R.C. Sproul's Blog, page 115

Kingdom Warrior: Remembering Dr. Archie Parrish (1932–2019)

As a Navy Corpsman in the Korean War, Archie Parrish found himself in the middle of action far more than he cared to remember. Although, he did remember one particular moment. On this occasion, in the midst of a firefight at the Chosin Reservoir, he found himself next to someone who seemed unusually calm. Archie asked, “Everybody here is either crazy or afraid—which are you?” “Neither,” came the reply. “What is it that you know that I don’t?” asked Archie. He responded to Archie, “It’s not what I know, but Who I know.” Archie then informed him that political connections would not stop bullets. The man replied, “This is not a political connection. It is a personal relationship with the living God.” This man—Archie never learned his name—then told Archie that if he got hit, he knew he’d be with God. If he didn’t get hit, then he’d still be with God. And at that, the man crawled away. This captured Archie’s attention. It would be another eighteen months until he would meet someone who would explain the gospel to him. From the moment of his conversion until his final days, Archie Parrish told people how they could have a personal relationship with the living God.

Though Archie had never even heard the gospel until his early adult years, he quickly made up for lost time. After seminary, he served as associate pastor of Christian education and evangelism at Wallace Presbyterian Church outside of Washington D.C. Since evangelism was in his job title, Archie decided to go to a clinic on evangelism, taught by D. James Kennedy. Kennedy had started Evangelism Explosion in 1962. From its home base at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Evangelism Explosion reached across the country, igniting a passion for gospel outreach.

That was 1969. Kennedy personally took Archie with him on a door-to-door evangelism outing. Kennedy saw in Archie the gift of evangelism, which prompted Kennedy to invite Archie to join the pastoral staff at Coral Ridge. Ten months later, Archie was teaching his first Evangelism Explosion clinic, held at Coral Ridge, in February of 1970.

Meanwhile, a certain theology professor at Conwell School of Theology had just accepted a call to College Hill Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, as pastor of theology and evangelism.

Like Archie Parrish, R.C. Sproul thought if he had evangelism in his job title, then he should go to this seminar on evangelism at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Florida. Not to mention it was February. That was the first time R.C. Sproul and Archie Parrish met, and it began a forty-eight-year friendship and partnership in the ministry of the gospel. Decades later, in a wheelchair and not in good health, Archie Parrish nevertheless made his way to Sanford, Florida, to attend the memorial service for his dear friend in December of 2017.

Six months after that clinic back in 1970, R.C. called Archie and invited him up to Cincinnati to hold a seminar there at College Hill. By the time they scheduled the seminar, it ended up being one of the last things R.C. did at his post in Cincinnati. He, Vesta, and the family moved back to Pennsylvania and opened the doors of the Ligonier Valley Study Center in 1971.

Meanwhile, Evangelism Explosion incorporated in 1972, and Archie was busy. He would crisscross the country leading seminars. Then he would cross the globe, visiting over forty countries, teaching pastors and laity how to present the gospel.

Archie Parrish also made his way to the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Western Pennsylvania to teach students at the Ligonier Valley Study Center. In 1977, R.C. invited Archie on the board. While Ligonier had a board from the beginning, initially made up of staff and people internally connected, the board began adding external members in the 1970s, Archie Parrish and Chuck Colson among them. Archie held the title of emeritus member of the board until the time of his death.

Archie served with Evangelism Explosion for thirteen years. He later founded Serve International and acted as its president. Two things marked Archie Parrish’s ministry: evangelism and prayer.

Not satisfied with his own prayer life, Archie launched a personal study through the Bible on the topic of prayer. His studies kept circling back to the Lord’s Prayer. From there, Archie developed what he called kingdom-focused prayer. This study also led him to two historical figures: Martin Luther and Jonathan Edwards. His time with Luther resulted in the book A Simple Way to Pray: The Wisdom of Martin Luther on Prayer. His time with Edwards led to The Spirit of Revival: Discovering the Wisdom of Jonathan Edwards, a book he cowrote with R.C. Sproul.

In the final years of his life, health issues prevented Archie from traveling and speaking. So, he prayed. He printed out the staff directories of the leadership team at Ligonier and the faculty of Reformation Bible College and he prayed for each one by name every morning. He said that as you get older, there’s less you can do physically. You can get huffy or bitter about that, or you can see it as God’s way of calling you to co-labor with Christ in the ministry of intercession.

If you called Archie, he would ask you how he could pray for you. Most phone calls ended with prayer. Sitting in his chair in a tree-lined suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, Archie prayed around the globe. He had friends just about everywhere, and they all knew he was praying for them. He thrilled at the news of the gospel’s advance. He longed to see awakening, to see God’s kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Praying was Archie’s full-time job. He said of prayer, “I think that it may be more powerful than anything else I’ve ever done.”

Dr. Archie Parrish, kingdom warrior, went into the presence of the living God on October 19, 2019.

Who Is the Final Authority in the Church?

If there's a difference between the Bible and tradition, who is the final authority? In this brief clip from his teaching series A Survey of Church History, W. Robert Godfrey explains how Martin Luther came to view the Bible as the final authority. Watch this entire message for free.

Transcript

In articulating a doctrine of justification and of the gospel as Luther does, he is not at odds with official decisions of the church up until this point. That begins to change in 1519 when he's invited to the city of Leipzig to engage in a debate on authority. And the interesting thing about this debate is you can almost see Luther's theology changing in the course of the debate. Luther was debating Eck, John Eck a distinguished theologian of the time, and what soon became clear is that Eck knew more church history than Luther did. And when Luther began to argue for his new understandings, Eck was very able to quote theologians and popes and councils that had preceded their lives and began to box Luther into a corner making him look like a rebel. And how did Luther respond? He responded by more and more quoting the Bible because he knew the Bible a lot better than Eck did. But what he soon found himself arguing, almost forced to it in the course of that debate, was that if there's a difference between what the Bible says and what the church has traditionally taught, we have to stand with the Bible and this began to be more and more inflammatory, more and more radical, more and more challenging to begin to say maybe there's a difference between what popes say and what the Bible says. That's radical stuff.

Faith Alone, Grace Alone, Christ Alone

Roman Catholics believe salvation is by faith plus works, grace plus merit, and Christ plus our own righteousness. In this brief clip, R.C. Sproul looks at the Reformers' objections to this view.

This Reformation Month, watch a short video every day on the history and insights of the Protestant Reformation. And don't forget that for this month only, you can request your free digital download of R.C. Sproul’s video teaching series Luther and the Reformation plus the ebook edition of The Legacy of Luther, edited by R.C. Sproul and Stephen Nichols at ligm.in/Reformation. Offer ends October 31, 2019.

Transcript

In the Roman Catholic view, it is faith plus works that gives us justification. It is grace plus merit that gives us justification. It is Christ plus me and my inherent righteousness that gives me justification. That’s the formula in a nutshell. The reformers objected strenuously to this and said, “No.” This is crossed out by the reformers. This is crossed out by the reformers, and my inherent righteousness is crossed out, so that you have faith alone, grace alone, Christ alone.

How Should We Respond to Those Who Say That the Reformation No Longer Matters?

The teachings of the Roman Catholic Church have only further diverged from Scripture since the Reformation. From Ligonier’s Reformation 500 event, R.C. Sproul and Stephen Nichols explain that the issues driving the Reformation remain important issues today.

To get real-time answers to your biblical and theological questions, just Ask.Ligonier.org.

Read the Transcript

What Is Reformation Day?

A single event on a single day changed the world. It was October 31, 1517. Brother Martin, a monk and a scholar, had struggled for years with his church, the church in Rome. He had been greatly disturbed by an unprecedented indulgence sale. The story has all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster. Let's meet the cast.

First, there is the young bishop—too young by church laws—Albert of Mainz. Not only was he bishop over two bishoprics, he desired an additional archbishopric over Mainz. This too was against church laws. So Albert appealed to the Pope in Rome, Leo X. From the De Medici family, Leo X greedily allowed his tastes to exceed his financial resources. Enter the artists and sculptors, Raphael and Michelangelo.

When Albert of Mainz appealed for a papal dispensation, Leo X was ready to deal. Albert, with the papal blessing, would sell indulgences for past, present, and future sins. All of this sickened the monk, Martin Luther. Can we buy our way into heaven? Luther had to speak out.

But why October 31? November 1 held a special place in the church calendar as All Saints' Day. On November 1, 1517, a massive exhibit of newly acquired relics would be on display at Wittenberg, Luther's home city. Pilgrims would come from all over, genuflect before the relics, and take hundreds, if not thousands, of years off time in purgatory. Luther's soul grew even more vexed. None of this seemed right.

Martin Luther, a scholar, took quill in hand, dipped it in his inkwell and penned his 95 Theses on October 31, 1517. These were intended to spark a debate, to stir some soul-searching among his fellow brothers in the church. The 95 Theses sparked far more than a debate. The 95 Theses also revealed the church was far beyond rehabilitation. It needed a reformation. The church, and the world, would never be the same.

One of Luther's 95 Theses simply declares, "The Church's true treasure is the gospel of Jesus Christ." That alone is the meaning of Reformation Day. The church had lost sight of the gospel because it had long ago papered over the pages of God's Word with layer upon layer of tradition. Tradition always brings about systems of works, of earning your way back to God. It was true of the Pharisees, and it was true of medieval Roman Catholicism. Didn't Christ Himself say, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light?" Reformation Day celebrates the joyful beauty of the liberating gospel of Jesus Christ.

What is Reformation Day? It is the day the light of the gospel broke forth out of darkness. It was the day that began the Protestant Reformation. It was a day that led to Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, and may other Reformers helping the church find its way back to God's Word as the only authority for faith and life and leading the church back to the glorious doctrines of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. It kindled the fires of missionary endeavors, it led to hymn writing and congregational singing, and it led to the centrality of the sermon and preaching for the people of God. It is the celebration of a theological, ecclesiastical, and cultural transformation.

So we celebrate Reformation Day. This day reminds us to be thankful for our past and to the Monk turned Reformer. What's more, this day reminds us of our duty, our obligation, to keep the light of the gospel at the center of all we do.

$5 Friday: Faith, Reason, & Reformed Theology

It’s time for our weekly $5 Friday sale. This week’s resources include such topics as Reformed theology, preaching, faith, grace, sanctification, marriage, reason, John Calvin, and more.

Sale runs through 12:01 a.m. — 11:59 p.m. Friday ET.

View today’s $5 Friday sale items.

Two Free Reformation Resources for You

Martin Luther is one of the most significant figures in church history. The movement that started after his posting of the Ninety-Five Theses led to the recovery of the gospel. How did this happen? How did God use a monk with an uneasy conscience to set the world ablaze?

This month, we want to give you two free Reformation resources that can help you get to know Luther’s life, teaching, and enduring influence. Request your digital download of R.C. Sproul’s video teaching series Luther and the Reformation plus the ebook The Legacy of Luther, edited by R.C. Sproul and Stephen Nichols. Discover what led Martin Luther to make a courageous stand for the gospel in the sixteenth century, and be encouraged to stand for the truth of God’s Word today.

You can claim your free resources here.

This offer expires on October 31, 2019

The Whole of the Christian Life Is Repentance

We don't just repent once. In this brief clip, Sinclair Ferguson explains that the Christian life requires daily repentance and submission to the authority of Jesus Christ.

This Reformation Month, watch a short video every day on the history and insights of the Protestant Reformation. And don't forget that for this month only, you can request your free digital download of R.C. Sproul’s video teaching series Luther and the Reformation plus the ebook edition of The Legacy of Luther, edited by R.C. Sproul and Stephen Nichols at ligm.in/Reformation. Offer ends October 31, 2019.

Transcript

Most of you know the story of Martin Luther nailing his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the castle church in Wittenberg. The first of these theses was this: When our Lord Jesus said “repent.” He meant that the whole of the Christian life should be repentance. You ever heard somebody say, well I repented twenty years ago, thirty years ago, ten years ago, it’s done and dusted. No it’s not done and dusted for Jesus. It is the whole of the Christian life. This transformation, this newness, this difference that is the Christian life, takes place only when we find ourselves bowing down to the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Be Present with Us

Here’s an excerpt from Be Present with Us, Jason Helopoulos' contribution to the October issue of Tabletalk:

Few blessings in this life are greater than having older godly men and women in our lives. Why? Because we all need models of holiness. Words matter, but living examples often speak louder to young distracted hearts. It is no accident that the Apostle Paul encourages his protégé Timothy by saying, “For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe” (1 Tim. 4:10). Paul sets before Timothy his own example. Interestingly, he then instructs Timothy to “set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (v. 12). Living examples of Christlikeness inform the lives of those around them. Every young Christian needs—not just benefits from—the example of older godly Christians.

A few months ago, at the church I serve, a group of retired men decided to begin meeting every Wednesday morning for prayer. I walked into our building this week as they were concluding their meeting. As they left, I commented to them: “This makes my heart happy. I am thankful you men are meeting, praying, and seeking to encourage one another to serve the body of Christ.” One of these senior Christians looked at me and said, “That is good to hear, because we feel very unneeded in society.” My simple rejoinder was: “It may feel like that in our society, but it should never feel that way in our church. We need you. And the church needs you.”

Continue reading Be Present with Us, or begin receiving Tabletalk magazine by signing up for a free 3-month trial.

For a limited time, the new TabletalkMagazine.com allows everyone to browse and read the growing library of back issues, including this month’s issue.

The True Hero of the Reformation

It is right to celebrate and remember the Reformation. In this brief clip, Burk Parsons explains how, in our celebration of Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others, we need to remember the true hero of the Reformation—God Himself.

This Reformation Month, watch a short video every day on the history and insights of the Protestant Reformation. And don't forget that for this month only, you can request your free digital download of R.C. Sproul’s video teaching series Luther and the Reformation plus the ebook edition of The Legacy of Luther, edited by R.C. Sproul and Stephen Nichols at ligm.in/Reformation. Offer ends October 31, 2019.

Transcript

It is appropriate that we would come together to celebrate and remember the Reformation. It is right and good to do so. As soon as we draw our gaze to Luther and to Calvin and to the other magisterial Reformers of the sixteenth century, as soon as we begin talking about them and praising them, they would be the first to say you’re praising the wrong one. Luther and Calvin and the other Reformers would draw our attentions and our gazes to Christ alone. They would tell us to fix our attentions on the gospel of Jesus Christ. They would say it is right to see what God has done. It is appropriate to celebrate what the Spirit has done.

But they would be the first to say that they themselves were not by any means the heroes of the Reformation but that God was the hero of the Reformation. The Word of God was the hero of the Reformation. The Spirit of God was the hero of the Reformation. It was God who, by His sovereignty and by His grace and by his power, led these humble sinners to serve Him, giving them the stewardship and the message of the gospel to expound it and the whole counsel of God for the people of God so that God’s people from every tribe, tongue, and nation from all around the world might hear that gospel that had been hidden and bound and chained for so long.