Strange Fire Conference: John MacArthur’s Insufferable Hypocrisy
John MacArthur may go down in church history as one of the most confused pastors ever to step into a pulpit. His steroidal cognitive dissonance constantly results in insufferable hypocrisy.
For certain I thought he could not outdo himself in this regard, but he has. After writing Charismatic Chaos in 1992, he partnered with Charismatic CJ Mahaney for eight years in the Resolved conferences sponsored by his church, Grace Community in Sun Valley, California. One year after the last Resolved conference, MacArthur is hosting the 2013 Strange Fire conference that is fustigating Charismatic doctrine in no uncertain terms. The hypocrisy of it all is staggering.
MacArthur also seems to have a problem with the mysticism promoted by Charismatic theology, but yet is a close confidant of John Piper who not only has Charismatic leanings himself, but led the 2012 Passion conference in the mystic practice of Lectio Divina.
Furthermore, Geneva style Calvinists (also at the conference: Sproul, Lawson, Phil Johnson, et al) criticizing Charismatics is beyond the kettle calling the pot black. Calvin and Luther both attributed their theology to Neo-Platonist St. Augustine. The practical outcome is sanctification by faith alone through gospel contemplationism resulting in realm experience/manifestation. MacArthur himself now claims that he only explains the word of God and the Holy Spirit applies it resulting in his followers obeying God without realizing it (http://wp.me/pmd7S-1In).
Moreover, Calvinism is based on Hindu-like sanctification that posits perpetual mortification followed by vivification. As we dwell on our sin only, we are brought to despair (mortification) leading to the joy of our original rebirth (vivification). Calvinists Paul Washer and Michael Horton have both referred to this as continually “reliving our baptism.”
In MacArthur’s keynote address at this year’s Strange Fire conference, he also criticized Charismatics for their misrepresentation and overemphasis on the Holy Spirit leading to the dishonoring of the other two Trinity members. But likewise, Calvinists do the same thing with their Christocentric approach to the Scriptures. In the forward to Rick Holland’s book, Uneclipsing The Son (an in-your-face Gnostic treatise), MacArthur stated that ANY emphasis on ANYONE or ANYTHING other than Christ hinders the sanctification of God’s people.
All in all, Charismatics are barely any different than Calvinists. They both partake in epistemology that sees the horizontal as purely subjective and the vertical as purely objective. The goal is to experience the spirit realm horizontally through mysticism. For the Calvinist it is gospel contemplationism. For the Charismatic it is speaking in tongues.
What’s the difference?
paul
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
Reblogged this on Clearcreek Chapel Watch.
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The ephesians511 blog played an audio file where MacArthur said a person ciuld take the mark of the beast and still get saved later. What a terrible lie. MacArthur is a false teacher.
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[…] And the title of this blog post leaves no room for ambiguity — Strange Fire Conference: John MacArthur’s Insufferable Hypocrisy […]
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It is a good thing that Mr. MacArthur was not around on the day of Pentecost – we would have had a Strange Fire Conference the day after the disciples left the upper room!
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All in all, Charismatics are barely any different than Calvinists. They both partake in epistemology that sees the horizontal as purely subjective and the vertical as purely objective. The goal is to experience the spirit realm horizontally through mysticism. For the Calvinist it is gospel contemplationism. For the Charismatic it is speaking in tongues.
What’s the difference?
Sir, you really don’t see a difference between the Gospel and a sign gift?
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The context is epistemology, sir.
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[…] Strange Fire Conference: John MacArthur’s Insufferable Hypocrisy (paulspassingthoughts.com) […]
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Passing strange, this man of So Cal!
FWIW: Continuationist Joh Piper as late as 2009, and as late as fall 2012, even Mahaney, were at MacDaddy’s “Resolved” youth conferences.
In 2007, Mahaney filled in for Piper @ the Shepherds Conference when the latter bowed out of his only invite there. Piper has not appeared at the Shep-Con.
Since then, only cessationist Baptists have appeared at the conference. (& R.C. Sproul via video these days.)
As for you, Paul, you err a bit:
All in all, Charismatics are barely any different than [some] Calvinists. They both partake in epistemology that sees the horizontal as purely subjective and the vertical as purely objective.
>> Not sure what you mean by that…
The goal is to experience the spirit realm horizontally through mysticism. For the Calvinist it is gospel contemplationism.
>> This is overstated. Some Calvinists may believe that. But you’re lacking nuance, precision, and tact. You SURE you’re not a MacArthurite? 😉
Your rightly targeting some neo-Calvinists shouldn’t blind you or your fans to the biblical truth of the 5 solas and the TULIP. They don’t originate in Augustine or Luther or Calvin, but in Moses, Jesus, and Paul, et. al.
Arminianism is damnably false.
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Hugh,
Thanks for the added data on the conferences. On the other: there is NO difference between New Calvinism and authentic Reformed doctrine. And whether ecstatic heavenly language or contemplationism, both reject grammatical interpretation. Calvinists such as Piper and Paul David Tripp have stated that a literal interpretation of Scripture circumvents the saving works (plural) of Christ. Rick Holland has said that “good grammar makes bad theology.” Furthermore, the 5 points and the 5 solas refer to justification and sanctification both which is heresy and a false gospel.
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“Your rightly targeting some neo-Calvinists shouldn’t blind you or your fans to the biblical truth of the 5 solas and the TULIP. They don’t originate in Augustine or Luther or Calvin, but in Moses, Jesus, and Paul, et. al.”
I agree with you that TULIP is a 20th Century construct of the determinist god ST. However, the idea for a determinist god (and dualism) came from the Adversary. And it was diabolically brilliant. The pagans ate it up and passed it on through guys like Augustine.
It worked a lot better under the divine right of kings and church/state models. Now the arrogant peasants can ask too many uncomfortable questions.
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I do not consider MacArthur to be a Calvinist, but even so, I can’t see what he’s doing wrong with this conference. He at times has found common ground on the gospel with some other ministers who hold a continuationist view (eg. Piper.) But that shouldn’t prevent him from speaking out on an error that he holds. Love contrains us to speak the truth in love to one another, even while enjoying unity in Christ on the gospel.
Also, see my response to Mark Driscoll re: Reformed Churches neglecting the Holy Spirit on a recent blog post.
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Have just started listening to some of the audio. Won’t go past Tom Pennington’s ‘seven arguments for cessationism. Quite pathetic from a purely logical as well as theological perspective. Where do you start?
He argued that because the gifts were not supposedly in operation( i.e because the church fathers didn’t record it) that therefore we can say they ceased. If we applied that same logic to the reformation we could just as easily disqualify the reformation. After all, the church was not teaching sola scriptura and salvation by faith alone for hundreds of years. What happened? did it cease? Arguments from silence ad nauseum!!
If we were to judge a movement by its fruits the reformed camp would surely fail. Whitfield kept slaves all his life and in fact argued in favour of the institution of slavery, while Wesley condemned it. The dutch reformed church in south africa helped keep apartheid well and truly alive right up to the ’80’s. Luther hated the Jews..etc. FAILED!!
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Good points. If a doctrine is known by its fruit, the Reformation fails miserably. The Resolved conferences sought to rewrite church history.
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