Piper was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Bill and Ruth Piper. When he and his older sister were still young, the Pipers moved to Greenville, South Carolina, where he spent the rest of his youth and graduated from Wade Hampton High School. His father was an itinerant evangelist who actively ministered through international radio and Bible courses until his death on March 6, 2007. Piper has written a tribute to his mother, who died in 1974, in the booklet, What's the Difference? (Crossway Books, 1990) which is also chapter one of the book Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (Crossway Books, 1991).
On January 11, 2006, Piper announced that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. According to a letter sent to his church, he and his doctors believed that the cancer was fully treatable. Piper's reaction to his diagnosis was: "This news has, of course, been good for me. The most dangerous thing in the world is the sin of self-reliance and the stupor of worldliness. The news of cancer has a wonderfully blasting effect on both. I thank God for that. The times with Christ in these days have been unusually sweet." Piper underwent successful surgery on February 14, 2006.
He married Noël Henry in 1968, and together they have four sons, a daughter, and several grandchildren.
Piper attended Wheaton College (1964—68), where he majored in literature and minored in philosophy. Studying Romantic Literature with Clyde Kilby stimulated the poetic side of his nature, and today he regularly writes poems to celebrate special family occasions as well as composing story-poems (based on the life of biblical characters) for his congregation during the four weeks of Advent each year.
Following college, he completed a Bachelor of Divinity degree at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California (1968—71). While at Fuller, he took several courses from Daniel Fuller and through him discovered the writings of Jonathan Edwards.
Piper did his doctoral work in New Testament Studies at the University of Munich, Germany (1971—74) under Leonhard Goppelt. His dissertation, Love Your Enemies, was published by Cambridge University Press and Baker Book House. Upon completion of his doctorate, he taught Biblical Studies at Bethel University and Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, for six years (1974—80).
Ministry
In 1980, after what he described as an irresistible call of the Lord to preach, Piper became Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he has been ministering ever since. Piper was catapulted onto the evangelical scene after the publication of his book Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (1986) and has continued to publish dozens of other books further articulating this theological perspective. In 1994, he founded Desiring God Ministries, which today provides all of Piper's sermons and articles from the past three decades, and most of his books online free of charge, as well as offering for sale books, CDs, and DVDs and regularly hosting conferences.
According to Piper, Desiring God Ministries exists to "spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ," which is also his personal motto. Piper calls those who live out this motto Christian Hedonists. He places a heavy emphasis on the objective and absolute nature of truth and is confident in the Christian's ability to grasp that truth through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
On March 28, 2010, Piper announced that he would take an eight-month leave of absence from his ministry effective May 1.
Theological VIews more less
Christian Hedonism
Piper advocates Christian hedonism and teaches that "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him" We Want You to Be a Christian Hedonist! :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library and that God's highest pursuit ("his glory") and man's deepest and most durable happiness come together in one pursuit – namely, the pursuit of joy in God. He was awakened to this notion in the writings of Jonathan Edwards, Blaise Pascal, and C. S. Lewis, among others, and then found it throughout the Bible, for example ; ; ; among others.
Gender roles
Piper holds to a complementarian view of gender roles. Recovering: Chapter 2 This view says that the Bible teaches that a husband is called to lovingly lead, protect and provide for his wife and family, and that the wife should joyfully and intelligently affirm and submit to her husband's leadership. He also says that the Bible teaches that men are to bear the primary responsibility to lead the church and that therefore only men should be elders. Piper along with Wayne Grudem was co-editor of one of the bedrock books in this area called Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood . One of the chapters has been reprinted several times as an independent short book called What's the Difference?.
Calvinism
Piper's theology is Calvinist What We Believe About the Five Points of Calvinism :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library and Baptist. I Baptize You with Water :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library He also believes in double predestination, which includes "unconditional reprobation" as a corollary to the Calvinistic doctrine of unconditional election, and he subscribes to the Leibnizian view that God runs the universe in such a way that it will be the best of all possible universes. What does Piper mean when he says he's a seven-point Calvinist? :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
Piper believes in justification by faith alone apart from works, Does James Contradict Paul? :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library and his teachings emphasize the need for the active perseverance of the believer in faith, sanctification, and enduring sufferings, as this is evidence of God's saving grace. A once-professing Christian who does not persevere in faith to the end demonstrates that he was never a true believer in the first place. Olympic Spirituality, Part 1 :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library Letter to a Friend Concerning the So-Called "Lordship Salvation" :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
Spiritual gifts
Regarding spiritual gifts, Piper is a continuationist. Are Signs and Wonders for Today? :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library That is, he believes that supernatural gifts such as prophecy, miracles, healings, and speaking in tongues have not ceased and should be sought by the church, Spiritual Gifts and the Sovereignty of God, Panel Discussion :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library in particular with regard to missions and evangelism. He does believe, however, that the office of apostle has ceased and that the gift of prophecy in the church is not the same as the inspiration of scripture . While he believes that God's supernatural revelation in the N.T. gift of prophecy is without error, he says that the prophet's perception, understanding and delivery of that revelation is imperfect and fallible , thus N.T. prophecies are subject to sifting.
Eschatology
Piper describes himself as an "optimistic premillennialist" and holds a post tribulation view of the second coming of Jesus. Definitions and Observations Concerning the Second Coming of Christ :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library What Must Happen Before the Day of the Lord? :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library He maintains that Romans 11 teaches that a mass in-gathering of ethnic Israel will be saved when the hardening of their hearts is removed at Jesus' second coming. Did Israel Stumble in Order That They Might Fall? :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library He advocates the importance of hoping in the resurrection of the dead at Christ's return. What Happens When You Die? The Dead Will Be Raised Imperishable :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
Law and covenant
Piper does not don any of the typical hermeneutical frameworks, but claims he is furthest from dispensationalism, and closest to Covenant Theology, or a New Covenant Theology in matters of the Law and covenants, but agrees with the dispensationalist belief that there will be a millennium. What does John Piper believe about dispensationalism, covenant theology, and new covenant theology? :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library He says that the Law was meant by God to reveal sin and show man's inability to live up to God's righteous standards Why Then the Law? :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library. Christians, living under the new covenant, are not under the old-covenant law but able to fulfill its intent through faith in Jesus Christ. What Does It Mean to Fulfill the Law in Romans 8:3-4 :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library Hagar and Slavery Vs. Sarah and Freedom :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
Piper teaches that God has only one covenant people, mostly believing Jews in the Old Testament, and now that relationship has been superseded by the Church. Israel and Us Reconciled in One Body :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library Thus, the Church is rightful inheritor of all the promises made to ethnic Israel (land, kingdom, etc.), and Jews who reject Jesus as Messiah have no divine right of claim on those promises. Israel, Palestine and the Middle East :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
