Book Description Arthur W. Pink Pink (d. 1953) is noted for his independent thinking. He was so well read, and had such a photographic memory, that he could give you the page and column in a host of reference works and commentaries. This book shocked the Christian world in 1919 when he first published it. He fiercely defends the sovereignty of God, and all the cognate doctrines such as the Doctrines of Grace. It is THE book to give to those just after conversion, and a prime book to give to anyone who defends the free will of man. Pink was a Baptist preacher who held pulpits in England, America, and Australia. His early training was in scientology. His conversion was instant, and complete dedication to the cause of God and truth quickly became evident. This early book by Pink lays Scripture end to end to prove God's control over all persons and events. It is uncompromising, and as such it raises the hackles on the necks of many new students of this doctrine. Persons who knew Pink seldom objected to anything he taught, because he could literally quote hundreds of verses of Scripture verbatim on the subject under discussion. This book may be overwhelming, but it is certain that its many printings have been used of God to convince people of His sovereignty. His doctrinal belief is that that God both elects and reprobates, as Romans 9:21-23 clearly teaches. It is an important stone to guide the steps of those who are not yet convinced of God's absolute sovereignty over all persons and events.
MUST READ! Even if youre predisposed to hate it... Dec 11, 2006
I read this book in the last year of my undergraduate education (last year, 2005). I wish I had read it earlier - there is absolutely no doctrine of Christianity that causes one to be at peace quite like the Sovereignty of God! I picked it up while doing a study on various attributes of God and, thankfully, it became one of my favorite books. It goes well hand in hand with his "Attributes of God", even comparing it with A.W.Tozer's "Knowledge of the Holy"; in fact, I would suggest you read those two, especially Pinks book, before you begin this one, it only helps...
Many people hate Pink because of this book. It was the "famous" chapter on "The Sovereignty of God in Reprobation" that gave many Arminians and some Calvinists that twitch that is associated when his name is mentioned. Be careful what edition you buy, avoid the Banner of Truth copy because they deliberately omit that chapter (and a couple others), claiming that Pink abandoned his veiws regarding that chapter. Whether he did or not is irrelevant; you should get your moneys worth - what he wrote is what you should get, not what other poeple think he believed and would have taken out. I have the Sovereign Grace Publishers copy, its a good copy, complete. I like the ample space they leave for margins, great for note-takers like me.
The first few chapters are a little slow going but necessary, I must admit. The exciting part really starts at chapter 4: "The Sovereignty of God in Salvation". He splits up the chapter into three parts, each three devoted to how the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are Sov. in Salvation. Its got one of the better defenses I have seen for a strictly limited atonement. One thing I loved about this chapter is that Pink made sure he always brought the attention back to God; in fact, this is typical of Pink in almost everything he writes!
The next chapter, "The Sovereignty of God in Reprobation" is one that was, for me, the 'life changer', in the word of one of the commenters below. From my understanding (im not an educated theologian, yet), this is one of the greatest defenses for a supralapsarian position I have ever read. He also calls to mind many Scriptures to point out that God is sovereign even over the death of an unbeliever, and that "The Lord hath made all things for Himself; yea, even the wicked for the day of evil." (Prov. 16:4). He says (p. 105) " In the Day of Judgement the Lord will say unto many, "I never knew you". Note, it is more than simply "I knew you not". His solemn declaration will be, "I NEVER knew you" - you were never the objects of My approbation. Contrast this with "I KNOW (love) My sheep, and am known (loved) of Mine" (John 10:14). The "sheep", His elect, the "few", He DOES "know"; but the reprobate, the non-elect, the "many" He knows NOT - no, not even before the foundation of the world did He know them - He "NEVER" knew them!" This is difficult stuff for people to swallow, but it clearly is what Scripture teaches in Romans 9 (for example, where Pink leads us to immediately after that quote). It is certainly an eye-opener, to say the least! At this point, youre either going to love him or hate him, this is usually when you make up your mind. Either way, you really should hang in there and be honest with yourself and God; ask yourself the question "could Pink possibly be right? Is this what Scripture says?" One has to ask that because if he is, many of us, like me before reading this, would be commiting Idolatry: worshipping a kindly old man rather than the roaring lion of Judah, the God of the living and the dead. The scary thing is, I dont know of a singlle person who's found mistakes with his exegesis. Whether they agree with the final result or not, the man is right in his analysis. Thats why many love him.
Chapters 8 and 9 do a great job at reconciling the Sov. of God and the Human Will and Responsibility. He contains a typical response but spelled out with many Scriptures, examples, and images - almost reminds me of Thomas Watson in the use of his imagery. It also contains some paragraphs that, to me, are worth the price of the book. These four chapters (4, 5, 8, and 9) are gold mines in and of themselves! Whether or not God is Sovereign over every aspect of our lives we are very clearly commanded to "preach the Gospel to every creature" as Pink points out. Whether or not we understand every nuance of God's plan of redemption, we MUST obey and preach the Gospel. To neglect this duty is to miss the point incredibly. Not only does he emphasize this point but he goes on to make a very needed explanation of what freedom truly is: "...the holding in check of sin, the preventing of the exercize of the carnal mind ... was not a DESTROYING of their 'freedom,' rather was it the inducting of them into real freedom" (p 184), ... WOW! (p. 185) "True liberty is not the power to live as we please, but to live as we ought! Hence, the only One Who has ever trod this earth since Adam's fall that has enjoyed perfect freedom was the Man Christ Jesus, the Holy Servant of God, Whose meat it ever was to do the will of the Father." That concept is liberating! When you realize what freedom truly is you, naturally, become humble and suddenly dont have a problem with God electing you! You might wonder "why me, why not the next guy?" Pink would tell us, "The secret things belong to the Lord..." (Deut, 29:29) redirecting our attention back to God, where it belongs, dwelling on ourselves is pride - an act of "unfreedom". We would be instructed to say "even so, Father, for it seemed good in Your sight" (Matthew 11:26).
Anyway, I just thought I'd put out a couple of bits of this book out there. Its beautifully written with many many Scriptures. Almost every single paragraph of the book has a verse, many have more. The appendices in the end are VERY useful. I whole-heartedly recommend this book, buy it and be nourished!
If you want more resources for studying free-will, responsibility, and the sovereignty of God, I would like to direct you to "Bondage of the Will" by Martin Luther (the one translated by JI Packer and OR Johnston) - and if youre really into hurting your self mentally and training your soul hard - "Freedom of the Will" by Jonathan Edwards. Classics ... very hard-core. The second book is so good, but only if youre prepared for a bit of slow and difficult reading (its worth it). If you want a rather simplistic, yet thorough, introduction to Calvinism and the Reformed Faith before tackling any of these books, might I suggest "Putting Amazing Back Into Grace" by Michael Horton.
Understanding the full scope and implication of 'sovereignty'. Aug 15, 2006
Excellent! Such a clear explanation of sovereignty and the doctrines of grace. This is a 'life-changer'. I read it along with the bible and saw that every doctrine he explainded was clearly validated with scripture! Every christian reading this book will see their understanding deepen and their priorities change as they see God's plan with greater light!
Awesome book Jul 10, 2006
I have studied this book twice so far, almost 15 years apart. Both readings strengthened my faith in God and encouraged me through tough times. It was written for tough times, when people are struggling with pain and suffering, fear and doubts about God's role on earth. It's not so much written about us, it's written about God, and it convicts us and reminds us of who God is and has to be, or He wouldn't be God, someone or something else would be. It can be a hard truth, but it is a neccesary truth for His own to gain strength and security. Read the book if you need help or want to help someone else.
Your God is in total control Jul 7, 2006
I personally enjoy Pink's style of writing. His invective against arminianism is powerful and does have it's amusing side. If only he were with us today to say a few words about the modernist liberal and his/her disgraceful and shameless compromising of the Gospel and watering down of the Church's standards.
However, rather than focus on the controversy, we should focus (with the assistance of Scripture and good books like The Sovereignty of God) on the God who is totally in control. Revell in this comfort. Show confidence in his plan. And most importantly, if you are a Christian, rejoice that he chose you from the beginning of time.
Before you really believe in God's total sovereignty, you believe in half of Christianity. You believe in half a God. It is questionable whether you really believe in what could be described as "a god" or "God" at all.
If you go Pink's way, which I have, don't expect popularity. Pink was at times rejected (by arminian & calvinist alike). But you'll rest with the assurance that:
1) God is totally in control of your salvation and life (as abovementioned).
2) God expects evangelism, but doesn't expect you to behave like a lunatic in the process. Salvation begins and ends with him.
Which God??? Dec 23, 2005
Pink does a wonderful job casting light on a key part of God's nature...unfutunately the god he describes is Allah, not the God of the Bible.
