THE TEACHER OF TRUTH
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THE TEACHER OF TRUTH
THE TEACHER OF TRUTH
Last Monday, John MacArthur, the pastor I most respect, went to be with the Lord. When I was in Vietnam, I encountered his book [Ashamed of the Gospel] that gave me a great shock. It is the book that most clearly diagnosed all the problems about the church of this age that I had been lamenting and sighing over. After reading that book, he became the most important teacher in my life. So I began downloading his sermons and started reading his books voraciously. In my opinion, there was no one like him among the teachers of this age.
John McArthur (June 19,1939-July 14, 2025)
Martyn Lloyd Jones (December 20, 1899-March 1, 1981)
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (June 19, 1834-January 31, 1892)
Before him, there was Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and before him, there was Charles H. Spurgeon. Whenever the entire church was wandering lost in chaos, God raised up his servants who stood firm on the truth and preached the true gospel.
What characterized John MacArthur? He believed as the Bible says. He taught as the Bible teaches. He preached as the Bible testifies. And he obeyed as the Bible commands. There was no such thing as compromise for him. Whatever the world might say, if it differed from God's Word, he said it was wrong.
When the church was falling into chaos and losing its way by evolution theory, sexual revolution, higher biblical criticism, charismatic movement, pragmatism, psychology, environmental movements, gender ideology, critical race theory, diversity claims, and so on, he preached and taught with a firm biblical position. Why was he able to preach and teach on such firm convictions, unlike others?
That firm foundation lays in his confidence in the Word. He had the conviction that the Bible is the unchangeable, Word of God without any error because it was written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
When the whole world had lost all standards for value judgment and was judging everything relatively, he judged everything by the absolute Word of God. Because of this, he could see things that were invisible to others, and the essence of problems became clearly apparent to him. Why? Because he was saturated with the Word of God. He was full of light in him. He was like a great general who could see the substance. Numerous officers followed the general because they knew he knew the reality well. He could perceive what others could not see. He was a man of the Word of God.
He appeared several times on CNN's Larry King Live, giving the most biblical answers to socially very sensitive questions. During a time when religious pluralism was being accepted as the standard, he clearly affirmed without any hesitation that "there is no other way except Jesus.” And while homosexuality was being socially accepted, he clearly testified that homosexuality is sin. He denied the homosexual marriage. He never took a position that was politically correct. He was a faithful servant of Christ and a servant of the Word. He spoke as the Bible speaks.
He pointed out the danger of false assurance of salvation. How dangerous is it to live one's entire life with assurance of salvation when one actually doesn't have saving faith? How bewildering would it be to open your eyes and find yourself not in heaven, but in hell burning with fire and brimstone?
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
He preached at Grace Community Church about how different the gospel proclaimed in today's evangelical camp is from the gospel that Jesus preached, and explained it well in the book [The Gospel According to Jesus], which was published by editing that sermon.
He exposed the danger and falsehood of the charismatics who are the false prophets and false teachers of this age. He pointed out the falsehood and dangerous sin of those who falsely claim the Lord's name by saying that words God did not speak are words received from God, those who fabricate false miracles, and those who commit spiritual abuse with self-made spiritual authority. They manipulated people's psychology with false images to gain profit.
Truth is not important to them. They are people who can tell any lie as long as they can attract people's popularity and exploit them. Though they prophesied in the Lord's name, cast out demons, and performed mighty works in the Lord's name, the Lord will say to them: "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness."
Though most denominations today tolerate the ordination of female pastors, he denied it according to the Bible's teaching. He did so even though how much criticism he would receive from many people for such a position because he was a servant of the Lord. He wanted to be acknowledged by the Lord rather than gain recognition from people. A true servant of the Word can judge all things, but has no interest in the evaluation receiving from people.
But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
It was a very small thing that Paul is judged by people. What was important to him was teaching and preaching the truth. The Lord will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. What is important to us is not the reputation of this age but the reputation in heaven. All things will be disclosed. Paul said “I do not even judge myself.” You don’t know how the judgement will be. Do not boast.
Convicting our sin is the work of the Holy Spirit. But most people hate that.
And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
When we truthfully proclaim God's Word, people come to realize their sin. Such a person realizes that they are a impotent before God. They come to realize that there is no hope other than seeking God's mercy. This is the first step in preaching the gospel. However, today's preachers fear and avoid preaching words that make people offended. But the gospel is offending. It is a stumbling stone. The word 'stumbling' is 'scandalon' in the original language. The gospel is 'scandalous.' Until they stumble, they do not recognize the spiritual reality. Only when they have stumbled do they come to know that there is no hope for themselves. Only then do they reach out their hand to seek God's mercy. Oh, how truly rare preachers who expose sin, judgment, and their impotence in this age.
If we do not testify to the state of humanity under God's wrath, why would people come to the Lord? If there is many ways besides Jesus, why would they abandon their own religions and come to Jesus? If we do not preach to turn from sin and follow God's will, why would they repent?
Let us remember what the apostle Peter said.
So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
The word of the cross was folly to most people. But to us who are being saved it is the power of God. This is the repetition of Romans 1:16, “For it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” This fact abolish the wisdom of the world.
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.
Do you know the meaning of philosophy? It means loving wisdom. Where is the philosopher? Where is the scribe? It mens “where are those who are keen in literatures?” Where is the debater? Where are opinion leaders? All of these are useless in the plan of salvation for the world. For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.
You cannot save any soul through your philosophy and fluent persuasion. It is through preaching, even proclaiming the gospel of Christ. It seems folly to people. But it pleased God. God chose the way of preaching the word of cross for our salvation. There is no other way.
For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Jesus showed them numerous cases of signs. Not only Jesus, his disciples showed them many miraculous signs. But they still demanded signs. Jews expected the liberation of Israel. But Christ was crucified by the hands of Roman authority. It seemed too weak. It was a stumbling block to them.
In the context of Greek philosophy, Christ’s incarnation and crucifixion were not acceptable because they thought that spirit is pure and flesh is impure and inferior to spirit. So they could not accept that God became flesh. So the word of cross was folly to them. They sought wisdom, namely philosophically persuasive teaching. But you should not persuade them by modifying the Gospel. We know there are those who were called. To them, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
If the salvation is by the wisdom and power of the world, there would be few among us to be saved. Because there are more people who are smarter and have more power than us in the world. God abolished the learning, power of speech and social status. The gospel is folly and weak to them. But God uses the preaching Christ and his cross that seems to weak and folly for our salvation.
God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
In this context, let’s read chapter 2.
And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.
and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away.
But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—
The Bible called this the mystery of godliness. Some people pursue the secret things themselves. But pursuing the secret things is not good for us.
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
We don’t need to know what God did not reveal. But the things that are revealed belong to us. The gospel that is revealed to us had long been hidden unto our ancestors. The secret things are revealed now by Jesus. We have heard the revealed secret through the mouths of Jesus and his witnesses.
Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—
making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
We know the secret things that had been concealed since the beginning of creation. So many prophets of OT wanted to know the secret things and numerous angels too. Since God prophesied the plan of salvation by the promise of the offspring of a woman, God revealed the plan step by step through many prophets. Now, God gave us his only Son and he took our sin and curse on the cross. He received the wrath of God instead of us.
The gospel looks too weak and foolish to those who do not believe. But the gospel is the power of God and the wisdom of God. But today’s church does not preach the gospel of God but became eager to use the principles of market, psychology and management to gather more people in churches.
This is very contrary to the example of Apostle Paul. Today’s church became too clever to abolish stumbling blocks. They erase all thing that seems too difficult to people. There erased all rough things. So the gospel of todays is so smooth and sugar coated. So that kind of gospel does not have the power of God. There is no power nor wisdom of God in it. The true gospel is not like that. Jesus is the stumbling block. He makes us to acknowledge of our sins. When Jesus preached the essence of the gospel, most of his followers left him and never came back.
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.
As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.
When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
He was to far from following fame. Contrary to that, he warned the danger of receiving compliment from people.
“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.
For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling,
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
