2Jn 1:9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.
This verse explains in part why some of us are upset with Piper and his defiant defense of a false Christian like Rick Warren. The other reason is because Piper has been doing this very thing for at least five years.
And those other "bloggers" of grand ministries, who look down on us for being what they call "shrill" and "hysterical" are part of the problem. Their continued holding on to a false shepherd like Piper while showing distain for those with wisdom and discernment is wrong and hypocritical. I think it reveals their own pride, unteachability, and man-centeredness along with distain for the Truth (the Holy Spirit, apparently couldn't possibly work through other Christians without a seminary degree or huge ministry).
Piper knows he can bank on his old stand-by friends. Why do you think he's so defiant? This too, reveals more about the "conservative" and/or "reformed" types: it doesn't matter what a man does, who he looks to for spiritual teaching, what he reads, or who he offers to his sheep. As long as TULIP is proclaimed, literally, the man can do anything. Just don't YOU dare call him for what he is (leave that up to the big-boy bloggers): a hierling and a man who is incompetent to shepherd, who lacks wisdom and discernment at 64 years of age and being in a pulpit for 30 (oh, wait a minute...the big boys won't dare do that--they will carefully construct their words so as to not offend the big names--just offend the little guys who are oh-so-shrill and hysterical).
It also reveals how many Reformers hold to their views as mere options. Agree to disagree on something you say is biblical? How is that possible? If the Doctrines of Grace are biblical, and they are, then there's no room to agree to disagree, as if one prefers sugar in one's coffee and the other does not. Did Jesus agree to disagree on any biblical doctrine, ever? No. So why such men today do so? They paint themselves are more spiritual, less "emotional" (yet in their own defense of Piper they show their emotions, too), and "balanced".
Folks, we are not in the sandbox; we're are War. The shepherds have let the wolves into the sheepfold and we're told we need to simmer down like a bunch of kindergartners? As if we're the ones off balance, too hysterical? How can one be too hysterical when the wolves are in the sheep pen devouring the sheep left and right?!
If only John the Baptist were far less emotional and far more balanced! If only Jesus did that! If only Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah did too! If only John the Apostle was more accomodating to Diotrophes, and Paul more accomodating to Hymenaeus, Phietus, and Alexander; finding common ground with the brothers in the Lord--telling the readers of their letters to not worry so much and just wait and see what Alexander the Metal worker might do---give him time, let the man grow, give him "grace"! Yet they were not seen as brothers, were they?
Time after time Piper has heard the fury of the few that those wolves he offers to the sheep (I guess it doesn't matter if you have a false gospel like Doug Wilson or Rick Warren), yet he repeatedly, boldly, defiantly not only defends them, but he continues to offer more poison.
What's a little poison? If you disagree, that's ok. But leave Piper alone. He's anointed after all.
Right?
Wrong!
If only these men who fill the pulpits today and Sunday School classrooms, would see the egregious sin of spiritual haroltry as they do sexual haroltry.
This kind of "grace" is nothing less than tolerance for false shepherds and teaching.
4 comments:
Oh, come on, Denise! Don't you know that Piper is much wiser than you? He can eat rat bait and not die! He lifts up Christ Jesus with one hand and those who corrupt the gospel with the other. He's FAIR!
I just don't understand how you can be so against a man who believes we are all human and even preachers can be wrong and still be right.
In all seriousness, this should truly wake some folk up to the fact that Reformed Calvinism is NOT the gospel, no matter how sovereign it makes God out to be.
The scriptures teach us that the WORD is the seed. Faith comes by hearing the WORD preached. Not by being specially chosen by God, but being blessed to hear the Word of God in it's simplicity, being convinced by the Spirit of God that it is true, repenting of one's rebellion and self-seeking, confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and being baptized into Him. That is the simple and true gospel of Jesus Christ. Teach people what He commanded, make them disciples, and exhort them to follow Jesus from a good and pure heart.
Prodigal,
And the thing is, I firmly hold to the Doctrines of Grace, knowing they are biblical. However, what I've found in the Reformed camp is that they violate Scripture and are quite man-centered. Many of them are pretty liberal pragmatic and won't die on the hill for anything save their favorite author/speaker. That's why I refuse the name and theology of the Reformation (which was a total FAILURE---Rome isn't & couldn't be reformed because its dead and illegitimate).
Definitly, the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe; first to the Jew and then to the Gentile. ~Fomans 1:16. How many not only don't believe that, they also deny the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.
Where's the guts to stand against hirelings and wolves? I think that's what gets me the most. We know wolves will come in, as Scripture says they will. But they come in because the "shepherds" not only allow them in, some INVITE them in and tell the sheep to just hush and quit making a fuss.
Most of the "evangelical" churches/ministries have virtually become the slaughterhouse of the sheep, with the shepherds holding our heads while the wolves show their vicious teeth, reading to devour us.
And the shepherd woos and consoles the wolf, while the sheep are the problem!
Great post Denise. I think your defense is spot on.
Regards, Mark
Thank you Mark.
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