Farewell John MacArthur
Nazarenes Felt Your Influence
In the late 1980s, I attended a gathering where John MacArthur was speaking, shortly after he had released his book The Gospel According to Jesus. As someone newly called to ministry, I was eager to broaden my theological understanding and attended out of curiosity, hoping to gain insights from MacArthur because he was heard on every Christian radio station on the dial. That evening, he preached his well-known “Lordship Salvation” message, which formed the foundation of his book. It wasn’t until I began taking theology courses at a Nazarene university that I came to realize how incompatible MacArthur’s views are with Wesleyan beliefs on sanctification. According to MacArthur, assurance of salvation comes through total commitment and obedience to Christ; a view often summarized by his phrase, “He is Lord of all or not Lord at all.” While this notion may sound similar to the Wesleyan concept of entire sanctification, there are key differences. Wesleyans certainly affirm the importance of total surrender, but we understand sanctifying grace to be much more than a call to obedience. For us, sanctification involves an inner transformation; a change of heart and life initiated by God’s grace. MacArthur’s focus on salvation through commitment and submission tends to shift attention away from inward transformation and toward external expressions of discipleship. He, along with many of his contemporaries, promoted this theological perspective widely. Unfortunately, many Nazarenes have been shaped more by these ideas than by the riches of the Wesleyan tradition, which emphasizes prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace, each a gift flowing from God’s initiative and inviting our response.
In addition to promoting his Lordship Salvation doctrine, John MacArthur also championed a distinct method of Bible study and preaching that left a mark on modern preachers, even among Nazarenes. His verse-by-verse, book-by-book exposition of Scripture became a model for many, yet it reflects a theological framework that differs significantly from the Wesleyan approach. MacArthur holds to the belief that the Bible is entirely without error, asserting that any apparent contradictions can be resolved through careful exegesis. In contrast, Nazarenes affirm the authority of Scripture but maintain that it is inerrant only in what it reveals about salvation. MacArthur’s commitment to expository preaching emphasizes a strict focus on the historical and grammatical context of biblical passages, with the goal of letting Scripture speak directly to the listener. This is not a bad thing per se. It is the theological lens MacArthur uses that only allows for the authority of the Bible, often sidelining other sources of theological reflection, such as the creeds, Christian tradition, sacraments, and personal experience. That’s where the trouble begins. His view stands in contrast to the Wesleyan tradition, which embraces the Wesleyan Quadrilateral—Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience—as a holistic framework for discerning divine truth. These differing convictions lead to distinct approaches in the pulpit, shaping not only how Scripture is interpreted but also how it is proclaimed and lived out in the community of faith.
MacArthur’s church was known for “Bible-class” lectures where note-taking members showed up with three-ring binders, hanging on every word coming out of MacArthur’s mouth, believing him to be speaking the very words of God. A scary amount of trust was placed in MacArthur as a preacher. A degree of certitude and command of biblical facts made MacArthur a favorite among fundamentalist-leaning believers. I hope Nazarene churches resist that path. We need preachers who are willing to tell the story of God and declare Christ as our savior, not the bible. In our tradition, we certainly teach the Bible and uphold a plenary view of inspiration, but we do not elevate the Bible over Christ. Verse-by-verse Bible exposition is one method among many, but not effective when practiced at the expense of marginalizing other methods of delivering biblical content. According to MacArthur, preachers who didn’t preach his style of exposition were in danger of preaching human ideas.
Several years ago, while serving as a volunteer at a local Nazarene church, I received a heartfelt invitation in the mail to join a Bible study that was based on one of John MacArthur’s study guides. Though I appreciated the sincerity of the gesture, I respectfully declined and brought the matter to the attention of the senior pastor. I was the only one who expressed concern. Having visited more than 30 Nazarene churches in 2019 alone, some of those visits revealed mild degrees of influence from MacArthur and others who share his theological perspective. While it's difficult to measure the extent of that influence, I can confidently say it exists, especially among folks who have been in the church for a few decades and lean toward a conservative Baptist perspective. In one church library, I even found MacArthur’s commentaries and study Bible on the shelves. His wide reach through radio broadcasts, Christian bookstores, and decades of publishing has made his work both popular and easily accessible. With over 50 years of prominence in the broader evangelical world, MacArthur has certainly left a lasting impression, even among those traditions that didn’t line up with his strict conservative beliefs.
One more important point about John MacArthur deserves mention: his staunch opposition to women in ministry ought to be a warning sign to Nazarenes. He has been outspoken on the issue, even going so far as to advise people to “run” from any church where a woman is preaching, claiming it is unbiblical. Perhaps most famously, during a public forum, when asked what he thought of Beth Moore, a popular Southern Baptist figure, MacArthur bluntly responded, “Go home.” Comments like these reflect a theological stance that directly contradicts the values of the Church of the Nazarene, which has affirmed the ordination of women since 1908. MacArthur despised women in ministry and, by doing so, weakened the church. This kind of influence has no place in a denomination that celebrates the calling and gifting of all people, regardless of gender. As we continue to disciple and teach in our churches, let’s be intentional about ensuring that our congregants are shaped by the legacy of John Wesley, not the theology of John MacArthur.
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Great thoughts and observations.