Pulpit Magazine

(By Nathan Busenitz)

Yesterday morning, our church had the joy of celebrating the ten-year anniversary of The MacArthur Study Bible. Since it was first published, over one million copies of the Study Bible have been distributed worldwide. It is a remarkable milestone, one for which we give all of the glory to God.

Below is the article that appeared in our church bulletin, Grace Today, to commemorate this special occasion.

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A Little History on a Historic Day

Today we celebrate an amazing milestone: one million copies of The MacArthur Study Bible in print. Since its inception a decade ago, the Study Bible has not only had a profound impact on us here at Grace Church, but also on believers around the globe. With French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish versions already complete, and Chinese and Arabic translations planned for the future, we rejoice in knowing that The MacArthur Study Bible is making an impact on the world for Christ.

On a day like this, it is helpful to consider the greater context of what The MacArthur Study Bible represents. The Study Bible is much more than just another devotional aid; it is the fruit of a ministry wholeheartedly committed to Christ and His Word. As such, our church stands at the end of a long line of faithful churches — ministries that have been likewise committed to the authority and sufficiency of Scripture. The MacArthur Study Bible is a tangible expression of that historic commitment to biblical truth.

Throughout church history, faithful Christians have always been marked by a serious commitment to knowing and understanding the Scriptures. Beginning with the Day of Pentecost, those in the church “were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42), and the content of that teaching was “the word of God” (Acts 6:4, 7).

Because they understood its divine origin, the early church put a premium on “accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). They understood that it was sufficient for “everything pertaining to life and godliness” because it conveyed “the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” (2 Pet. 1:3). They recognized it to be “living and active” (Heb. 4:12), “the sword of the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17), and the means by which believers are “filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18; Col. 3:16). They knew the importance of longing “for the pure milk of the Word so that by it [they might] grow in respect to salvation” (1 Pet. 2:2). They took the Book seriously, earnestly seeking to be those who were doers and not just hearers (James 1:22), who lived out their Christian profession “in deed and truth” (1 John 3:18).

Those convictions were shared by the generations of faithful men who followed the apostles. The church father Irenaeus (140-202) spoke of the Scriptures as “the ground and pillar of our faith.” Tertullian (155-240) likewise described the Bible as “the Rule of faith.” Augustine (354-430) encouraged the Christians of his day with these words: “Let us therefore yield ourselves and bow to the authority of the Holy Scriptures, which can neither err or deceive.” And Hippolytus (d. 236) summed it up like this: “There is, brethren, one God, the knowledge of whom we gain from the Holy Scriptures, and from no other source….Whatever things then the Holy Scriptures declare, at these let us look; and whatsoever things they teach these let us learn.”

That same concern for the authority and sufficiency of Scripture was at the heart of the Protestant Reformation. “A layman who has Scripture is more than a Pope or council without it,” wrote Martin Luther. Elsewhere he stated, “The Scriptures alone are the foundation of our beliefs as Christians. I stand on the Word of God as recorded in the Bible.” When told to recant, Luther gave this resolute response: “Unless I am convicted of error by the testimony of Scripture or by manifest reasoning I stand convicted by the Scriptures to which I have appealed, and my conscience is taken captive by God’s word. I cannot or will not recant anything.”

Following Luther, many others have shared his passion for the truth of God’s Word. Names like William Tyndale, John Calvin, John Bunyan, Matthew Henry, Jonathan Edwards, and Charles Spurgeon represent generations of faithful Christians who were committed to the Scriptures. In the words of G. Campbell Morgan: “There is one sure and infallible guide to truth, and therefore, one, and only one corrective for error, and that is the Word of God.”

It is a profound privilege for our church to stand on the shoulders of the faithful generations that have come before us — a privilege we should be reminded of each time we open our copy of The MacArthur Study Bible. For centuries now, faithful men and women of God have diligently searched the Scriptures like the noble Bereans of Acts 17:11. Our church, led by our pastor, John MacArthur, shares that historic conviction, and we find that commitment clearly expressed in The MacArthur Study Bible.

The Study Bible captures Pastor John’s lifelong pursuit of the written and incarnate truth — the culmination of years of diligent study. Following in the footsteps of church history’s faithful men, he has been a true “Timothy” in the faith. In turn, like Paul, he is passing the baton to future generations through resources like The MacArthur Study Bible.

We praise God for allowing Grace Church to be part of the long line of faithful believers throughout church history. By His grace, we are confident that our love for the truth will not die with us, but will be passed on to future generations until our Lord returns.

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