The author

Author Iain H. Murray was born in 1931.  He served as assistant to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones at Westminster Chapel, Grove Chapel, and St. Giles Presbyterian Church.  He currently lives in Edinburgh, Scotland where the Banner of Truth Trust has its main office.  He has written a number of great books.

 

The life of Spurgeon

This little book (160 pages) is wonderful!  Murray includes an introduction to Spurgeon in the first part concentrating on the centrality of the Word in Spurgeon’s life.  I was greatly challenged to love the Word, trust in it, and do all ministry according to it.  I was greatly challenged for follow Spurgeon "as he followed Christ."

 

The controversy

In the second part of the book, Murray tells about the controversy with Hyper-Calvinism.  The controversy started when Spurgeon was a very young pastor.  He began pastoring when he was 19 years old!  (At the age of 23 he preached to 23,654 people!)  Early in his pastorate, James Wells, another local pastor began criticizing Spurgeon in a weekly Christian publication.  Although Wells used a pen name, Spurgeon and everyone else knew it was Wells (an aged, well-respected pastor).  Many other pastors joined in the controversy.

 

Spurgeon was certainly Calvinistic.  That is, he believed men were born in sin with not moral capacity to muster up the faith to call on God for salvation (“total depravity”).  He believed God chose men to be saved, called to Himself those He chose, and caused them to persevere in the faith.  Spurgeon also believed in particular redemption – Christ died for those whom He chose to be saved (Christ died to save the elect rather than to create the possibility for some to be saved). 

 

The criticism from Hyper-Calvinists

Although Spurgeon was Calvinistic, Wells and other pastors were “higher Calvinists” as Spurgeon called them.  The higher Calvinists or hyper-Calvinists said invitations given to the lost to repent and be saved contradicted the biblical teachings of total depravity, God’s unconditional election, particular redemption, and irresistible grace.  They said the act of inviting men to be saved implied the men were able to call on God, but they are only truly able if they are of the elect.  The Hyper-Calvinists said “all men” cannot be commanded to repent since not “all men” are elect.  The Hyper-Calvinists said the command to repent and believe should be given only to those that show evidence that God has worked in their heart so they are able to repent and believe.

 

Spurgeon’s disagreements

Spurgeon disagreed with the Hyper-Calvinists on 4 points:

 

(1) Spurgeon said gospel invitations should be given to all men as we find in Scripture.  Jesus and the apostles invited and commanded all men to repent, not only those that showed signs of God’s working. 

 

(2) Spurgeon said the Word and the promises of God are sufficient warrant for faith.  The Hyper-Calvinists said an evidenced working of God in the heart of a man was a sufficient warrant for faith. Spurgeon said you should call a man to faith simply because the Bible calls a man to faith.  He said the promise that God will have mercy on the man who calls on God for salvation is warrant enough for faith.  The teaching of the Hyper-Calvinists made the gospel a gospel for saints rather than a gospel for sinners (said Spurgeon).  Spurgeon also said, “The call to the sinner is to commit himself to Christ, not because he has been saved but rather because he is lost and must come to Jesus in order to be saved.”

 

(3) Spurgeon said Hyper-Calvinism minimized human responsibility.  He said it is the duty of all men to believe, not only the duty of those who are enabled to believe. It is certain God commands all men to repent (see Paul’s presentation of the gospel on Mars Hill in Acts 17).

 

(4) Spurgeon said Hyper-Calvinism failed to understand the biblical teaching of the love of God for all men.  Spurgeon pointed to Romans 10:20-21 to show that God desires for all men to be saved.  He invites all men to be saved.  He loves all men, not only the elect.  Spurgeon did however understand that God does not love the non-elect in the same way or to the same extent that He loves the elect.  Spurgeon said, “there is an electing, discriminating, distinguishing love, which is settled upon a chosen people…and it is this love which is the true resting place for the saint” (98).

 

Spurgeon was grieved when churches were divided by errant teaching such as Hyper-Calvinism.  He spoke much of the responsibility one brother has to love all brothers even when they differ on other doctrines. 

 

Conclusion

I highly recommend this book.  It will challenge you to handle the Word of Truth accurately.  It will challenge you to be loving and patient with those who differ in finer points of doctrine.  It will help you to understand the importance of telling the gospel carefully and faithfully.  Read it and reap!