John MacArthur (American pastor)
John MacArthur | |
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Talbot Theological Seminary (MDiv ) | |
Occupations |
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Spouse |
Patricia MacArthur (m. 1963) |
Relatives | Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California |
John Fullerton MacArthur Jr. (born June 19, 1939) is an American pastor and author who hosts the national Christian radio and television program Grace to You.
MacArthur is a proponent of
Early life and schooling
The grandson of Canadian
Career
When at
MacArthur's daily radio and television program, Grace to You was created by the Grace media team to publicize audio cassettes of sermons; in 1977, it was first broadcast in Baltimore, Maryland.
A Milestone of 55 years after beginning in the pulpit of Grace Community, MacArthur completed one of his own life goals,[2] that of preaching through the entire New Testament on June 5, 2011.[15]
Theological positions
Authority of scripture
Central to MacArthur's theology is a very high view of scripture (the
Cessationism
MacArthur is a
MacArthur argues that modern "visions, revelations, voices from heaven... dreams, speaking in tongues, prophecies, out-of-body experiences, trip to heaven, anointings, miracles [are] all false, all lies, all deceptions attributed falsely to the Holy Spirit." He has remarked that "[t]he Charismatic movement has stolen the Holy Spirit and created a golden calf, and they're dancing around the golden calf as if it were the Holy Spirit."[21][22]
Christology
In 1983, MacArthur first published his belief in the doctrine of "
Complementarianism
MacArthur has stated that he opposes both "male
Dispensational theology
MacArthur describes himself as a "leaky dispensationalist."[28] MacArthur holds to the dispensationalist school of premillennialism, a pre-tribulational Rapture of the Church, and a literal Millennium. He teaches a completely restored Israel shall inherit physical ownership of the land of Canaan on the earth.[29][30][31]
Lordship of Christ
MacArthur believes "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9). This submission to Jesus as Lord when converting to faith in Jesus Christ became known to
Young Earth creationism
MacArthur advocates Young Earth creationism in his book The Battle For the Beginning (2001), and in his sermons.[34] Speaking about evolutionary theory, he writes that Christians "ought to expose such lies for what they are and oppose them vigorously." He argues that "the battle for the beginning is ultimately a battle between two mutually exclusive faiths—faith in Scripture versus faith in anti-theistic hypotheses. It is not really a battle between science and the Bible."[35]
Views on gender and sexuality
MacArthur is a critic of
With respect to sexual orientation, he has asserted that "no one is gay" as "God didn't hardwire anybody"[38] to be gay any more than he "hardwires" individuals to be adulterers or bank robbers.[39] MacArthur compared the assertion that sexual orientation is a born trait to a hypothetical bank robber's protestation, "I keep robbing banks, but I'm a robber. I'm a bank robber. What am I gonna do? I'm a bank robber."[39]
Recognition
MacArthur has received an honorary degree from Grace Graduate School in 1976 and from Talbot Theological Seminary (Doctor of Divinity, 1977).[40]
Controversies and disputes
Comments regarding Steven Furtick and Beth Moore
In 2012, at the annual Shepherd's Conference, MacArthur was participating in a word association questionnaire when the moderator gave the name "Steven Furtick." MacArthur responded "unqualified" and proceeded to argue that Furtick, pastor of Elevation Church, was not qualified, by Biblical standards, to be a pastor.[41] Furtick responded to this comment in his 2016 book Unqualified: How God Uses Broken People to Do Big Things.
In 2019, at the Truth Matters Conference, during another word association questionnaire, MacArthur was given the prompt "
Response to and matters surrounding COVID-19
In 2020 and 2021, during the
Accusations of using ghostwriters
In February 2022, Dennis Swanson, former vice president of Master's University and Master's Seminary, accused him of never having written any of his books and that they were allegedly written by
Accusations of improper response to domestic abuse
In March 2022, The Roys Report published an investigation implicating Grace Community Church and John F. MacArthur. [51] Several women victims of domestic violence were reportedly asked to return to their husbands, under threat of excommunication. MacArthur associate pastor Carey Hardy allegedly told a victim to lead by example and “suffer for Jesus” by enduring her husband’s abuse. A church elder, Hohn Cho, allegedly urged MacArthur to reconsider the victim's request, who told him "forget it." The victim was humiliated twice, in May 2002 and August 2002, by MacArthur in front of the congregation for having finally divorced her husband. In 2005, the victim's husband was sentenced to 21 years in prison for aggravated child molestation, corporal injury to a child, and child abuse. After the publication of the affair by Christianity Today in February 2023, the pastoral council denounced “lies”.[52]
Personal life
MacArthur is married to his wife, Patricia.[53] They have four children, fifteen grandchildren, and had two great-grandsons by 2017.[54]
Selected publications
- Twelve Extraordinary Women: God Shaped Women of the Bible, and What He Wants to Do with You (October 5, 2008)
- Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness, and What He Wants to Do with You (May 8, 2006)
- One Perfect Life: The Complete Story of the Lord Jesus (March 4, 2013)
- Anxious for Nothing: God's Cure for the Cares of Your Soul (John Macarthur Study) (February 1, 2012)
- Safe in the Arms of God: Truth from Heaven About the Death of a Child (July 8, 2003)
- Saved Without A Doubt: Being Sure of Your Salvation (January 1, 2010)
- The Charismatics: A Doctrinal Perspective hardback (1978)
- Fundamentals of the Faith: 13 Lessons to Grow in the Grace and Knowledge of Jesus Christ (February 24, 2009)
- The Charismatic softback (1978)
- Gospel According to Jesus (1989) ISBN 0-310-28651-4
- Charismatic Chaos (1993) ISBN 0-310-57572-9
- Our Sufficiency in Christ (1998) ISBN 1-58134-013-3
- Ashamed of the Gospel: When the Church Becomes Like the World (2001) ISBN 1-58134-288-8
- Think Biblically!: Recovering a Christian Worldview (2003) ISBN 1-58134-412-0
- Fool's Gold?: Discerning Truth in an Age of Error (2005) ISBN 1-58134-726-X
- The Jesus You Can't Ignore: What You Must Learn from the Bold Confrontations of Christ (2009) ISBN 1-4002-0206-X
- Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship (2013) ISBN 978-1-4002-0517-2
- Right Thinking in a Church Gone Astray: Finding Our Way Back to Biblical Truth (2017)
- The Gospel According to Paul: Embracing the Good News at the Heart of Paul's Teachings (2017)
- Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (2017)
- None Other: Discovering the God of the Bible (2017)
- Worship: The Ultimate Priority (2012)
- Parables (2015)
References
- ^ "'Grace to You' Television Program with John MacArthur Launches in Major U.S. Markets" (Press release). Christian News Wire. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- ^ a b "Theology and Ministry: An Interview with John MacArthur". Gty.org. January 16, 2011. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
- ^ "The Top 25 Most Influential Preachers". Christianity Today. 2006. Archived from the original on February 1, 2006. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
- ^ "1998 Gold Medallion Book Awards Winners". Retrieved March 6, 2008.
- ^ "Voice of Calvary Legacy - The Legacy - Page 3". www.voiceofcalvaryradio.com.
- MacArthur, John F. (February 9, 2004). "John MacArthur's Life Testimony"(Interview). Interviewed by Phil Johnson. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
I was born down in Los Angeles at St. Vincent's Hospital, which is still operating.
- ^ "When should a Christian fight for his country? - John MacArthur". Biblebb.com. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
- ^ "Personal Interview with John MacArthur". Grace to You. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
- ^ "Bible Questions and Answers, Part 47". Grace to You.
- ^ "Voice of Calvary Legacy - The Legacy - Page 3". www.voiceofcalvaryradio.com.
- ^ "John F. MacArthur - The Master's Seminary". Archived from the original on August 22, 2014.
- ^ "What's the history of Grace to You?". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
- ^ Dart, John (April 9, 1985). "MacArthur Appointed Baptist College Gets New President, Name". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
- ^ "History | The Master's Seminary". Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ "A Historic Moment". Gty.org. June 16, 2011. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
- ^ a b c "Why Does Sola Scriptura Still Matter?". Grace to You. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
- ^ MacArthur, John. "The Temporary Sign Gifts, Part 3". Grace to You. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
- ^ "Truth Matters 2013: Strange Fire". Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ Menzie, Nicola (October 17, 2013). "'Strange Fire' Conference: John MacArthur Calls Out Charismatic Movement as 'Unfaithful'". The Christian Post. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- ^ MacArthu, John. "The Temporary Sign Gifts, Part 3". Grace to You. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
- ^ "The Modern Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit". YouTube. Archived from the original on May 2, 2012.
- ^ MacArthur, John (October 23, 2011). "The Modern Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit". Grace to You. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- ^ MacArthur, John. "Reexamining the Eternal Sonship of Christ". gty.org. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ "The Loving Husband: A Portrait of Christ". www.gty.org. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
- ^ Grace to You. "God's High Call for Women". gty.org.
- ^ Grace to You. "Should Women Teach in Church?". gty.org.
- ^ Grace to You. "Can Women Exercise Authority in the Church?". gty.org.
- ^ MacArthur, John. "What is dispensationalism? And what is your position, from Scripture, on the subject?".
- ^ Mayhue, Richard. "Futuristic Premillennialism". Archived from the original on September 20, 2017.
- ^ Vlach, Michael. "New Covenant Theology Compared With Covenantalism". Archived from the original on September 20, 2017.
- ^ MacArthur, John. "Why Every Calvinist Should Be a Premillennialist, Part 1".
- ISBN 0-310-39491-0.
- ^ "I.F.C.A. Meeting (6-26-89), Part 1". Grace to You.
- ^ John MacArthur (2001), The Battle For The Beginning, Nelson, archived from the original on July 6, 2011, retrieved May 18, 2011
- ^ "How Important Is Genesis 1-3?". Grace to you official website. August 27, 2009. Archived from the original on December 25, 2014. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Social Justice and the Gospel, Part 1". YouTube. September 5, 2018.
- ^ "Social Injustice and the Gospel". Grace to You.
- ^ Hartropp, Joseph (June 29, 2017). "Megapastor John MacArthur says 'no one is gay', compares homosexuality to adultery". www.christiantoday.com. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- ^ a b Hartropp, Joseph (June 29, 2017). "Megapastor John MacArthur says 'no one is gay', compares homosexuality to adultery". www.christiantoday.com. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ISBN 9781610697743. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
- ^ Buttel, Cameron (May 9, 2016). "Unqualified, Not Unworthy". Grace To You. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
- ^ MacArthur, John. "Go Home Beth Moore". YouTube. Archived from the original on October 30, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
- ^ Moore, Beth. "Tweet from October 21, 2019".
- ^ Leonardo Blair, John MacArthur skewers Beth Moore, Paula White, evangelicals who support women preachers, christianpost.com, USA, October 21, 2019
- ^ Cosgrove, Jaclyn (November 8, 2020). "L.A. megachurch pastor mocks pandemic health orders, even as church members fall ill". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ "Fact Check-CDC comorbidity figures presented in sermon do not undermine deadliness of COVID-19". Reuters. July 6, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ a b "L.A. megachurch pastor mocks pandemic health orders, even as church members fall ill". Los Angeles Times. November 9, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ Cosgrove, Jaclyn (August 27, 2021). "L.A. County could pay $400,000 settlement to church that fought COVID-19 mandates". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ "John MacArthur and Grace Community Church win $800,000 settlement from California and L.A. County". September 2021.
- ^ Julie Roys, Former Master’s Seminary VP Accuses John MacArthur of Plagiarism, julieroys.com, USA, February 7, 2022
- ^ Roys, Julie (March 8, 2022). "EXCLUSIVE: John MacArthur Shamed, Excommunicated Mother for Refusing to Take Back Child Abuser". The Roys Report.
- ^ Kate Shellnutt (February 9, 2023). "Grace Community Church Rejected Elder's Calls to 'Do Justice' in Abuse Case". christianitytoday.com.
- ^ "Questions and Answers -- Patricia MacArthur". www.biblebb.com. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
- ^ "John MacArthur". www.gracechurch.org. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
Further reading
- Jones, Karen (November–December 2009). "John MacArthur: Unleashing God's Truth—One Verse at a Time". Bible Study Magazine. 2 (1): 10–14.
- John MacArthur: Servant of the Word and Flock, Iain H. Murray
- Seven Leaders: Pastors and Teachers, by Iain H. Murray
- John MacArthur: An Insider's Tribute, by Don Green
External links
- John MacArthur.org – 40th anniversary legacy site presented by Grace Community Church
- GTY.org resources page – all of MacArthur's sermons (audio and text) available for download