Robert Chapman (Plymouth Brethren)
Encyclopedia
Robert Cleaver Chapman known as the "apostle of Love", was a pastor, teacher and evangelist
.
, in a wealthy Anglican merchant family from Whitby
, Yorkshire
.
Robert was educated by his mother whilst the family was in Denmark and later at a boarding school in Yorkshire, after the return of the family to England.
At the age of 15 Robert moved to London to work as an apprentice clerk in the legal profession.
In the same year he became a Christian after listening to the gospel
preached by James Harrington Evans in a nonconformist chapel in London. He prospered in his career and also spiritually and spent most of his spare time visiting and helping the poor of London.
His dedication to the poor made a great impression on his cousin's husband, a Mr. Pugsley, from Barnstaple
, Devon. So much so that Puglsey, another lawyer, also became a Christian and began working with the poor in Barnstaple.
In 1831 Robert visited Barnstaple on a holiday and helped out in preaching and other Christian work in the vicinity. On returning to London he became convinced that he was being called into full time Christian work, he also increasingly felt that some aspects of his legal work sat uncomfortably with his faith.
In 1832 he was invited by the Ebenezer Strict Baptist
Chapel in Barnstaple to be their pastor. In April 1832 he left the lucrative legal profession and stepped down the social ladder and moved to Barnstaple to become pastor.
chapel only on the condition that he would only be bound by what was written in the Bible
and not by any denominational creeds or beliefs. Fellowship, for example, he believed was open to all true believers in Christ, and not restricted to those who had been
baptised by full immersion on a profession of faith. His views on fellowship were similar to those of Anthony Norris Groves
.
Over time, the chapel changed from being Strict Baptist
to a non denominational one ran on similar grounds to the assembly led by George Muller
in Bristol, with a building at Grosvenor Street eventually being known as Grosvenor Street Chapel. In 1994 this church moved from Grosvenor Street to another part of Barnstaple occupying a converted railway shed and is now known as Grosvenor Church - http://www.grosvenorchurch.org
Other examples of the assembly moving to a non denominational position are one man ministry being replaced by the priesthood of all believers
and Chapman refusing any clerical salary. Chapman never enforced these changes onto the chapel and never forced his viewpoint but was prepared to wait for every believer meeting at the chapel to see the need for change.
Chapman rose to become an influential figure within the Plymouth Brethren
alongside John Nelson Darby
and George Muller
. His zeal and compassion for people led to him being referred to by many as the "apostle of love". For example, Chapman preferred to live very frugally in a deprived area of Barnstaple in order to reach the poor.
In 1848 he sided with George Muller
in regards to a dispute over the independency of each assembly and believed that John Nelson Darby
should have waited much longer before excommunicating Muller's assembly in Bristol for not supporting Darby in his dispute with Benjamin Wills Newton
. This riled some supporters of Darby who were wanting to discredit Chapman. Darby, however reproved them, saying, "You leave that man alone; We talk of the heavenlies, but Robert Chapman lives in them."
In regards to the timing of the rapture
of the Church, an issue which became prominent within the brethren movement, Chapman held a partial rapture view with part of the saved being raptured before the Great Tribulation and a part of them after the Great Tribulation.
Charles Spurgeon
called Chapman "the saintliest man I ever knew". Chapman became so well known that a letter from abroad addressed only to "R.C. Chapman, University of Love, England" was correctly delivered to him.
Humility is the secret of fellowship, and pride the secret of division.
If we would wisely reprove the flesh in our brethren, we must first, after the Lord’s example, remember and commend the grace in them.
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
.
Early days
Chapman was born in Helsingor, DenmarkDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, in a wealthy Anglican merchant family from Whitby
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
.
Robert was educated by his mother whilst the family was in Denmark and later at a boarding school in Yorkshire, after the return of the family to England.
At the age of 15 Robert moved to London to work as an apprentice clerk in the legal profession.
1818 to 1832 London
Robert completed his 5 year apprenticeship and became an attorney in 1823.In the same year he became a Christian after listening to the 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...
preached by James Harrington Evans in a nonconformist chapel in London. He prospered in his career and also spiritually and spent most of his spare time visiting and helping the poor of London.
His dedication to the poor made a great impression on his cousin's husband, a Mr. Pugsley, from Barnstaple
Barnstaple
Barnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the...
, Devon. So much so that Puglsey, another lawyer, also became a Christian and began working with the poor in Barnstaple.
In 1831 Robert visited Barnstaple on a holiday and helped out in preaching and other Christian work in the vicinity. On returning to London he became convinced that he was being called into full time Christian work, he also increasingly felt that some aspects of his legal work sat uncomfortably with his faith.
In 1832 he was invited by the Ebenezer Strict Baptist
Strict Baptist
Strict Baptists, also known as Particular Baptists, are Baptists who believe in a Calvinist or Reformed interpretation of Christian soteriology. The Particular Baptists arose in England in the 17th century and took their namesake from the doctrine of particular redemption.-Further reading:*History...
Chapel in Barnstaple to be their pastor. In April 1832 he left the lucrative legal profession and stepped down the social ladder and moved to Barnstaple to become pastor.
Barnstaple
He accepted the post as pastor of a Strict BaptistStrict Baptist
Strict Baptists, also known as Particular Baptists, are Baptists who believe in a Calvinist or Reformed interpretation of Christian soteriology. The Particular Baptists arose in England in the 17th century and took their namesake from the doctrine of particular redemption.-Further reading:*History...
chapel only on the condition that he would only be bound by what was written in the Bible
and not by any denominational creeds or beliefs. Fellowship, for example, he believed was open to all true believers in Christ, and not restricted to those who had been
baptised by full immersion on a profession of faith. His views on fellowship were similar to those of Anthony Norris Groves
Anthony Norris Groves
Anthony 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...
.
Over time, the chapel changed from being Strict Baptist
Strict Baptist
Strict Baptists, also known as Particular Baptists, are Baptists who believe in a Calvinist or Reformed interpretation of Christian soteriology. The Particular Baptists arose in England in the 17th century and took their namesake from the doctrine of particular redemption.-Further reading:*History...
to a non denominational one ran on similar grounds to the assembly led by George Muller
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...
in Bristol, with a building at Grosvenor Street eventually being known as Grosvenor Street Chapel. In 1994 this church moved from Grosvenor Street to another part of Barnstaple occupying a converted railway shed and is now known as Grosvenor Church - http://www.grosvenorchurch.org
Other examples of the assembly moving to a non denominational position are one man ministry being replaced by the priesthood of all believers
Priesthood of all believers
The universal priesthood or the priesthood of all believers, as it would come to be known in the present day, is a Christian doctrine believed to be derived from several passages of the New Testament...
and Chapman refusing any clerical salary. Chapman never enforced these changes onto the chapel and never forced his viewpoint but was prepared to wait for every believer meeting at the chapel to see the need for change.
Chapman rose to become an influential figure within the 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...
alongside 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...
and George Muller
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...
. His zeal and compassion for people led to him being referred to by many as the "apostle of love". For example, Chapman preferred to live very frugally in a deprived area of Barnstaple in order to reach the poor.
In 1848 he sided with George Muller
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...
in regards to a dispute over the independency of each assembly and believed that 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...
should have waited much longer before excommunicating Muller's assembly in Bristol for not supporting Darby in his dispute with Benjamin Wills Newton
Benjamin Wills Newton
Benjamin Wills Newton, was an evangelist and author of Christian books. He was influential in the Plymouth Brethren...
. This riled some supporters of Darby who were wanting to discredit Chapman. Darby, however reproved them, saying, "You leave that man alone; We talk of the heavenlies, but Robert Chapman lives in them."
In regards to the timing of the rapture
Rapture
The rapture is a reference to the "being caught up" referred to in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, when the "dead in Christ" and "we who are alive and remain" will be caught up in the clouds to meet "the Lord"....
of the Church, an issue which became prominent within the brethren movement, Chapman held a partial rapture view with part of the saved being raptured before the Great Tribulation and a part of them after the Great Tribulation.
Charles 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"...
called Chapman "the saintliest man I ever knew". Chapman became so well known that a letter from abroad addressed only to "R.C. Chapman, University of Love, England" was correctly delivered to him.
A Selection of “Choice Sayings” of Robert Cleaver Chapman
“God is love” (1 John 4:16). His children please Him only so far as they are like Him, and “walk in love” (Eph. 5:2).Humility is the secret of fellowship, and pride the secret of division.
If we would wisely reprove the flesh in our brethren, we must first, after the Lord’s example, remember and commend the grace in them.
Research Libraries
- Chapman , Robert Cleaver Bio | PlymouthBrethren.org at www.plymouthbrethren.org Chapman , Robert Cleaver Bio
- Whiddon Valley Evangelical Church at www.wvec.org.uk Who Was Robert Cleaver Chapman?
- Biography of Robert Cleaver Chapman, 1803-1902. (Spiritual Songsters) at www.stempublishing.com Robert Cleaver Chapman, 1803–1902
- Robert Cleaver Chapman: The Rich, Poor Man at www.pawcreek.org
- Brother Indeed - Robert Chapman « Articles & Links at www.plymouthbrethren.wordpress.com Brother Indeed - Robert Chapman