Renowned bible teacher, author and pastor John MacArthur who passed away July 14 aged 86, has been described as a man whose sole mission on earth was to explain the word of God to millions around the globe in a language they could understand.
Christianity Today quoted him as saying the most important mark of his ministry was that he explained the Bible with the Bible, not cluttering up sermons with personal stories, commentary on current events, or appeals to emotion, but teaching timeless truth. The longtime pastor of Grace Community Church said a good sermon should still be good 50 years after it is preached, the eulogy added.
MacArthur reached an even wider audience by writing nearly 400 books and study guides. The "cornerstone resource of his ministry" was The MacArthur Study Bible (which has been translated into Kiswahili), his church said.
MacArthur also served as president of Grace to You, a non-profit organisation responsible for distributing his books as well as radio and television programmes that air daily across the world. According to media reports, all 3,000 sermons delivered by MacArthur were made available on the Grace to You website.
In the mid-1980s, MacArthur also became chancellor of The Master’s University and Seminary, a four-year liberal arts Christian college in Santa Clarita, California, and founded The Master's Seminary, a graduate school that trained men in pastoral and missionary work.
Such is the credentials of the seminary across the globe that when Stephen Muigai who was working in New York as an auditor after being transferred from Nairobi felt the call of God in his life and decided to go into Christian ministry, it was naturally the college of choice for him.
“The Master’s Seminary (TMS) is widely recognised for its rigorous and biblically faithful approach to training pastors and church leaders. Grounded in the conviction that “all Scripture is inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:16–17), TMS emphasises expository preaching as the only logical and faithful response to God’s Word. Students are thoroughly equipped to interpret scripture with precision, shepherd God’s people with conviction, and defend sound doctrine with clarity and boldness,” Mr Muigai said when reached by Weekly Review from his California base.
Available reports show that MacArthur was never a man to shy away from controversies especially when he believed that he was right. This was evident at the height of the Covid-19 crisis when he was one of those facing attacks for hosting large crowds in his church despite an order limiting the numbers in such meetings.
MacArthur’s church went to court arguing that the restrictions infringed on religious freedom. The judges agreed with the church and awarded it $800,000.
In 2020, as Americans headed to the elections pitting Donald Trump against Joe Biden, MacArthur said in a podcast that he had spoken to Trump and reiterated that he would never vote for the Democrats.
“There’s no way that a Christian could affirm the slaughter of babies, homosexual activity, homosexual marriage or any kind of gross immorality," he said, according to New York Times.
It is this fidelity to the gospel that Muigai noted in MacArthur’s preachings. He says that by the time he joined The Master’s Seminary in 2019, MacArthur was no longer actively teaching regular classes there but would preach twice every Sunday at Grace Community Church and delivering sermons during the seminary’s chapel sessions.
“Though not in the classroom, his faithful exposition of scripture and pastoral leadership continued to shape the seminary's culture and theological vision profoundly,” he says.
When asked about MacArthur’s legacy, Muigai says: People will answer this differently, but as a former member of his church, I would say MacArthur’s greatest legacy was his tender care for the flock. He is survived by his wife, their children, 15 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
But not all seem impressed by the late MacArthur. In an article titled “John MacArthur and the Gospel That Sent Me Looking in the Wrong Direction”, fellow Bible teacher Tullian Tchividjian says he was at first drawn to the departed theologian because of his seriousness about the Bible, his no-nonsense clarity, and his unwavering tone. doctrinal precision, moral rigor, and high expectations for the Christian life.
However, he started having doubts especially on the emphasis MacArthur paid on Christians to examine themselves relentlessly.
“…when sinners look deep enough, they see sin—shortcomings, selfishness, pride, mixed motives, unforgiveness, gracelessness, and so on. It might be cleaned up, managed, masked—but it’s still there. And if salvation depends on proving we’re the real deal, we’re all doomed,” he says.
