Well written, and scripturally sound, this book talks about why we should stand firm on the word of God, accepting it as God's revelation to us the church that we should revere, never adding or subtracting from it. Each point is backed by multiple Scripture references, and there is an appendix with even more references organized accessibly.

In the book, Final Word, MacArthur challenges us to to take a look at the importance of scripture and what that looks like in our culture, community, and our own personal lives.

Final Word covers many areas that all Christians would benefit from studying and learning. It begins with how the Bible is under attack today and then goes on to share how the Bible is the ultimate authority. It is the catalyst of spiritual growth. It is central to faithful ministry. It should be food for your soul in a world where we are spiritually starving.

This book is for anyone wondering how they can obtain a deep hunger for the Word and learn what is standing in the way of that happening. It will also speak to people wondering how the Bible is relevant in today’s world and what that should look like. MacArthur encourages us with this challenge, “The only time the church has made any spiritual impact on the world is when the people of God have stood firm and have refused to compromise, boldly proclaiming the truth in the face of the world’s hostility.”

Final Word will challenge you to dig deeper into the scriptures, and pray for a hunger for God’s truth.

Thank you Netgalley and Reformation Trust for the ARC. This is my honest review.

Final word by John MacArthur is a solid book that deals with the fact that the Bible is under attack. He shows us our great need for the of scripture. This book is a great eye opening read.

A concise, accessible read about the importance of God's word in our Christian lives, for worship, repentance, and learning.



Well written, and scripturally sound, this book talks about why we should stand firm on the word of God, accepting it as God's revelation to us the church that we should revere, never adding or subtracting from it. Each point is backed by multiple Scripture references, and there is an appendix with even more references organized accessibly.



In this concise book, Dr. MacArthur shows how the Bible is important for our Christian walk, to convict us and help us grow in our desire to live out our faith in a way that glorifies God. Easy to read, it digs deep, and isn't burdened with being overly conversational or fluffy. Highly recommend this worthy read, as it is a terrific reminder of how central God's word is to our faith.



I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a book to return to time and time again. MacArthur is a voice of wisdom who refuses to bow to culture as boldy proclaims Biblical truths in these days of compromise. I highly recommend this one!

Final Word is a great book. John MacArthur delivered yet again, another great book for any christian. I am a huge fan of John's and his writing style. I follow him on youtube and watch his sermons as often as I can. He has a very straight forward way of communicating the principles of our faith without apology. I find it so refreshing to have a pastor, preacher or teacher who is not ashamed or afraid to speak the Gospel message without trying to make it politically correct. If you are wanting your ears tickled, John MacArthur is not for you. For all others who truly want to know what God's word is and what it means then this book is for you. John MacArthur lays out the doctrine of Christianity in a very straight forward, easy to understand language. This is a wonderful addition to any christian's library!

John MacArthur's books are always very good. This book about why we need the Bible was no different. While it was a shorter read it was packed with truth and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I definitely recommend it!

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

The book is a brief and elegant starting point for arguments for Biblical inerrancy, relevance, and truth. MacArthur draws on decades of study and experience to make his points and back them up not only with the internal truth of the Bible, but the logical process behind each argument. Readers interested in simple explanations of the truth of the Bible would do well to start here. My only critique is that it does not seem to be written in a persuasive tone, but rather a definitive one; that is, anyone who does not believe in the inerrancy, relevance, and internal consistency of the Bible is more than likely to read the book and discount its conclusions, whereas a reader who already agrees with those ideas will read it and move on. I have not read much of the author's other work but from what little I have read, this seems to be a trend. However, if MacArthur's goal is not necessarily to persuade the doubtful but to simply state the truth, all is well.
His logic is airtight and I found no fault with his arguments. This book will be a useful resource for the serious believer who wants a plain introduction to the inerrancy and relevance of the Bible.

There is no better person to write a book on why we need the Bible than Dr. John MacArthur. He is the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church, president of The Master’s University and Seminary, and president and featured teacher of Grace to You. When I saw it was available for review, I knew I had to read it.

The Bible

MacArthur uses six chapters to support his book. Chapter One - The Bible is Under Attack, sets the stage from Biblical history to the modern-day for why this message is urgent. He confronts critics, cultists, charismatics, culture, capricious approaches, and carnal wisdom.

Chapter Two - The Bible is Truth gives MacArthur the space to study objective truth, rational truth, trustworthy truth, authoritative truth, incompatible truth, and consistent truth. Chapter Three - The Bible is Authoritative, is an excellent exposition of Psalm 19.

Why We Need It

Chapter Four - The Bible is the Catalyst of Spiritual Growth, looks at several stages of sanctification from children to young men to fathers. Chapter Five - The Bible is Central to Faithful Ministry, is my favorite. MacArthur looks at the marks of a faithful shepherd and there is no mistaking his passion in this chapter.

Chapter Six - The Bible is Food for the Soul, is a faithful study of 1 Peter 2. The book ends with a call to survey our blessings. We are to remember the privileges we have as God’s children. And these should give us reason and appetite to hunger for God’s Word.

Final Word

As a Sunday School teacher at my church, I am well aware that I am not John MacArthur in terms of wisdom, eloquence, or skill. But after reading this book, I am spurred to study God’s Word more and more. And I am encouraged to continue teaching because the Word of God is sufficient for any circumstance. We need the Bible more than ever. This book will continue to make that clear.

Final Word – by John MacArthur – A Timely and Sobering Reminder on why we need the Bible

I respect John MacArthur as a pastor, teacher and authority on the Bible and that’s why I was excited at the opportunity to read his newest book Final Word – Why We Need the Bible.

We are living in turbulent times, in our nation and in this world. We are seeing the effects of postmodernism and the denial of absolute truth and right and wrong. As a Christian, I would hope and pray that it wouldn’t impact the Christian church, but it has. In recent weeks and months, there have been controversies over women preaching and the Southern Baptist Convention was dealing with issues of gender identity, sexuality, racism, and intersectionality. These issues can be very divisive and difficult to respond to, especially if you don’t have the knowledge and confidence in the absolute authority of God’s Word the Bible.

John MacArthur’s book Final Word is very timely in helping Christians to understand the bedrock of our faith, the Bible. John is very measured and precise in the issues he raises, the examples he gives as evidence and what the Bible says and how we, as believing Christians, should respond.

John lays out the evidence to show how The Bible Is Under Attack both from the secular culture and even from within the church. He reminds the reader that the ultimate attack is from Satan. Not only does he show current examples but looks back over history. As I was reading this book, I felt like I was reading headline news.

From there, John goes on to show with unapologetic authority that, The Bible is True, The Bible is Authoritative, The Bible is the Catalyst of Spiritual Growth, The Bible is Central to Faithful Ministry, and The Bible is Food for the Soul.

If you read Final Word, you will come away with a clear understanding of what’s happening in the world and within the church today and have a historical perspective as to how we got to where we are. You will come away better equipped to understand and stand in defense of the Bible. This book is refreshingly truthful and stands strong on the Word of God.

I highly recommend Final Word by John MacArthur. This book is a keeper, you’ll want to read it again and will likely want to share it with other believers, those in the ministry.

I would like to thank Reformation Trust Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Final Word in exchange for an honest review. I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.

There are many things in the world that worry me, make me ask questions and that make me want to teach people. One of those things is that there are many Christians who do not take the Bible as God’s Word and do not know how to articulate or defend their understanding of what the Bible is.

There are many great books out there that explain the origin, the theology and the meta narrative of the Bible. But there aren’t that many books, that aren’t very long and complicated, that explain the importance of the Bible.

John MacArthur has written Final Word: why we need the Bible and it really is a great book. MacArthur takes the reader through 6 short chapters that explain the current state of the church and its approach to Scripture, followed by chapters explaining what the Bible is.

MacArthur says that the Bible is under attack but that this is nothing new! From the very beginning in Genesis 3 Satan has been distorting, questioning and attacking God’s Word. But this is not a battle that Christians can sit and watch, we cannot sit on the fence.

“Without a doubt, the ground Satan most vigorously and continuously attacks these days is the trustworthiness of Scripture – its authority, sufficiency, inerrancy, integrity, and perspicuity. The battle for the truth is the battle for the Bible, and in this fight God’s people cannot flinch. Biblical truth is under relentless and endless assault”

But why is this the case? Why should Christians take the attacks on Scripture so seriously? Can’t we just agree to disagree on at least a few of the key Biblical doctrines? No, we cannot agree to disagree. Every time God’s Word is sidelined, or twisted to fit the mind of culture, or to make it easier and more comfortable, we are changing truth!

“Every attack on the Bible is an attack on divine truth and God’s holy nature, no matter where the attack originates. And what is most shocking in this endless battle is how often Scripture is hit by friendly fire.”

Sadly this happens today! People twist Scripture, people change the meaning of a verse, people take verses out of context and some people don’t think that the Bible is the perfect Word of God. There are many false teachers in the world who have a big following because they are likeable people, good motivational speakers and they connect with people. But their message is wrong and they are twisting Scripture to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:16).

“God’s people ought to be able to discern the difference between His true revelation and the false words of these fraudulent prophets, who invite the judgment of the Lord through their brazen deception”

God’s Word is under attack and this book will give you a brief, yet incredibly deep and easy to read, understanding of the importance and necessity for Scripture. Every chapter is based in Scripture and it has so many great quotes that I can’t put them all here.

throughout this book you hear the wisdom of a man who has been a pastor and Bible teachers for many many years. He shares insights on wonderful passages in the Bible and even through in the odd Hebrew or Greek Word for good measure, but don’t worry it is all translated and very easy to understand. This book will take you to Scripture, it will teach you about Scripture and it will cause you to love God and Scripture more!

My one criticism of this book is that, as with many of MacArthur’s books, he is quite strongly opposed to the charismatic side of the church. I wouldn’t call myself charismatic, but I think that it is unfair to say that the charismatic side of the church attacks the sufficiency and authority of Scripture. As with every single denomination or church movement there are people who do misapply and misinterpret Scripture, and the Charismatic Movement is no different.

I have a lot of Charismatic friends and they would all say that everything they say should be tested by Scripture, if it does not stand up then it should be forgotten about. Maybe MacArthur knows others in the movement (because it is very big and can look very different) who do neglect the sufficiency and authority of Scripture. But to right off a whole denomination as attacking Scripture or to call them deceived is too harsh, I think.

If you are looking for a book that gives you an introduction into the importance and the place that Scripture should have in the Christian’s life and church today then I highly recommend you buy this book for a read. Over the years I have read many of MacArthur’s books and I have thoroughly enjoyed many of them, but this one is really really good.

Why not get a copy and let me know what you think about it? I always like to hear what you guys think about the books that I’ve reviewed.

Rating 4/5

John Fullerton MacArthur Jr. is an American pastor and author known for his internationally syndicated radio program Grace to You.

Review of Final Word: Why We Need the Bible, by John MacArthur.

John MacArthur has written a strong defense of the Bible as God’s Word. He lays out a very clear argument that the Bible is under attack in today’s world, but the Bible is Truth and it is Authoritative.
Throughout the book MacArthur repeats his view that God speaks to His people only through the Bible. Hunches, intuition, words of prophesy, and words of wisdom are not – according to MacArthur – valid ways to hear from God.
MacArthur condemns the Charismatic Movement for relying on the above methods “while the Christian in the pew has the Bible unopened beside him,” a phrase MacArthur repeats at least half a dozen times.
I wholeheartedly agree with MacArthur on the inerrancy of Scripture, and that the Bible is Truth. But not every Christian who seeks extra-Biblical means of obtaining God’s direction leaves his Bible closed. Not everyone who identifies as a Charismatic is Biblically illiterate.
Otherwise I believe MacArthur has written a fine book. He uses multiple scriptures and is well-versed in the Word of God.

It is by seeking the glory of God, obeying the truth of God, and pursuing the will of God that one is sanctified. It is the word of God that defends and fights for the heart of men.


Has your love for the Lord cooled? Do you find yourself falling in temptation and you don't understand why? Do you want a deeper affection for the Lord? These are a few of the reasons why we need the bible. If your desire is for the Lord, it is only by his word can we begin to understand and have the same desires.

John MacArthur does not shy away from our need and the authority of the word. He is not concerned about popularity but he is concerned for Christians to discover biblical truths for themselves.

Each six chapters lays a foundation and a desire for the Christian and the word of God.

1) The Bible is Under Attack
2) The Bible is Truth
3) The Bible is Authoritative
4) The Bible is the Catalyst of Spiritual Growth
5) The Bible is Central to Faithful Ministry
6) The Bible is Food for the Soul

He reminds us that since God is truth and Jesus came to testify to that very truth, we will always be in a battle for the truth. The truth reveals the character of God and a lie that is believed and glorified is a attack on God's holy nature. The word keeps us from creating God in our own image, our own likeness. The final word: We do need the word of God.

A Special Thank you to Reformation Trust Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

Final Word by John MacArthur is an interesting book. It is seemingly not written for the academic but for the popular level reader. Being from a Pentecostal/Charasmatic background, and identifying as a charasmatic, there does seem to be a few places where large church such as those somewhat associated with the Pentecostal movement is directly challenged. These are generally in reference to the prevalence of belief through personal revelation rather than biblical revelation [refering to the source, not the content], the lack of bible reading between Sundays (although John also points back to a Spurgeon quote to enforce this, thus this is a generic critique) and the movement from hymns to contemporary songs (focussing on the volume of their theological content). One of the early points in the book that I personally disagreed with was that God's word is unchanging, that is to say that if Jesus was to have arrived in our time rather than in 1st century Galilee, the body of work produced by His disciples would be the same [my conclusion from my understanding of his work, I may be wrong]. A later point in a discussion of the role of pastors is that they needn't be up-to-date with cinema, TV, memes, psychiatry and sociology. In continuation of my previous objection, I vehemeantly oppose this. Paul writes in particular ways when talking to particular people (military imagery when writing to a church of soldiers who have earnt freedom). God's message remains the same however, the way that message is exposited and discussed needs to be informed by the culture it is being spoken to and similarly the way that it is applied needs to change also which is seen by Jesus converting the ten commandments into wise concepts rather than promoting a rigorous adherance to "the letter of the law". Because of a slight lack of clarity in combination with a tone which others have seen as loving I have interpretated as more angry [both of which fall out of passion], I am somewhat unclear about where exactly the differences lie between my understanding [whether right or wrong] of the doctrine of scripture and his. In light of the previously stated few points of contension, the later writing of the book does outline the supremacy of Scripture in revelation to us and call us to ensure that those that we disciple are pulled into a love of scripture and the God who inspired it's writing but also who is revealed within. This book has almost convinced me to try and articulate and defend my view of scripture's inspiration as inconclusive of the historical accuracy of Genesis 1/2. Overall, this book is great to cause you to challenge and shape your view of scripture however some may have issues with its tone.
I was provided a digital copy of the book through NetGalley, but all thoughts included are my own.

This book so adequately describes the state of the church today and how it is utterly under attack from the outside and the inside. The Word of God is the catalyst that brings about sanctification. The more one reads God’s words, the more one grows. I see evidence of this in myself and others. This book is much needed in the church today, I hope many read it. God’s Word is sufficient! I could go into more detail, but just read it because Pastor Macarthur has far more convincing arguments throughout the Final Word.

Final Word –By Pastor John MacArthur

Every professed ‘census Christian’ say they believe the Bible, but do they really BELIEVE it? That’s the question of our time. We’re in a generation whose words that we spew out in our lips aren’t really in our own hearts, and this clearly manifests itself when we take the word of God –the Bible. Does it really have any influence and effect upon our lives?

In this short work on defence of the Bible, the author begins by reminding us that the Bible is being attacked on a daily basis, not just by unbelievers, but also by people who claim are believers, more so by some church leaders, and he does this by retelling us how popular pastor Andy Stanley has been asking believers to unhitch ourselves from the Old Testament. Macarthur then continues by reminding us that in spite of the attacks, we should trust the Bible as it is true and the Source of it, God Himself, is True, and thus we should cling to it no matter what the culture tells us. Because it is God’s word to us, the Bible is authoritative upon our lives in every way since its message affects every aspect of our lives, and also is one of the means God uses to catalyse our spiritual walk in growth and development in our sanctification and thus we need to trust it in every way, for without it, our walk will be stunted. Since God is the One who inspired the Bible, He also uses it to make His people to be faithful in their ministry as it is the Bible which will guide how we engage ministry, and not we ourselves in our own thoughts, and this will ensure that we’re feeding the flock of God and thus nourishing their souls so that they may grow in grace to the praise and glory of God.

With this in mind, I highly encourage you to get this book wherever it is sold and read it, and believe the Bible.

Thank you NET GALLEY for my copy to review

I admit it, I have read almost all his books and the greatness herein is no exception. Here is a Bible warrior defending the book he has tried to live by faithfully all these years. Believer or non-believer read this book.

Chapter One: The Bible is Under Attack
Chapter Two: The Bible is Truth
Chapter Three: The Bible is Authoritative
Chapter Four: The Bible is the Catalyst of Spiritual Growth
Chapter Five: The Bible is Central to Faithful Ministry
Chapter Six: The Bible is Food for the Soul

Lots oif (little c) Christian books these days and very few worth reading; behold a marvelous exception!

The Bible is God's Word. The Bible is the final authority for the believer in faith and practice. The Bible is the standard for which Christians ought to live in this world. Yet the Bible is not embraced by every Christian. We expect this from those who are perishing but from those who are saved. The sufficiency of scripture is under attack in the 21st century and most of the fights are coming from within the church.

John MacArthur's latest book, Final Word, takes his readers on a journey to see, as the subtitle of the book says, why we need the Bible. He begins by stating the Bible is under attack which is nothing new in our day. The first time the Word of the Lord was attacked was in the Garden as the Serpent questioned what God said to Adam and Eve about eating the forbidden fruit. MacArthur even addresses modern day attacks from various people and organizations set to undermine the authority of the Bible.

MacArthur then looks at the truth of the Bible and states that when the church has a full grip on the Word of God can it make an impact on the world they live in. Christians must know the Bible is trustworthy and its truth is infallible. As I mentioned earlier, the Bible is the final authority for the believer. Though it may not be the only authority for the believer, it has the final say for each follower of Christ.

The Bible is also the means for spiritual growth. Theological books are a good thing as well as other books from sound writers, but nothing should replace the Bible as the catalyst, using MacArthur's word, for growing in our walk with Christ. The Bible is also the means for faithful ministry. Many preachers want to preach very little Bible or none at all, so they can reach the culture that wants nothing to do with God. I am sure the people in the New Testament dealt with people who wanted nothing to with God, but they faithfully preached the Word to those around them. We see in church history men who have made the Bible the very center of their ministry and were successful. A shepherd of God's flock must be a student of the Word and desire to study it as best he can.

Finally, the Bible is food for our soul. We need to Bible for continual growth as mentioned earlier. We need to the Bible to help us deal with sin. We also need the Bible as we go through this life as we journey to be more like Jesus.

In this day and age, where the Bible is constantly under attack, we need to be reminded why the Bible is important for the Christian faith. I am delighted to remind MacArthur's latest book as we seek to grow to the love the Bible more and more everyday.

Book by the excellent John Mac Arthur reminding us of the importance of God's Word and its priority in Spiritual growth.
Today's church is pulling away from God as they neglect the authority and teachings of the Bible.and needs to return or be lost.
I was given this book by Netgalley and the publisher. This is my voluntary review.

The Bible is under attack on all sides. Unbelievers denounce it as backward, narrow-minded, and intolerant, and even some professing Christians deny its truth to gain approval from the culture. With each assault, we hear echoes of the serpent’s question in the garden of Eden: “Did God really say?” Unfortunately, many believers don’t know how to answer these challenges and find their confidence in God’s Word shaken.
In Final Word: Why We Need the Bible, Dr. John MacArthur defends the trustworthiness of Scripture, with the goal of equipping the church to stand firm for the truth even when others abandon it. Only when God’s people recognize the Bible for what it is—God’s inerrant, authoritative Word—will they be able to fulfill their calling and carry the message of God’s salvation to the world. – from publisher
Dr. MacArthur as always is very passionate and frank about the need for Christians to open up their bible and read. Not only read but to study and apply God’s word to their lives. The book is broken down into six chapters where he takes the reader through the attacks on the bible. In each chapter, he lays out what the specific attack is and then supports the importance of the Bible through scriptures.
Dr. MacArthur not only calls Christians to read the bible to defend their faith, to understand the supremacy of God’s word but to be able to discern false teaching in which he specifically calls out many of today’s preachers especially those with large followings. He plainly shows through scripture that we must read and study the bible for ourselves with scripture-based pastors who’s sole purpose is to preach the God’s word through scripture verse by verse and not picking apart the scripture that will align with ones preaching.
This book is extremely important for Christians to understand the importance of God’s word but to also to understand that we must study it and seek to correctly interpret scripture. Dr. MacArthur strongly and succinctly makes the case that we must dust off the bible, read it and use it as it was designed. We can no longer expect to be spoon fed but take an active roll in our relationship with God.

I received an ARC ebook from Netgalley and the publisher, Reformation Trust Publishing in exchange for an honest review.