Calvinism John MacArthur held to classic five-point Calvinistic soteriology (total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace and perseverance of the saints).
Cessationism John MacArthur was a
cessationist, who believed the "
sign gifts", such as
prophecy described in the Bible, were temporarily granted to the
apostles to authenticate the origin and truth of the scriptures. He held that these gifts ceased to be given after the close of the
Apostolic Age, having served the purpose. MacArthur was a prominent critic of the
continuationist beliefs of
Pentecostalism and the
Charismatic movement, which assert that God continues to grant spiritual gifts today. He authored three books on the subject. In October 2013, his church hosted the "Strange Fire Conference" to mark the launch of his book,
Strange Fire featuring various speakers who advocated cessationist theology and critiqued the Charismatic movement.
Christology In 1983, MacArthur first publicly taught the doctrine of "
incarnational sonship," holding that Jesus became the Son of God at His incarnation rather than eternally existing as the Son. In 1989, after receiving criticism, he defended his views in a
plenary session at the annual convention of the
Independent Fundamental Churches of America (IFCA). Approximately a decade later, MacArthur retracted this position in an article published by Grace to You, stating that he had come to affirm the eternal Father-Son relationship in the Godhead and no longer regarded Christ's sonship as a role assumed only at the incarnation.
Complementarianism John MacArthur stated that he believed
Scripture opposes both "male
chauvinist and
feminist views." He held a
complementarian position on
gender roles, maintaining that the Bible forbids women from preaching to men or exercising authority over men in church settings. MacArthur taught that the roles of
elder and pastor are restricted to men. To support his view, he cited the biblical passages of
1 Timothy 2:11–12 and
1 Corinthians 14:34–35.
Dispensational theology MacArthur viewed himself as being a "leaky dispensationalist" to acknowledge the areas where his views differ from traditional
dispensationalism. Specifically, he emphasized a
literal interpretation of Scripture and a distinction between Israel and the Church. He held to the
premillennialist view of eschatology, a
pre-tribulational rapture of the church, and a literal
millennium. He believed the Bible teaches a completely restored
Israel shall inherit physical ownership of the land of
Canaan on the earth.
Gender and sexuality MacArthur was against
same-sex marriage as well as a critic of the
ordination of women and the
social justice movement. He delivered multiple sermons in which he discussed these issues. With respect to
sexual orientation, he asserted that "no one is gay" as "
God didn't hardwire anybody" to be gay any more than he "hardwires" individuals to be adulterers or bank robbers. He compared the assertion that sexual orientation is a born trait to a hypothetical bank robber's protestation: "That's like saying, 'You know, I keep robbing banks, but I'm a robber. I'm a bank robber. What am I gonna do? I'm a bank robber.' That is not an excuse for what you do." The submission to Jesus as Lord when converting to faith in Jesus Christ became known to
Arminians as the "
Lordship salvation controversy" in the 1980s. MacArthur argued that one component of
free grace theology is confessing Jesus Christ as Lord. He said, "You must receive Jesus Christ for who He is, both Lord and Savior, to be truly saved." Regarding
eternal security, he felt that "It should never be presented merely as a matter of being once saved, always saved with no regard for what you believe or do. The writer also states frankly that only those who continue living holy lives will enter the Lord's presence." His views stirred up controversy within
American evangelicalism and were challenged in print by
Free Grace theologians including
Charles Ryrie and
Zane C. Hodges, who argued that MacArthur's ministry was teaching a form of works-based salvation. However, MacArthur defended his position by sourcing two tapes recorded in 1989 when he was asked to "reason together with the IFCA man." Defending his position, MacArthur often referenced Matthew 7:21-23:
Young Earth creationism MacArthur advocated
Young Earth creationism in his book
The Battle For the Beginning (2001) as well as in his sermons. Speaking about
evolutionary theory, he writes that Christians "ought to expose such lies for what they are and oppose them vigorously." He argued that "the battle for the beginning is ultimately a battle between two mutually exclusive faiths—faith in Scripture versus faith in
anti-theistic hypotheses. It is not really a battle between science and the Bible." ==Recognition==