A Thought About John Piper
Next week my blog is entitled “When We Don’t Get Along.“ Therefore I need to be careful as I write this! I do believe the Christian community needs to strive to work together on common ground and not destroy our common witness by our own disagreements. Yet we do need to wrestle with tough issues and have intelligent and yet peaceful conversations about issues. Having said that (I’m working on the sermon related to that blog as we speak) I do want to address one troubling issue at least for me.
Some of you reading this will ask, “Who in the world is John Piper?“ Others will write angry emails to me because you are a fan. Others know who he is and say, “So what?” I want to quickly respond. It seems that as I read blogs, Facebooks and see articles from younger evangelicals in ministry I’m seeing a return of Calvinism and a fan club mentality toward those who hold this view. Conservative Baptists of the Al Mohler/Southern Seminary route seem to have fallen in love with this particular doctrinal system. Baptists historically were Calvinist and were historically non-Calvinist. For 400 years we’ve had both in our fold. Here in the 21st century there seems to be a new fervor by some for this doctrinal system. I do not hold such fascination or love myself.
First Calvinism in a quick summary. John Calvin is the man who was a brilliant reformer during the Protestant Reformation 500 years ago whose writings and followers developed this system of thinking. Not all reformers would agree and some have disagreed strongly with his views. Today the whole system is nicely described in a handy format called TULIP.
T- Total Depravity.
This view stresses that each person is born enslaved to sin. We are totally evil and can not seek God on our own. We are unable to seek salvation and lost hopelessly.
U- Unconditional Election
God chooses from eternity those who will be saved by his mercy alone. We are getting into the issue of predestination. Some are predestined to be saved before creation. What about those not saved? Not all but some Calvinists stress ‘double predestination’ which means some are chosen and some are destined to be lost. No hope for those!
L- Limited Atonement
Christ atones only those who are elect. God could have saved all but choose not. This atonement is limited because it is only for some and not all.
I- Irresistible Grace
When God calls you to salvation you can’t reject. His grace can not be turned down therefore the elect accept.
P- Perseverance of the Saints
Once you are saved you can not “not be saved.” You are once and for saved and can not lose or reject your salvaton.
Christians who accept Calvinism struggle with some of the concepts and some are more hard core than others. Some are uncomfortable with saying people have no hope and can’t be saved. I’ve heard some say there are 2 pt or 3 pt Cavlinists and don’t accept all 5. I’ve heard some that are so strong that they call themselves “Hyper Calvinists.” I hesitate in defining all the categories of Calvinism because at times it is splitting hairs to describe exactly how strong this view of who God chooses and who God doesn’t and why this is so.
Now to John Piper. Piper has become a poster boy for this movement and I see his books and quotes on the web and in newsletters and cringe. Why? Because Piper is a major Calvinist. I could sum him up but follow the link below on his own site and read what he says. He believes in double predestination. He believes that God chooses some and damns others from the beginning of time. Read it for yourself.
After you read it think about this. What does this say about God’s love? I personally do not accept that there are those who God created that have no hope. What do I believe? I believe God loves us all. I believe Jesus died for all of us and all can be saved. I do believe that the call is given to us and we can accept or reject. I’m not a universalist. Not all are saved. But it is our choice and I do accept free will. Those who never heard is another issue. For those who have heard the choice is up to us.
Why is this popular? Bandwagon mentality and fads explain why some younger preachers jump on board. Popular books help push ideas. Schools like SBTS in Louisville pump out preachers who accept this view. But I also think that in a world that seems out of control it would be nice to accept a view where everything is in control down to each tiny dot. So in such a world you would have to have a salvation plan such as this. This sounds like a game of RISK where God is moving the pieces around but for some that is comfort. For others the acceptance of such a view probably comes from an extreme conservative system of belief. If a person believes that the Bible is so exact that each word is literally from God (as if the person was controlled by God in such a way that each dash was straight from God) then that God is still doing this in the world. On a positive note the view seems to come from a focus on the majesty of God (which I accept without accepting Calvinism–I accept God is majestic and awesome).
Some would say non-Calvinists view God in a weak fashion and are in danger of a liberal slipper slope. Others think we are too works focused. I don’t believe I can save myself. I do believe the Bible is holy and sacred but do not see myself as a literalist. I believe God gave us free will. I believe God can do all things but chooses not too for reasons I don’t understand (problem of evil). I do believe we have work to do but not to be saved but as a result of salvation. The only ‘work’ we have is to accept a free gift of salvation. Call that works if you will.
Read the link. Write a response if you like. I’m sure some will google “John Piper” and not like this blog. That’s OK!!! I’m still your brother in Christ and see you as such!! Read my blog next week and you’ll see that. But as brother to brother/and sister I do want to share a thought.
LINK ONE:
http://w ww.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/2006/1418_What_does_Piper_mean_when_he_says_hes_a_sevenpoint_Calvinist/
LINK TWO (A FULLER ARTICLE ON HIS VIEWS BY PIPER HIMSELF)
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/1985/1487_What_We_Believe_About_the_Five_Points_of_Calvinism/
I honestly do not understand this new wave of enthusiasm for hyper-Calvinism. I respect John Calvin, he was brilliant and was so much more than the theory of predestination. His new followers only seem to like his theory of predestination and they have embraced it to the extreme. Folks like John Piper may very well be honestly good people who love Christ and love God and seek to do good work in the world. Yet they believe people are born destined for heaven or hell and that nothing can change this. This seems merely to be a fallout point from believing in and all powerful and all controlling God, and it’s fall out from the idea that being a Christian is primarily about being saved from hell and going to heaven. For me, and this is so important to me and to most progressive Christians: BEING A CHRISTIAN IS NOT ABOUT ‘NOT GOING TO HELL’. Being a Christian is about doing your best to bring on the Kingdom of God in your life and in others. It is about Peace Through Justice. Bruce Bawer recounted in “Stealing Jesus” the story of an evangelical preacher who compared being saved to having a rich uncle you didn’t know dying and leaving you a million dollars. He honestly thought that what Christ did for the world was merely a spiritually high form of that same thing. No, Christ showed us how to live. How to work and how to die if the need arises, and its not about heaven and hell. It’s about the here and now, making the most of our lives and the world. Heaven is just a by product we will all experience if we seek to cultivate our spiritual sides and bring on justice and peace while we are alive.
John Piper’s God is a God I don’t believe in. Yet he’s still a Christian and I don’t hate him nor do I assign him to “hell.” I’m simply frustrated that he and his ilk give real purposeful Christ-ianity a bad name.
Check out my upcoming article on “Two Chritianities, Multiple ‘Christs’” on my blog sometime soon when I’m done with it.
I too think John Calvin is far more than predestination. Yet as you say that is all ppl want to talk about! I would also encourage you to read N.T. Wright and how he teaches that heaven is not our destination. We die and go to heaven but one day the entire cosmos will be redeemed as it should be. Yet as you say the KOG is not just OUT THERE but starts right now. We are now kingdom people and not just sitting here waiting for the world to end. I also believe Piper is not a bad guy but I sincerely disagree with him.
God has not revealed to me or anyone else that I know of, a list of who will be saved and who will not. Jesus didn’t share a list with His disciples either. He trained them to go to ALL nations i.e. the Great Commission – Matthew 28:16-20. The same Commission is with us.
People like Calvin and John Piper were/are fantastic teachers, gifted by God. They like us are also human. John preaches and teaches the Good news; this is not in doubt. Sometimes John, like all of us need to remember that the Good News is more effective when it is delivered as it was meant to be i.e. a very simple eternity saving message.
Calvinism is great for a couple of intellectuals arguing over a glass or 2 of wine. Mine is bigger than your’s mentality! I’m sure I’ll get on the Calvin 5 point/7 point (according to JP) subject with a few pastor friends of mine when we go camping next week. I can just see it: we’re sitting round the fire, the kids have gone to bed and over a glass of nice wine we strut our stuff and waste hours trying to make the gospel as complicated as possible. Then get upset that each of us didn’t agree with each others points.
Guys / girls, don’t get too upset unless pro Calvinists start teaching there is no point sharing the Good news.