Out of respect for John Piper’s years of Christian service, some are asking that Piper’s video he made explaining his reasons for inviting heretic Rick Warren to speak at his Desiring God conference be viewed and then privately responded to only to Piper. That might be the proper course of action if this was the first monumental lapse in discernment to be made by Piper. This is not, however, a singular incident, but the continuation of a trend.
Piper has previously invited another heretic to address his audience; albeit posthumously, and by means of epigraph. In his 2002 book Brothers, We Are Not Professionals: A Pleas to Pastors for Radical Ministry, Piper introduces one of his chapters using words of G.K. Chesterton. In 1908, Chesterton proved happy to call God a liar by discrediting the Genesis account of creation because it didn’t line up with the favored world view of Darwinian evolution. That was no one-time lapse either; Piper made further endorsements of Chesterton by citations in books he published in 2003, 2004, and 2005.
Piper’s readers continue to not only meditate on Piper’s work, but also his endorsements of Chesterton as well; fawning over the heretic’s words. The harm that would be caused by Warren speaking at Piper’s invitation is incalculable. As for Piper’s video explanation for endorsing Warren, his reasoning was puerile, and his on-camera demeanor seemed so befuddled that a plea of non compos mentis could be entered on his behalf. John Piper needs to retract his invitation to Warren, publicly repent for the damage he has done to the simple in the faith, and retire while he has the mental faculty to do so by his own free will.
The Church does not need any more supposedly strong men for the Lord publicly degenerating into senility whereby they give the heathen opportunity to blaspheme God, and the simple in the faith cause to stumble. Piper made this a public discourse, he has had ample time to be reached and corrected by those near him with discernment, and he has yet to repent. This is now the appropriate way to respond; publicly. John Piper: you had your apostasy, now eat it so it will go away.
CS: Controlling Scripture for this article available here.
I’m betting you’d be one of the ones Phil Johnson says is not showing ‘proper respect’ to John Piper… (sigh)
Thank you for standing for the truth. I was unaware of Piper’s fawning over Chesterton. While Chesterton may have said some good wise things at some point, there’s a difference between quoting someone DESPITE their bad theology (issuing disclaimers) and fawning over them…
also a difference between 1. inviting someone to speak or for a Q&A/interview, and 2. repeatedly calling them ‘rock solid’ biblically, doctrinally, etc etc.
If all he did was invite him to speak that would be bad enough, but he slapped every purpose driven refugee in the face when he said Rick Warren is doctrinally sound. THREE TIMES using different phrases.
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