The following "Question" was asked by an attendee at the 2005 Shepherds' Conference (a ministry of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California), and was "Answered" by John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from "General Session #10 John MacArthur - Q&A."  A copy of the CD, cassette tape, or MP3 can be obtained by going to:  www.shepherdsconference.org  ©2005. All Rights Reserved. Grace Community Church.

Questioner

My question is regarding Jesus’ parables.  You know how He used lots of stories and personal illustrations—is there anything wrong with that?  I’ve noticed that some other preachers today like David Jeremiah, Chuck Swindoll, they do the same thing; they have lots of stories and personal illustrations in their sermons.  I know you don’t do that.  Is there anything wrong with doing that?

John MacArthur's Answer

No, you know, long ago in my ministry, I decided that I was not going to be the issue.  I just don’t want to ever put myself up as the model of spirituality.  I don’t want to embellish my life.  I don’t want to say things that aren’t true, so, you know, to say, “I was here and I did this and this guy did that, and he said and I said…”  I’m not sure my memory’s good enough to reconstruct my life that way, so I don’t want to go there.  I don’t ever want to be the issue.  That’s just a conscious thing. 

I long ago decided that I would illustrate the Bible with the Bible, because, in I Corinthians 10, the Scripture says that the Old Testament was given as examples unto us upon whom the end of the ages have come, and that the whole point of the Old Testament is to just fill up our illustration pile so we can draw from it—and add to that all of the stories that Jesus told. 

This is a little bit of a stretch, but you never hear Jesus say, “By the way, when I was 13, let me tell you what happened to me.”  No…  I guess, in a sense, it’s, you know, He said, “I only tell you what the Father told me to tell you.”  If I illustrate using the Bible, then that illustration has more than interest; it has authority.  It has authority.  I know, because publishers say to me, “You know, can you just kind of tell some stories?” and “You know, there are a lot of people out there who just can’t take this.”  I’m not that deep, folks, come on!  You know, try reading The Death of Death.  I mean, I’m writing simple stuff, but they want more stories, more…  So, I believe the best way to illustrate the Bible is with the Bible.  What you’re doing is making your people biblically literate, getting them familiar with the Scripture, moving around the Scripture, getting them to know it and to trust it and to be familiar with it. 

So, it’s just a choice I made.  It is not at all wrong to use personal illustrations.  It’s not wrong to use good analogies and illustrations.  They’re fine, and, from time to time, I do that.  Part of my problem is I spend so much time working through the text, I have so much to say about the text, that I never bother to put in extraneous stuff.  I probably should do more of it, to be honest with you.  I’d be more tolerable.  Somebody told me one time that if everybody who listened to me were laid end-to-end, they’d be much more comfortable.  I understand there is that element. 

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur's Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
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