Stop regarding man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils; For why should he be esteemed?(Isaiah 2:22)
Do not trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.(Psalm 146:3)
To my dear friends, whom I love in truth. I pray that you find my post published out of concern for you and Christ's church. While I know this post may offend many of you, my intent is not to offend any of you, but to warn you, because I love you. Scripture says to, “hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, give instruction in sound doctrine and rebuke those who contradict it.” (Titus 1:9) We need to practice discernment. Remember what faithful ministers of the past said:
Discernment is not a matter of simply telling the difference between right and wrong; rather, it is telling the difference between right and almost right.~ C.H. Spurgeon
At the point of divergence the difference between right and wrong, between truth and falsehood, is not a chasm but a razor's edge.~ John Murray, "The Sanctity of Truth."
"Pastor" Mark Driscoll is a man of influence. Many people follow and promote Driscoll, because he says many things that are Biblical and spiritually valuable; however, after evaluating his teaching I'm disturbed and concerned that so many people follow him. Remember that teachers will incur a stricter judgment (James 3:1) and that an overseer "must be above reproach," (1 Timothy 3:2). Does Driscoll meet the Biblical descriptions and qualifications of an elder (cf. 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9)? If you examine his ministry you will find he certainly isn't "above reproach." The websites below have links documenting errors and dangers in his teaching and ministry. I hope you will consider these things and cling tenaciously to God's word. Please join me in praying for Driscoll that God may establish him in true faith and grant him true repentance. And please join me in praying for anyone who blindly follow errors in his teaching.
Driscoll uses smutty language and coarse jesting (for documentation, see Phil Johnson's Sermon Sound Doctrine; Sound Words Sound Doctrine; Sound Words (Phil Johnson) - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EFXP04ke2o cf. http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2012/01/evangelical-exhibitionists.html, http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2009/03/preachin-dirty.html) and John MacArthur's The Rape of Solomon's Song http://media.sermonaudio.com/mediapdf/417091244255.pdf), please be aware that the following link contains explicit information, highlighting selections from the "sermon" http://goo.gl/P6Xta (via http://reformedsheep.blogspot.com/2011/08/mark-driscoll-false-teacher-false.html), http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/magazine/11punk-t.html?_r=1&, and Bott Radio blocks Driscoll, replaces segment mid-show: http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=30700 ... Driscoll says that Jesus lusted http://falseteachersexposed.blogspot.com/2008/06/mark-driscoll-says-that-jesus-lusted.html. Driscoll believes it is permissible for a husband and wife to practice sodomy with each other (he doesn't call the practice sodomy) See: a critique of his book Real Marriage (which was discussed on the board earlier this year): http://www.dennyburk.com/wp-content/.../8-Lambert.pdf, My Review of Mark Driscoll and another one by Southern View Chapel: http://www.svchapel.org/resources/book-reviews/13-family/757-real-marriage-the-truth-about-sex-friendship-a-life-together- "The most disturbing aspect of Part I, and often ignored by his fans, is the frequency in which God supposedly speaks to Mark, revealing important information.He relays four direct revelations from God to himself and Grace adds another two (pp. 8, 11-12, 15, 25, 128)." And read The Church of Sex: Exclusive: David Kupelian challenges Pastor Mark Driscoll about his 'obsession' http://www.wnd.com/2012/03/the-church-of-sex/. Also see various quotes from Driscoll's writings: Various Quotes from Mark Driscoll http://www.mbla.org/Driscoll_Quotes.htm, and a Memorandum to church leaders: Mark Driscoll: Is he qualified to lead? http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/driscoll_michels.pdf
As Puritan Thomas Brooks observed, one of the distinguishing marks of false teachers is that they spew out the devices and visions of their own heads and hearts (cf. Jeremiah 14:14; 23:16). Driscoll admits that he is not under the authority of God's Word alone, but rather his so called "prophetic dreams" and "audible" voices from God. Driscoll purports of having visions from God, which include explicit visions of his congregants committing adultery (see the video on Phil Johnson's blog post Pornographic Divination: http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2011/08/pornographic-divination.html, http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2011/08/lets-not-dance-around-real-issues.html, http://apprising.org/2011/08/09/mark-driscoll-has-personal-revelations-from-jesus/, http://hereiblog.com/mark-driscoll-prophetic-dreams-seeing-future/)
Driscoll teaches “Don’t elevate doctrine above the Holy Spirit” but this is a "boogeyman distinction." i.e. "a non-existent dichotomy" (see: Driscoll vs. Calvin, Doctrine vs. the Spirit http://thecripplegate.com/can-doctrine-be-elevated-above-the-holy-spirit-2/
Driscoll promotes mysticism: http://solasisters.blogspot.com/2010/05/mark-driscoll-face-of-contemplative.html
Driscoll mock's End-Time believing Christians and teaches contrary to God's Word: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=9212
Driscoll builds up those who lead people astray with modalism, prosperity gospel, and seeker-sensitive nonsense. See these regarding the Elephant Room 2: http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/index.php?itemid=4964, No Compromise video: http://vimeo.com/47844054, The Elephants Debt http://theelephantsdebt.com/.
The Ruling Elder also makes an observation that "Driscoll's own theology of the Trinity is so underdeveloped that he was not prepared to counter Jakes [a Modalist] on that issue." http://www.therulingelder.com/2012/02/mark-driscoll-trinity-and-w-g-t-shedd.html
Driscoll also has friendships with false teachers he calls "brothers":
TD Jakes (http://apprising.org/2012/01/28/evangelephant-mark-driscoll-tells-er2-brother-t-d-jakes-and-us-modalism-is-heresy/, http://solasisters.blogspot.com/2012/01/td-jakes-through-glass-blurrily.html)
Rick Warren (http://apprising.org/2013/01/30/mark-driscoll-loves-rick-warren-and-so-do-many-others/, http://apprising.org/2012/08/25/new-calvinist-mark-driscoll-hangout-with-seeker-driven-rick-warren/, http://theresurgence.com/2009/01/20/thank-you-brother-rick-warren; also see Elliott Nesch's Youtube video Church of Tares: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxY3VbBHTkY, http://standupforthetruth.com/2013/06/does-rick-warren-want-you-to-come-home-to-the-catholic-church/ )
Robert Schuller (http://defendingcontending.com/2009/08/30/a-glimpse-into-the-theology-of-the-man-mark-driscoll-calls-brother/),
Joel Osteen (Mark Driscoll Comes to Joel Osteen's Defense https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZhb8MFeZFc, http://apprising.org/2013/02/05/mark-driscoll-defends-his-christian-brother-joel-osteen/, http://defendingcontending.com/2009/08/30/a-glimpse-into-the-theology-of-the-man-mark-driscoll-calls-brother/, http://falseteachersexposed.blogspot.com/2008/06/mark-driscoll-states-that-joel-osteen.html)
And mark the other people Driscoll spoke with at the Follow Me series at Saddleback "Church" (Rick Warren's temple): http://saddleback.com/series/followme/ (e.g. the Perry Noble [Perry Noble insults Christians who take their faith seriously http://apprising.org/2009/12/08/perry-noble-says-youre-a-jackass/], Steven Furtick http://apprising.org/category/steven-furtick/, Judah Smith (see: Judah Smith's passionate taking God's name in vain: http://apprising.org/2013/01/12/judah-smiths-passionate-taking-gods-name-in-vain/)
Driscoll also appears to favorably quote heretic John Shelby Spong: http://www.saidradio.net/2012/12/mark-driscoll-myths-of-john-shelby-spong.html
Driscoll also claims that Roman Catholics are Christians - (( Time in video 22:30 )): http://marshill.com/media/vintagejesus/how-human-was-jesus
There are numerous testimonies which describe Driscoll as having an uncharitable and authoritarian rule over his flock (see: Mark Driscoll Wants a Mountain of Dead Bodies Behind Mars Hill's Bus http://www.fightingforthefaith.com/2012/06/mark-driscoll-wants-a-mountain-of-dead-bodies-behind-mars-hills-bus.html, http://joyfulexiles.com/, http://marshillrefuge.blogspot.com)
Driscoll violates the Regulative Principle of Worship and the Second Commandment and has been sinful in other ways. Driscoll demeans the character of Christ in his books and sermons with his language, dress, and behavior. e.g. Driscoll's irreverence and disobedience to Christ by using purported images of the Lord on his t-shirts (see The Mark Driscoll Controversy www.driscollcontroversy.com/ ... FYI, some people may not remember, but Driscoll's Twitter page once had a wallpaper crowded with such idols... And another violation of the Second Commandment is that Driscoll believes he can use "creative license" to portray Christ's death in a video (see this news story from the Christian Post: Mars Hill Recaptures Bloody Murder of Christ for Good Friday, http://www.christianpost.com/news/mars-hill-recaptures-bloody-murder-of-christ-on-good-friday-44554/). Driscoll also endorsed the New Age television mini-series "The Bible" on his facebook page on April 2, saying that he loved it and that God was glorified: (https://www.facebook.com/pastormark/posts/10151508669021912): Chris Rosebrough of Fighting for the Faith examines the Theological Errors of the History Channel’s Miniseries “The Bible.” http://apprising.org/2013/03/05/theological-errors-marr-history-channels-miniseries-the-bible/ Also see Sola Sister's posts concerning the mini-series: http://solasisters.blogspot.com/search/label/bible%20miniseries
In sum:
Do not build your faith on any minister or set of ministers. Let no man become your Pope. Make no Christian your standard of what is right in faith or practice, however high his name, his rank, or his learning. Let your creed be the Bible, and nothing but the Bible; and your example Christ, and nothing short of Him. Take heed, lest your minds be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Be careful what books you read on religious subjects — many books of this day are leavened with doctrines which spoil the Gospel. Examine yourselves often whether you are standing in the old paths — our lost estate by nature — our recovery through our Savior's kindness and love — our need of regeneration and renewal — our justification through grace — these are the grand doctrines, as Paul told Titus; and these are the points on which we must be sound, if we would maintain good works.~ J.C. Ryle
Satan has not begun for the first time at this day to transform himself into an angel of light; but all his teachers in all ages have presented their poison, even all their errors and fallacies, in a golden cup.~ John Calvin
Take heed whom you listen to! It is our dear Savior's counsel, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing — but inwardly are ravening wolves!" Matthew 7:15.~ Thomas Watson, "Dearly Beloved"
Let me tell you, the Devil has his ministers — as well as Christ! There are some, who by the subtlety of their wit, have learned the art of mixing error with truth, and to give poison in a golden cup!
Take heed WHO you hear, and HOW you hear. Be like those noble Bereans, who searched the Scriptures daily, to see whether the things that they taught, were true or not. Acts 17:11.
Your ears must not be like sponges which suck in puddle-water, as well as wine. But your ears must be like a winnowing fan, which fans out the chaff — but retains the pure wheat. You must be like those in the parable, who gathered the good fish — but cast the bad away. Matthew 13:48.
The saints are called virgins for their wisdom — they will not let everyone defile their souls with error! They have both a judicious ear, and a critical palate — which can distinguish between truth and error; and discern a difference between God's pure food, and the devil's cooking!
