MacARTHUR ABERRATIONSAn Open Letter to the Independent Fundamental Churches of America (IFCA) Miles J. Stanford November 1995 Dear IFCA friends in Christ Jesus Over the past 50 years I have been interested in, appreciative of, and am at present deeply concerned for, the IFCA. Although not a member of the organization, I am a member of the Body of Christ. I know that you want the Lord's best for the IFCA, and that you intend for it to be a stronghold on behalf of, and a clear and honest witness to, the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. The dual purpose of this letter is to set forth briefly (!) some of the aberrations of Dr. MacArthur, and to encourage you personally to consider, or re-consider, the implications and influence--both to the movement and to the Church at large--of Dr. MacArthur's membership in the IFCA. The stated primary purpose of the IFCA during the past 40 years has been to stand for the fundamentals of the faith, and particularly Dispensationalism. With the encroachment and infiltration of legalistic Covenantism, and the Kingdom orientation of Progressive Dispensationalism, it is more essential than ever for each of us to adhere firmly and aggressively to clear-cut Pauline Dispensationalism. There would seem to be little possibility of this while in association with Dr. MacArthur's level of Dispensationalism, and his other doctrinal deviations. DISPENSATIONALISM -- Dr. MacArthur insists that he is a dispensationalist. However, in his quarterly magazine Masterpiece (Fall 1988, page 20), he lists nine books that have made the greatest impact upon his life and ministry. All of them are written by anti-dispensational Covenantists. In his highly controversial book, The Gospel According to Jesus, the author reveals his attitude toward classic Dispensationalism, as held by such leaders as Darby, Scofield, Chafer, and Ryrie:
In his Introduction, the author states:
This is certainly Covenant orientation on the part of Dr. MacArthur--to shun Paul and the heaven-based Church Epistles, for the earthly kingdom Gospel of Jesus to the nation of Israel! In his later, and equally anti-dispensational book titled Faith Works--The Gospel According to the Apostles, the author favorably quotes no less than 22 Covenant writers, in support of his Lordship Salvation thesis. In both of these books he is highly critical of dispensational writers such as Darby, Scofield, Chafer, Larkin, and Ryrie. In this book (p. 231) Dr. MacArthur accuses me of teaching two ways of salvation. In all of my writings I have stated carefully and clearly that there is but one way of salvation, i.e., [by grace through] faith based upon the Cross of Christ, but two kinds of salvation: 1) the out-of-Christ, earthly/heavenly kingdom salvation for the nation of Israel and the Gentile nations; 2) the heavenly in-Christ salvation, exclusively for the Church, the heavenly Body of Christ. ISRAEL'S NEW COVENANT -- There is further evidence of Dr. MacArthur's lack of distinction between Israel and the Church in his handling of Israel's future millennial-kingdom New Covenant, as prophesied in Jeremiah and Ezekiel. First, in his NT Commentary on Hebrews, he states correctly:
But two pages later comes a contradiction:
REGENERATION -- Speaking of regeneration, Dr. MacArthur teaches here the Covenant error, which requires one to be regenerated, brought to life, in order to believe unto life. In other words, being saved in order to be saved.
Dr. Samuel Ridout stood against this error:
[For a more detailed discussion, see Sovereignty Plus Responsibility] ONE-NATURISM-ERADICATION -- Dr. MacArthur's reference above to the believer being an awakened spiritual corpse brings us to his Covenant teaching of the death of the "old man," i.e., "one-naturism." By definition a corpse is a dead body, from which the ever-living life of the person has departed. However, death is separation, never extinction!
In his taped message (GC 2147), Dr. MacArthur states:
This eradication error is spawned by Covenatism's taking Romans 6:1-10 to be actual, instead of positional. Covenantism is in ignorance of positional truth. Death Means Separation -- Death means neither extinction, nor cessation; it always means separation. Physical death is the separation of the immaterial part of man from the material body. It does not mean that the person has become extinct, nor that he has ceased to function. KINGDOM LIVING HERE AND NOW -- When Dr. MacArthur can say that "Jesus' gospel is the foundation upon which all NT doctrine stands," he is certainly not speaking as a Dispensationalist, but rather as a Covenantist. And that is why he could write a book titled Kingdom Living Here and Now, which centers the Christian life in the Sermon on the Mount. To center in the Sermon means inevitable emigration to the Millennial Kingdom, in company with the Israelites, the Covenantists, and the Progressive Dispensationalists.
As Mr. Darby wrote, "Try away, try away!" Dr. Charles Feinberg said, "The NT up to the Cross is Jewish all the way."
Dr. Chafer wrote, in his Systematic Theology IV:346:
In his NT Commentary on Matthew, Dr. MacArthur further states:
ADOPTION -- In his book Our Sufficiency in Christ, Dr. MacArthur speaks of adoption, in error:
It is the same in The Church, the Body of Christ:
Ephesians 1:4 states that "He [God] hath chosen us in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world." Adoption can never give one a union within a family. The Christian's relationship to the Father is one of spiritual birth, a recreation of life and nature--infinitely beyond the bounds of adoption, spiritual or otherwise. Our birth into Christ as our life included the legal adoption of sonship, but it is not adoption into Christ, or the family of God. That requires birth; and that closeness is beyond comparison with adoption of any kind. The New Scofield Reference Bible note, page 1272, makes that clear:
LORDSHIP SALVATION -- Pastor George Zeller shares this telling contrast:
It must be said that Dr. MacArthur's Lordship Salvation is a child of Covenant theology; it is an interpolation. It is not the childlike faith in the grace of John 3:16. It rightly insists upon repentance, but wrongly interjects a change of behavior--one must bring forth fruits (works) for repentance (Lu. 3:8) in order to be saved. No one questions that there must be a sincere change of mind, a turning from one's self to the Saviour, but Lordship advocates attempt to make behavior and fruit essential ingredients of, rather than evidence of, saving faith. Scripture teaches that the Savior saves "the ungodly" (Rom. 5:6) in their sin, and believers from their sin (Gal. 5:16). CHILD SALVATION -- Dr. MacArthur's Lordship Salvation causes him to teach the following concerning child salvation. On September 25, 1990, at Calvary Baptist Church in Brewer, Maine (Rev. Larry Pawson, pastor), Dr. MacArthur was involved in a question and answer session which was publicly taped. During the session he said the following as to child salvation:
The Savior taught that to be saved adults must become as little children (Matt. 18:3). Dr. MacArthur teaches that to be saved, little children must become as adults. In the meantime, young or old, it is "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). THE BLOOD -- Dr. MacArthur has needlessly caused a sad and harmful controversy throughout the Church during the past 25 years or so, by giving precedence to the Lord Jesus' death over His shed Blood, in relation to our salvation. It is not only the error, but his attitude toward Christ's Blood that is so shameful and causes so much heartache among conscientious believers. Dr. MacArthur relegates the precious Blood of Christ to a symbol status:
The Lord Jesus' death is no more critical than His shed Blood. As to our salvation, they are one. In relation to our being saved, reconciled, etc., the NT mentions His Blood at least five times more often than His death. The Blood of the Lamb was more than a symbol, or a "demonstration," of His death on the Cross! In an open letter of October 2, 1986, Dr. MacArthur wrote:
Dr. MacArthur may emphasize His death, and minimize His Blood, but the Word of God emphasizes and glorifies His shed Blood.
Whether He presented to His Father His literal Blood that was shed on the Cross, or whether it was spiritually presented, the Word does not indicate. The point is that the ascended Lord Jesus Christ Himself could not enter the Father's glorious presence without His shed Blood. His presentation to the Father was accepted, and His place is forever there in the Holiest of All, "seated on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens" (Heb. 8:1). By virtue of that same Blood, we are positioned there before the Father. "But now in Christ Jesus ye who once were far off are made nigh by the Blood of Christ." "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus" (Eph. 2:13; Heb. 10:19). We do not have access to our Father's presence by a representation, nor a symbolization of His death, but by the precious Blood itself. The early Plymouth Brethren leader, Mr. L.J. Harris, wrote:
ASSURANCE -- In his book, Saved Without a Doubt: How to be Sure of Your Salvation, Dr. MacArthur's "assurance" is founded upon the Covenant teaching that one must persevere in holiness unto the very end. This is actually saying that there is no true assurance of salvation until the very last moment of life. And for him it is not just a matter of perseverance in faith, but also of good works! The last two-thirds of the author's book is devoted to the subjective Covenant teaching concerning perseverance, where he bases assurance upon tests of salvation (1 John), growth in Christ (2 Pet. 1), victory over sin (Rom. 6-8), and perseverance (James 1:12). Some of the author's tests of assurance are:
There is this in his Kingdom Living Here and Now:
I can neither hear nor heed this Covenant-oriented leader because, with all other believers, I have already been raised up ... and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6). In His holiness, righteousness, and Life, my life is "hidden with Christ in God [now]" (Col. 3:3). Mr. C.A. Coates assures:
About the time Dr. MacArthur wrote Saved Without a Doubt he spoke at a large Evangelical Conference. While on the platform before some 500 pastors he was questioned as follows:
So much for the authenticity of the book and its title! The author's "sure" is sans surety. INCARNATIONAL SONSHIP -- Dr. MacArthur denies that the Lord Jesus Christ was the Son of God in eternity prior to His incarnation. [John MacArthur has formally retracted his erroneous teaching in this area. > Chick Here <] In saying that, he also denies that God was Father in eternity past. On pages 27 and 29 in his NT Commentary on Hebrews, the author states:
Our brother claims that Christ's Sonship is but a role that He assumed at the incarnation, and not before. He insists that "Son of God" is merely a title he acquired, a role He played, a name He took on, and a function He assumed at the time of the incarnation. This total denial robs the Lord Jesus of being truly, actually, intrinsically, and eternally the Beloved Son of the Father! He also denies God's eternal Fatherhood, saying, "It wasn't a Father/Son relationship in eternity." Despite the above deviations Dr. MacArthur has annually signed the IFCA Doctrinal Statement, with the required "hearty agreement." This in the face of the IFCA Doctrinal Statement which declares: "We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three Persons--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became Man, without ceasing to be God." In full support of the historic IFCA doctrinal statement and its declarations regarding the Eternal Sonship of Christ, a group of IFCA men issued the following public statement:
Contrary to this, the IFCA leadership concludes that this denial of Eternal Sonship is not out of harmony with the IFCA Doctrinal Statement! For a clear and comprehensive refutation of the Incarnational Sonship error, see The Eternal Sonship of Christ--A Timely Defense of This Vital Doctrine, by Pastor George Zeller and Dr. Renald Showers. (You may order from the publisher, Loizeaux Brothers, toll free -- 1-800-526-2796.) One cannot help but admire Dr. John MacArthur Jr. His worldwide influence and literary achievements are remarkable. But, dear friend, it must be remembered that doctrine is thicker than blood. "It is better to be divided by truth than to be united by error. If any are to be called divisive for their doctrinal beliefs, then it should be those who deny the orthodox doctrines of the Word, rather than those who affirm them." The peerless Paul is our man: "Mark them who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them" (Rom. 16:17). "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly and not after the tradition which ye received of us .... And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother" (2 Thess. 3:6,14,15). Yours for His best. Resting in Him, Miles |
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MJStanford
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