George Whitefield is an important religious figure for multiple different reasons, all of which deserve our attention as evangelical Christians. He was man of the bible who committed to the preaching of God’s sovereign grace and the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, he was an individual who lived out his theological convictions. Believing that Scripture calls the church to take the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the world, Whitefield faithfully proclaimed Christ at home and abroad. For example, he visited the Atlantic Ocean thirteen times, as he displayed himself out preaching Christ to all who would listen to repent and restore faith in Christ. In addition, he sought to put the Gospel into practice by not only proclaiming Christ but helping those in need. For Whitefield, the …show more content…
His friendship with the Wesley’s, which nicely demonstrated that people with differing theological convictions can still work together in the common cause of the Gospel. Noticeably, Whitefield’s working with those who named Christ had its limits, as he sought to proclaim and defend orthodox Christianity. But within the pale of orthodoxy, Whitefield, without compromising his theological convictions, desired to see Christ’s Church unified, and his life was a fine example of a person who worked to this end. One of the greatest legacy we can see today from the life and ministry of George Whitefield is his constant reminder of the power of the Gospel to transform individual lives and to impact the broader society. During Whitefield’s day, it was dark on a number of fronts. The church was indifferent and weak. Culturally, immorality was rampant, and the social conditions of the day were awful. It was in such a day that our triune God, by his grace and for his glory, raised up people like Whitefield to proclaim the unsearchable riches of
The book begins with Whitefield's early years growing up in an inn, which exposed him to many different people, including actors. Later, Whitefield utilized what he learned from the actors and became known for his theatrical sermons. Stout traces Whitefield through some of his difficult days as a student and servitor at Oxford University. As a servitor, Whitefield was in the lowest social class and had to serve more wealthy students. During this time, he converted to Christianity and joined John Wesley's "Holy Club.
N.T. Wright: During my first semester at Northwestern College, I was assigned the book, “The Challenge of Jesus” by N.T. Wright for one of my Biblical Studies courses. This book and every other book Tom Wright has written has dramatically impacted my Christian faith. Dr. Wright has not only defended the basic tenants of the Christian faith, but also has shown how an academically-minded pastor ought to love and care for his or her congregants. N.T. Wright was previously the Bishop of Durham and pastored some of the poorest in the United Kingdom. His pastoral ministry has helped shape his understanding of God’s kingdom-vision which he is diagramming within his magnum opus “Christian Origins and the Question of God”. This series has instructed myself and countless other pastors to be for God’s kingdom as we eagerly await Christ’s return. Additionally, I have had the privilege of meeting with N.T. Wright one-on-one on numerous occasions to discuss faith, the Church, and his research. I firmly believe Tom Wright is the greatest New Testament scholar of our generation and he is the primary reason why I feel called into ministry.
George Whitefield, an excellent speaker, firmly believed in human helplessness and in an all-knowing God. He was such a wonderful speaker, that he often brought people to tears. His speaking also often had the effect of leaving people with the urge to donate money when the collection basket came around. While he was preaching, many sinners would announce that they were converting, and those who were considered to be saved would roll on the ground or yell in excitement. The sinners of this faith were often treated
First, Sweeney provides an overview of American evangelicalism that is brief and balance. This is demonstrated by his broad yet comprehensive writing style and selection of chapter themes. Next, Sweeney’s inclusive approach provides the reader not only with the history of the more famed evangelicals, but also acknowledges the influences Pentecostals, charismatics, women and black leaders of the movement. Additionally, he is not afraid to highlight many of the shortcomings within the movement. In fact, “he confronts the American imperialism and “cultural chauvinism” that often accompanied mission in the nineteenth century (98) as well as the unfortunate embrace of slavery and racism by some evangelicals.” Lastly, chapter four contains a good summary of the development of modern missions movement. To his credit, Sweeney includes within this summary several trailblazing women in the rise of evangelical missions and affirms that women “worked more freely with internationals abroad than they could minister to Americans at home.” Moreover, he discusses criticism concerning “contextualization” and offers a couple of perspectives on the demographic trends of evangelical
Before his departure to New England, John Winthrop prepared a speech where he preaches of loving thy neighbor and the loss of the individual for the good of the whole. Throughout his speech, he references many biblical verses that emphasize those ideas and presents them to a large assembly of thos...
Whether people stood for or against the Reverend William A. Sunday, they all agreed that it was difficult to be indifferent toward him. The religious leader was so extraordinarily popular, opinionated, and vocal that indifference was the last thing that he would get from people. His most loyal admirers were confident that this rural-breed preacher was God’s mouthpiece, calling Americans to repentance. Sunday’s critics said that at best he was a well-meaning buffoon whose sermons vulgarized and trivialized the Christian message and at worst he was a disgrace to the name of Christ (Dorsett 2).
Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 19(1), 69-84. Heim, D. (1996). The 'Standard'. Phil Jackson, Seeker in Sneakers. Christian Century, 133(20), 654-656.
David George was born into slavery and faced severe situations under his owner from watching his brother and mother be beaten and being painfully beaten himself. George was brave enough to take the risk of running away and found himself under new ownership, where he was able to explore his religious views. A man named Cyrus who inspired him to attend religious services changed him and by Liele’s sermon David was quickly inspired to follow the gospel. David continued to preach within churches, but continued to face obstacles because he was baptizing whites. His brave efforts to continue to preach drove him to continue to get beaten, this did not stop him from continuing to preach the Lord’s word. David George was a brave man who served as a key figure in the history of the Black Baptist Church.
George Whitefield was born on December 16, 1714. He was the son of a widow who owned an inn at Gloucester. He was the seventh and youngest child of Elizabeth Edwards and Thomas Whitefield. He had a loving, generous, unselfish personality. (Abbey & Overton 265) He was raised at the Bell Inn and at about the age of 15, he left school. Instead of attending school, he helped his mother with daily work at the inn. Later on, his mother was visited by an Oxford student who encouraged George, to enter college. He came from a poor background so he couldn’t pay for his tuition. Due to this, he entered Oxford as a servitor, waking higher ranked students up in the morning, polishing their shoes, carrying their books, and sometimes, doing their work. After a year, he met John and Charles Wesley and joined the Holy Club. Charles allowed him to loan a book named “The Life of God in the Soul of Man” and Whitefield read it. After reading it, he became concerned for the state of soul. He then became passionate for preaching his new found faith, and at the age of 22, he was elevated to a degree of notoriety. (Abbey & Overton 265)
During this time many people lost their lives in an uncountable number of ways. When others had no one to turn to they went to the church. Religion was a way to reach out to someone and gave many the hope they had needed during the rough times of their lives. “From somewhere unseen a
There is a lot that has been said about the missionary trips of this distinguished servant of Christ which started about fourteen years after his transformation. His travels have left many Bible scholars confused about his powerful impact and how he founded of the Western Christian Church.
I was intrigued by John Wesley’s family background. Of how, “John Wesley began life as a happy by-product of a family dispute” (p. 3, Abraham) of praying for King William III. I find it hard to consider that the leader of the Methodist movement was the result of conflict resolution. John was the fifteenth child of a family of nineteen children. His parents, “Susanna and Samuel Wesley was both Dissenter, those who rejected the vision of Christianity developed by the Anglican Church after the Reformation” (p. 4, Abraham). John grandfather, Susanna’s father, was a “distinguished Dissenting Preacher” (p. 4, Abraham). His family tree was rich with ancestors who did not go along with the establishment if it did not match with spiritual truths.
Benchmark Assignment: Gospel Essentials There are several aspects to consider when exploring the Christian worldview. There are many facets and denominations and they each have their own distinct beliefs and practices, but they all share the same fundamental beliefs. In this paper we will explore the character of God, His creation, humanity and its nature, Jesus’ significance to the world, and the restoration of humanity, as well as my beliefs and the way that I interact with Christianity and my personal worldview. God In the Christian worldview, God is the one and only God. He is the sovereign creator of everything.
With this in mind, the objective of this essay is to focus on the main ideas of each theologian, and discuss how each theologian’s ideas are compensatory to the other. This is important because even though each theologian’s writings were inspired by the harsh realities of the societies, and also by the effect each writer experienced in their moment in history, their critiques specifically of Christian institutions remain a consistent amongst all three writings. Furthermore, not only are their critiques consistent, but their goals for providing new frameworks for the future of the Church and Christian discipleship are consistent as well.
Lutzer, Erwin. The Doctrines That Divide: a Fresh Look at the Historic Doctrines That Separate Christians. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1998.