Miles J. Stanford
Encyclopedia
Miles J. Stanford was a Christian
author
best known for his classic collection on spirituality, The Green Letters, published in 1964.
, and with little or no Sunday school
background, his early life centered around baseball, golf, and alcohol to excess.
On September 19, 1940, Stanford became a Christian
and thereafter began studying the Bible
eight to ten hours daily. He joined the US Army Engineers in 1942 and served overseas as a cartographer for a year in England
and nearly two years in Germany
. During this time he developed an ongoing correspondence with other Christians so that in late 1945, when he was discharged from the Army, he was writing to nearly 200 people.
From 1946 to 1955, his study and correspondence continued to expand. In 1951, he met and married Cornelia de Villiers Schwab in Brooklyn, New York. Cornelia shared a similar desire for personal growth and to help other Christians develop spiritually. Subsequently, Miles and Cornelia moved to Warrenville, Illinois
and assumed heavy responsibilities in a local Bible church, Pleasant Hill Community Church. The correspondence rapidly expanded during the next seven years. In 1960, The Green Letters series began, with letters going out to 1,500 correspondents every other month for three years.
In 1962, the ministry was relocated to Colorado Springs, Colorado
, and for nearly the next four decades Stanford published other books and (with Cornelia) maintained the robust and growing correspondence ministry. He established his website in 1996, making many of his publications available for free online.
At the age of 85 and after nearly 50 years of ascension ministry, Stanford died on September 21, 1999.
and dispensational
. He drew upon the written ministries of William Newell, Lewis Sperry Chafer
, and a number of the original Plymouth Brethren
, in particular John Nelson Darby
.
The historical and theological significance of Stanford was his careful and exhaustive exposition of the believer's positional and conditional aspects in the "First Adam" (Adam) and the "Last Adam" (Jesus
). Not only did he set forth these Pauline doctrines of the Christian's "death, burial, resurrection, and ascension with Christ", he comprehensively documented their "life-out-of-death" application in the Christian's experiential "walk with Christ." The motive for the work of the Holy Spirit
, the object of the Christian's "progressive spiritual growth", is "intimate fellowship with God the Father
and God the Son
, above in the heavenlies". As Stanford was apt to exhort believers, "Abide Above - for your life below."
Because of Stanford's focus upon the doctrinal content of the Pauline Epistles, some evangelicals have erroneously identified him with hyperdispensationalism
. To address this, Stanford published numerous papers during the 1980s and 1990s clarifying the distinctive tenets of "Pauline Dispensationalism." A collection of fourteen papers were collected into his 1993 book of the same name.
Stanford typically signed his letters with his hallmark salutation, "Resting in Him."
In addition, Stanford wrote and distributed hundreds of polemics and "position papers" which addressed various doctrinal differences and the positions of other prominent Christians. Many of these are available at his website.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
best known for his classic collection on spirituality, The Green Letters, published in 1964.
Biography
Born in 1914 in Wheaton, IllinoisWheaton, Illinois
Wheaton is an affluent community located in DuPage County, Illinois, approximately west of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Wheaton is the county seat of DuPage County...
, and with little or no Sunday school
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
background, his early life centered around baseball, golf, and alcohol to excess.
On September 19, 1940, Stanford became a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and thereafter began studying the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
eight to ten hours daily. He joined the US Army Engineers in 1942 and served overseas as a cartographer for a year in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and nearly two years in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. During this time he developed an ongoing correspondence with other Christians so that in late 1945, when he was discharged from the Army, he was writing to nearly 200 people.
From 1946 to 1955, his study and correspondence continued to expand. In 1951, he met and married Cornelia de Villiers Schwab in Brooklyn, New York. Cornelia shared a similar desire for personal growth and to help other Christians develop spiritually. Subsequently, Miles and Cornelia moved to Warrenville, Illinois
Warrenville, Illinois
Warrenville is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 13,363 at the 2000 census. It is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor.-History:...
and assumed heavy responsibilities in a local Bible church, Pleasant Hill Community Church. The correspondence rapidly expanded during the next seven years. In 1960, The Green Letters series began, with letters going out to 1,500 correspondents every other month for three years.
In 1962, the ministry was relocated to Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
, and for nearly the next four decades Stanford published other books and (with Cornelia) maintained the robust and growing correspondence ministry. He established his website in 1996, making many of his publications available for free online.
At the age of 85 and after nearly 50 years of ascension ministry, Stanford died on September 21, 1999.
Theology
Theologically, Stanford called himself PaulinePauline Christianity
Pauline Christianity is a term used to refer to the Christianity associated with the beliefs and doctrines espoused by Paul of Tarsus through his writings. Most of orthodox Christianity relies heavily on these teachings and considers them to be amplifications and explanations of the teachings of...
and dispensational
Dispensationalism
Dispensationalism is a nineteenth-century evangelical development based on a futurist biblical hermeneutic that sees a series of chronologically successive "dispensations" or periods in history in which God relates to human beings in different ways under different Biblical covenants.As a system,...
. He drew upon the written ministries of William Newell, Lewis Sperry Chafer
Lewis Sperry Chafer
Lewis Sperry Chafer was an American theologian. He founded and served as the first president of Dallas Theological Seminary, and was an influential founding member of modern Christian Dispensationalism.-Early life:...
, and a number of the original Plymouth Brethren
Plymouth Brethren
The Plymouth Brethren is a conservative, Evangelical Christian movement, whose history can be traced to Dublin, Ireland, in the late 1820s. Although the group is notable for not taking any official "church name" to itself, and not having an official clergy or liturgy, the title "The Brethren," is...
, in particular John Nelson Darby
John Nelson Darby
John Nelson Darby was an Anglo-Irish evangelist, and an influential figure among the original Plymouth Brethren. He is considered to be the father of modern Dispensationalism. He produced a translation of the Bible based on the Hebrew and Greek texts called The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation...
.
The historical and theological significance of Stanford was his careful and exhaustive exposition of the believer's positional and conditional aspects in the "First Adam" (Adam) and the "Last Adam" (Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
). Not only did he set forth these Pauline doctrines of the Christian's "death, burial, resurrection, and ascension with Christ", he comprehensively documented their "life-out-of-death" application in the Christian's experiential "walk with Christ." The motive for the work of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
, the object of the Christian's "progressive spiritual growth", is "intimate fellowship with God the Father
God the Father
God the Father is a gendered title given to God in many monotheistic religions, particularly patriarchal, Abrahamic ones. In Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, life-giver, law-giver, and protector...
and God the Son
God the Son
God the Son is the second person of the Trinity in Christian theology. The doctrine of the Trinity identifies Jesus of Nazareth as God the Son, united in essence but distinct in person with regard to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit...
, above in the heavenlies". As Stanford was apt to exhort believers, "Abide Above - for your life below."
Because of Stanford's focus upon the doctrinal content of the Pauline Epistles, some evangelicals have erroneously identified him with hyperdispensationalism
Hyperdispensationalism
Hyper-dispensationalism is a niche Protestant doctrine that views the teachings of the Apostle Paul both as unique from earlier apostles and as foundational for the church, a perspective sometimes characterized by proponents as the "Pauline Distinctive". E. W...
. To address this, Stanford published numerous papers during the 1980s and 1990s clarifying the distinctive tenets of "Pauline Dispensationalism." A collection of fourteen papers were collected into his 1993 book of the same name.
Stanford typically signed his letters with his hallmark salutation, "Resting in Him."
Selected publications
- The Green Letters, 1964. ISBN 0-3103-3001-7
- The Red Letters, 1965.
- The Reckoning That Counts, 1966.
- The Principle of Position, 1967. ISBN 0-3103-3021-1
- Abide Above, 1970.
- The Ground of Growth, 1971. ISBN 0-3103-3011-4
- The Line Drawn, 1972.
- Spiritual Sharing Service, 1973.
- None But the Hungry Heart, 1973-1987.
- The Complete Green Letters, 1975. ISBN 0-3103-3051-3
- The New Birth Explained, 1977.
- Pauline Dispensationalism, 1993.
- Position Papers – A Spiritual Anthology, 1994.
In addition, Stanford wrote and distributed hundreds of polemics and "position papers" which addressed various doctrinal differences and the positions of other prominent Christians. Many of these are available at his website.
External links
- Miles J. Stanford - official website