By Elizabeth Prata
Scottish born Alistair Begg has been pastoring and preaching at Parkside Church in Cleveland since 1983. That’s over 40 years at the same church, something to celebrate. His online ministry is called Truth for Life.
He is well-known and looked at credibly by his peers. He has not been involved in any huge scandals. His preaching to my knowledge is straightforward and unapologetic on ALL the Bible’s texts.
This week a video surfaced where this past September 2023 Begg was interviewed by Bob Lepine at Truth for Life, promoting Begg’s new book, The Christian Manifesto. Begg was asked a question of how people might be changed reading Begg’s book. Part of Begg’s answer included a surprising reply.
Begg said he’d a conversation with a grandmother about her grandson inviting the grandma to the grandson’s wedding ceremony. He was marrying a transgender person. Begg acknowledged that people may not like his answer, but he said he’d encouraged the grandma to attend and to buy the homosexual couple a gift. It was OK because the grandma, she assured Begg, had already made known to her grandson that she doesn’t approve of his lifestyle, and that her disapproval was in the name of Jesus and the cause of holy sexual ethics. Begg said her attendance would signal love and compassion, and might take him by surprise, whereas her absence would spark accusations of judgmentalness and criticism.
Discernment thought #1
If we really think about Begg’s reply, it seems that his definition of love is more the world’s than Jesus’. When Jesus confronted the Woman at the Well about her sexual sin, He didn’t say I love you, here’s a housewarming gift for you and the man you’re living with, and by the way I don’t approve of your living situation. That would not make sense would it? It’s conflicting behavior.
Secondly, we never base a response to sin on whether the people would receive it critically. We are told to prepare for mocking and scoffing, hate, and even martyrdom. The lawless hate their deeds being brought to the light, but we must trust the Lord to convict them when we adhere to His standards and live and speak them into a darkening world.
Begg’s reply caused a furor online, with people’s reactions running the gamut from ‘off with his head’ to ‘what’s the big deal’. Most comments were somewhere in between.
Discernment thought #2
When a long-standing, credible pastor or teacher makes an “out there” reply to a question, or suddenly preaches something contrary to the word of God or to what he has preached before, take a breath. Here is Meg Basham’s take, one I agree with:
Megan Basham @megbasham Even the best, most godly preachers and teachers can have a bad take. Even a really bad take. I don’t stop listening to them unless it 1) becomes a pattern that shows a general lack of discernment or 2) clearly endorses heresy. I’m bummed about the Alistair Begg clip circulating. But it’s a bad take against a lifetime of faithful teaching. Hopefully he’ll address it. 39.9K Views
Discernment thought #3
But this is not the first time I scratched my head over something Begg said he believed. There are two other instances that I know of that gave me pause in Alistair Begg’s discernment in the recent past.
Issue with A. Begg #2 (the first issue being attending a trans/gay wedding, already discussed above).
In 2019 he preached that women can speak to the gathered congregation in church on a Sunday, if the elders decide they want her to. If she has something worthwhile to share. Since she is “not speaking as a pastor or in rule and authority”, she can teach at the podium, Begg said, and it does not violate the prohibition in 1 Timothy 2:12. Forbidding women from speaking to the church on a Sunday is “making a law out of a principle,” Begg advised. Listen to him say this here: “Christian Women” slide to 30:00.
No. Paul’s prohibition was clear. Women may not teach or usurp authority over a man, but to be in silence. An elder’s permission does not trump the biblical rule.
Issue with A. Begg #3
Also in 2019, Alistair Begg appeared at a conference with Beth Moore, Tony Evans, and a female reverend called Mary Hulst. His ministry was contacted by a concerned bystander, and amazingly they answered. Begg, through the media contact, said he was also concerned about Moore and Evans, but he’d committed to the conference prior to knowing who else would be there. He also said he wanted to preach the Gospel wherever he went. Lastly, he wasn’t sharing the platform with these folks, just being present at the same conference.
This to me, is a disingenuous answer. Sharing the conference IS sharing the platform. Sharing your good name with false teachers throws mud on your name AND the name of Jesus. It’s also biblically forbidden. Secondly, it’s foolish to agree to speak at a place before you know who else will be there. Just…don’t do that. No one does that. And preaching the gospel wherever you go…well, I’d answered that above. There are some places we don’t share with false teachers. Why else did Paul become so upset at the demon possessed girl? She was saying a TRUE thing, but it came from demonic lips.
What Does 2 John Have to Teach Us about Partnering with False Teachers? 9Marks-
What this means practically for those in ministry is that they should not, in any way, under any circumstance, lock arms with heretical teachers, pastors, authors, professors, or anyone in any capacity who comes to you bringing a different Jesus.
This includes: Conferences, Prayer Breakfasts, Bible Studies, Pastors Coalitions, Parachurch ministries, Pulpit Swaps, Book Recommendations, Article sharing or website promoting, And more.
The Trans/Gay Wedding issue
How would Begg’s peers who are at his level reply to a similar question? Here are past replies to the question “Would you attend a gay wedding if invited?” from other pastors. These comments are not a response to the current issue with Alistair.
John Piper: “No. One, it is not a wedding, because it is not a marriage…” more here.
John MacArthur: “No matter how much you desire to be compassionate to the homosexual, your first sympathies belong to the Lord and to the exaltation of His righteousness.” more here
Kevin DeYoung at Ligonier: “A wedding ceremony, in the Christian tradition, is first of all a worship service. So if the union being celebrated in the service cannot be biblically sanctioned as an act of worship, we believe the service lends credence to a lie. We cannot in good conscience participate in a service of false worship.” More here
Voddie Baucham:
Owen Strahan responds to Begg’s stance on attending gay weddings, here
RESOURCE–
Here is David Murray at Heart Head Hand blog (a counseling site) with a hypothetical answer on what he would say if his son came out as gay. I thought it was a good in-between response that showed his son fatherly love but also set Christian boundaries: What letter would you write to a gay son?
CONCLUSION
While we don’t leap on a teacher who has been solid for years with the first little tittle they say that appears to vary from the Bible, we do wait to see if there is a pattern. Alistair Begg has partnered with people who he knows aren’t solid, has overturned the prohibition for women teaching and preaching in church, and has seemed to have gone soft on practical applications in life regarding homosexuality/transgender. It is my opinion he has established a pattern that bears close watching. Perhaps the outcry will cause Pastor Begg to re-examine his stance in this hot-button issue, and perhaps he’d also pray for more discernment on the other two issues. We pray and wait to see.
the-end-time.org 
He wasn’t encouraging Christians to attend transgender events, he was ministering to the heart of a grandmother in broken hearted turmoil and Begg asked her clearly if she’d made her Biblical convictions clear to her grandson, obviously her lost grandson, and she said yes. Please don’t make this what it isn’t.
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He was ministering to the grandmother, but wrongly telling her to affirm the grandson in his sin by attending and securing that affirmation with a gift. We NEVER tell people to ignore the sin and by doing that it’s is love. Please don’t be like the world’s version of love.
Matthew 10:37
Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me;
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Good thoughts and article, Elizabeth.
I rarely disagree with Pastor Begg, and normally enjoy his Sunday preaching. There are times in which I do, however. This time I’m sort of on the border. Unlike the anonymous commenter, I’d not defend Pastor Begg on this one, however. I simply haven’t worked through the issue; it’s not black and white in my eyes. . . yet. Perhaps through Spirit’s influence, I’ll come to a more fixed, less flexible, conclusion, probably more aligned with yours. and agreeing Pastor Begg erred, was a “slevedge, (in the wrong word direction or just plain mistaken).”
Megan Basham’s comment seems reasonable.
I figure no preacher is 100% on target. Pastor Martin Luther was antisemitic; he also thought James’s epistle ought to be tossed out. I listened to a famous Reformed preacher/teacher/writer defend Pastor Luther. I thought that, itself, antisemitic.
For the past several months, Pastor Begg has been on my mind and in my prayers concerning his publicly spoken “Politically Incorrect” (Biblically Correct) views against “same-sex marriage,” the false doctrine and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, and homosexuality, not to mention many other ways in which he’s disagreed with the common, secular notions that are creeping into the Church. I’m hoping he’ll not back down, and not stop preaching Truth. I’m praying he’ll stand fast in the Truth of GOD.
I’m also praying for all who are of the Truth in Messiah Jesus. That they, that we, will not be deceived by the false, fake “churches” that proliferate in these, what seriously appear as the days before The Great and Terrible Day of Our LORD.
LORD Bless, Keep, Shine upon you and through you, always. Maranatha! Looking forward to the Feast with those whose names are inked indelibly into the Lamb’s Book of Life.
On a side note, hope you are fairing well in this cold weather that seems to have languished over us in north Georgia. Looking forward to a long and pleasant Spring.
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Thanks, brother for the good thoughts. I am also looking forward to a glorious southern spring!
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Concerning Mr. Begg’s most egregious error of suggesting that one can accommodate the sexual perversion of gay “marriage”–in this instance that it’s OK to quieten a grandmother’s qualm and disapproval and to go ahead and attend her grandson’s ceremony of “legalized” sexual perversion and subsequently give him a “wedding” gift. How is that union, specifically the gift, not tokens that speak to her tolerating her grandson’s act of enmity against I AM?
Mr. Begg’s advice is best described as a backdoor sneak-in, an act of an “okaying acquiesce,” if not a “grit your teeth” and try to look past the grandson’s obvious sin and rebellion (it won’t matter that much, after all the grandson already knows how she feels about his lifestyle). Such a suggestion is more akin to natural man’s advice than the counsel of a wise shepherd of Christ Jesus who is called to guard the members of His flock. There should never be a suggestion that one can attend a homosexual wedding or any suggestion that hints there is to be the slightest approval of such a union by the gifting of a “token” that as much as much as indicates the grandmother is to surrender to tolerating her grandson’s “legalized” sexual perversion. See, (3) THIS Is Straight Out Of Hell… – YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSTVObENwB8
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I just wrote to TFL about this issue and asked that they tell Alistair that many people are praying for him. I asked if he would prayerfully consider recanting and clarifying his position soon concerning attending a transgender wedding and on the other issues you mention in this blog post.
I’ve followed Alistair’s TFL ministry for many years. I think I started listening to his radio program in the late 1980’s or it might have been the early 1990’s. Now more so on iPhone podcasts, YouTube, and Sunday mornings on the Parkside website.
I think this blog post is very well written and I appreciate your viewpoints. I also shared it with TFL.
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Thank you for contacting TFL and for praying for Pastor Alistair 🙂
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I have been listening to Pastor Begg on the radio for years and since 2020 , my husband and I have been watching Parkside Church services. I was sad in my heart about what he said to the grandmother and plans to stand by what he said. I am a 74 year old grandmom that is praying so much for my granddaughter and other’s grandchildren to
Not get caught into the lies from the devil of the gay lifestyle. I love with Jesus love but my heart and soul with the Lord God’s leading of the Holy Spirit know this was a wrong suggestion he made to
The grandmother. Pastor Begg I plead with you in Jesus name to
Truly get on your knees and pray to
Our Almighty Lord God for guidance and let the Holy Spirit speak the Truth through you. Amazing your site called Truth For Life , truth from our Lord and His word. I have been giving to Truth for Life for awhile and now I am letting our Lord direct me in what to do. You are and have been a sincere preacher responsible for telling the true words of our Lord. You hold much responsibility for our Lord. Please please rethink what you said. Was it truly a word from our Lord?
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Thanks! I was wondering if that was MacArthur’s reply to Begg or if it was from something different. I didn’t see a date anywhere.
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Hi, thanks for reading. The reply was Alistair’s reply to an interview question from Bob Lepine, and I’d mentioned the date that interview was published was Sept 2023. If you meant wanting to see dates on the linked-to information, click the links, the material linked to is dated. 🙂
“This week a video surfaced where this past September 2023 Begg was interviewed by Bob Lepine at Truth for Life, promoting Begg’s new book, The Christian Manifesto. Begg was asked a question of how people might be changed reading Begg’s book. Part of Begg’s answer included a surprising reply.”
The original interview was 4 months ago and attracted little notice, only when that clip surfaced a week ago, did the outcry happen.
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I meant you had a statement by MacArthur. Did MacArthur put out that statement regarding what Alistair Begg said or had MacArthur written that before this controversy. Or, are these statements by Piper and MacArthur answers to the question asked of them before Begg said that about going to a homosexual wedding? Thanks!
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Oh! I get it now. Thanks for clarifying. Similar type questions had been asked of Piper/MacArthur/DeYoung etc in past years. I included their answers just to compare, since these men are theologically on the same level and have many years of preaching under their belt.
I found this on Twitter also, someone did a side by side comparison of Alistair’s reply with a comment Voddie Baucham made in a previous year’s sermon. The upshot of Voddie’s comment is that if you are asked to attend a gay or transgender wedding, “it is a theological test”. 3-min clip here, https://youtu.be/iiCHcxTQelY?si=DrXrcu8kfLhd8emd
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Here’s an extra thought – we recently had a family wedding involving a lesbian couple from within an extended Christian family. The heart of the matter was the parents of the bride’s decision to attend or not attend. The parents have the biggest say. If parents do not attend then that is the most powerful statement to the couple getting married. Whether an aunty or uncle or a cousin or a neighbor or a grandma attends isn’t the big deal. In our case all conversations about attendance were involving the parents of the bride. All decisions revolved around them. To me – it’s very unclear if Alistair Begg was advising the grandma to attend the wedding even if it put her at odds with the parents of the bride and then caused family division. We seem to be missing some vital information. If the mum and dad had asked grandma to not attend the wedding to support their Christian stance then grandma has to consider their request. She wouldn’t need to involve her pastor over this matter. Note – if both parents weren’t alive then grandma could be weighing up her decision to attend in great detail because she would be in the role of a parental figure and therefore have a direct impact on the bride. However – I think this is very unlikely. I think that grandma just needs to talk to the parents of the bride and have an honest one on one… she doesn’t need Alistair to be involved in that family chat.
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Christians do not attend transgender weddings. No further info needed.
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