"The light of the knowledge of the glory of God in Christ Jesus" is called a TREASURE because it is RICH TRUTH which sets men free; it has RICH BLESSINGS such as wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption; it contains RICH AND PRECIOUS PROMISES; it brings to us the RICHES OF HIS GRACE IN CHRIST.
This treasure is, "in earthen vessels," meaning the ministers to whom God entrusts this gospel and through whom He sends the gospel to His sheep. These ministers are God's men; but they are still men,weak and frail, subject to like passions and infirmities, "that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us." Whatever is accomplished in the proclamation of the gospel by these men is the result of God's purpose and work, certainly not of us. Paul wrote in I Cor. 15:10, "I have labored more abundantly than they all; YET NOT I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore, whether it were I or they, so we preach and so ye believe." Let not one grain of faith be in the wisdom of any man, but in the wisdom and power of God—WHICH IS CHRIST!
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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