It seems that over the last several years, Evangelicalism has taken a sharp turn in leadership, leaving many empty chairs that were once filled with prominent voices. I think this turn started in 2017 when we lost R.C. Sproul. He was a voice the church looked to for clarity on anything from cultural issues to sound doctrinal discernment.

Eight years later, we lost John MacArthur. And over the years, we’ve lost others like Voddie Baucham to a medical emergency and Steven Lawson to disqualifying sin. And we’ve lost several other respected men to death, retirement, physical decline, or just a general loss of credibility.

And while these men certainly did not agree on everything, they served as an almost apostle-like reference point for the church to turn to for guidance. They hosted conferences, they wrote books, and published podcasts, and their ministries were well known and well-regarded by the church.

But now that they’re gone, it’s as though we feel this incessant need to fill that void—and that void is being filled with other well-known names. Names like Mark Dever, Al Mohler, and, probably more than anyone else, John Piper.

Of course, Piper has been around for a while. He isn’t new to the scene. For years, he’s been passed around like a football from conference to conference, church to church, and has written tons of books.

And the prominent “New Calvinist” leader has a remarkable ability to adapt to almost any doctrinal theme as he moves among different theological camps—CROSS CON, Passion, and even the Shepherds Conference.

These are all vastly different theological ministries, and their differences are not insignificant. Yet, Piper is able to move freely among any of them and is welcomed by all of them.

What does this say about John Piper?

A lot.

John Piper has been elevated to what I call evangelicalism’s “seal of legitimacy.” In other words, if a conference can nail John Piper’s picture to their speaker board, it declares the legitimacy of the remaining line-up and the event itself.

Now, I want to clarify that I am not making a judgment on John Piper’s salvation. I am not even making a judgment on his motivation. While I certainly find many of his theological views to be problematic—and seriously so—I am not in a place where I could question whether or not he belongs to Christ.

My question is broader: Why does Evangelicalism continue to treat John Piper as though every ministry or gathering needs his blessing?

That’s it. That’s my question. Why?

First, John Piper is not qualified to fill this role or to be the church’s doctrinal measuring stick. A cursory look at Piper’s theology reveals confusion, at best, and seriously aberrant theology, at worst.

While Piper claims to affirm justification by faith alone and the doctrine of imputed righteousness, he has also said that Christians are not “ultimately saved by faith alone.” He says that works are necessary for “final” salvation and that we are “finally saved through” the sanctifying fruit of faith.

Now, I know that many are going to argue that I am misunderstanding him, and that I am taking what he says out of context. I am not. As I said, his theology is confusing at best. But God is not a God of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), and Piper has no business presenting such confusing theological views.

But his teachings on “Christian Hedonism” also bring serious theological problems. While it is absolutely biblical to delight in God and to enjoy Him is part of the historic Reformed creeds, Piper mixes that truth into a doctrinal system focused on seeking maximum pleasure.

Piper altered the historic creed, which reads “glorify God and enjoy Him forever,” into “glorify God by enjoying Him forever.” That subtle alteration of wording is significant—it turns gratification into the mechanism by which God is ultimately glorified.

Platforming Piper does a lot more than just adding another sermon or speaking session to the line-up. He lends credibility to otherwise aberrant line-ups—particularly at events like Passion.

The cycle goes something like this: At Shepherd’s Conference, Piper receives the credibility of teachers like John MacArthur. Piper then takes that credibility he received from MacArthur and presents himself as a patriarch whose judgment can be trusted to a younger generation alongside people like David Platt. He then stands side-by-side with women preachers, aberrant charismatic blowhards, and various false teachers at Passion, and shares all of the credibility with all of them.

Whether it be Louis Giglio, Rick Warren, Kari Jobe, Priscilla Shirer, Christine Caine, or anyone else, John Piper has never had a problem affirming them with his presence, his friendship, and his words and deeds. And that’s how trust gets transferred all throughout evangelicalism without requiring any real discernment.

But the church does not need anyone to fill the shoes of John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, or anyone else. There is no biblical office of “evangelical gatekeeper,” and the prominence of these men did not create that office. God can raise up who he wants at different times to serve His purposes, and when He’s finished with them, He can call them home and close that door.

The New Testament offices are pastors, elders, teachers, and deacons. And even if you want to include “evangelist” in that list of offices, that’s not the role these men served. If anything, their public ministries were closer to apostleship than any other biblical office, in that they were often looked to for correction and clarity.

But the Scriptures do not permit the church to organize its identity around celebrity teachers. 1 Corinthians warns against it: “I follow Paul” and “I follow Apollos.” The early church was commended for examining even the Apostles’ teachings and we’re commanded to test everything against Scripture.

Christ is the head of the church. The church does not need popes, cardinals, celebrity theologians, or anyone else to stand in that role. The ordinary ministry of the word is within the context of the local church and faithful preaching.

Yet, the incessant need to place someone in this chair demonstrates that the church does not trust Christ alone to be the head. Who’s going to keep Ligonier going? Who’s going to keep Grace to You going? Who’s going to keep Voddie Baucham Ministries running?

Who’s going to preach at the Shepherds’ Conference now that MacArthur is with the Lord, Voddie Baucham is gone, and Steven Lawson is disqualified?

The ultra-woke Mark Dever? Al Mohler?

John Piper?

God is not dependent on the continuance of these ministries. If God so chooses, he can preserve the work of these men through their writings, recordings, and teachings. But he does not need John Piper to stand in John MacArthur’s pulpit and pretend to mutter something in MacArthur’s place.

God has prescribed the local church as the ordinary means of preaching the word, teaching and practicing discernment, and equipping the saints for service. It is also the primary setting for gathering for corporate worship and fellowship. Nothing else is promised.

John Piper’s ubiquity also prevents new generations from maturing in their faith. At eighty years old, he is targeted specifically to crowds of 18-to-25-year-olds, where he is presented as an unquestionable theological voice. John Piper is a house brand, and they know that his name sells registrations and that organizers consider him institutionally “safe.”

When young Christians are perpetually fed John Piper, they have a hard time learning how to discern theology without a celebrity name attached to it.

Again, I’m not questioning his salvation or making a judgment. That’s not what this is about. You can label him a false teacher if you like; I will not take issue with that. There is certainly enough evidence to warrant at least the consideration of that claim. At the very least, he’s confusing, fallible, and unqualified to hold such a prominent position within the broader church—which is why it’s difficult to understand why churches and ministries like Shepherds Conference continue to platform him without restraint.

The question here is not whether John Piper is a Christian or a heretic. The question is why the church continues to act as though it needs John Piper to determine who else is.