A friend just sent me this link to a recent interview Jonathan Merritt of Religious News Service did with eighty-four year old IVP and NavPress author, Regent prof, and pastor, Eugene Peterson. This particular excerpt has to do with sodomy, lesbianism, and sodomite marriage. Peterson says he's OK with them all.
My friend writes, "As one formed by Intervarsity in the late 80s/early 90s, I see one "esteemed " teacher after another have no courage."
He's speaking euphemistically. This is no mere lack of courage, but utter apostasy. In other words, this man will never enter the Kingdom of God.
One might hope the things Peterson says are the product of early stages of dementia if only they didn't perfectly reflect everything I've known of Inter-Varsity and its press for decades now. How any Christian continues to give money in support of this organization and its employees is...
beyond me. How any true Christian continues to work as an employee of Inter-Varsity or its publisher is beyond me.
Under Merritt's interview of Peterson, I left this comment:
This is appalling. On every level, and both interviewer and interviewee. "Cease to exist?" Is this what Jesus said—man merely ceases to exist? Then Peterson himself: what sort of shepherd doesn't bother to warn the lesbians he's visiting that, unless they repent of their sexual perversion, they will not inherit the Kingdom of God (1Corinthians 6)? As the son of the former publisher of IVP and a pastor ordained in Peterson's denomination, I am ashamed of his betrayal of his calling and ordination vows; but worse, his shame at the Name and words of Jesus Christ. With love,
Since before Mary Lee and I lived in Madison and went to church and small group with Inter-Varsity leaders (at the time, Dad was on I-V's board), Inter-Varsity has been leading Evangelicals in their rebellion against God's Word concerning all things sexual. Their false witness has been wicked here in Bloomington and is so around the world. That their best-selling author Eugene Peterson has long been in favor of sodomy and says he'd do sodomite marriages is not due to any lack of courage.
Like all Inter-Varsity people, such shame at the Name and words of Jesus is a cornerstone of their lives and witness. It's what they have built their so-called "ministry" on.
Eugene Peterson is their hoary-headed spokesman.
Again, the lesson is: have nothing to do with the famous Christians all men speak well of. Our Savior warned us they are always bad:
But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way. (Luke 6:24-26)
Tim serves Clearnote Church, Bloomington, Indiana. He and Mary Lee have five children and big lots of grandchildren.
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