Mark Driscoll, a popular pastor from the Seattle, WA area has written a new book about marriage. From what I have read about the book (having NOT read it personally), I believe it to be a very sad and perverted distortion of the beauty of marriage. Often when a book is so “over the top” in its perversion and with a “Christian” label – some Christians feel justified in exposing themselves to it under the guise of “being informed.” I am not going to do so and would discourage you from it. There are a lot of good marriage books available with biblical, God-honoring content. (This Momentary Marriage by John Piper; Tim Keller’s The Meaning of Marriage; Wayne Mack’s A Biblical Marriage to name a few). Driscoll’s book says some good things but to use one of my former pastor’s analogies – what measure of good milk might be in the drink is spoiled by the filthy rotten maggots floating in it. Don’t read it.
Below is a link to a review of the book by a friend of mine, Denny Burk. It is way more than enough to keep you away from the book. Below that is my comments on Denny’s blog regarding Driscoll’s book.
Denny,
I have been praying for you and others that would review this book. Thanks for your review. I believe you have accurately addressed the core issues. I know you are in a difficult position and I appreciate your words of caution very much.
However, I do wonder if it is a failure to not recognize that the Driscolls follow a very common pattern of false teachers. They preach enough truth to get their perverted doctrines a hearing. Satan is very clever and often subtle. Driscoll does share a lot of truth. It is no surprise that a book that is a “recipe for marital disaster” would contain a lot of good stuff that would make it more widely read. The enemy knows that if it was only full of this pornographic nonsense presented by a couple whose sexual baggage “caused significant problems for many years” – very few people would read it. Driscoll’s consistent and absurdly perverted preoccupation with distorted views of sexuality, in my mind, clearly mark him as someone who has “gone too far” 3 John 9. How messed up is someone who has sexual images of his wife making love with someone else as though watching a film and claims it is a vision given by God? Okaying male sodomy? What does he have to say or write that is too far? I see Philippians 1 referenced in light of the Driscolls often where Paul says he was grateful wherever the biblical gospel is preached. We should be. But when is it time to be like Paul in Acts 16? Where he was annoyed by the demon possessed servant girl following him around saying some good things. I am “annoyed” by the kind of confusion Driscoll is bringing to young pastors? There are a lot – A LOT – of men who are seriously giving themselves away missionally to transform a sexualized culture with a biblical gospel AND are pursuing and calling others by the grace of God, to a holy life. PLEASE YOUNG PREACHERS – FIND ROLE MODELS WHO PREACH THE TRUTH, LOVE THEIR WIVES AND LOVE HOLINESS. “Without which no one shall see the Lord”. Would to God young preachers would be like Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress going through Vanity Fair and would simply plug their ears and not listen or read such filthy nonsense – even if it has some good stuff mixed in. My heart breaks to think of marriage – such a beautiful and gracious picture of our union with the Beloved Jesus – being so marred. May God keep us holy.