Arthur W. Pink
51 articles · 19 topics
Arthur Walkington Pink (1886–1952) was born in Nottingham, England, and after a brief flirtation with Theosophy in his youth, was soundly converted and became one of the most industrious and uncompromising Reformed writers of the twentieth century. He was largely self-taught theologically, never having attended seminary, yet produced a body of work that has shaped Reformed thought across denominational lines.
Pink spent much of his life as an itinerant preacher and writer — living at various times in the United States, Australia, and finally the Scottish island of Lewis — while producing the monthly Studies in the Scriptures, which he wrote, edited, and published almost entirely himself from 1922 until 1953. At the height of its circulation it reached only a few hundred subscribers, and Pink died largely unknown. In the decades after his death, however, the Banner of Truth Trust republished his works and he was discovered by a new generation of Reformed readers.
His most enduring works — The Sovereignty of God, The Attributes of God, The Atonement, and his massive Exposition of the Gospel of John — are marked by an unsparing commitment to doctrinal precision, a rich command of Scripture, and a deep concern for personal holiness. Pink's style is direct, his standards uncompromising, and his Christ-centeredness unmistakable. He wrote as a man who believed every word of Scripture and expected his readers to live accordingly.
Books by Arthur W. Pink
30 books
Grace Online Library is an Amazon Associate. Purchases made through these links help support the library at no extra cost to you.
Read Articles by Arthur W. Pink
The Contemplation of God
In the previous studies we have had in review some of the wondrous and lovely perfections of the divine character. From this most feeble and faulty contemplation of His attributes, it should be evident to us all that God is--First, an incomprehensible Being, and, lost in wonder at His infinite…
The Decrees of God
The decree of God is His purpose or determination with respect to future things. We have used the singular number as Scripture does (Rom 8:28; Eph 3:11), because there was only one act of His infinite mind about future things. But we speak as if there had been many, because our minds are only…
The Faithfulness of God
Unfaithfulness is one of the most outstanding sins of these evil days. In the business world, a man's word is, with exceedingly rare exceptions, no longer his bond. In the social world, marital infidelity abounds on every hand, the sacred bonds of wedlock being broken with as little regard as the…
The Foreknowledge of God
What controversies have been engendered by this subject in the past! But what truth of Holy Scripture is there which has not been made the occasion of theological and ecclesiastical battles? The deity of Christ, His virgin birth, His atoning death, His second advent; the believer's justification,…
The Goodness of God
'The Goodness of God endureth continually' (Psa 52:1). The goodness of God refers to the perfection of His nature: 'God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all' (1 John 1:5). There is such an absolute perfection in God's nature and being that nothing is wanting to it or defective in it, and…
The Grace of God
Grace is a perfection of the divine character which is exercised only toward the elect. Neither in the Old Testiment nor in the New is the grace of God ever mentioned in connection with mankind generally, still less with the lower orders of His creatures. In this it is distinguished from 'mercy,'…
The Holiness of God
'Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? for Thou only art holy' (Rev 15:4). He only is independently, infinitely, immutably holy. In Scripture He is frequently styled 'The Holy ONE': He is so because the sum of all moral excellency is found in Him. He is absolute Purity, unsullied…
The Immutability of God
Immutability is one of the divine perfections which is not sufficiently pondered. It is one of the excellencies of the Creator which distinguishes Him from all His creatures. God is perpetually the same: subject to no change in His being, attributes, or determinations. Therefore God is compared to…
The Knowledge of God
God is ominiscient. He knows everything: everything possible, everything actual; all events and all creatures, of the past, the present, and the future. He is perfectly acquainted with every detail in the life of every being in heaven, in earth, and in hell. 'He knoweth what is in the darkness'…
The Love of God
There are three things told us in Scripture concerning the nature of God. First, 'God is spirit' (John 4:24). In the Greek there is no indefinite article, and to say 'God is a spirit' is most objectionable, for it places Him in a class with others. God is 'spirit' in the highest sense. Because He…
The Love of God to Us
By 'us' we mean His people. Although we read of the love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord' (Rom 8:39), Holy Writ knows nothing of a love of God outside of Christ. 'The LORD is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works' (Psa 145:9), so that He provides the ravens with food. 'He is…
The Lovingkindness of God
We propose to engage the reader with another of His excellencies--of which every Christian receives innumerable proofs. We turn to a consideration of God's lovingkindness because our aim is to maintain a due proportion in treating of the divine perfections, for all of us are apt to entertain…
The Mercy of God
'O give thanks unto the Lord: for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever' (Psa 136:1). For this perfection of the divine character God is greatly to be praised. Three times over in as many verses does the Psalmist here call upon the saints to give thanks unto the Lord for this adorable…
The Patience of God
Far less has been written upon this than the other excellencies of the divine character. Not a few of those who have expatiated at length upon the divine attributes have passed over the patience of God without any comment. It is not easy to suggest a reason for this, for surely the longsuffering of…
The Power of God
We cannot have a right conception of God unless we think of Him as all-powerful, as well as all-wise. He who cannot do what he will and perform all his pleasure cannot be God. As God hath a will to resolve what He deems good, so has He power to execute His will. 'The power of God is that ability…
The Solitariness of God
The title of this article is perhaps not sufficiently explicit to indicate its theme. This is partly due to the fact that so few today are accustomed to meditate upon the personal perfections of God. Comparatively few of those who occasionally read the Bible are aware of the awe-inspiring and…
The Sovereignty of God
The sovereignty of God may be defined as the exercise of His supremacy--see preceding chapter. Being infinitely elevated above the highest creature, He is the Most High, Lord of heaven and earth. Subject to none, influenced by none, absolutely independent; God does as He pleases, only as He…
The Supremacy of God
In one of his letters to Erasmus, Luther said, 'Your thoughts of God are too human.' Probably that renowned scholar resented such a rebuke, the more so, since it proceeded from a miner's son; nevertheless, it was thoroughly deserved. We too, though having no standing among the religious leaders of…
The Wrath of God
It is sad indeed to find so many professing Christians who appear to regard the wrath of God as something for which they need to make an apology, or who at least wish there were no such thing. While some who would not go so far as to openly admit that they consider it a blemish on the Divine…
The Doctrine of Human Depravity: Conclusion
The entrance of evil into the domain of God is admittedly a deep mystery, nevertheless sufficient is revealed in the Scriptures to prevent our forming erroneous views thereon. For instance, it is flatly contrary to the Word of Truth to entertain the notion that either the fall of Satan and his…
The Doctrine of Human Depravity: Introduction
This book is likely to meet with a decidedly mixed reception. Some of our readers will probably be very disappointed when they see the title, deeming the subject quite unattractive and unedifying. If so, they are to be pitied, and we would fain cherish the hope that God may bless these contents…
The Doctrine of Human Depravity: Its Consequences
The key which opens to us the mystery of human depravity is to be found in a right understanding of the relations which God appointed between the first man and his posterity. As the grand truth of redemption cannot be rightly and intelligently apprehended until we perceive the federal connection…
The Doctrine of Human Depravity: Its Corollaries
In the introductory chapter of this book we intimated that we should endeavour to show that our present subject is one of immense doctrinal importance and of great practical value. In view of all that has been advanced in our subsequent discussions, that fact should be clearly apparent. The…
The Doctrine of Human Depravity: Its Enormity
The theology of the last century has failed lamentably at two essential points, namely its teaching concerning God and its teaching concerning fallen man. As an Australian writer recently expressed it, 'On the one hand, they have ‘tot ascended high enough . . . on the other hand, they do not…
The Doctrine of Human Depravity: Its Evidences
After the ground we have already covered, it might be thought there was no need for us to devote a separate section to the furnishing of proof that man is a fallen and depraved creature, one who has departed far from his Maker and rightful Lord. Though the Word of God needs no confirming by…
The Doctrine of Human Depravity: Its Extent
Neither the scientist, the philosopher, nor the psychologist can correctly diagnose the fatal malady which has seized upon all mankind, and still less is any of them able to gauge the full extent thereof. For a right and true knowledge of the latter, as much as of the former, we are shut up to what…
The Doctrine of Human Depravity: Its Imputation
We are now to consider the bearing which Adam’s sin had upon his posterity, and the different effects which it entailed and produced — though the latter will come before us in another chapter (D.V.), wherein we shall treat more specifically with the consequences of the Fall. What we are here to…
The Doctrine of Human Depravity: Its Nature
In our last chapter we showed how Scripture casts light upon the great moral problem of how an inherently corrupt nature originates in each child from the beginning of its existence without its Creator being the Author of sin. David declared, 'Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my…
The Doctrine of Human Depravity: Its Origin by Arthur W. PinkThe Doctrine of Human Depravity: Its Origin
That something is radically wrong with the world of mankind requires no laboured argument to demonstrate. That such has been the case in all generations is plain from the annals of history. This is only another way of saying that something is radically wrong with man himself, for the world is but…
The Doctrine of Human Depravity: Its Ramifications
While endeavouring to present a complete picture of fallen man as he is depicted by the Divine pencil in the Scriptures, it is very difficult to avoid a measure of overlapping as we turn from one aspect or feature of the same to another, or to prevent a certain amount of repetition when devoting a…
The Doctrine of Human Depravity: Its Remedy
Perhaps some of our younger and more impatient readers are inclined to demur: 'Why devote a separate chapter to this? We already know all about it: the remedy for ruined man is to be found in God’s salvation.' But that is a very superficial view to take, and a wrongful one too; for the greatest and…
The Doctrine of Human Depravity: Its Transmission
In introducing this aspect of our subject we cannot do better than set before the reader what A. A. Hodge pointed out are 'the self-evident moral principles which must ever be certainly presupposed in every inquiry into the dealings of God with His responsible creatures. God cannot be the Author of…
Gospel Preaching Commanded
There are those who misrepresent the doctrine of election in this way: Here I am sitting down at my table tonight with my family to tea. It is a cold winter’s night, and outside on the street are some hungry starving tramps and children, and they come and knock at my door and they say, “We are so…
Why Doctrinal Preaching Declines
[/caption] 'Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.' 2 Timothy 2:15 'For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;…
Personal Holiness
'That opinion that personal holiness is unnecessary to final glorification is in direct opposition to every dictate of reason; to every declaration of Scripture.' -Augustus Toplady By our fall in Adam we not only lost the favor of God but also the purity of our nature, and therefore we need to be…
Practical Godliness
“Be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (James 1:22) It is much, very much to be thankful for when the Holy Spirit has illumined a man’s understanding, dispersed the mists of error, and established him in the Truth. Yet that is only the beginning. The Holy…