"The MacArthur New Testament Commentary" Series

[bookslover]

Leaving his dispensationalism to one side (so we don't get bogged down in a discussion of THAT topic), what do you folks think of John MacArthur's New Testament commentaries, generally? (He has just [as of about a week ago] finished his 40+-year project of preaching through the entire NT.) Only three volumes now need to be published: his final (of three) volume on Luke, and his two volumes on Mark (which he just completed preaching 85 sermons on).

Bonus factoid: tomorrow (June 19), he turns 72.

Opinions?

 

[N. Eshelman]

He looks great for 72. There's my opinion on the whole matter.... and maybe that a pulpit that lowers into the stage and has an escape route in the floor beneath is pretty cool as well.

So there you have it.

On a serious note: Congratulations to Pastor MacArthur for preaching through the entire NT. That is quite a feat!

Another serious note: Has he ever preached from the OT? If not his people's preaching diet is very badly imbalanced.

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And a word about the commentaries: I have a couple, but have not used them.

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I can't stop talking.... er....typing.

 

[SolaScriptura]

I've found his commentaries helpful. In fact, when preaching/teaching through the NT I always add his commentary on the given passage to my reading list.

 

[Bill The Baptist]

His commentaries are very good for understanding the text without getting too deep into the original languages. The only negative is that they are very expensive. Something like $400 for the whole set.

 

[Notthemama1984]

Another serious note: Has he ever preached from the OT? If not his people's preaching diet is very badly imbalanced.

I heard him state once that he attempted to preach through Psalms, but the church begged him to stop. I know he has preached through the beginning of Genesis. Other than that, I have no idea.

 

[baron]

Preaching through Psalms is difficult task. So much repetition. Maybe if one did it over a 20 year period. I knew 2 pastors who tried to preach through Psalms on Wednesday nights and gave up. People stoped coming to church on Wednesday nights untill they moved on to other books.

 

[CharlieJ]

I have found him to be decent in most areas, but never the best. I will consult him if I'm able. They're more sermonic than truly exegetical, so they're best for laypeople or teachers without a seminary education. D. A. Carson offers a similar assessment in his New Testament Commentary Survey.

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John, I wonder how many people would stop coming if the church decided to sing through the Psalms.

 

[fishingpipe]

I attended his church in the early 90's. It seems he would preach from the Old Testament on some Sunday's from what I remember but I don't think he ever preached through an entire OT book.

 

[Edward]

W.A. Criswell (First Baptist, Dallas) preached through the Bible in 17 and a half years, starting in 1946.

 

[bookslover]

It's interesting that two of you have mentioned the Psalms. It's astounding that a congregation would actually ask a pastor to stop preaching through a book of the Bible. I've never heard of that being done before. Given the strength of MacArthur's personality and convictions, I'm surprised he gave in to them. I've actually thought many times that he should tackle the Psalms. It would make another valuable multi-volume set of commentaries.

Incidentally, if you look at his lists of sermons (Welcome to Grace to You), you'll find that his sermons on the Old Testament are very thin on the ground. Too bad - he's ignored 75% of the Bible. Of course, that's a function of his dispensatonalism.

I think he has a problem now. Having finished preaching through the NT, and with the commentary series almost finished, how can he preach from the NT to his people now. Most people will think, "Been here, heard that - and I can just look it up in the appropriate commentary now!" Seems like he *has* to venture into the OT now.

 

[Josh Williamson]

I have found MacArthur's New Testament commentaries to be very helpful. While it is true they are the best "technical" commentaries, they have helped me as a minister to see how the text can be preached. That being said, I sometimes think JMac stretches in his interpretation, but for the most part he's solid.

 

[JonathanHunt]

Such volumes as I own (gifts given to me), I find helpful and consult. However, I tire of weeding out the dispensationalism (as with the study Bible) and frankly I am more likely than not to major on a different 'modern' commentator (most likely Hendriksen). I couldn't see myself spending money on the JMac commentaries.

 

[Britt]

I recently read "Gospel According to Jesus" by John MacArthur and it was very helpful in understanding the faults in the easy-believism view point and what the gospel truly is. I have heard a few sermons by John MacArthur that were helpful, and my pastor quotes from him sometimes, but this is the only exposure I've had to him.