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W.H. Griffith Thomas
William Henry Griffith Thomas (1861–1924). Born on January 2, 1861, in Oswestry, Shropshire, England, W.H. Griffith Thomas was an Anglican clergyman, scholar, and author influential in evangelical theology. Orphaned young, he worked as a clerk before studying at King’s College London and Christ Church, Oxford, earning a BA in 1895 and a DD in 1906. Ordained in 1885, he served as a curate in London and vicar of St. Paul’s, Portman Square, gaining renown for expository preaching. A key figure in the Keswick Convention, he emphasized holiness and biblical authority. In 1905, he became principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, training clergy, and in 1910, he moved to Canada to teach at Wycliffe College, Toronto. Co-founding Dallas Theological Seminary in 1919, he shaped its dispensationalist ethos. His books, like The Principles of Theology and The Catholic Faith, clarified Anglican doctrine. Married to Alice Monk, he had one daughter and died on June 2, 1924, in Philadelphia. Thomas said, “The Bible is not merely a book to be read, but a voice to be obeyed.”
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W.H. Griffith Thomas emphasizes the believers' spiritual resurrection with Christ, urging them to focus on heavenly things where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. This resurrection is not a mere possibility but a definite reality, establishing their spiritual identity and position in Christ. The resurrection serves as proof of their acceptance in Christ, a pattern for holy living, a source of power for Christian character and service, a promise of future physical resurrection, and a pledge of eternal life. Through their union with Christ, believers are seen by God as having shared in His resurrection and are called to live in light of this profound truth.
United in Christ's Resurrection
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God" (Col. 3:1). The apostle first calls attention to his readers having been "raised together with Christ" (ASV). The English word "if" is employed here in its sense of "since"--"in view of," and the verb is in the indicative mood, so that Paul is clearly assuming this resurrection as a fact, admissive of no doubt. That is to say, these Christians were raised spiritually when Christ was raised physically; and this identification was the foundation of their spiritual position. The resurrection is variously presented in the New Testament as at once a proof, a pattern, a power, a promise, and a pledge. It is the proof of our acceptance of Christ's death and of our acceptance with Him (Rom. 4:24-25): it is to be the pattern of our holy life (Rom. 6:4); it is also the power for Christian character and service (Eph. 1:18-20); it contains the promise of our own physical resurrection (1 Thess. 4:14); and it is the pledge of our life hereafter (John 14:19). In the present passage our resurrection is associated with Christ's because we are united with Him in such a way that, whatever He did, we are regarded by God the Father as having done also (2:12; Rom. 6:8).
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William Henry Griffith Thomas (1861–1924). Born on January 2, 1861, in Oswestry, Shropshire, England, W.H. Griffith Thomas was an Anglican clergyman, scholar, and author influential in evangelical theology. Orphaned young, he worked as a clerk before studying at King’s College London and Christ Church, Oxford, earning a BA in 1895 and a DD in 1906. Ordained in 1885, he served as a curate in London and vicar of St. Paul’s, Portman Square, gaining renown for expository preaching. A key figure in the Keswick Convention, he emphasized holiness and biblical authority. In 1905, he became principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, training clergy, and in 1910, he moved to Canada to teach at Wycliffe College, Toronto. Co-founding Dallas Theological Seminary in 1919, he shaped its dispensationalist ethos. His books, like The Principles of Theology and The Catholic Faith, clarified Anglican doctrine. Married to Alice Monk, he had one daughter and died on June 2, 1924, in Philadelphia. Thomas said, “The Bible is not merely a book to be read, but a voice to be obeyed.”