Dr. John MacArthur did say, “I’m not a scientist, so I have to trust the scientists.”? The context of his statement is the biblical creation story in Genesis, and what is disturbing about his statement is how he places the authority of science and what is actually pseudoscience and scientism over and above the authority of the scriptures. Of all men, of all pastors, this one man should know the egregious error he has made. His error stands against all he has stood for and fought for faithfully for over half a century as a Bible teacher and preacher.
Pastor John MacArthur is one of America’s favorite pastors. He is a godly man who has served Grace Community Church in California for over half a century, and he has done so faithfully and without the corruption of so many other pastors in American churches. He is the prolific author of many sound Bible commentaries. His theology and philosophy of preaching is very much a literal approach, and he is unquestionably one of the most careful pastors when it comes to teaching and preaching the Bible accurately according to the Hebrew and Greek and according to traditional rules of hermeneutics and exegesis. He is a respected teacher of the Word of God, and the doctrine he teaches is backed up by solid teaching directly from the Bible with the single exception of the creation story of the Earth. He is the founder of Master’s College which has trained two generations of pastors and missionaries around the world. He is a respected, revered, and loved pastor by millions of Americans and believers around the world.
It is surprising, therefore, that Dr. MacArthur would make such an egregious error in teaching a major biblical story–God’s version of the creation of the “heavens and Earth.” It is more than surprising. It is shocking. In this article we’ll look at exactly what he said that is so disturbing and unbiblical, and which has huge implications for believers and unbelievers. Dr. MacArthur made the statement, “I’m not a scientist, so I have to trust the scientists.” on two occasions in 2014.
The first time MacArthur made this statement, “I’m not a scientist, so I have to trust the scientists,” was from the pulpit of Grace Community Church during a sermon on February 9, 2014. This was part of his series on Genesis, specifically during his sermon titled “The Battle for the Beginning: Creation or Evolution, Part 1.” In this sermon, MacArthur reiterated his belief in a literal six-day creation and a young earth, while acknowledging that he is not a scientist and therefore relies on scientists for certain information. He did emphasize that his ultimate trust is in the biblical account of creation, but that trust was vitiated when he also made it clear that he adopted the heliocentric counterfeit of creation and the Earth as a sphere, also tragically unbiblical for reasons explained in our many books, videos, and articles on this site.
The second time he made the statement, “I’m not a scientist, so I have to trust the scientists,” was during the March 13, 2014 Ligonier Ministries National Conference, where MacArthur participated in a Q&A session and discussed various theological topics, including the age of the earth and creation. When asked about his stance on the age of the earth, MacArthur acknowledged that he is not a scientist, which led him to make the statement, “I’m not a scientist, so I have to trust the scientists.”
MacArthur did try to clarify that his trust in scientists is limited to areas where scientific observations align with Scripture, but this does not erase such an egregious error in Bible interpretation. He expressed his belief in a young earth, consistent with a literal interpretation of the Genesis creation account, despite acknowledging the scientific consensus on an older earth. MacArthur emphasized that, as a theologian and pastor, his ultimate authority is the Bible, and he prioritizes biblical revelation over scientific theories when they appear to conflict. This statement reflects MacArthur’s broader theological perspective, where he respects the role of science but maintains a strong commitment to the authority of Scripture in matters of faith and doctrine.
Unfortunately, MacArthur respects the role of science above the authority of the scriptures. Granted, he does so out of ignorance, or blindness, or cognitive dissonance, but clearly he has been fooled just like the rest of us until God opened our eyes so we could see the mass deception and the obvious truth of God’s creation story as a non-spherical, non-heliocentric system.
Pray that God would open Pastor John’s eyes so he could repent of his error and begin to teach the true story of creation exactly as God told it to Moses, and exactly as true science affirms it.
