Guest post from Brandon Rhea

“I sincerely believe that, next to the preaching of the gospel, the most necessary thing to be done in England is to induce our people to become total abstainers [from alcohol],” wrote Charles Spurgeon to temperance workers for the Tabernacle Total Abstinence Society.[1] To the contemporary ear, Spurgeon’s assertion may create tension as juxtaposed to the aura of the man who proclaimed, “by the grace of God, he hoped to enjoy a good cigar before going to bed that night.”[2] Suddenly, his image as a defender of Christian liberty vanishes like the smoke exhaling from his mouth. Of all of the great preachers in church history, he—along with Luther—would seem to support Christians who desire to drink a smooth craft beer to the glory of God. However, Spurgeon became an advocate of teetotalism after being in the moderate camp for many years.

Starting in America in 1826 and quickly exported to England, the temperance movement began as a reaction against alcohol excesses. In the coming decades, two camps emerged. The moderates advocated for responsible drinking, while the teetotalers called for complete abstinence. In 1855, public perception moved from the moderates to the teetotalers, because Anglican priests shifted from backing the former to the latter.[3] Moreover, supporters began the Band of Hope in 1846 to convince juveniles to abstain from alcohol for life.[4] By 1887, the youth societies grew to a million members.[5]

In this context, Spurgeon navigated the controversial waters between the moderate and teetotaler camps, both of whom sought relief from the societal ills caused by drunkenness. As pastors, we can glean four lessons from how Spurgeon reacted to the debates on Christian liberty and alcohol consumption.

1. Spurgeon responded with charity.

Before switching from being a moderate to a teetotaler, Spurgeon remarked in an 1857 sermon, “I am no total abstainer. — I do not think the cure of England’s drunkenness will come from that quarter. I respect those who thus deny themselves, with a view to the good of others, and should be glad to believe that they accomplish their object.”[6] Furthermore, he spoke at a temperance meeting in 1865 and allowed his twin nine-year-old sons to be given a public “medallion of membership” into the teetotaler organization.[7] Even though Spurgeon disagreed with the members’ views, he could befriend, serve, and live under the same roof with them. 

2. Spurgeon responded with humility.           

Despite beginning in the moderate camp, by no later than 1882, Spurgeon became a teetotaler. Before his change, he supposedly remarked, “I am not a teetotaler myself, and it is not likely that I ever shall be.”[8] Despite the low odds, providence overruled to bring Spurgeon to the teetotaler camp. In his 1880 sermon, “The Waterpots at Cana,” he admitted, “I abstain myself from alcoholic drink in every form, and I think others would be wise to do the same; but of this each one must be a guide unto himself.”[9] To change his mind publicly revealed Spurgeon’s openness to the other side’s arguments while reflecting upon his own.

3. Spurgeon responded with perspective.

Even though some teetotalers believed abstinence would cure societies’ ills, Spurgeon saw it as a means to an end. Hence, he did not divorce his theology from public policy, because sobriety does not bring salvation. Spurgeon pressed the point in his 1886 sermon from Jeremiah 23:29, “God’s Fire and Hammer”:

You may go to them and plead the cause of temperance with them, and I hope you will;    the more of it, the better. Make teetotallers of every one of them if you can, for it will be a great blessing to them; but still, you have not really done anything permanent if you stop there. Try the gospel! Try the gospel! Try the gospel! [10]

Temperance served a gospel end through bringing a sober mind to its preaching. Spurgeon observed, “Temperance will not suffice instead of godliness, but it may put men in the way of gospel influences…Many a man has first been delivered from the habit of intoxication, and then his ear has been opened to listen to the truth as it is in Jesus.”[11]

4. Spurgeon responded with love for his neighbor.

Since the Bible does not call drinking alcohol a sin, Spurgeon focused on laying aside Christian liberty out of concern for a weaker brother based upon 1 Corinthians 8. Therefore, he posited for Christians to show love for their neighbors by voluntarily abstaining from alcohol. In 1886, Spurgeon introduced a common objection to teetotalism: “‘Why should we deny ourselves alcoholic drink because weak-minded persons are overcome by it? That would be to make the weakest persons the virtual rulers of our conduct, which would be absurd.’” Spurgeon retorted, “Just so; but the absurdity appertains to the family of love.”[12] For him, the ubiquitous nature of drunkenness in England moved him to lay aside moderate alcohol consumption for the sake of souls without self-control. His desire to see godly living outweighed his desire for wine.

Conclusion

In our day, we Christians are not spared from debating controversial subjects. To the pastors who lead these discussions, imitate Spurgeon’s example. Remember to show charity, because as 1 Corinthians 13:2 says, “if I have not love, I am nothing.” Remember to be humble by being teachable and even open to changing your position. Remember to keep your perspective by asking, “What most benefits the spreading of the Gospel message?” Finally, remember to put love for your neighbor ahead of your love for self. May we all emulate Jesus who “came not to be served but to serve and give His life up as a ransom for many.”

Brandon Rhea is a pastor, Ph.D. student in Historical Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, and an ACBC certified Biblical counselor. He met his wife, Karise, while doing pulpit supply in 2013-14.  In April 2016, he accepted the call to pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Kirksville, Missouri. He loves history and has a heart for street preaching and evangelism. 

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            [1] Charles Spurgeon, C. H. Spurgeon’s Autobiography Compiled from His Diary, Letters, and Records, by His Wife, and His Private Secretary, vol. 4 (London: Passmore and Alabaster, 1897-1900), 129.

            [2] G. Holden Pike, The Life and Works of Charles Haddon Spurgeon vol. 5, (Avon, Great Britain: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1991), 139. 

            [3] Gerald Wayne Olsen, “Pub and Parish—the Beginnings of Temperance Reform in the Church of England, 1835-1875” (Ph.D. diss., The University of Western Ontario (Canada), 1972), 40-51.

            [4] Mark H. Senter III, “The Influence of the Juvenile Temperance Movement on the Formation of Youth Ministry,” The Journal of Youth Ministry 6, no. 1 (2007): 31. 

            [5] Annemarie McAllister, “Picturing the Demon Drink: How Children were Shown Temperance Principles in the Band of Hope,” Visual Resources: An International Journal of Documentation 28, no. 4 (2012): 311.

            [6] Charles Spurgeon, New Park Street Pulpit, vol. 3, (Pasadena, TX: Pilgrim Publications, 1970-2006), 344.

            [7] Charles Spurgeon, C.H. Spurgeon’s Autobiography: Compiled from His Diary, Letters, and Records by His Wife and Private Secretary, 4 vols. (London: Passmore and Alabaster, 1897-1900), 3:276-277; See also Tom Nettles, Living by Revealed Truth: The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, (Ross-shire, Scotland: Mentor, 2013), 432. 

            [8] Pike, LW, 3:119.

            [9] MTP, 26:494.

            [10] MTP, 42:177. 

            [11] MTP, 18:297.

            [12] Charles H. Spurgeon, An All-Around Ministry: Addresses to Ministers and Students, (Great Britain: Banner of Truth Trust, 2003), 242.