Love Hopes All Things . . . But Do We? (MacArthur on Patrick)
I’ve had an interesting journey over the past few years. I have made the trip that some of you have, from run-of-the-mill Arminian who was that way simply because that’s all we’d ever known, to angry, argumentative Calvinist, through the gymnastics of “theological precision,” from “High Calvinism” to “Low Calvinism,” and finally, to reformed (with a little “r”), missional and, I pray, gospel-centered.
It’s been an odd experience, because as I’ve moved through certain theological circles, I have gleaned tremendously from certain groups and individuals who, later, only seem to say they would no longer have me. The Southern Baptist Convention’s move across the nation against Acts 29, public comments asking to ban Mark Driscoll’s book from Lifeway stores have led me to infer that the SBC doesn’t want me.
John MacArthur has been a tremendous theological influence throughout my formative years. Though I have never aligned with his Dispensationalism or some of his views on the role of a pastor (it seems to me that he is fully content spending 40 hours a week in the study, which is a teacher, not a pastor. Pastors pastor; among people, which requires you get out of the office) he has helped me understand theological nuance, partly because I don’t always agree with him.
But lately, it seems as though MacArthur is saying to a myriad of young men who have benefited from his teachings that, while that’s nice, he doesn’t want anything to do with us. MacArthur has had harsh words to say about Mark Driscoll, saying that he “rapes” the Scriptures and more recently, MacArthur made reference to Acts 29 Vice President Darrin Patrick. As my friend Steve McCoy has pointed out, MacArthur was recently interviewed by Phil Johnson,. After railing against Piper and Grudem for their non-cessasionist views, and telling us that this is why what he does is so important, and that Phil Johnson actually writes much of the more controversial material, MacArthur had this to say:
You know, there’s a new book on church planting written by a guy named Darrin Patrick and it says if you want to be an effective church planter, develop your own theology.
You know when I read that I just almost fell off the chair. What? I mean, can you think of anything worse than to have some guy develop his own theology? This is ultimate niche marketing. Develop your own style, your own wardrobe, and then your own theology.
I’ll be honest, as one who has benefited from MacArthur, and one inside the Acts 29 camp (though I am not writing for them in any way), this breaks my heart. After having learned so much from MacArthur positively, it now seems that I’m forced to learn from him in the negative. His comments are not only careless, they are against Scriptural mandates regarding how we should treat one another. In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Paul goes to great lengths to show us that:
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant [5] or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; [6] it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. [7] Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Earlier in the same chapter, Paul warns against knowledgeable men who do not demonstrate love:
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. [2] And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
In 2 Timothy 2:22-26, Paul warns us to avoid ignorant controversies and to restore false teaching with gentleness seeking the restoration (or salvation) of the one in error. I could certainly be wrong, I don’t know MacAthur at all, but as an outsider looking in, it seems to me that recently, not only has he chosen to pursue controversy with fellow believers, he has not believed the best about those with whom he disagrees.
I have to wonder if MacArthur has read Patrick’s entire book or listened to him preach, or really taken time to look at Acts 29 as a movement. His notion that Patrick was somehow advocating that every person come up with their own unique theology is simply laughable. I have rarely been around guys who take theology as seriously as my brothers in Acts 29. Patrick was warning against simply adopting other people’s theology, we must make it our own; we must do the hard work of wading through concepts, understanding nuance and weighing Scripture carefully until it is our own. It would seem to me that if MacArthur has actually read the book or listened to Patrick preach or spent much time around Acts 29, he would know that what he condemns is not what we are advocating. Not in the slightest. Acts 29 and Patrick are very firm in holding to the historical, confessional faith.
MacArthur’s comments are careless and they break my heart, if only for the fact that, at least from my vantage point, they don’t seem to believe the best about Patrick. If Patrick worded his assertions poorly then shouldn’t MacArthur give the benefit of the doubt? If anything, MacArthur’s comments have forced me to examine my own heart and attitude, especially in theological debates. I have a tendency to care more about making a point than the person I’m speaking with. At least MacArthur is still teaching me, albeit now by forcing me to examine my own faults by displaying his.
- Read Church Planter: The Man, The Message, The Mission by Darrin Patrick
- Listen to Theology and Ministry: an Interview With John MacArthur
Good thoughts, brother. I so badly want to see MacArthur as a distant mentor again. He says so much I want to encourage others to hear. But this is really bad.
Wow Brent, thanks for putting so well (and Biblically) my thoughts of Big Mac. I love most of his theology but just can’t take his attitude toward those who disagree with him. Pretty much on anything. Sadly, I stopped listening to and reading MacArthur a few years ago because of this. I like your words to describe this better than mine.
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I wrote of this in my blog post for today. You can catch it on willadair.com.
I look at MacArthur as a elder father. Listened to, respected, yet when he is wrong that I must just bite my lip and remember that grace and love is not always easy.
I am glad good is coming out of this. Like you, I’m trying to judge myself first. At times, I think if I could collect all the planks I could build a house.
I know this is a bit beside your point, Brent, but pastors are to labor in the word and doctrine. That is why they are worth of “appropriate compensation,” rather than “double honor” (MGK’s helpful insight on the Greek, there). There are things I am cautious about regarding MacArthur, but laboring in the word and doctrine is not one of them.
Brent, I was just reading a little John Mac earlier this week(The God who Loves)…I must say, I was disappointed but not surprised with his comments…it seems, the last few years, he has done a good job alienating himself from other Godly teachers/preachers, and honestly, it is a real bummer, because I have enjoyed (in the past) reading and learning from his teaching. Things like these make me want to put his book back on the shelf–even though there is much good that has come from his teaching in the past. May we, as pastors/teachers, learn from this example and spend a little time looking in the mirror…and spend a little time repenting…
I do not get the man. I think a lot of it comes from the fact that I am pretty staunch Reformed (with a big ‘R’) so his ‘flavor’ of Calvinism is foreign to me. But the small amount of encounters I have had with his teaching have always left a bad taste in my mouth and this only serves to confirm my initial thoughts on him.
“…he doesn’t want anything to do with us.”
I don’t understand how you can write that. Listen to the interview that contains the “controversial” comments. He specifically says that he loves the pastors he was just talking about, that they minister to him, and that he doesn’t want to cut himself of from them.
He specifically says the opposite of what you said.
Thanks for revealing your heart. Good thoughts and will pray for God to soften his heart.
Brad, I did listen to the interview. I wouldn’t have posted anything on it if I had not. I think that MacArthur’s comments regarding Darrin Patrick, his previous comments regarding Mark Driscoll and Phil Johnson’s assertions about the “vast distinction between true relevance and mere trendiness” all show that, in fact, MacArthur is quite fine distancing himself from Acts 29.
I listened to the entire Phil Johnson, John MacArthur interview (from your link). Wow. Your comments about John are much more harsh than anything he said about John P or Wayne. Go to “http://guiseppisramblings.blogspot.com/2006/09/non-cessationism-and-john-piper.html” and read Piper’s words. I understand Johnny Mac’s concern. For the past 40 years Johnny Mac has been fighting the good fight for Biblical Theology. A few remarks about Acts29 superstar hipsters shouldn’t rattle you so. Johnny has been in the pulpit at Grace since ’69. He’s been up against it the whole time, so, grow up. I heard Johnny preach the Gospel to me in 1968 at summer camp. I love the guy. I don’t agree with him on
Travis,
I’m not sure I understand what you mean in your comment. Having been reared traditionally Southern Baptist, I would have to say that without John MacArthur I wouldn’t be staunchly Reformed (big “R”). I’m still part of an SBC church but my understanding of the Doctrines of Face are strongly influenced by MacArthur. Please clarify if you don’t mind.
Grace and Peace,
Andrew H.
Of course, I meant Doctrines of Grace but auto-correct on my android ate me up! Sorry about that.
Andrew H.
Brent, thank you for your humility and care in how you wrote this post.
Andrew,
By big’r’ I was making the assumption that Brent was clarifying between a Baptist view (liitle) and a Presbyterian view (big). As a Presby, MacAurther befuddles me. I get Piper and all those guys, I can at least draw a line. MacAurther is not reformed in my viewpoint. He holds to a Calvinist view of soteriology but does not hold to a reformed view of the covenant, which is a big part of being reformed.
Hope that helps.
Travis
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Suffices to say that we can all go ‘over the top’ at times. I haven’t listened to this particular audio but do remember JM’s insane eschatological bashing from the Dispy-throne.
I like his conviction. I cut my teeth on his tapes. But I agree that he still has a bit of what I call a ‘fundy-vein’ in him that rubs me the wrong way.
It’s the same scent you breathe in when talking to a KJV-onlyist only much lighter.
We all have blind spots and weaknesses. Let’s pray together that we can, by the Spirit’s grace, be more resolved to shore up thos lines and let love prevail.
I really like how Darrin responded to this. http://journeyon.net/blogs/darrin-patrick/not-radical-individualism-reply-dr-john-macarthur
Enjoyed reading the post. You have a very readable writing style that draws the reader in and keeps them wanting more. However, if I could give one piece of advice, make sure that the text you quote is about the same subject that you are writing on. 1 Corinthians 13 is about love that only God is and can give. It isn’t talking about compassion on others, or man’s love when it says “love.” This gives the term “perfect” a helpful contextual semantic range of “perfect love.” Reread the passage and see if you agree.
Your 2 Timothy verse is accurate on Johnny Mac for sure. Not having gentleness in public forums alienates people into camps. That’s never helpful in the end.
Thanks for the read!
Cooper, so 1 Cor 13 is just an informative chapter to describe for us the love of God? Is there not at least the implication that we as the church should model this Kingdom principle of God’s love to each other?
Cooper, thanks for the exegetical advice. However, your assertion has some difficulties: if you notice 1 Corinthians 12:30c, introducing “the love chapter,” Paul says: “And I will show you a still more excellent way.” Then, in chapter 14, Paul says “Pursue love,” presumably the love he has just expounded in chapter 13. Why would he say this unless we were encouraged to pursue the love described in chapter 13? Moreover, Paul himself asserts that if he speaks without love, he is a clanging gong or noisy cymbal. This is certainly talking about our dealings with one another.