A Swedish King
You can’t grow up in Minnesota without hearing the name Gustavus Adophus, but I hadn’t a clue who he was until I read this biographical sketch by Michael Haykin. It turns out he was a warrior king who helped preserve the Protestant reformation. Haykin sums his piece up this way:
The kingdom of God is not ushered in through force of military arms, but such wars as Gustavus fought—wars essentially for self-defence—are not ruled out by the Word of God, as a careful reading of passage like Romans 13 shows. The name of Gustavus Adolphus belongs with those of other military commanders like Oliver Cromwell, James Gardiner (1688-1745), Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), and T.J. Jackson (1824-1863)—men who loved the Lord Jesus and who did not feel their calling conflicted with their Christian faith.
(Credo Magazine)
A Leader of Forerunners
Robert Godfrey answers the question, “Who was Waldo?”
The Waldensians were … witnesses to the presence of Christ’s Word and Spirit in the church through the centuries. They gave expression to aspects of Apostolic religion that were threatened with extinction in the dominant church. They remind us that in every era, Christ fulfills His promise: “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”…
(Ligonier.org)
A Puritan Woman
A few quotes from Anne Dutton on pride (Theology for Girls).
A Treasure Trove
of biographies. I’ve listened to all of these lectures over the years, and have recommended many of them in previous Round the Sphere or Recommended for Listening posts. Now Justin Taylor has linked them all in a single post, so you really have no excuse for not listening to them.