John Piper: "Rob Bell, universalist"

[dolfan]

Check this link:
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/jus ... versalist/


Watch the video that's linked in that article. Bell looks like Sinead O'Connor in an Uncle Fester costume.

Is it just me, or is anyone else pretty much tired of that look? And, why is it so popular among these young pastors?

[RamboPreacher]

the look: dunno, it is nice for me as an old guy, cause it's easy to take care of my hair. (or lack thereof.)

as for his universalism approach, it's not new, that whole paradigm isn't new. it is unfortunate, but it is chock-full-o-non-Biblical worldview.

what's fair, what's just, what's right; it isn't up to us to decide. Is God Love? yes, absolutely, but that is not Him in totality. the whole God is Love idea and thought-process/paradigm and dare I say "Christian perspective" is incorrect, I think.

you can't have Him being Love, unless there is justice, and righteousness based on an absolute set of moralities. if, as eluded to, those morals are dynamic and cultural based; then love would have to fluctuate as well.

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. we talk about Gods anointing, as example, as if it is meted out at quantifiable levels, based on what we perceive to be the need. but I don't think that's how it works. I think that God's anointing is what it is. our application, and obedience is where the perception of application comes to play.

[Pastor Gary]

Might I gently suggest that we wait and actually read the book before we crucify the 'heretic'? I've read a lot of Bell and have never seen anything that suggests he is less than orthodox.

One of my friends from Fuller wrote this response:
http://jrwoodward.net/2011/02/rob-bells ... t-read-it/

[dolfan]

Hmm. I enjoyed Velvet Elvis a lot. I didn't see any red flags in it, surely. When I saw Piper's tweet yesterday and read the link, I assumed as Piper evidently did what Justin Taylor characterized Bell as being. I would say that Bell, if he isn't taking a universalist view, should have known he was going to create that impression. It is either carelessly edited or written, or purposely so.

I'll withhold characterizing Bell for now until I am comfortably familiar with what his new book says, but I won't rush out and buy it to do that.

I still think he looks silly in the trailer.

[DeWayneTN]

I can identify with someone who wrote "I am praying for the best but fearing the worst." To me, as someone who's covered the Christian book industry, it's a telling sign that the new book is not releasing through a Christian publisher or even through an imprint that's by and large carried through Christian retail.

[Pastor Gary]

http://isrobbellauniversalist.tumblr.com/