Welcome to five minutes in church history hosted by Dr Stephen Nichols, where we take a little

break from the present to go exploring the past. Travel back in time as we look at the people, events, and even the places that have shaped the story of Christianity.

This is our story, our family history. Let's get started.

Welcome back to another episode of five minutes in church history. On this

episode we are at Seattle at our West Coast Conference and I happen to bump

into Dr. Steve Lawson.

Dr. Lawson's nice to see you.

Thank you very much, and it's wonderful to be with you, Steve.

Well, we've had you on this show before.

I can't remember if in the past we ever talked about Spurgeon.

We have not.

Okay, well, now's a good opportunity.

You wrote a book, The Gospel Focus of Charles Spurgeon.

I know this is going to be hard for you to answer in a short time but why Spurgeon what's his

significance Spurgeon in my estimation as well as the estimation of countless

authorities is the prince of preachers.

It is the greatest preacher of any language since the apostle Paul.

He appeared on the scene of history in the 19th century at the height of Victorian England

as language and literature was at a Zenith.

Spurgeon was the heir of the Puritans as he drank deeply from the theology and the books of the reformers and the Puritans.

And so in a sense, Spurgeon could not have been Spurgeon if he had

appeared before the reformation if he had appeared before the Puritans he

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