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Theodore Epp
Theodore H. Epp (January 27, 1907–October 13, 1985) was an American Christian preacher, radio evangelist, and author, best known as the founding director of Back to the Bible, a globally influential radio ministry. Born in Oraibi, Arizona, to Russian Mennonite immigrant missionaries working with the Hopi Indians, Epp grew up in a faith-filled environment. Converted at age 20 in 1927 under Norman B. Harrison’s teaching in Flagstaff, Arizona, he pursued theological education at Oklahoma Bible Academy, Hesston College in Kansas, and the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (now Biola University), earning a Th.M. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1932. Epp’s preaching career began as a pastor in Goltry, Oklahoma, at Zoar Mennonite Church (1932–1936), where he married Matilda Schmidt in 1930, raising six children—Gerald (who died young), Eleanor, Herbert, Bernice, Marilyn, and Virginia. In 1936, he joined T. Myron Webb’s radio ministry, and on May 1, 1939, launched Back to the Bible in Lincoln, Nebraska, with just $65, trusting God for provision. The program grew from a 15-minute local broadcast to a daily 30-minute show on over 800 stations worldwide in eight languages by his 1985 retirement, featuring his expository preaching and music from the Back to the Bible choir and quartet. He authored nearly 70 books, including David: A Man After the Heart of God and Practical Studies in Revelation, emphasizing practical faith and biblical literacy.
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Sermon Summary
Theodore Epp emphasizes the vital role of the Holy Spirit in convicting both believers and the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He explains that the Spirit, as the Comforter, not only confirms the truth of Christ to us but also reveals our own sinfulness, making us effective witnesses. Epp argues that our awareness of sin is crucial for the world's conviction, and that we must be fully surrendered to the Holy Spirit to fulfill God's work through us. He highlights that this surrender is not for personal gain but for the purpose of leading others to Christ. Ultimately, we are the instruments through which the Holy Spirit operates to bring about conviction and conversion.
Scriptures
Controlled to Convict
John 16:5-14 The indwelling Holy Spirit helps us to share Christ with others. The Lord promised this in John 15:26,27: "When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: and ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning." The Holy Spirit confirms to us what is true about Christ, and we in turn share those truths with others. If the Spirit of God is responsible to convict the world of sin, He must first of all convict us of sin because we are the ones He indwells--we are the tools He will use. He not only makes the life of Christ real to us, but He also causes us to understand our own sinfulness. We can do little to impress others with the awfulness of sin if we ourselves are not acutely aware of our own sinfulness. This is possibly one basic reason why the world is not convicted of sin, yet is bound for hell at an accelerating speed. We are the key to the world's conviction and conversion. This is why we need to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. Only as we are completely surrendered to Him can He use us to convict people around us of sin, righteousness and judgment. It is necessary for us to surrender completely, not for personal enjoyment but so the Father's work in the world might be done in and through us. "Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile" (Ps. 32:2).
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Theodore H. Epp (January 27, 1907–October 13, 1985) was an American Christian preacher, radio evangelist, and author, best known as the founding director of Back to the Bible, a globally influential radio ministry. Born in Oraibi, Arizona, to Russian Mennonite immigrant missionaries working with the Hopi Indians, Epp grew up in a faith-filled environment. Converted at age 20 in 1927 under Norman B. Harrison’s teaching in Flagstaff, Arizona, he pursued theological education at Oklahoma Bible Academy, Hesston College in Kansas, and the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (now Biola University), earning a Th.M. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1932. Epp’s preaching career began as a pastor in Goltry, Oklahoma, at Zoar Mennonite Church (1932–1936), where he married Matilda Schmidt in 1930, raising six children—Gerald (who died young), Eleanor, Herbert, Bernice, Marilyn, and Virginia. In 1936, he joined T. Myron Webb’s radio ministry, and on May 1, 1939, launched Back to the Bible in Lincoln, Nebraska, with just $65, trusting God for provision. The program grew from a 15-minute local broadcast to a daily 30-minute show on over 800 stations worldwide in eight languages by his 1985 retirement, featuring his expository preaching and music from the Back to the Bible choir and quartet. He authored nearly 70 books, including David: A Man After the Heart of God and Practical Studies in Revelation, emphasizing practical faith and biblical literacy.