Doctrine Matters: Ten Theological Trademarks from a Lifetime of Preaching

by John Piper

Doctrine Matters is the theological summary of one preacher’s lifetime of investment in a local church. Completing three decades of pastoral ministry at Bethlehem Baptist, John Piper gave a final sermon series on the doctrinal emphases from his years of preaching. These ten emphases, delivered as ten sermons in 2012 and now edited into this volume, embody the legacy Piper hopes to leave.

But don’t think that these messages are the memoirs of a retired pastor. You don’t store these truths away to collect dust. The vision of God in these pages doesn’t take a pat on the head—it turns the world upside down.

These doctrines are, as Piper says, “wildly untamable, explosively uncontainable, and electrically future-creating.” They make a difference. When you read these truths and immerse yourself in this biblical vision of our great God, you will want to act. You will want to build something. You will want to start things. You will be compelled to dream big and risk bigger for the glory of Jesus Christ.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Christianity, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Leadership, Ebooks

207 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as senior pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

He grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and studied at Wheaton College, Fuller Theological Seminary (B.D.), and the University of Munich (D.theol.). For six years, he taught Biblical Studies at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in 1980 accepted the call to serve as pastor at Bethlehem.

John is the author of more than 50 books and more than 30 years of his preaching and teaching is available free at desiringGod.org. John and his wife, Noel, have four sons, one daughter, and twelve grandchildren.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Tofu Penguin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doctrine Matters summarizes what Piper calls the "theological trademarks" of his many years of preaching at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The marks include:

1. God Is

2. The Glory of God

3. Christian Hedonism

4. The Sovereignty of God

5. The Gospel of God in Christ

6. The Call to Global Missions

7. Living the Christian Life

8. The Perseverance of the Saints

9. Biblical Manhood and Womanhood

10. Sorrowful Yet Always Rejoicing

These doctrines are “wildly untamable, explosively uncontainable, and electrically future-creating.” God in Christ became the price (Romans 5: 6-8) and God in Christ became the prize (Romans 5: 11).

A must read for every Christian who wants to really know what Living the Christian Life in the fallen world is all about.

[Ben Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there were an "itunes essentials" for books, this would be John Piper's "Essentials". This book is a collection of 10 sermons Piper preached as he prepared to pass the torch at Bethlehem Baptist, serving as sort of an overview of thirty years of preaching. They cover 10 of the most fundamental basics (while not limited to "basic" at all, as they are rich with depth) that we should be grounded in, as followers of Christ Jesus. These are some of my favorite sermons as many of them, hearing them a few years ago, introduced me to Reformed Theology. I've said it before and I'll say it again, "No one outside of the Bible, stirs my affections for the glory of God and the love of Christ like John Piper does."

[Ben Lane]

John Piper is one of my favorite Bible teachers, with every sermon I hear from him doing strong work by the Spirit to convict me. That being said, this book, while well thought out and intentioned, isn't really anything more than you can get by watching four or five short YouTube clips about Piper's theological views.
That isn't neccessarily a bad thing (if you love Piper, eat this book up), but this book should've been called "Calvinism 101: The Piper Opinion."
It feels more like a study than an intriguing theological book.

[James B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the title of the book and expecting to read why "Doctrine Matters", instead, it was more of a book on 10 fundamental doctrines, which in itself were all very solid as expected from John Piper. However, I couldn't quite connect the dots between chapters and unable to find the overall theme of the book. This fragmentation may be possibly due to the fact that it is my first time reading books on cellphone and it did last a spam of almost 6 month to finish reading this one.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never did get into this book. I guess it was okay, but it didn't resonate with me.

[reena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very essential for Christians 👌

[Darin Vogt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview for pastoral ministry

A good survey for preaching focus for those interested in thematic preaching. Piper's heart for the Lord and His people is evident within this book.

[Mark A Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stepping down from pulpit ministry after 30 years, John Piper concluded his tenure with a series of sermons based on ten “theological trademarks” that were points of repeated emphasis throughout his preaching. In usual fashion, Piper unapologetically tackles the foundations doctrines of Scripture, building a thoroughly exegetical and hermeneutical case for each one. This book could serve as a great introduction to these key teachings, or a solid refresher to help leaders snap back into focus.

[Brandon Current · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read and Pass. John Piper in a nutshell. This book looks back on his 30 years of preaching and highlights those teachings that have been the hallmarks of his message to his church. It is also a great way to see the heart of a pastor as he prepares to hand them over to another shepherd. Very fast read.

[Nathan Whitley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Crazy good. A nice intro to a systematic theology. Piper's most candid writing on theology, in my opinion. You can tell he wrote this for his parishioners and not for theologians and academicians.

[JD Veer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book! I got so much out of this book and would suggest it to anyone who wants to understand how to structure his own mind. Seriously, one of the most influential books in the life of my mind, so far!

[Marguerite Harrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to read!

[Tuukka Oksanen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I also found the title misleading; the trademarks alone would've sufficed. If you've read other books by Piper, this will contain little novelty.

[Marika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Went through this book for a class at church and it has excellent discussion content.

[Maarten De vries · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kort en krachtig. In dit boek vind je niets nieuws als je al eerder iets van Piper hebt gelezen en af en toe een preek luistert. Het is een samenvatting van zijn inspanning voor Bethlehem Baptist Church. Ik vond de uitbreidingen door collega pastors weinig behulpzaam en miste een opbouw in het boek als geheel. Anders had ik gerust 4 sterren gegeven, want met wat er staat is niets mis (in mijn ogen).

[Felicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short compendium of John Piper’s theological foundation which feels eerily similar to Desiring God. Nevertheless, the chapter on manhood and womanhood was very enlightening!