Pastor John MacArthur’s Anti-Social Justice Proclamation
- By C Barnett --
- 08 Sep 2018 --
Rejoinders were written as a response
John MacArthur, noted author and pastor, has affirmed his recent comments concerning anti-social justice.[/tweetit] He wrote and published the blog post “Social Injustice to the Gospel” where he claimed to have fought multiple polemical battles over the years against many ideas which threaten the gospel. He then labeled social justice as a dangerous and subtle threat.
Pastor John MacArthur’s Anti-Social Justice Proclamation[/tweetthis]
Critics have seized on MacArthur's statements. Ryan Burton King, in his blog, wrote a few counterpoints against what MacArthur wrote. He pointed out that such state of affairs is nothing new. Christians throughout history have clubbed together to analyze and then respond to multiple crises, both real or perceived. Creed’s from Church Fathers' times and confessions from the Reformation era were soon joined by tracts and petitions from Puritan years. The 19th century saw statements like the 1978 published Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy and 1987 released the Danvers Statement on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. All these publications represent conservative Christian beliefs all derived from the scripture pages. The MacArthur statement is simply the latest.
MacArthur is not alone in his views. He is lead-signer, followed by 4,400 pastors and associated leaders. They have lent their signatures on a document titled For the Sake of Christ and His Church: The Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel. The signers have added a line which appears to imply that reforming the laws to solve social justices may not bear fruit. The line reads, “We deny that laws or regulations possess any inherent power to change sinful hearts.”
The content goes more conservative deeper into the document. In the "Sexuality and Marriage" section, the statement declares that the signers reject "gay Christian" to be a legitimate biblical category. The Complementarianism section exhorts men to lead the household and the women to be submissive to the men. It then goes on to assert that only qualified men are eligible to lead as bishops or pastors to preach and teach the congregation.
Well, this certainly makes a number of excellent points that the writers of the document need to address. However, it is my opinion, based on past experience with this crowd, that no honest response will be forthcoming. It will be insulting & demeaning. https://t.co/59Twhu7dJu
— Derek Manning (@Derek__M) September 7, 2018
The document also touches upon controversial statements. One of them is the denial of the signers stating that biblical teaching is not compatible with intersectionality, critical race theory, and radical feminism. In response, King said that these terms were weaponized against godly women and men who simply seek reconciliation and justice. The godly men were described as individuals who are regarded as trustworthy and faithful guides in the spiritual sense.
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