Sure, but who is Warren's target audience and would they understand what he is saying? That's the issue as I see it. As I previously said, we need to understand the culture and audience to whom the Bible was written, and the same way we need to understand the culture and audience to whom Warren is writing.
As you said, Warren's book is written to the Christian and non-Christian. Because Warren's audience is mixed it is incorrect to parse his words when only considering part of his audience. When people do that they are building an argument based on incomplete or skewed data. Both the non-Christian and Christian have to be considered in all issues in regards to the PDL. Because some Christians are in the audience some Christians are not going to ask what a 40 day Spiritual Journey is.
If there are "bad examples" used, distorted scriptures used, out of context quotations, false teachers used...Is that correctly handling the Word (2 Tim. 2:15)?
Warren could have used better examples or worded his examples differently. I wouldn't say Warren used distorted scriptures, but he did use translations to help the reader better understand what he was trying to say. Warren was merely talking about how God uses 40 days for different historical events. Perhaps that was the thought spawning the idea behind Warren's PDL.
As far as I know, Billy Graham, Bruce Wilkinson, Lee Strobel and Max Lucado didn't have a problem with Warren's book when they endorsed it, and they don't have a problem with it now. I won't put God in a box. I think it's obvious God is using Warren's ministry to reach people for Christ and I don't have a problem with that.
You told me, in a previous post, that context was everything... but you, now, appeal to experience rather than accurate context and direct comparison to scripture.
What I've said is the Holy Spirit is convicting people to a saving knowledge of God through Warren's ministry. Because I related the story of my nephew Tim in no way means I appeal to experience. You are mixing two completely different issues which is precisely why I stated at the outset that I want to take this one point at a time.
I am glad that you had that experince...but that was God's grace at work, not PDL.
Yes, it was God's grace. We are saved by grace through faith and not by any works at all. Yet in all our praying and witnessing to my nephew Tim, it was Warren's PDL book that worded the gospel message in a way Tim understood. And that happened with two others as well.
Here's an example. It's not a perfect example but it is an example that might help. Here's what Paul said in Philippians 1:18 (NIV):
But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.Paul was talking about how some people in his time were preaching the gospel out of envy, selfish ambition, not sincerely, and this to cause problems for Paul. Others preached out of goodwill, in love. Paul said it didn't matter either way because Christ is preached.
Now, you can say Warren isn't preaching Christ but his book talks about the cross, sin, and from all appearances, the Holy Spirit is convicting people to a saving knowledge of God through Warren's ministry. The Church, the Body, is growing through Warren's ministry. Do you think otherwise?
(And I believe that a sloppy/inaccurate message translates to sloppy actions/behavior...just maybe that is some of the fruit that is being witnessed, now, via the Syria incident and the Obama incident.)
So is the standard church growth or God's Word?
So...should have the Bereans (Acts 17:11) have considered Paul's target audience and potential church growth prior to searching the scriptures to see if what Paul said was so?
Why did it matter to you that CDL's link was inaccurate about alleged missing content in the PDL...but it appears not to matter to you that The PDL is inaccurate relative to God always using 40 days to prepare or transform someone for His purposes (and then, "bad examples", as you stated, or inaccuracies, are used to reinforce the incorrect statement?
In any audience, why would it be okay for a pastor to use unbiblical examples, distorted scriptures (check out the John 4 reference that I previously mentioned) and use known false teachers?
As an aside...Scripture tells us that Satan masquerades as an angel of light and that his demons masquerade as workers of righteousness...How is a Christian able to discern the difference between the false thing and the real thing? Have a good Thanksgiving!