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Editorial note: Our guest writer today is Rich Brown, a pastor in the Blue Ridge Presbytery (PCA) in Lynchburg, VA and doctoral student at Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia).
As we approach the 100th anniversary of the classic work, Christianity and Liberalism (1923), I am honored to partner with Log College Press in publishing a five-part series on the life and ministry of J. Gresham Machen (1881–1937). Each month, subscribers to the Dead Presbyterians Society will receive access to a new chapter on Machen, covering all sorts of nuances, ranging from his apologetic method and evangelistic zeal to his preaching ministry and humble personality.
In large part, these chapters are written in commemoration of the monumental work, Christianity and Liberalism, which yet still testifies to the truth of Scripture, unchangeable. Furthermore, the research with which you are invited to engage is expressly committed to the preservation of interest in Machen’s unilateral defense of the historic Christian faith—with the hope of instilling a renewed and vigorous reliance upon the authority of the word of God. For as the modern Evangelical Church has borne the weight of watching prominent Christian leaders fall prey to the seductive lies of self-governing Deconstructionism, along with the rise of “Progressive Christianity” from within her own ranks, Machen’s brave resilience in the face of adversity and resistance to the whims of cultural conveniences in the Protestant Church of his own day provide us in the 21st century with a worthy example of a life well lived.
While we certainly do not want to exalt any mere man, we as the church of the present day are yet compelled to learn diligently from those faithful leaders who have gone before us. Hebrews 13:7 commends us with the following words: “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” This imperative to not only respect, but to emulate those who have abided in the faith is rooted deeply in the timeless, foundational promise of the subsequent verse. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
But how can the church learn from those who have gone before and seek to mirror their faithfulness, unless their story is told anew? Such then is not only the didactic aim, but earnest, pastoral desire of this writer and minister of the gospel for you, the reader. My prayer is that the spiritual health and vitality of your own communion with Christ would be enlivened all the more as we consider together the Lord’s work in the life of one of his under-shepherds.
On a deeply personal level, the writings of Machen have stirred my own affections for Christ over the past decade. For those who are already familiar with Machen’s life and legacy, there is a nuanced warmth to his writings that transcends the polemic for which he is perhaps most widely known. In his correspondences ranging from his personal letters and publicized writings, to his sermons and radio addresses for the sake of Christ’s cherished bride, a truly pastoral demeanor and intonation within Machen’s voice would become all the more manifest as his ministry matured and his influence expanded. And as one becomes more greatly acquainted with Machen’s writings, the text of Galatians 2:20 is evidenced as the binding message of his ministry.
As a young man, Machen found himself providentially placed in a sphere of influence within both the mainline Presbyterian Church (USA) and one of the nation’s leading institutions: Princeton Theological Seminary. Yet over the course of more than two decades, his lot became one who was made to share in the sufferings of Christ, similar to the Apostle Paul. Fittingly so, Galatians 2:20 increasingly became his most oft-repeated Scripture. Though he came from a family of notable prestige and lived in a dignified manner, he learned to embrace these timeless words: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives within me.” But Machen also took great comfort in the fruit of such a heavenward disposition. From his first few sermons, until the closing days of his time this side of glory, he both owned and unreservedly declared the refrain of this verse. “And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
So I invite you, the reader, to learn with me from Machen’s life—flawed, as we all are, yet rooted in the life of Christ. Over the course of five chapters, you will witness both the polemical and pastoral undertones of Machen’s work and influence. In the preface, a brief overview of his ministry will be provided, to help acquaint those who are yet unfamiliar with his writings. Following this, his apologetic method will be explained in chapter one as being in accord with those Princeton theologians before him, yet harmonized with the work of his primary protégé, Cornelius Van Til. The second chapter will then begin to explore the largely untouched aspect of Machen’s genuine humility toward the work of those outside of his own tradition and how he bestowed the benefit of the doubt in areas that were better addressed by those in tune with differing philosophies—namely, Barthianism. Subsequently, chapter three will largely focus upon how the doctrine of the Imputation of the Active Obedience of Christ, derived from the Scottish Reformers, influenced his ministry, especially as his platform in speaking to other like-minded Evangelicals grew in the 1920s and early 1930s. Chapter four will take more of a pragmatic stance in exploring Machen’s concern for Christian and civil liberties alike and how the intersection of such God-derived freedoms are of utmost value to hearers in our modern day and age, which is wrestling with the application of such nobilities. Finally, chapter five will express an important aspect of Machen’s preaching ministry: his zeal for evangelism in keeping with his commitment to delivering the whole council of God. Pastoral thoughts and reflections will then be provided, respective of the work as a whole.
We hope you will join us on this excursus and be encouraged to “stay the course!”
