Pastor and author Rick Warren has deleted an X post which sparked backlash for implying that Jesus Christ would be politically centrist today.

On Tuesday 11th February, Warren wrote a post quoting John 19:18, which describes Jesus being crucified between two thieves, stating: "If you’re looking for the #realJesus, not a caricature disfigured by partisan motivations, you’ll find him in the middle, not on either side."

The tweet, accompanied by an image of the crucifixion, received 3.5 million views before being deleted by Friday morning.

His comment was met with sharp criticism from conservative Christian leaders, who accused him of misinterpreting scripture.

Attorney and podcast host Jenna Ellis called the post "embarrassingly theologically inaccurate," arguing that Jesus is not a moderate when it comes to truth.

Other critics, including podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey, Daily Wire host Michael Knowles, and Babylon Bee’s Joel Berry and Seth Dillon, pointed out that the biblical account emphasises one thief’s repentance, not a symbolic middle ground.

Knowles responded: "The thief to our Lord’s right is in heaven, and the thief to his left is in hell. Not the best analogy for the point you wish to make."

Others accused Warren of distorting theology to push a political narrative, with some arguing that his influence has weakened evangelical teachings in the U.S.

Warren, who has trained over 1.2 million pastors in 171 nations, responded to the backlash with a follow-up post on Sunday 16th February saying: "I apologise. I wrote poorly. I don't believe Jesus was a centrist. He stands far above it all...Jesus demands our total allegiance as the center of our lives."