In the winter of 2001 a friend gave me a book on justification titled The Everlasting Righteousness by Horatius Bonar. Being relatively new to reformed theology, I was eager to read about the doctrine on which the church stands or falls. I started reading at the Foreword, and immediately found myself riveted by the stirring introduction. Here’s what I read,
It has been nearly 2,000 years since the apostle Paul wrote his letters explaining the gospel of justification by faith alone to the churches in Asia and Europe, and the light of the Gospel shone brilliantly in the spiritual, intellectual, and moral darkness of ancient Rome. But Antichrist, already at work in the first century, soon sat in the temple of God, expelling and persecuting the saints and suppressing the Gospel of Christ for a millennium. His dominion ended when God raised another witness to his truth in the sixteenth century.
It has been nearly 500 years since Martin Luther recovered the Gospel in Europe. Once again, in the sixteenth century, the light of justification by faith alone dispelled the spiritual, intellectual, and moral darkness of medieval Rome. The resulting civilization owed its salient features to the Gospel of Jesus Christ – to the first Christians and the Reformers – but for the past century the proclamation of that Gospel – and civilization – has been waning…
Clarity, brevity and power were the hallmarks of this writer, who in three brief pages did more to explode false gospels and proclaim the true one than many authors could do in thiry. “Who writes like this?” I asked myself. And at the end of the essay on page xi I found my answer: John W. Robbins.
I had never heard of John Robbins and knew nothing about his work. The book’s publisher, The Trinity Foundation, was completely unknown to me. But I was intrigued and wanted to find out more. Over the next year I was a regular visitor to the Foundation’s web site, and what began with one small book soon turned into a whole library of Trinity Foundation material. But the effect on me was far greater than the further stuffing of my alrealy overstuffed book shelves. It was nothing short of a spiritual and intellectual revolution.
After several years of corresponding by email, I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Robbins in January of 2007. By this time I had read and listened to so much of his work I felt that I already knew him. But what was he like in person? When we met he was wearing a flannel shirt, jeans and some old work boots. Not the sort of thing you’d expect from a brilliant scholar, but Dr. Robbins, or John as he insisted, was not an ordinary sort of man. The apostle Paul commented that knowledge puffs up, and I have witnessed many men with a fraction of John’s accomplishments bear witness to the truth of this statement. But John, like the Savior he loved so well, was not a pretentious man. He was easy to talk to and quick with a laugh. He showed me into his study where he had to move stacks of books and papers just so I could find a place to sit on the couch. And while I was concerned about imposing on his schedule, far from being too busy to talk, he graciously gave me three hours of his time. In fact, I probably could have stayed longer, but I still had a long drive home that night and had to get on the road.
In the providence of God, John entered into glory a year ago this week. He was for me and elder brother in the Lord, a mentor, and a friend. Selfishly I wish he were still here. But though the Lord took him this life, his bold proclamation of God’s truth, which is all truth, remains.
Lux Lucet 
I think Dr Robbins is the clearest writer on what the Bible teaches, that I have ever read. His ability to contrast the truth of Scripture with the errors of men, in order to make Scripture so clear, has been a tremendous help to me. And his work in getting Dr Clark’s books published is priceless.
Agreed.
Steve – Thanks for this. I have mentioned to you before that I have read John’s “Ecclesiastical Megalomania” several times since having been rescued out of the Roman Catholic Church-State back in the 1980’s. This book was fascinating for me for many reasons – one being that I attended St. Thomas Aquinas College back in the late 70’s and I have seen the political and economic thought put into action here in the heavily Catholic and leftist leaning Twin Cities over the years. We have been lulled to sleep by apathy, affluence and our refusal to keep the gospel front and center in our minds and hearts. Anyways – perhaps the greatest summary of the Reformation is in this book “Ecclesiastical Megalomania” on pages 14 – 18. I need to be reminded of this momentous period of time and to not forget what the Reformer’s uncovered and rescued for us. As we see Western Civilization crumbling we need to petition our great God to unleash the power of the Gospel on this nation once again.
Thank you for keeping John’s memory and legacy alive.
Also – I have thought lately of John’s early exit from this life. He was only 59 years and 8 months. This is nearly exactly the age I am currently at. What am I doing for the Gospel? Not nearly enough! I thank God for John and for you – keep up the good work!
Dan – That’s quite a journey you’ve had, from Thomas Aquinas College to Scriptualism is a long way to come.
I think I may have mentioned to you in one of my earlier responses that I consider Ecclesiastical Megalomania to be perhaps John Robbins’ greatest contribution to Christian scholarship. There’s no other book like it anywhere. In my opinion, it’s the best expose of the Roman Church-State ever written, and is a must read for any Christian who wants to consider himself educated about the political and economic thought of Rome.
But not only is it a great book about Rome, as you noted, John also does a masterful job setting forth the political, economic and theological thought of the Reformation in contrast with the darkness of Rome.
Were it not for John’s work, I could never have begun to understand the critical issue of immigration and how the Roman Church-State uses it as a weapon to advance its cause of global government. It’s amazing to see how John lays out Rome’s political and economic philosophy and then to see prelates of the Church-State quoted in articles saying exactly the same things.
John’s work has been an inspiration to me and I know it has to you as well. I pray that the Lord will grant you opportunities to witness to the truth of the Gospel of Justification by Belief Alone.