July 27, 2011

John Stott (1921-2011)

John Stott, one of the great Christian leaders and Bible expositors of the 21st century, went to be with the Lord today. Tributes from the family at All Souls Church in London may be read here.

My drop into what is sure to be a large bucket full of praise is simply this: I could not often read John Stott's commentaries in sermon preparation! Why? Because his ability to outline and explain Bible passages so far outstripped my own that, if I read what he wrote before putting together my own outline, I'd be forced to either:
  1. preach his far superior outline, or
  2. feel really miserable about my own!
That's how skilled he was at handling the word of truth! I have no doubt he will be greatly missed, especially by those who knew him personally. Praise God for his books and preaching.

5 comments:

David McKay said...

G'day Kurt

John Stott has been very much on my mind, too.

I am in the middle of "John Stott: a portrait by his friends" which is well worth reading.

But I'm here because I've been enjoying using Opening Up Genesis in the Logos Bible Study Library, as I read through Genesis in the Holman Christian Standard Bible, with an eye on the new NIV at the same time.

Enjoying your thoughts.

Yes, you're not John Stott, but he wasn't Kurt Strassner, either.

Kurt Strassner said...

G'Day to you too David! And thanks for the kind words.

As Joseph would say, "it is not in me, God" gave all the help in the world with OU Genesis.

Thankful (in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way) that Stott never wrote a commentary on Genesis. I'd have been sunk writing this one!

One last thing. I've read a couple of books in the last year or two re: Australian Christians ... and become intrigued by what the British call the Antipodes (NZ too). So it was enjoyable trying to imagine your accent as I read your words!

David McKay said...

Actually, Australians don't have an accent. It's everybody else who talks funny.

David McKay said...

Please tell me more about the Australian Christians you've been reading about.

Have you read any Leon Morris? He was born in Lithgow, about 60 kilometres from where I live.

Kurt Strassner said...

Two books. Australian Christian Life by Iain Murray ... a history of the first origins of the gospel coming to Australia via Anglican chaplains, etc.

And A Day's March Nearer Home, the autobiography Graham Miller, a New Zealander who was a missionary to Vanuatu, and then spent a good deal of his ministry at St. Giles Prebyterian in Sydney.

I have used and been helped by some of Morris's commentaries (Luke and Thessalonians), but had forgotten he was Australian.

PS. Read this in a good, southern Mississippi accent, though I am now based in Ohio!