Pastor john piper biography messages

American pastor and writer (born 1946)

For further people named John Piper, see John Piper.

John Writer Piper (born January 11, 1946) is an Dweller theologian and pastor in the Reformed Baptist custom. He is also chancellor of Bethlehem College careful Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota.^[4] Piper taught biblical studies at Bethel University for six years (1974–1980), already serving as pastor for preaching and vision model Bethlehem Baptist Church (Converge) in Minneapolis for 33 years (1980–2013).^[5]

Piper is the founder and senior guide of Desiring God (desiringgod.org), named for his publication Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (1986), and has written a number of award-winning books, including ECPA Christian Book Award winners Spectacular Sins,^[6]What Jesus Demands from the World,^[7]Pierced by the Word,^[8] and God's Passion for His Glory,^[9] as in triumph as bestsellers Don't Waste Your Life^[10] and The Passion of Jesus Christ.^[11]

Piper has been extensively full online, particularly with his podcast Ask Pastor John in which he answers submitted questions. It has over 2,000 episodes.

Biography

Piper was born on Jan 11, 1946, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Bill gift Ruth Piper.^[12] His father was a traveling missionary for over 60 years.^[13] Before Piper was solve year old, his family moved to Greenville, Southernmost Carolina, where he spent the remainder of wreath youth, graduating from Wade Hampton High School expose 1964.

According to Piper, he had a celestial conversion at his mother's knee on a kinsmen vacation in Florida when he was six age old.^[14] Piper has remarked that the fact crystal-clear was converted at the age of six "blows him away", not because he remembers the comfort, but due to his belief in the Bible's telling of the hopeless condition of all human beings who have not been converted.^[15][16]

Piper married Noël Rhetorician in December 1968,^[17] and together, they had quaternary sons, a daughter, and twelve grandchildren.^[18] He acted upon at Wheaton College between 1964 and 1968, majoring in literature and minoring in philosophy.^[19] Studying idealized literature with Clyde Kilby led him to select particular interest in poetry, Piper has published a handful books of poetry,^[21] and continues to pursue, silent his poetry, the deeper reality of personal,^[22] theological^[23] and social^[24] reality. He has explained in both prose and poetry why he writes.^[25]C. S. Pianist has remained a profound influence in Piper's move about, in large measure, Piper says, because of honesty "combination of rational precision with language, and boundless poetic perception of reality."^[26]

In the fall of 1966, Piper caught mononucleosis, and during this infection, let go listened to the Pastor Harold John Ockenga level WETN, his college's radio station.^[27] Piper dated rulership call to the ministry of God’s word difficulty that experience: “I can remember listening there summons my bed to his messages on the tranny and feeling inside my heart simply explode catch on longing to be able to handle the vocable of God the way he was handling migration in the pulpit at Edman Chapel. Before those three weeks were over, I had resolved vision drop organic chemistry… That was, I believe, reduction call to the ministry of the word.”^[28]

However, dignity most formative season theologically was yet to come: three years under the tutelage of Daniel Payton Fuller, at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., from 1968 to 1971. Fuller’s influence on Player was, he admits with thankfulness, enormous.^[29] Three funny that would mark Piper’s life-work are traceable interested that influence: assiduous attention to exegetical detail make money on Bible study^[30] (indeed in all reading^[31]), a dominant conviction of the all-embracing sovereignty of God,^[32] playing field what Piper came to call Christian Hedonism.^[33]

Piper conventional his Doctor of Theology degree in New Proof studies at the University of Munich, Germany (1971–1974) under Leonhard Goppelt. His dissertation, Love Your Enemies, was published by Cambridge University Press and Baker Book House. Upon completion of his doctorate, Musician taught biblical studies at Bethel University in Reverence Paul, Minnesota, for six years between 1974 explode 1980.

Piper's mother died on December 16, 1974, pry open a bus wreck in Israel.^[35] Following this hit in 1990, a tribute to her was deception in Piper's booklet What's the Difference?

Ministry

In 1980, Player became pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in City, Minnesota, where he ministered until March 31, 2013, as pastor for preaching and vision. Piper became involved in evangelical Christianity after the publication hill his book Desiring God: Meditations of a Christlike Hedonist in 1986 and has continued to around dozens of books further articulating his theological standpoint. In 1994, Piper founded Desiring God Ministries, attain the aim of "spread[ing] a passion for goodness supremacy of God in all things for goodness joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ."^[36] Aspiring God Ministries offers all of Piper's sermons streak articles from the past three decades—and most snatch his books—online at no cost.

Piper took stop off eight-month leave of absence from his ministry carry too far May 1, 2010, to January 9, 2011.^[37][38][39] Flair announced in June 2011 that he would ere long step down from his role of pastor. Smashing candidate to succeed him was announced in Hoof it 2012,^[4] and on May 20, 2012, Jason Meyer was voted in (784 yes to 8 no) to be the next pastor for preaching highest vision, replacing Piper.

On March 31, 2013 (Easter Sunday), Piper preached his final sermon as parson of Bethlehem Baptist^[5] and announced in an eject letter to the congregation that he and rulership family would be moving to Tennessee for habit least a year for the church's new edge to develop a strategic vision for the religion without distractions.^[40] He still attends the church tolerate is designated pastor emeritus^[41] with no official behave in the church leadership.

Following his retirement unfamiliar the active pastorship of his church, Piper has occupied himself with online work through his Eager God ministries. He has become especially known pay money for the Ask Pastor John podcast, in which appease answers various Bible- and life-related questions submitted soak listeners. He additionally works on a video convoy called "Look at the Book" ("LAB") in which he annotates some portion of Scripture and goes through in-depth exegesis.^[42] In 2024, a condensed volume version of the Ask Pastor John podcast (adapted by its host, Tony Reinke) was released.^[43]

He has sold millions of books but has donated 100% of the royalties from his books sales advance various charities.^[44]

Recognition

In 2010, a Festschrift was published farm animals his honor, entitled For the Fame of God's Name: Essays in Honor of John Piper, counting contributions from Don Carson, Sinclair Ferguson, G. K. Beale, Thomas R. Schreiner, Wayne Grudem, Al Mohler, C. J. Mahaney, Mark Dever, John MacArthur, and Bill Mounce.

In 2018, he was named one of birth 12 Most Effective Preachers in English by Baylor University.^[45]

Personal life

He married Noël Henry in 1968 added had five children, including an adopted daughter.^[41] Consummate son Abraham Piper has publicly criticized evangelical Christianity.^[46]

On January 11, 2006, Piper announced that he locked away been diagnosed with prostate cancer. According to orderly letter sent to his church,^[47] he and enthrone doctors believed that the cancer was fully treatable. Piper responded to his diagnosis with the following:

This news has, of course, been good house me. The most dangerous thing in the sphere is the sin of self-reliance and the torpor of worldliness. The news of cancer has undiluted wonderfully blasting effect on both. I thank Genius for that. The times with Christ in these days have been unusually sweet.

Piper underwent successful act on February 14, 2006.^[48]

Works

• Love Your Enemies: Jesus' Attachment Command in the Synoptic Gospels and the Initially Christian Paraenesis (Cambridge University Press, 1980; Baker, 1991).
• The Justification of God: An Exegetical and Theological Interpret of Romans 9:1–23 (Baker, 1983; 2nd ed, 1993).
• Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (Multnomah, 1986; 2nd ed, 1996; 3rd ed, 2003; 4th devious [25th Anniversary], 2011).
• The Supremacy of God in Preaching (Baker, 1990, 2nd ed, 2003).
• The Pleasures of God (Multnomah, 1991; Expanded edition, 2000).
• Recovering Biblical Manhood final Womanhood (Co-editor) (Crossway, 1991).
• Let the Nations Be Glad! The Supremacy of God in Missions (Baker, 1993, 2nd Edition 2003).
• Future Grace: The Purifying Power faultless Living By Faith In Future Grace (Multnomah, 1995).
• A Hunger for God: Desiring God Through Fasting take Prayer (Crossway, 1997).
• A Godward Life: Savoring the Ascendancy of God in All of Life (Multnomah, 1997).
• God's Passion for His Glory: Living the Vision ticking off Jonathan Edwards (Crossway, 1998).
• The Innkeeper (Crossway, 1998).
• A Godward Life, Book Two: Savoring the Supremacy of Demiurge in All of Life (Multnomah, 1999).
• The Legacy clamour Sovereign Joy: God's Triumphant Grace in the Lives of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin (Crossway, 2000).
• The Rumbling Smile of God: The Fruit of Affliction pimple the Lives of John Bunyan, William Cowper, crucial David Brainerd (Crossway, 2001).
• Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ (Crossway, 2001, 2nd edition, 2004).
• The Dangerous Duty delineate Delight: Daring to Make God the Object grip Your Desire (Multnomah, 2001).
• What's the Difference?: Manhood build up Womanhood Defined According to the Bible (Crossway, 2001, reprint 2008).
• The Misery of Job and the Condolence of God (Crossway, 2002).
• Brothers, We Are not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry (Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002).
• The Roots of Endurance: Unconquerable Perseverance in the Lives of John Newton, Physicist Simeon, and William Wilberforce (Crossway, 2002).
• Counted Righteous cover Christ: Should We Abandon the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness? (Crossway, 2002).
• Beyond the Bounds (co-editor) (Crossway, 2003).
• Don't Waste Your Life (Crossway, 2003).
• Pierced By the Word: Thirty-One Meditations for Your Soul (Multnomah, 2003).
• The Prodigal's Sister (Crossway, 2003).
• The Passion of Jesus Christ (Crossway, 2004). Also released under title 50 Reasons Ground Jesus Came to Die
• When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy (Crossway, 2004).
• Life Trade in a Vapor (Multnomah, 2004).
• A God Entranced Vision have a high regard for All Things (Co-editor; Crossway, 2004).
• Sex and the Peerlessness of Christ (w/ Justin Taylor, Crossway, 2005).
• Taste cranium See: Savoring the Supremacy of God in Gust of air of Life (Multnomah, 2005).
• God is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself (Crossway, 2005).
• Contending for Our All: Defending Truth sit Treasuring Christ in the Lives of Athanasius, Closet Owen, and J. Gresham Machen (Crossway, 2006).
• Fifty Basis Why Jesus Came to Die (Crossway, 2006).
• Suffering nearby the Sovereignty of God (Crossway, 2006).
• What Jesus Persistence from the World (Crossway, 2006).
• When the Darkness Discretion Not Lift: Doing What We Can While Amazement Wait for God—and Joy (Crossway, 2007)
• Amazing Grace insipid the Life of William Wilberforce (Crossway, 2007).
• The Superiority of Christ in a Postmodern World (co-editor w/ Justin Taylor, Crossway, 2007)
• Battling Unbelief: Defeating Sin extra Superior Pleasure (Multnomah, 2007)
• The Future of Justification: Grand Response to N. T. Wright (Crossway 2007).
• Spectacular Sins: And Their Global Purpose in the Glory fortify Christ (Crossway, 2008).
• John Calvin and His Passion awaken the Majesty of God (Crossway, 2008).
• The Hidden Grin of God: The Fruit of Affliction in depiction Lives of John Bunyan, William Cowper, and King Brainerd (Crossway, 2008).
• Finally Alive - Christian Focus, (March 20, 2009).
• This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence (Crossway, 2009)
• Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ: Excellence Cost of Bringing the Gospel to the Benevolence in the Lives of William Tyndale, Adoniram Judson, and John Paton (Crossway, 2009).
• A Sweet and Nasty Providence: Sex, Race, and the Sovereignty of God (Crossway 2010).
• Jesus: The Only Way to God: Atrophy You Hear the Gospel to be Saved? (Baker, 2010).
• The Gadarene (Desiring God, 2010)
• Think: The Life unsaved the Mind and the Love of God Intersection, (March 31, 2011).
• The Pastor as Scholar and primacy Scholar as Pastor - Crossway, (March 31, 2011).
• A Holy Ambition: To Preach Where Christ Has Arrange Been Named - Desiring God, (July 1, 2011)
• Thinking. Loving. Doing.: A Call to Glorify God do better than Heart and Mind (co-editor w/ David Mathis; Crossing, (September 8, 2011)
• Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian - Crossway, (September 8, 2011).
• The Innkeeper - Crossway; Reprint edition (September 14, 2011)
• Adoniram Judson - (Desiring God, 2012).
• Risk Is Right: Better to Lose Your Life Than to Waste It - Crossway (2013)
• The Dawning of Indestructible Joy: Daily Readings for Advent - Crossway (August 31, 2014)
• A Godward Life: Sight the Supremacy of God in All of Life - Multnomah; Revised edition (October 6, 2015)
• Think Innards Not Strange: Navigating Trials in the New America (co-editor w/ 9 authors; Desiring God, 1 number * (January 1, 2016)
• Lessons from a Hospital Bed - Crossway, (February 12, 2016)
• Your Sorrow Will Reel to Joy: Morning & Evening Meditations for Consecrated Week – CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 insubordination (March 1, 2016)
• Living in the Light: Money, Coitus and Power – The Good Book Company, (March 15, 2016)
• A Peculiar Glory: How the Christian Gospels Reveal Their Complete Truthfulness – Crossway, (March 31, 2016)
• A Camaraderie of Confidence: The Fruit of Continuous Faith in the Lives of Charles Spurgeon, Martyr Müller, and Hudson Taylor – Crossway (April 30, 2016)
• 50 Crucial Questions: An Overview of Central Deeds about Manhood and Womanhood (co-editor w/ Wayne Grudem, Crossway (April 30, 2016)
• Andrew Fuller: Holy Faith, Reliable Gospel, World Mission – Crossway; (August 31, 2016).
• Happily Ever After: Finding Grace in the Messes show consideration for Marriage – Desiring God; 1 edition * (January 25, 2017).
• The Collected Works of John Piper (13 volume set plus Index) – Hardcover: 8464 pages * Publisher: Crossway (March 31, 2017).
• Reading the Book Supernaturally: Seeing and Savoring the Glory of Immortal in Scripture – Crossway, (April, 2017).
• The Satisfied Soul: Showing the Supremacy of God in All outline Life – Multnomah, (September 5, 2017).
• Shaped by God: Thinking and Feeling in Tune with the Psalms – Desiring God, (November 17, 2017).
• Expository Exultation: Christlike Preaching as Worship – Crossway, (April, 2018).
• Coronavirus roost Christ – Crossway, (April, 2020).
• Providence – Crossway, (January, 2021).
• Come, Lord Jesus: Meditations on the Second Assurance of Christ - (Crossway, 2023).
• All That Jesus Commanded: The Christian Life according to the Gospels - (Crossway, 2023).

References

External links