A.W. Pink

Arthur Walkington Pink (1886 - 1952). English Bible teacher, author, and itinerant preacher born in Nottingham. Converted in 1908 from Theosophy to Christianity at 22, he studied at Moody Bible Institute in 1910 but left after two months to preach. Ordained a Baptist, he pastored in Colorado, California, Kentucky, and South Carolina before moving to Australia in 1925, then England in 1928. Disillusioned with church structures, he became an independent teacher, settling in Stornoway, Scotland, by 1940. Pink wrote over 40 books, including The Sovereignty of God (1918) and The Attributes of God, and published Studies in the Scriptures magazine from 1922 to 1953, reaching thousands globally. Known for his Calvinist and dispensationalist views, he emphasized biblical authority and personal holiness. Married to Vera Russell in 1916, they had no children and lived reclusively. His writings, initially obscure, gained prominence posthumously, shaping Reformed theology worldwide.
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Sermon Summary
A.W. Pink emphasizes the preacher's responsibility in evangelistic efforts to win souls, warning against two extremes: merely presenting doctrines without heartfelt engagement and being overly passive in leaving results to God. He argues that true preaching should reflect the passion and urgency seen in Christ and the apostles, who actively sought to persuade and reconcile sinners to God. Pink calls for preachers to embody fervor, devotion, and a genuine love for souls in their ministry, rather than adopting a cold, formalistic approach. He challenges fellow ministers to reflect on their methods and to seek a deeper commitment to evangelism.
Evangelical Preaching
The question which is before us for consideration and (attempted) elucidation really concerns the preacher's efforts to "win souls" (Prov. 11:30), and as to how far the Word warrants him going towards the realization of his longings to see sinners converted under his ministry. And here, it seems to the writer, there are two extremes to be guarded against. On the one hand, we believe those preachers come short of discharging their duties who rest content with simply setting forth in an abstract and impersonal way what are termed "the Doctrines of Grace'. To say, "I have faithfully declared all the counsel of God and now I must leave results with him", sounds very pious, but it leaves the way open for several serious questions. It is perfectly true that "results" rest entirely with God, for he alone "giveth the increase' (1 Cor. 3:7). But, have we declared all the counsel of God when we have fully expounded the "five points" of Calvinism? We think not. The preacher is something more than a human gramophone, mechanically repeating a scriptural formula. Of the forerunner of Christ it is said that he was "A burning and a shining light" (John 5:3). He was "the voice of one crying in the wilderness". No correct but cold formalist was he. Of our Saviour it is recorded that he wept over Jerusalem because her children would not come to him. No heartless fatalist was he. The great apostle to the Gentiles wrote, "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men" (2 Cor. 5:11). Do you do this, brother preacher? Query: Were Paul on earth today saying, "We persuade men" would his orthodoxy be suspected? Again; he announced, "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray (plead) you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God" (2 Cor. 5:20). Do these methods characterize our evangelical ministrations? Surely we all have need to pray earnestly for more devotion to Christ, more love for souls, more fervour and power in preaching the gospel.
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Arthur Walkington Pink (1886 - 1952). English Bible teacher, author, and itinerant preacher born in Nottingham. Converted in 1908 from Theosophy to Christianity at 22, he studied at Moody Bible Institute in 1910 but left after two months to preach. Ordained a Baptist, he pastored in Colorado, California, Kentucky, and South Carolina before moving to Australia in 1925, then England in 1928. Disillusioned with church structures, he became an independent teacher, settling in Stornoway, Scotland, by 1940. Pink wrote over 40 books, including The Sovereignty of God (1918) and The Attributes of God, and published Studies in the Scriptures magazine from 1922 to 1953, reaching thousands globally. Known for his Calvinist and dispensationalist views, he emphasized biblical authority and personal holiness. Married to Vera Russell in 1916, they had no children and lived reclusively. His writings, initially obscure, gained prominence posthumously, shaping Reformed theology worldwide.