The Gospel According to the Apostles: The Role of Works in a Life of Faith

by John MacArthur

Maybe I was just expecting too much after The Gospel According to Jesus was such a great read. Maybe I was hoping, at some level, that since his teachings were so clearly anti-Calvinistic, that he’d take that last step away from Calvinism into the more simple truths of the Bible. Whatever the reason, this book disappointed.

After reading The Gospel According to Jesus, I had no idea how MacArthur could be a Calvinist. Yet this book took great strides back in that direction. It almost seemed like his thesis was: “The Bible doesn’t teach this and I don’t believe it, but here’s how I can believe it anyway.” Many of his arguments for Calvinistic tenets flew in the face of Calvinism (e.g. Once Saved, Always Saved based on the following: True believers walk in the light; True believers confess their sin; True believers keep his commandments; True believers love the brethren; True believers follow after holiness; True believers affirm sound doctrine; True believers have the Holy Spirit. The following section was on “The Danger of False Assurance”—that’s not the OSAS doctrine I’ve always heard. In fact, if that was it, I don’t know that I’d have any problem with it!)

However, other instances of Calvinism, he didn’t refute with his own teaching. A constant theme through this book, for example, is the doctrine of Imputed Righteousness.

This book also dug deeper into the Lordship Salvation controversy that is a hot-button issue in modern evangelicalism. There were long quotes from No-Lordship teachers and his rebuttal of them, point by point.

There were some high points to this book. But they were fewer and further between than in Gospel According to Jesus.

I don’t know that I would recommend against reading this book, but I would certainly issue a warning with it to be careful for heavy loads of Calvinism. And I wouldn’t put it anywhere near the top of my reading list.

The Editors do not advocate everything taught by the authors of the books we review. Like us, these authors are fallible humans and those who choose to read these books should measure them by the bible, the one true standard.