Which spiritual giant do you appreciate?

[Calshua]

Hi, everyone! There are many spiritual "giants" (for example, Thomas Aquinas, Saint Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley, Madame Guyon, or Billy Graham contemporarily, etc.)in the history of christianity. I just wonder which one (or some) do you guys appreciate most?

[Of course, Jesus is the one we should follow, trust and obey most. But I think we would have our own appreciations (the ones not liked are not supposed to be mentioned here) among those big names and most of us may have certain denomination backgrouds]

So if you are willing to share with me and other christian fellows, please name one (or several) of these spiritual giants and give your reasons (or some contributions he or she have done to the church in history). [Note: the person should not be the ones in the Bible, like Saint Peter, Saint Paul, or other apostles]

OK! You may post it like this (my appreciations):

John Sung (or 宋尙节 in simplified Chinese)--He was a noted Chinese Christian evangelist, also the main leader of the revival movement in mainland China in the early 20th century. He had spiritual gift of healing and was extremely powerful when preaching the gospel. It was believed more than 100,000 (actually maybe much more) Chinese turned to christianity because of God's mighty deed through this man. (I don't know whether or not my grandpa was one of those influenced and believed by this movement and by John Sung)

Watchman Nee (or 倪柝声 in simplified Chinese)-- He was also an important church leader in China in 20th century. He has very wide influence in Chinese church through his teachings of Bible and his books. Probably, I guess, if you ask a Chinese christian, 90 percent of them will tell you he or she knows Watchman Nee or some of his works. He was persecuted and put into prison by Communist Party of China for about 20 years and finally summoned to heaven by the Lord in prison in 1972. (He found the Local Churches in China and I am one in this church. Though there are some controversies of his teachings from a international theological view, personally, I appreciate most of his works and respect very much. )

Thanks for you attentions and sharing!
[Please just show your appreciation and preference! No malicious debating, no despising others! (a little good-will comments are allowed) ]

 

[PilgrimUK]

Sorry, but I would advise anyone to read the beliefs of Watchman Nee on google and it isn't hard to see he was a heretic.
"Watchman Nee Heresy" will bring enough up about this guy (Also Witness Lee while you are at it.)

Welcome to Christian Chat!

 

[Grandpa]

C.S. Lewis Clive Staples Lewis, commonly called C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as "Jack", was a novelist, poet, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian, and Christian apologist born in Belfast, Ireland - Wikipedia

He wrote the Chronicles of Narnia which I read when I was 9-10. Then, about 4-5 yrs ago I spotted Mere Christianity and Screwtape letters written by him. Very good books and highly recommended.

A.W. Tozer The late Dr. A. W. Tozer was well known in evangelical circles both for his long and fruitful editorship of the Alliance Witness as well as his pastorate of one of the largest Alliance churches in the Chicago area. He came to be known as the Prophet of Today because of his penetrating books on the deeper spiritual life. - Wikipedia

Knowledge of the Holy was the first book I read by him. Then The Radical Cross. I read one or two others as well but those two really stood out...


I also read this book called the Heavenly Man about a Chinese kid who prayed for a bible in a country where they were illegal and whole villages would be punished if even one was found in it. He gets his bible and goes on to found many home churches and lead whole villages to Christ. He is called Brother Yun... I'm sure you have heard of him

 

[PilgrimUK]

To answer the question...

I would have to say Ulric Zwingle, the Swiss Reformer. It is a name that should always be mentioned in respect to the Protestant Reformation but sadly seems to be forgotten. Also a mention for his friend: John OEcolampadius.
They both taught the simplicity of the true message of Christ around the same time as Luther, but Luther refused to accept them as brothers as they didn't believe it was Jesus' actual body and blood in the communion. Zwingle and OEcolampadius
believed it was symbolic, a remembrance of Jesus.

 

[Brighthouse]

Thanks Calshua I to, like you enjoyed much of Brother Watchman Nee writing as well. But to me the biggest giant of the faith movement comes from a man who really stated Pentecostalism, Born in Yorkshire England in 1859 and died on March 12,1947 a man who raised as many as between 3-23 people from the dead,depending on who is speaking of him. On one account,he entered the palor of a funeral home, with the body was already in the casket for show and raised this person from the dead.

Upon the Lord in him doing this, the man slapped Smith Wiggleworth in the face and said i liked it better where I was!! LOL He was a plumber by trade,but when the Lord called this man into the healing ministry,and he used some very strange methods in these healing as well,he went. His name is Smith Wigglesworth. He wrote a few books very much worth reading!

Like all Ministers we could pick on some doctrinal differences we may have,but there is no question about him,the Spirit of the Lord rested upon him, and his Ministry! Please check on him for yourself,you will find some most intersting things about this Saint, that the Lord himself raised up, to bring both his great power and wonderful glory, to be seen and expercienced by all he touched from the Word of God and by the power of God! (1 cor 1:5 and 1 cor 4:20) this man believed!! enjoy!

 

[Calshua]

Sorry, but I would advise anyone to read the beliefs of Watchman Nee on google and it isn't hard to see he was a heretic.
"Watchman Nee Heresy" will bring enough up about this guy (Also Witness Lee while you are at it.)

Welcome to Christian Chat!

Well, yes, I admit that Witness Lee is a heresy and they two worship together at the beginning. But when Lee claimed he received some divine revelation directly from heaven, Nee thought it was non-biblical, and they soon separated (you can check this more carefully in the Net, surely you can find more details). In my view (not to argue with you), Watchman Nee may had some unacceptable interpretations concerning spirit and soul and the like, he cannot be classified as 'heresy'. Google may tell some general informations about something from many people's perspective, but we are in the genuine situation, we can really tell the difference. Sorry, I really don't know too much about western churches and western christian life. But most of the time, I think we try our best to act as close as possible the Bible.

Thanks for pointing me that~~

 

[RachelBibleStudent]

these are in no particular order...

martin luther...he started the reformation...and made the first vernacular bible translation since wycliffe...

john bunyan...he wrote 'the pilgrim's progress'...

andrew murray...he wrote several books including 'with christ in the school of prayer'

matthew henry...he wrote an excellent commentary on the bible...

c.f. keil and franz delitzsch...they wrote a very good commentary on the old testament...

c.f.w. walther...he could be considered the father of confessional lutheranism in the united states...

alfred edersheim...he was a jewish convert to christianity who helped christians better understand the jewish background of the new testament...he wrote 'the temple: its ministry and services' and 'sketches of jewish social life' and 'the life and times of jesus the messiah'

philip schaff...he was possibly the greatest church historian of all time...he wrote 'history of the christian church' in eight volumes...

martin chemnitz...he was arguably the successor of martin luther...and the first real apologist of the reformation...

dr. henry morris...he was the father of the modern biblical creation science movement...

dr. james strong...he produced an excellent concordance of the whole bible...which was pretty much the first ever work of that kind when he published it...

 

[Tintin]

C.S. Lewis

Martin Luther

Philip Yancey - provides an honest and open discussion about the struggles that come with being a Christian (the non-easy answers etc.) and having a love/hate relationship with broken people who make up the Church

Brother Yun

Randy Alcorn - his book "Heaven" is a biblically-sound and highly-comprehensive look at Heaven, as described in the Bible


I haven't read any A.W. Tozer yet but I bought a collection of his books semi-recently and they sound very good.

 

[willfollowsGod]

The spiritual giants that I appreciate are

Martin Luther - I though that Luther believed that communion was about the symbolic blood and body of Christ (maybe I am wrong), he was one of the key figures of the Reformation as well as others, he had his failings but don't we all?

Richard Wurmbrand - he was imprisoned for being a Christian in communist Russia during World War II, I believe. He wrote a book called Tortured for Christ based on his time in prison about the persecuted church and founded an organization that is now called Voice of the Martyrs.

C.S. Lewis - He has brought a lot to the Christian faith in his Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters (which I don't have and have not finished), the Chronicles of Narnia, the Perelandra series, and I have not read any others part way, half way, etc.

Jonathan Sarfati - a person in Answers in Genesis, a group I respect but I don't believe their view that the earth is 6,000 years old, but it did make me think and change a view I had previously about creation and how it was done not through just material processes but had to be done through supernatural ones

Another one, who I disagree with his statement of faith about putting the KJV on a pedestal, would be Jack Chick and his illustrative tracts that my father used in missionary work but not all of those tracts. They are simple to understand but I would not recommend them unless someone was less new in the faith or starting to ask about Chick and then help that person out by recommending some and not really wanting them to read certain ones that are against Catholicism (I have issues with it but I am not ready say that all Catholics are not Christians, I have a sister who is a Catholic and is saved, a brother who doubt was saved in the first place and is or was Catholic).

John Piper- who has retired now from teaching, but I have many of his books: Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came To Die, Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, and there are others I have not read.

John Bunyan- he wrote Pilgrim's Progress and other books while he was in prison, kind of like Paul

Lee Strobel- an atheist who came to Christ after looking at the evidence for Jesus in sources outside the Bible, archaeology, psychology, and the Bible as well who also starting to wonder about Christianity when his wife became a Christian.


So those are my top nine, which might increase in the future. God bless.

 

[Maynard]

St Augustine

Read "The Confessions of Saint Augustine", and also "City of God".
Wonderful.

 

[Maynard]

The spiritual giants that I appreciate are

Martin Luther - I though that Luther believed that communion was about the symbolic blood and body of Christ (maybe I am wrong), he was one of the key figures of the Reformation as well as others, he had his failings but don't we all?

You are mistaken.

Martin Luther believed in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. He became indignant when groups, who had followed him out of the Catholic Church, rejected the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. He also deplored the fact that every milkmaid and farmhand thought they could interpret scripture correctly. Here he is in his own words.

"Who, but the devil, has granted such license of wresting the words of the holy Scripture? Who ever read in the Scriptures, that my body is the same as the sign of my body? or, that is is the same as it signifies? What language in the world ever spoke so? It is only then the devil, that imposes upon us by these fanatical men. Not one of the Fathers of the Church, though so numerous, ever spoke as the Sacramentarians: not one of them ever said, It is only bread and wine; or, the body and blood of Christ is not there present.

Surely, it is not credible, nor possible, since they often speak, and repeat their sentiments, that they should never (if they thought so) not so much as once, say, or let slip these words: It is bread only; or the body of Christ is not there, especially it being of great importance, that men should not be deceived. Certainly, in so many Fathers, and in so many writings, the negative might at least be found in one of them, had they thought the body and blood of Christ were not really present: but they are all of them unanimous.”

–Luther’s Collected Works, Wittenburg Edition, no. 7 p, 391​

 

[willfollowsGod]

You are mistaken.

Martin Luther believed in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. He became indignant when groups, who had followed him out of the Catholic Church, rejected the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. He also deplored the fact that every milkmaid and farmhand thought they could interpret scripture correctly. Here he is in his own words.

"Who, but the devil, has granted such license of wresting the words of the holy Scripture? Who ever read in the Scriptures, that my body is the same as the sign of my body? or, that is is the same as it signifies? What language in the world ever spoke so? It is only then the devil, that imposes upon us by these fanatical men. Not one of the Fathers of the Church, though so numerous, ever spoke as the Sacramentarians: not one of them ever said, It is only bread and wine; or, the body and blood of Christ is not there present.

Surely, it is not credible, nor possible, since they often speak, and repeat their sentiments, that they should never (if they thought so) not so much as once, say, or let slip these words: It is bread only; or the body of Christ is not there, especially it being of great importance, that men should not be deceived. Certainly, in so many Fathers, and in so many writings, the negative might at least be found in one of them, had they thought the body and blood of Christ were not really present: but they are all of them unanimous.”

–Luther’s Collected Works, Wittenburg Edition, no. 7 p, 391​

Ok, you made your point. I did not know this, thanks for the info. God bless.

 

[maxwel]

A lot of genuinely great men have said or done a few problematic things.

After I'm gone, somebody will probably even quote little ole me on something,
and make a big deal of some TINY little belief.

Maxwel Exposed - Volume I
"Maxwel said, in his own diaries, that only a cyclops can be saved."


Hey... I'm entitled to my opinions.

: )

 

[Maynard]

Ok, you made your point. I did not know this, thanks for the info. God bless.

You're welcome. Christ be with you too, brother.

 

[crossnote]

Extrabiblical-
Martin Luther- liberated God's Word back to the common folk(who btw denied the re-sacrifice of Christ in the Mass).
C,H. Spurgeon -a great example of a preacher.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones- a great example of a biblical teacher.

Biblical

Apostle Paul
Apostle John
David

 

[RedTent]

All the scholars who have worked with the dead sea scrolls.
All the men who have worked to translate works from ancient times, using the language they have opened up.
Tom Bradford for the work he has done learning this and translating bible based on these findings.

 

[Jeff_56]

Ok, you made your point. I did not know this, thanks for the info. God bless.

watchman nee showed in one or more of the lessons he gave when he was alive the progression of truth out of darkness that God provided step by step starting with martin luther. remember martin luther's whole world was in darkness, in denial of the truth, in heresy, when he learned miraculously to be saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

later, step by step, with great difficulty, others delivered God's Message Good News more and more clearly until
for example finally charles chiniquoy and keith green from the inside and from the outside, by revelation and scripture,
proved the abomination of the mass, the tragedy and utter horror of the rcc ritual(s), and the source of the error (satan himself).

point being, martin luther carried a lot of baggage with him, and was not delivered of it all before he died, but he was mightily used by God at that time, as others after him were and to this day continue to deliver people from the devastating sin in their churches and lives and countries (i.e. all over the world)....

 

[secularhermit]

Excellent! He (Watchman Nee) was a good teacher I appreciated.

Was it his real name, by the way?

After meeting Jesus, a couple of saints there above (and BlueB) I´d like to shake his hand there, too.

 

[p_rehbein]

JESUS CHRIST...................there are no other spiritual giants..............

 

[jaybird88]

1) Luther. I am moved every time i think of him and the courage and heart it must have taken for him to stand up to such a powerful church which was at its peak in corruption. many forget that Luther failed, as his heart truly wanted to reform the church he loved and not start a new one. I always see a few that want to point out little flaws in Luther, he was not perfect as no man is but no one can doubt his devotion.