‘Tethered to the cross’ is how the renowned nineteenth-century English Baptist minister Charles H. Spurgeon (1834–1892) described the task of ministry and his approach to preaching.
For nearly four decades, Spurgeon served as the pastor of the church at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London. But what specifically guided the reading of Scripture by the man known as the ‘Prince of Preachers’?
Tracing the development of Spurgeon's thought and his approach to biblical hermeneutics throughout his ministry, theologian and historian Thomas Breimaier argues that Spurgeon viewed the entire Bible through the lens of the cross of Christ. This method led Spurgeon to interpret texts in a consistent fashion, resulting in sermons, articles, and instruction that employed cross-centered language, which was aimed at the conversion of unbelievers.
With Breimaier as our guide, better understanding of how Spurgeon approached the task of interpreting Scripture and preaching the gospel might enable us, too, to be tethered to the cross of Christ.
Tabella dei contenuti
Foreword by Timothy Larsen
Acknowledgments
Introduction: The Cross in the Tabernacle
1. Echoes of Essex: Theological Education from Stambourne to Waterbeach
2. The Bible Outside the Pulpit: Spurgeon’s Early Years in Ministry
3. The Cross and Conversion in Spurgeon’s Old Testament Interpretation
4. The Cross and Conversion in Spurgeon’s New Testament Interpretation
5. The Bible Beyond the Pulpit: Spurgeon’s Later Years in Ministry
6. The Cross in the College: Biblical Engagement in Spurgeon’s Training Institutions
Conclusion
Bibliography
General Index
Scripture Index
Circa l’autore
Timothy Larsen is Mc Manis Professor of Christian Thought at Wheaton College, an Honorary Fellow in the School of Divinity at Edinburgh University, and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He has written eight books, including A People of One Book: The Bible and the Victorians, and edited a dozen volumes, including most recently The Oxford Handbook of Christmas.