Thursday 19 December 2013

hamblinchs

IS #IFB EVANGELIST ENDORSING CH SPURGEON'S CALVINIST MINISTRY AS #OLDPATHS?


As far as I know, CH Spurgeon's first ever sermon (preached on 1 Peter 2:7 "Unto you therefore which believe, He is precious") is not in print. However, from the 62 large volumes that were soon to follow (starting from 1855) and which are readily available online, we know that Mr. Spurgeon exercised a largely Calvinistic ministry. So much so, that my #IFB pastor friend #McG says that won't even quote him, seeing him as a false teacher. My friend #Hamblin above also views Calvinists as false teachers. One of his tweets, (reproduced below) he brands#Calvinism as the devil's #1 doctrine, which doesn't exactly leave a lot of wriggle room, does it?

But to get back to the latest offering from #Hamblin about Spurgeon. I suppose some kind of lawyer could argue that the said Mr #Hamblin is strictly referring to CH Spurgeon's first ever sermon. After all, it alone is mentioned in the tweet, although (IMO) Spurgeon's whole ministry is in #Hamblin's mind. IOW, unless the first sermon can actually be produced and analysed, then how judgement be passed that it is indeed #oldpaths? (BTW: What #oldpaths means can be another area of grave dispute. From #Hamblin's tweets, it seems to have to do more with cuff links and fancy pens and hankerchiefs in your top pocket than Bible theology. However, the word is generally used to indicate that which has the evident blessing of God upon it.) 

What kind of ministry did Spurgeon exercise even from his earliest days? He, himself, leaves us in no doubt. In his sermon MTP #2661 preached in 1882 on the Great Change (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) he is quote happy to report how folk observed that he "preached Calvinistic doctrine from the very first." He certainly doesn't contradict the reports and in the same breath reaffirmed his belief in the Calvinist doctrine that sinners believe through the effectual working of the Spirit of God. That is as far removed from the Carl Hatch Squeeze as you can get.

Interesting one that, isn't it? If we might put together #Hamblin's two tweets, observing all the laws of equity and logic, what the evangelist is saying is this: Spurgeon began his #oldpaths ministry in 1853 with its emphasis on preaching the Devil's #1 doctrine!

As I wrote above, defining #oldpaths can be a bit of a problem. However, using the Bible (God's word) as a prop for some 1936 Buffalo Head Nickel cuff-links along with a initialled handkerchief melts largely into the background when compared with elevating the ministry of such a preacher as Spurgeon.

So there you go. Oh the joys of being such an #oldpaths preacher like #Hamblin. All the niceties of being logical (never mind Scriptural) can be simply blown away without a single care in the world.

THE END 



INDEXES:

* CALVINIST INDEX
* PROTESTANT INDEX
* CH SPURGEON INDEX
* EVANGELISM INDEX
* HERE AND THERE INDEX

* YOUTUBE VIDEO INDEX
* 3 MINUTE AUDIOBOO INDEX

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