David Pawson (1930-2020): One of the greatest Bible ...

David studied theology at Cambridge University and served as a chaplain in the RAF in his early years, before following in his father's ... PremierChristianityusescookiesReadourcookiepolicy. OK SkiptomaincontentSkiptonavigation Home DavidPawson(1930-2020):OneofthegreatestBibleteachersofhisgeneration BySamHailes2020-05-22T00:00:00+01:00 “IaskthereadertocompareeverythingIsayorwritewithwhatiswrittenintheBibleand,ifatanypointaconflictisfound,alwaystorelyupontheclearteachingofscripture.”ThesearethewordsofDavidPawson,amanwhodevotedhislifetoteachingthescriptures.Hewillberememberednotonlyforhistrulyremarkablepreachinggift,buthisgentleness,humility,andinsistencethatanyquestionworthasking,canbeansweredbyreadingandunderstandingtheBible.DavidstudiedtheologyatCambridgeUniversityandservedasachaplainintheRAFinhisearlyyears,beforefollowinginhisfather'sfootstepstobecomeaMethodistminister.Overtime,hebecameuncomfortablewiththedenomination’sbeliefininfantbaptism,andleft,findinganewhomeatGoldHillBaptistChurchinBuckinghamshire.Later,duringthe1970sand80s,hepastoredGuildfordBaptistChurchandcassetterecordingsofhissermonsbegantotravel.SoonhewasbeinginvitedtospeakatsignificantChristianeventsandconferencesintheUKandbeyond.UncompromisingDavidPawsonwasuncompromising,butnotina‘bangyourfistonthetable’kindofway.Hisdeliverywasgentle,sometimesunderstated.Heneverrantedorraved.Unafraidinexpressingemotionwhileinthepulpit,hewasoftenmovedtotearsduringhismessages.Hewasn'tafraidtobuckthetrend,ortoadoptanunpopularposition.IftheBiblesaidit,Davidwouldteachit.Likemanyofhisbooks,the1,300pagetomethatisUnlockingtheBiblebeganlifeasapreachingseries,beforebeingtranscribedintowrittenform.ItwasinspiredbyPawson’sbeliefthattheBibleisdesignedtobestudied“abookatatime”,ratherthan“averseatatime”.Givenitssizeandrelativelylowprice,it'sprobablythebestvalueChristianbookonthemarkettoday.OthernotableworksincludedTheNormalChristianBirth-whicharguedbecomingaChristianinvolvesfarmorethanutteringthesinnersprayer-andOnceSavedAlwaysSaved?-thequestionmarkindicatingPawson'sbeliefsuchateachingisunbiblical.HisautobiographywasentitledNotAsBadAsTheTruth.RumoursandlieshadbeenspreadabouttheBibleteacherandspeakingengagementswerecancelled.Pawsoncomplainedvehementlytohiswife,andthentoGodaboutthesituation.TheHolySpirit'sreplywas"David,theworsttheycansayaboutyouisnotasbadasthetruth."Helaughed.Butthepointwastaken,withGodadding,"Iknowtheworst,butIstillloveyouandwilluseyou."AnythingcouldhappenIn2009,IemailedhimtoaskifhewouldspeakatouruniversityChristianUnion(CU).Ihadn’texpectedareply.AtbestIthoughtImightgetaresponsesayinghedidn’thavetime(toobusyaddressingthousandsaroundtheworld,tobotherwith50students).IwasshockedwhenIreceivedahand-writtenletterinthepostfromthemanhimself,graciouslyacceptingmyinvitationtospeak. I’darrangedtomeetDavidatthefrontofouruniversitycampus.ItwasimperativeIwasontime.Mygenerationisusedtotextingaheadtosay‘running10minuteslate’,butDaviddidn'townamobilephone(orhaveaccesstoanemailaccount-hencethehandwrittenletter).ImadesureIwasthere.“You’renotgoingtomakemesignoneofthosestatementsoffaithareyou?”heasked,asIescortedhimacrosscampus.Igulped.UCCFpolicywasclear:EveryguestspeakerhadtosignthestatementoffaithbeforeaddressingaCU.Davidcontinued,“AnotherCUIwenttotriedtomakemesignone.Irefused.Iwasn’tallowedtospeak.”Ineveraskedhimtosignthestatement.AndInevertoldanyone.Untilnow.AmIsorry?Idon'tthinkso.Istillrememberthereactionofmystudentfriends-whoupuntilthispointhadneverheardofDavidPawson.Theirmouthswereopenandtheireyeswideastheylappeduphisteaching,withmanyremarkingtomeafterwards,“Wheredidyoufindthisguy,Sam?!”,“He’samazing”,“Thatwasincredible!”,"Whatalegend!".TothisdayIdon'tknowwhyDaviddidn'twanttosignstatementoffaith(hewasorthodoxonalltheimportantissues),buthemighthavedislikedtheprinciple.Inhisautobiography,heexplainedhowhe’dneverspeaksomewhereifhewastoldwhattosay,orifhewastoldwhatnottosay.ThatwasoneofmyfavouritethingsaboutDavidPawson.Youneverquiteknewwhathe’dsaynext!There'snodoubtthiswayofoperatingcosthimattimes(ithasbeenreportedthathecausedsuchastiratonemajorChristianeventwhenhedecidedtotacklethesubjectofdivorcethathewasneverinvitedback).Buthewasamanofprincipleandintegrity.Whocouldarguewiththat?David’spositionsonmaleheadship,hellandtheimportanceofmoderndayIsraelwerecontroversialinmanyquarters.Hewasespeciallyknownforhisteachingonthelatter,butoftenremarkedhowthereweretwokindsofChristianswhofollowedhisteaching.ThosewholovedwhathesaidaboutIsraelbutignoredeverythingelse.Andthosewholovedmostofhisteaching,butjustwishhe’dkeepquietaboutIsrael.NothingwasoutofboundsorofflimitsforDavid(heevenpouredcoldwateroncommoninterpretationsoftheBible’smostwellknownverses,John3:16).Butthat'swhatmadehimexcitingtolistento.Atoneevent,acoupleofChristianmissionarieswerebeinginterviewedabouttheirworkoverseas,workingamongthepoor.Pawsonwasduetospeakafterthem,buttheinterviewover-ransignificantly.Thecongregationweresettlingdownforaverylongevening.Theyweretobesurprised.Upontakingthestage,DavidPawsonpreachedwhatissurelyoneoftheshortestsermonseverrecorded:"Ladiesandgentlemen,ourtopicforthiseveningiscovetousness.Inthelightofallwe’veheardtonight,howdarewecovet?Let’spray."Hehadanumberofcleverquips,whichyou'dalwayslaughat,evenifyou'dheardthem1,000timesbefore.Anitinerantspeaker,hewouldoftenreceiveawarmwelcome,withcongregationseruptinginapplauseashewasintroducedandtooktothestage.Davidwouldalwaysrespondwith,“Wellafterthatintroduction,I’mlookingforwardtohearingmyselfspeak!”AlegacywhichlivesonIdidn’tagreewithhimoneverything-Idon’tthinkmanydid.Butthatwasn’tthepoint.Hisinvitationforlistenerstoweighhiseverywordagainstscripturewaswhatmattered.HetrulywasoneofthegreatestBibleteachersofhisgeneration,andhisabilitytoholdhisaudience’sattentionforlongperiodsoftimewasunmatched.AsourCEOPeterKerridgeremarkedthismorning,“DavidPawsonwastheonlyBibleteacherwhocouldmakeLeviticussoundinteresting!”Likeallgreatcommunicators,DavidPawsonneverwastedaword.Hisscriptswereeditedandhoned,sothathispreachingwasalwaysclearandconcise.Everysyllablewascarefullymeasured.Hecommunicateddeeptheologicaltruthinawaythateveryonecouldunderstand.Icouldn'thavebeenolderthanabout15whenIfirstwatchedhimspeak(onVHSvideo),yetIwasgripped.WeknowitwassaidofJesusthat"thecommonpeopleheardhimgladly"(Mark12:37).ThesameshouldbesaidofDavidPawson. DavidPawson'sministrylivesonthroughhiswebsitesdavidpawson.org,davidpawson.comandYouTubechannel,wherealargenumberoffreeresourcesarestillavailable TopicsObits < SubscribetoPremierChristianity Betterthanhalfprice! 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