John Piper To Feature Heretic Doug Wilson At The Desiring God 2012 Conference For Pastors

2Pe 2:1  But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers
among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who
bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

2Co 11:4  For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you

receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have

not accepted, you bear this beautifully. 

Desiring God 2012 Conference for Pastors will include heretic Doug Wilson (Federal Visionism). He'll be speaking four times.

(Also note Emergent Darrin Patrick will also be speaking. DG continues to promote him.).

Info on Doug Wilson's Federal Vision heresy:

A critique of the book "Federal Vision" edited by Steve Wilkins and Duane Garner, Reviewed by David Englesma:

"Written by several of the leading proponents of the heresy now solidly entrenched in most of the reputedly conservative Presbyterian and Reformed churches, and spreading, The Federal Vision brazenly defends justification by works; universal covenant grace to every child of believing parents, if not to every person sprinkled with water in the name of the triune God; an election unto grace that fails to save; baptismal regeneration; and the falling away of many who were once united to Christ. Among the authors are Steve Wilkins, John Barach, Rich Lusk, Peter J. Leithart, Steve Schlissel, James Jordan, and Douglas Wilson."

Justification by faith alone? No.

More on Federal Visionism at Flock Alert.   


As Flock Alert  reported, here is the declaration  that was " Adopted unanimously by Covenant Presbytery, Reformed Presbyterian Church in the United States, June 22, 2002" (The Presbytery is the governing body of the Presbyterian churches--so their own leadership are pronouncing them as heretics too),  which states in part:

“Covenant Presbytery of the RPCUS declares that the teaching presented in the 2002 Auburn Avenue Presbyterian Pastors Conference involves afundamental denial of the essence of the Christian Gospel in the denial of justification by faith alone....

“That the teaching of the various speakers: Douglas Wilson, Steve Schlissel, John Barach, and J. Steven Wilkins, has the effect of destroying the Reformed Faith through the introduction of false hermeneutic principles; the infusion ofsacerdotalism; and the redefinition of the doctrines of: the church, the sacraments, election, effectual calling, perseverance, regeneration,justification, union with Christ, and the nature and instrumentality of faith....

“That baptismal regeneration constructed upon the principle of linking the sign and the reality in effect differs little from Roman Catholicism.

“That the doctrine that maintains union with Christ is an external position and place in the church confounds regeneration, union with Christ, and the outward ordinances....

That the maintenance of the language of Calvinism in these speakers is superficial and misleading: theirdoctrine of perseverance is made to deny effectual calling; their doctrine of corporate election is made to deny particular redemption; and the native depravity of man is made to be removed in the outward administration of water baptism which thereby sufficiently qualifies the recipient for the Lord’s Supper.

“We therefore resolve that these teachings are heretical. We call these men to repentance.

Whole article here.

Granted, I'm no scholar and I'm no expert on this heresy, however here's what I've seen...

Wilson seems to think that the New Covenant = Church. Its not. The New Covenant is to be in CHRIST JESUS. ONLY believers are in HIM and sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption (Eph. 1:13-14). 

This is clear when he  says:

"The new covenant is not like the covenant that was made with our fathers at Mount Sinai. As a covenant, it still has blessings and curses, but as a new covenant, the blessings are high blessings, and the curses are high curses."  ~ "The Objectivity of the Covenant"

[Bold, red,my emphasis.]

There is a lot of error Wilson has in the article where the above quote is taken, and frankly it would take too much time to go through. Besides, others have done a far better job, so my goal isn't to go through the whole thing. I would recommend some of the articles I've linked to for a fuller treatment. Daniel Chew is quite correct, when he shows how Wilson plays with words, I really see that myself ("elect" isn't really elect or believers according to Wilson for example) .

In contrast Scripture states:


Gal 3:8  The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU." 9  So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.



Gal 3:13  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE"-- 14  in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Abraham was in the Covenant not based on his works, but based on God's promise. It was a unilateral promise. And we see that despite Abraham's sin, he was saved as we see in Genesis and also in Romans 4 and Galatians 3 and Hebrews 11.

Also:

Mat 26:28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the

forgiveness of sin.

Act 20:28  "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has

made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own

blood. 

Heb 9:22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without

the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. 

Heb 10:10  By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 


Heb 10:14  For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 15  And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, 16  "THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM," He then says, 17  "AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE." 



Heb 13:20  Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, 

21  equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 

1Cor. 1: ^8 HE  WILL KEEP  YOU  STRONG TO THE END, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ^9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ OUR LORD, IS FAITHFUL. [caps mine]

1Th 5:23  Now may the  GOD  OF PEACE HIMSELF SANCTIFY  you COMPLETELY, and may your

whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24  HE who calls

you is faithful; HE WILL SURELY DO IT. [caps mine]

Doug Wilson thus denies Eternal Security, or the "P"  (Perseverence) in TULIP as well as knowing if one is saved or not:

"And yet many contemporary Calvinists persist in saying that while apostasy was a possibility in the old covenant, it has now been rendered impossible in the new. They create a distinction between the covenants at just the point where the New Testament writers explicitly draw parallels. Many Jews fell in the wilderness, and Christians need to take heed lest they fall in exactly the same way." 

His use of "Christians" is misapplied and shows the error of his thinking.  He should say "professing Christians" because those who walk away from the faith were never Christians.  Those in the Old Covenant were justified and saved the same way we are: by faith in Christ alone. Those who died in the wilderness were not true Jews, they did not have faith. Hebrews is all about the superiority of Christ and the New Covenant. Wilson has blurred the lines and made parallels where there are actually contrasts.

Heb 7:22  so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. 

Heb 8:6  But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. 

Heb 12:22  But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, 23  to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24  and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel. 

Wilson fails to understand Hebrews, it seems. Those who fall away were never of the faith (1John 2:19). Furthermore, in the passage so many love to use about Christians falling away from the faith, it states in its conclusion:

Heb 6:9  But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. 

Clearly Heb. 6:1-8 are things that do not accompany salvation---mere profession that ends up proving they were not in the faith at all. Those for whom Christ died come to salvation and are secured for eternity by the Spirit for the glory of God (see Eph. 1). We are then, eternal displays of HIS power and HIS glory.

Rom 8:30  And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called he also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified

His view of the New Covenant is NOT in line with the book of Hebrews which states its by the blood of Christ, not an infant sprinkling rite nor being born of a Christian parent. He clearly plays with words; where you have "grace" extended to the believers in Scripture, Wilson makes up another kind of grace, "persevering grace". Is that any different than what the synergists do when it comes to "prevenient grace"? So really,now we have three types of grace? No, when "grace" is used in Scripture, its in regard to the Christian, not everyone, not the world, not the wicked. Just the Christian.

More in-depth analysis of the FV by Daniel Chew regarding Justification by Faith Alone.

It should be stated that one doesn't have to be a Reformer to begin to see the problems of Federal Visionism (and New Perspective On Paul)...it has to do primarily with biblical doctrines such as Justification by Faith alone, but also eternal security and the New Covenant. The problem with Covenant Theology and thus Infant sprinkling is what, I believe, a factor that lead this heresy. Granted some Baptists have now climbed on board but they are not the majority nor to my knowledge the early teachers of this (Historic Baptists for example, have held to the church (assembly of called out believers) being visible and being made up of believers (thus baptizing only believers), but the Body of Christ is invisible). Nowhere in all of Scripture does it state that children are placed into the New Covenant by birth OR by water sprinkling. Only believers in Jesus Christ are to be baptized, which is to day, immersed in water, in the name of the Triune Godhead (Matt. 28:19).

2Co 6:14  Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?15  Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?16  Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.17  "Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you.18  "And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty. 

Rom 16:17  Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions
and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from
them. 

Here is a good article on the doctrine of separation and unity--also here and here.  Both of these are specific to separating from teachers like Piper who endorse heretics like Rick Warren and Doug Wilson. I highly suggest reading these two. The only disagreement I have is that I believe all of Piper is to be rejected because his ecumenical and mystical views started early on and therefore a tree that continues to bear bad fruit proves the tree itself is bad. There are plenty of other authors one can read in good conscience.