Here’s what six prominent US Christian leaders and commentators said in tribute to late American theologian, Bible teacher, author and pastor John MacArthur who passed away this week at the age of 86. The list was compiled by The Christian Post.
FRANKLIN GRAHAM
Reverend Franklin Graham, the son of legendary evangelist Billy Graham and president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, said that MacArthur’s “voice will be greatly missed.”
“One of America’s great Bible teachers, Pastor John MacArthur, has stepped into the presence of Almighty God,” stated Graham.
“He could get more out of a Bible verse than anyone I’ve ever known.”
“Today, the New York Times recognized him as a ‘Firebrand Preacher and Culture Warrior’ and said that he influenced generations of evangelical preachers — that is true,” Graham added.
“His voice will be greatly missed.”
GREG LAURIE
California evangelist Greg Laurie, who leads the multi-campus Harvest Christian Fellowship, said MacArthur “will be deeply missed.”
“I had the privilege of knowing John personally, and I can tell you — he was a true man of God.”
“He spoke at our church several times over the years, and it was always a joy to spend time with him,” wrote Laurie.
“John leaves behind a powerful legacy: his beloved family, his faithful congregation, his far-reaching media ministry, and of course, his epic library of Biblical commentaries that will continue to impact generations.”
Laurie believes MacArthur’s “greatest legacy” will be that “he lived a life well-lived” and that he “was faithful to the very end.”
JOHN PIPER
Notable theologian, Bible teacher and bestselling author John Piper wrote a column in tribute to MacArthur, saying that the “longer I knew John MacArthur, the more I loved him.”
“We valued each other on glorious common ground. Seventy-somethings don’t jockey for seniority.”
“Battle-tested, without bitterness, bearing scars with durable joy, we enjoyed each other,” wrote Piper, the chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“He was kind to me — phone calls to express thankfulness, invitations to his conferences, public conversations where affection abounded.”
Piper said he “stood in awe” of what MacArthur could “do in the pulpit with a passage of Scripture.”
“Whether MacArthur was explaining historical backgrounds or current controversies, he was engaging,” Piper stressed.
KEN HAM
Apologist Ken Ham, president of the young-earth creationist organisation Answers in Genesis, described MacArthur as “a long-time friend of our ministry.”
Ham, whose post on X included a photo of himself with John MacArthur at The Master’s University MacArthur helped found, noted that MacArthur visited Ham’s Ark Encounter and Creation Museum in Kentucky.
“We’ll soon be posting a tribute to this man who stood with us [at Answers in Genesis] for Biblical authority starting in Genesis,” Ham tweeted.
“Meanwhile, pray for his family — wife Patricia and their four children — and his church family at Grace Community Church.”
“The last time I met with Dr. MacArthur was last year when I spoke at his school, The Master’s University.”
ALBERT MOHLER JR.
Albert Mohler Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and host of The Briefing podcast, penned a column for World magazine in which he dubbed MacArthur “a lion of the pulpit” and the “greatest expositor of his times.”
“One of the ironies of John MacArthur is that, to the end, he insisted that any God-called preacher of the Word could do what he did. There was great truth in that claim, of course,” wrote Mohler.
“On the other hand, John MacArthur was uniquely gifted as an expositor, and he was uniquely faithful as well. He was a preacher God used to make other preachers better preachers.”
Mohler went on to say he “had the great privilege of knowing John MacArthur as a friend” and that the two preached together at various conferences over the years.
“John MacArthur will be greatly missed and deeply mourned. He demonstrated faithfulness over a long lifetime of honorable ministry — a remarkable gift to Christ’s church,” Mohler added.
ALLIE BETH STUCKEY
Conservative commentator and bestselling author Allie Beth Stuckey, a Reformed Baptist, took to her X account to offer her condolences.
She highlighted the times MacArthur stood against Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom’s socially liberal policies and controversial COVID-19 lockdown measures during the pandemic.
In August 2020, MacArthur drew media attention for his church’s decision to reopen in defiance of Newsom’s second round of lockdown orders.
“No one challenged Gavin Newsom’s evil and stupidity as persistently or effectively as John MacArthur. And no one prayed harder for Newsom’s repentance,” Stuckey tweeted.
“In 2022, after Newsom put up billboards advertising California as the abortion destination, MacArthur wrote him this letter, urging him to turn to the Lord. I pray we see the fruit of this prayer in our lifetimes!”
MacArthur’s open letter warned Newsom that his soul “lies in grave, eternal peril.”
“You will stand in the presence of the Holy God who created you, who is your Judge, and He will demand that you give an account for how you have flouted His authority in your governing, and how you have twisted His own Holy Word to rationalize it,” MacArthur wrote at the time.
“As you look over the precipice of eternity, what will your answer be?” he asked his state’s Governor.
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