JOHN WILLIAM McGARVEY AS PROFESSOR AND PRESIDENT.
In 1865 John William
McGarvey was elected Professor of Sacred History in what was then the College
of the Bible of Kentucky University. Upon the organization of the College of
the Bible as a separate institution in 1875 he took the same position in it
which he had held in the former institution, In 1895, upon the resignation of
President Robert Graham, Prof. McGarvey was chosen President of the. College of
the Bible, which position he held continuously until the day of his death,
October 6, 1911.
His accession to the presidency did not interrupt his work as a professor. He
continued to teach until up to within less than a year of his death. Owing to
the increasing infirmities of age, his work as a teacher and executive was
lightened very much by the younger members of the faculty within the last years
of his life. At the beginning of the session of 1910 he voluntarily
relinquished his two classes in secred history to Prof. H. L. Calhoun,
continuing to teach only one class, viz., the class in Old
Testament Prophecy; this class also he gave up at the end of the first semester
of 1910. The executive duties which had been discharged by him until the
beginning of the session of 1910 were gradually transferred almost wholly to
the dean of the faculty of the College of the Bible so that for the last year
of his life he retained only a very general oversight of the work of the
college. He realized fully that his work in the college must be entrusted to
other hands at some time and with that rare good sense and practical wisdom
which were so characteristic of the man, he made the transfer while he was yet
living so that when the day of his death came his departure caused not the
slightest change in the general work of the college. He had so perfectly set his house in order that
his passing from the work in the college was accomplished without a jar to the
working of the machinery of the school. The general condition of the College of
the Bible was never better than it is this year, and its prospects for the
future are full of promise. While the members of the faculty will sadly miss
the wise counsel and fatherly advice of our departed president, they are glad
to believe that, in harmony with the most earnest wishes and prayers of our
chief, the school will continue to grow in efficiency and usefulness with even
greater rapidity than it has done in the past.
As a teacher Prof. McGarvey was characterized by the profundity and clearness of
his thinking. He had the happy faculty possessed by all truly great men of
stating great truths in simple and lucid language. He impressed his pupils
always with the thought that he sought only the truth and that he and they must
follow that at all hazards. He was never boisterous—nor domineering—neither
was he hesitant, nor compromising. Calm and self-possessed at all times, he
pursued without fear or favor the line of his investigation, rejoicing always
at every acquisition of new truth. It is doubtful if any man ever lived who had
a better knowledge of the English Bible than he. As an executive he was always
prompt, orderly and efficient. No important matter was ever neglected. He
always found time for every detail, and yet he never seemed to be hurried nor
worried over the multiplicity of his duties. He leaves behind him a blessed
memory and an example which will inspire us all to heroic endeavor.
Henry J. LUNGER.
Men and women who have been members of Chestnut Street Christian Church are in
all countries and serving the Master in many high places. This is in a measure
true of all churches with an equal age and membership, but true of it to a
remarkable degree. Some others of those in its membership, who walked with God
and whose influence for good was far felt, have gone to their great reward, and
their memory is that church's greatest treasure. Greatest among them, most honored, most beloved, and
most lamented, is our Brother McGarvey,
whose precious fellowship we miss because God took him to the fellowship of the
just made perfect.
Brother McGarvey constantly emphasized the importance of the work of the
preacher and the teacher, the elders and the deacons, but even more the
importance of being a church member. For him there was no churchless
Christianity. He urged all to attend church and become a member of the church;
but merely “belonging to the church” was not enough; there must be something
more, and what that something is he illustrated with his life. In speaking to
the new students who came to the College of the Bible this year, he urged them
to become members of churches in Lexington at once, and said that in choosing
the church which they would make their home they should choose the one where
they could get the most good and where they could give the most aid and
consider the latter as of the more importance. This is the rule which he
followed and the joy and help he received from the worship, and the interests in the church of which he was a member and the success of his efforts in its
behalf show the wisdom of the plan.
To his brethren in the church he was cordial and loving; inquiring about their
welfare, giving encouragement and advice, lending aid, and in every way
strengthening the bonds of friendship and fraternity.
When there was work to do he was glad to bear more than his share of the
burden. He gave liberally of his means to the support of the church, and that
without being urged to do so; on the contrary, he would keep asking about the
financial conditions of the church and offering to do more if there was need,
No call for preaching or other good work came unheeded by him.
As to his church attendance, his regularity and punctuality were remarkable.
There had to be serious hindrances indeed to keep him from the meetings. And on
entering the church he went immediately to his place and for him the worship
began then. Usually he would take his hymn book and read a hymn and would
continue in reading and meditation until after the regular services began. Then
he would enter heartily into the exercises of the hour. He sang little, but
enjoyed the songs, especially if they were hymns of real merit.
An eloquent listener is a great aid to the preacher, and in this Brother
McGarvey excelled. His hearing was so poor that in large assemblies, or
anywhere that he did not have his. device with him, he could not hear the
speaker at all. “Then,” said he to me once, “all I get is the gestures, and
they are usually more amusing than edifying.” But in his home church he could
follow at least the main subjects of the sermon, while his face showed his
interest and his thoughtfulness. After I began preaching at Chestnut Street, I
soon learned how much his presence helped me, and when he was absent I missed
his keen appreciation, his kindly criticism, his warm handshake, and his genial
smile. His attitude throughout the service was very devotional—God was very
near, very dear, very real.
To him the Lord’s Supper was very important and he was earnest in trying to
retain its primitive simplicity and orderliness. It was in this connection that
one of his fine characteristics showed
itself most distinctly. I remember asking him once whether he were an officer
of the Chestnut Street Church, and he answered, with that twinkle in his eye
that showed that he appreciated the humor of the answer, “No, not an officer,
just a high private.” And so, when it
came to the Lord’s Supper, though he generally conducted the ordinance, he
never went to the table until by word or gesture he was invited to do so by one
of the officers.
His talks at the beginning of the Lord’s Supper were edifying, spiritual, and
withal practical; they were filled with teaching, exhortation, and
encouragement, and were of such a devotional character as to prepare the heart
for the ordinance itself.
But, though he was so loved and admired by all, though he did so much for and
in the church, and though he was so highly honored by the brotherhood and the
world, these things did not spoil him.
So in the church he was only a member among members, but such a member!
So loving, so humble, so devout, so faithful, so sincere.
In his going the officers of the church have lost a wise counsellor and helper;
the members have lost a beloved brother and leader; and the church has lost
from its membership one of the few of his generation who had so good a right to
be called great, and the beauty of whose life, the greatness of whose soul, and
the sweetness of whose fellowship endeared him to all. But there remains a
memory which will always be for it a priceless possession.
B. C. DEWEESE.
For about sixty years he wrote for the press as editor of “The Apostolic
Times,” weekly Sunday school lessons, geographical notes for S. S, Annuals, and
for eighteen years he conducted the department of Biblical Criticism in the
Christian Standard. Everything written in these publications was carefully
prepared and always with the aim to set forth Scripture teaching on the subjects considered.
As an author of books he wrote to meet popular needs and specialized also in
the field of Biblical Criticism. His popular works were Lands of the Bible,
Commentaries on Matthew and Mark and Acts. The second named was the first of a
series in the New Testament planned by the Disciples of Christ, but never
completed. His book on Acts was published in 1864, when he was but thirty-four.
The demand for it was immediate, and it was of value to young preachers and
intelligent church workers. Reading it also won many souls to Christ. After
twenty-nine years it was re-written. In both forms it was re-printed
frequently. Forty-eight years is a long life of usefulness in our time for a
commentary. James Hastings, the great encyclopedia maker, in a review of the
re-written edition said he would keep it on his study-table for constant
reference.
“Lands of the Bible" was the most popular of his books. More than eighteen
thousand copies have been sold and it is still in demand. It has been widely
used as a text-book for ministerial students. President John A. Broadus, a most competent judge of books in
the field, wrote to me: “Your Professor McGarvey has written the best single
volume in print on Palestine.”
President McGarvey’s latest, most carefully considered, and strongest work has
been done on the subject of Biblical criticism. His volume of essays and notes
reprinted from what he wrote for the Christian Standard give good illustration
of his popular method in dealing with the subject. His “Jesus and Jonah” he
wrote to refute the view, common to advanced critics, that Jesus was not at all
an authority on the authorship and reliability of the Old Testament. This
opinion aroused his.indignation.and his spirit rose to oppose and expose its
error. “The Authorship of Deuteronomy” received more of his thoughtful study by
far than did any other work by his hand. For forty years he had studied the
question in the writings of the advanced higher critics. He knew their. views
better than most of the leading writers of that school did. He studied the
Bible to see if these claims were true. Satisfying himself that they were
false, he chose to refute them by testing them as applied by these critics to
the authorship of Deuteronomy. This effort he considered his best work and gave
it his best mental effort. Space limits prevent fuller notice and exclude the
mention of other titles.
Every book written by him was written to explain or defend the Bible. He always
sought the ablest writers against it for his attack. His knowledge of the
facts, their logical arrangement, and his exceptional clearness in presenting them in the people’s vocabulary made him an able controversialist. A long life,
fidelity to his convictions, hard study, service of the church, and a reverence
and love for God’s' Word made him a great power and a choice spirit.
The faculty of the College of the Bible feel the death of their venerable and
beloved President, John W. McGarvey, as a most painful personal bereavement,
and account it as an immeasurable and irreparable loss to our College.
In all his official and personal relations with us he was ever so considerate, sympathetic, and generous as to win not only our confidence and
esteem, but also our warm and abiding affection. We shall sorely miss his
genial presence, wise counsel, and inspiring leadership.
For nearly half a century he gave himself in unstinted devotion to the founding
and fostering of the College of the Bible, and to his heroic sacrifice and
efficient service is due a large measure of its present greatness and prosperity. The ideal which he ever cherished for this beloved institution,
and to the realization of which he consecrated all his power, was that it might
become the best and greatest institution in the world for preparation of the
ministry of the Word of God.
With the bereaved family and with all the relatives and friends we deeply
sympathize in the loss sustained by the departure of this great and good man.
Perhaps President McGarvey was most widely known as a defender of the
faith, because in most of his published writings he appeared always and only as
one contending earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints.
For this work he was well prepared, and he devoted himself to its
accomplishment with dauntless courage and with conspicuous ‘success. For his
zeal and victories in this holy warfare he is widely known and highly honored
by multitudes of believers who with him love the precious Word of God.
But great as he was as the champion of the truth, he was greaterd still as its
embodiment and the living exemplification of its blessedness and beauty in his
own character and conduct. He realized that not warfare but work is the
ultimate condition of all true progress and prosperity, and that having won the
right and room to live the real worth of the victory is measured by the life
achieved in peace. And so he grew to his superior greatness by daily
nourishing his soul with the word of life, by fellowship with Jesus Christ,
and by communion with God and with the Holy Spirit. Those who knew him
intimately recognized and rejoiced in this spiritual greatness most of all. His
family, his college faculty, and his personal friends found in him in abundance
“the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, long suffering. kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, meekness, self-control.”
Not as a polemic or controversialist, but as an eminent and inspiring ex-
ample of Christian manhood in its strength and beauty will his most intimate
friends revere his memory and mourn his loss
PRESIDENT J. W. McGARVEY AS A STUDENT.
William Francis Smith
A cold has kept ex-President C. L. Loos from furnishing us an article on
this topic. He hopes to do so later. President McGarvey has himself published statements on his methods of study, hoping in this way to aid the mistaken and
the untaught. He considered that the results from such articles were meagre.
Hence, for years he has believed that the personal oversight of trained leaders
is essential to the development of local teachers and students.
His primary aim as a Biblical student was the discovery of the writer's
thought, his whole thought, and his thought as he himself had modified it. He
was too earnest to be content with culling. With rare powers of self-repression
he submerged his own thoughts and desires in his search for the meaning of
scripture. These simple principles, though often stated and praised, have not
prevailed extensively in the Sunday school or the pulpit. This he realized and
deplored. A prominent attorney, who studied. the Old Testament for one year
under Prof. McGarvey, says that the method of handling the matter has been
worth more to him than any other undergraduate work.
Prof. McGarvey was largely self-taught. His success commends his methods. His
firmness in maintaining his views was due to the fact that they were as he
believed, visibly set forth in the Bible.
The death of President McGarvey. whose presence in the College of the Bible since its founding has been a source of so much influence and power in shaping the policy and conduct of the school, naturally raises the question in the minds of many of its friends—What about the future of the College? This question on their part is the outgrowth of genuine interest in the welfare and prosperity of the College. To the present faculty and student body and to the friends of the school who reside in Lexington the question does not appeal with so much force as to the friends of the school who are further away and per consequence who are less well acquainted with the condition of affairs in the school. But to one and all it may be said with absolute assurance that the future of the College of the Bible is bright with splendid prospects. It is now in a very prosperous year—with a full faculty, a large student body, and every department moving with the regularity of clock work. Thanks in large part to the wise forethought of President McGarvey, all arrangements had been made for the inevitable event of his passing from our midst and so perfectly had these plans heen set in operation that his death did not occasion the slightest change in any of the work of the school. The executive and educative details had all been planned so as to ge on without his active participation for more than a year previous to his death. Although we miss him more than words can tell, and though the man is gone, his work moves on with splendid success. It is the ardent hope of those who are left that the aim which our departed and highly honored President so often set before us shall be realized. viz., that the College of the Bible shall become the greatest institution for Biblical training in the world. Believing that the school already justly occupies this position, in the estimation of the people, it is the fixed purpose of its faculty and friends that it shall at no very distant day be so recognized throughout the world. To the accomplishment of this worthy aim we pledge our lives and our labor.
