Navigating Grace and Truth: Addressing John MacArthur’s Legacy with Love in His Final Days

If you haven’t yet heard, John MacArthur, one of the most influential voices in evangelicalism, is reportedly nearing the end of his life. For many Christians, this news stirs up a storm of emotions—grief, reflection, maybe even relief. But for those of us who, for years, have been shouting from the rooftops about his troubling legacy—his callous heart, his cover-ups of sexual abuse, his silencing of victims like Eileen Gray, and his hostility toward women—his impending death feels like stepping into a minefield. How do we navigate this moment with grace, truth, and a commitment to justice when his defenders are out here acting like he’s the second coming of Paul? Is this a time to remain silent and let the dead bury their dead? Or is this the time to insist on being heard, while an untold number of walking wounded watch millions of Christians sing the praises of a man who, for them, represents pain, suffering, and a cruelty that pushes them further and further from a true understanding of Christ’s love for them?

First, let me be clear: I don’t take any joy in someone’s suffering or death. Ezekiel 33:11 says, “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.” My heart worries for MacArthur’s soul, and I’m praying he has a moment of clarity, a chance to repent before he meets Jesus. But his impending death doesn’t erase the harm he’s caused. It doesn’t wipe clean the stories of women and children who were betrayed by his leadership. And it sure doesn’t silence the call for accountability just because his time on earth is winding down. Death doesn’t get to be a get-out-of-jail-free card for spiritual abuse.

But too often, death is just that. I remember feeling the same way when Rachel Held Evans died. We are talking about hugely influential faith leaders who spend their entire careers leading people off ideological cliffs. When they die, you’re not allowed to call a spade a spade or to say they were really problematic people because you’ll be accused of lacking basic human empathy and kicking his/her loved ones while they’re down.

So you bite your tongue for a few years while the dust settles, but you won’t be allowed to speak up then either. Then you’ll be accused of cruelly slandering the dead who aren’t even there to defend themselves.

Meanwhile, they’ll be romanticized and cemented into the annals of history as great leaders of the faith whose lives and ministries should be used as templates for countless other believers. And all the horrible things they did get passed down as excusable and justified in the court of Christian public opinion, and we perpetuate cycles of dysfunction and harm on a grand scale.

I don’t think this is okay.

“What on earth is this lady talking about?” some of you might be scratching your heads and asking. And it’s a fair question since it seems the majority of people haven’t heard about Eileen Gray or Hohn Cho or any of the litany of other horror stories emerging from his leadership.

So let’s start there. In 2001, Eileen went to MacArthur’s Grace Community Church (GCC) for help, desperate to protect her kids from her husband, David Gray, a teacher at the church, who was physically and emotionally abusing them. Later, it came out that he was sexually abusing them too.

What did MacArthur and his elders do? They gaslit and shamed her. They wrote formal letters on church letterhead accusing her of ruining her family by refusing to submit to their commands for her to return to the sham of a marriage.

“We strongly believe that it is time for you to remove the restraining order and return to end the separation from your husband,” they warned. “There are no longer sufficient reasons for the two of you to stay apart. We therefore are requesting that you forgive David, allow him to move back home, and once again follow his leadership as the Scripture teaches.”

Can we pause here for a minute to reflect on the brazen stupidity and recklessness of this counsel? How and why should anyone be expected to submit to the leadership of a man who beats her or molests her children? This kind of advice is liable to get somebody killed. Thankfully, Eileen did not heed the counsel, a fact that resulted in additional letters from the church leaders. She tried to leave the church, but they wouldn’t even allow her to do that. They ultimately sent her a letter instructing her to “repent” for failing to obey them and warned that a failure to submit to their instruction would result in church discipline.

And that’s just what happened. On August 18, 2002, during the evening service at GCC, John MacArthur stepped up to the pulpit and, in front of a crowd of 8000 congregants, announced that Eileen Gray had violated Matthew 18, that she refused to repent of her wickedness, that she was being subjected to church discipline, and that the entire church ought to essentially shun her and treat her like an unbeliever.

Friends, this is wicked. A battered, broken woman who was betrayed by the one man who promised to protect her was now left on her own to protect her children and herself from a violent man. Only to make things worse, the very group of people who OUGHT to have been there to support and care for her through this difficult time were now treating her as an enemy. If you don’t think Jesus would weep over this, I’m not sure what to tell you.

A few short years later in 2005, her husband David Gray was convicted on multiple counts of sexual and physical abuse of children. He is currently serving 21 years to life for his crimes. The same man whose leadership Eileen had been urged to follow. The same man they insisted posed no continued threat.

This would have been an excellent opportunity for John MacArthur and the leadership at Grace Community to model public repentance to their followers. But that repentance never came. Eileen never received an apology. John MacArthur never repented for the injury he had overseen. In fact, evidence suggests that MacArthur even signed his stamp of approval on a “ministry” Gray started in prison called “Grace Prison Fellowship.”

Of the whole affair, Eileen recalls, “They rejected me. Every single person rejected me.”

This isn’t just a misstep; it’s a betrayal of everything Jesus stands for. Matthew 18:6 warns, “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Protecting abusers while shaming victims? That’s causing the little ones to stumble, and it’s a serious offense in God’s eyes.

Then there’s the pattern. This isn’t a one-off. Multiple women have come forward saying GCC told them to stay with abusive husbands, even when those men were violent or sexually deviant. One woman was counseled to endure her husband’s abuse like a missionary endures persecution. Are you kidding me? Jesus didn’t call us to enable sin; He called us to confront it. Galatians 6:1 says, “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.” Gently, yes, but restore—not enable.

MacArthur’s church seems to have missed that memo, prioritizing “biblical” patriarchy over the safety of women and children. It’s a pattern that former Grace Community Church elder Hohn Cho documented when he confronted MacArthur about the numerous injustices women in the church were experiencing under his leadership. Cho’s cries fell on deaf ears. And don’t even get me started on the cover-up of Pastor Paul Guay’s sexual abuse, where MacArthur allegedly knew and did nothing. This isn’t shepherding; it’s spiritual malpractice.

What makes this so hard to navigate is the army of MacArthur loyalists who defend him like he’s untouchable. It’s almost cult-like, this idolatrous commitment to a man who’s been put on a pedestal so high it’s blocking out the Son. I’ve seen it on X—his followers dismissing victims’ stories, accusing whistleblowers like Julie Roys of lying, and doubling down on MacArthur’s “biblical integrity.” This morning alone, I’ve been accused of fostering “the Jezebel spirit,” of “doing the work of demons,” and of needing to “repent” before I go to hell. For some, the consensus seems to be that any hint of criticism of John MacArthur’s ministry is clear and certain evidence of a reprobate heart, hellbent on rebelling against biblical truth.

Proverbs 18:13 hits hard here: “To answer before listening—that is folly and shame.” These defenders aren’t listening to the victims. They’re not wrestling with the evidence. They’re just shouting, “How dare you touch God’s anointed!” But Psalm 105:15 isn’t a shield for leaders who harm the flock; it’s a call for leaders to protect, not prey.

So why is this moment so challenging for those of us calling out MacArthur’s abuses? Because death complicates things. It’s tempting to soften the truth, to say, “Well, he’s dying, so let’s focus on the good he’s done.” And sure, MacArthur’s written books and preached sermons that have helped many understand Scripture better. The same is true about Ravi Zacharias. I’m not denying that, and quite frankly, I’m not sure what to do with this reality. God has always been in the business of working things together for His glory, and He’s especially been in the business of using broken vessels to accomplish His purposes.

But 1 Corinthians 13:1-2 reminds us that all the theological accuracy and perfect expository preaching in the world amount to nothing when they aren’t paired with God’s love and compassion. A callous heart that shames victims and protects abusers cancels out a lot of theological brilliance. We can’t let his impending death whitewash the pain he’s caused.

At the same time, we’re called to grace. Colossians 3:13 says, “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” That’s the tightrope we’re walking. I can forgive MacArthur—not because he deserves it, but because Jesus commands it. But forgiveness doesn’t mean silence. It doesn’t mean pretending the harm didn’t happen. It means speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), holding leaders accountable, and protecting the vulnerable. The church has been burned too many times by leaders who dodge accountability while their followers cheer them on. We can’t keep repeating that cycle.

To my fellow Christians wrestling with this, here’s my plea: don’t look away. Don’t let the cult of personality around MacArthur—or any leader—blind you to the truth. Pray for John MacArthur. Desire his reception into the loving arms of a God who uses flawed vessels to accomplish his purposes. Pray for his family and his congregation. Hold fast to compassion. Tell even hard truths without flinching. And cling tight to Jesus because, in the end, this is all about Him anyway, and He will right every wrong