape Cod, at which they were not a little joyful…Having found a good haven and being brought safely in sight of land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries of it, again to set their feet upon the firm and stable earth, their proper element…As for the season, it was winter…Summer being done, all things turned upon them a weather-beaten face; and the whole country, full of woods and thickets, presented a wild and savage view.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 64-65)
— “Nevertheless, it is to be observed, that their putting into this place was partly by reasons of a storm by which they were forced in, but more especially by the fraudulence and contrivance of the aforesaid Mr. Jones, the master of the ship; for their intention, as before noted, and his engagement, as to Hudson’s river; but some of the Dutch having notice of their intentions, and having thoughts about the same time of erecting a plantation there likewise, they fraudulently hired the said Jones, by delays, while they were in England, and now under pretense of the shoals, etc, to disappoint them in their going thither: Of this plot betwixt the Dutch and Mr. Jones, I have had late and certain intelligence. But God out-shoots Satan oftentimes in his own bow; for had they gone to Hudson’s River as before expressed, it had proved very dangerous to them; for although it is a place far more commodious, and the soil more fertile, yet then abounding with a multitude of pernicious savages, whereby they would have been in great peril of their lives, and so the work of transplanting the gospel into these parts much endangered to have been hindered and retarded; but God so disposed, that the place where they afterwards settled was much depopulated by a great mortality amongst the natives, which fell out about two years before their arrival, whereby he made way for the carrying on of his good purpose in promulgating the gospel as aforesaid.” (Morton, New England’s Memorial, 13-14)
4. The Pilgrims found fresh water and a large cache of corn and beans at an abandoned Indian village on Cape Cod. Moreover, all sides survived a hostile “1st Encounter” between the Pilgrims and the local Indians. The Lord providentially provided for the needs and protection of His people.
— “…but they suffered most from want of water. At length they found some, and refreshed themselves with the first New England water they had drunk; and in their great thirst they found it as pleasant as wine or beer had been before.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 68)
— “Proceeding further, they saw stubble where corn had been grown the same year, and also found a place where a house had lately been, with some planks, and a great kettle and heaps of sand newly banked, under which they found several large baskets filled with corn, some in the ear of various colors, which was a very goodly sight they having never seen any like before.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 68)
— “They also found more corn, and beans of various colors. These they brought away, intending to give them full satisfaction when they should meet with any of them, —as about six months afterwards they did. And it is to be noted as a special providence of God, and a great mercy to this poor people, that they thus got seed to plant corn the next year, or they might have starved; for they had none, nor any likelihood of getting any, till too late for the planting season…But the Lord is never wanting unto His in their great need; let His holy name have all the praise.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 69)
“Thus it pleased God to vanquish their enemies, and give them deliverance; and by His special providence so to dispose that not one of them was hit, though the arrows came close to them, on every side, and some of their coats which were hung up in the barricade were shot through and through. Afterwards they gave God solemn thanks and praise for their deliverance, and gathered up a bundle of the arrows, and later sent them to England by the captain of the ship. They called the place The First Encounter.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 72)
Arrival at Plymouth Harbor–a rough and rocky wilderness!
5. After searching for a suitable location, the Pilgrims set-up their colony at Plymouth Bay which was formerly the site of the Patuxant Indian village. The Lord providentially brought them to a place of safety where the local Indians were reluctant to go (due to a severe plague that wiped-out the Patuxant Indian tribe a few years before).
— “On the 15th day of December they weighed anchor to go to the place they had discovered, and came within two leagues of it, but had to bear up again. On the 16th day the wind came fair, and they arrived safe in the harbor. Afterwards, they took a better view of the place, and resolved where to erect the first house for common use, to receive them and their goods.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 73-74)
— “This harbor is a bay greater than Cape Cod, compassed with a goodly land; and in the bay two fine islands, uninhabited, wherein are nothing but woods, oaks, pines, walnuts, beech, sassafras, vines, and other trees, which we know not. This bay is a most hopeful place; innumerable store of fowl, and excellent good; and cannot but be of fish in their seasons; skate, cod, turbot, and herring, we have tasted of; abundance of mussels, the greatest and best that ever we saw; crabs and lobsters, in their time, infinite. It is in fashion like a sickle, or fish-hook…We went a land, manned with the master of the ship and three or four of the sailors. We marched along the coast in the woods some seven or eight miles, but saw not an Indian house; only we found where they had planted their corn.” (Winslow, Mourt’s Relation, 35-36)
— “So in the morning, after we had called on God for direction, we came to this resolution, to go presently ashore again, and to take a better view of two places which we thought most fitting for us; for we could not now take time for further search or consideration, our victuals being much spent, especially our beer, and it being now the 19th of December. After our landing and viewing of places, so well as we could, we came to a conclusion, by most voices, to set on the main land, on the first place, on a high ground, where there is a great deal of land cleared, and have been planted with corn three or four years ago; and there is a very sweet brook runs under the hill side, and many delicate springs of good water as can be drunk, and where we may harbor our shallops and boats exceedingly well; and in this brook much good fish in their seasons; on the further side of the river also much ground cleared. In one field is a great hill, on which we point to make a platform, and plant our ordinance, which will command all round about…What people inhabit here we yet know not, for as yet we have seen none. So there we make our rendezvous, and a place for some of our people, about twenty, resolving in the morning to come all ashore and to build houses.” (Winslow, Mourt’s Relation, 37-38)
6. The Pilgrims suffered greatly through a terrible illness when “half of their company” died. The Lord providentially sustained them through this difficult affliction (a “dark providence”) and bountifully strengthened them to build their colony despite their great loss.
— “But soon a most lamentable blow fell upon them. In two or three months’ time half of their company died, partly owing to the severity of the winter, especially during January and February, and the want of houses and other comforts; partly to scurvy and other diseases, which their long voyage and their incommodious quarters had brought upon them. Of all the hundred odd persons, scarcely fifty remained, and sometimes two or three persons died in a day. In the time of the worst distress, there were but six or seven sound persons, who, to their great commendation be it spoken spared no pains night or day, but with great toil and at the risk of the their own health, fetched wood, made fires, prepared food for the sick, made their beds, washed their infected clothes, dressed and undressed them; in a word did all the homely and necessary service for them which dainty and queasy stomachs cannot endure to hear mentioned; and all this they did willingly and cheerfully, without the least grudging, showing their love to the friends and brethren; a rare example, and worthy to be remembered.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 76-77)
— “The spring now approaching, it pleased God the morality began to cease among them, and the sick recovered apace, which put new life into them all; thought they had borne their sad afflictions with as much patience and contentedness as I think any people could do. But it was the Lord who upheld them, and had beforehand prepared them, many having long born the yoke, yea, even from their youth.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 82-83)
7. In the Spring of 1621 the sudden appearance of Samoset, an enterprising and friendly Indian from the Northeast, greatly surprised the Pilgrims! He proved to be a blessing to the Plymouth Colony by introducing them to Massasoit, king of the Wampanoag Tribe, and more significantly to Squanto. This was a great providence of God!
— “About the 16th of March a certain Indian came boldly among them, and spoke to them in broken English, which they could well understand, but were astonished at it. At length they understood by speaking with him that he was not of these parts, but belonged to the eastern country where some English ships came to fish; and with some of these English he was acquainted, and could name several of them. From them he had got his knowledge of the language. He became useful to them in acquainting them with many things concerning the state of the country in the east parts where he lived, as also of the people there, their names and number, their situation and distance from this place, and who was chief among them. His name was Samoset; he told them also of another Indian, whose name was Squanto, a native of this part, who had been in England and our speak English better than himself. After some time of entertainment, being dismissed with gifts, in a little while he returned with five more, and they brought back all the tools that had been stolen, and made way for the coming of their great sachem, called Massasoit, who about four or five days after, came with the chief of his friends and other attendants, and with Squanto.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 79)
8. The timely arrival of Squanto, a friendly, God-fearing, English-speaking Indian, who knew the streets of London better than the Pilgrims, proved to be “a special instrument of God for their good, beyond their expectation” and a means of great blessing at Plymouth Colony. Squanto taught the Pilgrims the “ways of the Indians”–how to plant corn, how to harvest fish in the bay, and how to hunt deer.
— “After this he [Massasoit] returned to his place, called Sowams, some forty miles off, but Squanto stayed with them, and was their interpreter, and became a special instrument of God for their good, beyond their expectation. He showed them how to plant their corn, where to take fish and other commodities, and guided them to unknown places, and and never left them till he died. He was a native of these parts, and had been one of the few survivors of the plague hereabouts.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 80)
— “The settlers, as many as were able, they began to plant their corn, in which service Squanto stood them in good stead, showing them how to plant it and cultivate it. He also told them that unless they got fish to manure this exhausted old soil, it would come to nothing, and he showed them that in the middle of April plenty of fish would come up the brook by which they had begun to build, and taught them how to catch it, and where to get other necessary provisions; all of which they found true by experience. They sowed some English seed, such as wheat and pease, but it came to no good, either because of the badness of the seed or the lateness of the season or some other defect.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 84-85)
— “After these things [Massasoit and the peace treaty] he returned to his place called Sowams, about forty miles distant from Plymouth, but Squanto continued with them, and was their interpreter, and proved a special instrument sent of God for their good, beyond expectation; he directed them in planting their corn, where to take their fish, and to procure their commodities; and also was their pilot to bring them to unknown places for their profit, and never left them until his death. He was a native of this place where Plymouth is and scarce any left besides himself. He was carried away (with divers others) by one named Hunt, a master of a ship, who thought to sell them for slaves in Spain, but he got away to England, and was entertained by a merchant in London, and employed to Newfoundland and other parts; and a last brought hither into these parts by one Mr. Dermer, a gentleman enployed by Sir Fernando Gorges and others, for discovery, and other designs in these parts; of whom I shall say something, because it is mentioned in a book set forth ann. 1622, by the president and council for New-England, That he made peace between the savages of those parts and the English, of which this plantation (as it is intimated) had the benefit: And what a peace it was may appear by what befell him and his men.” (Morton, New England’s Memorial, 27-28)
King Massasoit and Edward Winslow smoke a pipe to conclude the peace treaty between the Wampanoags and the Pilgrims
9. In God’s providence a treaty of non-aggression was established between the Indians and the Pilgrims; with the help of Squanto (their interpreter), Edward Winslow, and Massasoit (King of Wampanoags). This pact lasted for over fifty years (1621 until 1675 when King Phillips War began).
— “With him…they made a peace which has now continued twenty-four years. These were the terms: (1) That neither he nor any of his, should injure or harm any of their people. (2) That if any of his did any harm to any of theirs, he should send the offender, that they might punish him. (3) That if anything were taken away from any of theirs, he should cause it to be restored; and they should do the like to his. (4) If any made unjust war against him, they would aid him; if any made war against them, he should aid them. (5) He should send to his neighboring confederates, to certify them of this, that they might not wrong them, but might be likewise comprised in the condition of peace. (6) That when their men came to them, they should leave their bows and arrows behind them. After this he returned to his place, come forty miles off, but Squanto stayed with them…” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 79-80)
10. The untimely death of John Carver [the 1st Governor of the Pilgrims] brought about the providential succession of leadership to William Bradford [the 2nd Governor of the Pilgrims]. Bradford provided steady civil government for the Pilgrims from 1621 until his death in 1657.
— “This April, while they are busy sowing their seed, their Governor, Mr. John Carver, one hot day, came out of the field very sick. He complained greatly of his head and lay down, and within a few hours his senses failed. He never spoke again, and died, a few days after. His death was much lamented, and depressed them deeply, with good cause. He was buried in the best manner possible, with some volleys of shot by all that bore arms; and his wife, a weak women, died five or six weeks after him. Shortly after, William Bradford was chosen governor in his stead, and having not yet recovered from his illness, in which he had been near the point of death, Isaac Allerton, was appointed assistant to him. These two, by renewed election each year, continued several years together. This I here note, once for all.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 85)
Elder William Brewster leads the Pilgrims and their guests in a prayer of thanksgiving to God
11. The first Thanksgiving Day celebration was observed by the Pilgrims in October, 1621. This feast was due to an abundant harvest and a desire to sincerely thank the Lord for His provision in their time of great need.
— “Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, so that we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little outside help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their great king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.” (Winslow, Mourt’s Relation, 72)
— “They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to prepare their houses for the winter, being well recovered in health and strength, and plentifully provisioned: for while some had been thus employed in affairs away from home, others were occupied in fishing for cod, bass, and other fish, of which they caught a good quantity, every family having their portion. All the summer there was no want. And now, as winter approached, wild fowl began to arrive, of which there were plenty when they came here first, though afterwards they became more scarce. As well as wild fowl, they got abundance of wild turkeys, besides venison, etc. Each person had about a peck of meal a week, or now, since harvest, Indian corn in that proportion; and afterwards many wrote at length about their plenty to their friends in England,—not feigned but true reports.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 89)
— “And thus thy found the Lord to be with them in all their ways, and to bless their out-goings and in comings: For which let his holy name have the praise forever. Being now well recovered in respect of health (as has been said) they began to fit up their buildings against winter, and received in their harvest, and had great plenty of fowl and fish, to their great refreshing.” (Morton, New England’s Memorial, 36)
12. In November 1621 the providential arrival of a ship in Plymouth harbor, the Fortune, with thirty-five young men provided a much needed boost in physical labor for the Pilgrims. With this increased strength they built a stockade around the colony, soldiers were provided for the militia, and a general momentum increased as these young men began to serve the colony.
Plymouth Plantation after a stout tockade was built
— “In November about 12 months after their arrival, there came a small ship unexpectedly, bringing Mr. Cushman (so much spoken of before), and with him 35 persons to remain and live in the plantation; at which they rejoiced not a little. And the new arrivals, when they came ashore and found all well, and saw plenty of victuals in every house, were no less glad. Most of them were healthy young men, many of them wild enough, who had little considered what they were undertaking,—till they reached the harbor of Cape Cod, and there saw nothing but a naked and barren place…The plantation was glad of this addition of strength, but could have wished that many of them had been of better class, and all of them better furnished with provisions; but that could not now be helped.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 90)
Concluding Remarks:
In these twelve remarkable events in the life of the Pilgrims, we witness the Providence of God on full display. Without the guidance of God’s “invisible hand” the Pilgrims would surely have perished–by the deceits of men, by the perils of the sea, or by the immense difficulties of settling in a foreign wilderness. The Lord protected them through many challenging circumstances and helped them to prevail in establishing their colony. The Lord surely did “uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things” for the benefit of the Pilgrims. As you reflect on all that the Lord did for the Pilgrims, perhaps you can agree with me in proclaiming, “May God be praised!”
Pilgrim families on their way to worship on the Sabbath Day
Sources of Information:
Bradford, William. Of Plymouth Plantation: 1608-1650. Harold Paget, ed. Bulverde, TX: Co-Published by The Vision Forum and Mantle Ministries, 1998.
Bradford, William. Of Plymouth Plantation (1620-1647). Samuel Eliot Morison, ed. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006.
Morton, Nathaniel. New England’s Memorial. Originally published in Boston, MA: Congregational Board of Publication, 1669; Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Ecco, Reprint, 2018.
The Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms. London, England: 1647; Reprint, Willow Grove, PA: The Committee on Christian Education of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, 2005.
Winslow, Edward. Mourt’s Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth. Jordan D. Fiore ed. Reprint, Plymouth, MA: Plymouth Rock Foundation, 1985.
Here are my three primary sources–thankfully, they are all still in print!
Here are four other books on the Pilgrims that I have used over the years–each one is a treasure!
Dr. Marcus J. Serven, ThM and DMin
The Genevan Foundation – Copyright 2023 – All Rights Reserved
“The New is in the Old concealed, and the Old is in the New revealed.”
Several people have asked, “What exactly is the Theology Study Group all about?” In answer to this probing question, let me present a few photos. Recently one of our students surreptitiously took some pictures right in the middle of class, and I didn’t even notice! I guess I was preoccupied with the subject matter. Here are a few shots of our theology class in action:
This Fall we are studying Biblical Theology (i.e. the great themes of Scripture–Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Consummation), and Hermeneutics (i.e. how to properly interpret the Bible). Our weekly format is to discuss the assigned reading in our textbook, The Drama of Scripture, from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM. We then take a ten minute break with coffee and donuts. Once we come back together we “shift gears” and begin working our way through a passage in the Bible following the method of interpretation that I have taught (10:40 AM-11:30 AM). On this particular week that the pictures were taken we were endeavoring to interpret Hebrews 8:1-13 on how Jesus Christ is our eternal High Priest, and how he has mediated a New Covenant on our behalf. It was a rich passage and the discussion was deep and meaningful.
Typically we have sixteen or seventeen students each Thursday morning. I always bring in beneficial books to “show and tell,” and besides studying we enjoy some sweet fellowship amongst one another. Indeed, a strong bond has been formed, and for that we are all most grateful. If you are in Austin, TX on a Thursday morning, then drop by Redeemer Presbyterian Church and visit our class. You would be most welcome to attend!
The central reason why the Reformation (1517-1688) was necessary was for the recovery of the gospel. Without it, the church had become a place of darkness. The motto for the city of Geneva, Switzerland during the Reformation explains this viewpoint well; it declared, Post Tenebras Lux (Lat. “after darkness, light!”).
The Monument to the Reformation in Geneva, Switzerland — featuring: the Reformers Guillaume Farel, John Calvin, Theodore Beza, and John Knox
USS Missouri (BB-63)
Moreover, consider this analogy: The Medieval church had become like a giant battleship whose hull had become so encrusted with barnacles and seaweed that it could barely move through the water. Instead of racing through the ocean at top speed, this ship (i.e. the church) had become so burdened with the excessive weight of the “traditions of men” that the gospel message was completely obscured. The only way for this situation to change for the better was for the “traditions of men” to be stripped away so that the gospel message in its simplicity could be known once again. To accomplish this goal the Lord raised-up godly men (i.e. the Reformers) who took the ship (the church) into a dry dock where they scraped its sides getting rid of all of the barnacles and seaweed that encumbered it. Once this was done, that ship (i.e. the church) was able to race through the oceans at top speed once again.
Dr. Roland Bainton
The famous Reformation scholar Roland Bainton echoes this sentiment by explaining, “The Reformation was above all else a revival of religion. So much is this the case that some have looked upon it as the last great flowering of the piety of the Middle Ages” (Bainton, The Reformation of the Sixteenth Century, 3). A more recent Reformation scholar similarly notes, “The sixteenth-century reformation was one of the most dramatic and significant series of events in the history of Christianity. It sent shock waves through the western world and changed the face of Europe forever. Its impact upon the church has sometimes been likened to a second Day of Pentecost, a crucial turning point and a moment of crisis. To some, this cataclysmic rupture in the fabric of catholic Christendom was interpreted as the labour pains of Christianity reborn. As one historian has put it, ‘No other movement or religious protest or reform since antiquity has been so widespread or lasting in its effects, so deep and searching in its criticism of received wisdom, so destructive in what it abolished or so fertile in what it created’” (Andrew Atherstone, The Reformation: Faith and Flames, 6; Atherstone cites: Euan Cameron, The European Reformation, 1).
Such learned testimonies as these bear witness to the claim that the Reformation was absolutely necessary for the recovery of the Gospel. The Lord raised-up the Reformers to accomplish that important task; and they succeeded beyond all human expectations! Soli Deo Gloria!
Here are some of my most useful books for studying the Reformation
“Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” Jeremiah 23:29
Below you will find a memorable quotation from one of the most perceptive books on critiquing the modern culture that I have read in recent years–Above All Earthly Powr’s: Christ in a Postmodern World. Although this volume is almost twenty years old, it still delivers a timely evaluation of modern culture. Prof. David F. Wells, of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, writes about the power and authority of the Word of God, and, how the culture–both inside and outside the church–truly suffers when the Bible is neglected. He thoughtfully observes,
Prof. David F. Wells
“For it is certainly the case that the Word of God, read or preached, has the power to enter the innermost crevices of a person’s being, to shine light in unwanted places, to explode the myths and debits by which fallen life sustains itself, and to bring that person face to face with the eternal God. It is this biblical Word which God uses to bring repentance, to excite faith, to give new life, to sustain that life once given, to correct, nurture, and guide the Church (Jer. 23:29; 2 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 4:12; Jas. 1:18). The biblical Word is self-authenticating under the power of the Holy Spirit. This Word of God is the means by which God accomplishes his saving work in his people, and this is a work that no evangelist and no preacher can do. This is why the dearth of serious, sustained biblical preaching in the Church today is a serious matter. When the Church loses the Word of God it loses the very means by which God does his work. In its absence, therefore, a script is being written, however unwittingly, for the Church’s undoing, not in one cataclysmic moment, but in a slow, inexorable slide made up of piece by tiny piece of daily dereliction.”
David F. Wells, Above All Eartly Pow’rs, 8-9
You might think that taking the time to read this critique of modern culture is a colossal waste of your time! You might reason, instead, that as Christians we should just forcefully engage the culture with “both barrels blazing!” and forget analyzing what we know to be false! Now it is true that as Christians we should engage the culture. But let us not neglect to study the underlying assumptions of our enemy–(i.e.) the advocates of a Postmodern ideology–with its exaltation of the self and its rejection of all Christian revelation. And so, I would argue that it is well worth your time to read this significant book. Above All Earthly Pow’rs is the fourth volume in an ongoing series of theological tomes that David Wells has written over the past thirty years that document the demise of Western culture and how our lasting hope is only to be found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
— Dr. Marcus J. Serven
Source: David F. Wells. Above All Earthly Pow’rs: Christ in a Postmodern World. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2005.
“The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations” Psalm 33:10-11
Written by Dr. Marcus J. Serven
Introduction:
Every theological system contains distinctive marks that identify the way of thinking and believing that is inherent to that system. For example, Roman Catholic theology focuses on a highly developed sacramentalism. Arminian theology focuses on the freedom of the will and personal choice in the matter of salvation. Pentecostal theology emphasizes the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit and spiritual renewal. Lutheran theology is built upon the Bible’s teaching on justification by grace through faith. Anglican/Episcopalian theology focuses on a highly developed liturgy in worship. And, Reformed theology is particularly focused on the sovereignty of God in the matters of creation, providence, and salvation.
But which theological system is true? Given that Christians reject the notion that truth is completely unknowable, and the attitude that truth doesn’t really matter, then how does one rightly discern the truth? Those within the Reformed community would answer that we know truth by studying God’s revelation to us through the Bible. God speaks to us through his Word. The Bible doesn’t answer every possible question we may have about God and his ways, but it does give us all that we need to know about God, matters of faith, and the Christian life. Hence, for those in Reformed churches an emphasis on studying, preaching, and teaching the Bible has always been paramount. Moreover, the Reformation dictum—“The Bible interprets the Bible”—formalizes the way in which truth is known; by comparing one passage of Scripture with another. The easier to understand passages shed light upon the more difficult passages. It is in this way truth can be known.
Key Biblical Words:
Some Christians deny the doctrine of God’s sovereignty by simply asserting the there are no words in the Bible that teach the sovereignty of God. This is false. Below are references to the words in the Bible that directly teach that God sovereignly rules over the affairs of men. These words cannot be denied, nor can their frequency be ignored. God is sovereign as these words assert.
— Old Testament names of God > (Heb.) Yahweh Sabaoth = “LORD of hosts” (1 Sam. 1:3; 1 Sam. 17:45); El Elyon = “God Most High” (Gen. 14:18-20; Ps. 47:2; Ps. 57:2; Ps. 78:35); El Shaddai = “God Almighty” (Gen. 17:1; Job 5:17)
— “rule” and “dominion” and “reign” (Heb.) mashal > Judges 8:23; Ps. 47:8; Ps. 99:1
— “ruler” and “king” and “Sovereign” (Gk.) dunastes > 1 Tim. 6:15
— “Elect” and “election” and “chosen” (Gk.) eklectos (23x) and ekloges (7x) > Matthew 24:22-24; Mark 13:20, 22, 27; Luke 18:7; Romans 8:33, 9:11, 11:5, 7 and 28; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1; 2 Peter 1:10
— “Foreknew” and “foreknown” (Gk.) proginosko (7x) > Acts 26:5; Romans 8:29, 11:2; 1 Peter 1:20; 2 Peter 3:17
— “Predestined” and “predestination” and “foreordain” (Gk.) prooridzo (6x) > Acts 4:28; Romans 8:28-30; 1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:5, 11
William Tyndale’s Bible — the beginning of all future Bibles in the English language
Key Texts from the Bible:
(English Standard Version; all italics are mine)
— Judges 8:23 – Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you.”
— 1 Chronicles 29:10-13 – (10) Therefore David blessed the LORD in the presence of the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. (11) Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. (12) Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. (13) And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.”
— Job 42:1-2 – Then Job answered the LORD and said: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”
— Psalm 47:8 – God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.
— Psalm 103:19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
— Proverbs 21:1-2 (1) The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will. (2) Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart.
— Isaiah 45:5-7 (5) I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, (6) that the people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; (7) I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things.
— Isaiah 46:8-11 – (8) Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, (9) remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is none like me, (10) declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose, (11) calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.”
— Daniel 4:34-35 – (34) At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; (35) all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”
— Matthew 10:29-31 – (29) Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. (30) But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. (31) Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
— Matthew 24:22, 24, 31 (22) And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would have been saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. … (24) For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. … (31) And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
— Acts 2:22-24 (22) Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—(23) this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men, (24) God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.
— Acts 13:48 (48) And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
— Acts 17:26-27 – (26) And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, (27) that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.
— Romans 8:29-30 (29) For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be firstborn among many brothers. (30) And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
— Romans 9:10-13 (10) And not only so, but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, (11) though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of his call—(12) she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” (13) As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. “
— Ephesians 1:3-5, 11 (3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, (4) even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love (5) he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will. … (11) In him we obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.
— 1 Timothy 6:13-16 – (13) I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, (14) to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, (15) which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, (16) who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion.
— 2 Timothy 2:10 (10) Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Confessional Reconnaissance:
Many Creeds, Confessions, and Catechisms could be consulted on the subject of God’s sovereignty. These particular ones from the time of the Reformation support the doctrine of God’s sovereignty and give evidence of this through the statements on God’s attributes, his providential will, and the doctrines of election and predestination. In brief, it could be affirmed that the doctrine of God’s sovereignty is earnestly believed by Presbyterians, Reformed churches, some Lutherans, the Puritans and Pilgrims, many Baptist and Congregational churches, and also by many Episcopalians and Anglicans.
— The Scots Confession of Faith (1560):
Chapter 1 – Of God: We confess and acknowledge one only God, to whom only we must cleave, whom only we must serve, whom only we must worship, and in whom only we must put our trust; who is eternal, infinite, unmeasurable, incomprehensible, omnipotent, invisible: one in substance, and yet distinct in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost: By whom we confess and believe all things in heaven and in earth, as well visible as invisible, to have been created, to be retained in their being, and to be ruled and guided by his inscrutable Providence, to such end as his eternal wisdom, goodness, and justice has appointed them, to the manifestation of his own glory.
(Schaaf, The Creeds of Christendom, Vol. 3, 439-440)
— The Belgic Confession (1561):
Article 13: We believe that the same God, after He has created all things, did not forsake them, or give them up to fortune or chance, but that He rules and governs them according to His holy will, so that nothing happened in this world without His appointment; nevertheless, God neither is the author of, nor can he charged with, the sins which are committed. For His power and goodness are so great and incomprehensible, that He orders and executes His work in the most excellent and just manner, even when devils and wicked men act unjustly. And as to what He doth surpassing human understanding, we will not curiously inquire into it further than our capacity will admit of; but with the greatest humility and reverence adore the righteous judgments of God which are hid from us, contenting ourselves that we are disciples of Christ, to learn only those things He has revealed to us in His Word without transgressing these limits. This doctrine affords us unspeakable consolation, since we are taught thereby that nothing can befall us by chance, but by the direction of our most gracious and heavenly Father, who watches over us with a paternal care, keeping all creatures so under His power that not a hair of our head (for they are all numbered), nor a sparrow, can fall to the ground, without the will or our Father, in whom we do entirely trust; being persuaded that He so restrains the devil and all our enemies that, without His will and permission, they cannot hurt us. And therefore we reject that damnable error of the Epicureans, who say that God regards nothing, but leaves all things to chance.
(Beeke and Ferguson, eds. Reformed Confessions Harmonized, 40-42)
— The Heidelberg Catechism (1563):
Q. 26: What believest thou when thou sayest, “I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.?”
A.: That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (who of nothing made heaven and earth, with all that is in them; who likewise upholds and governs the same by His eternal counsel and providence) is for the sake of Christ His Son, my God and my Father; on whom I rely so entirely, that I have no doubt but He will provide me with all things necessary for soul and body; and further, that He will make whatever evils He sends upon me, in this valley of tears, turn out to my advantage; for He is able to do it, being Almighty God, and willing, being a faithful Father.
Q. 27: What dost thou mean by the providence of God?
A.: The almighty and everywhere present power of God; whereby, as it were by His hand, He upholds and governs heaven, earth, and all creatures; so that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, yea, and all things come, not by chance, but by His fatherly hand.
Q. 28: What advantage is it to us to know that God has created, and by His providence doth still uphold all things?
A.: That we may be patient with adversity; thankful in prosperity; and that in all things, which may hereafter befall us, we place our firm trust in our faithful God and Father, that nothing shall separate us from His love; since all creatures are so in His hand, that without His will they cannot so much as move.
(Beeke and Ferguson, eds. Reformed Confessions Harmonized, 40-42)
— The Thirty-Nine Articles (1571):
Article 17 – Of Predestination and election
Predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby (before the foundations of the world were laid) he has constantly decreed by his council secret to us, to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he has chosen in Christ out of mankind, and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation, as vessels made to honor. Wherefore they which are indued with so excellent a benefit of God are called according to God’s purpose by his Spirit working in due season; they through grace obey the calling; they are justified freely; they are made sons of God by adoption; they are made like the image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ; they talk religiously in good works; and at length by God’s mercy, they attain to everlasting felicity.
(Noll, ed. Confessions and Catechisms of the Reformation, 291)
— The Canons of Dort (1619):
Article 8: For this was the sovereign counsel, and most gracious will and purpose of God the Father, that the quickening and saving efficacy of the most precious death of His Son should extend to all the elect, for bestowing upon them alone the gift of justifying faith, thereby to bring them infallibly to salvation: that is, it was the will of God, that Christ by the blood of the cross, whereby He confirmed the new covenant, should effectually redeem out of every people, tribe, nation, and language, all those, and those only, who were from eternity chosen to salvation and given to Him by the Father; that He should confer upon them faith, which together with all the other saving gifts of the Holy Spirit, He purchased for them by His death; should purge them from all sin, both original and actual, whether committed before or after believing; and having faithfully preserved them even to the end, should at last bring them free from every spot and blemish to the enjoyment of glory in His own presence forever.
(Beeke and Ferguson, eds. Reformed Confessions Harmonized, 33)
— Westminster Confession of Faith (1647):
Chapter II – Of God, and the Holy Trinity
2. God hath all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of himself; and is alone in unto himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which he hath made, nor deriving glory from them, but only manifesting his own glory in, by, unto, and upon them. He is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things; and hath most sovereign dominion over them, to do by them, for them, or upon them whatsoever himself pleaseth. In his sight all things are open and manifest, His knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature, so as nothing is to him contingent, or uncertain. His is most holy in all his counsels, in all his works, and in all his commands. To him is due from angels and men, and every other creature, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience he is pleased to require of them.
(Beeke and Ferguson, Reformed Confessions Harmonized, 7-9)
Chapter III “Of God’s Eternal Decree”
1. God from all eternity did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own free will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass; yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.
2. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions, yet hath he not decreed anything because he foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.
8. The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men, attending to the will of God revealed in his Word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may, from the certainty of their effectual vocation, be assured of their eternal election. So shall this doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God; and of humility, diligence, and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the gospel.
(Beeke and Ferguson, Reformed Confessions Harmonized, 29-31)
Helpful Quotes:
John Calvin, Reformer of Geneva
— John Calvin (1509-1564) “We call predestination God’s eternal decree, by which he compacted with himself what he willed to become of each man. For all are not created in equal condition; rather, eternal life is foreordained for some, eternal damnation for others. Therefore, as any man has been created to one or the other of these ends, we speak of his predestined to life or to death.” (Calvin, Institutes 3:21:5)
“But if we have been chosen in him, we shall not find assurance of our election in ourselves; and not even in God the Father, if we conceive him as severed from his Son. Christ, then is the mirror wherein we must, and without self deception may, contemplate our own election. For since it is into his body the Father has destined those to be engrafted whom he has willed from eternity to be his own, that he may hold as sons all whom he acknowledges to be among his members, we have a sufficiently clear and firm testimony that we have been inscribed in the book of life [cf. Rev. 21:27] if we are in communion with Christ.” (Calvin, Institutes 3:24:5)
Prof. Louis Berkhof
— Prof. Louis Berkhof (1873-1957) “God knows Himself and in Himself all things that come from Him (internal knowledge). He knows all things as they actually come to pass, past, present, and future, and knows them in their real relations. He knows the hidden essence of things, to which the knowledge of man cannot penetrate. He sees not as man sees, who observes only the outward manifestations of life, but penetrates to the depths of the human heart. Moreover, He knows what is possible as well as what is actual; all things that might occur under certain circumstances are present to His mind.” (Berkhof, Systematic Theology, 67)
Pastor Arthur W. Pink
— Pastor Arthur W. Pink (1886-1952) “The sovereignty of God. What do we mean by this expression? We mean the supremacy of God, the kingship of God, the godhood of God. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that God is God. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the Most High, doing according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, so that none can stay His hand or say unto Him what doest Thou? (Dan. 4:35). To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the Almighty, the Possessor of all power in heaven and earth, so that none can defeat His counsels, thwart His purpose, or resist His will (Ps. 115:3). To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is “The Governor among the nations” (Ps. 22:28), setting up kingdoms, overthrowing empires, and determining the course of dynasties as pleaseth Him best. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the “Only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (1 Tim. 6:15). Such is the God of the Bible.” (Pink, The Sovereignty of God, 19)
Dr. Loraine Boettner
— Dr. Loraine Boettner (1901-1990) “The basic principle of Calvinism is the sovereignty of God. This represents the purpose of the Triune God as absolute and unconditional, independent of the whole finite creation, and originating solely in the eternal counsel of His will. He appoints the course of nature and directs the course of history down to the minutest details. His decrees therefore are eternal, unchangeable, holy, wise, and sovereign. There are represented in the Bible as being the basis of the divine foreknowledge of all future events, and not conditioned by that foreknowledge or by anything originating in the events themselves.” (Boettner, The Reformed Faith, 2)
Rev. G. I. Williamson
— Rev. G. I. Williamson (b.1925— ) “Some have thought that God makes predestination depend on what he foresees. Thus many have heard that God predestines to everlasting life those he foresees will by their own power turn to him. This contradicts Scripture, which teaches clearly (1) that no man has the power to do this by nature, (2) that such power is a gift of God, and (3) that the gift is given to those chosen of God for the gift. It is not, then, a question of predestination or foreknowledge. It is, and can be, only a question of predestination and foreknowledge. This we may indicate by asking two simple questions: (a) Does God know for certain what will happen before it happens? All Christians would no doubt say yes. (b) But if God knows that a thing is certain to happen before it happens, we may then ask, what makes it certain? We are unable to escape the conclusion that God foresees with certainty only because he guarantees the certainty he foresees. Things are “predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Eph. 1:11). God foresees that the elect will be “holy and without blame before Him” (Eph. 1:4), and that they will experience “sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth” ( 2 Thess. 2:13). But this is foreseeable only because he “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4). His predestination is the cause of the holiness which he foresees. He does not choose us because he foresees that we will believe, but he foresees that we will believe because he has chosen us. Only thus are works wholly excluded (Eph. 2:8-10).” (Williamson, The Westminster Confession of Faith: For Study Classes, 41-42)
Rev. Dr. R. C. Sproul
— Rev. Dr. R. C. Sproul (1939-2017) “When we speak of divine sovereignty we are seeking about God’s authority and about God’s power. As sovereign, God is the supreme authority of heaven and earth. All other authority is lesser authority. Any other authority that exists in the universe is derived from and dependent upon God’s authority. All other forms of authority exist either by God’s command or by God’s permission. The word authority contains within itself the word author. God is the author of all things over which he has authority. He created the universe. He owns the universe. His ownership gives him certain rights. He may do with his universe what is pleasing to his holy will. Likewise, all power in the universe flows from the power of God. All power in this universe is subordinate to him. Even Satan is powerless without God’s sovereign permission to act.” (Sproul, Chosen By God, 24)
“The Reformation view of double predestination is not this symmetrical, positive-positive view, but rather a positive-negative view. When God made His eternal decrees of salvation and reprobation in light of the (still future) fall, His decision to elect some people was based on His knowledge that people would need salvation. God’s decree of salvation was based on His knowledge of a world that is fallen. Contemplating this whole of humanity, God knew that every last one of them would be dead in sin and trespasses, fallen, corrupt, hostile to him, having no inclination toward divine things. Every one of them would be a slave to sin, refusing to have God in their thinking, walking according to the course of this world and the power of Satan. That is the condition of the fallen, corrupt humanity that God saw when decreeing election. Out of this group of rebels, God, in His mercy, elected to save some and to visit them with His special grace of redemption. He positively intervenes in their lives to quicken them from spiritual death and to work faith in their hearts, thereby meeting the condition for salvation. The others He passes over, leaving them in their sin. He does not force them into unbelief. But He knows that unless He intervenes, they will persist in unbelief and end up in damnation. On the mercy side of the ledger, God intervenes in people’s lives and brings their salvation to pass; on the other side, He does not intervene, leaving people to their own devices.” (Sproul, Truths We Confess, 80-81)
Dr. Robert Reymond
— Dr. Robert Reymond (1932-2013) “What the Scriptures intend then when they ascribe omnipotence to God is that God has the power to do what it takes power to do. He has the power to do even that which he does not will to do, and the only reason he does not exercise his power in this area is that he does not will to do so (this truth points up the fact that God has full authority over his power at all times; it is ever under the governance of his eternal plan and wise control). But whatever he wills to do he has the power to do. In other words, God can do, and does, all his holy will. But God does not will to do all that he has the power to do. God has the power, for example, to rid the world of all evil right now, but for wise and holy reasons, determined from all eternity, he does not will to do so. This then is the conception of God’s omnipotence as Christian theism has perceived it: God has the power to do everything that he had determined that he will do, and even the power to do that which is noncontradictory which he does not will to do. The Christian should have no problem accepting this since there is nothing in the conception, when properly explained, that is self-contradictory.” (Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith, 193)
“Before the creation of the world, out of his mere free grace and love, God elected many undeserving sinners to complete salvation without any foresight of faith or good works or any other thing in them as conditions and causes which moved him to choose them. That is to say, the ground of their election is not in them, but in him.” (Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith, 1125)
Rev. Dr. J. I. Packer
— Dr. James I. Packer (1926-2020) “Evangelism is the inalienable responsibility of every Christian community, and every Christian man. We are all under orders to devote ourselves to spreading the good news, and to use all our ingenuity and enterprise to bring it to the notice of the whole world…While we must always remember that it is our responsibility to proclaim salvation, we must never forget that it is God who saves. It is God who brings men and women under the sound of the gospel, and it is God who brings them to faith in Christ. Our evangelistic work is the instrument that He uses for this purpose, but the power that saves is not the instrument: it is the hand of the One uses the instrument. We must not at any stage forget that.” (Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, 26-27)
Resources for Further Study:
Berkhof, Louis. Systematic Theology. Fourth Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1939.
Boettner, Loraine. The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1932.
Boettner, Loraine. The Reformed Faith. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishers, 1983.
Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Ed. John T. McNeill. Trans. Ford Lewis Battles. 2 vols. Library of Christian Classics, no. 20-21. Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster Press, 1960.
Hoekema, Anthony A. Saved By Grace. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1989.
Packer, James I. Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1961.
Peterson, Robert A. Election and Free Will: God’s Gracious Choice and Our Responsability. Philipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2007.
Pink, Arthur W. The Sovereignty of God. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1930.
Reymond, Robert L. A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith. Second Edition. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1998.
Schreiner, Thomas R. and Bruce A. Ware, eds. Still Sovereign: Comtemporary Perspectives on Election, Foreknowledge, and Grace. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000.
Sproul, R. C. Chosen by God. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale Publishers, 1986.
Sproul, R. C. Truths We Confess: A Systematic Exposition of the Westminster Confession of Faith. Revised Edition. Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust Publishing, 2019.
The Confession of Faith and Catechisms. American Edition (1788). Jointly published by Great Commission Publications (PCA) in Atlanta, GA, and the Committee on Christian Education (OPC) in Willow Grove, PA, 2005.
Vos, Johannes G. The Westminster Larger Catechism: A Commentary. G. I. Williamson, ed. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2002.
Williamson, G. I. The Westminster Confession of Faith: for Study Classes. Second Edition, Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2004.
Rev. Dr. Marcus J. Serven, ThM and DMin
The Genevan Foundation – Copyright 2023 – All Rights Reserved
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.” John 5:39
Theology Study Group – A Course in Biblical Theology
Course Description: Over the Fall semester (2023) the Theology Study Group at Redeemer Presbyterian Church here in Austin, TX will focus on two important questions in Biblical Theology:
(1) What are the principles for accurately interpreting the Bible? (Hermeneutics) (2) What are the major themes that emerge from passages in the Bible? (Exegesis)
Each week we will explore a text from the Bible that deals with one of the central themes of Holy Scripture: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Consummation. By understanding the themes that knit everything together, we will then be better able to interpret and apply individual passages from the Bible.
Instructor: Rev. Dr. Marcus J. Serven, MDiv, ThM, DMin Pastor of Christian Discipleship at Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) (email) mserven@redeemerpres.org
Textbooks: — The Drama of Scripture: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story, Craig Bartholomew, Michael Goheen, 2nd Edition, Baker Academic, 2014 — Redemption Accomplished and Applied, John Murray, Eerdmans, 2015 — Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, J. I. Packer, Revised Edition, IVP, 2012
Who is welcome to attend? All men and women who have a desire to go deeper in theological studies than we can offer in our weekly School of Discipleship. Also, High School and College age students are welcome to attend as long as they are motivated to learn theology at a more advanced level.
When and Where: Beginning on September 14, 2023 we will meet every Thursday morning (except for Thanksgiving Day on Nov. 23) in Calvin Hall (Room 208) at Redeemer Presbyterian Church. This is an “in person” class and students are expected to regularly attend all classes.
For Serious Students: For those who desire to take the class “for credit” towards a certificate, extra assignments will be given: (1) Write a 10 page paper explaining how Jesus’ words in John 5:39-40 should be interpreted. And (2) pass an examination of 25 questions (short answers) on “How to Interpret the Bible” and the contents of the The Drama of Scripture.
