When Paul came to Corinth to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ (“the testimony of God,”); because it bears a testimony to his love, grace, and mercy in giving his beloved Son to be our Saviour and Redeemer, he did not preach this gospel in lofty words of eloquence, or human philosophy, or man’s wisdom and intellect. He was resolved to make nothing the subject of his ministry and message “save Jesus Christ and him crucified.” That which was the greatest offense to others was the most delightful thing to him because he knew that salvation comes only through and by the obedience and death of Jesus Christ.
As Paul determined, so he acted! His subject matter was not nature, arts, sciences, philosophy, nor dry morality, but salvation from sin through the crucified Christ. His style of preaching, his language, and his messages were delivered not in human logic, wisdom, and persuasion, but in the power and demonstration of the Holy Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit, through the preaching of the gospel of Christ, reveals the sin and inability of the human heart; when eyes are given to see the glory of God in Christ Jesus, the believing sinner’s confidence and assurance is not in the preacher, nor in the preacher’s personality, nor in a reasonable system of doctrine, but in Christ alone, who is the power and the wisdom of God.
About Henry Mahan
Henry T. Mahan was born in Birmingham, Alabama in August 1926. He joined the United States Navy in 1944 and served as a signalman on an L.S.T. in the Pacific during World War II. In 1946, he married his wife Doris, and the Lord blessed them with four children.
At the age of 21, he entered the pastoral ministry and gained broad experience as a pastor, teacher, conference speaker, and evangelist. In 1950, through the preaching of evangelist Rolfe Barnard, God was pleased to establish Henry in sovereign free grace teaching. At that time, he was serving as an assistant pastor at Pollard Baptist Church (off of Blackburn ave.) in Ashland, Kentucky.
In 1955, Thirteenth Street Baptist Church was formed in Ashland, Kentucky, and Henry was called to be its pastor. He faithfully served that congregation for more than 50 years, continuing in the same message throughout his ministry. His preaching was centered on the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified, in full accord with the Scriptures. He consistently proclaimed God’s sovereign purpose in salvation and the glory of Christ in redeeming sinners through His blood and righteousness.
Henry T. Mahan also traveled widely, preaching in conferences and churches across the United States and beyond. His ministry was marked by a clear and unwavering emphasis on Christ, not the preacher, but the One preached. Those who heard him recognized that his sermons honored the Savior and exalted the name of the Lord Jesus Christ above all.
Henry T. Mahan served as pastor and teacher of Thirteenth Street Baptist Church in Ashland, Kentucky for over half a century. His life and ministry were devoted to proclaiming the sovereign grace of God and directing sinners to the finished work of Christ. He entered into the presence of the Lord in 2019, leaving behind a lasting testimony to the gospel he faithfully preached.
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