Book Review: Brothers We Are Not Professionals

Piper is probably my favorite modern writer and seems to have the most logical flow of thought in evangelicalism today. His Passionate Calvinism attracts many people and his ministry is changing lives and seeing converts by the extraordinary grace of God. I know that Piper is a controversial figure in the church for a few reasons

1. He uses the word Hedonism
2. He is New Covenant theology
3. He is a 7 Point Calvinist
4. He is Amillenial

Maybe I show my cards a little bit too much considering I go to a Dispensational school and attend a largely (99%) Dispensational church, but I sympathize greatly with New Covenant theology and call myself at the least Progressive Dispensational.
I wholehaertedly agree with the use of the word Hedonist whatever people may say and I (somewhat jokingly) ascribe to a 7 point system of Calvinism. These are things I feel have Biblical merit and are the arguments of Holy Scripture. As for the Amil' stance? I don't agree with it only because I go to a Dispensational school and know no better.


Those things said let's talk about John Piper's "Brothers". Firstly, I am not a pastor though I have preached on occasion. I don't think in my denomination we even have such a thing as a "Pastor" but we do have elders, and I have been and Lord willing will continue to be in leadership situations. When Piper says a "plea for Pastors" he really means a plea. I got this feeling throughout the book. It was as if Piper was begging the brothers to come back to true ministry. It could almost be called a modern day "Reformed Pastor" as it often kicked me in the rear. I think that Piper's point is stated throughtout the book but stated most plainly,

All...other so called Gods make man work for them. Our God will not be put in the position of an employer who must depend on others to make the business go. Instead he magnifies His all-suffiency by doing this work Himself. Man is the dependant partner in this affair, His job is to wait for the Lord.

This is essentially Piper's plea throughout the book. He touches some especially importat points calling Pastors (Elders I guess in my case) to avoid a Debtors Ethic (we owe God something), preach Justification by Faith, return to the study of the original languages, and read biography.


Probably the most influential chapter has been the chapter, "Brothers, Let the River Run Deep". In this chapter he says in wonderfully Piperian fashion,

Emotions are like a river flowing out of one's heart. Form is like the riverbanks. Without them the river runs shallow and dissipates on the plain. But banks make the river run deep. Why else have humans for centuries reached for poetry when we have deep affections to express? The creation of a form happens because someone feels a passion. How ironic, then, that we often fault form when the real evil is a dry spring

This is of course at the heart of Christian Hedonism, and we would be wise to listen. All pastors and preachers must foremostly be enamoured with God and satisfied by Him. I recommend the reading of John Piper's Brothers We Are Not Professionals as I would recommend Richard Baxter's Reformed Pastor, every leader type should read it.

For The Glory of The Risen Lord,
R.D. Thompson