senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, and president of 9Marks (https://xitter.cf/t.co/2Df0DUNqp9).an MDiv from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary,
Washington, DC
Joined December 2024
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Mark Dever retweeted
Hearing the panel at Shepherds Conference reflecting on John MacArthur’s legacy, I recalled that it was through radio, cassettes, TMU, and conferences like T4G that I had a chance to hear him and even meet him a few times (talking about Calgary mostly).
His prescience about Lordship Salvation, the seeker sensitive movement and, still one of the most relevant issues, the vanishing conscience, were expressions of a pastoral wisdom that will long outlast him.
Mark Dever retweeted
SHOCKING VIDEO RESURFACES: Trump’s New DHS Pick Markwayne Mullin PRAISED and HUGGED the Cop Who MURDERED Unarmed Air Force Vet Ashli Babbitt – Called Him a Hero! thegatewaypundit.com/2026/03…
Mark Dever retweeted
The evolution of John MacArthur’s view on the extent of the atonement was recently discussed at #ShepCon2026, perhaps with more depth than has been mentioned before. During the dialogue, @Phil_Johnson_ mentioned that Dr. S. Lewis Johnson was present during one of MacArthur’s sermons on 2 Corinthians 5 in 1995. Phil is correct on that. In one talk I had with S. Lewis Johnson in the early 2000’s, when I still held a strict view of the atonement, he mentioned that MacArthur quoted Charles Hodge’s statement that “Christ died for the all who died when he died” (Charles Hodge, 𝘈𝘯 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴 [New York: A. C. Armstrong & Son, 1891], 136), and it was then he knew that MacArthur had changed. It was also Lewis Johnson’s view that Hodge (as well as Dabney) held to limited atonement.
I have always wondered how MacArthur arrived at his view. My guess now is that, while he was preparing his sermons on 2 Corinthians, MacArthur was listening to S. Lewis Johnson’s sermons on cassette (which he often did) on that same book and also examined Hodge’s commentary, and both of these, in conjunction with his other Calvinistic views, convinced him to adopt the stricter position. I also suspect that others MacArthur was regularly conversing with were already trying to change his mind on the point. Anyway, it was something in 1995 that triggered that turning point, and S. Lewis Johnson’s lectures and sermons after the mid 1980’s (when Johnson himself changed) may have played an important role in MacArthur’s own views. Johnson was certainly a role model for MacArthur, even in his regular expository method.
The video clip below was extracted from the Facebook video here: facebook.com/shepherdsconfer…
Mark Dever retweeted
“It is better to serve God in solitude than to sin with the multitude.”
— Charles Spurgeon
Mark Dever retweeted
Listening to @MikeRiccardi_ preach on the doctrines of grace from 2 Corinthians 4.
Thankful for this brother!
Mark Dever retweeted
John Piper and John MacArthur on depression. From the 2007 Desiring God National Conference in Minneapolis.
Mark Dever retweeted
Yesterday, day two of “Servant of the Word” Shepherd’s Conference at Grace Community Church in Los Angeles was another very full day. Highlight of the day in my opinion was Dr. John Piper’s remarkable God-glorifying, humbling, and encouraging address on “The Glory of the Church” stressing how the church is glorious in Christ and also is being made glorious with the glory of God (photo 2, with Drs. Piper and Chou). The nearly 5,000 attendees are from 67 nations (photo 1).
Yesterday I had good fellowship with Phil Johnson and Mike Riccardi over breakfast—they were also the morning speakers who delivered very helpful messages on the “The Sufficiency of Scripture” (Heb. 4:12) and “The Sovereignty of God in Saving Sinners” (2 Cor. 4:1-5) respectively (photo 3). After these stimulating addresses, David Woollin and I had an excellent meeting with three brothers from Malaysia about our upcoming conference there in June, D.V.—which took place in Dr. MacArthur’s former office over a noon meal graciously provided by staff (photo 4). How we miss Dr. MacArthur here—both in his office and at the conference—but we know that he is far better off being with the Lord!
Mary and I had additional brief meetings later in the afternoon with two very special friends (who are both very edifying and gifted preachers): Mack Tomlinson (photo 5) and Manny Pereira (photo 6). Then we heard yet another encouraging plenary address from Dr. Paul Twiss on “The Clarity of the Word” based on Psalm 119:17-20.
After having supper with several of the speakers and being lifted up by Dr. Piper’s address, we had a fruitful meeting with a group of church leaders from Trinity Community Church (Clovis, California) to discuss details about me speaking for them at a conference later this year (photo 7).
In between all the addresses and meetings, I thoroughly enjoyed being at our book tables every moment that I could, fellowshipping with scores of brothers, answering questions, and selling books. Happily, the pre-publication sales of our forthcoming 7-volume set of the “Complete Works of Thomas Watson” were robust—as we expected. Pray that God will bless this landmark set of complete works to many thousands of readers in the coming years. Also, pray for the last day of this important conference today.
