There are many things brought up surrounding Rick Warren, his books, his church, his methodology. These pages will include links from the net, information from another person like me - passing out info and some attachments. I hate to put it up so disorganized - BUT, I know ME and I know if I wait until I get it organized, I'll never take care of it - it just wont happen. So, here's my jumbled "notes" on the topic. You can surf through them and search for yourself what may be wrong with RW's materials. If I've made a comment throughout the thoughts of others I'll sign it with "j". otherwise comments are from the source i received it from.

here's what *I* thought didnt sit well from the purpose driven life book:

1- have never had a peace about it.
2- RW chooses a version of the Bible that will suit his purpose and opinion (even a version that is a LOOSE paraphrase and I would dare to say not accurate - "The Message" and you can look up passages in it through http://www.biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible)
3- adds his own supposition to the Word to make it fit his opinion
4- Offers things you can only have through Jesus through other sources
5- Is the Jesus and God RW presents in his book the same Jesus and God taught in the Bible
6- ambiguous, incomplete statements that lead the reader to suppose things that may not be true
7- contridictions to himself and extra-biblical either-or statements.

Yes, somewhere packed in this house I have sited examples of each of the lower 6 reasons. Where? I dunno. Can I find it if I had to? Probably, with much disaster left in the wake. :oD I am actually searching through boxes looking for this information. It's on loose-leaf notebook paper and so far I'm not having much luck. j.

This is from Mike, also known as Metochoi, our moderator on the discussion list. It is very clear as to what Rick Warren does. Mike, our moderator who makes the comments below, attended Dallas Theological Seminary and pastors a small non-denominational church in North Texas.

First, the direct quote from Rick Warren's materials:

"From Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life", Introductory Chapter, "A Journey with a Purpose: Getting the Most out of this Book" (page 9):

"Today the average life span is 25,550 days. That's how long you will live if you are typical. Don't you think it would be a wise use of time to set aside 40 of those days to figure out what God wants you to do with the rest of them?

The Bible is clear that God considers 40 days a spiritually significant time period. Whenever God wanted to prepare someone for his purposes, he took 40 days:

- Noah's life was transformed by 40 days of rain.
- Moses was transformed by 40 days on Mount Sinai.
- The spies were transformed by 40 days is the promised land.
- David was transformed by Goliath's 40-day challenge.
- Elijah was transformed when God gave him 40 days of strength from a single meal.
- The entire city of Nineveh was transformed when God gave the people 40 days to change.
- Jesus was empowered by 40 days in the wilderness.
- The disciples were transformed by 40 days with Jesus after his resurrection.


The next 40 days will change your life.

This book is divided into 40 brief chapters. ..."

Now, my pastor friend responds to the entire discussion group (500 plus members) as follows:

We will refrain from getting into a long discussion of Warren and his "movement" -- but I can't resist repeating my reaction when Jim showed me this tripe in private.

"The Bible is clear that God considers 40 days a spiritually significant time period. Whenever God wanted to prepare someone for his purposes, he took 40 days"

Okay -- that's his claim. It should be easy to support this claim from scripture -- right? Well -- here's his evidence:

- Noah's life was transformed by 40 days of rain.

Wrong. There is nothing in the text about Noah being transformed by the rain. Almost everyone else was, though! Hahaha! In addition -- the flood was not just the 40 days of rain -- but the months of "fountains of the deep" activity. Why pick out the 40 days of rain, then? Oh, come on, Silly! You know why! We can make it FIT!

And BY THE WAY -- if Noah was so transformed by the rain, then why is it that almost the first thing he did after getting off the Ark was to get drunk and "expose his nakedness."

- Moses was transformed by 40 days on Mount Sinai.

Wrong. Moses was transformed at Mt. Sinai, all right -- but NOT during those 40 days. It was in his FIRST encounter with Yahweh on the mount before he ever returned to Egypt -- and we are not told how long that encounter lasted [perhaps a few hours?]. He had also spent 40 YEARS on the backside of the desert. Maybe that had something to do with preparing him. I dunno.

In addition -- Moses spent 80 days on the mountain the second time, not just 40. When he came down from the mountain after 40 days, he angrily destroyed the 10-Commandments, and had to go back up again for another 40 days. "Transformed?"

When he came down the second time, his face shone, but gradually, that "glory" faded. See 2 COR. 3 for a good explanation of the importance of this. How much more profitable would it have been for Warren to preach THAT rich truth from scripture instead of this contrived junk?

- The spies were transformed by 40 days is the promised land.

Wrong. TEN of the twelve spies came back fearful and warning AGAINST going up against the inhabitants of the land. Only TWO had faith that Yahweh would conquer the land for them. There is NO indication that even those two were "transformed" by their time there; rather, they had faith in Yahweh's PROMISE -- IN SPITE of what they saw in Canaan.

- David was transformed by Goliath's 40-day challenge.

Wrong. The Hebrews were transformed by it. They were transformed into faithless, fearful blobs! And GOLIATH was transformed by DAVID in maybe 40 seconds! Hahaha!

Goliath's so-called "40-day challenge" had nothing to do with transforming David, as far as the scripture goes. It appears that David showed up at the END of that time. What was the difference? Was it the challenge? Of course not. David had faith in Yahweh -- in spite of the challenge. It was his FAITH -- and the OBJECT of that faith -- that are important in this story -- NOT the time period of Goliath's challenge.

- Elijah was transformed when God gave him 40 days of strength from a single meal.

This refers to the angel feeding Elijah in 1 KINGS 19. The passage does say that he gained strength for the next forty days -- but not from "single meal" -- from TWO meals. However -- the point is that he had nothing more to eat for the next forty days.

A closer look at the passage, though, shows nothing about any so-called "transformation." Elijah was running scared from Jezebel, who had threatened his life after he had slain the prophets of Baal. While on the run, the angel fed him these two meals, and then he kept on running. No transformation there.

God spoke to Elijah twice more in the following days -- and eventually reminded Elijah that there were still other faithful ones in Israel besides him. It was after this that Elisha joins himself to Elijah, to help him. Where's the "transformation?"

I believe it is in Warren's mind. ---- find passages that have SOMETHING -- ANYTHING -- remotely connected to the claim [Yep -- "40 days" are mentioned]. So -- just CLAIM it and point to the 40 days -- and that proves it.

What a way to treat the Word of God! I despair over the fact that so many seem not to care about this -- and indeed, think it is "deep spiritual truth."

- The entire city of Nineveh was transformed when God gave the people 40 days to change.

This one is true -- but it wasn't the 40 days that transformed them. THAT is what Warren has been attempting to show. They were given 40 days as a DEADLINE -- NOT as a "process of transformation." BY THE WAY -- they were ALSO given a deadline about a hundred years later -- by Nahum -- and that time, they didn't make it. Oops!

- Jesus was empowered by 40 days in the wilderness.

Wrong. There is nothing in the Bible indicating that Jesus was transformed or empowered at all -- much less "BY" those 40 days. But I will concede that Jesus was transformed by those 40 days; he was transformed into a STARVING MAN!

The scripture says that AFTER those 40 days, he was "an hungered" -- and it was AFTER this that Satan tempted him.

Jesus successfully RESISTED Satan -- AFTER the 40 days were over -- and returned from the wilderness "in the power of the Spirit." The scripture does not say that the testing PRODUCED that power -- nor does it say that the 40 days had anything to do with that power.

Jesus was the Son of God BEFORE going into the wilderness. He was the Son of God DURING the testing. And he was the Son of God when he came back and began his ministry. He did not NEED to be transformed -- much less by "40 days."

- The disciples were transformed by 40 days with Jesus after his resurrection.

Wrong. Scripture says nothing of the sort. It appears, from the evidence we DO have, that they were transformed by the events of Resurrection Sunday, including the events on the road to Emmaus, and his appearing in the upper room that evening. Before that -- they were demoralized and bewildered. Afterward, they "turned their world upside down."

Sure -- the 40 days were important, as a teaching time. But it appears to me that the importance of the time period is that it spans the gap between Passover and Pentecost [that's another long discussion].

If it is true that "whenever God wanted to prepare someone for his purposes, he took 40 days" -- then shouldn't Warren be able to find some passages that SAY so -- and SHOW so -- instead of having to resort to this kind of twisting and eisegesis?

I remind everyone of a basic principle of logic and interpretation: Even if something is true, it is still wrong to twist scriptures that do NOT support that truth in order to make them SEEM to. And even if it IS supported in scripture, it is STILL wrong to use passages from scripture that do NOT support it, just because they have some of the WORDS we need.

If it really IS supported from scripture, then it should be a simple matter to cite those passages that actually DO support it. If all we have to go on are passages twisted out of context, then maybe we need to be suspicious that, perhaps, there IS no real scriptural support for the claim. I will concede that the number 40 does seem to be a recurring theme in scripture -- but it is a leap of Grand Canyon proportions from that to Warren's claim.

What about Job? How did God "transform" HIM in 40 days? How about Abraham? Did God have a purpose for him? Where's the 40 days of "transformation" for him? I can't find it! Isaac? Jacob?

What about the children of Israel who escaped from Egypt. Did God have a purpose for them? How long did it take to "transform" them? 40 days? How about 40 YEARS? The entire generation that left Egypt, except for Caleb and Joshua, were transformed into CORPSES! Now THERE'S a transformation for ya!

What about Samuel? Did God have a purpose for him? Where's HIS "40 days"? All I recall is God calling him while he was serving Eli. What about David? Isaiah? Jeremiah? Ezra? Nehemiah? If it's true that God uses 40 days to prepare people for his purpose -- then WHERE are all those 40 day references for all these people whom God had a definite purpose for?

What about PAUL????? Is there ANYONE more important to Gentile believers than Paul [excepting our Lord, of course]? How did God "transform" Paul?

Wasn't it in a FLASH on the road to Damascus?

And how did God prepare PAUL for his chosen purpose? Did he do it in 40 days? No -- Paul was a tougher case, I guess. It took THREE YEARS in the wilderness to get him ready! Whoops! Can't use THAT one. It doesn't "fit" the pattern.

Is there anything wrong with asking people to set aside 40 days -- or 30 days -- or a week -- or any amount of time -- to prepare for ministry, or to get to know the Lord better? Of course not. That is not what I am objecting to.

What I object to -- with Warren and with anyone else who does this kind of thing -- is the disrespect toward the Word of God -- which shows disrespect for the God of that Word. It amounts to telling God what we wish he HAD said, instead of doing our REAL job -- which is to work at understanding and explaining what he HAS said.

Our job, as teachers who are subject to the greater judgment, is to present the truths of scripture as clearly and carefully as possible, doing everything we can to derive FROM the text the meaning intended IN the text -- rather than always looking for so many "neato-Frito" ways to twist it and make it "sound" oh-so-spiritual.

Comment: We need to examine very closely any Christian book which claims to be groundbreaking and to explain the meaning of life. We know that "All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Below we will look at only three chapters. I have not had time to write a written review of every chapter. I regret this, because the other chapters contain statements equal to those summarized below.

Introduction A Journey With a Purpose

P. 11 Real spiritual growth is never an isolated, individualistic pursuit. Maturity is produced through relationships and community. (emphasis in original)

Comment: This is a truly remarkable statement to give without scriptural support. Imagine a prisoner in solitary confinement with only a bible. According to Warren, this man could never grow spiritually because growth is always produced by "relationships" and "community". Jesus said something different: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4. What's more, Warren will give a contrary statement on page 176 where he states: "God uses his Word, people, and circumstances to mold us." This second statement is true, and throughout this book you will find examples of statements on one page which seem to be contradicted on another.


Chapter 2 You are not an Accident

P. 24 God's motive for creating you was his love. The Bible says, "Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love."

Comment: The reference given is Ephesians 1:4a. Warren uses Eugene Petersen's paraphrase entitled "The Message" to obtain the particular bible text quoted above. Compare what is quoted above with the New International Version (NIV): "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons ..." Compare with the King James Version (KJV): "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." What is the result of using this paraphrase? Man now becomes God's primary focus, an emphasis not found in the original scriptures.

P. 24 The Bible says, "God decided to give us life through the word of truth so we might be the most important of all the things he made."

Comment: Man now becomes the center of God's universe. There is a sense in which this emphasis might be true (Adam having been created last, in the image of God, to have dominion over God's creation), but we need to look closely at the verse Rick Warren is using. Warren cites James 1:18, this time from the New Century Version. Compare to the New King James (NKJV): "Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures." John MacArthur writes: "[firstfruits] Originally an Old Testament expression referring to the first and best harvest crops, which God expected as an offering." See how Rick Warren, using a questionable paraphrase, has changed us from being an offering to God, a living sacrifice as it were, to being the most important part of God's creation. This elevation of sinful man will occur throughout Purpose Driven Life.

P. 24 You were created as a special object of God's love! God made you so he could love you. This is a truth to build your life on.

Comment: Apparently our whole reason for being is so that we might bask in God's love. We were not created to bring glory to God by how we live. We were not created to serve God. We were not created so that God would be glorified in having His Son present a redeemed remnant.

P. 24 He wasn't lonely. But he wanted to make you in order to express his love.

Comment: Same.

P. 25 The Message paraphrase of Romans 12:3 says, "The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us."

Comment: Warren is going to use Petersen's paraphrase, The Message, to arrive at many conclusions which are not in the original scriptures. Romans 12:3 in the NKJV says: "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith". NIV: "For by the grace given me I say to everyone one of you: do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you."

Compare the NIV, the NKJV, or any reliable translation with what Warren has quoted, and you will see that what Warren has written is not supported by the scriptures.

Furthermore, we see that the actual scriptures here totally contradict what Rick Warren is telling us elsewhere in this chapter. Warren has told us that we are special and that God has made us just to love us, but the actual Bible verse tells us not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to. There are examples of this in nearly every chapter of Purpose Driven Life. When the actual scriptures will not support a point, Warren is going to use an excerpt from a paraphrase that bears little resemblance to actual scripture to make his point. At best, this would be negligent. But since Warren holds a doctorate and has been trained in proper use of the scripture at a seminary, and since he does this repeatedly, the only conclusion which can be reached is that this is done deliberately and intentionally. It shows a very low respect or regard for the Word of God.


Chapter 5 Seeing Life from God's View

P. 41 "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."

Comment: Here is a quote from an unidentified author named Anais Nin. This appears to be a statement to the effect that how we see life is colored by our individual tastes, opinions and values.

P. 41 How you define life determines your destiny. Your perspective will influence how you invest your time, spend your money, use your talents, and value your relationships.

Comment: This statement would seem to rule out God's role in determining our destiny. It is, however, consistent with other statements which Warren will make which appear to emphasize our own role in our sanctification (see comments on chapter 23 below).

P. 41 If I asked how you picture life, what image would come to your mind? That image is your life metaphor. (emphasis in original)

Comment: No scripture reference is given for the concept of "life metaphor". It would be interesting to do a search and see where, if anywhere, this concept appears in secular literature.

P. 42 What is your view of life? You may be basing your life on a faulty life metaphor. To fulfill the purposes God made you for, you will have to challenge conventional wisdom and replace it with the biblical metaphors of life.

Comment: Compare with 1 Cor. 2:14 which states: "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (NKJV).

P. 42 The Bible offers three metaphors that teach us God's view of life: Life is a test, life is a trust, and life is a temporary assignment.

Comment: An unnamed reviewer of this book wrote about this statement: "The problem is that we were created with each of these items in mind, but NONE of these is what life is primarily about To reduce life to merely one of these items is simply shallow and simplistic and missing much of what God has for us. Even to appropriate all three is still limiting if one does not go further." (Unidentified reader from Costa Mesa, California, reviewing the book at the Amazon or Barnes & Noble internet web site).

P. 43 You will be tested by major changes, delayed promises, impossible problems, unanswered prayers, undeserved criticism, and even senseless tragedies.

Comment: Do a believer's prayers go unanswered, or are they answered "Yes", "No", or "Wait"? Are tragedies senseless in the life of a believer? Romans 8:28 states: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (NKJV) Note also that it is "His purpose" in this scripture, not ours. A book which focused on His purposes as set forth in the Bible would be deserving of the title "Purpose Driven Life".

P. 43 The Bible says, "God withdrew from Hezekiah in order to test him and to see what was really in his heart." Hezekiah had enjoyed a close fellowship with God, but a crucial point in his life God left him alone to test his character, to reveal a weakness, and to prepare him for more responsibility.

Comment: The reference here is to 2 Chronicles 32:31 in the New Living Translation. Compare to the NKJV: "However, regarding the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, whom they sent to him to inquire about the wonder that was done in the land, God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart." If we look at 2 Kings 20 and at 2 Chronicles 32, we see that in both instances the account of this failure is followed closely by the death of Hezekiah, so how was this test to prepare Hezekiah for greater responsibility? God took Hezekiah home soon after this test and we are not told what greater responsibility Hezekiah was given in heaven.

Pp. 43-44 He [God] even watches the simplest actions such as when you open a door for others, when you pick up a piece of trash, or when you're polite toward a clerk or a waitress. ... When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life. Even the smallest incident has significance for your character development. Every day is an important day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your character, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God. Some tests seem overwhelming, while others you don't even notice. But all of them have eternal implications. ... Every time you pass a test, God notices and makes plans to reward you in eternity. James says, "Blessed are those who endure when they are tested. When they pass the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."

Comment: There is something vaguely troubling about the notion that we are being tested moment by moment for purposes of reward, but I do not yet know how to articulate what is wrong here. Leaving that aside, the bible verse quoted is James 1:12 from the God's Word Translation. Compare with the NKJV: "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." MacArthur notes: "temptation. This is better translated trials." The NIV reads: "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." There is a sense here, with trials and temptations, which is lost by using the word "test". The role of testing in the life of a believer is a rich subject for study (look at the books of Job and Habakkuk, for example) and one that is not subject to simplistic statements. It seems an oversimplification to state that we are being tested for degree of reward.

P. 45 At the end of your life on earth you will be evaluated and rewarded according to how well you handled what God entrusted to you. That means everything you do, even simple daily chores, has eternal implications. If you treat everything as a trust, God promises three rewards in eternity. First, you will be given God's affirmation: He will say, "Good job! Well done!" Next, you will receive a promotion and be given greater responsibility in eternity: "I will put you in charge of many things." Then you will be honored with a celebration: "Come and share your Master's happiness".

Comment: You will be honored with a celebration? This seems to be an unjustified conclusion based upon the scripture "come and share your Master' s happiness". Warren used the NIV here, a reliable translation, but Warren has reached a conclusion which you cannot find in this verse to make it seem as though a party is being thrown in your honor in heaven. This would be consistent with a criticism voiced by other writers who state that Warren's brand of Christianity seeks to make us feel good about ourselves, but it does not emphasize the greatness of God or tell us the truth, the bad news, about our fallen, sinful natures. The Book of Revelation describes the scene around the throne where the elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship, saying: "You are worthy, O Lord ..." Rev. 4:10-11. In Rev. 15 redeemed men sing "Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty." Another verse, which I cannot locate at the moment, states that we will lay our crowns at the feet of our Redeemer.


Chapter 23 How We Grow

P. 179 Spiritual growth is not automatic. It takes an intentional commitment. You must want to grow, decide to grow, make an effort to grow, and persist in growing. (emphasis in original)

Comment: Does this not sound like growth through self-effort? What about scriptures such as Phillipians 1:6, or Ephesians 1:13-14, or Phillipians 2:13?

P. 180 That's all you need to get started: Decide to become a disciple. Nothing shapes your life more than the commitments you choose to make. ... It is at this point of commitment that most people miss God's purpose for their lives.

Comment: The unsaved have a problem, but it is not a lack of commitment. They are dead in their trespasses and sin. Ephesians 2.

P. 180. Christlikeness is the result of making Christlike choices and depending on his Spirit to help you fulfill those choices.

Comment: Making "Christlike" choices?

P. 180. You will need to let go of some old routines and intentionally change the way you think.

Comment: What old routines must I let go of to become like Christ?

P. 181 To change your life, you must change the way you think. P. 182 Your first step in spiritual growth is to start changing the way you think.

Comment: ?

P. 182 To be like Christ you must develop the mind of Christ. The New Testament calls this mental shift REPENTANCE, which literally means "to change your mind."

Comment: Again, note the emphasis on self effort. What scripture defines repentance as "developing the mind of Christ"? This is strange.

P. 183 Christianity is not a religion or a philosophy, but a relationship and a lifestyle. The core of that lifestyle is thinking of others, as Jesus did, instead of ourselves.

Comment: Is this the core of Christianity? Would not this make many unbelievers perfect Christians? If the core of Christianity is to be centered on the needs of others, then might not Mahatma Ghandi (a Hindu) or Mother Teresa (a Roman Catholic) be the perfect Christians? Might the core of Christianity instead be doing the will of the Father? When the Phillipian jailer asked Paul, "What must I do to be saved?", did Paul answer: "Help others."?

P. 183 The Bible says, "We should think of their good and try to help them by doing what pleases them. Even Christ did not try to please himself."

Comment: Romans 15:2-3a. Now Warren shifts to the Contemporary English Version. Look at any reliable translation, including the NIV, and see if it says that we are to do what pleases other men. Every reliable translation says we are to please our neighbor for his good, which might, in fact, be quite unpleasant to the neighbor in some instances.

These types of errors are found in every chapter of the book which I have looked at thus far. A full detailing of the errors in this book would require many hours and many more pages. A more subtle error in the book is the downplaying of certain key doctrines of the faith. Remember, this book promises to be a groundbreaking manifesto on the meaning of life.

One published seminary journal article, looking at Rick Warren's comment in another book which Warren had written, describes Warren's lack of discernment as "frightening". David Doran, "Market Driven Ministry: Blessing or Curse?, Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal, Fall 1996, Pp. 210-211 (found on another page on this site) (Doran is a pastor and an associate professor of practical theology). Another published seminary journal article concludes that Warren advocates unbiblical practices and that Warren does not clearly present the gospel of God's grace. Dr. Stephen Lewis, review of "The Purpose Driven Church: Growth Without Compromising Your Message or Mission", Chafer Theological Seminary Journal, vol 6, no. 2 (April - June 2000). Dr. Lewis is professor of church history at Chafer Theological Seminary. Both articles are available on request and I have the internet links to them as well.


**One more comment. I was unfamiliar with the "Anais Nin" quoted at the beginning of chapter five in Warren's book. I subsequently learned that Anais Nin, now deceased, was a writer of "erotic fiction", an unbeliever, and also wrote about her adulterous flings. This does not bear on the quote, but seemed to show poor judgment on the part of Warren.**