Renewing Your Mind – "Elijah"

Podcast: Renewing Your Mind (Ligonier Ministries)
Episode: Elijah
Date: September 22, 2025
Speaker: Dr. R.C. Sproul

Overview

In this episode, Dr. R.C. Sproul examines the life and legacy of Elijah, focusing especially on the closing hours of the prophet’s life as recorded in 2 Kings 2. Using Elijah's transition to heaven and the passing of his mantle to Elisha, Dr. Sproul unpacks the weight and responsibility of spiritual leadership amid adversity, the cost of prophetic ministry, and the enduring need for courageous faithfulness within the visible church. Dr. Sproul invites listeners to see themselves in the inheritance of this biblical story and challenges them to “pick up the mantle” in their contexts today.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Set-Up: The Significance of Elijah

• Dr. Sproul begins by placing Elijah at “the head of the historical line of the prophets,” alongside Moses—the mediator of the Law—highlighting Elijah’s foundational role in Israel’s prophetic tradition.
• Quote (R.C. Sproul, 02:07):
  “It’s not by accident that when Christ was at the mount of Transfiguration that He was joined there in that transfigured splendor by two characters from the Old Testament: Moses and Elijah.”

2. Focus on Elijah’s Final Hours (2 Kings 2)

• Dr. Sproul narrows the study to Elijah’s last actions on earth, accompanied by Elisha, who refuses to leave his mentor’s side despite repeated urging.

• The narrative tension reflects Elisha’s eager, even impetuous loyalty.

  Memorable Exchange:

  • Elisha’s persistent refusal to stay behind:
    Quote (R.C. Sproul, 04:31):
    “He loves his Master. He’s not going to leave him for one minute. He said, you know, as the Lord liveth and as your soul liveth, Elijah, you… I’m going with you. Whether thou goest, I will go.”

3. Elisha’s Request for a Double Portion

• As Elijah prepares to depart, he asks Elisha for a final request. Elisha replies, “Let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.”
• Dr. Sproul explores possible motives for this unusual request, ultimately positing that Elisha understood the immense suffering and responsibility that accompanied Elijah’s ministry.
• Quote (R.C. Sproul, 06:12):
  “May I have a double portion of the Spirit that is upon you?”
• Dr. Sproul emphasizes the gravity of the ministry’s demands, referencing Jesus’ principle:
  Quote (R.C. Sproul, 16:32):
  “To whom much is given, much is required. I don’t want twice the spirit that was on Elijah, no thank you. Because that would mean twice the pain and the price of obedience.”

4. Elijah’s Suffering and Faithfulness

• The teaching describes Elijah’s lonely stand for God during Israel’s darkest days under Ahab and Jezebel.

• Elijah faced immense hardship: living as an exile, persecution, times of deep loneliness (“the Elijah syndrome”), and confrontation with false prophets on Mount Carmel.

• Dr. Sproul underscores that bold ministry often leads to isolation or misunderstanding:

  Quote (R.C. Sproul, 13:41):
  “O Lord, they have broken your covenant. They have torn down your altars, they have slain your prophets. And I, I alone am left… That's the Elijah syndrome.”

• Yet God assures Elijah he is not truly alone but has preserved a faithful remnant.

5. The Dramatic Chariot of Fire and the Mantle

• The episode climaxes with Elijah’s ascension in a whirlwind, chariots and horses of fire appearing, and Elisha witnessing the event as the sign of receiving his request.
• Elisha’s grief and awe are palpable:
  • Quote (R.C. Sproul, 17:34): “And Elisha begins to cry, ‘My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof! Look, Elijah, look. Do you see what I see?’ And by that time, Elijah was gone.”
• The key symbolic moment is the passing of Elijah’s mantle:
  • Quote (R.C. Sproul, 20:21):
    “Leave the mantle by the river and go home to your oxen and to your farm. That was the choice that faced Elisha. If he picks it up, it’s the cross.”

6. Application: “Pick Up the Mantle” Today

• Dr. Sproul presses listeners to consider the state of the visible church and to heed the call to spiritual stewardship despite cost and cultural discouragement.
  • Quote (R.C. Sproul, 21:53):
    “We need people today who will open the Jordan river and lead the people of Christ across. We need a new Moses. We need a new Elisha who will pick up that mantle and live and die for the purity of the visible church. ...Pick it up, friend. We have to pick it up.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the loneliness and suffering of ministry:
  "It was Elijah who lived in caves. And it was ministered to not by the angels, but by... ravens, crows, not seraphim, crows." (R.C. Sproul, 09:52)
• On the “Elijah Syndrome”:
  "He experienced what has since been called the Elijah syndrome … when he was so frustrated and so discouraged because everywhere he went, he saw the religion of his fathers completely prostitute, unbelief everywhere, pagan practices in the midst of the church." (R.C. Sproul, 13:16)
• Elijah’s challenge to the culture:
  "He was the man who by himself, took on all of the false prophets of the culture alone. Not without its bad effects, even on this holy man."(R.C. Sproul, 12:44)
• On inheriting ministry:
  “If he leaves the mantle there and he walks away, he can go home and he can live in peace, happily, forever after. … If he picks it up, it’s the cross.” (R.C. Sproul, 20:21)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:36] Introduction to Elijah and his role in the prophetic tradition
• [03:17] Elisha’s relationship to Elijah; the impending departure
• [04:29] Elisha’s determination not to leave Elijah
• [06:02] Elisha’s request for a double portion
• [08:17] Context: Elijah during the reign of Ahab and Jezebel
• [09:52] Elijah’s exile; “fed by ravens”
• [11:59] Confrontation with prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel
• [13:16] Elijah’s despair and loneliness: “Elijah syndrome”
• [16:32] The cost of ministry: “To whom much is given, much is required”
• [17:20] Elijah taken up by the chariot of fire
• [18:50] Elisha receives Elijah’s mantle; moment of decision
• [21:53] Dr. Sproul’s charge: Our need for contemporary “Elishas”

Conclusion

Dr. Sproul’s teaching on Elijah both inspires and challenges. Through narrative exploration and personal application, he depicts the prophet’s remarkable faith, loneliness, and absolute reliance on God—culminating in the handover of Elijah’s mantle to Elisha. Dr. Sproul’s repeated exhortation is clear: just as Elisha picked up the mantle, contemporary believers must continue the prophetic ministry—pursuing faithfulness and purity for the sake of the visible church, regardless of the personal cost.

Recommended Next Episode:
Next, Dr. Sproul will address the prophet Jeremiah (“the Weeping Prophet”), exploring how faithful ministry is often marked by sorrow and challenge, yet remains rooted in hope.