Hello Friends
Hi,
I am a large North American house cat named Wooley McCuddleWumps, who lives with a woman and two kids. I overheard her conversation the other day. My human friend was distressed. She and many of her friends had been told to read Piper's books with an open mind. Since they are not paying her to read them I reminded her she does not have to read them by rolling over on my back and stretching. I knew though, I could lift some of the burden for her by reading them myself and then summarizing what I read while purrrsing through it.
If you would like to read along we will be working through Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood from 2006. I recommend you check it out from the library, purchase it second hand, or torrent a copy of the txt file off of the internet so we don't give them any money or encouragement.
With some courage, prayer and plenty of naps I think we can get through this together. Ok lets get started. The first bit of readable text I come to is the preface from 2006. It begins with, "A conservative backlash against radical feminism has reverberated through pop culture during the last twenty years; simultaneously, egalitarianism has been steadily encroaching to where it is now the cultural norm."
I am quoting this to highlight a few things I notice immediately about Mr Piper's writing style. You see, he uses many strong words to create a feeling of anxiety. 'Radical Feminism' for example sounds scary but there isn't any reason to focus on radical feminism unless he is saying he is ok with liberal feminism and not the former. It's an emotional beginning designed to make the reader worry. He also uses the word encroaching and after this sentence goes on the reference the women who fought in Iraq.
He criticizes service people who fought for their country. The fact is history was made during this period as an all women staffed team ran an air raid against Iraq. The pilot, gunner, assistants, and mechanics were all women. Not a single life was lost during their exploits. They served with dignity, strength and grace according to my cousin who lives over there in the giant sand box. She asks me to come visit but I don't really like to travel.
I also notice he strongly states things that are not as clear or evident as he pretends they are. For example, "There is no question that the culture is predominantly egalitarian." There are many markers that demonstrate that this may not be the case. If you read through with me just stay on the lookout for emotional arguments and obfuscated claims that are designed to narrow your scope to one conclusion. If you really are going to read Piper with an open mind you have to stay awake and resist this siren song.
The next big gloss over I see is second paragraph where he talks about 'church's classic understanding of the male-female role. During this read through we will talk more deeply about this but it is not an open shut case as this gotcha statement claims.
Piper states with trepidation, "A large number (of ministers) assume that gender distinctions aren't of vital importance." I would say reasonably so and Biblically supported.Gal 3:28 Aramaic Bible in Plain English states: "There is neither Jew nor Aramaean, neither Servant nor Free person, neither male nor female, for all of you are one in Yeshua The Messiah." Of course that is a reference to biological sex and not gender. I can't find any refernce to gender in the Bible. All of it is referencing biological sex of humans (male or female).
He worries aloud that people are conceding their 'biblical stance'. Oops another heavy handed assumption. I think as we study the Bible and read his book we are going to find they may be returning to what Messiah and his teachings support.
On the second page he asserts that egalitarians are wrong to say there is no difference between men and women. I don't think anyone is saying that. From a biological perspective there are two sexes and there are some physical differences. According to Galatians 3:28 those physical differences have no bearing.
Halfway down the second page Piper says we must promote "healthy hetro-sexual, monogamous, marriages." Does he agree with Paul? In I Cor 7:5 - 7:7 Paul says:" 5Do not deprive one another, except by mutual consent for a limited time, so you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again, so that Satan will not tempt you through your lack of self-control. 6I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.…
I am a large North American house cat named Wooley McCuddleWumps, who lives with a woman and two kids. I overheard her conversation the other day. My human friend was distressed. She and many of her friends had been told to read Piper's books with an open mind. Since they are not paying her to read them I reminded her she does not have to read them by rolling over on my back and stretching. I knew though, I could lift some of the burden for her by reading them myself and then summarizing what I read while purrrsing through it.
If you would like to read along we will be working through Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood from 2006. I recommend you check it out from the library, purchase it second hand, or torrent a copy of the txt file off of the internet so we don't give them any money or encouragement.
With some courage, prayer and plenty of naps I think we can get through this together. Ok lets get started. The first bit of readable text I come to is the preface from 2006. It begins with, "A conservative backlash against radical feminism has reverberated through pop culture during the last twenty years; simultaneously, egalitarianism has been steadily encroaching to where it is now the cultural norm."
I am quoting this to highlight a few things I notice immediately about Mr Piper's writing style. You see, he uses many strong words to create a feeling of anxiety. 'Radical Feminism' for example sounds scary but there isn't any reason to focus on radical feminism unless he is saying he is ok with liberal feminism and not the former. It's an emotional beginning designed to make the reader worry. He also uses the word encroaching and after this sentence goes on the reference the women who fought in Iraq.
He criticizes service people who fought for their country. The fact is history was made during this period as an all women staffed team ran an air raid against Iraq. The pilot, gunner, assistants, and mechanics were all women. Not a single life was lost during their exploits. They served with dignity, strength and grace according to my cousin who lives over there in the giant sand box. She asks me to come visit but I don't really like to travel.
I also notice he strongly states things that are not as clear or evident as he pretends they are. For example, "There is no question that the culture is predominantly egalitarian." There are many markers that demonstrate that this may not be the case. If you read through with me just stay on the lookout for emotional arguments and obfuscated claims that are designed to narrow your scope to one conclusion. If you really are going to read Piper with an open mind you have to stay awake and resist this siren song.
The next big gloss over I see is second paragraph where he talks about 'church's classic understanding of the male-female role. During this read through we will talk more deeply about this but it is not an open shut case as this gotcha statement claims.
Piper states with trepidation, "A large number (of ministers) assume that gender distinctions aren't of vital importance." I would say reasonably so and Biblically supported.Gal 3:28 Aramaic Bible in Plain English states: "There is neither Jew nor Aramaean, neither Servant nor Free person, neither male nor female, for all of you are one in Yeshua The Messiah." Of course that is a reference to biological sex and not gender. I can't find any refernce to gender in the Bible. All of it is referencing biological sex of humans (male or female).
He worries aloud that people are conceding their 'biblical stance'. Oops another heavy handed assumption. I think as we study the Bible and read his book we are going to find they may be returning to what Messiah and his teachings support.
On the second page he asserts that egalitarians are wrong to say there is no difference between men and women. I don't think anyone is saying that. From a biological perspective there are two sexes and there are some physical differences. According to Galatians 3:28 those physical differences have no bearing.
Halfway down the second page Piper says we must promote "healthy hetro-sexual, monogamous, marriages." Does he agree with Paul? In I Cor 7:5 - 7:7 Paul says:" 5Do not deprive one another, except by mutual consent for a limited time, so you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again, so that Satan will not tempt you through your lack of self-control. 6I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.…
Paul states that he is giving a concession in a latter verse he goes on to advise virgin women not to marry. Not exactly a wringing endorsement and pushy promotion of marriage. Paul seems a little lukewarm to me or the subject of whether folks should marry or not. He does not condemn marriage but he doesn't seem to be 'promoting' it either.
Piper promises a "strong restatement of the complementarian position, which my spell checker doesn't even recognize. Complementarian theory means sort of 1950s father knows best. We promise to examine it with you from a cats point of view. This intro makes many claims he has yet to back up and using some scary words that don't seem to lead anywhere. Things like "vitally important." Seems like the vital things would mainly be contained in the apostles creed. And words like "pagan ethos" Which sounds scary but I am not sure the tie in to this other religion.
There are two quotes on the last two pages of this introduction I agree with. One is, "Within us all is the tendency to turn to the uninspired books of men ahead of the inspired Book of God." To keep us on the level I will be referencing the good by by pulling quotes from biblehub.com and my own study library. It's been said that every library needs a cat but I personally think every cat needs a library.
The last quote I want to highlight is, "Unbiblical interpretations will come and go, but the Bible will maintain the same clear and consistent message..." I wish the same could be said of the church. Together we will examine Piper's extra-biblical teachings and see if any can really stand when exposed to the light of the gospel.
I have turned off commenting for now because I need a nap. See you soon.