posted by Phil Johnson
The PyroManiacs devote some space each weekend to highlights from The Spurgeon Archive. The following excerpt is from Spurgeon's exposition of Galatians 1:8-10, delivered by Spurgeon as a young man in 1856 (together with a sermon titled "The Offence of the Cross"), but first published posthumously in October of 1898.
here is one only message from God, of good news to men; and if you turn away from that, you turn away to a falsehood, to that which will bring you trouble, to that which will pervert you, and lead you astray.8. Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Paul is no fanatic, no raving enthusiast; yet he cannot endure the notion of a false gospel. In his solemn anathema, he includes himself, and all the brethren with him, yea, and the very angels of God if they "preach any other gospel." Let him be accursed, saith he, and so he is.
9. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
The modern style of speaking is, "Let us fraternize with him; he is a man of original thought. Surely, you would not bind all men down to one mode of speech. Perhaps, if he has made mistakes, you will bring him round to your way of thinking by receiving him kindly into your fellowship."
"No, no;" says Paul, "As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."
10. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
He would not be the servant of Christ if he pleased men. Those whom we try to please, are our masters. If a man tries to please the populace, or to please the refined few, these are his masters, and he will be their slave; but if he tries to please his God, then is he a free man indeed.
20 comments:
Did SPURGEON know Mark DRISCOLL? He is one gifted talent and certainly has done so much good in adding to the church?
But even if one of our "reformed" brethren and most favourite and esteemed Pastors preach ANY OTHER gospel...? I do wonder sometimes where SPURGEON get's these dated ideas from ~ eh!?
Food for thought...
A megre bondslave according to the free mercies gifted this former slave of my own sins,
W
How timely of you Phil.
There's a timeless Spurgeon quote for every occasion under the sun :-)
Thank-you, Chuck. I have no doubt but that you were enjoying a cigar while penning this one. Always a treat.
oh spurgeon, if there were more people like you i may still be a baptist ;). Thank you guys for your continued postings of this great saint's work.
Amen!
Of course the question is then, what is the gospel?
@dac;
I have no doubt that the essence of the Gospel as Pastor SPURGEON saw it would lie upon the foundation of Substitutionary Atonement and Imputation of Righteouenes according with the Free Gift of Mercy Alone as gifted by our Triune YAHWEH in the Offices of each Person of the Godhead.
Or put in a theological way:
The foundation of the Gospel is laid upon the 5 Doctrines of Grace, as the refrlect tthe Person and Work of Messiah JESUS. SPURGEON was certainly clear on his view of that ~ I believe.
Your fellow bondslave according with that great love wherewith we have been loved since before the foundation of the earth - before we had done any good or evil; according with His great mercy Alone,
W
dac: It is the good news that Jesus is the Messiah and that, if God gives you to believe that, you are one of His elect family and, over the course of your life, will be conformed to Christ's image through fiery trials ("a daily cross") and have eternal life after your body dies.
Amazing how Spurgeons observations are still applicable. God's truth is always applicable though isn't it. We just need to study it so we can both live it and tell it accurately.
Spurgeon was relevant then and now because he made himself relevant to the gospel and the word of God.
Piper and MacDonald of course need to read this.
Eric you made a statement; "oh spurgeon, if there were more people like you i may still be a baptist ;)."
I am just wondering if this is the way you also feel, I would appreciate your comment, if you get a chance please have a look and Frank I would also like your comment if you get a gap.
see today's blog
http://tyronearthur.blogspot.com/
to my dutch friend
That may be what Spurgeon would say - But is that what Paul said?
and a side question - which definition of substitutionary atonement? I mean, if it is how you divide the sheep and the goats, which is the right one?
I love it that we somehow now can't really define the Gospel, so we can't identify the heretics.
Here's my under-50-words counter argument to that whole line of reasoning:
Somehow, when Paul and Jesus identify heretics, it is because the heretics were trying to do something which God says either He will do or He has done. That is: they are trying to run God's kingdom rather than live subject to it. Now go and do the same.
@dac,
"to my dutch friend" ~ I presume you mean this British Afrikaner?
Aside from whichAll Nations are formed from one family and Nation; so that I think it rather irrelevant what my cultural background or experience may be in this question; as the Holy Scriptures trancend culture.
"That may be what Spurgeon would say - But is that what Paul said?"
I am confident that the Apostle Paul would have been pleased to define the essence of the Gospel the same (As in the Scriptures it is indeed recorded thus). Since Paul's Writings are the ones which SPURGEON referred to as Authoritive over Pastors and Teachers of all ranks...including himself, I concurr?
But that SPURGEON also taught and defended the very Scriptures which speak to these Truths and Doctrines; I am confident of that as a fact.
Hence my confidence that as best a man was able to defend and contend for Biblical Truth ~ Pastor SPUREGON acquitted himself very well.
"and a side question - which definition of substitutionary atonement?"
There is Only One Substitutionary Atonement in all of the Tahnakh and New Testament ~ As Pastor SPURGEON ~ I also know none other...
"I mean, if it is how you divide the sheep and the goats, which is the right one?"
Do I detect an alterior motive in these questions; it seems you have an aim in mind and want to raise an issue without speaking plainly?
Please do clear the air if I have misunderstood your intentions.
A mere bondslave; having no righteousness of mine own; but having received Messiah ~ YAHWEH our Righteousness ~ the free gift of mercy Alone; through faith Alone,
W
Jonah put the Gospel most succinctly in Jonah 2:9b - "Salvation is of the LORD."
According to Paul's argument in Galatians (which Spurgeon was quoting), justification (i.e. righteousness) is by grace through faith in Christ +/- nothing; not circumcision, nor any other work, because to add works to our justification by definition treats Christ's death as insufficiently propitious, i.e. it didn't adequately atone for our sins, thus implying Christ died for no purpose (Gal. 2:21).
The very fact that Jesus rose from the grave on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:4) proves that his death satisfied God's wrath against sin, otherwise Jesus would still be in the grave. It is upon this basis that God can be both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:26).
If (like the Judaizers) you get justification wrong, you don't understand the Gospel, and you are teaching damnable heresy.
If you do understand the Gospel, it should be clear that to add to or subtract from Jesus' propitiatory death seeks to undermine its sufficiency as the basis for the justification of those who believe. Such teaching is is like unto "crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt." (Heb 6:6b)
With s.driesner; I fully agree; pity we cannot "like" comments on the thread.
frank frank frank
Did I say we can't define the gospel?
I just want to know what your going to throw into the definition if we are going to be separating the wheat and the weeds.
If Dr. Horton thinks this is a worthwhile discussion, I can't?
"Somehow, when Paul and Jesus identify heretics, it is because the heretics were trying to do something which God says either He will do or He has done. That is: they are trying to run God's kingdom rather than live subject to it. Now go and do the same."
" 18What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice."
Doesn't sound like Paul buys your explanation Frank.
Not that it is good to usurp God's place, obviously. But we all do, in big and small ways, every day, because we are justified sinners.
But you didn't answer the question the way Paul did in
1 Corinthians 15:3-8
"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also."
dac - "If Dr. Horton thinks this is a worthwhile discussion, I can't?"
No, remember, Frank has a problem with Horton's focus on the gospel.
Don't you remember the open letter? 0.o (which one, dac asks, confused...)
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