PHIL JOHNSON: THE REAL JOHN MACARTHUR—WARM, RELUCTANTLY FAMOUS, AND FAITHFUL TO THE END

Wretched Radio with Todd Friel

Fortis Institute

Religion, Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.9 • 3.1K Ratings

🗓️ 24 July 2025

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Phil Johnson spent 45 years alongside John MacArthur—and now opens up about the man behind the pulpit. From private regrets to public faithfulness, this candid conversation explores what made MacArthur the shepherd, not the celebrity.

Segment 1: A Diagnosis, a Death, and Dying Well

• Phil shares his own cancer battle and how it shaped his view of mortality

• Reflects on MacArthur’s final days and the surprising way he spoke of heaven

• What it means for Christians to prepare to die well

Segment 2: The Warmth Behind the Lion • What John MacArthur was really like off the stage

• How he reacted to sudden fame—and why he rejected celebrity culture

• Why pastors should never neglect the pulpit for programs

Segment 3: The Mistakes He Admitted and Corrected

• The two doctrinal errors MacArthur publicly retracted

• Why his view on the eternal Sonship of Christ changed—and why it matters

• What his response reveals about humility and theological integrity

Segment 4: COVID, Romans 13, and the Critics

• Did John MacArthur change his view on church and state during COVID?

• Phil explains how the church stood firm—and what drove the decision

• Why MacArthur never landed in scandal despite decades of controversy

___

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Ritchard Radio begins in three, two, one.
0:08.6	Now I can preach it like this, okay?
0:09.9	Repent!
0:10.7	All I can tell you, change your mind.
0:13.0	Preaching repentance in the area of consciousness of sins is dishonoring the work of Jesus.
0:17.6	Repentance means you realize you're guilty, that you deserve the wrath and punishment
0:20.8	of God. You begin to realize that sin is in you, and you turn your back on it in every shape and form.
0:25.6	You renounce the world, whatever the cost, and you deny yourself and take up the cross and go after
0:30.0	Christ. It's time for Wretched Radio with Tom Freel. What makes a wretched radio program
0:36.8	too wretched for radio? That answer is simple. Phil Johnson.
0:42.3	Hi, Phil. Hey, Todd, good to be back with you. You know, I was thinking about our relationship.
0:50.1	This goes back maybe 20 years when I first heard that Phil Johnson of grace to you fame
0:56.0	actually would occasionally listen to wretched radio.
1:00.9	Do you remember what I would always say about you and I would contemplate the thought of you,
1:05.1	Phil Johnson.
1:06.0	Yeah, you said, Phil Johnson makes me sick.
1:08.2	And you did more than that.
1:09.3	You had an air sickness bag next to you, and you would make vomiting noises.
1:13.9	And I saved some of those recordings.
1:16.8	Oh, good.
1:17.4	And so when I get a text message, the sound that comes is you making vomiting noises.
1:24.0	Okay.
	...

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