A.T. Robertson and Charles Simeon

Seventy-five years ago today A.T. Robertson died, but not before leaving his imprint on the history of New Testament scholarship. Robertson was arguably The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's most prolific professor. His classes are legend here at Southern and his influence was wide-spread. His Shorter Grammar was the favorite of Pope John XXIII and congregations across the United States eagerly awaited his arrival to hear him preach. The tragedy of Robertson's life was his inability to engage his own family; his daughter was an agnostic and his son never expressed interest in Spiritual things. It is a stern warning concerning the family life of the proclaimers of God's Word.

Also on this day, 250 years ago, Charles Simeon was born. Simeon is a hero of mine as he was the model of perseverance. He served in the same church for fifty-four years many of which were marked by an extreme dislike for him by his congregation. When asked why he did not move on from the hostile situation Simeon would point to the fact that God simply did not provide any other options. Simeon's persistence and faithfulness to God's Word and to the calling God gave him is an incredible testimony. I identify with Simeon as his early years proved him a prideful man; God clearly had a plan to uproot the sin by giving him such a difficult post.

I would encourage you to seek biographical information on each of these men as their lives can teach us so much about the faithfulness of God.