John MacArthur’s Strange Fire: Estranged by misinterpretation?
John MacArthur’s new book, Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship (Thomas Nelson), is due out on November 12, 2013. Here are some images and quotes from the book as part of our conversation, “Are Pentecostals offering Strange Fire?”
When MacArthur, on page 203, says that “we have already seen, all believers are baptized,” he is including baptism in the Holy Spirit as part of what happens “at the moment of salvation.” But there are numerous passages that seem to disagree with this. The apostle Paul asked the disciples of John the Baptist at Ephesus, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Acts 19:2). If Paul saw receiving the Holy Spirit to be subsequent to belief, what conclusions do you draw about MacArthur’s assertion?
When MacArthur says, “There is no second work of grace. There is no added experience,” he estranges not only Pentecostal/charismatics but every Christian that has been influenced by the Wesleyan renewal movement. What do the Scriptures teach about this?
Category: Spirit