Our brother Mark has posted an encouraging brief review of John Piper’s book The Future of Justification. In that book Piper has a chapter where he explains some principles that should govern the hearts of Christians as they engage in disagreement and controversy with fellow believers. I agree with Mark that Piper presented his disagreement in a “scholarly, practical and loving” way, and “exemplified a godly approach to controversy” without compromising truth in any way. He is a marvelous example to Christ’s people.

Because controversy is unavoidable in our age of compromise and typically shallow understandings and presentations of truth, I think reproducing Piper’s chapter “On Controversy,” which is part of the introduction to this book, is a helpful exercise. You can read the chapter, with footnotes, at Piper’s Desiring God website.

We’re making the text of the introductory chapter available here. Read on for godly encouragement for how to be loving as your engage your Christian brothers and sisters controversy.

Earlier this summer I completed John Piper’s book The Future of Justification: A Response to N.T. Wright and was helped and blessed in a number of ways. Want to know why? Click here.

In our last post we examined the unavoidable truth that “our unchanging God condones and even commands war as an instrument of judgment.” We noted carefully that war was ordained by God as an instrument of justice and can only properly be carried out by national civil authorities. We also pointed out that God does not delight in war, but views it as a necessary means of restraining evil and punishing evildoers. His mercy and grace overshadows His condoning of war, as we saw that the Old Testament law included provisions for necessary diplomacy, justice and equity for private citizens. Nonetheless, it would be impossible to read the Old Testament record and conclude that God opposes all war.

That being said, many Christians suggest that the ethics of Jesus in this New Testament age require us to take a different position on the subject of war. They claim that principles like “turn the other cheek,” “love your neighbor as yourself,” and “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” necessarily preclude a Christian’s participation and condoning of any war.

Is this claim true? We do not think so. Click here to find out why!