What is HAPPENING with Alistair Begg?!!! | Truth for Life, John MacArthur, Shepherd's Conference
Notes from my preperation are available below. There are some repeated portions and the full commentary along with my clips are only available in the video. I highly recommend that you watch the video in its entirety but feel free to reference the notes to enhance retention. This is such shocking and dishearenting news. The purpose of this video is to help others process what has happened. I was processing it myself. How does such a faithful expositor of God’s Word for decades begin to promote something so unbiblical? I walk through that in the video and provide my explanation. You’ll only be able to receive that from watching the video, along with the clips that I play and the commentary that I provide. The notes should be a helpful reference though and allow you to jump around if you feel the need to do so.
I pray that it’s a blessing.
God bless!
Adam Markley
Support the Ministry
Notes Prepared for Video
Alistair Begg has been a faithful preacher of God’s Word for decades. He has been the Senior Pastor of Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio since 1983. His media ministry “Truth for Life” is broadcast daily to over 1800 radio outlets and distributed to over 1 million followers online each day (between Youtube, FB, Twitter/X, Pinterest, Tiktok, LinkedIn and IG as well as platforms that don’t publicly share follower statistics such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and others). Truth for Life ministries receives over 20 million dollars in donations each year, according to the ECFA (The Evangelical Counsel for Financial Accountability) which are used for the purpose of advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations! Begg is the author of 18 books and a world renown conference speaker in conservative circles of evangelicalism. So, it comes as a great shock to hear him give the advice that he did about whether one should go to a gay / trans wedding or not.
We’ll be diving into that topic today and I’ll be giving you my thoughts on the matter. I’ve seen a lot of content created as soon as this was released by heresy hunter blogs. It was shocking to see that it was true and you could go and hear what was said on the recording for yourself. And I’ll be playing that for you in a moment, in case you haven’t heard it (and I don’t want to assume that you have). Many of you may have heard it already but I know that many of you have not. And it’s big news now. It moved past heresy hunter blogs to known Christian news sources so it’s definitely making waves in Christian news.
Things that I want to share up front:
- Relatives that have gone to Parkside Church
- I’ve been to Parkside Church more than once and heard Alistair and others preach
- Alistair Begg has been on my list of pastors that I recommend as faithful expositors of the Word.
o I have clips of his that I planned to use in future episodes and I’ve used clips of his in previous episodes. In fact, I plan to refresh some older episodes (and some of them do include Alistair in them). I plan to still do that because those episodes are created but I’ll be hesitant to highlight him, momentarily, until we hear something from Truth for Life Ministries about this.
Goals of this video:
- Help you process this very disappointing news
- Provide a thoughtful response that I haven’t heard anyone else provide
- Make this shareable so that you it can be shared with those who attend Parkside Church and sent to leaders within the Church
Video Outline:
o Contact info for Truth for Life
Website: https://www.truthforlife.org/
Phone: 888-588-7884 (M-F 8:00am to 5:00pm ET)
Email: letters@truthforlife.org
Postal Mail:
Truth For Life
P.O. Box 398000
Cleveland, Ohio 44123
o Do you attend Parkside or have any additional information about what’s happening at the church?
· If so, I want to hear from you:
o Email Adam Markley at Preaching for God’s Glory with more information:
· preachingforgodsglory@proton.me
- 5 Reasons why Christians Should NEVER attend LGBT Weddings
- Provide prayer points for things we want to see
What happened?
Alistair made some shocking remarks on a podcast from 4 months ago. The issue is far deeper than the statements that he made on the podcast though. The issue is about advice that he gave a grandmother.
We’ll be listening to that interview but before we do, I want to play a few short clips of some things that Alistair has said on the topic of homosexuality and LGBT issues in recent years.
First, this is what he said very recently (within the last few years) regarding the only two responses that many see to the LGBT agenda.
Clip2: Alistair Begg on Homosexuality
2 categories culture puts Christians in: Hate or Affirm
File: Clip2.mp4
Duration: 1:01
Alistair also said the following at a conference in the U.K. in 2022:
Clip 3: Alistair Begg on Homosexuality
File: Clip3.mp4
Duration: 0:41
Keswick Convention 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NoJ97dGLhI
Begg was also asked about LGBT issues just 10 months ago by the Christian Institute. Let’s watch this 2 minute clip and then we’ll get to his interview remarks.
Clip4: Alistair Begg asked about LGBT issues
File: Clip4.mp4
Duration: 2:10
Alistair Begg talks to the CI on LGBT issues and 'conversion therapy'
YT: https://youtu.be/r77LFlpPAm4?si=AM3fpwsu6KZLxiAJ
1:39 – 2:48
So, he sure seems clear about his stance on homosexuality. He sees it as a great threat to the Church. There is language that makes me uncomfortable as to how deep the conviction is to stand against the tide of culture. Language like, “we’re going to have to figure this out.” I’m not sure what he means by, “Pastors are going to have to figure this out.” I hope he simply means, “we’re going to have to figure out how to evangelize to these people.” I understand that. We should be reaching out. We should be preaching the gospel to them We should be seeking to win souls for Christ amongst them. But that never comes at the cost of truth. Our witness is hurt when there is compromise. We need to remain faithful and stand firm in the truth of God’s Word while loving those that don’t know the Lord and preaching the gospel to them.
Well, let’s go to the interview now. The infamous interview that got everyone talking to hear what Alistair said. I have an extended addition with more context than others have. This is about 8 minutes.
Here is the clip of Alistair Begg being interviewed:
Clip1: The Christian Manifesto Interview – 9/17/23
File: Clip1_The Christian Manifesto Interfiew_09-17-23.mp4
Duration: 8:06
https://youtu.be/rXDYYPLwgYE?si=yxC58fsfrro4cTTn
~23min – 30:56
What did Alistair say?
Alistair Begg recently gave advice to a grandmother in the congregation who asked about whether she should attend a gay wedding.
(The assumption is that she was a part of the congregation. That is not known for sure but it seems that this was either a face-to-face conversation or conducted over the phone).
He explained how he encouraged a grandmother in the congregation to go a grandson’s gay / trans wedding. Her grandson was getting married to a transgender individual.
Context of the Podcast:
Notes from podcast interview:
- Bob Lepine said something to Alistair about the last chapter in his book and shifted the conversation to culture. He asked Alistair a general question about culture.
- Alistair answered and brought up the example of the grandmother who asked about attending a gay wedding.
o This was an intentional insertion of this example. It wasn’t necessary. It was brought into the conversation to make a specific point. LGBT issues in the culture are certainly the number one issue right now so it makes sense for the example to be about that but it was still something that he chose to say on a public podcast that would have likely been edited after the fact before going live. There was an outro placed on it at the end which indicates that it was either added in post-production or recorded as a live production. Either way, there was plenty of opportunity to cut those words out of the broadcast.
o The video was published in September. There have been 4 months to scrub it if someone on the board of Truth for Life or leaders at Parkside Church did not agree with the contents of the podcast.
o I don’t imagine that leaders listen to every podcast but it seems almost certain that someone in the church would have complained about this and that it would have come to their attention.
Why did he say it?
We don’t know why he said it but we can observe:
- The statements that he made were intentional and well thought out
o He didn’t slip up. He specifically brought up that incident and used it as an example of demonstrating love. He didn’t hesitate in telling the grandmother to go to the wedding. He shocked her by stating that, not only should she go to the wedding but she should bring a gift.
o He gave reasoning as to why she should go to the wedding. He said that if she went, then they would be surprised by her love but that if she didn’t go, it would only confirm their beliefs about Christians – that they are critical and judgmental
o It’s not about what he said on the podcast. It’s about what he encouraged a grandmother to do that he exposed on the podcast.
Other concerns:
- TGC Connection
o Some people have said that he’s connected with TGC but he’s not listed anywhere on their website. He’s not a board member. He’s not a council member. And he’s not even listed as a council Emeritus. He’s written for TGC but is not connected to them in any official way.
- Shepherd’s Conference
o People are calling for the cancellation of him speaking at Shepherd’s Conference. The heresy hunters that immediately call for this don’t even allow 24 hours to go by before they start acting like everyone should have responded to this already. They all give the impression that they don’t want the man to repent. They don’t express any desire that they want him to see the err of his advice and publicly repent by releasing a statement and making his stance clear on the fact the Christians should NEVER attend a Gay Wedding.
- Broadcast Networks reaching out for response from Truth for Life
o American Family Association awaiting a response from Alistair Begg to get clarity on his beliefs
Why did he say it?
We don’t know why he said it but we can observe:
- The statements that he made were intentional and well thought out
o He didn’t slip up. He specifically brought up that incident and used it as an example of demonstrating love. He didn’t hesitate in telling the grandmother to go to the wedding. He shocked her by stating that, not only should she go to the wedding but she should bring a gift.
o He gave reasoning as to why she should go to the wedding. He said that if she went, then they would be surprised by her love but that if she didn’t go, it would only confirm their beliefs about Christians – that they are critical and judgmental
o It’s not about what he said on the podcast. It’s about what he encouraged a grandmother to do that he exposed on the podcast.
We can only guess as to his motivation but I think the following clips might give some insight into what his motivation behind such a decision was. This doesn’t justify it at all but it can help us understand why such a faithful expositor would come to such a position. It can be a warning also to all pastors and leaders as to what happens when good motivations cause one to compromise on standing for the truth of God’s Word and being a witness for Christ (by living by the truth of God’s Word!)
First, let’s watch this clip of Alistair being interviewed on a radio program about his book. He’s asked about what some of his goals are with this book and his ministry.
Clip5: Interview about the book – What does he want to see happen
File: Clip5.mp4
Duration: 2:30
Ep 1 | Alistair Begg on "The Christian Manifesto"
Faith Talk Today Radio Program 9/6/23
https://youtu.be/-S2YR_hcc7M?si=DAZ77JuZRwo8GXWp
9:24 – 12:32
So, he wants to see revival. He wants to see this country turnaround from the destruction that is upon it. I’m sure he would agree that it is under the judgment of God but he wants to see a wide-scale repentance in like Nineveh. What he needs to remember though is that Jonah preached repentance. Jonah preached judgment. And it was through the threat of judgment upon that wicked nation, that a revival occurred. The bad news can never be tampered with or lightened. Well, let’s get more insight into this with one last clip. This clip comes from a sermon Begg preached in 1999. I looked up The Christian Manifesto and found a playlist of a sermon series that his new book is based on. I jumped to the 2nd to last sermon that seemed like it was possible that he could have addressed this issue, and sure enough, it was right there toward the beginning of the sermon. Begg has been thinking about this issue for long time. Here’s the clip.
Clip6: 1999 Sermon
File: Clip6.mp4
Duration: 3:54
Commentary about that clip.
5 Reasons why a Christian Should NEVER attend a so-called Gay or LGBT Wedding
1. It’s an endorsement of the so-called marriage
“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.” (Eph 5:11-12)
2. It’s a bad Christian witness
“ Abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thess 5:22)
3. The Holy Spirit will be grieved when you attend and witness the celebration of the union
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Eph 5:30)
4. It demonstrates that you are okay with this sinful lifestyle choice
“24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.”” (Rom 1:24-27)
“Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” (Rom 1:32)
5. It’s different than attending a heterosexual wedding of unbelievers who are living together
b/c the “Gay Wedding” is a reversal of God’s created order
“So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.” (Gen 1:27)
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Eph 5:31-33)
Prayer Points:
- Pray for Alistair to truly repent of his position
- Pray that he would make a public statement to affirm his position on whether Christians should attend Gay Weddings
- Pray that he would make a bold declaration that pastors never encourage congregation members to attend ceremonies that are a celebration of what God abhors
- Pray that he would not only clarify his statements and the advice that he gave but that he would make statements that demonstrate that he is in serious error and has compromised his stance on the issue of Gay Weddings. This is a position of the ethical implications of interaction with LGBT individuals. Attending a Gay Wedding is a celebration of their union.
- Pray for the grandmother that is being discussed publicly. She had the right impulse. If she chose to go to the wedding, she can certainly be forgiven for that. She was just doing what her pastor told her to do.
- Pray that she would have the courage to share the gospel with her grandson. He needs to understand more than just her faith in Christ and why she is against the marriage; he needs to understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He needs to understand the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He needs to understand what Christ did for sinners. He needs to understand that homosexuality and transgenderism are perversions of God’s created order and can never be affirmed in any way.
Goals of this video:
- Help you process this very disappointing news
- Provide a thoughtful response that I haven’t heard anyone else provide
- Make this shareable so that you it can be shared with those who attend Parkside Church and sent to leaders within the Church
o Contact info for Truth for Life
§ Website: https://www.truthforlife.org/
§ Phone: 888-588-7884 (M-F 8:00am to 5:00pm ET)
§ Email: letters@truthforlife.org
§ Postal Mail:
Truth For Life
P.O. Box 398000
Cleveland, Ohio 44123
§ Do you attend Parkside or have any additional information about what’s happening at the church?
· If so, I want to hear from you:
§ Email Adam Markley at Preaching for God’s Glory with more information:
· preachingforgodsglory@proton.me
§
- 5 Reasons why Christians Should NEVER attend LGBT Weddings
- Provide prayer points for things we want to see
Reasons Why a Christian Should NEVER attend a Gay Wedding
1. It’s an endorsement of the so-called marriage
“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.” (Eph 5:11-12)
2. It’s a bad Christian witness
“ Abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thess 5:22)
3. The Holy Spirit will be grieved when you attend and witness the celebration of the union
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Eph 5:30)
4. It demonstrates that you are okay with this sinful lifestyle choice
“24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.”” (Rom 1:24-27)
“Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” (Rom 1:32)
5. It’s different than attending a heterosexual wedding of unbelievers who are living together
because the “Gay Wedding” is a reversal of God’s created order
“So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.” (Gen 1:27)
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Eph 5:31-33)
Prayer Points:
- Pray for Alistair to truly repent of his position (his ethical postion flowing out of his doctrine of marriage)
- Pray that he would make a public statement to affirm his position on whether Christians should attend LGBT Weddings
- Pray that he would make a bold declaration that pastors never encourage congregation members to attend ceremonies that are a celebration of what God abhors
- Pray that he would not only clarify his statements and the advice that he gave but that he would make statements that demonstrate that he is in serious error and has compromised his stance on the issue of Gay Weddings. This is a position of the ethical implications of interaction with LGBT individuals. Attending a Gay Wedding is a celebration of their union.
- Pray for the grandmother that is being discussed publicly. She had the right impulse. If she chose to go to the wedding, she can certainly be forgiven for that. She was just doing what her pastor told her to do.
- Pray that she would have the courage to share the gospel with her grandson. He needs to understand more than just her faith in Christ and why she is against the marriage; he needs to understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He needs to understand the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He needs to understand what Christ did for sinners. He needs to understand that homosexuality and transgenderism are perversions of God’s created order and can never be affirmed in any way.
I pray that you found this a blessing. If you feel led to provide a one-time donation of any amount, you can do so at the link below. You will see how I prioritize funds that are received.
God bless you in the Lord today!
Adam Markley
Preaching for God’s Glory