Andrew Miller

MILLER, ANDREW - Born January 27, 1810 in Kilmaurs, Ayrshire (in Scotland), and died on May 8, 1883. Near the end of his earthly life, he proclaimed simply: "Nothing counts but Christ."

Miller was a businessman and started early in life at Smith, Anderson, & Co., Glasgow, then later took over the company, moved it to London, and renamed it to Miller, Son, & Torrance. During this time he also pastored at a Baptist Church in London.

Miller later fellowshipped with believers commonly known as Brethren and then preached for revival in Northern Ireland. Miller despaired at what he regarded as apathy towards the Gospel even among believers, and his evangelism was impassioned and urgent.

He encouraged and supported the doctrinal writings of his peers, even financing publications himself when needed.

Miller is best known for his known writings on the history of the Christian Church, which have been published many times and under different titles, but usually Short Papers on Church History or Miller's Church History. (Available in SwordSearcher as the AMHistory book module.)

His focus on Christ and the supreme authority of Scripture is evident in his writings on Church history. Whereas many scholars were content to survey the history of Christianity through the scholarly lens of academics, Miller instead examined every event and person in the context of God's dealings with men, and with Christ as the only Head of his Church.

Miller wrote in the preface to Short Papers on Church History:

"I have aimed at more than mere history. It has been my desire to connect with it Christ and His Word, so that the reader may receive the truth and blessing, through grace, to his soul. And it will be observed that I commence with the Lord's revealed purpose concerning His Church in Matthew 16. Other parts of the New Testament have been carefully examined as to the first planting of the Church, but its actual history I have endeavored to trace in the light of the addresses to the seven Churches in Asia. This, of course, must be in a very general way, as I have been desirous to give the reader as broad a view of ecclesiastical history as possible, consistently with my plan and brevity."