John William McGarvey
Encyclopedia
John William McGarvey (1 March 1829-6 October 1911) was a minister, author, and religious educator in the American Restoration Movement
. He was particularly associated with the College of the Bible in Lexington, Kentucky
(today Lexington Theological Seminary
) where he taught for 46 years, serving as president from 1895-1911. He was noted for his opposition to theological liberalism
and higher criticism. His writings are still influential among the heirs of the conservative wing of the Restoration Movement
, the Churches of Christ and Christian churches and churches of Christ.
to John McGarvey, an Irish immigrant who was proprietor of a general store, and Sarah Ann Thomson. John McGarvey died when J.W. was four years old, and after a very few years his mother married Gurden F. Saltonstall, a doctor and hemp farmer. The McGarvey/Saltonsall family moved to Tremont, Illinois
in 1839. J.W. attended a private school there taught by James Kellogg. Tremont was heavily populated with transplanted New Englanders, including his Connecticut-bred teacher Kellogg, and was a broadening experience for the young McGarvey.
McGarvey's religious upbringing was significant; his mother had been a student of the prominent Restoration Movement
leader Barton W. Stone
, and his stepfather left a portion of his inheritance to Alexander Campbell's Bethany College
, with the interest to go toward the tuition of any of his sons that might attend. Still, young McGarvey was unsure of his salvation and questioned the teaching on the subject that he heard from local preachers.
1847-1850, where he was taught by Alexander Campbell, W. K. Pendleton, and Robert Richardson. McGarvey was baptized by Pendleton in 1848. He was deeply impressed by his mentor's elderly father Thomas Campbell, and attended devotional services in their home in addition to his regular classes and chapel assemblies. Though he was pursuing Classical studies and not ministry at Bethany, he determined to become a preacher if his speaking ability developed sufficiently by the time of his graduation.
McGarvey received top honors in his graduating class, and was asked to deliver the traditional commencement address in Greek—which he said "was the result of a vast amount of hunting for Greek words in textbooks, lexicons and the New Testament." Alexander Campbell’s opinion of him is seen in the fact that he tried on multiple occasions to hire McGarvey to the faculty of Bethany College, first as professor of mathematics, then some years later with a more tempting position as professor of ancient languages. McGarvey declined to take the position; after graduation he rejoined his family, by then in Fayette, Missouri
, where he taught a boys’ school while pursuing his own studies of the Bible.
in January 1853. In March he married Atwayanna “Ottie” Francis Hix, whom he had met while living in Fayette
. The couple would have eight children. His lifelong interest in Biblical criticism
and translation was evidenced by the fact that he planned his honeymoon so as to be in Louisville, Kentucky
for a convention devoted to the planned English Revised
translation of the Bible.
During his years at Dover, McGarvey became known to the wider religious community through debates with Presbyterian, Methodist, and Universalist ministers. He also began writing for Benjamin Franklin’s American Christian Review, and occasionally for Campbell’s Millennial Harbinger. Encouraged by response to his articles, in 1861 he began composing one of his most influential works, the Commentary on Acts of the Apostles.
in Missouri, wrote to McGarvey confiding that he was afraid for his life and had greatly curtailed his travels; on McGarvey’s advice he removed to Kentucky for the duration of the war. Though often "bitterly denounced by extreme partisans," McGarvey himself suffered nothing worse than censorship by the Missouri press.
McGarvey's attitude toward slavery and race relations is ambiguous. His stepfather Saltonsall moved the family from Missouri to Illinois because he "had become dissatisfied with rearing sons in a slave State." In 1845 (just before McGarvey's enrollment at Bethany College) his mentor Alexander Campbell published an influential series of articles on the slavery issue in which he declared himself opposed to slavery in principle, but desirous of a gradual emancipation and peaceful end to the institution. Central to the problem was this question: Does the New Testament's regulation of master-slave relationships legitimize the existence of the institution itself? He is known to have owned two slaves, given to him by his in-laws; McGarvey consistently referred to them as "servants."
The congregation at Dover, Missouri
had a large attendance of slaves at its regular services, where by custom of the day they were forced to sit in the balcony. McGarvey preached an additional service each month for the African American community, at which this rule was not observed. On one occasion during the winter of 1860-61, a group of whites that McGarvey describes as "rude fellows of a baser sort" tried to prevent the gathering, claiming danger of sedition. Other whites arrived and protested this interference with a lawful religious assembly. When one disputant punctuated his argument with a well-aimed snowball, McGarvey interposed himself between the two groups, fearing that the next volley might come from pistols. He persuaded the men to disperse, and continued with the service.
In 1862 McGarvey followed the advice he had given Lard and took refuge in Kentucky, where his political neutrality reflected the mood of the majority. He was offered the ministry at the Main Street Christian Church in Lexington, Kentucky
, and moved to the city where he would spend the remainder of his career. He later noted that the Main Street congregation was one of the few churches in Lexington that survived the war without a division along political lines.
and the state Agricultural and Mechanical School to form a newly chartered Kentucky University in Lexington. The theology faculty was reconstituted as the College of the Bible, the first full-fledged seminary associated with the Restoration Movement (It became independent from the University of Kentucky again in 1877, and is today known as Lexington Theological Seminary
).
McGarvey had been sought for teaching positions at Bethany College and at Kentucky University, but declined to take any position that would interrupt his focus on the Bible. With the organization of the College of the Bible, however, he was offered the position of Professor of Sacred History. He would serve in this post almost without interruption for the remainder of his life. Up until the 1890s, the College of the Bible had only three full-time professors. The enrollment was quite small, and during its first incarnation (up until 1877) the College of the Bible graduated only 65 students. After reorganization it enrolled considerably more, with an average attendance of 150 during the 1890s.
Partly through gratitude for McGarvey’s assistance in helping him find work in Kentucky during the war, Moses Lard requested McGarvey to be a regular contributor to a new religious publication, Lard’s Quarterly. This journal contained, in McGarvey's later estimation, "some of the most admirable literature produced by the brotherhood," though it lasted through only five volumes (1863–1868). McGarvey's articles were sometimes written under the pseudonym "Kappa".
After the demise of Lard’s Quarterly, Moses Lard assembled a larger editorial team including McGarvey for another new publication, Apostolic Times. After only three years, various circumstances left the paper in the hands of only McGarvey and one other editor. McGarvey contributed to this weekly publication for about seven years before his teaching and preaching duties caused him to withdraw. This publication included, in 1869-1870, his series of articles that later was published as A treatise on the eldership.
During the late 1870s McGarvey undertook one of his most ambitious projects. Lands of the Bible aimed at providing a more systematic survey of the Holy Lands than similar volumes had previously done. In his typically concentrated, systematic manner of working, he completed his research in the spring and summer of 1869 and published the work in 1870. He also issued a revision of his on the book of Acts.
, fell under criticism for his handling of the institution’s finances. McGarvey was accused of being an agitator in this situation, with the intent of removing Bowman from his position. Whatever his role in the initial controversy may have been, when called upon to explain his concerns about the management of the college finances, McGarvey’s public statements led to an open breach with Bowman. A vote of the Board of Curators removed him from his professorship. The dispute cost the college a number of supporters and students, and may have contributed to its eventual collapse and reorganization.
Perhaps to counter the decline of the College of the Bible, the board reinstated McGarvey in 1875, but the college was unable to meet its financial obligations and was forced to reorganize in 1877. The newly constituted College of the Bible was independent of Kentucky University and the state university's component, the Agricultural and Mechanical College. (In 1878 the state-sponsored portion of Kentucky University again became independent; it later became the University of Kentucky
. Because of the ensuing confusion over nomenclature, Kentucky University reverted to its historic name of Transylvania University
in 1908. The independent College of the Bible took its current name, Lexington Theological Seminary
, in 1965.)
Others within the Restoration Movement
saw a different cause for the initial expulsion of McGarvey. Benjamin Franklin, a leading conservative, claimed that the entire affair was orchestrated by Bowman and others within the larger University who wanted to bring the College of the Bible more in line with the emerging views of skepticism
and Liberal Christianity
.
over specific interpretations of Scripture, and over the hermeneutical approach as a whole. McGarvey held these tenets as essential to the Restoration plea: a belief in the plenary inspiration of the Bible
, and a sola scriptura
approach to Christian life, doctrine, and church polity. He accepted "lower criticism" (i.e. establishing the text of the Bible from the extant manuscript traditions) but rejected "higher criticism", which he saw as undermining the authority of the Bible and thus the foundations of Christian belief and practice.
In 1891 McGarvey completed his two-volume summation of his objections to the higher criticism
, Evidences of Christianity. He also wrote a regular column on Biblical criticism
for The Christian Standard, a leading Restoration Movement
journal; extracts from these columns led to the book Jesus and Jonah, published in 1896. In 1905 he published one of his most unusual works, The Four-Fold Gospel, a harmonization of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John with running commentary. McGarvey also served as president of the College of the Bible beginning in 1895, remaining until his death in 1911.
Two significant flash points on specific interpretations of Scripture were the introduction of instrumental music into the previously a cappella
worship services, and participation in para-church institutions such as missionary societies. McGarvey viewed the latter as a matter of expediency, but objected to the former as without New Testament authority. His 1864-65 exchange with Amos Sutton Hayden in the Millennial Harbinger was one of the earliest debates on this topic within the Restoration Movement
(see List of Works). His later years were marked with disappointment when the leadership of McGarvey's long-time church home, the Broadway Christian Church in Lexington
, informed him that they had decided to implement instrumental music in the worship. In 1903 he left for the Chestnut Street congregation. He died in Lexington, Kentucky
, the scene of the majority of his work, in 1911.
.
Restoration Movement
The Restoration Movement is a Christian movement that began on the American frontier during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century...
. He was particularly associated with the College of the Bible in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
(today Lexington Theological Seminary
Lexington Theological Seminary
Lexington Theological Seminary is an accredited graduate theological institution located in Lexington, Kentucky. Although the seminary is related to the Christian Church , it is intentionally ecumenical with almost 50 percent of its enrollment coming from other denominations...
) where he taught for 46 years, serving as president from 1895-1911. He was noted for his opposition to theological liberalism
Liberal Christianity
Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...
and higher criticism. His writings are still influential among the heirs of the conservative wing of the Restoration Movement
Restoration Movement
The Restoration Movement is a Christian movement that began on the American frontier during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century...
, the Churches of Christ and Christian churches and churches of Christ.
Youth
McGarvey was born in Hopkinsville, KentuckyHopkinsville, Kentucky
Hopkinsville is a city in Christian County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 31,577 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Christian County.- History :...
to John McGarvey, an Irish immigrant who was proprietor of a general store, and Sarah Ann Thomson. John McGarvey died when J.W. was four years old, and after a very few years his mother married Gurden F. Saltonstall, a doctor and hemp farmer. The McGarvey/Saltonsall family moved to Tremont, Illinois
Tremont, Illinois
Tremont is a village in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,500 at the 2010 census. Tremont is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. Tremont is located 19 minutes from Peoria...
in 1839. J.W. attended a private school there taught by James Kellogg. Tremont was heavily populated with transplanted New Englanders, including his Connecticut-bred teacher Kellogg, and was a broadening experience for the young McGarvey.
McGarvey's religious upbringing was significant; his mother had been a student of the prominent Restoration Movement
Restoration Movement
The Restoration Movement is a Christian movement that began on the American frontier during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century...
leader Barton W. Stone
Barton W. Stone
Barton Warren Stone was an important preacher during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century. He was first ordained a Presbyterian minister, then was expelled from the church after the Cane Ridge, Kentucky revival for his stated beliefs in faith as the sole prerequisite for salvation...
, and his stepfather left a portion of his inheritance to Alexander Campbell's Bethany College
Bethany College (West Virginia)
Bethany College is a private liberal arts college located in Bethany, West Virginia, United States. Founded in 1840, Bethany is the oldest institution of Higher Education in West Virginia.-Location:...
, with the interest to go toward the tuition of any of his sons that might attend. Still, young McGarvey was unsure of his salvation and questioned the teaching on the subject that he heard from local preachers.
Bethany College
McGarvey attended Bethany CollegeBethany College (West Virginia)
Bethany College is a private liberal arts college located in Bethany, West Virginia, United States. Founded in 1840, Bethany is the oldest institution of Higher Education in West Virginia.-Location:...
1847-1850, where he was taught by Alexander Campbell, W. K. Pendleton, and Robert Richardson. McGarvey was baptized by Pendleton in 1848. He was deeply impressed by his mentor's elderly father Thomas Campbell, and attended devotional services in their home in addition to his regular classes and chapel assemblies. Though he was pursuing Classical studies and not ministry at Bethany, he determined to become a preacher if his speaking ability developed sufficiently by the time of his graduation.
McGarvey received top honors in his graduating class, and was asked to deliver the traditional commencement address in Greek—which he said "was the result of a vast amount of hunting for Greek words in textbooks, lexicons and the New Testament." Alexander Campbell’s opinion of him is seen in the fact that he tried on multiple occasions to hire McGarvey to the faculty of Bethany College, first as professor of mathematics, then some years later with a more tempting position as professor of ancient languages. McGarvey declined to take the position; after graduation he rejoined his family, by then in Fayette, Missouri
Fayette, Missouri
Fayette is a city in Howard County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,793 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Howard County. It is in the Columbia, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, where he taught a boys’ school while pursuing his own studies of the Bible.
Early career
McGarvey went to his first preaching work in Dover, MissouriDover, Missouri
Dover is a village in Lafayette County, Missouri, United States. The population was 108 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a town.-Geography:Dover is located at ....
in January 1853. In March he married Atwayanna “Ottie” Francis Hix, whom he had met while living in Fayette
Fayette, Missouri
Fayette is a city in Howard County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,793 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Howard County. It is in the Columbia, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. The couple would have eight children. His lifelong interest in Biblical criticism
Biblical criticism
Biblical criticism is the scholarly "study and investigation of Biblical writings that seeks to make discerning judgments about these writings." It asks when and where a particular text originated; how, why, by whom, for whom, and in what circumstances it was produced; what influences were at work...
and translation was evidenced by the fact that he planned his honeymoon so as to be in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
for a convention devoted to the planned English Revised
Revised Version
The Revised Version of the Bible is a late 19th-century British revision of the King James Version of 1611. It was the first and remains the only officially authorized and recognized revision of the King James Bible. The work was entrusted to over 50 scholars from various denominations in Britain...
translation of the Bible.
During his years at Dover, McGarvey became known to the wider religious community through debates with Presbyterian, Methodist, and Universalist ministers. He also began writing for Benjamin Franklin’s American Christian Review, and occasionally for Campbell’s Millennial Harbinger. Encouraged by response to his articles, in 1861 he began composing one of his most influential works, the Commentary on Acts of the Apostles.
Civil War
As the Civil War loomed nearer, McGarvey took a stand unpopular to both sides of the controversy. On a political level he was "against secession, and also against coercion," but on moral grounds he opposed Christian participation in armed conflict. The extreme partisanship in Missouri led to some of McGarvey’s fellow preachers being imprisoned; in 1863 one Augustus Payne was even murdered, though the motivations remain unclear. Moses E. Lard, a prominent fellow leader of the Restoration MovementRestoration Movement
The Restoration Movement is a Christian movement that began on the American frontier during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century...
in Missouri, wrote to McGarvey confiding that he was afraid for his life and had greatly curtailed his travels; on McGarvey’s advice he removed to Kentucky for the duration of the war. Though often "bitterly denounced by extreme partisans," McGarvey himself suffered nothing worse than censorship by the Missouri press.
McGarvey's attitude toward slavery and race relations is ambiguous. His stepfather Saltonsall moved the family from Missouri to Illinois because he "had become dissatisfied with rearing sons in a slave State." In 1845 (just before McGarvey's enrollment at Bethany College) his mentor Alexander Campbell published an influential series of articles on the slavery issue in which he declared himself opposed to slavery in principle, but desirous of a gradual emancipation and peaceful end to the institution. Central to the problem was this question: Does the New Testament's regulation of master-slave relationships legitimize the existence of the institution itself? He is known to have owned two slaves, given to him by his in-laws; McGarvey consistently referred to them as "servants."
The congregation at Dover, Missouri
Dover, Missouri
Dover is a village in Lafayette County, Missouri, United States. The population was 108 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a town.-Geography:Dover is located at ....
had a large attendance of slaves at its regular services, where by custom of the day they were forced to sit in the balcony. McGarvey preached an additional service each month for the African American community, at which this rule was not observed. On one occasion during the winter of 1860-61, a group of whites that McGarvey describes as "rude fellows of a baser sort" tried to prevent the gathering, claiming danger of sedition. Other whites arrived and protested this interference with a lawful religious assembly. When one disputant punctuated his argument with a well-aimed snowball, McGarvey interposed himself between the two groups, fearing that the next volley might come from pistols. He persuaded the men to disperse, and continued with the service.
In 1862 McGarvey followed the advice he had given Lard and took refuge in Kentucky, where his political neutrality reflected the mood of the majority. He was offered the ministry at the Main Street Christian Church in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, and moved to the city where he would spend the remainder of his career. He later noted that the Main Street congregation was one of the few churches in Lexington that survived the war without a division along political lines.
College of the Bible
In 1865 Kentucky University (formerly Bacon College) merged with Transylvania UniversityTransylvania University
Transylvania University is a private, undergraduate liberal arts college in Lexington, Kentucky, United States, affiliated with the Christian Church . The school was founded in 1780. It offers 38 majors, and pre-professional degrees in engineering and accounting...
and the state Agricultural and Mechanical School to form a newly chartered Kentucky University in Lexington. The theology faculty was reconstituted as the College of the Bible, the first full-fledged seminary associated with the Restoration Movement (It became independent from the University of Kentucky again in 1877, and is today known as Lexington Theological Seminary
Lexington Theological Seminary
Lexington Theological Seminary is an accredited graduate theological institution located in Lexington, Kentucky. Although the seminary is related to the Christian Church , it is intentionally ecumenical with almost 50 percent of its enrollment coming from other denominations...
).
McGarvey had been sought for teaching positions at Bethany College and at Kentucky University, but declined to take any position that would interrupt his focus on the Bible. With the organization of the College of the Bible, however, he was offered the position of Professor of Sacred History. He would serve in this post almost without interruption for the remainder of his life. Up until the 1890s, the College of the Bible had only three full-time professors. The enrollment was quite small, and during its first incarnation (up until 1877) the College of the Bible graduated only 65 students. After reorganization it enrolled considerably more, with an average attendance of 150 during the 1890s.
Preaching and publishing activities
By 1867 the curriculum had expanded to the extent that McGarvey resigned his position with the Main Street church, though he continued to preach for various congregations on an appointment basis. When the Main Street Christian Church grew to the point of overflowing its meeting place, a second congregation was organized, the Broadway Christian Church. McGarvey preached for this group until it grew to the point of requiring a full-time minister, and maintained his membership there for decades.Partly through gratitude for McGarvey’s assistance in helping him find work in Kentucky during the war, Moses Lard requested McGarvey to be a regular contributor to a new religious publication, Lard’s Quarterly. This journal contained, in McGarvey's later estimation, "some of the most admirable literature produced by the brotherhood," though it lasted through only five volumes (1863–1868). McGarvey's articles were sometimes written under the pseudonym "Kappa".
After the demise of Lard’s Quarterly, Moses Lard assembled a larger editorial team including McGarvey for another new publication, Apostolic Times. After only three years, various circumstances left the paper in the hands of only McGarvey and one other editor. McGarvey contributed to this weekly publication for about seven years before his teaching and preaching duties caused him to withdraw. This publication included, in 1869-1870, his series of articles that later was published as A treatise on the eldership.
During the late 1870s McGarvey undertook one of his most ambitious projects. Lands of the Bible aimed at providing a more systematic survey of the Holy Lands than similar volumes had previously done. In his typically concentrated, systematic manner of working, he completed his research in the spring and summer of 1869 and published the work in 1870. He also issued a revision of his on the book of Acts.
The John Bryan Bowman affair
In 1873 the regent of the College of the Bible, John Bryan BowmanJohn Bryan Bowman
John Bryan Bowman was a 19th-century American lawyer and educator, most notably, as the founder Kentucky University and the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky. He is the grandson of Kentucky frontiersman Abraham Bowman, as well as the grandnephew of Isaac, Joseph and John Jacob Bowman...
, fell under criticism for his handling of the institution’s finances. McGarvey was accused of being an agitator in this situation, with the intent of removing Bowman from his position. Whatever his role in the initial controversy may have been, when called upon to explain his concerns about the management of the college finances, McGarvey’s public statements led to an open breach with Bowman. A vote of the Board of Curators removed him from his professorship. The dispute cost the college a number of supporters and students, and may have contributed to its eventual collapse and reorganization.
Perhaps to counter the decline of the College of the Bible, the board reinstated McGarvey in 1875, but the college was unable to meet its financial obligations and was forced to reorganize in 1877. The newly constituted College of the Bible was independent of Kentucky University and the state university's component, the Agricultural and Mechanical College. (In 1878 the state-sponsored portion of Kentucky University again became independent; it later became the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
. Because of the ensuing confusion over nomenclature, Kentucky University reverted to its historic name of Transylvania University
Transylvania University
Transylvania University is a private, undergraduate liberal arts college in Lexington, Kentucky, United States, affiliated with the Christian Church . The school was founded in 1780. It offers 38 majors, and pre-professional degrees in engineering and accounting...
in 1908. The independent College of the Bible took its current name, Lexington Theological Seminary
Lexington Theological Seminary
Lexington Theological Seminary is an accredited graduate theological institution located in Lexington, Kentucky. Although the seminary is related to the Christian Church , it is intentionally ecumenical with almost 50 percent of its enrollment coming from other denominations...
, in 1965.)
Others within the Restoration Movement
Restoration Movement
The Restoration Movement is a Christian movement that began on the American frontier during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century...
saw a different cause for the initial expulsion of McGarvey. Benjamin Franklin, a leading conservative, claimed that the entire affair was orchestrated by Bowman and others within the larger University who wanted to bring the College of the Bible more in line with the emerging views of skepticism
Skepticism
Skepticism has many definitions, but generally refers to any questioning attitude towards knowledge, facts, or opinions/beliefs stated as facts, or doubt regarding claims that are taken for granted elsewhere...
and Liberal Christianity
Liberal Christianity
Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...
.
Controversy in final years
As the 19th century drew to a close, McGarvey witnessed increasing division within the Restoration MovementRestoration Movement
The Restoration Movement is a Christian movement that began on the American frontier during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century...
over specific interpretations of Scripture, and over the hermeneutical approach as a whole. McGarvey held these tenets as essential to the Restoration plea: a belief in the plenary inspiration of the Bible
Biblical inspiration
Biblical inspiration is the doctrine in Christian theology that the authors and editors of the Bible were led or influenced by God with the result that their writings many be designated in some sense the word of God.- Etymology :...
, and a sola scriptura
Sola scriptura
Sola scriptura is the doctrine that the Bible contains all knowledge necessary for salvation and holiness. Consequently, sola scriptura demands that only those doctrines are to be admitted or confessed that are found directly within or indirectly by using valid logical deduction or valid...
approach to Christian life, doctrine, and church polity. He accepted "lower criticism" (i.e. establishing the text of the Bible from the extant manuscript traditions) but rejected "higher criticism", which he saw as undermining the authority of the Bible and thus the foundations of Christian belief and practice.
In 1891 McGarvey completed his two-volume summation of his objections to the higher criticism
Biblical criticism
Biblical criticism is the scholarly "study and investigation of Biblical writings that seeks to make discerning judgments about these writings." It asks when and where a particular text originated; how, why, by whom, for whom, and in what circumstances it was produced; what influences were at work...
, Evidences of Christianity. He also wrote a regular column on Biblical criticism
Biblical criticism
Biblical criticism is the scholarly "study and investigation of Biblical writings that seeks to make discerning judgments about these writings." It asks when and where a particular text originated; how, why, by whom, for whom, and in what circumstances it was produced; what influences were at work...
for The Christian Standard, a leading Restoration Movement
Restoration Movement
The Restoration Movement is a Christian movement that began on the American frontier during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century...
journal; extracts from these columns led to the book Jesus and Jonah, published in 1896. In 1905 he published one of his most unusual works, The Four-Fold Gospel, a harmonization of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John with running commentary. McGarvey also served as president of the College of the Bible beginning in 1895, remaining until his death in 1911.
Two significant flash points on specific interpretations of Scripture were the introduction of instrumental music into the previously a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
worship services, and participation in para-church institutions such as missionary societies. McGarvey viewed the latter as a matter of expediency, but objected to the former as without New Testament authority. His 1864-65 exchange with Amos Sutton Hayden in the Millennial Harbinger was one of the earliest debates on this topic within the Restoration Movement
Restoration Movement
The Restoration Movement is a Christian movement that began on the American frontier during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century...
(see List of Works). His later years were marked with disappointment when the leadership of McGarvey's long-time church home, the Broadway Christian Church in Lexington
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, informed him that they had decided to implement instrumental music in the worship. In 1903 he left for the Chestnut Street congregation. He died in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, the scene of the majority of his work, in 1911.
List of Works
This list is an expansion on that compiled by Ernie Stefanik for Restoration Movement Texts, ed. Hans Rollmann, Memorial University of NewfoundlandMemorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland, is a comprehensive university located primarily in St...
.
Commentaries and Pedagogical Materials
- A Commentary on Acts of Apostles: with a Revised Version of the Text. Cincinnati: Wrightson, 1863. (Link is to 7th edition, published Lexington, KY: Transylvania Printing and Publishing, 1872.)
- New Testament Commentary: Vol. I--Matthew and Mark. Delight, AR: Gospel Light, 1875.
- Commentary on the Gospel of Mark. Cincinnati, OH: Central Book Concern, 1881.
- A Series of Fifty-Two Bible Lessons, for the Use of Intermediate and Advanced Classes in the Sunday School. Louisville, KY: Guide Printing and Publishing, 1889.
- New Commentary on Acts of Apostles. Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing Company, 1892.
- Class Notes on Sacred History, Vol. I: The Pentateuch, Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Job. 3rd ed. Lexington, KY: John Marcrom, 1893-1894.
- Class Notes on Sacred History, Vol. II: 1 Samuel to Nehemiah. 3rd ed. Lexington, KY: John Marcrom, 1893-1894.
- Class Notes on Sacred History, Vol. III: The Four Gospels. Revised ed. Bowling Green, KY: John Marcrom, 1893-1894.
- Class Notes on Sacred History, Vol. IV: Acts of the Apostles. Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing, 1893-1894.
- A Guide to Bible Study. Edited with introduction, notes, and appendix by Herbert L. Willett. Hand-book Series for the Bethany C. E. Reading Courses. Cleveland, OH: The Reading Committee, 1897.
- The Fourfold Gospel, or A Harmony of the Four Gospels. With Philip Y. Pendleton. Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing, 1914. Expanded electronic edition, 1997.
- Thessalonians, Corinthians, Galatians and Romans. With Philip Y. Pendleton. Standard Bible Commentary, v.3. Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing Company, 1916.
Topical Books and Tracts
- Letters to Bishop McIlvaine, on "Christian Union". New York: T. Holman, 1865.
- A Treatise on the Eldership. Lexington, KY(?), 1870. (Link is to a reprint published Murfreesboro, TN: DeHoff Publications, 1950.)
- Lands of the Bible: a Geographical and Topographical Description of Palestine, with Letters of Travel in Egypt, Syria, Asia Minor and Greece. Philadelphia, PA: J. B. Lippincott and Company, 1881.
- Evidences of Christianity. Cincinnati, OH: Guide Printing and Publishing Company, 1886.
- What Shall We Do about the Organ? With F. G. Allen. Louisville, KY: Guide Printing and Publishing, 1886. (Link is to reprint published Nashville, TN: McQuiddy Printing Company, 1903.)
- Jesus and Jonah. Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing Company, 1896.
- Baptism. Vest-Pocket Series Christian Tracts. Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing, 1900.
- Authorship of the Book of Deuteronomy, with its Bearings on the Higher Criticism of the Pentateuch. Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing Company, 1902.
- The Organ Question: a Visit to Texas. Unpublished MSS, 1903. (Held by Eastern Kentucky University.)
- Short Essays in Biblical Criticism. Reprinted from columns in The Christian Standard, 1893-1904. Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing Company, 1910(?).
- The Autobiography of J. W. McGarvey (1829-1911). Edited with a foreword by De Loris Stevenson and Dwight E. Stevenson. Lexington, KY: The College of the Bible, 1960. (From McGarvey's unfinished notes ca. 1905-1906?)
- The Disciples of Christ. Cincinnati, OH: American Christian Missionary Society, ca. 1909.
Articles and Contributions to Larger Works
- "Hymns and Hymn Books." Lard's Quarterly 1 (March 1864), pp. 319–329.
- "Instrumental Music in Churches," Millennial Harbinger 35/11 (November 1864), pp. 510–514. Response by Amos Sutton Hayden, 36/1 (January 1865), pp. 38–41. Response by McGarvey, 36/2 (February 1865), pp. 88–91. Second response by Hayden, 36/4 (April 1865), pp. 182–186. Second response by McGarvey, 36/4 (April 1865), pp. 186–188.
- "The Term 'Confession'," Millennial Harbinger 36/6 (June 1865), pp. 241–244.
- "The Witness of the Spirit." The Living Pulpit of the Christian Church: a Series of Discourses, Doctrinal and Practical. Ed. W. T. Moore. Cincinnati, OH: R. W. Carroll and Co., 1868. pp. 327–338.
- "Jewish Wars as Precedents for Modern Wars." Lard's Quarterly 5/2 (April, 1868), pp. 113–126.
- "Review of 'W.' on Missionary Societies." Lard's Quarterly 5/2 (April, 1868), pp. 194–200. Review of "W."'s article "Missionary Societies," Lard's Quarterly 5/1 (January, 1868), pp. 32–52.
- "The Indwelling Spirit." Gems of Thought by J. H. Smart. St. Louis, MO: Christian Publishing Company, 1883. pp. 10–15.
- "Palestine Exploration, What Remains to be Done." The Old Testament Student 6/3 (1886), pp. 69–70.
- "A 'symposium' on Expository Preaching." The Old and New Testament Student 10/6 (1890), pp. 369–378.
- "Grounds on Which We Receive the Bible as the Word of God, and the Only Rule of Faith and Practice." The Old Faith Restated, Being a Restatement, by Representative Men, of the Fundamental Truths and Essential Doctrines of Christianity as Held and Advocated by the Disciples of Christ, in Light of Experience and of Biblical Research. Ed. J. H. Garrison. St. Louis, MO: Christian Publishing Company, 1891. pp. 11–48.
- "Credibility and inspiration of the New Testament." The Old and New Testament Student 13/3 (1891).
- "Broadway Christian Church: Historical Sketch." The Church Record. New York: Church Record Publishing Co., 1897. pp. 40–43.
- "Introduction." Churches of Christ: A Historical, Biographical, and Pictorial History of Churches of Christ in the United States, Australasia, England, and Canada. Ed. John T. Brown. Louisville, KY: John P. Morton and Company, 1904. Pp. ix-x.
- "The Prints of the Nails." On the Lord's Day: A Manual for the Regular Observance of the New Testament Ordinances. Ed. J. A. Lord Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing Company, 1904. pp. 41–43.
- "Introduction." That They All May Be One: A Century's Progress and Brief Historical Review of the Effort to Promote Christian Union and Restore New Testament Christianity, 1809-1909. Ed. T. J. Gore. Melbourne: Austral Publishing Company, 1909. Pp. ix-x.
- "Alexander Campbell, Barton W. Stone and Walter Scott." Centennial Convention Report. Ed. W. R. Warren. Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing Company, [1910]. pp. 381–384.
Sermons and Addresses
- Dedicatory Sermon, Campbell Street Church of Christ, Louisville, KY. Lexington, KY: Transylvania Printing and Publishing, 1877.
- "Preachers' Methods." The Missiouri Christian Lectures, Delivered at Independence, Mo., July 1883. St. Louis, MO: John Burns, 1883. pp. 83–112. With "Discussion on J. W. M'Garvey's Lectures" by A. Proctor, Isaac Errett, J. A. Dearborn, and W. S. Priest, pp. 112–116; "J. W. M'Garvey's Rejoinder," pp. 116–117.
- Coöperation in Mission Work: an Address Delivered by Prof. J. W. McGarvey before the Alabama Missionary Convention. Louisville, KY: Guide Printing and Publishing, 1891.
- "Church Government." The Missouri Christian Lectures, Selected from the Courses of 1889, 1890, and 1891. St. Louis, MO: Christian Publishing Company, 1892. pp. 188–209.
- Sermons, Delivered in Louisville, Kentucky, June-September, 1893. Louisville, KY: Guide Printing and Publishing, 1894.
- "Reminisence" in "The President's Address" by L. L. Carpenter. Centennial Convention Report. Ed. W. R. Warren. Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing Company, [1910]. pp. 319–321 [317-332].
- Chapel Talks, Delivered before the Student Body of the College of the Bible in 1910 and 1911. Lufkin TX: The Gospel Guardian Company, 1956.
Additional Reading
- Bobo, David H. John William McGarvey: a biographical and theological study. M.Th. thesis, Christian Theological Seminary, 1963.
- Morro, W.C. "Brother McGarvey": the life of President J. W. McGarvey of the College of the Bible. Lexington, Kentucky, 1940.
- Trimble, John C. The rhetorical theory and practice of John W. McGarvey. Ph.D. dissertattion, Northwestern University, 1966.
External links
- Audiobooks of J.W. McGarvey works at the Internet Archive
- "John William McGarvey" at therestorationmovement.com
- Restoration Movement Texts
- McGarvey references at eScriptorium
- Moore, W. T. "John W. M'Garvey." The Living Pulpit of the Christian Church: A Series of Discourses, Doctrinal and Practical. Ed. W. T. Moore. Cincinnati, OH: R. W. Carroll & Co., 1868, pp. 325–236.
- Garrison, J. H. "Biographical Sketch of J. W. McGarvey." The Old Faith Restated, Being a Restatement, by Representative Men, of the Fundamental Truths and Essential Doctrines of Christianity as Held and Advocated by the Disciples of Christ, in Light of Experience and of Biblical Research. Ed. J. H. Garrison. St. Louis, MO: Christian Publishing Company, 1891, p. 10-B.