I am amazed that more people do not understand that Truth protects us... we do not protect truth.
John MacArthur states in his book The Truth War...
“It is our duty to guard, proclaim, and pass that truth on to the next generation." [1 Timothy 6:20–21]
Now let's go look at his reference.
"O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— 21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen."
Note how subtle this is... but that is how Satan works!
Yes, Paul is stating to Timothy to "Guard what was committed to your trust.." but does Paul go on to say "go out and fight and expose those who attack truth."? No.
Paul simply states to Timothy to guard Truth by, "avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge..."
Notice the word... "avoiding". It does not nor has ever meant to declare war on others.
My Truth is the Person of Jesus Christ. I see that He protects me... I cannot do anything to protect Jesus for He is God and I am a mere man.
So, my question is this... What kind of god needs protecting? And if that god does, how can a finite man protect an Almighty, all powerful God?
It seems to me that John MacArthur has diminished God from Who He really is in this "truth war" and the more I learn of John MacArthur's theology, the more I wonder if he thinks himself greater than God Himself...
5 comments:
Iggy - I just wanted to thank you for saying "John MacArthur's theology" rather than "Calvinism". Your analysis is right on!
We can talk Calvinism separately but Mac is whack.
I believe that the truth Mr. MacArthur was referring to is the Word of God. We do need to be on guard and protect the Truth from being twisted and misrepresented by mislead preachers.
2 Peter 3:16
"His [Paul's] letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position."
jacey... show me where it says "protect" the truth... it states "be on guard"
Truth protects us and that is why Peter states, "be on guard so that you will not be carried away"...
God does not need out protection... think about that... Truth does not need our protection as that is the Person of Jesus Christ... does Jesus need you or me to protect Him?
God and His Truth are not so weak as to need man to protect Him or His Truth... that IS error.
To stay guarded is not the same as attacking others. The scripture stated what will happen to them... as they twist and and distort truth it is " to their own destruction".
To twist the scripture into a weapon to abuse and attack others is not it's purpose as John MacArthur uses it... The purpose of Scripture is to point to Jesus.
John 5: 39. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40. yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
If we think God needs our protection as well as that he needs us to protect his truth... we then have made man sovereign over God and His truth.. again that is error.
Again, JM misuses the Bible and Jesus to abuse and attack others with a false pretense God is unable to protect His truth or himself without us...
Again... think about how messed up that really is.
The truth war is a lie built on a false foundation that God is too weak and his truth to fragile to protect up.... again the Bible states God is our salvation and the word of God which is the written truth leads us to the Living Truth who is Jesus... and living by that truth protects us.
I hope that is clear.
iggy
With all the non sense that passes itself off as Christianity today does it really hurt to have a John Macarthur around pleading with people to make a firm stand for the truth or for the sake of not being offensive should we allow the utter misrepresentation of Christ
Micheal,
I guess it depends on whether you see John Macarthur's theology as nonsense or not. Over the last few years I have seen it do so much damage and hurt so many... so if that is Jesus to you, then keep on the hurt and damage. Personally, I see Jesus in a whole different and better way than than shallowness that John Macarthur calls Calvinism. Jesus is much bigger - and JM seems to not allow that or see Jesus in others.
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