Well today I wanted to produce a short
video which responds to someone that I consider a friend, John McArthur. John
said that any deviation from the gospel of grace is a damning lie to be cursed,
and I would agree with him wholeheartedly. But I want to have you
listen to what he has to say, and then let's make some clarifications. When I heard
this clip, I thought, "You know, I have to do a short video and discuss this clip because, I think it leaves a false impression in the minds of people. Now I take no pleasure in debating John.
He's a friend. I've spent some great days playing golf with him. I've
had some very very meaningful discussions over dinner. John is one of
the nicest people you'll ever meet, and I've certainly had him of the Bible
Answer Man broadcast. I considered it an honor to have been asked to speak at the
dedication of MacArthur chapel at Masters seminary. But John's
misunderstanding, with respect to soteriology, ought to be addressed for
the sake of the gospel. Now let me make just a few preliminary remarks. I mean to
his credit, I should say that John substantially gets the number of
Orthodox Christians right. But those who are familiar with church history are
immediately alerted to the fact that Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism don't have the exact same doctrine. Not only that, but
there are many significant differences between Roman Catholicism and Eastern
Orthodoxy. For example, Orthodoxy rejects purgatory.
Orthodoxy rejects papal infallibility. Orthodoxy rejects the Immaculate
Conception as it was defined at least by Pope Pius the 9th. And unlike
Protestantism, which shares a common history and geography with Catholicism,
Orthodoxy was not part of the Western narrative. What I mean is they
didn't have a reformation, they didn't participate in the selling of
indulgences, and they don't subscribe to such dogmas as limbo or the
celibacy of the priesthood. And let me also provide a little context for what
MacArthur mistakes as the "rag" infused with life" that was placed on my head.
In reality, no "rag" was ever placed on my head. Instead, during chrismation, or what
is known in the Western churches "confirmation," a stole - an epitrachelion - part of the ministerial vestment, a symbol to ministers of the body of Christ that
they're supposed to live and act solely as faithful shepherds of Christ's flock
was placed on my head, and you've got to remember that this is in concert
with what the Apostle Paul said. I think it was Acts chapter 20 where he said, "Keep
watch over yourselves, and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you
overseers of these shepherds of the Church of God which he bought with his
own blood because I know that after I leave, savage wolves are gonna come in
among you, and they're not going to spare the flock. Even from among your own
number of men are going to arise. They will distort truth in order
to draw away disciples after themselves. And so be on your guard, and remember
that for three years I never stop warning each one of you night and day
with tears, and I think that's what John is doing. I mean he really, really cares
about the gospel, and I'm glad that he does. So let me make a quick comment on his representation of the Orthodox view of faith and works in context he is
quoting an orthodox writing which says, "We believe a man to be not justified
through faith alone, but through faith which works through love.
That is to say through faith and works And that, says John, that is a
false gospel. It is not to be joined, it's a gospel that must be cursed.
Well what McArthur here is quoting is something that was said by a 17th
century patriarch of Jerusalem who is simply reiterating what James the bread
of our Lord says in Sacred Scripture. Most of you know this text by heart.
Remember James, he says "What use is it my brothers? What use is it if someone
says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or
sister is without clothing, is in need of daily food, and then one of you says to
them, "go in peace, be warmed, and be filled," and yet you don't give them what
is necessary for their body, well, what use is that? Even so faith, if
it has no works, is dead. Because faith without works is by itself. But of course someone may counter that saying, "You have faith, and I have works.
Well show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my
works. And then James famously says you believe there's one God or that God is one? You do well. The demons, of course, also believe that, and they shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is
useless? Was not Abraham our Father justified by works when Abraham offered
up Isaac, his son, on the altar? And so, James goes on to say, "You see that faith
was working with his works and as result of the works, faith was perfected. And the scripture was fulfilled which says - and here James
is quoting for the Old Testament - it says that Abraham believed God, and so it was
reckoned to him as righteousness. And then he was called the "friend of God." You
see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. Again, that's not me,
that's James. In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works
when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as
the body without the Spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. Now again I want to emphasize that these are not my words. These are words from
the book of James. I think I've quoted them correctly. Now we've just passed the
Reformation quincentenary which is the marking of 500 years of debate between
Protestants and Roman Catholics respecting their
dichotomization of faith and works. And this is a debate that would not, could
not, so much as have been imagined in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. Indeed, St. Mark the ascetic - he's a guy that is far beyond me - he is said to have memorized
the whole the scripture is one whose sermons are regarded as preeminent in
the literature of the church. He offers perhaps the clearest statement in early
church literature. It's back in the 5th century that demonstrates that believers
are not made righteous by good works, rather that true faith will manifest
itself in good works, and that without good works, one does not have genuine
saving faith. He had a treatise; it was titled on those who think they are made
righteous by works and in the treatise he achieves remarkable balance between
Jesus and Paul and James of balance we desperately need. Let me read what he has to say in that treatise he says when Scripture says, "He will reward every man
according to his works," do not imagine that works in themselves merit either
hell or the kingdom. On the contrary, Christ rewards each man according to
whether his works are done with faith or without faith in himself. He is not a
dealer bound by contract, but God our Creator and Redeemer. So let me make one
more point in all of that. In light of that I should note that the
patriarch of Jerusalem was in the broader context. He was seeking to refute
the patriarch of Constantinople, who was attempting to incorporate Calvinistic
determinism into Orthodox theology. In other words, in the confession
McArthur quotes from the patriarch was concerned with Calvin's belief - his
belief that God "arranges all things by his sovereign counsel. And he does that
in such a way that individuals are born who are doomed from the womb to certain
death. That some are preordained to eternal life, and others to eternal
damnation. And accordingly, as each has been created for one or the other of
those ends," says Calvin, "he's been predestined to life or death."
And Calvin, of course, famously also said, "God does not only foresee the fall of
the first man and in him the ruin of his posterity, but also at his own pleasure
arranged it." Now while it would be imprudent for me to inject myself into intramural Calvinist debates, I content myself here to merely remind everyone
watching that God himself says in Sacred Scripture, "I take no pleasure in the
death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their wicked ways and live." Well I'm gonna leave it at that with a reminder that we should stand together
with Christians around the world, United in the essentials of the historic
Christian faith. In essentials unity, in non essentials liberty, in all things charity.
What CS Lewis talked about when he talked about mere christianity. And I
also want to maybe quote here as well the precious words of Holy Scripture.
these are words that I've memorized as a brand new believer and they're always in
my memory trace. "It is by grace that you have been saved through faith, and this
is not from yourselves. It is the gift of God, not by works, so
that no one can boast. For we are God's handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do
good works, good works which God prepared in advance for us to do. At the end of
the day, I'm as deeply committed today as I have ever been to memorize the
Scripture. To meditate upon Scripture. and to mine the sacred Scriptures for all
their substantial worth. I will also continue to pray for God's richest
blessings on John MacArthur. He has a tremendous ministry, and he's got
wonderful loved ones, and I again continue to keep them in my thoughts and
prayers. I hope we have many, many more years to reach out, as he has so
wonderfully with his teaching, and with his passion. And again as I said at the
very beginning he is just a great guy. I really like John, and sometimes his
bark is worse than his bite. If you ever spend any time with him personally,
you'll find that he's a true gentleman. So thanks for listening in to this video.
I want to set the record straight as always. Do remember that this kind of
information you can find on the web at Equip.org, on YouTube, on Facebook, the
Bible Answer Man Facebook page and in many other places I'm sure. Thanks for
listening to my short comments on this very significant issue.
