N Samuel of Tranquebar

Timeline

Professor

He was the first Indian professor in the Theological Colleges in Tranquebar, Porayar, and Bangalore (United Theological College). He was slated to teach some classes in the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, in Chennai, when he died.

Poet

Best known among his lyrics are "En Meetpar Vuyirodirukayilay" (என் மீட்பர் உயிரோடிருக்கயிலே), "Senaigalin Kartharey" (சேனைகளின் கர்த்தரே), "Seerthiri Yegavasthey" (சீர்திரி எகவச்தே நமோ நமோ), and "Gunapadu Paavi" (குணப்படு பாவி). He composed the college song "Arulaar Putkarathil Thangi" and designed the monogram for the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College.

Vedanayagam Sastriar of Tanjore, Krishnapillai of Palyamkottai, and N. Samuel of Tranquebar were known as the triumvirate of Tamil Christian poets.

One of his earliest compositions was about a journey to Tanjore called "Thanjai Payan Padham." Another was "Kallu Kummi" (The Toddy Kummi), where the strong drink talks about her glories, which made the drunkard blush in shame. His book Gospel Lyrics contains 200 songs composed over a period of 60 years.

He is remembered as a translator who put German hymns into Tamil meter, including the following:

Writer of books

Rev. N. Samuel wrote several books on Lutheran history, theology, and practical Christian living. He wrote for children, too. He wrote in Tamil and German. He also translated several books from German to Tamil.

Some of the books authored by him are:

For theological students, he wrote:

For children, he wrote:

For parents, he wrote:

His translations:

He was one of those responsible for the translation of a revised version of the New Testament.

Pastor

Most of his life was spent in Tranquebar, the little port town that welcomed missionaries like Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg (and Heinrich Plütschau) sent by the king of Denmark in 1706 and Christian Friedrich Schwarz, sponsored at the time by the Danish Missionary Society in Copenhagen.

He was ordained on 31 October 1878 at Tranquebar, by senior J. M. N. Schwartz. From that moment on, he served as Pastor in the Lutheran Mission (later known as T.E.L.C.) until his death on 20 May 1927, except for a brief stint with the Missouri Mission towards the end of his life from 1921-1927. The towns/cities where he served are: Tranquebar 1880-1891 & 1897-1919, Karaikal 1897-1919, Manikramam 1919, Porayar 1917-1919, Bangalore 1921, and Madras.

He preached his last sermon on 1 May 1927 in the Lutheran Adikalanathar Church, Purasawalkam, Madras on John 10:11-16.

Theologian

His theology was rooted in Lutheran Pietism, a renewed form of the post-reformation Lutheranism that was held by theologians in Halle in the 16th century, such as August Hermann Francke, 1663–1727 and Philipp Jakob Spener, 1635-1705. Needless to say, he was well versed with the life, works, and teachings of Martin Luther.

He was a great lover of Spurgeon's works, and possessed many of his books in his library. After reading John Ploughman's Talk and John Ploughman's Pictures, he wrote Ullathu Solvane. Rev. N. Samuel was known as Tamil Spurgeon, although it is not clear if he was thus known because of his strictness in doctrinal matters or because of his homiletic gifts. He was also familiar with Waltharian views of Lutheranism. His allegiance was to God first and only then to his church. When it was time for the German missionaries to leave India, leaving the leadership on Indian shoulders, it was decided that the church would follow an Episcopal form of church government. Rev. N. Samuel felt that this and other innovations that were introduced were not according to the Biblical model and protested. When he realised that change was inevitable, in the middle of 1921, he left T.E.L.C that he had served all his life, and joined the Missouri Mission. He returned to the T.E.L.C. in 1927 shortly before his death.