If you have read this blog for any amount of time you have probably thought to yourself "this guy really likes John Piper" and I have to admit he is one of my heroes of the faith. One of the reasons for that is his unparalleled accessibility. Everything Piper does is available at my fingertips and almost always free. Another person I have come to admire is Dr. James White, Director of Alpha and Omega ministries and one of the best apologists of our day. "Why do you bring this up Stephen?" Well I was reading a post by Piper on the Desiring God blog (Guns and Martyrdom) and immediately thought "I disagree" which may shock many you. I didn't think much about the entry until earlier today when I was browsing White's blog and saw that he posted a response in disagreement to that very post (I Beg To Differ, Brother Piper). I want to give some excerpts of Dr. White's post, not to show why you should agree with him over Piper but, rather, to show how to disagree with a brother or sister in Christ over issues like this. White is firm on his stance, gentle toward his brother, and understanding that this isn't an issue that will cause harm to John Piper's soul.
"In the spirit of Christian freedom and with the deepest respect for brother Piper, I could not disagree more strongly with the sentiment here expressed. First, I see no parallel whatsoever between missionaries in the jungle seeking to open contact with a violent and primitive tribe and a meth-laden gang member seeking to rob, rape, and murder. In fact, I see many, many reasons to view the two very, very differently. The gang member in the streets of Phoenix has every possible opportunity to do good, to obey the gospel, to work and abide by the law. But he chooses, purposefully and knowingly, to do otherwise. He chooses to enter into my home, threatening the lives of my family. And he comes armed.
In the second place, I don't believe a Christian is a martyr if they fall prey to the random, drug-induced violence of a gang member or criminal. There is a difference between being a victim because you did not take the proper precautions and being a martyr because you purposefully expose yourself to danger and even death in the service of the gospel."
The article is much larger than this excerpt so I encourage you to follow both links and read the articles. Hopefully seeing how brothers in Christ are able to engage each other on issues at this high level will encourage you to stand for what you believe in as well but with grace and respect. Remember, no matter who you are arguing/debating with you are representing Christ to them and should keep in view whether you are engaging a fellow believer or a lost person.
Grace and Peace,
Stephen
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