John MacArthur: Distinguished Calvinist Preacher.

[JAG]

John MacArthur . . . .
(John Fullerton MacArthur Jr.)

. . . . is a very distinguished Christian pastor, expository preacher and Reformed Calvinist
systematic theologian.

He is also an excellent primitive traditional Patriarchal Family man. He is married to his
wife Patricia and they have four children, fifteen gradchildren and two great-grandsons.

John MacArthur has pastored Grace Community Church in California since February 1969 --
that's 54 years.

He has written or edited over 150 books -- the most popular is the MacArthur Study Bible
which has sold over 1,000,000 copies.

The good news is John MacArthur is a strong Bible believing Reformed Presbyterian Calvinist.

The bad news is his defeatist eschatology -- sadly he holds the doomsday Premillennial
Dispensational view of the future of the Christian Church -- BUT NOBODY IS PERFECT.

John MacArthur is an excellent expository preacher. That means, unlike a huge number of
preachers he is short on giving you his personal OPINIONS nd long on giving you what the
Bible ACTUALLY SAYS.

John MacArthur has a large number of expository video sermons on YouTube. Here is one of
them:



Thoughts?

[]

[roadmaster]

I am an independent Baptist but I agree with him as a female myself. The Bible is clear and when women have authority over men, men become weak.

[Chris]

The only woman pastor I'm familiar with is Pastor Melissa Scott, Ph.D. I came across her over a decade ago. What intrigued me was she would fill whiteboards with Greek, Hebrew or Aramaic during her exegesis of Biblical passages. She's the widow of and successor of Gene Scott at the Pentecostal Assemblies of God in LA, CA.

That makes her Arminian rather than Calvinist (mentioned in the OP), Lutheran, and Protestant rather than Catholic.

I found a video of her speaking on what seems to be the topic where she argues what Paul writes to Timothy has t be read in context:

[roadmaster]

This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
9Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
11Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
12Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
14These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:
15But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
16And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

[Chris]

This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
9Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
11Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
12Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
14These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:
15But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
16And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

I can't argue it but she says below not reading it in context results in error, transcript:

failure to grasp what was intended in
the passage in context before you make
an application to yourself usually will
result in error another great one of
these by the way is Paul writing to
Timothy and explaining to Timothy that
he does not in this particular case
speaking to Timothy he says I suffer not
a woman to teach in context it's and
I've explained this before
Timothy is being bullied around by very
rich widows and you can read up on this
and make sure the context is right why
because Paul does not say that to other
churches he's saying it to Timothy hey
Timothy find a pair and wear him that
make my am I making myself clear failure
to understand that brings out people
saying well Paul said women shouldn't
teach at all they should stay silent in
the church that becomes error

[JAG]

The only woman pastor I'm familiar with is Pastor Melissa Scott, Ph.D. I came across her over a decade ago. What intrigued me was she would fill whiteboards with Greek, Hebrew or Aramaic during her exegesis of Biblical passages. She's the widow of and successor of Gene Scott at the Pentecostal Assemblies of God in LA, CA.

That makes her Arminian rather than Calvinist (mentioned in the OP), Lutheran, and Protestant rather than Catholic.

I found a video of her speaking on what seems to be the topic where she argues what Paul writes to Timothy has t be read in context:

Thanks for your input.

1 Timothy 2:11-15
and
1 Cor. 14:34-38
are perfectly clear and not arguable: The New Testament forbids female pastors/preachers.

However . . .
In this present age, what the Bible says does not stop fallen corrupted humans
from using their Free Will to make a decision to do what they want to do.

And true loons can get a following regardless of how nutty they are:
For example:
* The Rev Jim Jones and Jonestown and near 1000 dead Kool Aid drinkers.
* David Koresh
* Heavens Gate
* And for that matter Adolf Hitler (he was democratically elected as Germany's leader)

Humans will follow absolute fools (and to their deaths too).

JAG

[]

[roadmaster]

I am not a Calvinist, or Presbyterian, not a pre-tribber ect. One thing I can say about John MacAthur is he is not afraid to preach on the Reprobate doctrine that many preachers won't touch. He also knows History.

[JAG]

I am not a Calvinist, or Presbyterian, not a pre-tribber ect. One thing I can say about John MacAthur is he is not afraid to preach on the Reprobate doctrine that many preachers won't touch. He also knows History.

Yes indeed.
And thanks for the comment.

Best
JAG
[]

[Chris]

Seems both of you are forgetting that any particular passage must be read in context and that includes not only who the author is but the reader and the events surrounding it. And, perhaps even more importantly, the entire Bible for here your interpretation needs to be consistent with the rest of the book.

Now you two probably have great advantage here as you're likely much better versed than I so I have to rely on other sources. Still I know from recent reading of the Gospels that women are not excluded from spreading the word.

1 Corinthians 11:5
King James Version

5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.


1 Corinthians 14:23-25
King James Version

23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:
25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.


1 Corinthians 14:31
King James Version

31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.


And that's Paul, and only a few of 20 Scripture Passages Telling Women to Speak, Teach, Lead, and Have Authority Over Men, in the Assembly and Elsewhere.


And then there's the Samaritan Woman at the Well in John 4:1-42

27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

...39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

...42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.


So I ask how do you reconcile all these and your passages?

[JAG]

Seems both of you are forgetting that any particular passage must be read in context and that includes not only who the author is but the reader and the events surrounding it. And, perhaps even more importantly, the entire Bible for here your interpretation needs to be consistent with the rest of the book.

Now you two probably have great advantage here as you're likely much better versed than I so I have to rely on other sources. Still I know from recent reading of the Gospels that women are not excluded from spreading the word.

1 Corinthians 11:5
King James Version

5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.


1 Corinthians 14:23-25
King James Version

23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:
25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.


1 Corinthians 14:31
King James Version

31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.


And that's Paul, and only a few of 20 Scripture Passages Telling Women to Speak, Teach, Lead, and Have Authority Over Men, in the Assembly and Elsewhere.


And then there's the Samaritan Woman at the Well in John 4:1-42

27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

...39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

...42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.


So I ask how do you reconcile all these and your passages?

The first rule of hermeneutics is that you always interpret
such verses as you listed in light of the crystal-clear
passages, which are these:


1 Timothy 2:11-15

11A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12I do not permit a woman
to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. 13For Adam was formed
first, then Eve. 14And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was
deceived and became a sinner. 15But women will be saved through childbearing—if they
continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety."
1 Timothy 2:11 - 15

and

1 Cor. 14:34-35

"34Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but
must be in submission, as the law says. 35If they want to inquire about something,
they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to
speak in the church."

___________



My view: Anybody not convinced by 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and 1 Cor. 14:34-35
that the New Testament forbids females to pastor churches or to preach to men,
had their minds made up before they cracked open the Bible, that they were NOT
going to believe it.

Best

JAG

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