A Personal Tribute to John MacArthur (1939–2025)

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Today, with innumerable Christians throughout the world, my heart is touched with a measure of grief as I reflect on the not-unexpected death of Pastor John MacArthur, yesterday, July 14, 2025. Although I did not have the privilege of knowing him personally, his life and ministry have had an enduring influence on me, as they have on countless fellow believers around the world. His unwavering commitment to the truth of God’s Word marked him as a humble and faithful servant, a lionhearted preacher, and a steadfast shepherd of Christ’s flock.

My first introduction to John MacArthur came during my college years through the “Grace to You” radio broadcasts. I recall tuning my radio to our local Christian radio station while in my car to hear his clear and authoritative exposition of Scripture. It was not merely the precision of his teaching that struck me, but the evident conviction with which he preached. John MacArthur didn’t use God’s Word to decorate his opinions; he let the Word speak for itself. Those radio broadcasts of his preaching made evident his love for truth and his passion for Christ’s glory. It planted seeds of conviction and clarity in my own approach to Scripture.

While attending my alma mater, Grace Theological Seminary, and after, I had the opportunity to hear John MacArthur preach in person. Those occasions are etched deeply in my memory, for the voice I had heard many times on the radio was embodied before the seminary student body. It was not just that he opened the Scriptures with clarity, but that he modeled a kind of pastoral courage and biblical fidelity that called every man training for ministry to a higher standard. He was not a man performing, but a man fully submitted to the authority of the Word he proclaimed. Such commitment to God’s Word garners influence—the authority with which he spoke was not his own, but that of Scripture itself.

With the arrival of the internet, I have watched numerous clips from John MacArthur’s sermons. What deepened my admiration and appreciation for him even further was his resolute leadership during the tumultuous days of the COVID-19 crisis in 2020 and 2021. As the California state and local governments imposed restrictions on public gatherings, including the assembly of the saints, John stood firm—not recklessly, but resolutely. With clarity of thought and calm conviction, he led Grace Community Church to defy governmental overreach, not out of rebellion, but out of allegiance to the Lordship of Christ. And the Lord blessed the church with a resounding legal victory and financial settlement. John MacArthur’s leadership throughout those disruptive days was marked not by bluster but by obedience to the Lord of the church. His actions rebuked the cowardice of so many other ministers with a clarion call to pastoral fidelity.

In John MacArthur, I witnessed a man who feared God more than man, who loved the church more than his own reputation, and who longed for Christ’s “Well done” more than the applause of the world. His living voice has now gone silent, but his legacy will continue to echo in churches, seminaries, and hearts influenced by his faithfulness.

So, I along with the team at Christ Over All, thank God for the life of John MacArthur. His ministry, though from afar, influenced me, encouraged my resolve to stand boldly with Christ Jesus, and reminded me of the glory and sufficiency of God’s Word. John MacArthur fought the good fight. He kept the faith. And now, by God’s grace, he shall receive the crown of righteousness on the Last Day, which awaits everyone who longs for the Lord’s coming (2 Tim. 4:8). Soli Deo Gloria.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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  • Ardel Caneday continues as an adjunct faculty member at University of Northwestern after recently retiring from his role as Professor of New Testament & Greek. Ardel completed the MDiv and ThM at Grace Theological Seminary and the PhD in New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is a founding teaching elder of Christ Bible Church (Roseville, MN). He co-edited with Matthew Barrett Four Views on the Historical Adam, co-authored with Thomas R. Schreiner The Race Set Before Us, and has published many articles in Christian magazines, journals, books, and online.

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Ardel Caneday

Ardel Caneday continues as an adjunct faculty member at University of Northwestern after recently retiring from his role as Professor of New Testament & Greek. Ardel completed the MDiv and ThM at Grace Theological Seminary and the PhD in New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is a founding teaching elder of Christ Bible Church (Roseville, MN). He co-edited with Matthew Barrett Four Views on the Historical Adam, co-authored with Thomas R. Schreiner The Race Set Before Us, and has published many articles in Christian magazines, journals, books, and online.