Charles Haddon Spurgeon was probably the most famous Christian smoker in history[1], and his cigar habit became a notable point of contention during his ministry. He smoked less than one cigar daily and insisted he wasn’t addicted[1], and his physician even recommended the practice to him, as the health dangers of tobacco weren’t well understood at the time[1]. He would often enjoy a cigar during his carriage rides to church as a way to prepare his throat for preaching[1].
The controversy intensified when visiting American minister Dr. George F. Pentecost denounced smoking from Spurgeon’s pulpit, describing it as a pernicious habit he had personally struggled to overcome[1]. Spurgeon responded with characteristic wit, declaring he didn’t consider smoking sinful and intended to enjoy a cigar that very evening[1]. His fuller rebuttal captured his defiant stance: “If anybody can show me in the Bible the command, ‘Thou shalt not smoke,’ I am ready to keep it; but I haven’t found it yet. I find ten commandments, and it’s as much as I can do to keep them; and I’ve no desire to make them into eleven or twelve. Therefore I mean to smoke to the glory of God.”[1]
Spurgeon wasn’t alone among prominent British preachers in this habit[2]—Campbell Morgan reportedly smoked as many as eight cigars daily, and R. W. Dale claimed he needed tobacco more than food[2]. Spurgeon eventually quit smoking in his later years after seeing a full-page cigar advertisement in the London Times bearing his name[3], suggesting his decision stemmed from concern about his public influence rather than conviction about the practice itself.
[1] Jared Brock and Aaron Alford, Bearded Gospel Men: The Epic Quest for Manliness & Godliness (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2023), 92–94.
[2] Warren W. Wiersbe, 50 People Every Christian Should Know: Learning from Spiritual Giants of the Faith (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2009), 145.
[3] Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 984.
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