“Preach the gospel, die, and be forgotten”: quite an un-Biblical statement, IMO!
A few years ago, after seeing this statement as a model for followers of our Lord, especially those in leadership, I spent considerable time reading primary sources in 18th century German, and other texts from the Moravians, to track it down. I could not find anywhere that Nicolaus Von Zinzendorf (1700-1760) had ever said this. He may have. I could not find proof of it.
Second: this quote sounds solid, but it stands in direct violation of a passage like Psalm 112:6: "The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance" and the whole biblical understanding of divine remembrance and the admonitions to remember in Scripture (tons of them), and the practice of church history as a discipline.
How do we reconcile it with Hebrews 13:7? And why on earth does not God leave all of his servants in Bible Times totally unforgotten? No, he records their lives for posterity.
Remembrance is our great need! See Genesis 8:1.
If I had taken this verse seriously forty years ago, I would have left church history and become what I have sometimes said I would love to have been if I had not been an historian, namely, an architect!
I think it makes much more sense that we should not strive to be remembered. If we are remembered it’s to God’s glory and from Him alone for the purpose of others.
Amen it may be untrue There are far too many stories and sayings attributed to famous figures in Church History that have no basis in fact. Church historians are needed to correct the record!