Here is an extract from Driscoll sermon, entitled ‘Divine Wine and Holy Humor’ based on John 2:1-11. The aim of Driscoll’s sermon is to find humour in the Bible. He argues that the Bible is full of irony and sarcasms. The reaction of the congregation is to laugh with Driscoll at God’s Word. Indeed, Driscoll plainly declares to the congregation that he wants to ‘give you a few laughs’. He says: ‘What I want to do tonight is give you a few laughs and make you really frustrated and send you home as quickly as we can. That’s my duty tonight…’

Driscoll tells his congregation that Gideon is a complete coward.

‘God comes to Gideon and what’s Gideon doing—his hiding for his life because he’s a coward. He’s hiding for his life and God wants him to lead an army and conquer the enemies of God, and God shows up and he give Gideon a nick name, he mocks him. What does he call him—Mighty Warrior. He’s a guy with an empty colon hiding in a vat, just praying to God that no one kills him, and God show up and says Mighty Warrior. I’m sure Gideon is looking around, “that would be great where is he” [The congregation laughs]. Gideon is a complete coward—God calls him Mighty Warrior.’

Driscoll takes pleasure in calling Gideon a complete coward in order to raise a few laughs in the Mars Hill congregation. He insults Gideon, a hero of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11.32-35, by calling him a guy with an empty colon. Driscoll infers that God is mocking the cowardly Gideon by calling Gideon a Mighty Warrior. He asks us to believe that God is being sarcastic about Gideon’s cowardice. But Driscoll’s interpretation of Scripture is wrong. God chose Gideon to be a Judge of Israel who would take on and defeat the might of the Midianite army with 300 men. Gideon, a weak man in his own strength, became a Mighty Warrior when Jehovah God was with him. God did not mock Gideon by calling him Mighty Warrior. For Driscoll to say as much is to twist God’s Word for a cheap laugh. But God is not mocked! See Driscoll mocks Noah and Vintage Jesus.

The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked what is perverse (Proverbs 10.32)

The mouth of fools poureth out foolishness (Proverbs 15.2)

You can learn more about Mark Driscoll’s ministry in the book, The New Calvinists (2014), published by The Wakeman Trust and Belmont House Publishing. The book is available from belmonthousebooks.com/