The Quakers

The movement begun by George Fox (1624–1691) called itself the Society of Friends, but they are better known as Quakers.

They took their name from John 15:15, where Jesus told His disciples, “No longer do I call you servants . . . but I have called you friends.”

The Friends believed that Christian worship was overly ritualized and dry, and that the true Christian life consisted of living according to the Bible and also by the “Inner Light,” the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The idea of the Spirit as daily guide is a sound one (John 14:15–26; 16:5–15; Luke 12:12; Matt. 10:20), but the Friends suffered incredible persecution, as have most Christians who pursued a simple lifestyle and attempted to take Jesus’ teaching literally.

Like the Mennonites, the Quakers advocate nonviolence and are often associated with pacifism (723).

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

The Gift of Himself

David Jeremiah

Long ago, there ruled a wise and good king in Persia who loved his people and often dressed in the clothes of a working man or a beggar so he could visit the poor and learn about their hardships.

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Healing Time

J. Stephen Lang

1868: On this date a political leader who grew up poor, had no formal education and was illiterate until his wife taught him to read and write, issued Proclamation 179 “granting full pardon and amnesty for the offense of treason against the United States during the late Civil War.”

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

A Personal Promise

Charles Stanley

Jesus came to earth with the view of offering you salvation. He wanted you to have a restored relationship with the Father, a relationship that was so close, so intimate, that you would have your special place in the Father’s house (John 14:1–4).

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

The Unexpected Savior

John MacArthur

Scripture records that when John the Baptist began his ministry, “The people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not” (Luke 3:15).

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Reflections on the Incarnation and Freedom of God

Philip Yancey

Think of the condescension involved: the incarnation, which sliced history into two parts had more animal than human witnesses. Think, too, of the risk. In the incarnation, God spanned the vast chasm of fear that had distanced him from his human creation.