The Unsurprizing Theology Of John MacArthur

   Recently, Fundamentalist teacher John MacArthur held a conference in California called "Strange Fire." What is strange about all this hullabaloo for me is that there is nothing new about John MacArthur's attack against "Spirit-filled" believers/churches.  He has been well known for his positions since the publication in 1992 of his book "Charismatic Chaos."  Everyone has reacted to his position like there is something new about what he's held as a "ideological" position for 20 years or more. 

  First of all, John MacArthur regards himself as a Calvinist.  Most Calvinist are Cessationists. Cessationists believe that all signs, wonders, miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit (especially Speaking in Tongues) ended with the "giving" of the the scripture (or the closing of the canon) or death of the apostles. Contrary to his calling those who hold that "charismatic" gifts outlined in scripture as heretics; I have a hard time with him declaring men like George Fox, John Wesley and Charles G. Finney, heretics because they spoke in tongues.  Having been raised in a fundamentalist Baptist church,  with a pastor who did his undergraduate degree at Bob Jones university like John MacArthur did, I know his positions and views on scripture.  John MacArthur holds an "inerrant," "interpretation," view of scripture... which means that while claiming he believes the bible is inerrant - the real position is that he and others who hold this position believe that "their interpretation of scripture is inerrant.  This position is ridiculous.  This whole argument was born out of the scope's trial in 1929 with the introduction of evolution into American Public schools.  

    The proper scriptural position is that we have an inerrant God who inspired the writers of the various books of the bible.  As we read the scripture, we find God speaks to humanity in various ways... Hebrews 1:1 says, "In the past God spoke to our ancestors at many different times and in many different ways through the prophets."  God didn't speak through the scrolls of these men, he told these men to write down what he said on scrolls.  God spoke to Moses in a burning bush.  He spoke to Elijah in a still small voice. He spoke to all of us through Jesus, God's only begotten son.  He spoke to Paul the Apostle through many diverse circumstances... and God still speaks to us today through the same empowering Holy Spirit as he did through them.  The primary problem with Mr. MacArthur's view is his interpretation on I Cor. 13:9.  This verse says, "But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."  He holds that "when that which is perfect comes" means the Bible is that which is perfect.  What this means in his "religious context" is that all gifts, all signs and wonders ceased "when that which is comes" came.    However, any cursory reading of the text demonstrates that the context clearly is referring to Christ not the Bible.  So, where did they get the idea that the gifts of the Holy Spirit ceased?

    Well,  Mr. MacArthur gets this position from dispensationalism.  The view that there are different periods of God's dealing with people.  In other words, he would hold to the position that there was an Apostolic age which ended around 100 CE. The Apostolic Age of the history of Christianity is traditionally the period of the Twelve Apostles, dating from the Great Commission of the Apostles by the resurrected Jesus in Jerusalem c. 33 until the death of the last Apostle, believed to be John the Apostle in Anatolia c. 100.  After the conclusion of the this apostolic age we moved into an age of grace which will last until the rapture of the church.  As a system, dispensationalism is expounded in the writings of John Nelson Darby (1800–82) and the Plymouth Brethren movement, and propagated through works such as Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. The theology of dispensationalism consists of a distinctive eschatological end-times perspective, as all dispensationalists hold to premillennialism and most hold to a pretribulation rapture.  John MacArthur holds to these views and probably would die on the spot if he knew that all these views arouse from a "charismatic" church movement he declares as heretical.  On the one side, he denounces the "charismatic" expression of gifts but holds to a view that was birthed in the very type of church he denounces through the prophecies of Margret McDonald (a woman too!).

    A friend of mine, Richard Mull, has recently completed what he calls the "God Speaks Bible."  The God Speaks Bible traces every time God has spoken, every individual whom God has spoken to in the Bible and every conceivable way that God has spoken, using color coded identification. It also contains valuable resources to help you learn to hear God and to grow in your intimacy with Him. This Bible will certainly demonstrate that God doesn't just speak through words written down on paper.  God forgive us that we would limit God to a "paper pope." The Bible clearly teaches that God speaks through the guidance the Holy Spirit, who will guide us into all truth, not through the reading of words with preformulated views I bring to scripture.  That is called indoctrination. Problem with most Calvinist is they think Calvin was the only voice of the reformation... anyone heard of Zwingli?  

    The unfortunate thing I find with Mr. MacArthur's position is that it's nothing new.  I guess the rise and popularity of churches like Hillsong, Christian City Church, Lakewood Church or Gateway etc. he is threatened by a declining eschatological view that is evidence to him that we are now in the period of the "great falling" away.  I'm glad to be a part of that falling away he points to.  I fell away from "preachers" who are arrogant enough to proclaim themselves as the holders of all "truth" and if we don't agree with them then we don't have a disagreement with them... we have a disagreement with the word of God.  WELL, Mr. MacArthur, not that you'll ever read my blog, but You're not God, I know God, and your not HIM and your interpretation of the Bible is not inerrant.  Jesus Christ is always the same, yesterday, today and forever.  (Hebrews 13:8)