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 that when the conversion of sinners becomes the primary focus of a preacher, rather than the glory of God, it leads to a distortion of the truth. This misguided emphasis results in a diluted message that seeks to make conversion easier, often neglecting essential biblical truths about God's sovereignty and the necessity of the Holy Spirit's work. Pink warns that such an approach can lead to a selective interpretation of Scripture, favoring certain passages while ignoring others that convey the depth of God's election and redemption. Ultimately, this misalignment can compromise the integrity of the Gospel and the preacher's own theology.
The Wrong Emphasis
Once a man makes the conversion of sinners his prime design and all-consuming end and NOT THE GLORY OF GOD, he is exceedingly apt to adopt a wrong course. Instead of striving to preach the Truth in all its purity, he will tone it down so as to make it more palatable to the unregenerate. Impelled by a single force, moving in one fixed direction, his object is to make conversion easy; and therefore, favorite passages (like John 3:16) are dwelt upon incessantly, while others are ignored or pared away. It inevitably reacts upon his own theology; and various verses in the Word are shunned, if not repudiated. What place will he give in his thoughts to such declarations as, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?" (Jer. 13:23); "No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw Him" (John 6:44); "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you" (John 15:14)? He will be sorely tempted to modify the truth of God's sovereign election, of Christ's particular redemption, of the imperative necessity for the super-natural operations of the Holy Spirit.
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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.