D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
In the 20th Century, few preachers reached the expositional acumen of “The Doctor.”
This Welshman left an esteemed position in medicine to go on to become one of the greatest
expositors of the last Century. As Steven Lawson describes, “This soul arresting expositor, who
ministered at Westminster Chapel, London, reintroduced a new generation to the Puritans, the
Great Wakening, and Reformed theology.” John MacArthur related, “Martyn Lloyd-Jones was
without question the finest Biblical expositor of the 20th Century. In fact, when the final chapter of church history is written, I believe the Doctor will stand as one of the greatest preachers of all time.”
Lloyd-Jones was born in Cardiff, Wales, on December 20, 1899. Coming from humble
means, his parents ran a general store and then later a dairy business. He was influenced by
attending the Calvinistic Methodist Church established a century earlier by Daniel Rowland who was one of the leaders of the Welsh Revival. Lloyd-Jones was recognized early in life for his
academic brilliance and was drawn to reading history, especially the Puritans which would serve him greatly in ministry. His later studies would be directed toward medicine at St.
Bartholomew’s Hospital, one of the renowned teaching hospitals in England. He was admitted
to the Royal College of Surgeons in 1921. In 1923, he was awarded the Doctor of Medicine
degree from London University at the unusually young age of 23. His future as a physician
appeared to be a bright one. In fact, he was considered one of the finest young surgeons in
England.
However, Lloyd-Jones was less than passionate regarding his profession. Despite his
brilliance, he described his life as fleeting and empty. It was not until his conversion that his
future direction would become apparent. He was born again by the Spirit of God at age 25 and
soon thereafter left the practice of medicine. Understandably, this caused no small stir in the
medical community as colleagues, family, and friends were incredulous. What would cause an
individual to give up a way so clearly paved? But Lloyd-Jones was compelled to preach. After a
series of more minor stops, he served under the renowned G. Campbell Morgan at Westminster
Chapel, London. He would serve there for the next three decades.
Lloyd-Jones patterned his ministry after Edwards and Whitefield. In order to be effective, he understood that there must be a synthesis between the great doctrines of Scripture while retaining the emotional content of the grace, love, and mercy contained therein. He knew
that his preaching was to have an impact. This impact would not come from him but by what he referred to as “unction.” This referred to the power of the Holy Spirit that would be the impetus for understanding and revival. He saw this concept of unction as the greatest essential in the act of preaching.
He remained consistently Calvinist in his theology, holding to the Doctrines of Grace.
Despite the modernism of his age, he stood stalwart regarding the authority of the Scriptures and was expert in their exposition. As Sproul observed, “Martyn Lloyd-Jones was to 20th century England what Charles Spurgeon was to 19th century England. The very mention of Lloyd-Jones’ name among evangelicals brings to mind a man deeply committed to verse-by-verse preaching of the Word of God with a pathos that is rare in the history of the Church.”
Arguably, the most significant contribution that the Doctor made to the Church was a
return to preaching as the centerpiece of the worship service. There was power in the prophetic
ministry. He would note that where one observes a decline in the Church, it is always due to a
decline in Biblical preaching. He strove to proclaim the cross of Christ and the redemption it
provides to sinful man. Like the Reformers before him, pomp and circumstance must be
replaced by the primacy of the Word coming from a forceful pulpit.
Although spending the majority of his ministry in the New Testament, Lloyd-Jones did
not hesitate to preach from the Old. In one of his classics on Genesis 3:1, he described the
Garden's temptation and the issue of questioning God’s Word. He powerfully proclaimed, “We
have absolutely no reason to believe that God is not kind, but we still question his goodness
when we are told to obey him. This is what happened to Adam and Eve; they allowed themselves to question the intentions of the Lord.” Dr. Lloyd-Jones encourages his listeners to exercise absolute faith in what has always been true of God: that he is infinitely good, infinitely just, and infinitely holy! Give up foolish reason when you question the goodness of God. Instead of asking, “did God say?” proclaim, “I believe what God has said and I believe it!”
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