Southern California pastor John MacArthur, head of the "Grace to You" Ministry, lives to jump into theological controversies and prove to his opponents that his "grace" is more biblical than their "grace"!
For many years he's been involved with the "Lordship Salvation controversy" (see Wikipedia).
In recent years he's sparred over Revelation's mark of the beast. To see how he's raised many temperatures, look up "John MacArthur OUTRAGE - take Mark of Beast, still be saved..." on YouTube!
Since last fall MacArthur has inspired articles like "John MacArthur Sends 500,000,000 Charismatics to Hell" which is still all over the web. A forthright article explaining this incendiary headline is titled "John MacArthurs Strange Fire (Calvinists hating on Arminians, again?)" which can be found on Google and which is a response to the "Strange Fire Conference" MacArthur had held earlier at his church which is still causing aftershocks around the world!
MacArthur's controversies began after he was exposed early in life to 19th century dispensationalism which he constantly (and arrogantly) reflects by sneaking in the "any-moment rapture" into whatever his topic happens to be. At the same time he tries to somehow combine Reformed theology with Deformed Dispensationalism. (Sorry, I couldn't resist the temptation to add the word "Deformed"!)
Who knows, maybe John (Reformedispy) MacArthur is right and the greatest Greek scholars (Google "Famous Rapture Watchers"), who uniformly said that Rev. 3:10 means "preservation through" and not "raptured away from" were wrong. But John has a conflict.
In recent years he's sparred over Revelation's mark of the beast. To see how he's raised many temperatures, look up "John MacArthur OUTRAGE - take Mark of Beast, still be saved..." on YouTube!
Since last fall MacArthur has inspired articles like "John MacArthur Sends 500,000,000 Charismatics to Hell" which is still all over the web. A forthright article explaining this incendiary headline is titled "John MacArthurs Strange Fire (Calvinists hating on Arminians, again?)" which can be found on Google and which is a response to the "Strange Fire Conference" MacArthur had held earlier at his church which is still causing aftershocks around the world!
MacArthur's controversies began after he was exposed early in life to 19th century dispensationalism which he constantly (and arrogantly) reflects by sneaking in the "any-moment rapture" into whatever his topic happens to be. At the same time he tries to somehow combine Reformed theology with Deformed Dispensationalism. (Sorry, I couldn't resist the temptation to add the word "Deformed"!)
Who knows, maybe John (Reformedispy) MacArthur is right and the greatest Greek scholars (Google "Famous Rapture Watchers"), who uniformly said that Rev. 3:10 means "preservation through" and not "raptured away from" were wrong. But John has a conflict.
On the one hand, since he knows that all Christian theology and organized churches before 1830 believed the church would be on earth during the tribulation, he would like to be seen as one who stands with the great Reformers.
On the other hand, if John has a warehouse of unsold pretrib rapture material, and if he wants to have "security" for his retirement years and hopes that the "big California quake" won't louse up his plans, he has a decided conflict of interest. Maybe the Lord will have to help strip off the layers of his seared conscience which have grown for years in order to please his parents and his supporters - who knows?
One thing is for sure: pretrib is truly a house of cards and is so fragile that if a person removes just one card from the TOP of the pile, the whole thing can collapse. Which is why pretrib teachers don't dare to even suggest they could be wrong on even one little subpoint! Don't you feel sorry for the straitjacket they are in?
On the other hand, if John has a warehouse of unsold pretrib rapture material, and if he wants to have "security" for his retirement years and hopes that the "big California quake" won't louse up his plans, he has a decided conflict of interest. Maybe the Lord will have to help strip off the layers of his seared conscience which have grown for years in order to please his parents and his supporters - who knows?
One thing is for sure: pretrib is truly a house of cards and is so fragile that if a person removes just one card from the TOP of the pile, the whole thing can collapse. Which is why pretrib teachers don't dare to even suggest they could be wrong on even one little subpoint! Don't you feel sorry for the straitjacket they are in?
While you're mulling all this over, Google "Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty" for a rare behind-the-scenes look at the same Johnny-come-lately (or better yet, Margaret-come-lately) fantasy.
I wonder how soon California's famous underground saint (San Andreas, who's hardly faultless) will get a huge statewide kick out of what's been going on over his head!
In many ways MacArthur is/was a very good Bible teacher. I agree with him on so many things (pre-trib dispensationalism apart!) ; The Reformation, Calvinism, cessationism, the Pentecostal error, to name but a few. He is called a "popular" Bible teacher; therein lies the problem! I believe that in order to become "popular" you have to offend no-one! This is a common strategy to keep the $$££ rolling in!
ReplyDeleteYet, yet, he has consigned "500,000,000 charismatics to hell"!! (is that figure correct?) Pentecostal Christianity is the second biggest denomination in the world, after popery/RCC, which absolutely proves the movement is a foul stench to God's nostrils; for "narrow is the way" Matthew 7.14. According to Wikipedia the number is about half that amount!
I will NOT defend MacArthur, as far as I am concerned he has TOTALLY, COMPLETELY and UNEQUIVOCALLY lost the plot! for all the reasons MacPherson says (and more!). As for myself, I am absolutely convinced that God has His people in that so-called denomination, for I was IN there! Many Pentecostals are not pre-trib, many are! Thank God for His free sovereign electing grace? Is there such a thing as a Calvinist Pentecostal? I trow not. A contradiction in terms methinks-let us consider these things?
They have been awaiting the "Big One" in the west-side of America for about 110 years now-how long will it be?
God bless.
My thanks, Colin. It is truly interesting and informative to see things through your eyes relative to Bible teachers, the false as well as the true. As some might express it on our side of the pond, during the end-times we may be glad, sad, or even mad - but we surely won't be bored!
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