Audio clips of John Piper on his outrageous philosophy of ‘Christian Hedonism’
June 5th, 2007 at 1:42 am (Bad Teaching)
In these audio clips you will hear John Piper talk about his philosophy of Christian Hedonism and what its implications for the Christian life are. These clips come from three different sermons. Of course not everything that comes out of Piper’s mouth is wrong. He may be able to expound upon certain biblical doctrines very well. Unfortunately his whole life philosophy is “Christian Hedonism” which is to say, unbiblical and ultimately self-centered at heart (at the motive level).
For most, what you will hear will shock you. You will start to see that John Piper really is a hedonist, albeit a ‘Christian’ hedonist. He is entirely concerned with his own happiness and will do whatever makes him happiest. It is a very self-centered philosophy. Phil 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit but with humility of mind consider others as more important than yourself. Do not look out for your own interests but also for the interests of others.” Christian hedonism is completely self-interested at heart and goes against this and many other Bible verses.
Piper 'Pleasure' part 1: Downloads 349 Piper 'Pleasure' part 3: Downloads 238 Piper 'Love' Part 1: Downloads 228 Piper 'Love' Part 2: Downloads 228 Piper 'Love' Part 3: Downloads 237 Piper 'Love' Part 4: Downloads 245 Piper 'Love' Part 5: Downloads 242 Piper 'Worship' Part 1: Downloads 230 Piper 'Worship' Part 2: Downloads 232 Piper 'Worship' Part 3: Downloads 239
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Phillip Bradrick said,
June 7, 2007 at 10:54 am
Tony,
Great to see that you are seeking to defend the faith here in this online forum. I think that the example of John Piper and his Christian Hedonistic ideas are a good reminder for us to be vigilant to discern and hold to the clear doctrines of the Scriptures. In this vain I think that we should be careful in how we go about countering the errors of other fellow believers. In our zeal for truth it is easy for us to loose sight of the ultimate goal (glorifying God) and combat these doctrinal errors for the purpose of being right. The teachings of Scripture are clear that we should be very careful when confronting the sins of others lest we sin ourselves. (Matt. 7:3-4)
Another aspect of that we should consider is expressed by Paul in Philipians 1:18
“What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice.”
So, in closing, I am not saying that challenging the erroneous doctrines of Christian leaders is wrong. It must be done out of the right heart and with the right motives and must not be taken too far. Defense of the faith is our duty but we must fulfill that duty prayerfully and carefully.
This is a subject that has been on my heart recently because I have seen many people in the name of “defending the faith” seek to defame and discredit the teachings of influential leaders in the Christian community. In our day in age where web media can be freely shared to anyone around the world we must be even more careful.
May God bless you as you seek to set forth what the Scriptures Say.
Lee Shelton said,
June 8, 2007 at 8:22 am
Thanks for the link, Tony. I’ll have a listen and will most likely respond in an upcoming post on my blog.
In the meantime, you might want to reflect on the Philippians passage you quoted. Did you happen to read verse 2? Paul calls upon his fellow believers to “COMPLETE MY JOY by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” Was he being self-centered when he said that? Should his choice of words have been more “biblical” or Christ-centered?
Justin said,
December 15, 2007 at 11:06 pm
I did not think that I liked John Piper’s teachings…until I heard the clips you posted. For me they are life changing. I believe you paint the teaching in your own light, or lack thereof.
Laura said,
December 20, 2007 at 4:46 pm
Wow, you clearly are taking a few clips and deciding on yoru own what John Piper believes. I have attended his church for years before moving and I know him very well. To say that he is only concerned with his own happiness?? You have no idea what you are talking about, I’m sorry. Piper is the least selfish person I have ever known. He talks about happiness THROUGH Christ. If that isn’t biblical, then I’m not sure what Bible you read. Sad, terribly sad.
tramsek said,
December 21, 2007 at 6:46 pm
Hi Justin,
I also believe that Christan Hedonism is a “life changing” teaching. Unfortunately it wants to change your MOTIVE for doing things from being God-centered to being self-centered. It wants to change your life from doing things from a heart that is seeking to please God to a heart that seeks to please self. I hope you visit http://www.thefaithfulword.org/cathedonism.html and learn more of why this philosophy is unbiblical. Thanks,
Tony
tramsek said,
December 21, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Hi Laura,
I’m sorry that it was perceived that I gleaned all of Piper’s philosophy from a few audio clips. That was not the case. I have read numerous Piper books, listened to many sermons, read all of his website articles on Christian Hedonism, etc. I have tried to be Berean minded and test his thesis against the rule of the Scriptures.
Obviously, to me, Christian Hedonism seems to be un-Christian. These clips were just to show folks that I am not making this stuff up. Piper really does live for himself which he makes abundantly clear from statements such as “I do what I do because it will make me happier in the long run”. The clips are not INconsistent with the rest of his teaching on this philosophy. Tell me how you would interpret those words of his.
Secondly, you say that Piper is the least selfish person you know. You are probably right, on the external side. I’m sure Pastor John is very gracious, kind, giving, etc. on the outside. But the fact is, God judges the hearts of men, not merely the acts of men. Righteous acts with unrighteous motives are not pleasing to God. Now usually we cannot judge people’s motives because we cannot see into their hearts. An exception to this rule is when folks make their motives explicit to us. John Piper has told us his motive for everything he does is to make himself happy. Since that is an selfish motive, those unselfish acts that flow from that motive are not pleasing in God’s eyes.
Yes, Piper wants to maximize his happiness “through” Christ as you say. The problem is that the bottom line is to make sure that self is happy. Christ simply becomes the means to that ultimate end. He is using God in a box to satisfy his selfish desire to maximize his happiness. That is dishonoring God.
Thanks,
Tony