William "Bill" MacDonald was an itinerant (OB) preacher, and an author of over 84 books, including Believers Bible Commentary which has been translated into many languages. He served as President of Emmaus Bible College, and never married.

Birth

Bill was born on Jan. 7, 1917 on Blossom St., in Leominster, Worcester, Massachusetts, a son of William MacDonald and his wife Jessie Morrison MacDonald. The family emigrated from Scotland in 1907. When Bill was three, his father was employed at a piano factory. By 1930, the family was living on Raymond Ave., in Somerville, Middlesex, MA, and William, Sr. was self-employed as a furniture finisher, where he continued the same line of work in 1940, according to censuses.

Bill had an older brother Ian Morrison MacDonald (b. Dec. 25, 1914 Boston, MA - d. Nov. 17, 2003). Ian served with the U.S. Army from Oct. 14, 1952 until May 31, 1972.

Father

Bill's father, William, was born on June 18, 1884 at Lewis Ross, North Dell, Barvas, Ross and Cromarty, otherwise known as Ness, Scotland, to Murdo MacDonald (b. 1843 Lewis Ross, Knockaird) and Mary Gunn MacDonald (b. 1851 Lewis Ross, North Dell). Murdo labored as a tenant farmer, known as a crofter.

Mother

Bill's mother, Jessie, was born about 1875 at Habosh Barvas, Ross Shire, in Scotland, a daughter of John Morrison (b. 1843 Habosh Barvas, Ross Shire) and Jessie (b. 1843 Galson Barvas, Ross Shire). John was employed as a crofter, also.

Publishing

Refusing to accept royalties for his books, he established a fund for translating the commentary into foreign languages. Many of his books are also available as eBooks.

Books

16 Men With a Message: The Old Testament Prophets, Everyday.
- Spanish: Cuatro Hombres con un Mensaje
Alone in Majesty: The Attributes of a Holy God, Gospel Folio Press, 2004.
Armageddon Soon?, ECS
Be Holy: The Forgotten Command
- John Ritchie Ltd.
Christ Loved the Church: An Outline of New Testament Church Principles, Gospel Folio Press, 2008.
Christ’s Plan for the Church (five videos), Gospel Folio Press
Does it Pay to Pray? (co-authored with Carl Knott), Everyday
Drugs, Demons, and Destruction (tract),
Enjoy Your Bible!, co-authored by Art Farstad; Gospel Folio Press, 1999.
- Telugu EYB, OM Books, 2018.
God Still Speaks, Gospel Folio Press.
Heaven (Expanded edition), Everyday
Heaven: Home, Sweet Home, Everyday Publications, 2015.
Here's the Difference: Bringing Important Biblical Distinctions Into Focus
- Revised & Expanded Edition, Gospel Folio Press.
Is Jesus God?, Everyday Publications. Co-authored by James Naismith & John Smart; Condensed from God the Son: A Symposium
How to Begin Your New Life
Joseph Makes Me Think of Jesus, Gospel Folio Press
Let Me Introduce You to the Bible, Walterick Publishers, 1980.

Living Above the Average, Gospel Folio Press.
Lord, Break Me!, ECS
My Heart, My Life, My All, Gospel Folio Press. A companion book to True Discipleship.
- New Edition
- Spanish: Mi Corazon, Mi Vida, Mi Todo Llamada De Medianoche
Now That Is Amazing Grace, Gospel Folio Press.
Once in Christ, In Christ Forever, Gospel Folio Press
One Day at a Time: 365 Soul-Stirring Daily Meditations, Gospel Folio Press.
- Spanish: Devocionales: de dia en Dia: 365 verdades por las cuales vivir
Only One Time Around, Everyday Publications.
Our God is Wonderful, Gospel Folio Press, 2001. Companion book to The Wonders of God.
Seek Ye First, ECS
Singleness: A Male Perspective, Everyday.
The Day Jesus Came to My House, Everyday.
The Disciple's Manual, Gospel Folio Press, 2004
The Good News, Moody
The Messiah. An Interpretation of the Oratorio, Unpublished
The Problem of Lust, Everyday.
The Wonders of God, Gospel Folio Press, 2001. Companion book to Our God is Wonderful.
Think of Your Future, ECS
This Is How The Lord Led Me: William MacDonald tells stories from his life
- Hungarian: Így vezetett engem az Úr - William MacDonald történeteket mesél életéből. Evangéliumi Kiadó és Iratmisszió, 2021.
True Discipleship. Companion book to My Heart, My Life, My All.
- Study Guide Version (GFP, 2016)
- French: Le vrai disciple
- Telugu: GS Media, 2019.
What Christians Believe, Moody Press
William Barclay - Are His Writings Dependable?, op
Winning Souls the Bible Way, ECS
Worlds Apart Gospel Folio Press, 2002.

Bible Commentaries

1 Peter: Faith Tested, Future Triumphant Harold Shaw Publishers, 1972. Amazon
2 Peter and Jude, ECS
Believers Bible Commentary, Thomas Nelson Publishers. Edited by Arthur L. Farstad.
- 1st ed. 1995 BBC
- 2nd ed. 2016 English BBC; [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FYB4WGM/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0 Kindle BBC]
- Punjabi BBC, GS Media, 2016.
- Kannada BBC, GS Media, 2016.
- Old Testament Commentary
- English New Testament BBC, 1990.
Books of the Prophets Book 1 - Doctrines on Isaiah, Everyday.
- Congo Swahili: Vitabu Vya Manabii Kitabu 1 - Mafundisho juu ya Isaya
Books of the Prophets Book 2 - Doctrines on Jeremiah and Lamentations, Everyday.
- Congo Swahili: Vitabu Vya Manabii Kitabu 2 - Mafundisho juu ya Yeremia na Maombolezo
Doctrines on the Bible: Matthew - Acts
- Kiswahili: Mafundisho juu ya Biblia AGANO JIPYA: Matayo - Matendo, Everyday.
Enjoying Ecclesiastes, ECS
Enjoying the Book of Acts, ECS.
Enjoying the Minor Prophets, ECS.
Enjoying the Proverbs, ECS
Enjoying the Psalms, Vols. 1 and 2, ECS
Ephesians: The Mystery of the Church, ECS
Hebrews:
- Hebrews: From Ritual to Reality, ECS
- Hebrews: From Shadow to Substance, Moody Correspondence School
Kingdom Divided: Kings to Esther, Everyday Publications
Letters to the Thessalonians, Walterick, 1982.
Old Testament Digest 1, ECS
Old Testament Digest 2, ECS
Old Testament Digest 3, ECS
Proverbs – A Study on Proverbs, Gospel Folio Press, 2009.
- Proverbs: A Devotional Commentary, Gospel Folio Press, 2009.
Romans: Justification by Faith, ECS
Sixteen Men with a Message: Isaiah to Malachi, Everyday
The Acts, Dynamic Christianity, ECS
The Gospel of Matthew (Behold Your King), ECS
The Pocket New Testament Commentary, Everyday.
Titus, ECS

Booklets

Dime Publishers (D&K Press)

Final Destiny, Dime Publishers.

Emmaus Worldwide

Fundamental, Important, and Non-Essential Issues: A Suggested Method for Resolving Differences in the Assembly
- Walterick Publishers
God's Answers to Man's Questions
That's a Good Question!
The Grace of God in Salvation
There's a Way Back to God
True Brokenness

Walterick Publishers

Grasping for Shadows
To What Should We Be Loyal? Walterick Pub.; ECS Ministries, 2016.

Tracts

Crossway Books & Bibles

Are You Going To Heaven?, 2012.

Gospel Folio Press

Would a Loving God Send People to Hell?

Emmaus Worldwide Bible Courses

Emmaus Worldwide is a correspondence school and publishing house formerly known as ECS Ministries, and is headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa on the campus of Emmaus Bible College. The following courses were written primarily by Bill MacDonald (with others credited).

Bible Studies

Ecclesiastes: Is There Meaning to Life?
Revelation
The First Letter to the Corinthians
The Gospel of John
The Gospel of Luke
The Gospel of Mark
The Gospel of Matthew, 2010.
- The Gospel of Matthew: Behold Your King, Walterick Pub., 1974.
The Letter of James
The Letters of John, 2021.
The Letter to the Galatians
The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon
The Letter to the Romans
- Two-Part Version: Romans 1-8 & Romans 9-16
- Good News for All: The Letter to the Romans
The Second Letter to the Corinthians
Letters to Timothy and Titus
- co-authored by V. Paul Flint)

Doctrinal

Buried by Baptism
Christ Loved the Church
God's Word Is Truth
Guide to Christian Growth
- co-authored by Cyril Brooks
Lessons for Christian Living
Summary of the Bible
The Bible Tells Me So
- co-authored by Kevin Dyer
The Lord's Supper and Baptism (Doctrinal Series)
- co-authored by Neil M. Fraser
What The Bible Teaches (Foundation Series)
Winning Souls the Bible Way

Prison Ministry

Death

Bill died at 9:20 pm (PST) on Christmas, Dec. 25, 2007 in San Leandro, California and was buried with a military gravestone in Hayward, Alameda, CA. His memorial and graveside service are available at PlymouthBrethren.org, courtesy of Kevin Engle, along with many of his articles.

William MacDonald

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