The following article was originally posted on Plain Bible Teaching.
Watch the video of the lecture I presented at Cane Ridge on this topic.
[Note: I was invited to speak at the Cane Ridge Meeting House on June 17, 2023, to discuss the Cane Ridge revival and how it compared with other modern-day revivals, such as the one that occurred at Asbury University a few months earlier. A recording of this lecture will be included at the bottom of this article. This article is based on my notes from that lecture.]
The Cane Ridge Meeting House in Bourbon County, Kentucky, was the site of a revival in 1801. This momentous occasion has been called “America’s Pentecost.” The event helped launch a movement – often called the “Restoration Movement” or the “Stone-Campbell Movement” (named after Barton W. Stone and Alexander Campbell). Barton W. Stone preached at the Cane Ridge church and played a leading role in the revival that occurred in that place.
From time to time, we hear of “revivals” happening today. Recently, a “revival” at Asbury University drew national attention. What should we think about such events? The revival at Cane Ridge that occurred over two hundred years ago has some lessons that can help us answer that question.
The Asbury Revival
This “revival” occurred at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky – not too far from the location of the Cane Ridge revival. It began on February 8, 2023, following a regularly-scheduled chapel service. A few students remained in the auditorium after the service concluded. As they sang, prayed, and confessed to one another, more and more of their fellow students joined them. Word spread quickly through the student body, then gained even more steam through social media and various “Christian” websites. The attention drew approximately 50,000-70,000 visitors to Wilmore. The “revival” was attended by about 15,000 people each day and continued until February 24, 2023.
It is interesting to take note of the environment on campus leading up to this event. In an interview with a few of the Asbury students on the Christian Chronicle podcast, the students described the environment on campus prior to that event. They said that during the previous semester, everyone seemed overwhelmed with various responsibilities, so they felt they had little time to focus on spiritual things. One of the students described the feeling of weariness that permeated the student body. Under these conditions, the “revival” began following that particular chapel service.
The Cane Ridge Revival
This revival occurred at Cane Ridge in Bourbon County, Kentucky, east of Lexington. It began on the Thursday or Friday before the third Lord’s day in August 1801 and continued for six or seven days. About 20,000 people attended this event (estimates vary anywhere from 10,000 to 30,000), which is incredible considering the fact that the population of Kentucky was only about 220,000 at the time. During the event, five to seven ministers could speak at a time in different places throughout the large gathering. The preaching was done by Presbyterians (which Stone identified as at the time), Methodists, and Baptists. The common message was free salvation upon faith and repentance – very different from the Calvinistic teaching that dominated the religious world of that time that forced people to agonizingly wait for some divine assurance of salvation. Stone also described various “exercises” that took place among those present at Cane Ridge, including falling, barking, the “jerks,” and more.
We noted that the Asbury “revival” occurred during a spiritual low point on campus. A similar environment existed in society leading up to the time of the Cane Ridge revival. Stone wrote, “So low had religion sunk, and such carelessness universally had prevailed, that I had thought that nothing common could have arrested the attention of the world.”
Indeed, this event helped launch a movement that would grab the attention of the world. As we noticed at the beginning, it has been called “America’s Pentecost.” It is sometimes referred to as the “Second Awakening.” The “First Awakening” occurred in the American colonies in the 1730’s and 1740’s through the preaching of men like George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards. This “Second Awakening” occurred early in the “Restoration Movement.” The chief characteristic of this movement was a call for the unity of believers based upon the Bible alone.
Skepticism of Revival
Let us go back to considering the Asbury revival. Some people will be skeptical whenever there is a claim that God (including the Holy Spirit) is directly doing something. Is the “revival” the work of the Holy Spirit? Is it the result of pure emotionalism? Are people faking what they claim to be experiencing? While we need to be careful not to judge the hearts and motives of others unfairly, skepticism is understandable.
Consider the following quote from William Rogers about the Cane Ridge revival:
“I doubted and caviled, but now, after more than forty years, I have ceased to question its genuineness. Most of its subjects, known to me, have, by their pious and godly lives and their triumphant deaths, long since stamped the seal of heaven upon its divine origin.” (The Cane Ridge Meeting House, p. 32)
Who was William Rogers? According to Barton W. Stone, he was “the first layman baptized” by that church (ibid. p. 48). Rogers was a long-time member of the Cane Ridge church and even wrote the inscription on Stone’s gravestone. So he was not an unbeliever, nor was he an opponent of Stone or the movement. Yet even he was skeptical for a long time (over forty years) about what was behind the events of the Cane Ridge revival.
Why is skepticism understandable? Whether we are talking about Cane Ridge, Asbury, or other similar events, the same emotionalism or fanaticism can be displayed during events that are contrary to the will or purpose of God. This does not mean that the participants are not sincere. But it does mean that we cannot judge whether a revival is in harmony with the will or purpose of God simply because people got worked up into a frenzy and genuinely believed that God was doing something to or through them in that event.
The Source of Revival
When we use the term “revival,” what does that mean? Obviously, when we use it to describe events that take place today, or even two hundred years ago, we are using the term in an accommodative way based on the popular concept that many have. But from a Biblical perspective, what is “revival”? The term means to restore to life or to give new life. The Psalmist wrote, “Revive me according to Your lovingkindness…” (Psalm 119:88). He was addressing God in that verse, acknowledging that He was ultimately the source of the new or restored life he hoped to have.
How does a restored or new life come about for us today? Essentially, there are two necessary components:
- A focus on Jesus – After all, He is the giver of life (John 1:1-4). He told His disciples, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6).
- A focus on the word of God – Jesus told the crowd, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life” (John 6:63). Even though most of them left after this statement, Peter believed Jesus and said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life” (John 6:68).
With these two points in mind, let us consider what happened on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Cane Ridge has been called “America’s Pentecost.” The day of Pentecost that occurred in Jerusalem following the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ was, in a sense, a “revival” – the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles (Acts 2:1-4), and three thousand were converted (Acts 2:41). The two necessary components we listed above were both present on that day of Pentecost:
- A focus on Jesus – Peter explained that what happened to Jesus was part of God’s plan: “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power” (Acts 2:22-24). He declared that Jesus had been “made…both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36).
- A focus on the word of God – In the brief portion of his sermon that was recorded for us, Peter cited several prophecies that Jesus fulfilled – that His soul would not be abandoned to Hades (Acts 2:25-28), that one of David’s descendants would sit on his throne (Acts 2:30), and that the Lord told Him to sit as His right hand (Acts 2:34-35). For each of these, Peter quoted from the Scriptures (Psalm 16:8-11; 132:11; 110:1).
What happened on the day of Pentecost was the beginning of a movement. Three thousand obeyed the gospel on that day (Acts 2:41). Not long after this, the number of just the men rose to five thousand (Acts 4:4). When Paul wrote to the church in Colossae (around 61-63 AD), he told them that by that point, the gospel had been “proclaimed in all creation under heaven” (Colossians 1:23). This message and movement continues even today.
What We Need for a “Revival” Today
When we think about “revival” in the Biblical sense, what is necessary for it to come about? How can we have a new or restored life in Christ? We do not need a particular meeting place. It could begin anywhere. We also do not need a large crowd of people. Instead, we need the same basic components that existed on the day of Pentecost:
- A focus on Jesus – This is why Paul wrote, “We do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord…” (2 Corinthians 4:5).
- A focus on the word of God – After all, the gospel is “the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16).
Conclusion
Are we in need of a “revival” today in our society? Absolutely. Stone’s description of the society of his day can accurately describe ours as well: “So low had religion sunk, and such carelessness universally had prevailed.” If we are going to try to influence the world for good and help lead people to a new life, we need to do those two things we discussed – focus on Jesus and focus on the word of God. Without these, there will be no “revival” in any meaningful or Biblical way.
—Andy Sochor