Tim Keller Changes The Definition of "Sin"

In his writings and teachings, Keller avoids the word "sin" and rejects the Biblical definition of the term. In fact, one of the chapters in Keller's book The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith is titled "Redefining Sin". In an interview for USA Today Keller explained his position:

When Keller, author of The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, speaks about "sin" to his audiences, which are 70% single and younger than 40, "I use it with lots and lots of explanation, because the word is essentially obsolete."

"They do get the idea of branding, of taking a word or term and filling it with your own content, so I have to rebrand the word 'sin,' " Keller says.

"Around here [in his Redeemer Network churches] it means self-centeredness, the acorn from which it all grows. Individually, that means 'I live for myself, for my own glory and happiness, and I'll work for your happiness if it helps me.' Communally, self-centeredness is destroying peace and justice in the world, tearing the net of interwovenness, the fabric of humanity."²

Is this how the Bible speaks of sin? Can any true preacher of the Gospel dare to "rebrand the word 'sin' "? Never!

Is sin merely, as Keller puts it, "I live for myself, for my own glory and happiness, and I'll work for your happiness if it helps me"? Is sin merely "self-centeredness [that] is destroying peace and justice in the world, tearing the net of interwovenness, the fabric of humanity"? No. Scripture defines sin as any lack of conformity to, or violation of, the law of God (1 John 3:4, Romans 4:15). As such, it is the most serious problem in the universe. Sin isn't merely an offense against God's law, which emanates from the holiness of God. That is bad enough. Beyond that, sin is an offense against God the Lawgiver Himself (Exodus 32:33, Deuteronomy 32:51, Psalm 51:4), and it is an offense by creature against Creator (Ezekiel 18:4). Sin is a doubly-deep problem, and man is doubly condemned.

End quote.

~Teaching The Word

How is this the Gospel? Yet this man, his ministry, his views, his interpretations, his teachings, his church,is all infested with his false gospel. Being the founding father of The Gospel Coalition, this is his consistent view of "the gospel". To be a participant and a council member of TGC is to accept this false teaching.