Arthur W. Pink (1886–1952)

ETA: I reread this one in February/March 2023. I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this doctrine. I think it is under-taught, under-appreciated. I think when it is 'preached' it is a surface-level, shallow presentation. This book by Pink is SO deep. I do think I rushed through it this time more than I should. My mind would get distracted at times and wander. No fault of Pink. I think this is a doctrine that Screwtape and company would like to keep believers from reading, believing, teaching, show more etc. It is so fundamental.

First sentence: Who is regulating affairs on this earth today--God, or the Devil? That God reigns supreme in Heaven, is generally conceded; that He does so over this world, is almost universally denied--if not directly, then indirectly.

If the average, modern-day Christian would dare to read Pink's The Sovereignty of God, then chances are they'd be shocked--shaken--by the contents. The stuff of which he writes--this "hard teaching" of the Bible is rarely the subject of preachers in the pulpit. Not in this day and age when Free Willy sermons are more prolific than Tribbles.

Does truth matter to God? If truth matters to God, shouldn't it matter equally to us? If the sovereignty of God is clearly, plainly, obviously, matter-of-factly found in Scripture, shouldn't we take note and study this doctrine? Shouldn't we allow it to have an impact on our lives? Of course this implies something fundamental: that Christians hold the Word of God--Scripture, Old and New Testaments--to be true.

I fear that the sovereignty of God has become one of those "attributes" that Christians are embarrassed about and want to apologize for much like the wrath of God.

But. Rightly understood and studied the sovereignty of God is one of the most comforting, reassuring, AMAZING doctrines. The sovereignty of God should have us singing, rejoicing, praising God. It's a THRILLING doctrine.

I loved this one. show less

The Sovereignty of God by A.W. Pink, when first published in 1918 was a very controversial book as it still is today. The reason for this is probably due to the fact that in Pink's day the doctrine of God's sovereignty was almost completely ignored, misunderstood or rejected. Why read a book on the doctrine of God's sovereignty? The author believed that this doctrine is the second most important doctrine taught in the Bible, the first being the Divine Inspiration of the Bible, which is the show more title of Mr.Pink's first book that was published.

Pink (1886-1952) was a Christian evangelist and Biblical scholar known for his staunchly Calvinist and Puritan-like teachings. Most of Pink's writings made available to the public at Pink's Archive site. When he wrote this book, Pink was clearly concerned about the elevation of man and his abilities at the expense of the sovereignty of God throughout Christendom. He understood that presenting a high Calvinist view of God's sovereignty would not win any popularity contests, and he was certainly right about this.

I found this book to be the best systematic treatment of establishing the sovereignty of god in all things that I have yet read. One of the joyous facts of all of Pink’s works is his use of scripture to explain, prove and sustain his statements. He relies more on Scripture even though he quotes throughout the book the giants of the Christian faith in the words of Calvin, Luther, Edwards, Spurgeon and Augustine.

I also felt that Pink's discourse on human responsibility and accountability for his actions was utterly outstanding. The reconciliation of human responsibility or 'free-will' in light of God's sovereignty has been a central issue in Christianity throughout its history. I felt that Pink's attempt at reconciling the difficulty is a very significant achievement that moves the discussion in a very positive direction. Throughout his discourse, Pink's Biblical exegesis is thorough and often compelling.

Realizing the sovereignty of our God will accomplish peace in the hearts of His people like nothing else can bring. Knowing that God is sovereign will allow the Christian to truly walk by faith - Biblical faith in a God who loves him and sovereignly works all things according to His good pleasure

Pink has this to say about the importance of this Biblical truth on p.19 "It is... the key to history, the interpreter of providence...and the foundation of Christian theology, p.215...it is designed as the sheet anchor for our souls amid the storms of life.

Though there are many good things in this book, it is not the complete picture of God. This focus on God’ Sovereignty, though wonderful and necessary a subject for meditation, can also lead into many dangerous and off balanced positions. Read discerningly and search the scriptures. show less

This book though quite dated still remains one of the few that focuses on the life of the Jewish prophet Elijah. Elijah the Tishbite is virtually unknown except in the Jewish Scriptures hence this biography. Mr. Pink is unafraid to show both the good & not so good side of this prophet. From the bold declarations to a lawless king to his flight from a threat from the king's consort, Mr. Pink holds nothing back. Yet through it all, he is sympathetic to Elijah whose common failings we can show more relate. There is, however, a strong anti-Catholic rant which flares here & there. In this, Mr. Pink allows his prejudices to blind him rather than to simply leave well enough alone. Nevertheless, in spite of this shortcoming, the work gives the reader a better view of Elijah's life in a time of laxed morals & injustices committed by the rulers & Elijah's challenge to stand firm against the prevailing winds of brutal oppression & cruel tyranny show less

All I have to say is wow! The Holy Spirit has rewarded Mr. Pink's many years of service and study with a strong WHOLE view of the Bible. Mr. Pink weaves together many strands to illuminate many truths. For instance reading about Abraham's inspired move from Mesopotamia to Canaan, we see that Genesis 12 is more fully fleshed out by Joshua 24:2 and Acts 7:2,3. By using these other scriptures we see that Abram did not fully obey the command to leave not just his country, but his kindred - he show more took his father Terah and his nephew Lot. As a result, he tarried in Haran until his father's death and Lot caused problems later on.

Many verses that are easily passed over as a history each have a lesson: ALL Scripture is Spirit breathed for our instruction. He shows that in Noah's genealogy, everyone from Adam and Seth down in his lineage was alive when Noah's father was born. Adam passed before Noah was born, but around 4 or 5 generations were alive almost a thousand years later. We see that Jacob's blessing to Judah would reflect the fact that they would be the last whole tribe around when Christ came but that their authority to rule themselves would pass when he arrived (we see the Jewish leaders appealing to Pilate to execute Jesus. If they still ruled, they would not have appealed to the ruling authority.

In any case, Pink demonstrates that a command of the Bible is essential to understanding God's whole plan. The more you understand, the more solid your faith.
I learned a lot and the prophecy for Judah placed in his blessing was another point to consider when we consider the many fulfilled prophecies in the Bible. show less