Posted on 03/17/2005 8:19:35 PM PST by buckeyesrule
STATEMENT FROM GRACE TO YOU:
John MacArthur on CNN's NewsNight with Aaron Brown
On Wednesday, March 16, CNN interviewed John MacArthur about The Purpose-Driven Life for a special broadcast of NewsNight with Aaron Brown (Paula Zahn substituting). John agreed to the interview because we saw it as an opportunity to clarify some important gospel truths that have been obscured in all the publicity surrounding the book's popularity.
John's critical comments about the book were brief but substantive. He highlighted some significant points where the thrust of the book is at odds with the message of Scripture. He pointed out, for example, that the true gospel is a call to self-denial, not self-fulfillment. The gospel is a message about redemption, not about life's purpose. The gospel according to Scripture deals with God's law, His grace, human depravity, redemption from sin, justification, sanctification, holiness, the nature of saving faith, and the lordship of Christ. And the true gospel's most essential features are the cross of Christ and the truth of the resurrection. None of those subjects is dealt with adequately or biblically in The Purpose-Driven Life.
In their own post-production editing process, however, CNN removed virtually all the substantive comments from their interview with John MacArthur. A voice-over by the CNN reporter introduced John MacArthur as someone who "preaches the gospel of a stern God," while the subtext identified John as a "skeptic."
CNN also inserted some remarks from secular media experts who seemed to think petty jealousy is the only motive two pastors might possibly have for disagreeing with one another. They made numerical comparisons between Grace Community Church and Saddleback, accompanied by a comment from a local newspaper's religion writer who declared that the difference between Warren and MacArthur was merely a dispute over two different marketing methods.
All of this gave a spin to CNN's interview that utterly misrepresents our concerns about the Purpose-Driven phenomenon. John MacArthur's criticism of this approach is not new, and it is not motivated by anything personal. We have been pleading for a more biblical approach to church leadership and evangelistic ministry for many years. John MacArthur's 1993 book Ashamed of the Gospel sounded this very alarm two years before Rick Warren published his first book describing his philosophy of ministry.
So the concerns we have raised are biblical and substantive, and not merely personal criticisms of Rick Warren. We wish the CNN interview had made those facts clear. We have certainly tried our best to make them clear.
Phil Johnson
Sir, I suggest you read that Scripture more carefully.
The fruit of false teachers is FALSE TEACHING.
Warren has some incorrect teaching that the book then brings to the readers.
This is BAD fruit, not good fruit.
If you want a book that is solid theologically and Biblically about the purpose of life, read "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper.
His "Purpose Driven Church" dang near
ruined my home church.
PTL that it was recognized in time.
Whose purpose is it? Mine or Christ's? I believe that it was the purpose of the Gospel to save people for eternal life. And that is the purpose for which Christ suffered, died and rose again.
Personally, as I've said, I have some real problems with some of the themes Warren emphasizes; however, they are difficulties not shared by everyone else who reads the book, and they needn't be. If someone is going to benefit from the overall thrust of the book, I'm not going to throw sand in the gears of their spiritual growth because of those issues. So far, I've found nothing in the book that would steer anyone in any direction other than salvation in Christ.
As I said before, to "His purpose".
Chewed gum is right in perspective here. The Gospel is the Good News of what Christ has done to redeem us to His purpose. Redemption without purpose is purposeless.
Point is, many Christians today are down-playing everything outside of soul-winning as unimportant and in doing so, clear themselves of the purpose for their life that God has for them.
I think the interesting question to Rick Warren or any Christian is, if Ashley Smith was not abducted by Brian Nichols, but had a choice, should she have chosen to risk her own safety to try to "reach" or persuad him. Most people would say no. i think God says yes- this is our purpose.
God created us to serve Him. In our love for Him, it is His will that we tell others of His saving grace. If you want to call this purpose, that's fine. Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
As will I, and I'm a Wesleyan/Arminian Classical Pentecostal. John MacArthur is top notch IMO.
Good points.
Someday, when all of us God fearing Freepers are gathered at Christ's feet in heaven, He will explain all of scripture. All the "hard" parts will be made clear. I am sure that sometime in that talk, one of us will interrupt and say, "That's not quite right."
Excellent book. Almost didn't read it because it hit me the wrong way at first, but I took my time and grew to appreciate it. I like Purpose Driven Church even more.
Warren might be accused of a type of soft evangelism, but I don't think there's a thing wrong with that. His methodology is to reach out to as many people as he can and try to draw them in. The only crime would be to deny truth appropriately.
Is it a perfectly comprehensive book? No. But it has plenty of good fruit, including the dramatic change in the Atlanta court killer.
Paul
Just wanted to add that I think more harm than good is usually done by the kind of criticism that has been reported here. "The Gospel is about redemption, not life's purpose" is false dichotomy at its very worst. Life's purpose is redemption, and redemption's purpose is that we have "life more abundantly".
Christ told us that there is a place for ignoring the tares, for fear of destroying the wheat as well. Unfortunately the church continues to miss this important lesson. If MacCarther had merely added greater theological depth to the base that Warren had laid, I would applaud his actions. But at least as it's reported here, he went beyond that, into criticism. Biblical scholar, theological wiz, or not, that is very unfortunate. The kingdom of God is about far more than theological exactitude.
Sorry, make that, "The only crime would be to deny truth INappropriately. "
I personally believe that Warren's book has brought many 10's of thousands MORE unbelievers to the
BIBLICAL POINTS OF DECISION, PROGRESS AND LIVED-OUT FAITH
than all of McArthur's sermons and books put together.
Becki
sorry to split hairs, but God did not create us foremost to serve Him. He created us foremost to glorify/love Him. If serving Him were the main reason, He could have made robots. and your Romans quote seemed out of left field to me. with love but this stuff's important.
Paul_B, you have spoken more clearly on this than anyone. Great!
As George H W Bush once said in a debate....that was about as clear as the boston harbor. LOL! Just kidding!
I love MAc Arthur too....I listen to his radio show every night. I'm reading thru the book Truth Matters!
I flipped thru the book at the bookstore once for about 10 minutes once. I had heard about the book and wanted to take a look at it. After reading thru it I could not help but wonder what the big deal was. It didn't strike a that much of an earth shattering book. It has lots of weird bible translations which struck ne as weird.
I geuss after reading Watchman Nee, J I Packer and MacArthur PDL just seemed kind of tame.
I think one initial reason for its success was that he's a southern baptist and southern baptist general love their own. As my sister says, "southern baptist are a breed unto themselves."
#1. Your first sentence answers what we were discussing. Sounds to me like a purpose. #2. God gave man from the beginning the knowledge of good and evil, therefore your robot is a non-issue. #3. My Romans quote was fitting but I guess you don't see "called according to his purpose" meaningful to this discussion. #4. Check out these verses and then tell me we are not called to serve Him: Exodus 7:16 John 12:26 Colossians 3:24 Hebrews 9:14 Even when we are in heaven we will serve him. Check out this verse: Revelations 7:15
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