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Two Lectures on Commenting and Commentaries

Charles H Spurgeon

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) was an English Baptist minister and renowned preacher, whose sermons are still widely circulated. He was born in Kelvedon, Essex, into the Nonconformist tradition (his father and grandfather were Independent ministers). He studied at Colchester, Newmarket, and a school near Cambridge. In 1849 he joined a Baptist church, and began preaching by 1850, his gifts having been recognized early on. In 1854 he accepted a pastorate in London, where the congregation quickly grew and the fame of his preaching spread. By 1861 the Metropolitan Tabernacle was built, and would serve as the center of a large ministry – including a pastor's college, publication of Bibles and tracts, and inner-city mission work. Spurgeon's staunch Calvinism often spurred controversy, and he later withdrew from both the Evangelical Alliance and the Baptist Union. His zeal for biblical orthodoxy, no less than his preaching, have resulted in his being called "the last of the Puritans".

Two lectures given to students at the Pastors' College, indicative of Spurgeon's stance on Bible Study and Criticism.

These are two of the lectures given by Spurgeon to students at the Pastors' College of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, published in three volumes as Lectures to My Students. The Pastors' College was founded in 1856 for the education of preachers and ministers, a pioneering effort – many Bible Colleges would follow in England and America. The third volume, published in 1890, Commenting and Commentaries, consisted of these two lectures along with a catalogue of Commentaries (with his recommendations). Spurgeon had little classical education or theological training, but a lifetime of ministry and Bible study provided him with much insight. He remained a staunch Calvinist and was conservative when it came to Biblical Criticism – he resisted the so-called "higher criticism" which was gaining acceptance in the 19th century, and opposed any teaching or theory which he felt devalued biblical orthodoxy.

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