Saw this blog post from the “Reformata et Semper Reformanda” blog the other day dealing with this comment coming from John Piper regarding Dr. Piper inviting Rick Warren to speak at the Desiring God 2010 Conference:
I’m not going to draw the circle there. And supposed you disagree with me on that. Now, you’re faced with the question: “OK, I’m with John Piper theologically, I’m not with Rick Warren on a bunch of things, John Piper has just chosen to hang out with Rick Warren. What do I do with John Piper?” That’s called secondary separation issues. There you are.
I hope, I hope, we can disagree about who we hang out with, ok? Because a lot of traditional fundamentalists have said: “No, if you hang out with somebody that I believe I should separate from, then I’m gonna separate from you.” And I want to say: Look. Let’s … Can we disagree about whether he would come to your conference, and you’d still willing to … eat with me? Talk with me? So I would encourage you to think through that issue of secondary separation.
( – John Piper, 10:20- 11:14 on a clip on the Desiring God blog here)
Here’s a quick quote from the blog article:
Therefore, the biblical view of Piper’s actions in light of 2 Jn. 9-11 is to view Piper’s actions as making him partakers of Warren’s evil deeds. In this light, Piper is to be rebuked for this decision of his. Separation from Piper in this light would be along the lines of refusing to participate in the DG2010 conference, and a reticence in promoting Piper as a person of godliness and especially discernment.
Yet as contra Fundamentalism, we do not and should not treat Piper as our enemy. Piper after all is our brother in Christ. As 2 Thess. 3:15 states, we are to treat those who do not follow God’s commands on such non-salvific issues as erring brothers who we are to take note of him and make him ashamed, but not treat him as our enemy. We are to grieve for his error and petition the throne of God with tears that our Lord will have mercy and grant to Piper repentance for his error. In this light, we are to continue to be willing to eat and talk with Piper. On this, Piper would have his wish.
Secondly, as contrary New Evangelicalism, “secondary separation” IS biblically mandated. There is simply no way to parse Scripture and spin it to avoid the conclusion of the plain teaching of 2 John 9-11. While we do not treat Piper as an enemy, we are to disengage with him on issues of ministry. Knowing as it is that the DG2010 conference is a Christian conference, NOT an academic forum, such an invitation is tantamount to giving Warren space at the pulpit to preach. The other DG2010 speakers should withdraw from speaking at the conference in this light. I would therefore also second Lane Chaplin’s stance that “I cannot, in good conscience, endorse John Piper again”. While Piper’s books can still be recommended from an academic/ knowledge perspective, the person of John Piper cannot be endorsed after this episode unless he repents.
So, let us come before God in tears and ask him to grant Piper repentance for this terrible decision that he has made. Do not treat him as an enemy but as a brother in sin. Amen.
Take the time to read the rest of the post, it’s really good: HT
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The whole reason for separation concerns doctrine and not personalities. False doctrine, like a disease, has a carrier. Anyone who comes in contact with the carrier can either be immune or infected depending on whether one has been innoculated or not. If one knows their friend is a carrier…they do not take them out of quarantine and expose them to the public. We separate from the immune person not because of their association with the carrier as a friend. We separate from them and the places where they expose the carrier because they are being foolish in contributing to the spread of the disease. They are not our enemy…they are just unwise.
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So now that we see Macdonald doing the same nonsense with Furtick, Noble, T D Jakes (who is a formal heretic not just a charlatan and abuser of the flock), it might be good to revisit this in light of that situation. I’ll check some of your newer posts. I hadn’t seen Daniel’s article before, it’s great!