Sermons & Devotionals by William MacDonald
William MacDonald
Taking Our Place - The Ministry of Women
Definite instructions are given in the New Testament concerning the position and service of women in the church. We shall now summarize these instructions. 1. The Primary Matter With regard to such matters as salvation or acceptance before God, woman is on an equality with man. “There is neither mal... Read More
William MacDonald
The Bishops
First of all, we must distinguish between the New Testament concept of a bishop, and the title as it is used today. In the apostolic church, a bishop was simply one of several mature Christians in a local church who cared for the spiritual welfare of that church. Today, in church systems, a bishop i... Read More
William MacDonald
The Church Which is His Body
DEFINITION OF THE CHURCH In the New Testament, the word church is a translation of the Greek word elklesia, which means “a called-out company,” “a gathering” or an “assembly.” Stephen used the word to describe Israel as “the church (assembly) in the wilderness’, (Acts 7:38). It is also used in the b... Read More
William MacDonald
The Division of Soul And Spirit
“…the division of soul and spirit.” (Heb. 4:12 NASB) When the Bible speaks of man in his tripartite being, the order is always spirit, soul and body. When men use these terms together, the order almost invariably is body, soul and spirit. Sin has turned God’s order upside down. Now man puts the body... Read More
William MacDonald
The Doctrine of Grace
“If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.” (Rom. 11:6 NASB) When a person gets grounded early in the doctrine of grace, he saves himself from a host of problems in later life. It is so basic to understand that salvation is a free gift of God’s gra... Read More
William MacDonald
The Gospel is the Good News
“…the gospel of the glory of Christ.” (2 Cor. 4:4) We should never forget that the gospel is the good news of the glory of Christ. True, it concerns the One who was crucified and who was buried. But He is no longer on the Cross, no longer in the Tomb. He has risen, has ascended to heaven, and is the... Read More
William MacDonald
The Hatred of God in the Human Heart
“When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord.” (Prov. 19:3, RSV) There is no book on psychology like the Bible. It gives insights on human behavior that you cannot find in any other place. Here, for instance, it describes a man whose own waywardness wrecks his life, y... Read More
William MacDonald
The Headship of Christ
CHRIST THE HEAD A second truth to which the local church should be a witness is that Christ is the Head of the body. How can believers testify to this fact today? Obviously they must accept no human leader as head of the Church. The most glaring violation of this is the head of a large religious sys... Read More
William MacDonald
The Holy Spirit in the Church
PRACTICAL GUIDANCE The assembly should seek His guidance in all its affairs’ whether in choosing a location for its public testimony, arranging the types of meetings to be held, discerning the human instruments to be used in ministering the Word of God, disbursement of funds, or carrying on godly di... Read More
William MacDonald
The Incarnation and Resurrection
“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Rom. 10:9) This favorite Gospel verse zeroes in on the two basic truths that are so hard for fallen man to accept—the incarnation and the resurrection... Read More
William MacDonald
The Local Church Defined
THE LOCAL CHURCH DEFINED Down through the years, there has been considerable disagreement as to what constitutes a New Testament church. The usual approach is to list a certain number of requirements or marks; if a group of Christians answers to these qualifications, then it is considered to be a tr... Read More
William MacDonald
The Shadow Of Martyrdom
When a man is truly committed to Jesus Christ, it seems to be a matter of no importance to him whether he lives or dies. All that matters is that the Lord be glorified. As you read THE TRIUMPH OF JOHN AND BETTY STAM, you will find a note repeated throughout the book—“that…Christ shall be magnified i... Read More
William MacDonald
The Terms Of Discipleship
True Christianity is an all-out commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Savior is not looking for men and women who will give their spare evenings to Him—or their weekends—or their years of retirement. Rather He seeks those who will give Him first place in their lives. “He looks today, as He has ev... Read More
William MacDonald
The Word of God is Living and Active
“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword.” (Heb. 4:12a NASB) A Christian university student was witnessing to another student who was from a liberal seminary. When the believer quoted a verse, the seminarian said, “I don’t believe the Bible.” The Christian quote... Read More
William MacDonald
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man .....
"There is a may which seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death. " Proverb 14:12 Twice in the book of Proverbs (14:12 and 16:25) we learn that man's judgment as to the right way is not reliable. What seems right to him ends in disaster and death. During World War II the Nav... Read More
William MacDonald
Those Who Serve
THE DEACONS In our study of bishops, we learned that their function is the spiritual care and oversight of the house of God. We noted that bishops are also called elders, and that there are several bishops in one church, rather than one bishop over several churches. We come next to the study of deac... Read More
William MacDonald
Thoughts on Prayer
"If ye ask anything in my name, I will do it. " 1John 14:14 God answers prayer. He answers it exactly the same way we would if we had infinite wisdom, love and power. Sometimes He gives us what we want, sometimes He gives us something better, but always what we need. Sometimes He answers our prayers... Read More
William MacDonald
Through Faith we Understand
“Through faith we understand…”(Heb. 11:3) “Through faith we understand…” These words embody one of the most basic principles of spiritual life. We believe God’s Word first, then we understand. The world says, “Seeing is believing;” God says, “Believing is seeing.” The Lord Jesus said to Martha, “Sai... Read More
William MacDonald
Through Pressures We Grow
“In pressure thou hast enlarged me.” (Psa. 4:1 Darby) It is true that “calm seas never made a sailor.” It is through tribulation that we develop patience. It is through pressure that we are enlarged. Even men of the world have realized that difficulties have educative and broadening values. Charles ... Read More
William MacDonald
To What Should We Be Loyal
What do you think of the person who says, "My parents were members of this denomination. I was born in it. And I'll die in it." "Oh," you say, "I think he's wrong to talk like that:" "Yes, but why is he wrong?" "I suppose because he assumes his denomination is right and will always be right." "Well,... Read More
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William MacDonald (1917 - 2007)
Was President of Emmaus Bible College, teacher, Plymouth Brethren theologian and a prolific author of over 84 published books. MacDonald refused to accept royalties for his books but established a fund for translating his work Believers Bible Commentary into foreign languages.Bill will be not only be remembered for the thousands upon thousands of lives he touched through his books, teaching and many personal letters, but for his Christ-like character and gentleness, yet powerful life lived by faith in Christ. One of his most impact-ful books is the small booklet called: "True Discipleship" it is recommended reading for every serious disciple of Christ.
Recommends these books by William MacDonald:
Believer's Bible Commentary by William MacDonald
True Discipleship by William MacDonald
One Day at a Time by William MacDonald