If Rick Warren Is A Heretic, What Does That Make John Piper?

The defense of John Piper rests on the presupposition that Warren is not a heretic. The defense would fall apart if that presuppostion was wrong.

Webster defines "heretic" as one who dissents from an accepted belief or doctrine.

In the case of a confessing evangelical, the Bible would be the standard of belief and doctrine.

Let’s take a look at just a few components of Warren’s ministry:

* Warren endorses Roman Catholic mystics in his PDL book
* Warren embraces New Age sympathizer Leonard Sweet and Red Letter Christian Tony Campolo, both by definition, hold heretical positions on a variety of subjects.
* Warren advocates the removal of church members that will not conform to the PD church growth model which turns a congregation into a crowd for the sake of unbelievers.
* Warren asked the god of Islam for forgiveness.
* Warren’s Celebrate Recovery program is a Christianized version of Alcoholics Anonymous, whose founder was steeped in bondage to spiritualism and communed for decades with unclean spirits.
*Warren’s PEACE plan is communitarianism / religious socialism
*Warren’s SHAPE program is based on Jungian psychology. Jung practiced
necromancy, and had daily contact with disembodied spirits, which he credited as the source of much of his writings. Jungian philosophy also impact A-A’s 12 step program.
*Warren believes that Roman Catholicism is a legitimate expression of Christianity.
*Warren declared that the future of the world is not secularism, it’s religious pluralism.
*Rick Warren’s worldly approach to ministry and his famous Scripture twisting, by default, denies the sufficiency of Scriptures.

By the Biblical standard, any of these issues would conflict with the Biblical standard. Any of these issues would create a heretical position antithetical to the Scriptures and would require rebuke and correction.

Not endorsement or a tacit wink of approval.

What one does defines what he truly believes.

John Piper took a great liberty in not verifying Rick Warren’s statements. He has erred in judgment and example by doing so. There is still time to repent and restore.

We are all like sheep.

Matthew 24:4And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.