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MacArthur is an advocate for the "[[Lordship salvation]]" movement that argues against "[[Free Grace theology]]". He states that "you must receive Jesus Christ for who He is, both Lord and Savior, to be truly saved (II Peter 2:20)". <ref>{{cite book |title=The Gospel According to Jesus |author=MacArthur, John |isbn=0-310-39491-0}}</ref> Regarding [[eternal security]], he states that "it should never be presented merely as a matter of being once saved, always saved--with no regard for what you believe or do. The writer of {{Bwe|Hebrews|12|14}} states frankly that only those who continue living holy lives will enter the Lord's presence."<ref>{{cite book |title=Kingdom Living Here and Now |author=MacArthur, John |isbn=0-802-44564-0 |page=150}}</ref> MacArthur's views raised controversy within American evangelicalism and were challenged in print by [[Charles Ryrie]] and [[Zane C. Hodges]], who argued that MacArthur was teaching a form of works-based salvation.
MacArthur is an advocate for the "[[Lordship salvation]]" movement that argues against "[[Free Grace theology]]". He states that "you must receive Jesus Christ for who He is, both Lord and Savior, to be truly saved (II Peter 2:20)". <ref>{{cite book |title=The Gospel According to Jesus |author=MacArthur, John |isbn=0-310-39491-0}}</ref> Regarding [[eternal security]], he states that "it should never be presented merely as a matter of being once saved, always saved--with no regard for what you believe or do. The writer of {{Bwe|Hebrews|12|14}} states frankly that only those who continue living holy lives will enter the Lord's presence."<ref>{{cite book |title=Kingdom Living Here and Now |author=MacArthur, John |isbn=0-802-44564-0 |page=150}}</ref> MacArthur's views raised controversy within American evangelicalism and were challenged in print by [[Charles Ryrie]] and [[Zane C. Hodges]], who argued that MacArthur was teaching a form of works-based salvation.


In December 1989, the [[Bible Broadcasting Network]] terminated MacArthur's "Grace to You" program. In explaining that step, BBN president Lowell Davey referred to MacArthur's teachings on the blood of Christ, "Lordship Salvation" and "[[Hyper-Calvinism]]." He called these teachings "confusing." In a letter dated January 15, 1990, Davey cited a, "....drift by Dr. MacArthur to a theological position that we could not adhere to," and said that MacArthur's sermon series on the theology of election "....convinced us that the direction of 'Grace to You' was toward Hyper-Calvinism....". MacArthur preaches "Salvation" by election of God's sovereignty; he accepts [[Arthur Pink]]'s view of the sovereignty of God in salvation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chosen from Eternity: Chosen by God--Part 1 |author=MacArthur, John |url=http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/60-2}}</ref> However, the term "Hyper-Calvinism" is used by some to denote 5-point Calvinism or even any strong defense of Calvinism, rather than the historical "Hyper-Calvinism" position that only the elect may be offered the gospel. This position does not seem to reflect the truth of MacArthur's position in his sermons, which may just as well be called a "weak" or "inconsistent" Calvinism owing to his advocacy of [[Dispensationalism]]. The controversy concerning the efficacy of the blood stems from MacArthur's statement that it is not the literal liquid blood of Christ that saves, but his sacrificial death on [[the Cross]], a view that he espoused in an article titled, "Not His Bleeding, but His Dying," published in the May 1976 issue of the ''Grace to You'' family paper that is distributed to his church.
In December 1989, the [[Bible Broadcasting Network]] terminated MacArthur's "Grace to You" program. In explaining that step, BBN president Lowell Davey referred to MacArthur's teachings on the blood of Christ, "Lordship Salvation" and "[[Hyper-Calvinism]]." He called these teachings "confusing." In a letter dated January 15, 1990, Davey cited a, "....drift by Dr. MacArthur to a theological position that we could not adhere to," and said that MacArthur's sermon series on the theology of election "....convinced us that the direction of 'Grace to You' was toward Hyper-Calvinism....". MacArthur preaches "Salvation" by election of God's sovereignty; he accepts [[Arthur Pink]]'s view of the sovereignty of God in salvation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chosen from Eternity: Chosen by God--Part 1 |author=MacArthur, John |url=http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/60-2}}</ref> However, the term "Hyper-Calvinism" is used by some to denote 5-point Calvinism or even any strong defense of Calvinism, rather than the historical "Hyper-Calvinism" position that only the elect may be offered the gospel. This position does not seem to reflect the truth of MacArthur's position in his sermons. The controversy concerning the efficacy of the blood stems from MacArthur's statement that it is not the literal liquid blood of Christ that saves, but his sacrificial death on [[the Cross]], a view that he espoused in an article titled, "Not His Bleeding, but His Dying," published in the May 1976 issue of the ''Grace to You'' family paper that is distributed to his church.


MacArthur is a cessationist, arguing that [[Charismatic movement|Charismatic]] and [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]] theology and their practice regarding the "gifts of the Spirit" ([[healing]], [[miracle]]s, [[Speaking in Tongues]], etc.) are not for these times.<ref>{{cite book |title=Charismatic Chaos |author=MacArthur, John}}</ref> His writings are similarly critical of other modern Christian movements such as those who run "seeker-friendly" church services such as [[Robert Schuller]], [[Bill Hybels]], and [[Rick Warren]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=Our Sufficiency for Outreach |date=1991-10-01 |journal=[[Christianity Today]] |url=http://www.ctlibrary.com/le/1991/fall/91l4134.html |accessdate=2009-09-25 }}</ref> He is also an advocate of Biblical Counseling (also known as [[Nouthetic Counseling]]), which stresses the Bible as a tool for counseling and rejects psychological theories and techniques, considering Psychology as contrary to the Bible.<ref>{{cite web |title=How does the Bible help us to be able to cope with the anxieties of life and psychological problems? |author=MacArthur, John |url=http://www.biblebb.com/files/macqa/1301-F-10.htm}}</ref> His stance has caused several controversies, the most notable of which was the first time an employee of an evangelical church had ever been sued for malpractice.<ref>{{cite web |title=Clergy Malpractice |author=Hammar, Richard R. , J.D., LL.M., CPA |publisher=Church Law & Tax Report |url=http://www.churchlawtoday.com/private/library/pcl/p04e.htm}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The Clergy as Counselors |date=2005-05-22 |journal=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/64449517.html?dids=64449517:64449517&FMT=ABS |accessdate=2009-09-25 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Justices Dismiss Suit over Clergy |date=1988-11-24 |journal=[[The New York Times]] |url=http://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/24/us/justices-dismiss-suit-over-clergy.html |accessdate=2009-09-25 }}</ref>
MacArthur is a cessationist, arguing that [[Charismatic movement|Charismatic]] and [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]] theology and their practice regarding the "gifts of the Spirit" ([[healing]], [[miracle]]s, [[Speaking in Tongues]], etc.) are not for these times.<ref>{{cite book |title=Charismatic Chaos |author=MacArthur, John}}</ref> His writings are similarly critical of other modern Christian movements such as those who run "seeker-friendly" church services such as [[Robert Schuller]], [[Bill Hybels]], and [[Rick Warren]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=Our Sufficiency for Outreach |date=1991-10-01 |journal=[[Christianity Today]] |url=http://www.ctlibrary.com/le/1991/fall/91l4134.html |accessdate=2009-09-25 }}</ref> He is also an advocate of Biblical Counseling (also known as [[Nouthetic Counseling]]), which stresses the Bible as a tool for counseling and rejects psychological theories and techniques, considering Psychology as contrary to the Bible.<ref>{{cite web |title=How does the Bible help us to be able to cope with the anxieties of life and psychological problems? |author=MacArthur, John |url=http://www.biblebb.com/files/macqa/1301-F-10.htm}}</ref> His stance has caused several controversies, the most notable of which was the first time an employee of an evangelical church had ever been sued for malpractice.<ref>{{cite web |title=Clergy Malpractice |author=Hammar, Richard R. , J.D., LL.M., CPA |publisher=Church Law & Tax Report |url=http://www.churchlawtoday.com/private/library/pcl/p04e.htm}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The Clergy as Counselors |date=2005-05-22 |journal=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/64449517.html?dids=64449517:64449517&FMT=ABS |accessdate=2009-09-25 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Justices Dismiss Suit over Clergy |date=1988-11-24 |journal=[[The New York Times]] |url=http://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/24/us/justices-dismiss-suit-over-clergy.html |accessdate=2009-09-25 }}</ref>

Revision as of 12:19, 24 February 2010

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John F. MacArthur, Jr.
File:John macarthur.jpg
John F. MacArthur
Born (1939-06-19) June 19, 1939 (age 85)
Los Angeles, California USA
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Minister, Writer, Broadcaster

John Fullerton MacArthur, Jr. (born June 19, 1939 in Los Angeles, California) is a United States evangelical writer and minister, noted for his radio program entitled Grace to You. MacArthur is a fifth-generation pastor, a popular author and conference speaker, and has served as the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California since 1969, and as the President of The Master's College (and the related The Master's Seminary) in Santa Clarita, California.

Theologically, MacArthur is a conservative Baptist, a strong proponent of expository preaching, a dispensationalist and a self-described Calvinist.[1][2] He has been acknowledged by Christianity Today as one of the most influential preachers of his time,[3] and is a frequent guest on Larry King Live as representative of an evangelical Christian perspective.[4]

MacArthur has authored or edited more than 150 books, most notably the MacArthur Study Bible, which has sold more than 1 million copies and received a Gold Medallion Book Award.[5] Other best-selling books include his MacArthur New Testament Commentary Series (more than 1 million copies), Twelve Ordinary Men, (more than 500,000 copies),[6] and the children's book A Faith to Grow On, which garnered an ECPA Christian Book Award.[7]

Biography

The son of Jack MacArthur (an accomplished preacher in his own right),[8] John MacArthur was an athlete and attended Bob Jones University before transferring to Los Angeles Pacific College (now Azusa Pacific University). He later obtained his Masters of Divinity from Biola University's Talbot Theological Seminary, in La Mirada, California. He graduated with honors. From 1964 to 1966, he served as an associate pastor at Calvary Bible Church, in Burbank, California and, from 1966 to 1969, as a faculty representative for Talbot Theological Seminary. Then, in 1969, he became the third pastor in the then-short history of the nondenominational Grace Community Church of Sun Valley, California.

His daily radio program, Grace to You, which is now broadcast throughout much of the world, began as an audio recording ministry to provide cassettes of his sermons to church members who were unable to attend. They were first broadcast in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1977.[9]

In 1985, MacArthur became the president of The Master's College (formerly Los Angeles Baptist College), an accredited, four-year, liberal arts Christian college;[10] and, in 1986, he founded The Master's Seminary.

MacArthur received a doctorate from Talbot Theological Seminary and an honorary doctorate from Grace Graduate School.[11]

Theological views

MacArthur describes himself as a "leaky dispensationalist."[12] While he holds to a premillennial and pre-tribulational rapture of the church and fulfillment of all the covenant promises made to the Jews at the end of the tribulation, he rejects some of the classic dispensational ideas, such as the Law having no application to the church. (He jokingly says that if the tribulation takes place before the Rapture, he'll go straight to anti-Christ headquarters, preach the gospel, and get killed.) Dispensationalism has been a frequent source of controversy; critics claim that MacArthur's deviation from Reformed eschatology has led to an inconsistent Calvinism or self-contradiction suggesting two people groups of God, two roads to salvation, and the so-called, "Great parenthesis."

MacArthur is an advocate for the "Lordship salvation" movement that argues against "Free Grace theology". He states that "you must receive Jesus Christ for who He is, both Lord and Savior, to be truly saved (II Peter 2:20)". [13] Regarding eternal security, he states that "it should never be presented merely as a matter of being once saved, always saved--with no regard for what you believe or do. The writer of Template:Bwe states frankly that only those who continue living holy lives will enter the Lord's presence."[14] MacArthur's views raised controversy within American evangelicalism and were challenged in print by Charles Ryrie and Zane C. Hodges, who argued that MacArthur was teaching a form of works-based salvation.

In December 1989, the Bible Broadcasting Network terminated MacArthur's "Grace to You" program. In explaining that step, BBN president Lowell Davey referred to MacArthur's teachings on the blood of Christ, "Lordship Salvation" and "Hyper-Calvinism." He called these teachings "confusing." In a letter dated January 15, 1990, Davey cited a, "....drift by Dr. MacArthur to a theological position that we could not adhere to," and said that MacArthur's sermon series on the theology of election "....convinced us that the direction of 'Grace to You' was toward Hyper-Calvinism....". MacArthur preaches "Salvation" by election of God's sovereignty; he accepts Arthur Pink's view of the sovereignty of God in salvation.[15] However, the term "Hyper-Calvinism" is used by some to denote 5-point Calvinism or even any strong defense of Calvinism, rather than the historical "Hyper-Calvinism" position that only the elect may be offered the gospel. This position does not seem to reflect the truth of MacArthur's position in his sermons. The controversy concerning the efficacy of the blood stems from MacArthur's statement that it is not the literal liquid blood of Christ that saves, but his sacrificial death on the Cross, a view that he espoused in an article titled, "Not His Bleeding, but His Dying," published in the May 1976 issue of the Grace to You family paper that is distributed to his church.

MacArthur is a cessationist, arguing that Charismatic and Pentecostal theology and their practice regarding the "gifts of the Spirit" (healing, miracles, Speaking in Tongues, etc.) are not for these times.[16] His writings are similarly critical of other modern Christian movements such as those who run "seeker-friendly" church services such as Robert Schuller, Bill Hybels, and Rick Warren.[17] He is also an advocate of Biblical Counseling (also known as Nouthetic Counseling), which stresses the Bible as a tool for counseling and rejects psychological theories and techniques, considering Psychology as contrary to the Bible.[18] His stance has caused several controversies, the most notable of which was the first time an employee of an evangelical church had ever been sued for malpractice.[19][20][21]

MacArthur does not believe that Roman Catholics are Christians and has been vocally outspoken against their acceptance as Christians, referring to Catholicism as "a Satanic religious system that wants to engulf the earth."[22] Regarding monks and priests, MacArthur says "the inmates, I call them inmates, of monasteries, are unmarried men. Its just bizarre and abnormal. I read today the 50% are homosexual when they get there. The rest have no chance. These people are predators." He says of convents, "I am surprised Amnesty International doesn't raid these places."[22]

MacArthur has stated that the "theology of Islam is false," and that Allah is the "wrong god."[23]

In 1983, MacArthur first published his belief in the doctrine of "incarnational sonship." In 1989, after some criticism, he defended his views in a plenary session of the annual convention of the Independent Fundamental Churches of America. Subsequently, MacArthur has written that he has reversed this position and no longer regards Christ's sonship as a role he assumed in his incarnation.[24]

MacArthur has also been a proponent of Christian abstinence from alcohol, though he does not think it is necessarily sinful.[25] (See Christianity and alcohol.)

Selected publications

Main article: list of works by John MacArthur
  • Gospel According to Jesus (1989) ISBN 0310286514
  • Charismatic Chaos‎ (1993) ISBN 0310575729
  • Our Sufficiency in Christ (‎1998) ISBN 1581340133
  • Ashamed of the Gospel: When the Church Becomes Like the World‎ (2001) ISBN 1581342888
  • Think Biblically!: Recovering a Christian Worldview (2003) ISBN 1581344120
  • Fool's Gold?: Discerning Truth in an Age of Error‎ (2005) ISBN 158134726X
  • Twelve Extraordinary Women: How God Shaped Women of the Bible, and What He Wants to Do with You (2008) ISBN 1400280281
  • The Jesus You Can't Ignore: What You Must Learn from the Bold Confrontations of Christ (2009) ISBN 140020206X

References

  1. ^ MacArthur, John. "Why Every Calvinist Should Be a Premillennialist".
  2. ^ Abrams, III, Cooper P. "Is Calvinism or Arminianism Biblical? A Biblical Explanation of the Doctrine of Election. In recent years he has described himself as a "leaky dispensationalist" who rejects historic parts of dispensational theory like the kingdom interruption theory, and a defined number of dispensations. He redefines the term dispensationalist to include all Reformed theologians. McArthur does insist on a place for the nation of Isreal in the future of Gods plan, however. (tape GC 1301-N Questions and answers part 16)". Retrieved 2009-09-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ "The Top 25 Most Influential Preachers". Christianity Today. 2006. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
  4. ^ ""God's Warriors": Fighters For Faith".
  5. ^ "1998 Gold Medallion Book Awards Winners". Retrieved 2008-03-06.
  6. ^ "Gold / Platinum / Diamond Book Awards - Past Award Recipients". Retrieved 2009-09-21.
  7. ^ "2005 Christian Book Awards Winners – Elementary Children category".
  8. ^ "Pastor Sees Awakening in Hollywood". Los Angeles Times. 1950-08-05. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
  9. ^ "What's the history of Grace to You?". Retrieved 2009-09-22.
  10. ^ Dart, John (1985-04-09). "MacArthur Appointed Baptist College Gets New President, Name". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
  11. ^ "John F. MacArthur - The Master's Seminary".
  12. ^ MacArthur, John. "What is dispensationalism? And what is your position, from Scripture, on the subject?".
  13. ^ MacArthur, John. The Gospel According to Jesus. ISBN 0-310-39491-0.
  14. ^ MacArthur, John. Kingdom Living Here and Now. p. 150. ISBN 0-802-44564-0.
  15. ^ MacArthur, John. "Chosen from Eternity: Chosen by God--Part 1".
  16. ^ MacArthur, John. Charismatic Chaos.
  17. ^ "Our Sufficiency for Outreach". Christianity Today. 1991-10-01. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
  18. ^ MacArthur, John. "How does the Bible help us to be able to cope with the anxieties of life and psychological problems?".
  19. ^ Hammar, Richard R. , J.D., LL.M., CPA. "Clergy Malpractice". Church Law & Tax Report.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ "The Clergy as Counselors". Los Angeles Times. 2005-05-22. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
  21. ^ "Justices Dismiss Suit over Clergy". The New York Times. 1988-11-24. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
  22. ^ a b "John F. MacArthur - The Scandal of the Catholic Priesthood".
  23. ^ http://www.youtube.com/JohnMacArthurGTY
  24. ^ MacArthur, John. "Reexamining the Eternal Sonship of Christ". Grace to You.
  25. ^ MacArthur, John. "Be Not Drunk with Wine, Part 3". Grace to You.

Further reading

  • Jones, Karen (Nov–Dec 2009). "John MacArthur: Unleashing God's Truth—One Verse at a Time". Bible Study Magazine. 2 (1): 10–14.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date format (link)

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