Review: "Slave", by John MacArthur

I recently received Slave, by John MacArthur, from Thomas Nelson for review purposes, and began reading immediately. It's very well-written and clear. It's deep, helpful , and profound. The main point of the book--that we belong to Jesus, not ourselves--is sadly missing from most teachings these days.

Having said that, there are a couple of things that keep me from recommending it wholeheartedly:

1. The gist of the book's message is spelled out nicely in the first two chapters. Everything that follows simply expands on the contents of the beginning. Like a Saturday Night Live skit that was great at 5 minutes, but unfunny when made into a 90-minute movie, Slave stretches a great teaching a bit too thin.

2. The "slave" language is very uncomfortable to me. The author backs up each assertion very well, so I know it's all accurate, but still, the idea of slavery seems like a terrible thing, and I have a hard time getting past that. I'm guessing I'm not the only one. And I am a white guy. I can imagine how an African-American might be even more sensitive to the main point of the book.

If you can get past those two items, though, it's a good book with the right focus.

Comments

Anonymous said…

May I suggest you research the referenced sources in SLAVE? They are important because nearly all of the endnotes lead to heretical works of modernist and postmodern scholars who deny the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith. Some of these “scholars” are in fact rabidly anti-Christian, and their works, which Macarthur recommends as authoritative, are filled with slander and blasphemy of the Lord Jesus Christ. One homosexual scholar cited by Macarthur wrote a blasphemous book which attempts to prove that Jesus was a homosexual. (Sex and the Single Savior) Other liberal scholars quoted by Macarthur claim that Christians in the early Church, including the Apostles, not only condoned the institution of slavery but were abusive and immoral slave owners and slave traders just like Roman slave owners/traders. For documentation on these and other sources referenced in SLAVE, please read this critical review:

“PAGANIZING” THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH: PART 2 - JOHN MACARTHUR’S “SLAVE” BOOK
http://watch-unto-prayer.org/macarthur-2-slave-book.html

March 21, 2014 at 5:04 PM

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