Scott Clark on the Issue of John Piper Inviting Doug Wilson

Last night after watching two videos on (one & two) “Why Piper Invited Doug Wilson” to his coming National Conference in 2009, I sat down and wrote a three page single spaced blog post. The post was about my concern dealing with Piper’s reasonings and issues in why Piper is inviting Doug Wilson. I woke up this morning to find Dr. Scott Clarks concern, and gentle rebuke going over the same thing. Since mine seem to say the same things as Dr. Clark’s (but his is written better) I wanted to throw it up on here for those of you who care about the issue.

Clark starts with saying,

“The remarks that follow highlight areas of significant disagreement so let me preface my remarks thus: I am thankful for the good work that John Piper has done. I’m most thankful for his clear and strong stand in recent years for the doctrine of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. I realize that he’s taken a lot of heat for standing up for the gospel. I am also thankful for his opposition to Open Theism and for his defense of the historic Christian view of marriage and of male/female relations. Further, I write this as a friend to a friend. John was a commencement speaker at WSC a few years back and I’ve enjoyed fellowship with him here on campus and at a small, late-night meeting in San Diego (ETS ) a few years back. This post necessarily focuses on some strong disagreements but I don’t want those disagreements to obscure those areas where we agree and where we are able to work for a shared goal.”

Clark on Piper’s Videos, he says,

“I just watched a video that John did with Mark Driscoll (and another fellow) where the question was asked: “Dr Piper – in your defense of the gospel against N T Wright – have you found [the] Federal Vision theology of Doug Wilson to be another gospel?” John replied unequivocally “That’s easy, Doug Wilson doesn’t preach another gospel. I don’t think N. T. Wright preaches a false gospel either. I think N. T. Wright preaches a very confusing gospel.” Elsewhere, in another video, John says, that Wilson “gets the gospel right.”  I wish it were as easy as John says.”

Even though I am not thoroughly Reformed in the way that Dr. Clark is, nor am I in agreement with a New-Reformed or New-Calvinist like John Piper, I’d say that Dr. Scott Clarks BLOG POST represents what a lot of us are thinking in the Presbyterian, Dutch-Reformed, and Reformed Baptist circles. I for one have a hard time tolerating unorthodoxy beliefs, dispensationalism, New-Covenant Theology, New Perspective on Paul, Federal Vision, Peado-Communion and the list goes on. The problem however I think may be that the New-Reformed movement hasn’t dealt, nor deals with deep theological issues in their circles, or do they?

I end with the same words that Clark end his article,

“John, you’re entitled to appreciate Doug Wilson’s gifts and occasional orthodoxy (we all do)  but you’re not to suggest that the FV is just another variation on Reformed theology. It isn’t.”

Just ADDED Covenant Radio Interview on Piper, Wilson, and Recovering the Reformed Confession (MP3).