In a world filled with bad news, people desperately need to hear the Good News - the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness, life, and salvation that are found in Him! John MacArthur has written another great book and outlines for the ready the greatest news we could ever hear!

John MacArthur's Good News is kind of a mixed bag. I've read several of MacArthur's books and usually quite enjoyed them. There is always some good content, but recently MacArthur's writing has occasionally begun to feel more like ranting than it used to. Each chapter of this book dealt with a different passage of Scripture and examined the theme of the Gospel from that passage. Some of these studies were quite helpful and thought-provoking, others less so. Also, though MacArthur has never been shy about his Calvinism, I was not a fan of a section of the book advocating for limited atonement as the only biblical position. Altogether, while not a bad book, this wasn't great either. There are better MacArthur books out there, as well as better books about the Gospel.

I received a digital copy of this book for free from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are entirely my own.

I love the writings of John MacArthur—and this book is no exception. No matter what topic he writes about, the reader can always be sure that it will be clearly written to be easily understood. Terms that may not be familiar to the reader are also clearly explained to be sure no one gets “lost” in the terminology. Great job!

Good News was a great read. It held a lot of truth and yet was easy to read. Probably one of the easier reads by MacArthur that I read. I liked the personal stories of witnessing that he shared and also that he wasn't afraid to call out certain things (like how people might say "I'm saved and forgiven", but they leave out saying saved from sin and forgiven by Christ).

All in all, I recommend it and look forward to reading more of MacArthur's books. I have a few more on my TBR pile.

*I received a complimentary eBook copy of this book for my honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

Any book by John MacArthur is well researched, written and factually presented. This book presents a strong, factual, doctrinal foundation for the Gospel - the most important facet of our Christian faith, and one that should govern everything we do. This book also harkens the call to the modern church to return to a passionate and relevant love for Jesus as the one way, our holy Messiah, the righteous Redeemer and the head of the church. A convicting read as well as an encouraging one!

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.

When you read a book by John MacArthur, you know that it’s going to be well-researched and challenging, yet written in such a way that it’s easy to understand the concepts he’s teaching. This book is no exception to that. We need to understand the good news of Jesus Christ, and this book certainly lays that strong doctrinal foundation. I highly recommend this book to both those who are searching to understand the truth about Christ, as well as those who are already strong in the faith.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review. I was not required to give a positive review. This is my honest opinion about this book.

Wow! A book that agrees with me about the state of some churches today. How they have lost the knowledge of the love of God and become more secular. It is time for the church, especially in the west to turn back to Christ.
I love this book and the author and will definitely read more by him in the future. God bless John Macarthur and his ministry.
I was given this book by NetGalley and the publisher. This is my voluntary and impartial review.

The Good News is chock-full of Biblical truth and sound doctrinal teaching. MacArthur, who is a Bible teacher and scholar always draws back to context, supporting Scripture with Scripture, and original language (vocabulary) in his teaching. Some may bristle at their fervor with which he rebuts bad theology but it is awful hard to not follow his reasoning when it is surrounded by the truth of God’s Word and exposition thereof.

He uses Scripture to assert that Jesus is:
The Messiah
Holy
The Only Way
Redeemer
Righteous
The Head of the Church

I believe this book is pinnacle in our understanding the gospel properly and highly recommend it!

In six chapters John MacArthur guides us through Christ and the unique claims he makes. Whilst all of the chapters are good the highlight is the last chapter on the headship of Christ. A doctrine under a great deal of attack today and one which MacArthur ably defends. This book is worth reading for that alone.

Cheap, solid theology in an accessible format, what more could you want?

Does the world need another book about the gospel of Jesus Christ? The good news never loses relevancy; it is ever-true. The lost of the world need to hear the good news just as much as they ever did. The truth is, however, that the lost of the church need to hear the good news too. And that is, in part, what this one is about: Recovering the good news for the church itself, or, distinguishing the true good news from various false gospels that are abundant.

This one has six chapters: "Jesus is the Messiah," "Jesus is Holy," "Jesus is the Only Way," "Jesus is the Redeemer," "Jesus is Righteous," and "Jesus is the Head of the Church." All the chapters address the question first asked: Who is Jesus? Answering that question correctly is a matter of life and death, and that is no exaggeration.

The book is concise and clear, though not without potential to offend. The truth is the good news of Jesus Christ is by its very nature offensive to the soul(s) that are perishing. The truth should be proclaimed, but proclaimed with love and in love. Those that have received the good news--been transformed by the good news--should be eager--zealous--to share the good news. MacArthur argues that there is no such thing as private faith.

I would also say the book is thought-provoking. The gospel should make you think, reflect, consider, reconsider. The gospel should not be taken for granted, put aside, seen as simple or childish.

No Fluff Here

In GOOD NEWS, author and Bible scholar John Macarthur gives a clear, succinct overview of the Gospel, with special emphasis on the attributes of Jesus. He explains that a correct understanding of Jesus is imperative: “The right understanding of Jesus Christ is essential to understanding many other vital truths, particularly the gospel and salvation. There’s no good news apart from Christ.”

Here’s how the author breaks down the subject:

(1) Jesus Is the Messiah
(2) Jesus Is Holy
(3) Jesus Is the Only Way
(4) Jesus Is the Redeemer
(5) Jesus Is Righteous
(6) Jesus Is the Head of the Church


In each chapter, the author lays out the scriptural basis for the attributes, and also discusses the views of famous theologians on that topic. For instance, he sometimes quotes from Luther or Calvin, or ancient scholars. The author doesn’t hesitate to point out where modern day thinkers have deviated from historical orthodoxy. He has some harsh words for anyone who waters down the Gospel to make it easier or more user-friendly: “A radically abridged and ambiguous view of the gospel has captivated the church today,”
Similarly, to those who want to make Christianity a “private” matter, John admonishes them: “If your faith is “a private thing,” it’s not the Christian faith.”

GOOD NEWS is a serious book, but has some funny moments. The author recounts the time he was stuck in the dreaded middle seat of an airline. His neighbor, a Muslim man, asked him some questions about denominations. John answered his questions—then, seeking to open a spiritual conversation, he asks the man if he commits sin, and how his religion addresses the sin problem. What came next was startling. His fellow traveler said, “Yes. In fact, I am flying to El Paso to commit some sins.” He elaborates that he recently met a girl at the immigration center, and “We have arranged to meet this weekend to commit some sins.” Following up later, John later emailed the man, but got no response.

So all in all, I found GOOD NEWS to be a solid, meaty exposition of the core Gospel message. Each point is supported with extensive Biblical citations. This is a serious work--no fluff here.

Advance Review Copy courtesy of the publisher.