Recommended Reading: The Sage of Jasper
"So why should I spend $25 and read 535 pages about an Alabama preacher who died 45 years ago?" you might ask. One answer is that you don't have to be from Alabama to enjoy or understand this book. It may help, but it is not necessary. The more important reply is that you will find edification and inspiration from reading about the life of Brother Gus Nichols. And the time you spend reading the book (it goes fairly swiftly) you will deem as well spent.
My own personal experiences with Gus Nichols were few (and obviously not included in the book). I heard him first speak at the Freed-Hardeman lectures in 1973 (and for the next two succeeding years as well), where he used some of his time exposing a few of the fallacies of Max King's The Spirit of Prophecy. King had published his book promoting this false doctrine of Realized Eschatology in 1971. Later in 1973 Nichols would debate King in Warren, Ohio, and I would attend the last two nights of that debate.
Brother Nichols had the first lecture of the morning Tuesday through Friday of the lectureship week at Freed-Hardeman. After welcoming everyone to the 7:30 session, Gus would sometimes look at the audience and say, "Some of you don't look like you've had breakfast yet." How right he was. Staying in Jackson, lectureship attendees had to rise early to shower, dress, and drive over 30 minutes to arrive on time to hear the well-known, popular, and revered speaker who opened a day of spiritual feasting for the college.
One final personal anecdote involves an occasion where Brother Nichols was speaking on an evening lectureship in the Columbus, Ohio, area. Having arrived early with the family I was staying with, I was seated about the third row from the front on the right-hand side. I heard a bit of commotion and turned around. It died down, and as he approached the front of the building, he turned into the row behind me, stuck out his hand, and said, "Hello, I'm Gus Nichols." I stood up, introduced myself, and then sat back down. I may have looked normal outwardly, but inside I felt like Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, when he stuttered uncontrollably. I remember thinking, "Gus Nichols just introduced himself to me. Wow!"
Later, the commotion in the back was explained. He had left his Bible in the motel room and insisted on having it when he preached. Someone was dispatched to retrieve it; only when he returned did the meeting start. Gus laid the Bible on the pulpit—and never once opened it. Later, the speculation was that he had needed to have his Bible handy so that he would have something to pound his fist on.
When he was not speaking, but listening to others, he sat in rapt attention—just as though he were hearing the gospel for the first time. A friend pointed this fact out at the Freed-Hardeman lectures. "Look at him. He's sitting there drinking it all in—even though he's probably forgotten more than some of the other speakers know." In The Sage of Jasper, which we now begin to review, the author, Scott Harp, mentions this same fact and provides a reply by Brother Nichols explaining why he always paid close attention to other speakers.
The account of Gus Nichols' life is told chronologically, and it contains 155 photographs with a wide range of persons. The reader will find interesting and significant details about a number of things, such as Brother Nichols' full name and why he didn't use it, what the religious background of his parents was, and what a remarkable memory he had—not only with respect to the Scriptures, but other areas as well. He memorized, for example, an entire textbook on the practical rudiments of music (9) and often led singing for other preachers during gospel meetings.
One interesting feature is that the author usually includes the full name of the preacher (and lifespan) he is discussing. For those who have constantly heard of individuals such as T. B. Larimore, it is interesting to know that the T.B. stands for Theophilus Brown (16). Of course, some already know what the N.B. in N.B. Hardeman stand for or the A.G. in A.G. Freed. But several are referenced that are not generally known.
Since Brother Nichols was born January 12, 1892 (exactly 128 years ago from the date of this publication), the descriptions of life then are far different from the way we live today (3). One could not just hop in the car and drive to the nearest town in twenty minutes—since the automobile was not in use yet. Air conditioning was not yet in vogue, either. And most families were much larger than those of today. Gus was one of twelve children born to his parents; he and his wife had eight of their own. She still managed to live to age 97½ (499, 515).
Each chapter has a set of endnotes that often includes additional interesting information. One from chapter three (in note number 8) reflects the earnestness and respect for the Bible that people had in those days. Scott Harp's paternal great-grandmother attended a gospel meeting conducted by C. A. Wheeler.
She said that she asked him personally what she should do. He told her to go home and read Matthew, Mark, Luke, John to learn about Jesus, and Acts to see how people became followers of Him. Then she was to come back and tell him what she should do. She said she read all night long by the light of a coal-oil lamp. The next night she responded to the invitation saying she needed to be baptized in order to be forgiven of her sins. …life-long faithfulness to Christ have come about because of her decision… (19).
How many people today desire salvation so much that they would study so diligently in so short a time and with such poor lighting? Have not our priorities, as a society, changed in just over a century? Gus himself "set out about four o'clock one morning and walked about fifteen miles where a meeting was being conducted by brother Wheeler." After the evening session, he walked back home, arriving "at eleven-thirty that night" (21). For us, it constitutes no less than a marvel to hear of such thirst and enthusiasm for Bible knowledge and Christian fellowship. Many such encouraging examples occur throughout the book.
When Gus married Matilda Brown in November of 1913, they received only one wedding present, but it was quite helpful (26). Weddings have changed drastically in the past century. Occasionally, Brother Nichols wrote poetry (see, for example, pages 12-14, 18, 38, 72, 97, 195-96, 261-62, 283-84, 384, 404-405, 413, 430, 440-41, 449, 460, 467, 470-72). One of these, "But Not on Sunday Night" (38), has been reprinted in hundreds of church bulletins over the decades. Not so often noted is "A Tribute To My Wife" (27-29).
In addition to farming and preaching, Gus worked in coal mines to supply food for his family. An illustration he often used in sermons came from one of his experiences in the mines (42). Eventually, he decided to devote as much time to preaching as possible. He felt that he needed to devote five hours a day to study; it was a practice he maintained for the final fifty years of his life.
Brother Nichols often preached, in his early years, at three or four congregations per month. He also began to have meetings, and reports were filed in the Firm Foundation (earlier on) or the Gospel Advocate (later). At one location, Gus baptized 16; about 40 were restored. Then he described a problem with the congregation, and most of us are glad we could not write the same thing today. His report included this description:
Many of the members here were bootleggers, moonshiners and drunkards and the community and church were practically ruined by whiskey and its evils. These brethren agreed to clean up the church and meet every Lord's day for worship (63).
The book is filled with dozens of anecdotes that make it truly pleasurable to read. One will find a great deal of personal information about the Nichols' family and many other names that are easily recognizable, such as Guy N. Woods, Foy Wallace, B.C. Goodpasture (151), Marshall Keeble, and a hundred more.
Some of the reports are thought-provoking. This writer can remember his first year of preaching, having to prepare 100 sermons. After about ten years of preaching, Brother Nichols reported: "I spoke three hundred fifty-four times and baptized one hundred twelve last year" (3). Do we today feel overworked?
How would a gospel preacher respond to an invitation similar to what Potiphar's wife offered to Joseph? Brother Nichols resolved the situation without having to be thrown into prison (105).
Gus promoted schools operated by brethren; he particularly had an outstanding relationship with Freed-Hardeman, and was a speaker from the second year onward (1941)—even in the year he died (1975). In February of that year, Freed-Hardeman gave him its award for "outstanding contribution to its lectureships" (514). He answered questions in the Open Forum until Guy N. Woods was given that task, and filled in for him one year when Woods could not be present. They frequently discussed the way in which the Holy Spirit dwells in the Christian, but the difference in views did not prevent them from fellowshipping one another. This reviewer remembers Brother Woods saying to Brother Nichols something to the effect, "As long as I am conducting the Forum, Brother Nichols, you are invited to be on the platform here with me."
Brother Nichols also conducted many debates during his life—sometimes debating the same person three or four times. Many of these concerned baptism and Holy Spirit baptism (202, 214, 220-21 272-73, 331-32). Some of these originated as a result of his tremendously successful and longstanding radio programs (241-44).
The sage of Jasper, Alabama (where he preached for more than four decades), was often invited to write for (and perhaps edit) various publications, such as The Gospel Way, The Gospel Standard, Truth in Love, Firm Foundation, and the Gospel Advocate (143). He once raised more than 600 new subscriptions for the Gospel Advocate (298). In addition, he also published a book of Sermons and Lectures on the Holy Spirit—both of which were tremendously popular.
Gus Nichols contributed to the benevolent work being accomplished by orphans' homes. A division arose over the matter which persists to this day, and it affected some of the members of Gus' family. He also was a speaker at the Blue Ridge Encampment just east of Ashville, North Carolina for many years (355) and was invited to appear on many other lectureships. In addition to all these matters, he was appointed an elder in the 64th year of his life (316).
It probably would have been interesting to have been in the audience at the Freed-Hardeman lectures in 1958, where his topic was: "Problems Facing the Church" (332). Fortunately, we do not have any such problems today. (Just seeing if you were paying attention.) Brother Nichols engaged in training preachers for about three hours each Friday evening in Alabama; later this was changed to Saturday.
Many tributes were given in honor of him—including those not members of the church—upon his death. William Woodson, whom Gus brought to the Lord, commented accurately: "We walked with a Prince, but he made us to feel that we were Kings!" (483).