George Benson (theologian) facts for kids

George Benson (born September 1, 1699, died April 6, 1762) was an English pastor and religious scholar. He was known for his writings about the letters (epistles) found in the Christian Bible.

Benson often talked with important people. These included Lord Chancellor Peter King and Edmund Law, a bishop. Some people thought Benson's religious ideas were "Socinian." This term was sometimes confused with "Arian" during his time. These terms refer to different ways of understanding the nature of God and Jesus.

George Benson's Early Life and Education

George Benson was born in a place called Great Salkeld, Cumberland. This was on September 1, 1699. His grandfather, also named George Benson, was a soldier. He fought with the Roundheads during the English Civil War.

Young George Benson received a classical education. This means he studied subjects like Latin and Greek. He spent one year at an academy in Whitehaven. This school was run by Thomas Dixon. After that, Benson went to the University of Glasgow.

Becoming a Pastor

Around 1721, Benson moved to London. He wanted to become a preacher. Several Presbyterian ministers approved of his skills. He started preaching, first in Chertsey. Then he preached in London.

A well-known historian, Edmund Calamy, let Benson live with his family. With Calamy's help, Benson moved to Abingdon. There, he became the pastor for a group of Protestant dissenters. These were Protestants who did not follow the official Church of England.

On March 27, 1723, Benson became an ordained minister. Calamy and five other ministers led the ceremony. Benson stayed in Abingdon for seven years. When he first became a pastor, Benson held strong Calvinist beliefs. He preached these ideas with great passion.

Changes in Beliefs and Ministry

In 1726, Benson married Elizabeth Hills. In 1729, he left Abingdon. He moved back to London. His church members in Abingdon were not happy. Benson's religious views were changing. He was starting to lean towards Arminian ideas. These were different from his earlier Calvinist beliefs.

Benson even thought about leaving the ministry. He considered becoming a doctor instead. But then he received an offer. He was asked to be a pastor in Southwark, London. Benson stayed there for 11 years.

In 1740, his first wife, Elizabeth, passed away. In 1742, he married Mary Kettle. She was from Birmingham. George Benson never had any children.

Around 1742, Benson became a joint pastor. He worked with Samuel Bourn. They led a Presbyterian church in Birmingham. In 1744, the University of Aberdeen gave Benson a special honor. They awarded him a Doctorate of Divinity. The University of Glasgow had planned to do the same. But one professor stopped it. He called Benson "an open Socinian."

In 1749, Benson took over a church in Central London. This was his last church. He had also worked as an assistant to Dr. Nathaniel Lardner for some years. After a short time in retirement, George Benson died. He passed away on April 6, 1762, at 63 years old.

George Benson's Published Works

While he was in Abingdon, Benson published three books. They were called Practical Discourses. These books were written for young people. Later in his life, his views changed. He then tried to stop these books from being printed.

Paraphrases of Christian Epistles

Benson wrote many "paraphrases" of the Christian epistles. A paraphrase is like rewriting something in simpler words. He added notes to help people understand them better.

• 1731: A Paraphrase and Notes on St. Paul's Epistle to Philemon. This book included an appendix. It showed that St. Paul was not a fake. This meant the Christian religion must be true.
• 1731: Paraphrase and Notes on Paul's First Epistle to the Thessalonians.
• 1732: Paraphrase on the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians. This book had two extra essays. One was about the Kingdom of God. The other was about the Man of Sin.
• 1733: First Epistle to Timothy. This book included an essay on inspiration.
• 1733: Paraphrase and Notes upon Titus. This book came with an essay. It was about ending the old ceremonial laws.
• 1734: Second Epistle to Timothy. This book had two essays. One was about how the early church was set up. The other was about how Christians worshipped.

Benson finished his plan for these epistles by St. Paul. Then he started explaining the Seven Catholic Epistles. He published these separately between 1738 and 1749. Each had long essays on specific topics. Benson put all the Pauline Epistles into one book in 1752. He collected the Seven Catholic Epistles in 1756.

Other Important Writings

During the 19 years he worked on his "Paraphrases," Benson also wrote other books.

• 1738: History of the First Planting of the Christian Religion. This book was in three volumes. It covered the early history of Christianity. It also included important Jewish and Roman history. A second edition came out in 1756. Later writers used his work as a source. His "Paraphrases" were popular in Germany and Holland.
• 1743: The Reasonableness of the Christian Religion as delivered in the Scriptures. This book defended Christianity. A second edition was published in 1746. A third, much larger edition came out in 1759.
• 1744: A Summary View of the Evidences of Christ's Resurrection. This book argued for the resurrection of Jesus.
• 1747: Benson published a book of sermons.
• 1748: Occasional Tracts. This was a collection of essays. They were about religious history and criticism. A second edition was published in 1753. One essay criticized John Calvin's actions toward Servetus. This caused some controversy.
• 1764: History of the Life of Christ. This book was published after Benson died. Another minister, Hugh Farmer, disagreed with Benson's ideas. Benson believed the Temptations of Christ were caused by a real devil.