BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

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BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
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Born in Bellmont County, Ohio.

• He was the eldest son in a big family. His
  father was a farmer, a miller, and a carpenter.
• Benjamin had to help his father, and so had
  little opportunity for schooling.

3
1832 His father moved into the State of Indiana,
and Benjamin acquired 80 acres of land for
himself,

• 1833 Married on December 15. She proved to be a
  faithful wife. Eleven children which were born
  to them.
• Two sons of sons were named Alexander Campbell
  Franklin and Walter Scott Franklin

4
Benjamin Franklin's father and mother influenced
by Samuel Rogers who moved to their community.

• They, as well as Benjamin decided to obey the
  gospel.

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1834. A week after his baptism his wife followed
him.

• Soon a, church of between thirty and forty
  members was gathered, from which came no less
  than five preachers.
• About two months after his conversion he wrote an
  article for a paper called "The Heretic
  Detector.".

6
Benjamin took his first preaching appointment.

• He believed the gospel with all his heart, and
  felt impelled to preach it.
• His education being so scanty. he made many
  mistakes, he was often taken to task by some of
  the older brethren.
• This caused him to determine to acquire an
  education

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• In his life he baptized 8,000 people
• He spent most of his life in meeting work.

8
1841 First public debate of many took place.

• Conducted 25-30 of which five were published.
• 1845 Became editor of "The Reformer."

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1849 Supporter of Missionary Society.

• 1850 Became Co-editor of Christian Age.
• Other editor was D. S. Burnet.

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Benjamin Franklin was a prolific writer.
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1856 First issue of American Christian Review
appears.

• 1866 Began opposition to the society.
• 1869 Initially supported the Louisville Plan
  but 2 years later began to opposed it.

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Opposed to instrumental music in worship.

• David Lipscomb thought that Franklin did such a
  good job in his paper that the Advocate needed to
  say little about it.

13
Franklin said the society was permissible

• 1. Where a church has lost the spirit of Christ
• 2. If a church has a preacher who has lost or
  has never had the spirit of Christ
• 3. If a church only intends being a fashionable
  society. . . abandoning the idea of religion and
  worship
• 4. If a church has in a large number of
  dishonest and corrupt men
• 5. If a church have given up all idea of
  converting the world.

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As an Author

• Wrote pamphlet, "Sincerity Seeking the Way to
  Heaven." This was based on the experiences of a
  young man in Cincinnati. It has had the largest
  circulation of any pamphlet
• Produced two volumes of sermons, The Gospel
  Preacher First reprinted 60 times and the second
  30.

15
1878 Passed away suddenly, Oct. 22, 1878.

• His last words were "Mother, I am sorry to have
  to leave you,"

16
He is worthy of imitation in his firm adherence
to the word of God and its teaching,

• in his confidence in the power of the gospel,
  and in the boldness with which he preached the
  truths of the New Testament.

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OPPOSITION TO THE SOCIETY
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Objections came on three grounds

• (1) Scripture did not authorize conventions.
• (2) The organizations were dangerous and could
  infringe on the rights of local congregations.
• (3) Inefficient organization would always need
  support.
• (4) Money as requirement for membership.

19
The advocates of conventions never produced one
passage of scripture, to countenance these
assemblies from the New Testament.
20
Benjamin Franklin wrote

• We want more faith and less machinery, more work
  and less talk, more faith and less planning.
• The Lord has given us the plan... but instead of
  going to work with the tools he has furnished, we
  spend all the day in making new ones which in our
  wisdom we think will work better.

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DAVID LIPSCOMB
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• 1825, Granville Lipscomb, on a visit to
  Hopkinsville, KY was given a copy of the
  Christian Baptist.
• He and brothers converted to Restoration Movement
  
• Family expelled from Beans Creek Baptist Church

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• 1830 United with a Stone group at Owl Hollow
• 1831 David born in Franklin County, Tennessee.
• 1834 Old Salem church founded.

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1846 David and his brother William entered
Franklin College. David baptized.

• 1849 Graduated from Franklin College.
• Spent next few years in various jobs, teaching
  school and farming.
• 1856 Decided to preach, working with churches in
  Middle Tennessee.

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1857 He and William bought a farm in Nashville
area from Tolbert Fanning for 16,000

• 335,000 in todays money
• Included all farm implements, as well as five
  slaves.

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1861 Outbreak of War. Lipscomb joined others in
successfully petitioning both Union and
Confederate governments for exemptions of
Christians from draft.

• 1862 Nashville fell to Union forces.

31
Married Margaret Zellner.
32

• Gave up farming and moved back to Franklin
  county. Taught school in Lincoln County.
• 1864 Lipscombs only child died.

33
1865 Tolbert Fanning and David Lipscomb revived
the Gospel Advocate which had ceased publication
during war. Within three years Lipscomb was sole
editor.
34
Wrote long series of articles on Christians
relationship to civil government.

• Continued editor of Advocate for 45 years.
• 1866-67 Raised over 100,000 for destitute
  Southern Christians
• About 1.26 million in 2005 dollars.

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1867 Written debate with Thomas Munnell on
missionary societies.

• Munnell Corresponding Secretary of Kentucky State
  Missionary Society.
• Later, helped in forming Foreign Christian
  Missionary Society.

37
1873 Cholera epidemic in Nashville

• "Every individual, white or black, that dies from
  the neglect and want of proper food and nursing
  is a reproach to the professors of the Christian
  religion in the vicinity of Nashville."
• W.K. Bowling of the medical school in Nashville,
  praised Lipscomb and the group of young
  Christians for their work among the poor during
  the cholera scourge

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1882 Ladies at Woodland Street church asked to
form an auxiliary of Christian Womens Board of
Missions.

• E. G. Sewell successfully opposed this idea.
• 1883 Sewell dismissed as preacher.
• Auxiliary formed in 1887

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Lipscomb gave his home to the Bible School for a
dormitory.

• 1884 Fanning Orphan School established.
• Served on board of directors as long as he lived.

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Fanning Orphan School for Girls
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1887 South Nashville church established. Lipscomb
served as an elder for many years

• 1889 Lipscombs articles on civil government in
  Advocate put in book form.

43
Woodland Street Church hired A. I. Myhr as
evangelist.

• Lipscomb opposed. Said money for support raised
  wrong way, Myhr would only work with a society.
• Myhr stated he was coming to Nashville to
  establish a state society.
• Less than 100 members out of 2500 in Nashville
  favored the society.

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1890 State convention in Chattanooga.

• Only five congregations attended.
• Lipscomb attended and spoke.
• Showed Nashville churches already supporting
  three missionaries.

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1892 National convention of Missionary Society in
Nashville.

• Lipscomb and others presented a paper on their
  opposition.
• McGarvey, as chairman, sent it to a committee for
  study.
• The Bible as popular as last years almanac.

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1891 Nashville Bible School established.

• Teachers David and William Lipscomb and James A.
  Harding.

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James A. Harding
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• I have found more satisfaction in teaching the
  Bible to young men and women at school than in
  any work of my life.
• 1897 Lipscomb wrote commentary on Acts

49
Gospel Advocate Commentary Series. All but
Matthew, Acts, James, John and Peter, Hebrews and
Revelation written from notes of David Lipscomb
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1903 Lipscomb donated his farm to Nashville Bible
School.
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1906 U. S. Census Bureau recognizes difference in
Christian Church and Church of Christ

• Gospel Advocate and J. W. Shepherd collected
  statistics.
• 1912 Lipscomb sold interest in Advocate to E. A.
  Elam, M. C. Kurfees and A. B. Lipscomb.
• 1917 Died November 11 at age eighty-six.

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1918 Name of Nashville Bible School changed to
David Lipscomb College
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I dont think I have known a man more faithful
to the Christian life, to the teachings of the
Bible, to the precious words of eternal life.
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While David Lipscomb has not cooperated with us
in our organized missionary work, he had, for
many years, been one of our great men. . .
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The Gospel Advocate with which we have not been
in of perfect accord, has been a balance wheel of
the Restoration Movement Christian Standard
Isaac Errett
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Reflections

• He had an implicit trust in the Bible as the Word
  of God
• He was unwavering to his convictions.
• He was plain spoken
• He was deeply concerned for the sick and
  suffering
• He was patient with those who disagreed with him.
  
• Few enjoyed the respect in which he was held.

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• Over 50-75 congregations in Middle Tennessee
  trace their origin to influence of David
  Lipscomb.
• 1976 For the Bi-centennial celebration, a list of
  the one hundred most influential people in
  Tennessee history was compiled
• . David Lipscomb was 17th.