The Gospel According To John (MacArthur)—Part 19

“Most of the current controversy regarding the gospel hinges on the definitions of a few key words, including repentance, faith, discipleship, and Lord.”186 So writes John MacArthur in his chapter on repentance.187 He notes that our Lord’s preaching of the Kingdom of . . . Continue reading →

Vos: Don’t Give Stones For Bread

In the Judaistic controversy which shook the early church, forces and tendencies were at work deeply rooted in the sinful human heart. In modernized apparel they confront us still to the present day. There are still abroad forms of a Christless Gospel. . . . Continue reading →

The Gospel According To John (MacArthur)—Part 18

Throughout this series, however it might seem to devoted fans of John MacArthur, I have endeavored to be honest and fair—both of which require me to acknowledge, as I have before, that chapters 14 and 15 are quite edifying. The beginning of . . . Continue reading →

The Gospel According To John (MacArthur)—Part 17

Dispensationalism is as much a theory of the church as it is of dispensations. Or rather, dispensationalism divides humanity into three distinct groups: Israel, the church, and the nations. The first two are in covenant with God. Israel has the starring role . . . Continue reading →

The Gospel According To John (MacArthur)—Part 16

In MacArthur’s account of the parables of the kingdom of God, the nature of saving faith, and in his use of sources, we face three interesting sets of questions and some recurring problems in chapter 13 of The Gospel According to Jesus. . . . Continue reading →

Should We Allow Wesleyans To Narrate The Reformed Tradition For Us (Or Why We Are Not Finally Saved Through Good Works) Part 2

Further, salvation includes three aspects: justification (i.e., God’s judicial declaration that believers are righteous), sanctification (i.e., God’s progressive and gracious work in conforming believers to the likeness of Christ), and glorification. If any aspect of salvation is said to be through good . . . Continue reading →

Should We Allow Wesleyans To Narrate The Reformed Tradition For Us? (Or Why We Are Not Finally Saved Through Good Works) Part 1

Perhaps the most important paragraphs in Rhyne Putman’s recent review of a new volume attempting to relate good works to salvation appear near the end (16 paragraphs in): One theological topic closely related to good works and salvation is conspicuously absent in . . . Continue reading →

The Gospel According To John (MacArthur)—Part 15

In chapter 15 of GAJ, MacArthur’s critique of Dispensational antinomianism (and particularly of the “carnal Christian” doctrine, which we addressed last time) turns to the parable of the sower (Matt 13:24–30). He complains about the undisciplined character of so much of contemporary . . . Continue reading →

The Gospel According To John (MacArthur)—Part 14

No chapter in this volume, so far, relies on MacArthur’s debt to Dispensationalism more than chapter 11, where he addresses the parable of the soils in Matthew 13. The Problem Of Dispensationalism He begins by recalling our Lord’s words, which he addressed . . . Continue reading →