John MacMillan and the Authority of the Believer
23 A. B. Simpson, “The Authority of Faith,” The Alliance Weekly, Apr. 23, 1938, 263.
24 A. B. Simpson, “Spiritual Talismans,” The Alliance Weekly, June 14, 1919, 178. Simpson taught that authority on the basis of Luke 10:19, as the authority to act as Christ’s law enforcement officer, as a legal authority as a representative of the government of the King. A. B. Simpson, Christ in the Bible (Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications, 1992), 4:338.
25 MacMillan, The Authority of the Believer, 11-12.
26 Jessie Penn-Lewis, The Warfare with Satan (Dorset, England: Overcomer Literature Trust, 1963), 63, 65.
27 Jessie Penn-Lewis and Evan Roberts, War on the Saints—Unabridged Edition, Ninth Edition (New York: Thomas E. Lowe, Ltd., 1973), 259-262.
28 Simpson, Christ in the Bible, 5:413-414. For more on this, see Paul L. King, “The Restoration of the Doctrine of Binding and Loosing,” Alliance Academic Review, ed. Elio Cuccaro (Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications, 1997), 57-80.
29 MacMillan, The Adult Full Gospel Sunday School Quarterly, Oct. 28, 1934, 12.
30 MacMillan, The Authority of the Believer, 49.
31 Ibid., 55.
32 Ibid., 93, 96.
33 George B. Peck, Throne-Life, or The Highest Christian Life (Boston, MA: Watchword Publishing, 1888), 171, 174-175, 177.
34 George D. Watson, Steps to the Throne (Cincinnati, OH: Bible School Book Room, n.d.).
35 Brynmor Pierce Jones, The Trials and Triumphs of Mrs. Jessie Penn-Lewis (New Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1997), 136; see also Penn-Lewis and Roberts, War on the Saints, 183.
36 Compare MacMillan, The Authority of the Believer, 93-96, with George D. Watson, Bridehood Saints (Cincinnati, OH: God’s Revivalist, n.d.), 117-118, 120-122. For a comparative analysis, see King, “A Case Study of the Authority of the Believer,” 274, 289-290, note 43.
37 Penn-Lewis and Roberts, War on the Saints, n.p.
38 Interview with Dr. Keith Bailey. Bailey first became acquainted with MacMillan’s articles on the believer’s authority in the 1940s when someone gave him copies of The Overcomer from the 1930s in which he discovered MacMillan’s series.
39 John A. MacMillan, “The Authority of the Intercessor,” The Alliance Weekly, May 23, 1936, 334; John A. MacMillan, The Authority of the Intercessor, Minneapolis, MN: Osterhus Publishing Co., n.d.
40 John A. MacMillan, “Modern Demon Possession,” The Alliance Weekly, July 24, July 31; Sept. 4, Sept. 11, Sept. 18, 1948; John A. MacMillan, Encounter with Darkness (Harrisburg, PA: Christian Publications, 1980), 9.
41 The Alliance Weekly, Sept. 18, 1948, 604.
42 James A. MacMillan, “The Authority of the Intercessor,” Herald of His Coming, June 1952, 11. The editors mistakenly listed his byline as ” James A. MacMillan.” See also Lulu Jordan Cheesman, Herald of His Coming, Apr. 1952, 12; Lula Jordan Cheesman, “Oppression, Obsession, and Possession,” Herald of His Coming, Aug. 1953, 7; J. A. MacMillan, “The Authority of the Believer,” Herald of His Coming, Apr. 1954, 4; Herald of His Coming, Apr. 1956, 7; also Herald of His Coming, Sept. 1956, 6.
43 Paul E. Billheimer, “Deliverance from the Hands of Our Enemies,” Herald of His Coming, Jan. 1952, 3.
44 See King, “A Case Study of the Authority of the Believer,” 271-273. It can be observed that some citations are a shortening or paraphrase of MacMillan; others are virtually word for word. On the face of it, it would appear that Billheimer has plagiarized MacMillan. However, in light of the godly reputation of Billheimer and the content of his other writings on the deeper life in Christ and the cross life (crucified life, death to self), such a charge is incongruous. Thus, it is highly unlikely that his seeming plagiarism was intentional. Rather than impugn the integrity of Billheimer, it would seem prudent to consider other more valid explanations.
It is commonly known among ministers that preachers sometimes preach a message and refer to someone else’s writings or sermons without giving the source in a message. In all likelihood, Billheimer read from MacMillan in his radio address without citing him by name; then when it was transcribed and published MacMillan did not get the credit. In fact, MacMillan himself quoted from other authors without mentioning their names; however, when he did so, he usually marked the statements with quote marks, indicating they were not his own. MacMillan, The Adult Full Gospel Sunday School Quarterly, Aug. 13, 1939, 22. Even more significantly, MacMillan used distinctive words, phrases and concepts from other authors without noting the source. See King, “A Case Study of the Authority of the Believer,” 274, 289-290, notes 41-44.
This may have been a common and accepted practice then, and today’s standards of plagiarism may not have been in force at that time. Even today, it is not uncommon for a pastor to preach someone’s material without mentioning his sources. Billheimer does acknowledge that some of his material comes from another source when he states, “Not until it was pointed out …” and “One who understands the original tells us …” Billheimer, “Deliverance from the Hands of Our Enemies,” 3.
One would also think that the editors of Herald of His Coming, who were familiar with MacMillan’s work, would recognize the parallels and dealt with the issue if it had not been acceptable then. Since Billheimer is no longer living and unable to respond to the allegation, it is best to give Billheimer the benefit of a doubt regarding his motives, while at the same time recognizing that the practice would not be legally acceptable today.
45 Paul E. Billheimer, “Man Was Made To Have Dominion Over the Works of God’s Hands,” Herald of His Coming, July 1951, 4; see also Paul E. Billheimer, “Prayer Controls Events,” Herald of His Coming, June 1951, 2. After MacMillan’s “The Authority of the Believer” was republished by Herald of His Coming in April 1954, an article by Billheimer on authority and deliverance was published a month later as a follow-up. Paul E. Billheimer, “Awake, Awake …,” Herald of His Coming, May 1954, 6-8. See also Paul E. Billheimer, Destined To Overcome (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 1982), 10.
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