Posted on 10/22/2019 8:03:01 AM PDT by Brookhaven
(RNS) — Evangelical pastor John MacArthur, speaking at a celebration of his 50th year in pulpit ministry this week, weighed in on an ongoing debate in the Southern Baptist Convention over women preachers, claiming the nation’s largest Protestant denomination has lost faith in the authority of the Bible.
He claimed the SBC had taken a “headlong plunge” toward allowing women preachers at its annual meeting this summer.
That, he said, was a sign the denomination no longer believed in biblical authority.
“When you literally overturn the teaching of Scripture to empower people who want power, you have given up biblical authority,” said MacArthur.
OPINION: Why Southern Baptists are unlikely to get female pastors
During the “Truth Matters Conference,” held Oct. 16-18 at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, where he is pastor, MacArthur and other panelists were asked to give their gut reactions to one- or two-word phrases.
Asked to respond to the phrase “Beth Moore,” the name of a well-known Southern Baptist Bible teacher, MacArthur replied, “Go home.”
Sounds of laughter and applause could be heard in response during a recording of the session, which was posted online.
MacArthur — a leading proponent of Reformed theology and of complementarianism, the idea that women and men have different roles to play in the church and in society — was apparently responding to a controversy this past summer when Moore noted on Twitter that she spoke at a megachurch on a Sunday morning.
Her tweet led to accusations that Moore was undermining Southern Baptist teaching, which bars women from holding the office of pastor in churches.
MacArthur went on to criticize Paula White, a prosperity gospel preacher known as a spiritual advisor to President Trump, saying that he found these women preachers troubling because, “I think the church is caving in to women preachers.”
The pastor went on to say that the #MeToo movement was a sign the culture was taking over the church and accused feminists of wanting power rather than equality. He also seemed to compare women preachers to salespeople who hawk jewelry on TV.
When asked if the Southern Baptists were now moving toward “soft complementarianism,” MacArthur replied, “I don’t know about terms. I just know women are not allowed to preach.”
MacArthur also criticized the Southern Baptist Convention for passing a resolution that was supportive of critical race theory and intersectionality, seeing it as a sign that “liberalism” was taking over. He also dismissed calls for more ethnic diversity on Bible translation committees.
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His comments provoked a spirited response on social media.
Stephanie Tait, a Christian author and speaker, said on Twitter that she was “heartbroken, angry, and honestly just exhausted.
“I’ll keep preaching, but this still hurts,” she added.
Micah Fries, a Southern Baptist megachurch pastor in Chattanooga, Tennessee, objected in his Twitter response to MacArthur’s “derisive, divisive manner” and called his comments “devastatingly dismissive of the inherent dignity, value and self-worth of women.”
J.D. Greear, president of the SBC, responded good-naturedly on Twitter, saying that Moore was “welcome in our home any time,” adding a hashtag referring to the Baptist Faith & Message, a statement of SBC beliefs.
Beth Moore has not posted a comment on her Twitter feed in response. Instead, she continued tweeting her thoughts on reading through the book of Job.
The Southern Baptist Seminary has been taken over by Calvinism. Thanks, Mohler.
The Bible says the minister ought to be “the husband of one wife.” That should give everyone a clue as to who should serve in that position. Of course, now with Mayor Pete claiming to be a “wife,” we have gone way around the bend in defining those roles in our ungodly society.
You are right. But your comment is a bit beside the point of this column. Calvinists like Macarthur stand very much contrary to women speaking in church. So if SBC seminary is going soft on that point, while becoming more calvinistic, there is some disconnect going on.
Anyway, Macarthur is way too big of a grouch. I think the scripture is clear that grouchiness is out of place in the church. He also thinks of himself more highly than he ought. At a conference last year I heard him say he has a hard time staying humble.
I agree wholeheartedly with MacArthur, because MacArthur is teaching what Scripture teaches. The Bible isn’t silent about this subject. We either believe in Biblical authority or we don’t. That’s the point MacArthur was making. Inevitably, inexorably, any denomination that installs women in the pulpit will soon thereafter also embrace the feminist “theology” of supporting homosexuality and abortion as well. In other words, wholesale rejection of Scripture.
Not surprised that women could soon be SBC pastors. The churches virtually abolished traditional hymns 20 years ago in favor of “new” choruses, and many have deleted Sunday night worship too.
‘The Southern Baptist Convention has been taken over by Calvinists’....
......as a Calvinist I can’t find anything wrong with this statement :)
Yep, I realize he’s a Calvinist. They even quote this guy occasionally in the Southern Baptist church I attend (incidentally in Louisville—the home of the Southern Baptist Seminary). Ticks me off. While the article doesn’t relate to Calvinism, by a broader scope of matters—its just another indication of the SBC moving away from sound doctrine—thus Beth Moore. Just a chipping away.
When they pass the collection plate, I want to put a note in it that reads, “Nothing this week. It musta been predestined”. My wife won’t let me—ha!
What has that to do with the issues raised by MacArthur? Mohler (as are most Calvinists) is strongly complementarian as we as a rock with regard to the inerrency of scripture.
MacArthur sounds like he’s capable of reading the plain words of the Bible and understanding them. Good on him for not backing down.
Southeastern Baptist Theological (Wake Forest NC)is not far from where I live and I have heard the same said of it.
If calvinists took over that would not mean female preachers. (Source I am a Calvinist)
For God so loved SOME of the world...
The Bible says the minister ought MUST be “the husband of one wife.”
If you put your name to that note, you may have opportunity to discuss these matters with a pastor. Go for it!
Been there, done that. But thanks for the assumption.
Denying ordination to women does not mean God does not love us
We have different roles. Not different value.
I am noticing the language of the people in that article who were offended by this. The woman said that she was: “heartbroken, angry, and honestly just exhausted.” Then the megachurch pastor said his words were: “devastatingly dismissive of the inherent dignity, value and self-worth of women.”
Notice how these words are full of emotion and feelings, but no calm scriptural comeback. Neither of them said, “I cannot understand how Pastor Macarthur can ignore the clear teaching of (book and verse).
Matthew 24:22Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
Matthew 24:24For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.
Matthew 24:31And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
Mark 13:20Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.
Mark 13:22for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect.
Mark 13:27And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.
Luke 18:7now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?
Romans 8:33Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;
Acts 4:28to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.
Romans 8:29For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
Romans 8:30and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
1 Corinthians 2:7but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory;
Ephesians 1:5He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,
Ephesians 1:11also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,
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