AW Pink a hyper-calvinist?
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VaughanRSmith
Puritan Board Sophomore
I've read Iain Murray's biography of him, and it seems that through his life he was accused of being everything from an Arminian to a Hyper-Calvinist. Nothing I've read of him has made me think that he was HC, but I haven't read everything.
Gev
Inactive User
I dont think I'd say he was hyper from what I've read so far.
In the beginning he was dispensational for many years then he gave that up and became covenantal. I've benefitted from his works a great deal.
It seems like he loved John Owen a great deal and his theology seems to lean towards Owens. So he would be considered high calvinist but I wouldn't go far as to call him a hyper. I truly think he was regenerate.
In the beginning he was dispensational for many years then he gave that up and became covenantal. I've benefitted from his works a great deal.
It seems like he loved John Owen a great deal and his theology seems to lean towards Owens. So he would be considered high calvinist but I wouldn't go far as to call him a hyper. I truly think he was regenerate.
No he was not a hyper-Calvinist. He was simply a high-Calvinist.
Try also
- http://www.britishreformedfellowship.org.uk/articles/REV RH PINK 1.pdf
- http://www.britishreformedfellowship.org.uk/articles/REV RH PINK 2.pdf
Reformed Covenanter
Cancelled Commissioner
Blueridge Believer
Puritan Board Professor
I agree dear brother. I have benefited greatly from his writings.
I have a few of Pink's books, like any human writer and like any book save Scripture there are flaws...overall...I dig Pink! I I know that had nothing to do do with was he HC...I can't answer that, I have read no Bios on him, the stuff I have read by him seems on level.
Reformed Covenanter
Cancelled Commissioner
Yes, the Sovereignty of God book was edited. The Baker edition has the bits Banner cut out.
Amazing Grace
Puritan Board Junior
Becasue the Banner promotes the well meant offer, and that God loves the reprobate in some way. Since Pink argued against this in the book, they pulled out Jehu's knife and cut it out..
Pink embraced Duty Faith and Duty repentance to all disciminately, yet held against any notion of Love or common grace to the reprobate.
You will not find the following in the Banner edition:
"The Gospel is not an "offer" to be bandied around by evangelistic peddlers. The Gospel is no mere invitation, but a proclamation, a proclamation concerning Christ; true, whether men believe it or no. No man is asked to believe that Christ died for him in particular. The Gospel, in brief, is this: Christ died for sinners, you are a sinner, believe in Christ, and you shall be saved. In the Gospel, God simply announces the terms upon which men may be saved (namely, repentance and faith) and, indiscriminately, all are commanded to fulfill them." (11. Difficulties and Objections)
Nor:
Appendix 1. The Will of God
Appendix 2. The Case of Adam
Appendix 3. The Meaning of "KOSMOS" in John 3:16
Appendix 4. 1 John 2.2
"The Gospel is not an "offer" to be bandied around by evangelistic peddlers. The Gospel is no mere invitation, but a proclamation, a proclamation concerning Christ; true, whether men believe it or no. No man is asked to believe that Christ died for him in particular. The Gospel, in brief, is this: Christ died for sinners, you are a sinner, believe in Christ, and you shall be saved. In the Gospel, God simply announces the terms upon which men may be saved (namely, repentance and faith) and, indiscriminately, all are commanded to fulfill them." (11. Difficulties and Objections)
Nor:
Appendix 1. The Will of God
Appendix 2. The Case of Adam
Appendix 3. The Meaning of "KOSMOS" in John 3:16
Appendix 4. 1 John 2.2
SRoper
Puritan Board Graduate
I have a copy under my mattress.
Chuckle....it does!
Good one.
Reformed Covenanter
Cancelled Commissioner
For a more in-depth explanation of why Banner got the knife out, the latest edition of Iain Murray's biography of AW Pink (i.e. the hardback one) is supposed to have an appendix setting out the justification for this.
DMcFadden
Puritanboard Commissioner
Dr. Curt Daniel had some of the most succinct comments on Pink . . .
A. A.W. Pink is one of the most well known of the Hyper-Calvinists, but he doesn’t fall into any one of the preceding categories. Pink was born in England, but ministered in America, Australia, England and finally Scotland. At first he was a semi-Arminian Dispensationalist, then a Calvinistic Dispensationalist, then he dropped Dispensationalism completely. He was a Baptist, but never a Calvinistic Antinomian.
B. In the second half of his ministry, he was in and out of the Strict and Particular Baptists. Though a prolific writer, it is not so well known that he wrote few of these books during his lifetime. Most of those under his name were posthumous collections of articles he had written in his monthly Studies in the Scriptures magazine.
C. Pink has enjoyed far more popularity after his death in 1952 than before. His many books sell very well. His most important book is entitled The Sovereignty of God, a medium-sized book which has been twice abridged. This was one of his first undertakings, and we see his ambivalence towards Hyper-Calvinism in its pages. Throughout his ministry, Pink was an on-and-off Hyperist. In some places, he castigates the Gospel Standard Baptists for denying “free offers”. Often he defends “free offers”. Yet in other places, Pink agrees with them that “free offers” are unbiblical and incompatible with Calvinist theology. He used many of the most popular Hyper-Calvinist arguments. So, though he was sometimes a Hyper, Pink was a mild one. Most of his writings are extremely readable masterpieces of deep theology compressed into a few words which anybody can understand and enjoy. His books, especially The Sovereignty of God, have done much to revive Calvinism in the 20th-century.
A. A.W. Pink is one of the most well known of the Hyper-Calvinists, but he doesn’t fall into any one of the preceding categories. Pink was born in England, but ministered in America, Australia, England and finally Scotland. At first he was a semi-Arminian Dispensationalist, then a Calvinistic Dispensationalist, then he dropped Dispensationalism completely. He was a Baptist, but never a Calvinistic Antinomian.
B. In the second half of his ministry, he was in and out of the Strict and Particular Baptists. Though a prolific writer, it is not so well known that he wrote few of these books during his lifetime. Most of those under his name were posthumous collections of articles he had written in his monthly Studies in the Scriptures magazine.
C. Pink has enjoyed far more popularity after his death in 1952 than before. His many books sell very well. His most important book is entitled The Sovereignty of God, a medium-sized book which has been twice abridged. This was one of his first undertakings, and we see his ambivalence towards Hyper-Calvinism in its pages. Throughout his ministry, Pink was an on-and-off Hyperist. In some places, he castigates the Gospel Standard Baptists for denying “free offers”. Often he defends “free offers”. Yet in other places, Pink agrees with them that “free offers” are unbiblical and incompatible with Calvinist theology. He used many of the most popular Hyper-Calvinist arguments. So, though he was sometimes a Hyper, Pink was a mild one. Most of his writings are extremely readable masterpieces of deep theology compressed into a few words which anybody can understand and enjoy. His books, especially The Sovereignty of God, have done much to revive Calvinism in the 20th-century.
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Bladestunner316
Puritan Board Doctor
AW Pink is one of my favorite theologians. And is not hyper by any means.
Barnpreacher
Puritan Board Junior
The Holy Spirit used Piper's Future Grace to open my eyes to Calvinism, but Pink's Sovereignty of God put me over the top.
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DMcFadden
Puritanboard Commissioner
I LOVE Pink's writing and have been building my library of Pink works. According to Phil Johnson, who seems to have researched this subject as well as anyone, hyper-Calvinists can be identified using a five-fold analytical tool. A hyper-Calvinist is one who:
Denies that the gospel call applies to all who hear, OR
Denies that faith is the duty of every sinner, OR
Denies that the gospel makes any “offer” of Christ, salvation, or mercy to the non-elect (or denies that the offer of divine mercy is free and universal), OR
Denies that there is such a thing as “common grace,” OR
Denies that God has any sort of love for the non-elect.
By this definition, A.W. Pink, who seemed to flip-flop on a number of issues (or at least was VERY misunderstood) over his lifetime (e.g., who else do you know who was censured by the Baptist Union for denying human free will and the Particular (Calvinistic) Baptists for believing in human free will???) may fairly be characterized as a hyper-Calvinist (at least at some times of his life and in some of his writings).
Denies that the gospel call applies to all who hear, OR
Denies that faith is the duty of every sinner, OR
Denies that the gospel makes any “offer” of Christ, salvation, or mercy to the non-elect (or denies that the offer of divine mercy is free and universal), OR
Denies that there is such a thing as “common grace,” OR
Denies that God has any sort of love for the non-elect.
By this definition, A.W. Pink, who seemed to flip-flop on a number of issues (or at least was VERY misunderstood) over his lifetime (e.g., who else do you know who was censured by the Baptist Union for denying human free will and the Particular (Calvinistic) Baptists for believing in human free will???) may fairly be characterized as a hyper-Calvinist (at least at some times of his life and in some of his writings).
Reformed Covenanter
Cancelled Commissioner
Thanks to a PM, I realise now that Gev was not suggesting that anyone with Hyper-Calvinists leanings was not regenerate; apologies for any confusion.
Theogenes
Puritan Board Junior
I love to read Pink! I love it how he permeates his writing with copius quotes from the Reformers and Puritans. Two of my favorite books of his besides "The Sovereignty of God", is "The Satisfaction of Christ - Studies in the Atonement" and "Our Accountability to God". If you are a Pink fan and haven't read those two books you're missing the cream of the crop. Was Pink perfect? No. Was he a hyper-Calvinist? No. Was he someone to be dismissed outright because there might be something you disagree with? No. He needs to be read like all men- with a Berean mindset. But DEFINITELY read Pink!! You'll have a feast for your soul. Just spit out the bones if you find any.
This is what this thread has been missing. How can we come to an agreement on whose a 'hyper-calvinist' if we don't have a working definition of one. The definition above is interesting. Do any one of those define a man as hyper or must it be all of them?
Perhaps PB could have a glossary!
DMcFadden
Puritanboard Commissioner
How so? I don't know the writings of Johnson, but Curt Daniel did his 900+ page dissertation at Edinburgh on hyper-Calvinism. Unless you have more information on his work, I guess I would be inclined to trust him here.
Which part of Daniel's observations do you find inaccurate? I would think that most of us Pink aficionados could agree to the following:
Throughout his ministry, Pink was an on-and-off Hyperist. In some places, he castigates the Gospel Standard Baptists for denying “free offers”. Often he defends “free offers”. Yet in other places, Pink agrees with them that “free offers” are unbiblical and incompatible with Calvinist theology. He used many of the most popular Hyper-Calvinist arguments. So, though he was sometimes a Hyper, Pink was a mild one. Most of his writings are extremely readable masterpieces of deep theology compressed into a few words which anybody can understand and enjoy.
Johnson's definition is not very helpful. It would arguably define not only Pink but also Gill, John H. Gerstner, Gordon Clark, David Englesma, and Herman Hoeksema as hypercalvinists.
That would necessitate making a hyperhypercalvinist category for J. C. Philpot and the Gospel Standard types.
SteveBurlew
Inactive User
Interesting discussion! Well, gentlemen, I am admittedly new to the PuritanBoard, but being the one who heads things up for Banner of Truth on this North American side of the Atlantic, I thought I would chime in regarding the issue of Banner of Truth's edition of Pink's "The Sovereignty of God," raised by Pergamum (see above). It is a commonly asked question and one that has been somewhat answered/addressed here. However, I thought I would offer anyone interested in the full story a PDF of the chapter "Pink on the Sovereignty of God" from within Iain Murray's biography, "The Life of Arthur W. Pink". This issue is fully addressed by Iain himself in this chapter as to specifically why Banner published Pink's work as we did. Let me know via email (steve@banneroftruth.org) if you're interested in receiving it and I'll gladly get it to you.
Grace & peace ...
Steve
Grace & peace ...
Steve
Amazing Grace
Puritan Board Junior
Hello Steve:
Has Banner done this with others works also? Is there an edit department that is responsible for this action?
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