Mark Driscoll is right and his critics are wrong

I do not own a Mark Driscoll book. I'm not a hip urban Calvinist church planter. My first introduction to the Seattle pastor was through a negative source. I'm not a weekly listener to his podcast. This post is not coming from a stereotypical Driscoll fan.

But it seems pretty undeniable that Driscoll is right and his critics are wrong. How can I say this? He seems to be more about Jesus. They seem to be more about Mark Driscoll. If and when that changes and Driscoll becomes just as focused on himself as his critics are, he would be wrong as well. But as of now, their focus is someone other than Christ and that makes them, by default, wrong.

Think I'm wrong? Look at the website of the Missouri Baptist Laymen's Association, one of the chief Driscoll critics. Who's on their front page: Driscoll, Driscoll & more Driscoll. Eight of the 11 links on their home page concerns Driscoll or his church planting organization, Acts 29. They have more quotes from the Mars Hill pastor than Driscoll's own website.

Now go to Mark Driscoll's blog, The Resurgence. There are posts, all from a Calvinist perspective, dealing with theology, resources and prominent theologians. When answering the question "what is the Resurgence?," the website says, "The Resurgence is a movement that resources multiple generations to live for Jesus so that they can effectively reach their cities with the Gospel by staying culturally accessible and Biblically faithful."

But, obviously, websites are not everything, so perhaps the critics have spent more time elsewhere focusing more on Christ and less on Driscoll.

In the middle of a Family Life Today program, a radio station ownerpulled down the show because it featured a Driscoll sermon and he had heard that Driscoll used profanity and spoke too openly about sexual issues. Note that the message removed from the radio contained no questionable language and did not discuss sex at all. Did the FLT sermon contradict Scripture? That question is never addressed because it's not the point. Scripture isn't the point. Mark Driscoll is.

The critics spend hours writing rants against Driscoll and anyone who happens to be connected to him, tearing down brothers in Christ, while conveniently ignoring that Driscoll has apologized for and/or pulled down much of the material that has caused such consternation among the critics. Fairness is not the point. Mark Driscoll is.

Those lobbing criticisms in the direction of Driscoll and anyone who dares to associate with him are not expressing their complaints in a truthful, biblical matter. They are seeking to find fault in either past mistakes or theological disagreements over secondary issues such as alcohol. It's not about the impact the very public attacks make on fellow brothers in Christ or on the Great Commission of Christ. Christ is not the point. Mark Driscoll is.

That's the problem and that's why they are wrong. Who cares what Jesus says? Unless He's ripping Mark Driscoll.