I am not aware of a verse in the Bible that says every Christian must read at least one biography of Charles Spurgeon. Or every Calvinist, at least. But I also wouldn’t be completely shocked if it’s there somewhere and I’ve just missed it. And that’s because his life and ministry were powerfully unique in so many ways.
I have often thought that the word “unique” is overused today. After all, if the word applies to everything, it actually applies to nothing. It’s not possible for everything to be unique, is it? Yet there are a handful of figures in history for whom the word fits, and Spurgeon is most definitely among them. In so many ways he really was one-of-a-kind. He was one-of-a-kind in the reach of his preaching ministry, in the power of it, and in its impact. He was one-of-a-kind at the young age at which he became famous for his preaching and his ability to remain untainted by the adulation. He was one-of-a-kind in the sheer output of his tongue and pen. I dare say he was one-of-a-kind in all the ways he was one-of-a-kind, unique for all the ways he was unique.
Every biography of Spurgeon tries to figure out why his ministry was so uniquely blessed by the Lord. It examines his background, considers his early influences and education, remarks on the godliness of his parents, dissects his preaching, and so on. But in the end, I don’t think any of this gets us a whole lot closer to a satisfying answer. After all, lots of people were raised in the way Spurgeon was raised. Many were exposed to the theologians he was exposed to and were influenced by similarly godly parents and mentors. Yet their reach was not nearly so wide and their impact not nearly so great. It seems to me we do best to leave the matter in the hands of the Lord and simply marvel at what he chose to accomplish through this one man—a man he so clearly baptized with a special kind of charisma, intellect, skill, influence, and power.
Spurgeon is the subject of a host of biographies including an excellent new one by Alex DiPrima titled simply Spurgeon: A Life. Any biographer of a man as unique as Spurgeon has to make a formative decision: Will this account of the subject’s life be concise or exhaustive? When it comes to Spurgeon, there would be enough material and enough interesting themes to fill multiple volumes, yet few people are interested in reading that much. I think DiPrima struck a good balance in capping his book at around 300 pages. That is enough to account for the most prominent events of Spurgeon’s life and to introduce the most important characters, but not so much that it grows tiresome. It’s enough that he can explain what Spurgeon believed yet without writing what could essentially be a volume of theology. It’s just right.
I trust that many who are sticking with me this far into the article have already read at least one biography of Spurgeon. If not, there is no better place to begin than with this one. And if you have, I still think you’ll benefit from it. It is longer than a few, shorter than many, and more updated than them all. I am sure you’ll be blessed as you read how the Lord so magnificently glorified himself through a man who was and remains truly unique.
Here are a few recommended biographies:
- Spurgeon: A Life by Alex DiPrima. The most updated.
- Spurgeon: A Biography by Arnold Dallimore. A classic.
- The Forgotten Spurgeon by Iain Murray. A can’t-go-wrong biographer.
- Susie: The Life and Legacy of Susannah Spurgeon, wife of Charles H. Spurgeon by Ray Rhodes Jr. A look at Susie’s influence on her husband.
- Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers by Lewis Drummond. Longer than the others but a bit dated in its scholarship and, according to DiPrima, repeating some errors from older works.
- Living by Revealed Truth by Tom Nettles. The best long option.
- Charles Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers. One for younger readers.
