George H. Lang
Encyclopedia
George Henry Lang, aka G.H. Lang (November 20, 1874-October 20, 1958), was a noted Bible
teacher, prolific author, and biblical scholar of his time.http://www.newble.co.uk/writers/Lang/biography.html Of his Christian
contemporaries, Lang was influenced by the writings of G.H. Pember, C.H. Spurgeon
, A.T. Pierson
, and George Müller
. Today, G.H. Lang is remembered as one of the few Bible expositors who, in the past 150 years, saw the 'ground of the church'. He pointed out that the ground of the church is essentially related to the practical oneness of all the believers in Christ.http://www.local-church-ground-testimony.org/"
G. H. Lang differed from Watchman Nee
and Witness Lee
regarding the ground of the church. Lang states"… and it is significant that that epistle {Romans} is not addressed to 'the church,' but to 'all the saints,' and verses 5, 14, and 15 of ch. 16 indicate three circles or centres of gathering, one being termed a 'church.' If modern London is to be regarded as having one church why not so regard the churches in any other area twenty-five miles across? But when the N.T. contemplates a district the reference is to 'the churches,' as of Judea or Galatia. The arbitrary boundary is fixed by that of the civil authority, and extends with its enlargement from time to time. Thus the will and act of the State determines this feature of the house of God, and our third essential principle is infringed. To regard such an enormous area, with its widely separated churches, as one church, is surely to be in bondage to human theory." (G.H. Lang—Past, Present, and Future)
, England
. His mother died shortly after Lang's birth, and he was raised under the influence of his Christian father. Lang made a profession of the Christian faith and dedicated his life to Jesus Christ at 7-years-old. Early on, Lang affiliated himself with the Exclusive Brethren
; but later in life, he affiliated himself with the Open Brethren
. Lang held the belief that the only qualification for a believer was having made a sincere profession of faith. For this one belief, Lang is considered by some Plymouth Brethren
as the most controversial figure since Darby
regarding the administration of the Church
affairs. Later in Lang's life and teachings, he challenged Darby's "federation view" of the church and stressed the local fellowship's autonomy and independence.
Lang was a very close student of the Holy Scriptures and an independent thinker. He was not prepared to take traditional interpretations unless he was personally convinced that they were right. Lang was also an active Gospel
preacher and from time to time he was found in countries from the Arabian deserts to the Russian steppes preaching. Lang almost traveled and preached in the entire world in his missionary career.
Lang once said,
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...
teacher, prolific author, and biblical scholar of his time.http://www.newble.co.uk/writers/Lang/biography.html Of his 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...
contemporaries, Lang was influenced by the writings of G.H. Pember, C.H. Spurgeon
Charles Spurgeon
Charles Haddon Spurgeon was a large British Particular Baptist preacher who remains highly influential among Christians of different denominations, among whom he is still known as the "Prince of Preachers"...
, A.T. Pierson
Arthur Tappan Pierson
Arthur Tappan Pierson was an American Presbyterian pastor, early fundamentalist leader, and writer who preached over 13,000 sermons, wrote over fifty books, and gave Bible lectures as part of a transatlantic preaching ministry that made him famous in Scotland and England...
, and George Müller
George Müller
George Müller , a Christian evangelist and Director of the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England, cared for 10,024 orphans in his life...
. Today, G.H. Lang is remembered as one of the few Bible expositors who, in the past 150 years, saw the 'ground of the church'. He pointed out that the ground of the church is essentially related to the practical oneness of all the believers in Christ.http://www.local-church-ground-testimony.org/"
G. H. Lang differed from Watchman Nee
Watchman Nee
Watchman Nee was a Chinese Christian author and church leader during the early 20th century. He spent the last 20 years of his life in prison and was severely persecuted by the Communists in China. Together with Wangzai, Zhou-An Lee, Shang-Jie Song, and others, Nee founded The Church Assembly...
and Witness Lee
Witness Lee
Witness Lee was a Chinese Christian preacher associated with the Local Churches movement, and the founder of the Living Stream Ministry. He was born in the city of Yantai, Shandong Province, China, in 1905, to a Southern Baptist family. He became a born again Christian in 1925 after hearing the...
regarding the ground of the church. Lang states"… and it is significant that that epistle {Romans} is not addressed to 'the church,' but to 'all the saints,' and verses 5, 14, and 15 of ch. 16 indicate three circles or centres of gathering, one being termed a 'church.' If modern London is to be regarded as having one church why not so regard the churches in any other area twenty-five miles across? But when the N.T. contemplates a district the reference is to 'the churches,' as of Judea or Galatia. The arbitrary boundary is fixed by that of the civil authority, and extends with its enlargement from time to time. Thus the will and act of the State determines this feature of the house of God, and our third essential principle is infringed. To regard such an enormous area, with its widely separated churches, as one church, is surely to be in bondage to human theory." (G.H. Lang—Past, Present, and Future)
Life and Belief
Lang was born in Southeast LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 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...
. His mother died shortly after Lang's birth, and he was raised under the influence of his Christian father. Lang made a profession of the Christian faith and dedicated his life to Jesus Christ at 7-years-old. Early on, Lang affiliated himself with the Exclusive Brethren
Exclusive Brethren
The Exclusive Brethren are a subset of the Christian evangelical movement generally described as the Plymouth Brethren. They are distinguished from the Open Brethren from whom they separated in 1848....
; but later in life, he affiliated himself with the Open Brethren
Open Brethren
The Open Brethren, sometimes called Christian Brethren or "Plymouth Brethren", are a group of Protestant Evangelical Christian churches that arose in the late 1820s as part of the Assembly Movement...
. Lang held the belief that the only qualification for a believer was having made a sincere profession of faith. For this one belief, Lang is considered by some 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...
as the most controversial figure since 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...
regarding the administration of the Church
Church Body
A local church is a Christian religious organization that meets in a particular location. Many are formally organized, with constitutions and by-laws, maintain offices, are served by pastors or lay leaders, and, in nations where this is permissible, often seek seek non-profit corporate status...
affairs. Later in Lang's life and teachings, he challenged Darby's "federation view" of the church and stressed the local fellowship's autonomy and independence.
Ministry and Work
Lang was essentially a man of faith, never looking to man for the means of his subsistence, but only to God, and Lang's faith grew with its exercise. In Lang's words,http://www.schoettlepublishing.com/bookpreviews/lang/prayingisworking/preview.htm
"Praying is working, and not merely an adjunct to working. It is a form of working, and not simply a somewhat properly added to our efforts out of reverence to the Almighty; nor is it only an appeal for His blessing to prosper our labours. When a righteous man prays he works. For prayer in the spirit is one agency by which the Spirit of God effects through the believer His will, and is, indeed, a putting forth of His energy."
Lang was a very close student of the Holy Scriptures and an independent thinker. He was not prepared to take traditional interpretations unless he was personally convinced that they were right. Lang was also an active Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
preacher and from time to time he was found in countries from the Arabian deserts to the Russian steppes preaching. Lang almost traveled and preached in the entire world in his missionary career.
Lang once said,
"No man should write a book until he is 40. He needs to prove his theories in practice before publishing."Most of Lang's books were published after he was 50-years-old.
Books
Lang's writings include fourteen major books and many other booklets. Some of his works are noted below.- Anthony Norris Groves - Biography of A.N. GrovesAnthony Norris GrovesAnthony Norris Groves has been described as the "father of faith missions". He launched the first Protestant mission to Arabic-speaking Muslims, and settled in Baghdad, now the capital of Iraq, and later in southern India. His ideas influenced a circle of friends who became leaders in the Plymouth...
- Atoning Blood
- The Unequal Yoke
- Firstfruits and Harvest
- Firstborn Sons -Their Rights and Risk
- The New Birth
- The Clean Heart
- Balanced Christianity
- Coming Events, An Outline of Bible Prophecy
- The Earlier Years of the Modern Tongues Movement
- Departure - An Appeal Addressed by one of Themselves Mainly to Christians Known as Open Brethren
- Divine Guidance - Its Reality, Methods, Conditions
- The First Resurrection
- God's Plan - Christ's Suffering and the Spirit's Power
- The History and Diaries of an Indian Christian - J.C. Aroolappen
- The Local Assembly
- An Ordered Life - The Autobiography of G.H. Lang
See also
- Robert GovettRobert GovettRobert Govett, was a famous British theologian, and a successful independent pastor of Surrey Chapel, Norwich, Norfolk, England, UK. His father, Robert Govett Sr., Vicar of Staines, died in 1854...
- Watchman NeeWatchman NeeWatchman Nee was a Chinese Christian author and church leader during the early 20th century. He spent the last 20 years of his life in prison and was severely persecuted by the Communists in China. Together with Wangzai, Zhou-An Lee, Shang-Jie Song, and others, Nee founded The Church Assembly...
- John Nelson DarbyJohn Nelson DarbyJohn 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...
- Plymouth BrethrenPlymouth BrethrenThe 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...
- Local Churches
External links
- Concerning the Ground of the Church Bible expositors, those who over the past century and a half, have seen the ground of the church
- Schoettle Publishing Company - Books by G. H. Lang