Todd,

The sarcasm is warranted and I always find it refreshing. Johnny Mac is a good teacher, I still remember his teachings on Paul’s missionary journeys...teaching I heard on No Soup for You when I was in college.

I have no problem with Johnny Mac as a Bible teacher. I do have problems when he stands as prophet/judge over the Body of Christ. His position is always the same, no matter who he is attacking...he doesn’t like Christians who are not like him (theologically, doctrinally, liturgically).

Whether he attacks the charismatics (e.g. Charismatic Chaos) or the church growth guys (e.g. Ashamed of the Gospel) or the emergent church (book???)...Johnny Mac does the same thing...he pulls together the craziest stuff from the movement and builds a straw man and then sets it ablaze.

He does lump everyone in a movement together and says, this is what the movement believes. He exaggerates and is unloving.

My deal is this...other Christians need our correction and not condemnation. Johnny Mac tends to go the opposite route.

g&p;Derek

Is is just me, or isn’t it the height of hypocrisy for JM to give grace, yet espouse so deep a prejudice for that which he doesn’t care to investigate fully? How can he say he extends grace, yet condemn what he doesn’t understand, or care to understand? Sounds a little pharisitical to me.

Look, I’m not for diluting the Word of God or saying that it doesn’t have the power it once did, but putting everyone into one pot is just plain wrong.  If I wanted, I could say, by what JM said in these quotes, that he is an angry, jealous man whose main concern is shooting down his ‘competition’ and the only true followers of Christ go to his church.

One thing I think it’s important to remember is whenever anyone writes an article or book in this day and age, they HAVE to be extreme and controversial in order to provoke thought. I don’t necessarily believe that JM wanted to utterly pass judgment on Emergent theology as much as he wanted to make everyone stand up and think. Let’s face it...it’s only the church “geeks” that talk about this stuff. Regular people ARE easily deceived by bad theology and rarely go deeper in their faith than “I know Jesus....Jesus and ME!”. So, in order to warn the flock “Hey guys, you need to get informed about THIS...” JM writes an absolute hit piece, knowing fully that polarizing extreme opinions cause people to think for a second about an issue, and maybe even do a little (GULP) reading…

The culture war in the church is a war against everything else in the “Average Joe” christian life, and getting them somehow equipped to be spiritually deeper than a puddle, whether seeker-sensitive, fundamentalist, traditional, emergent, or any other clique in the larger body.

In the MacArthurian spirit of showing Todd his error - I must point out as a Seinfeld fan that the show was popular in the 1990s - not the 1980s. Being that it debuted in 1990.

No Soup for you, Schmoopie!

John - “Church geeks” I represent that remark! [insert dorky laugh here] Seriously, you are right on...the average pew-dweller is easily swayed by bad theology

Brad - In keeping with the Johny Mac spirit of correcting errors.."schmoopie" is spelled “shmoopy.”

Yours is a common misspelling of the Seinfeldian term of endearment used in episode 115 which aired on Nov. 2 1995 written by Spike Feresten.

Ok, I confess I am a Seinfeld addict!

Derek

TBS - Ha! - they are hacks....

I used to spell it “schmoopie"… I actually call my wife schmoopy or moopy...anyway, I got the correct spelling here:

http://www.seinfeldscripts.com/TheSoupNazi.htm

SeinfeldScripts.com is reportedly an authority in the Seinfeld universe.

Derek

I don’t agree with everything that John says, but I do agree with a lot that he says.  Let me say that as long as I have known John (personally) he is a man of conviction and integrity.  He is not the guardian of the church and would never accept that claim if given to him.  However, he is brave enough to speak out about the things that he believes is dangerous for the church in general that frankly is in trouble in many ways.  He’s not always correct…but often he is.  I have enough discernment to make up my own mind when reading what he says as well as what others say. 
I don’t think that you can sum up all of the so-called Emergent Church Movement into one, but the things that John says has some merit with many. 
I suppose what bothers me more then the comments and observations made by a man that that faithfully pastured for over 30 years with great success, seen thousands come to Christ and planted hundreds of churches worldwide, are some of the comments made within this post and the comments by its readers about that man.  Yes…John is at times unmovable and appears to be legalistic (yet, is one of the most gracious men I’ve ever met). 
To make comments about his hair (which is his btw) or that his conviction and how he communicates it makes him like the soup nazi is less then gracious. 
One more thing.  The fact that John has his own Study Bible to me is an honorable thing.  It is simply a translation that also includes his notes and insights from years of scholarly study.  I don’t recall anyone making comments when Charles Ryie and C.I. Schofield did the same thing.  BTW…Schofield was far less flexible then MacArthur by far.

Andy,

Mostly everything I have read from JM has some merit to it and that is the problem. Some merit gives him credibility to make some judgments, but his judgments come of a complete. There has got to be a more palatable way for him to communicate what he sees as dangers int he church. That is why he is compared to the Soup Nazi. The SN (like JM) had an unkind way of simply dismissing people.

My question is this—Does John want to correct or condemn? Too much of it sounds like condemnation which should be saved for Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses not for charismatic, church growth guys and emergent-types.

I am not a fan of anyone’s “Study Bible.” Let’s keep the Bible “Holy” and keep study notes out. Schofield did a horrible job of propagating pre-mill eschatology and dispensational theology...the later of which was harmful to the church IMHO.

I like John’s hair BTW and he always looks sharp in a suit.

Derek

Dude - I just noticed...I am so anti-vest - Jesus never wore vest and I have seen vest on evil people with loose morals in the media - I know that Anchorman (a film I only saw on an airplane once with one eye shut) the main character often had a vest on… man, everyone who wears vest is a pawn of the devil (looks at picture of Johnny Mac) uh...welll...uh...hmmmmmm

Honestly I think John wants to correct…and yet I admit he comes across as condemning at times.  I also agree that he needs a better way to communicate.  I also would think that if you asked him, he would say the same thing.

Years ago when I spoke about going into the ministry, it was John Mac that sat with me and personally encouraged me in my quest.  The thing was, he hardly even knew me. 

I suppose that if you think that “Schofield did a horrible job of propagating pre-mill eschatology and dispensational theology...the later of which was harmful to the church” would depend on where you are theologically. 

BTW…New Hair (if that’s your name, lol), I am far from thin skinned, after all I’ve been a pastor for 30 years and to survive that you have to have think skin.  I just feel that sometimes the things that we say about someone can and often are taken wrongly and can be a little dig.  Admit it...it was in fact that.  We seldom say those things about people that we are in agreement with. 

It seems to me that when someone has their name on things that those of us that have not made significant accomplishments in biblical scholarship find it prideful.  Yet, throughout the ages this sort thing has taken place.  Who finds it wrong that the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association was so named?  Or the Moody Memorial Church and MBI?  I’m sure there are a number of other examples.

I understood the Soup Nazi comment, it’s just that John takes a lot of shots on MMI, and yet...no praise for what he has done and that title just gave one more opportunity.

Well, I don’t agree with John’s comments and most of those that John may take aim at don’t deserve it.  BTW...I tell stories, and make cultural insights, but I teach also.  John mostly teaches...it’s his style and those comments made by him are in most cases in my opinion, not correct.

There are a lot of preachers in the Kingdom that I don’t agree with...however I won’t make comments that may be little digs that may seem to reflect on their character.

Finally, I think what you’re doing here Todd is of great value on MMI and I’m sure that many of those that are reading this are also.  We al have our part in this job of fulfilling The Great Commission. 

A great man once said, “the Christian Army is the only army that takes shots at their own soldiers.” I refuse to do it and it pains me when others do.  Period.

Hey Mark,

I’ll bet you look for typos in the church bulletin and make sure you point those out too...right?