The Man

of God

The Essential Pursuits

of a Godly Servant

John MacArthur

Grace Books
The Man of God

The Man of God

The Essential Pursuits

of a Godly Servant

John MacArthur

Grace Books

2
© 2019 John MacArthur

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ISBN: 978-1-883973-03-2

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First printing, 2019.

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 Contents

10
The Character of the Pastor,
Man of God

20
The Man of God Is Known by
What He Flees From

26
The Man of God Is Known by
What He Follows After

34
The Man of God Is Known by
What He Is Fighting For

40
The Man of God Is Known by
What He Is Faithful To

46
Notes,
Bibliography

7
 “Remember you are God’s sword—
His instrument—I trust a chosen
vessel unto Him to bear His name.
In great measure, according to
the purity and perfections of the
instrument, will be the success.
It is not great talents God blesses
so much as great likeness to
Jesus. A holy minister is an awful
weapon in the hand of God.”

Robert Murray M’Cheyne

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 The
Character
of the
Pastor,
Man
of God

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The Man of God John MacArthur

Starting out as a young pastor, it was a very import- the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will
ant issue in my heart to understand what ministry needed bring about at the proper time—He who is the bless-
to be—to be clear about the role a faithful pastor would ed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of
play and clear about what the very character and life of the lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in
church should be. Most importantly, I needed to be clear unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can
about the Word of God, on which everything would be built. see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen. (1
Early on in my ministry, even before I came to Grace Tm 6:6–16 New American Standard Bible).
Community Church, one of the passages that struck me
was 1 Timothy 6. The pastoral epistles—the letters from That is one of the most beautiful doxologies in the
Paul to Timothy (1 & 2 Timothy) and to Titus—give instruc- New Testament, and it comes after straightforward in-
tion to pastors, and all of what these three letters hold is struction to a pastor. If a pastor wants to have a life wor-
very helpful to anyone in pastoral ministry. But the portion thy of a doxology, a life that he can lift up before God to
in that sixth chapter has always stood out as foundation- bring Him honor, then he must follow the instruction in this
al in my understanding of what God expected from me. portion of Scripture.
Notice the identifying phrase, “man of God.” When
But godliness actually is a means of great gain when I first studied this text, I knew this was the title I would
accompanied by contentment. For we have brought bear—that I had been called, prepared, and engaged by
nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out the Lord to be a man of God. In this case, the title simply
of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we identifies Timothy. It is a very clear epithet, but it has im-
shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into measurable and rich elements.
temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful What a privilege to be called God’s man, a man who
desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. belongs to God in a personal way. He doesn’t belong, in
For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and a sense, to the church. He doesn’t belong to an associa-
some by longing for it have wandered away from the tion. He doesn’t even belong to relationships in life, fam-
faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. ily, and extended family. In a very unique way, he is God’s
But flee from these things, you man of God, and man. And that’s a very selective phrase; it is never used in
pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, persever- the New Testament for anyone other than Timothy, which
ance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take makes it exceptional. It is to Timothy that this term, “man of
hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and God,” is first applied after Christ’s life, death, and resurrec-
you made the good confession in the presence of many tion, but it was a common term in the Old Testament. Paul
witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who must have known that, and certainly Timothy would have,
gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testi- because they were both raised on the Old Testament.
fied the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you What did it mean in the Old Testament to be a man
keep the commandment without stain or reproach until of God? It first appears in Deuteronomy 33:1 to describe

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Moses, the great prophet, the man of God. It was also used for God and spoke His revealed Word.
in Judges 13:6–7 to describe an angel, a messenger from In 2 Timothy 3:16–17, we read that, “All Scripture is in-
God, sent to the wife of Manoah announcing the birth of spired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
Sampson. It was also used to refer to a prophet who spoke correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man
for God to Eli, the high priest, predicting divine judgment of God may be adequate,”—or complete—“equipped for
on his wretched family (1 Sm 2:27). And then it was used every good work.” Now he’s not only empowered by the
to identify Samuel as the man of God in 1 Samuel 9. So Spirit, but he speaks the Scripture. And that is written
we gain from these examples a very clear indication that to Timothy; but it goes beyond Timothy to every man of
this term is reserved for someone who speaks for God— God. When Paul calls Timothy a man of God, he puts him
someone who belongs to God in a unique way so that he in a long line of very elite people, associated with a very
is God’s representative speaking on God’s behalf. rare and unique calling. This term is extended to all those
And there are more examples in the Old Testament. who speak for the Lord in the power of the Spirit using
The term was used of the prophet, Shemaiah, who was the Scripture. The man of God is to be perfected by the
sent by God to prophesy against Rehoboam. It was used Spirit and the Word.
again for a prophet who spoke the Word of God to Je- So the title, “man of God,” characterizes particularly
roboam in regard to his being replaced and judged. It de- those who are God’s messengers. Pilgrim’s Progress calls
scribes Elijah. In 1 Kings 17 it describes Elisha. In 2 Kings them “the King’s champions.” They are men whose lives
4, it describes David. It describes the prophet who con- are lifted above worldly aims and temporal things and de-
fronted Amaziah; that prophet is called the man of God in voted to divine service. They are men who belong to the
2 Chronicles 25. It identifies a prophet named Igdaliah in spiritual order, of which, things temporal, transitory, and
Jeremiah 35:4. And the sum of all these uses tells us un- perishing have no permanent relationship. They’re not the
equivocally this is a technical term for someone who be- world’s men, nor are they the Devil’s men, nor are they the
longs uniquely to God in that he relays God’s message to church’s men; they are God’s men, and they are raised
the world. above earthly things. They are God’s personal possession.
A further description of this calling is found in 2 Pe- As Paul writes to Timothy, he recognizes the difficul-
ter 1:21: “No prophecy [from God]”—no Scripture—“was ty of his pupil’s circumstances. At the time Paul writes to
ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the him, Timothy is serving in a church at Ephesus that has
Holy Spirit spoke from God.” So here we learn something lots of problems: false teachers, sinful leaders, doctrinal
else about God’s man. When he speaks the Word of God, error, ungodliness. It’s all there, and Timothy is confront-
he speaks by the power of the Holy Spirit. God has always ing it; but he’s young, and he tends to be timid. Paul says,
had His Spirit-empowered preachers, prophets, and mes- “Nonetheless, you are God’s man. You are God’s man in a
sengers. Men of God are those uniquely called to proclaim very difficult situation. You are working for the King in the
His Word. That summed up for me the full range of my re- kingdom against the power of the darkness.”
sponsibility as a pastor—to be the spokesman who spoke There’s a contrast here that I think is very important.

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Paul talks about false teachers often—in passages like 1 these things; be absorbed in them, so that your prog-
Timothy 1:3–7; 4:1–5; and 6:3–10—and his goal is to con- ress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to your-
trast the man of God to these false teachers. In fact, at the self and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for
end of each of those discussions about false teachers, the as you do this you will ensure salvation both for your-
contrast becomes clear. self and for those who hear you. (1 Tm 4:14).
In the first chapter, after having said a lot about false
teachers, Paul comes down to verse 18 and says to Timothy: So in contrast to a false teacher, here is a true teach-
er, a man of God. In contrast to the men of Satan, this is
This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in ac- God’s man. All that Paul writes in this letter points to this
cordance with the prophecies previously made con- unique responsibility. Again, Paul has spoken about false
cerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, teachers in the sixth chapter:
keeping faith and a good conscience, which some
have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does
their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexan- not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Je-
der, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they sus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to god-
will be taught not to blaspheme. (1 Tm 1:18–20). liness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but
he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and
So in contrast to false teachers, the command is to disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife,
be a trustworthy servant, fighting the good fight, preach- abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant fric-
ing the true Word of God. Paul sums up the situation earli- tion between men of depraved mind and deprived of
er as, “The glorious gospel of the blessed God with which the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of
you have been entrusted.” Again, he speaks to Timothy gain. (1 Tm 6:3–5).
about false teachers, saying, “In pointing out these things
to the brethren, you’ll be a good servant of Christ Jesus, Again, Paul is contrasting Timothy, a man of God, with
constantly nourished on the words of the faith and the the corrupt false teachers. This tension consistently ap-
sound doctrine, which you have been following. And have pears in the letter to point us to the responsibility of the
nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women.” In pastor to be God’s man; and that’s why Paul says in verse
other words, “You are in contrast to those false teaches.” 11, where we pick up our text, “But you man of God,”—you
The same thing is true in the exhortation Paul writes with this unique identification, you man who belongs to
later in his letter to Timothy: God—“this is how you are to conduct your life.”
This was so important to me many, many years ago,
Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was and as a result I made much of this portion of Scripture ear-
bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the ly on in the ministry. One of the men I admired as a young
laying on of hands by the presbytery. Take pain with pastor was W. A. Criswell, who was at Dallas First Baptist

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for about forty-five years—he actually came to Grace

Church and preached on a Sunday, which was a highlight
for me. He had a Study Bible, the Criswell Study Bible,
and when that Study Bible came out—you might have had
one, or find one around your house somewhere—he had
chosen to put my sermon from many years ago in a writ-
ten form inside the pages of that Study Bible. So I under-
stood this text had the same effect on him that he hoped
it would have on others, and that it certainly had on me.
So what is it that defines a man of God? There are
four compelling features here that Paul holds up as marks
of such a man.

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 John MacArthur

The Man
of God
Is Known
“But flee from these things, you man of God.” 1 Timothy 6:11
by
What
He Flees
From

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The Man of God John MacArthur

“Flee” in the present imperative means it’s ongoing: Earlier in this letter, Paul said, “We are to flee myths
keep fleeing. It’s not one action in a point of time, it is a and worldly fables and endless genealogies.” Later in the
lifelong responsibility—keep on fleeing. The Greek word sixth chapter, “We are to flee empty chatter.” In 2 Timothy
is phugē, from which we get the English word fugitive. A 2:22, we are to “flee from youthful lusts.” But here, in con-
fugitive is a running person, somebody in flight. It pictures trast to the false teachers, it is to flee the love of money,
one running from a plague, danger, an enemy, an advanc- to flee greed and all its associated devices, which are so
ing army, or a poisonous serpent. A man of God, then, deadly and destructive. This is the sin of false teachers
learns to be a running man, a fleeing man. There are cer- and liars, who pervert the truth for gain, who make mer-
tain things that he must flee. chandise of people, who seek filthy lucre, who preach for
In 1 Corinthians 6:18, Paul says, “Flee fornication,” and money. From Balaam, the prophet who was bought by the
in 1 Corinthians 10:14, he says, “Flee idolatry.” But here he highest bidder, to Judas, the apostle who sold Jesus for
says, “Flee these things.” What things is he talking about? thirty pieces of silver—this has always been the mark of
He’s talking about the things that have just been men- apostate leaders.
tioned. False teachers “suppose that godliness is a means
of gain” (1 Tm 6:5). False teachers everywhere in Scripture, The Bible speaks of the covetous prophets and priests
Old and New Testament, are said to be in it for the mon- of Jeremiah’s time, the prophets of Ezekiel’s time who could
ey. They make merchandise of the people they shepherd. be bought with handfuls of barley and a loaf of bread, and
On the other hand, “godliness actually is a means of the false prophets of Israel who were called greedy dogs
great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we because they never had enough of exploiting the people
have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take for their own gain in Isaiah 56. Scripture tells of the proph-
anything out of it either” (1 Tm 6:6–7). As Joe Bailey said ets who divined for money in Micah, and the false teachers
years ago, “You don’t see a hearse pulling a U-Haul.” who speak good words and fair speeches to the Romans
to deceive the innocent for the satisfaction of their own
If we have food and covering, with these we shall be bodies. We learn of the unruly, empty talkers and deceivers
content. But those who want to get rich fall into temp- of Crete who subverted whole houses by teaching things
tation and a snare and many foolish and harmful de- which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake in Titus 1:10–11.
sires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For The love of money perverts anyone, but the love of mon-
the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some ey especially perverts teachers. The apostle, Peter, says,
by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and “In their greed they will exploit you” (2 Pt 2:3); they do it
pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Tm 6:8–10). for “sordid gain” (1 Pt 5:2). The pastor has to flee from all
things associated with money and greed and be content
And while this is all true in a general sense, this revela- with whatever the Lord provides.
tion comes in a text that is speaking to pastors, specifical- The apostle Paul, in Acts 20, set a standard for me
ly. “False teachers are in it for the money. You cannot be.” when I was very young through his words to the Ephesian

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elders: “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes. imagine how much money the disciples could have made
You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my when they genuinely could heal if they put a price on their
own needs and to the men who were with me” (Acts 20:33– power. Take no money; never put a price on your ministry.
34). In other words, “I’ve worked to provide for my needs I’m disturbed, greatly disturbed, to see so many who
and even support those with me.” manipulate people for their own personal financial gain,
“In everything I showed you that by working hard in and they do it in a subtle way. Be very wary of someone
this manner you must help the weak and remember the who comes and says, “The Lord gave me a vision of what
words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more this ministry needs to be. The Lord showed me that we
blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35). In the New need to plant this many churches, or build this large an in-
Testament, this is the only quote from the lips of Jesus stitution, or accomplish these goals. In order to do that I’m
outside the gospels, and it is that, “It is more blessed to going to need your investment and your money.”
give than receive.” First of all, he can’t know what the Lord has in mind
A faithful teacher will not be a taker: a faithful man of for the future. That is personal ambition couched in spiri-
God will be a giver. He will be marked by eagerness and tual language, and people have been used and abused re-
willingness to give. It doesn’t mean he’s not to be support- lentlessly for some supposed vision that is nothing more
ed. Paul makes a case for that in 1 Corinthians 9:14, where than personal ambition. Beware when somebody tells you
he says, “The Lord directed those who proclaim the gos- there’s a plan out there that has to be fulfilled, and it came
pel to get their living from the gospel.” But he says, “I’ve from the Lord. No one knows that.
used none of these things, I leave it with the Lord. I don’t
advance my own cause. I’m not in this for the money.” Grace Church is not what I planned. I never had a plan
First Thessalonians 2:10 says, “You are witnesses, and for the church. I’ve never had a plan for anything except to
so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we show up next Sunday and teach the Word of God. That’s
behaved toward you believers.” How did they behave? “For the plan: love the people, serve the people, shepherd, build
you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how work- leaders. The plan is God’s; I only know it when it happens.
ing night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, But you can make a lot of money, fill your coffers, by con-
we proclaimed to you the gospel of God” (1 Thes 2:9). He vincing people they’re part of some vision God gave you
worked on the side so as not to be a burden. about the future that can’t come true unless they make
You may be a preacher; but if you love money, you’re sacrifices. Very often, it’s little more than a Ponzi scheme,
not a man of God. You cannot be God’s man and money’s because they cannot know what the future is. I never ex-
man. You can’t serve God and money; Jesus said that. pected Grace Church to be like this, and I had nothing to
But so many have perverted that. There’s a lot of money do with the plan. All that we are is simply the result of what
to be made at the expense of people. When Jesus sent God sovereignly has done.
out the disciples to heal, He said, “Take no money.” We A man of God is known by what he flees from, and
know people will pay money for false healings. You can what he flees from is the love of money.

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 The Man
of God
Is Known
“Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance
by
What
and gentleness.” 1 Timothy 6:11

He Follows
After

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The Man of God John MacArthur

He’s a running man, running hard and relentlessly, all A man of God pursues righteousness. The remnant
the time, away from the corruption of money. That can be of faithful Israelites was called by Isaiah, “You who pur-
a temptation for people in spiritual leadership when they sue righteousness” (Is 51:1). The writer of Hebrews says,
are highly esteemed and elevated—when people look up “The only people who will see the Lord are those who fol-
to them and believe in them, they can take advantage of low after holiness.”
those people for personal gain. So the preacher spends The righteousness he’s talking about is not imputed
his whole life running from that. And while he’s running righteousness, but practical righteousness—right behavior,
away from the love of money, he’s running in the direction right conduct, right speech, and obedience to God’s stan-
of these virtues: righteousness, godliness, faith, love, per- dards in your life. This is the most comprehensive summary
severance, and gentleness or meekness. term for all virtues. The man of God pursues righteousness:
“Pursue,” or “follow after,” is another present impera- what is right, what is good, what honors God, what glorifies
tive which means “continuing action.” This is lifelong. We’re God, what God commands. That’s his behavior.
always fleeing—that’s the negative. On the other hand, The second word, “godliness,” looks inside. Righteous-
we’re always pursuing. We’re always running away from ness looks at the actions that are right. Godliness looks in-
and running toward. Christian life is an effort to run from ternally at the reverence, holiness, piety, and devotion of
evil and to pursue good. That’s our life. That’s a command heart to the Lord whom he, the man of God, loves. Right
for every believer, but particularly those in leadership. behavior flows out of a right heart attitude—a worship-
Listen to 1 Peter 3:10–11: “The one who desires life, ing heart. All of life must be lived to serve God acceptably
to love and see good days, must keep his tongue from with reverence and godly fear (Heb 12:28). Godliness is
evil and his lips from speaking deceit. He must turn away mentioned nine times in the three pastoral letters; such a
from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue vital, internal reality.
it.” So he’s running from evil toward peace. “For the eyes In 1 Corinthians 4:2–3, Paul speaks to that issue. He
of the Lord are toward the righteous, and His ears attend says, “It is required of stewards that one be found trust-
to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those worthy. But to me it is a very small thing that I may be ex-
who do evil” (1 Pt 3:12). If you want the Lord’s blessing, amined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even
you run your whole life away from evil, and you run toward examine myself.” “The reason you can’t make a legitimate
righteousness. examination of me, and even I can’t, is because you don’t
Proverbs 15:9 says, “[The Lord] loves one who pur- know my heart, and I don’t even know my heart. I’m biased
sues righteousness.” Not one who pursues success, a in my own favor.”
larger church, fame, esteem, popularity, promotion, mon- So he says in verse 4, “For I am conscious of nothing
ey, or possessions. What are you running after? What are against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one
you ambitious about? Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:9, “We who examines me is the Lord.” “Even when I don’t think
also have as our ambition…to be pleasing to Him.” That’s anything’s wrong with me, that’s not the final court; God
the only legitimate ambition. makes the final judgment.”

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“Therefore, do not go on passing judgment before the cry against a thousand sins of others than to mortify one
time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to sin in ourselves.”1 John Owen said, “A minister may fill his
light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the pews, his Communion roll, mouths of the public; but what
motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will he is on his knees in secret before Almighty God, that he
come to him from God” (1 Cor 4:5). Pursuing righteous be- is and no more.”2
havior and pursuing godliness in the heart—those are the Unholiness, sin in the heart, will show up in unrighteous
two overarching virtues of the man of God. He’s godly on behavior and disqualify a man of God. Paul feared that he
the outside because he’s godly in the heart. would be disqualified if he did not subdue the flesh. And
Watch your heart, watch your motives, watch your de- the flesh is only subdued on the outside when it’s being
sires, and that’ll take care of your conduct. Whatever you subdued by the Spirit and the Word on the inside.
are in your heart will show up on the outside. Through the Charles Bridges said, “If we should study the Bible
years, I’ve said this thousands of times: time and truth go more as ministers than as Christians to find matter for the
hand in hand. Given enough time, the truth comes out. You instruction of our people, than food for the nourishment of
can’t hide your heart. our own souls, we neglect to place ourselves at the feet
of our divine teacher. Our communion with Him is cut off,
Many years ago, I discovered a helpful verse in Psalm and we become mere formalists in sacred profession.”3
101, and it’s been consciously on my mind through the James Stalker, in his book in the Yale series on preach-
years. You perhaps have never even read it. Psalm 101:6, ing, said, “Brethren, study God’s Word diligently for your
second half of the verse, “He who walks in a blameless own edification; and when it has become more to you than
way is the one who will minister to me.” “He who walks in your necessary food, sweeter than honey in the honey-
a blameless way,” says God, “is the one who will minister comb, it will be impossible for you to speak of it to others
to me.” Paul was concerned with his righteousness and without a glow passing into your words which will betray
godliness, and with Timothy’s, because the man who min- the delight with which it has inspired your own heart.”4
isters to God must be blameless. A man of God pursues. He pursues righteousness and
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:27, “but I discipline my body godliness. And then faith, which means “confident trust in
and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to oth- God for everything.” This is an unwavering confidence—
ers, I myself will not be adokimos, disqualified.” He knew loyalty to God’s power, purpose, plan, and provision. He
his sinful tendencies. He was the chief of sinners, he said lives under God’s sovereignty happily, gladly, joyfully, en-
in the first chapter of 1 Timothy. In Romans 7, Paul said he trusting himself to God. No frustration, no forcing, no ma-
was battling sin his whole life, but he was winning the bat- nipulation; just trusting God. His life is then marked by
tle in the power of the Holy Spirit. love, agapē, the highest volitional love, unrestricted, unre-
People will feel, I believe, the power of a righteous life. strained toward God, toward man. He is a man who loves
The power of internal godliness will show up on the out- God. He is a man who loves others. He is a man who is
side. John Flavel, the Puritan, wrote this: “It is easier to completely happy to trust the sovereign purposes of God.

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This is the man of God.

Those are inward virtues: faith and love. And there are
some outward virtues: perseverance and meekness. Per-
severance is hupomonē. This is endurance. A faithful man
of God is going to demonstrate endurance. He’s pursuing
endurance; he’s in for the long haul. It’s not a passive ac-
quiescence, it’s a victorious endurance. The idea is un-
swerving loyalty to the Lord, to the church, to the truth,
for the long haul, unwavering, unflinching.
He never focuses on himself in good times or in hard
times. The noble virtue is the ability to endure injustice,
to endure pain, to battle grief, and to have spiritual stay-
ing power that endures even to death. And he never los-
es his joy; he never wanes in his experience; he’s never
burned out; and he’s never so disgusted he walks away.
A man of God has endurance and he’s marked by gentle-
ness or meekness, which is to say that even though life is
hard, he never becomes bitter or angry, because it’s nev-
er about him.

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of God
Is Known
“Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to
by
What
which you were called, and you made the good confession in the
presence of many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12

He Is
Fighting
For
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It’s essential to say that the man of God is a fighter. In It’s intense, and it never stops. But we’re fighting for the
the strongest sense of the term, he’s a battler, a warrior, faith. That’s an objective term. We’re fighting for the Chris-
and a soldier. Paul speaks with that kind of language in 2 tian faith in the noblest cause in the world: the truth of God.
Timothy 2:3: “Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier If you’ve been at Grace Church for any time, you know
of Christ Jesus.” we’ve been engaged in that fight. Every time some doc-
You’re battling the world, the flesh, and the Devil—sin trinal error starts to move in the life of the church, we ad-
in us, and sin around us—battling error and corruptions of dress that from the Word of God. Every book I’ve written
the gospel. In 1 Corinthians 16:8–9, Paul decides to stay in was written to defend the faith. I wanted Christian peo-
Ephesus knowing that, “there are many adversaries.” It’s ple to know the truth. And so, first, it was The Gospel Ac-
a battle; it’ll never be anything but a battle. cording to Jesus, and then The Gospel According to the
We go to battle with the armor of a soldier and we Apostles, and then The Gospel According to Paul, and The
fight, agōnizomai, present imperative. We keep on fight- Gospel According to God, always defending the true gos-
ing, present tense again, agōnizomai. The word, “agony,” pel against false gospels. Ashamed of the Gospel, The Je-
comes from that word. It’s a constant, agonizing fight. Al- sus You Can’t Ignore—book, after book, after book—The
ways, always battling; never does the battle wane. It takes Truth War, The Charismatics, Strange Fire. We’re fighting
conviction: it takes discipline. You have to be like an ath- constantly for the faith.
lete who runs to win, like a boxer who doesn’t beat the air, That’s life in ministry. And what drives that? Paul says,
but strikes his opponent, (1 Corinthians 9). “Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and
We are literally fighting the good fight. The verb and you made the good confession in the presence of many
the noun are related. We are agōnizomai the agōn. We are witnesses” (1 Tm 6:12). There was a day when Timothy
agonizing through the agony, the spiritual conflict. We are made a profession of faith in Christ, and he confessed Je-
defending the truth, which is constantly being assaulted. sus as Lord, and it was before many witnesses. And then
Listen to the words of Jude who says, “You [must] con- there was a moment when he was called into ministry be-
tend earnestly for the faith”—that’s the content of biblical fore elders who laid hands on him, and he professed not
truth—“which was once for all handed down to the saints. only Jesus as Lord, but Jesus as his Lord and himself as
For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who the servant of Christ to preach the truth. And so, Paul re-
were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, minds him, “Timothy, you made this good confession to
ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into li- be the servant of the Lord, to be the slave of your Master,
centiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus to be faithful to Him. Now get a grip on the eternal life to
Christ” (Jude 3). which you were called.”
Here is the separating reality: the man of God is linked
You’ve got to fight for the faith; it’s a battle. To do that, to things eternal. That’s where our focus is. Our battle is
1 Corinthians 16:12–13 says, “Stand firm in the faith, act like with the things that have eternal impact. The man of God
men, be strong.” We are storming the fortresses of error. rises above the petty struggles of politics. The man of

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The Man of God John MacArthur

God rises above the pitiful, perishing, useless things, and

he fights for what is eternal. And what is eternal is divine
truth, and the souls of men and women. The man of God
fights for heaven’s causes against the threat of hell. That’s
the perspective you need to live as a man pleasing to God.
Get a grip on the eternal things to which you were
called. You can’t get caught up in anything less. You might
be preaching only one or two times a week, but what are
you doing the rest of the time? You’re fighting that same
battle on another level. You’re fighting it in personal dis-
cussions with people who are struggling with the truth,
or by writing a book, developing a radio or television pro-
gram, or going to a conference where you can speak pub-
licly to issues like these. Your whole life is a fight—it’s a
battle for the truth.
It’s such an exhilarating battle that I never get weary. If
I don’t look in the mirror, I don’t know how old I am. I have
the same amount of energy I’ve always had, and the fight
is as exhilarating to me as it’s always been—because I’ve
read the end and I know who wins. The victory is already
assured. I just want to march in the triumph with my Lord.

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 The Man
of God
Is Known
“I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things,
by
What
and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before
Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without stain or
reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Timothy 6:13–14

He Is
Faithful
To
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The Man of God John MacArthur

And what was His confession before Pilate? “My king- sacrifice. Because the man of God is fleeing, following,
dom is not of this world.” Paul charges them to do the fighting, and faithful, the end of his life is a doxology. The
same by keeping the commandment, tēn entolēn, with- end of his life will culminate in praise to God.
out stain or reproach, until the appearing of our Lord Je- There’s another possibility. In 1 Kings 13, there’s a sto-
sus Christ. What is “the commandment?” It simply refers ry about a man of God who was disobedient: “Thus says
to the Word of God. The Word of God is the divine com- the Lord,”—to this man of God…
mandment. It’s like saying, “According to the law.” It’s the
whole revelation of God. Paul charges the man of God to ‘Because you have disobeyed the command of the
guard it without stain or blemish. Lord, and have not observed the commandment which
The man of God is marked because he is faithful be- the Lord your God commanded you, but have returned
fore God, the Creator and Sustainer of all life, in whose and eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which
presence he serves. He is faithful before Christ Jesus, his He said to you, ‘Eat no bread and drink no water;’ your
Lord and Master, who witnessed His confession of faith- body shall not come to the grave of your fathers.’ It
fulness to the heavenly kingdom before Pilate. He is faith- came about after he had eaten bread and after he
ful to that heavenly kingdom that belongs to God and the had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, for
Lord Jesus Christ; and he will keep the truth without stain, the prophet whom he had brought back. Now when
and without blemish. That’s why it says in 1 Timothy 3:1 and he had gone, a lion met him on the way and killed him,
Titus 1 that his life has to be above reproach. It’s an amaz- and his body was thrown on the road, with the don-
ing obligation. He will be faithful to the accurate proclama- key standing beside it; the lion also was standing be-
tion of divine truth. He’ll be faithful, without stain, without side the body. And behold, men passed by and saw
reproach, till the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. the body thrown on the road, and the lion standing
How long do you do this? How long are we supposed beside the body; so they came and told it in the city
to be faithful? Until Jesus comes. Until the epiphaneia, the where the old prophet lived.
shining appearing of Jesus Christ. He’s coming, and when Now when the prophet who brought him back from
He comes, “At the proper time—He who is the blessed and the way heard it, he said, ‘It is the man of God, who dis-
only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who obeyed the command of the Lord; therefore the Lord
alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproach- has given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed
able light, whom no man has seen or can see,” referring him, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke
to God. “To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen” to him.’ (1 Kgs 13:21–26).
(1 Tm 6:16).
That’s a sad picture, isn’t it? A snapshot of a man of
The life of a faithful minister has at its end a doxology. God who ends tragically. I would rather end with a doxol-
That’s how it ought to end. What amazing praise for such ogy than be a photo of a corpse.
a high calling when it’s offered to God as an acceptable I’ve had on my desk a marvelous little statement that I

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The Man of God John MacArthur

started reading when I was very young. This is what some- for celestial wisdom, and give him no escape until he’s
one suggests for pastors. back against the wall of the Word. And sit down before
him and listen to the only word he has left: God’s Word.
Fling him into his office. Tear the office sign from the Let him be totally ignorant of the down-street
door and nail on the sign, ‘Study!’ Take him off the mail- gossip, but give him a chapter and order him to walk
ing list. Lock him up with his books and his Bible. Slam around in it, camp on it, sup with it, and come at last
him down on his knees before Scripture, and broken to speak it backward and forward, until all he says
hearts, and the lives of a superficial flock, and a Holy about it rings with the truth of eternity. And when he’s
God. Force him to be the one man who knows about done, burned out by the flaming Word, when he’s con-
God. Throw him into the ring to box with God until he sumed at last by the fiery grace blazing through him,
learns how short his arms are. Engage him to wrestle and when he’s privileged to translate the truth of God
with God all night long. Let him come out only when to men and finally transferred from earth to heaven,
he’s bruised and beaten into being a blessing. Shut his then bear him away gently, and blow a muted trumpet,
mouth forever spouting remarks, and stop his tongue and lay him down softly, place a two-edged sword on
forever tripping lightly over every nonessential. Re- his coffin, and raise the tune triumphant. For he was
quire him to have something to say before he dares a brave soldier of the Word. And ere he died, he had
break the silence. become a man of God.5
Bend his knees in the lonesome valley. Burn his
eyes with weary study. Wreck his emotional poise with That’s the man we desire to be. That’s the man God
worry for God. Make him exchange is pious stance blesses.
for a humble walk with God and man. When at last he
dares enter the pulpit, ask him if he has a word from
God. If he doesn’t, dismiss him. Tell him you can read
the morning paper yourself. You can digest the tele-
vision commentary and think through the day’s su-
perficial problems. You can manage the community’s
weary issues and bless the sordid baked potatoes and
green beans ad infinitum better than he can. Command
him not to come back until he’s read and reread, writ-
ten and rewritten, until he can stand up, warn and for-
lorn and say, ‘Thus sayeth the Lord.’
Break him across the board of his ill-gotten pop-
ularity. Smack him hard with his own prestige. Corner
him with questions about God, cover him with demands

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Notes

1 Josiah H. Gilbert, Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant

Writers, (New York: Wilbur B. Ketcham, 1895), 476.
2 I.D.E. Thomas, ed., The Golden Treasury of Puritan Quota-
tions, (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 2011), 192.
3 Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry, (London: Seeley,
Burnside & Seeley, 1844), 163.
4 James Stalker, The Preacher and His Models: The
Yale Lectures on Preaching, (London: Hodder & Stoughton,
1891), 50.
5 Floyd Doud Shafer, “And Preach as You Go,” (Illinois:
Christianity Today, March 27, 1961), 9.

Bibliography

Bridges, Charles. The Christian Ministry. London: Seeley,

Burnside & Seeley, 1844.

Doud Shafer, Floyd. “And Preach as You Go.” Christianity

Today, March 27, 1961.

Gilbert, Josiah H. Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant

Writers. New York: Wilbur B. Ketcham, 1895.

Stalker, James. The Preacher and His Models: The Yale

Lectures on Preaching. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1891.

Thomas, I.D.E., ed. The Golden Treasury of Puritan

Quotations. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 2011.

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