There was some discussion about A. W, Pink on another thread. I think it may be helpful to give a short biography and some book recommendations. I no longer have Iain Murray's biography, and these details come either from my memory or other sources.
Arthur Pink was born in Nottingham UK in 1886, the oldest child in a Christian family. In his teens, however, young Arthur rebelled against that and became enmeshed in Theosophy and quickly began to be a leader. He later confessed, "I was a medium, practising clairvoyance, psychomancy and magical healing." This naturally upset his father, and one day as 22 year-old Arthur brushed past him, he quoted Proverbs 14:12: 'There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death'
That word of God deeply affected Pink, and immediately changed his life. He was due to speak at a Theosophy meeting two days later, but when he came to speak it was to confess Christ as his Lord and Saviour, to the shock and chagrin of his audience.
Almost immediately, Pink felt the call to preach, and in 1910, after a rigorous regime of home study for two years, he travelled to America to study at the Moody Institute. He stayed there for just six weeks; the teaching was most elementary. One of his lecturers procured him a pastorate at Silverton, Colorado, and from there, having become convinced of Believers' baptism, he moved to California in 1912 where he pastored the First Baptist Church of Garden Grove, Los Angeles where 37 new converts were quickly brought into membership and Pink married Vera Russell, a Kentucky girl, so they moved to KY to pastor a church in Spartanburg.
During this time Pink became associated with some of the leaders of the Fundamentalist movement, including Philip Mauro and Harry Ironside. Mark Dever's great-grandfather, Leaman Winstead, was a close friend. During this time he also discovered the Puritans and read them voraciously. In 1919 he noted that he had read 45 books in 3 months! He had also begun to write: The Sovereignty of God and The Divine Inspiration of the Bible.
In 1920, Pink was asked by an evangelist called Thompson to help him with a tent mission in San Francisco. Ironside was also involved. Between them they preached to between 700 and 1,000 people each night who listened 'with breathless interest throughout. They saw many conversions, giving the lie to the belief that Pink's preaching was never blessed by God.
In 1922, Pink began his most important work, a monthly magazine called Studies in the Scriptures, with 24 pages of articles and Bible studies to supply each month. Overwork produced a nervous breakdown and depression, and Vera became convinced that Pink's main calling was to write. However, in 1925 a call came to preach in Australia, so off they went.
In Sydney, Pink was involved again in evangelistic campaigns. Sixty years later, Iain Murray met people there who remembered Pink's ministry to be an outstanding spiritual time. However, he found it hard to discover a congregation that shared his belief in the Doctrines of Grace. Eventually he settled at a church which had 'Gospel Standard' (i.e. Hyper-Calvinist) roots. Pink was assured that evangelistic preaching was acceptable and so accepted a position there. There are those who believe that Pink was 'hyper.' Here's an extract from his preaching to prove otherwise:
'.....Why not believe in Him for yourself? Why not trust in the precious blood for yourself and why not tonight? Why not tonight, my friend? God is ready. God is ready to save you if you believe on Him. The blood has been shed, the sacrifice has been offered, the atonement has been made, the feast has been spread. The call goes out to you tonight, "Come, for all things are now ready!"
[Continued]
Arthur Pink was born in Nottingham UK in 1886, the oldest child in a Christian family. In his teens, however, young Arthur rebelled against that and became enmeshed in Theosophy and quickly began to be a leader. He later confessed, "I was a medium, practising clairvoyance, psychomancy and magical healing." This naturally upset his father, and one day as 22 year-old Arthur brushed past him, he quoted Proverbs 14:12: 'There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death'
That word of God deeply affected Pink, and immediately changed his life. He was due to speak at a Theosophy meeting two days later, but when he came to speak it was to confess Christ as his Lord and Saviour, to the shock and chagrin of his audience.
Almost immediately, Pink felt the call to preach, and in 1910, after a rigorous regime of home study for two years, he travelled to America to study at the Moody Institute. He stayed there for just six weeks; the teaching was most elementary. One of his lecturers procured him a pastorate at Silverton, Colorado, and from there, having become convinced of Believers' baptism, he moved to California in 1912 where he pastored the First Baptist Church of Garden Grove, Los Angeles where 37 new converts were quickly brought into membership and Pink married Vera Russell, a Kentucky girl, so they moved to KY to pastor a church in Spartanburg.
During this time Pink became associated with some of the leaders of the Fundamentalist movement, including Philip Mauro and Harry Ironside. Mark Dever's great-grandfather, Leaman Winstead, was a close friend. During this time he also discovered the Puritans and read them voraciously. In 1919 he noted that he had read 45 books in 3 months! He had also begun to write: The Sovereignty of God and The Divine Inspiration of the Bible.
In 1920, Pink was asked by an evangelist called Thompson to help him with a tent mission in San Francisco. Ironside was also involved. Between them they preached to between 700 and 1,000 people each night who listened 'with breathless interest throughout. They saw many conversions, giving the lie to the belief that Pink's preaching was never blessed by God.
In 1922, Pink began his most important work, a monthly magazine called Studies in the Scriptures, with 24 pages of articles and Bible studies to supply each month. Overwork produced a nervous breakdown and depression, and Vera became convinced that Pink's main calling was to write. However, in 1925 a call came to preach in Australia, so off they went.
In Sydney, Pink was involved again in evangelistic campaigns. Sixty years later, Iain Murray met people there who remembered Pink's ministry to be an outstanding spiritual time. However, he found it hard to discover a congregation that shared his belief in the Doctrines of Grace. Eventually he settled at a church which had 'Gospel Standard' (i.e. Hyper-Calvinist) roots. Pink was assured that evangelistic preaching was acceptable and so accepted a position there. There are those who believe that Pink was 'hyper.' Here's an extract from his preaching to prove otherwise:
'.....Why not believe in Him for yourself? Why not trust in the precious blood for yourself and why not tonight? Why not tonight, my friend? God is ready. God is ready to save you if you believe on Him. The blood has been shed, the sacrifice has been offered, the atonement has been made, the feast has been spread. The call goes out to you tonight, "Come, for all things are now ready!"
[Continued]
