Piper: its all about Me

Watcher's Lamp blog pegs Pipergate well:

"What John Piper conveys is his confidence in his personal ability to qualify Warren's theology by asking theological questions. John Piper apparently believes that he is immune to deception because of his theological brilliance.

Smugness is revealed when John Piper laughs when he says "I’m gonna need help to know why I should feel bad about this decision." It seems pride may be blinding John Piper's discernment. "

He goes on to say:

It seems pride may be blinding John Piper's discernment.

"So I made a list"

"I think Rick Warren meant it when he began the Purpose Driven life with “It’s not about you."

"I could even tell you other things he said he’s not but that… that might offend uh… too many people."

"I… I’m uh… I’m uh… I need … I’m gonna need help to know why I should feel bad about this decision. (Laughs)"

Read more here.

(Does anyone else think he's sounding a lot like Warren here?)

I wonder, if Piper was shown how horrific the PDL book is and Warren's myriad of quotes of heresy, would he still promote him as a friend, Reformed, and "theologically deep"? I say yes, because there's never enough evidence for a skeptic. Note that he put the burden of proof on everyone else. The thing is we've already proven the heresies of Rick Warren and PIPER HAS NOT LISTENED ALL THESE YEARS!

Other lesser known pastors have done their research and came to a completely opposite conclusion than Piper regarding Warren: he is not only NOT theologically "deep", but he gives a false gospel. What does Scripture say about such a person? Welcome them to the pulpit? Warmly greet them? Defend them as brothers? It says such a man is ANATHEMA. It says DON'T EVEN GREET such a man, for to do so is to partake in his wicked deeds. (Gal. 1:8-9; 2John 9-11).

When Phil Johnson gets snarky and calls us "shrill" and "hysterical" its godly (and then he quotes a HERETIC, Doug Wilson, about needing to calm down so we don't have to "breath into a paper bag"! A heretic telling the sheep to simmer down, that there's nothing to worry about? The Serpent Speaketh!), but when we rightly deal with his pal Piper, he calls us "insulting" and that we need to be respectful toward Piper. I guess we aren't worthy of respect from Johnson. Its ok for him to insult us---we're nobodies in his eyes. I'm so glad God uses the weak, the insignificant, the uneducated, the feeble, to display HIS glory and power.

This is the sin of favoritism James talks about which God condemns without qualification:

Jas 2:1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory... 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, "You sit here in a good place," while you say to the poor man, "You stand over there," or, "Sit down at my feet," 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?Jas 2:8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

Insert "the one who has a seminary degree" or "the one who is a famous pastor" for "the one who wears fine clothing" and you see the issue is just as relevant today as it was back then.

See what it would look like:

Jas 2:1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory... 3 and if you pay attention to the one who is famous and a seminary graduate and say, "You sit here in a good place," while you say to the unknow and uneducated man, "You stand over there," or, "Sit down at my feet," 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

I don't like inserting words into Scripture, but I do it to visually demonstrate the issue of the sin of favoritism. Its easier to write off if one thinks its merely about the rich vs. the poor. But its MORE than that. Its about favoring a group or person over another, which is evil according to God.

Rom 2:11 For God shows no partiality.

Gal 2:6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)--those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me.

And of elders: 1Ti 5:20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. 21 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality.

Partiality or favoritism is the issue of sin here--no matter if you are talking about rich vs. poor, educated vs. uneducated, inner circle of the elite vs. outside the circle and not of the elite.