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JOHN MACARTHUR AND THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

A few months ago a pastor friend and I visited a John MacArthur meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, and I purchased a copy of MacArthur's commentary on Hebrews with the desire to see exactly what he says about the Blood of Jesus Christ. This commentary was published in 1983 by Moody Press. Moody Bible Institute holds the copyright.

There can be no mistake about MacArthur's position that the Blood itself does not save us, that the Blood is SYMBOLIC of death. Words could not be plainer. In a mere three pages of this book MacArthur uses the term "symbolic" no less than thirteen times:

"Blood is a SYMBOL of death, and therefore follows closely the idea of a testator's having to die in order for a will to become effective. ...

"It is possible to become morbid about Christ's sacrificial death and preoccupied with His suffering and shedding of blood. It is especially possible to become unbiblically preoccupied with the physical aspects of His death. It was not Jesus' physical blood that saves us, but His dying on our behalf, which is SYMBOLIZED by the shedding of His physical blood. ...

"The purpose of the blood was to SYMBOLIZE sacrifice for sin, which brought cleansing from sin. Therefore, without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

"Again, however, we need to keep in mind that the blood was a SYMBOL. If Christ's own physical blood, in itself, does not cleanse from sin, how much less did the physical blood of animals. It is not surprising, then, that the Old Covenant allowed a SYMBOL for a SYMBOL. ... This exception is clear proof that the old cleansing was SYMBOLIC. Just as the animal blood SYMBOLIZED Christ's true atoning blood, so the ephah of flour SYMBOLIZED and represented the animal blood. This nonblood offering for sin was acceptable because the old sacrifice was entirely SYMBOLIC anyway.

"Yet this was the only exception. And even the exception represented a blood sacrifice. The basic SYMBOL could not be changed because what it SYMBOLIZED could not be changed. ... Since the penalty for sin is death, nothing but death, SYMBOLIZED by shedding of blood, can atone for sin. ... the only way we can participate in the New Covenant, is through the atoning DEATH of Jesus Christ, made effective for us when we trust in Him as saving Lord" (John MacArthur, Hebrews, pp. 236- 238).

Let me remind our readers that this book is still being published by Moody Press and is being sold by John MacArthur's ministry. I purchased it directly from his ministry in Canada this year. This is not something that MacArthur said off the cuff many years ago and which he has since corrected. This is precisely what the man believes today.

MacArthur's position on the Blood of Christ is a great heresy. It is precisely the same heresy promoted by the translator of the Today's English Version, who replaced the term "blood" with "death" in most key passages.

Blood is NOT merely symbolic for death when we are speaking of Christ's Atonement. God's law demands death AND the shedding of blood for remission of sin (Lev. 17:11; Eze. 18:4; Rom. 6:23; Heb. 9:22). The Old Testament sacrifices depicted how the Lord Jesus Christ would pay the price for sin. The blood of the O.T. sacrifices did not merely depict Christ's death; it depicted Christ's BLOOD. His death alone could not save us; His blood was required. In Romans 5:9-10 we see the two together. Verse 9 says we are justified "by his blood," and verse 10 says we are reconciled "by his death." Any view which confuses the blood of Christ with His death is heresy.

I realize that MacArthur has taken some unusual stands for an Evangelical today. He has spoken against the Charismatic movement and against Promise Keepers and against Evangelicals & Catholics Together. In fact, though, the man refuses to practice biblical separation. He claims that Charismatics are theologically wrong, for example, but he fellowships with them and stands shoulder to shoulder with them in preaching engagements. Be not deceived: John MacArthur is NOT a friend to the Fundamental, Bible-believing, New Testament church. He is a dangerous New Evangelical, and his position on the Blood of Christ is heresy.