Read Christian Biographies

Concerning what you're about to read, really, the title embodies all I want to say. It’s the short answer. If you’re pinched for time, you’re done. But if you want a little convincing, by all means, read on! (you’ll finish in less than 10 minutes :).

Back in the 1990’s, when I was new to WLAC, one of my most enduring memories is that of *Pastor Mike and his “7 dead men.” (That number grew and then shrunk again, if I’m remembering correctly. To read the whole story of that, you’ll need to read Mike’s book, Glory in the Face). These were Christian men of history that he had grown to admire. It wasn’t that he was against admiring living people. But living people, even the best of them, seemed to have this annoying habit of doing or saying something really dumb. I should know. Well, let’s be honest, we all know that. We are all sinners prone to ... sin. The appeal of the ones no longer living, according to Mike, was that they could no longer do dumb things; sinful things. All their mistakes were behind them. So he went about finding the best of the best, and made his list. I really liked that.

Quotes from these men would often show up during a Sunday sermon. And we’d read from some of them (or some that almost made his list) during our early Thursday morning prayer meetings. They would come up when we’d discuss some difficult passage or doctrine, like God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. “You need to read Edwards’, The Freedom of the Will,” he would say.

And so I started to read from Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, George Whitefield, C.S. Lewis, and the like. It was hard sometimes, but very satisfying. It was meat for my soul (I Cor. 3:2; Hebrews 5:12). These were men (and there were many women, too - Sarah Edwards, Fanny Crosby, Amy Carmichael, Corrie Ten Boom, etc.) who had a passion for God and his Word. They longed to study and know God more. Yes, they were free from modern-day distractions, but they had their own challenges that were unique to their time - no electricity and poor healthcare leading to early mortality to name the obvious (David Brainerd died of tuberculosis at 29; Robert Murray-M’Cheyne also died just before his 30th birthday. Both accomplished an incredible amount of good for the Kingdom of God in a very short span of time). Needless to say, I came to share the same passion for reading from these saints of old. They can teach us so much! And so I encourage you to read from those who have gone before us. One of the easiest and most interesting ways to get started is to read their biographies.  

But if you want more persuasion, let me give you some reasons why you should read Christian biographies (taken from John Piper’s article, “Brothers, Read Christian Biography” - https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/brothers-read-christian-biography); all quotes are from here, unless otherwise noted).

1. Scripture points us in this direction. Piper calls Hebrews 11, “a divine mandate to read Christian biography.” It is that great “Hall of Faith” chapter. Here, the author of Hebrews lists example after example of “the ancients” who were commended for their faith. And, of course, the purpose of an example is so we might follow it. Hebrews 12:1 provides the punchline: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…” (emphasis mine).  We are to be encouraged by these examples of faith (the cloud of witnesses) to help us run our own race of faith. These examples of faith point us to our ultimate example, Jesus (Hebrews 12:2).

2. Reading about their lives inspires us.  It might give us new ideas for ministry. It might provide answers to questions. It might encourage us to be more diligent. Be sure of this, it will grow your faith.

3. They encourage us in our spiritual disciplines. Piper extols George Mueller for teaching him how to pray more effectively. And all of them seemed to be indefatigable by the power of Christ in them (Colossians 1:29). I am astounded at how much these men accomplished, usually with a much shorter life span than we have today. Take Martin Luther, for example. He became a monk at age 21 and died at age 62. During those 41 years, he became a professor at the University of Wittenburg - a full-time job, to be sure. He was a prolific writer.  “He wrote theological treatises by the score...some of which have shaped Protestant church life for centuries.” (https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/martin-luther-lessons-from-his-life-and-labor). You can buy his entire collection of published works (books, sermons, commentaries, tracts, letters, etc.) in a massive 55 volume set (that took the publishers decades to produce, they say). He preached an average of 2.5 times per week. (John Calvin preached about twice as much as this!). He had a wife and six children and did not neglect them for his work. He read the Bible twice through each year for much of his life. He carried on a “voluminous correspondence” for he was constantly asked for advice and counsel. He was constantly travelling to meetings and conferences. He was politically active. He was a lightning rod for political and religious controversy. He translated the entire Bible from Latin to German (he also knew Greek and Hebrew). He wrote at least nine books, all significant undertakings, including, “On the Bondage of the Will." He wrote hymns (A Mighty Fortress is our God). Oh, and he started the Reformation. All the while, he suffered physically from kidney stones, severe headaches, ear infections, and “incapacitating constipation.” Besides all this, the emperor, Charles V, put a price on his head. He could be legally killed. Yet through it all, his dependence on God was even more astonishing: “I have so much to do, that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” (Cyclopedia of Religious Anecdotes, 1923, p.303). Needless to say, I try very hard now not to use the word “busy” to describe my life after reading about Luther and many like him.

4. It teaches us about the history of the church and those who shaped it. We should know where we came from and how we got here.

5. It guards us against what C.S. Lewis called, “chronological snobbery” which he defined as, “the uncritical acceptance of the intellectual climate common to our own age and the assumption that whatever has gone out of date is on that account discredited.” In other words, we learn that the time at which we are living and the ideologies of our current culture are not particularly special at all. New (or now) is not necessarily better or right.

6. We learn theology from those who have laboured over it far longer than we ever will, likely. Of course, this requires discernment and dependence on the Holy Spirit as we compare their theological ideas with Scripture.

7. It helps us overcome mediocrity.  Piper says that it reminds him “what joy there is in relentless labour and aspiration.”

8. It guards against self-pity. I will never truly be “busy” or over-burdened compared to these men and women. God will provide the strength we need.

9. It pushes us and protects against laziness. “Has greatness emerged from anything but pressure?” (Piper).

10. It gives us confidence and self-worth.  We see the great variety of gifts and styles that God chooses to use to accomplish his work. A lighter example: Edwards measured his food intake and was very careful to look after his body, while Spurgeon apparently didn’t worry much about his health at all - he weighed over 300 lbs and smoked cigars. (I don’t recommend the Spurgeon fitness program). We can all be extraordinarily useful - much more than we think, as long as we remember it is Christ at work in us (Phil. 1:6; 4:13). We can do nothing on our own (John 15:5).

11. We learn from the mistakes of others. Even the best saints are flawed and marred by sin.

12. It’s great reading - profitable but also entertaining - and provides great topics for conversation.

Every Saturday morning for the past number of months, I spend an hour with a good friend and we spend a few minutes reading a Christian biography from Piper’s website (https://www.desiringgod.org/biographies; he also published a book of biographies, “21 Servants of Sovereign Joy”). I’ve read some of them many times. We learn, laugh, and grow together. It’s time very well spent, and, as you’ve guessed - I highly recommend the practice. Read Christian biographies.

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* Mike Wilkins was the Senior Pastor at WLAC from 1984 until 2015.  He went to be with the Lord in 2018.  He is on my list.