"A Christian is a person who, by the sovereign grace of God, has found this treasure hidden in the field, and with life-controlling joy has sold everything he has to buy that field (Matthew 13:44). Meaning, 'Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple' (Luke 14:33). 'Whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me' (Matthew 10:37). Jesus has become the supreme treasure of our life. Our quest for the greatest and the longest satisfaction of our souls is over. And this affects everything we do. It humbles us, breaks us, satisfies us, frees us, overflows from us." (
John Piper)
I am not trying to start a fight, but I don't understand why so many people think Piper is an excellent teacher. Why keep promoting him? He's like, so overrated and filled to the brim with false teaching (not saying any pastor has to be perfect but this guy has yuge problems theologically).
ReplyDelete//Our quest for the greatest and the longest satisfaction of our souls is over.//
ReplyDeleteI'm reminded of a famous quote by Tertullian:
With a very high view of Christ, Tertullian could say, “After Jesus Christ we have no need of speculation, after the gospel no need of research. When we come to believe, we have no desire to believe anything else; for we begin by believing there is nothing else which we have to believe.”4
4 Early Latin Theology, trans. and ed. by S. L. Greenslade, “The Library of Christian Classics,” Vol. V, gen. eds., J. Baillie, J. T. McNeill, H. P. Van Dusen (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1956), p. 36. Tertullian, Prescription Against Heretics, VII.
https://reformed.org/apologetics/my-credo-by-cornelius-van-til/
Another translation:
What indeed has Athens to do with Jerusalem? What concord is there between the Academy and the Church? what between heretics and Christians? Our instruction comes from “the porch of Solomon,” who had himself taught that “the Lord should be sought in simplicity of heart.”Away with all attempts to produce a mottled Christianity of Stoic, Platonic, and dialectic composition! We want no curious disputation after possessing Christ Jesus, no inquisition after enjoying the gospel! With our faith, we desire no further belief. For this is our palmary faith, that there is nothing which we ought to believe besides.
- Tertullian, The Prescription Against Heretics, Chapter VII.—Pagan Philosophy the Parent of Heresies. The Connection Between Deflections from Christian Faith and the Old Systems of Pagan Philosophy.
https://ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03/anf03.v.iii.vii.html