The Greatest Fight in the World

This is a lecture that Spurgeon gave at a gathering of pastors at his Pastor's college in April, 1891. It turned out to be his last inaugural address that he presented to the college. He gave excellent advice to pastors which is also helpful to pastors today and also helpful to anyone who teaches the word. He divided his lecture into three parts, Our Armory (the Word of God), Our Army (the church of the living God) and Our Strength (the Holy Spirit).There are several kindle versions available. I am going to look at three of them in this review because they are not all equal or the same.1. This kindle version has a picture of Spurgeon's head on the cover. It costs $.99. It is straight sermon with no headings of any kind. I chose this version since it had 191 KB so was slightly larger than the second one that I am looking at in this review.2. This version has a reddish brown cover on the paperback version but if you click on the kindle version, the cover shows a full body picture of Spurgeon in the pulpit. This copy is also $.99. It is divided into sections with an interactive table of contents. I chose not to purchase this one since it only had 148 KB and I assumed that they had cut some material from it. But I do like that it had the divisions.3. This is the free version. The picture here is just a black book with white lettering. It is entitled, "The Greatest Fight (Updated, Annotated): Spurgeon's Urgent Message for Pastors, Teachers, and Evangelists." I originally downloaded this version since it is free. The title seems pretty straight forward, but be aware that the "Updated" doesn't just mean that the language is updated for a 21st century audience. It is updated to be politically correct. In 1891, when Spurgeon delivered this message to his Pastor's College, he was speaking exclusively to MEN! However, the editors of this version took the liberty of changing Spurgeon's word, "brethren" to "brothers and sisters." One of the many instances of this can be found on location 162 in the original version says, "Brethren, we will array ourselves..." The updated version says, "Brothers and sisters, we will clothe ourselves..." The original version has the word "Brethren" 29 times. The updated version has changed this to "brothers and sisters" 17 times. This may be of no consequences to you, and if not, then by all means, get this free version! I realize that if a sermon were given to a Pastor's college today, women would be in attendance. BUT the sermon that Spurgeon gave was to men only and I would prefer that the original intention of the lecture be retained.

This was an address to pastors. “Published just before his death, this book is Spurgeon’s final exhortation to his fellow Christian ministers…” (p.2 in Bibliographic Information) Spurgeon always writes with such urgency and passion that he captures our full attention. I like it that he speaks in black white, giving his audience clear guidance, rather than ambivalence, leaving reader none wiser. In today’s pluralistic society, when we try to please everyone or not to offend anyone, truth is purged and all speech seems to blur into indistinctive murmur. This is the character of Truth. There is something moving even just to hear conviction, which Spurgeon does not lack.What are the benefits for those who are not pastors to read this book?(1) To assess our local church to which we belong, learning how to pray for and encourage our pastor, and how to pray for our church.(2) Although we are not all pastors, we are all servants of Christ in different capacities. Some of the principles and priorities are transferrable. For examples: “Be diligent in season and out of season; but in a lively season be doubly laborious.” “You are engaged in a work so spiritual, so far above all human power, that to forget the Spirit is to ensure defeat.” “Take care to praise the spirit of God from your inmost heart, and gratefully wonder that he should condescend to work by you.” “Remember that the Holy Spirit has His ways and methods, and there are some things which he will not do. Bethink you that he makes no promise to bless compromises.” “If you want to know what great things the Lord can do, as the Lord God Almighty, be separate from the world, and from those who apostatize from the truth.” “We shall never know the utmost power of God for supplying all our needs till we have cut connection once for all with everything which is not according to His mind.” Don’t these set our heart and mind clear in serving any ministry? Our master is Christ and not the people whom we serve. This dictates the way and focus we serve them. This is important. To the pastors, Spurgeon says, “We are resolved to know our Bibles better… They have their Bibles, not only in their hearts, but at their fingers’ ends.” This will be really helpful in all ministries as ultimately “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)(3) To learn how to think through controversies. For example, the debate on the infallibility of the Scriptures, who should be the judge? “Are we now to believe that infallibility is with learned men?” (0. 23) This is an interesting view to affirm the plenary verbal inspiration of Holy Scripture as fact and not hypothesis. Then he takes up the challenge that people launch with science against the Scriptures. The trenchant arguments are still relevant today. He concludes: “The mythology of science is as false as the mythology of the heathen; but this is thing which is made god of. I say again, as far as its facts are concerned, science is never in conflict with the truths of Holy Scripture, but the hurried deductions drawn from those facts, and the inventions classed as facts, are opposed to Scripture, and necessarily so, because falsehood agrees not with truth.” (p.25) “No proof is needed when God speaks. If He hath said it, this is evidence enough.” (p.27) “There is no arguing after we find that “It is written.”…”Thus saith the Lord” is the end of discussion to Christian minds…” (p. 21) This is probably very difficult to the modern proud ears, but if we think about it, God is God, so this is so if we truly believe in God. He goes through the controversy on Creation. He also points out that two groups of people have done great mischief in being the judges of the matter: (1) the irreligious scientists and (2) the unscientific Christian. Interestingly it is the latter that are capable of more mischief according to Spurgeon. The unscientific Christian trouble his head about reconciling the Bible with science. These “well-meaning men thought to protect an impregnable fort which needed no such defence. For most part, we had better leave a difficulty where it is, rather than make another difficulty by our theory.” Spurgeon offers lots of sharp points for us to contemplate in today’s context.There is only one thing that I am not sure about: “Oh, to get a working church! The German churches, when our dear friend, Mr. Oncken, was alive, always carried out the rule of asking every member, “What are you going to do for Christ?” and they put the answer down in a book. The one thing that was required of every member was that he should continue doing something for the Saviour. If he ceased to do anything it was a matter for church discipline, for he was an idle professor, and could not be allowed to remain in the church like a drone in a hive of working bees. He must do or go.” (p. 36) I think this model will be very difficult to enforce at the human level as we don’t see people’s hearts and we don’t know perfectly God’s plan. It will be so onerous on our knowledge that I believe there will be endless errors in our judgement.

Spurgeon writes about finding our fighting strength in the bible, the true church and most importantly in the Holy Spirit.

A book that stirs up your faith and understanding of the mission. Must read and required read for all churches.

Once again, any book by C.H. Spurgeon is a must read. He is so straight forward and minces no words. It does require some concentration to read because the language is old but still great.