Even as we learn about more bad behavior for Julie Roys, Pastor John Macarthur, the subject of 50 articles from Roys poorly detailing his alleged malfeasance, explained in Sunday’s sermon that he has no intention of directly responding to the allegations, choosing instead to allow himself to be attacked and saying he will not retaliate or curse her back for her misdeeds. He explains:
We don’t have the right to be angry at things that come at us. It’s very hard to be righteously angry about that because we get our own egos and self-protectiveness caught up in it. We don’t have a right to be angry, to revile back to people even when they falsely accuse us.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never repay evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all people. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:14-21.
…People have recently been saying to me “you’re getting pretty hammered on the internet, the people attacking you and assaulting you, are you going to respond?”
Yes. The only thing I can say is, I want to bless those who persecute me and not curse. I never want to pay back evil for evil to anyone. As much as is possible, as far as it depends on me, I want to be at peace with all men. So you can’t pick a fight with me, I’m not going to fight.
‘But what about the wrong they’re doing?’ Never take your own revenge beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written ‘Vengeance is mine. I will repay says the Lord’. You think God doesn’t know? You think somebody’s getting away with something?
Guess again.
God keeps those accounts. I don’t need to deal with that. I don’t need to seek revenge. I don’t need to retaliate. I don’t need to curse back. I just need to do what Jesus said and commit himself to a faithful creator.
While John MacArthur and Grace Community Church have not released a public statement regarding the recent scandal that ax-grinders and faith-bad journalists have been lobbying against them- one that started off as questioning the proprietary of the church discipline against a member 20 years ago and has since devolved into wild claims that anyone who doesn’t see the situation their way is guilty of harboring and defending child abuse,- the church has sent out a form email to anyone requesting more information about their position.
The response explains that their church is not likely to issue a public statement about it, citing the pledge of privacy and confidentiality of pastoral counseling sessions. Though other stories that Roys has written do not involve the confidentiality of pastoral counseling, it is unlikely that GCC and the elders there will respond as well.
