John Clifford, Abraham, Spurgeon, and Others: What Did God Command in Genesis 22?

ABSTRACT In 1885 John Clifford published a sermon contending Abraham misunderstood God in Genesis 22 concerning sacrificing Isaac. Clifford insisted God would not command something against his own law and only expected Abraham to renounce parental rights and consecrate Isaac to God, not sacrifice him as a burnt offering. The sermon resulted in a controversy with other ministers. Examination of rabbinic writings, etymology, the western philosophical tradition, and the views of other ministers shows little support for and considerable opposition to Clifford’s contention. His viewpoint in 1885 was expanded in 1892 when he published a book on biblical inspiration. The controversy was later echoed in similar divisive battles in the Southern Baptist Convention when a 1970 controversy echoed Clifford’s interpretation. His response to the Genesis 22 controversy and his later opinions on biblical inspiration marked Clifford as the outspoken leader of progressives in the Baptist Union.