What are your thoughts on Alistair Begg in this shortish video?

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Alaister's latest comments (the triple down) are even more concerning.

I don't have the video right now but I watched him claim essentially that it is the Pharisees that were the separatists, and that he doesn't see it the same way because he was brought up in European evangelicalism rather than American fundamentalism.

This is getting worse.

If a gay couple I know invite me to dinner, I would go and preach the Word laying out the Biblcal definition of sin and why homosexuality is included. They would repent - either of sin or inviting me hahaha.

Matthew followed Jesus and invited him to dinner and all his friends were tax collectors and sinners.

If a gay family member invites me to their "wedding", that would be tantamount to asking and seeking approval for the sin.

His reasoning first was that we should accept based on their assessment/opinion/evaluation of us as "loving". He thinks we need to be seen as loving both Biblically and in their own eyes as well, seeming to forget these two views of "loving behavior" are incompatible.

Now, if we do not see it the way he does, we are Pharisees?

EDIT: I don't need the video. Apparently, the one I saw was a clip of the full public statement shared.
 
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The Word of God is very plain in this area. We are not to countenance or show our approval of sin nor do what is evil that good might somehow come out of it.

Romans 1:32 - “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” Romans 3:8 - "And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just."

I can love my neighbor without countenancing their sin. I will not go to the wedding of a man who unlawfully divorces his wife to marry his female lover either. These are basic ethical issues that a teacher of Israel should have come to grips with long ago.

If I saw a homosexual or transgendered person in need, would I help them? Absolutely. My heart breaks for them that they are pursuing sin that will lead to destruction. Would I countenance their so-called "wedding" and approve it? No. Because I adore God and His design for marriage as a picture of Christ's love for His Bride. I would be just as guilty as Paul was in approving the stoning of Stephen were I to be a witness to it.
 
To be clear, Begg did not say every Christian should go to gay/trans weddings if invited. He specifically said in other particular cases he would advise people not to go, in trying to account for various situational "nuances." That's more relativism than I'm personally comfortable with, and I would never attend such an event myself. But we should accurately convey all that has been said. Claims that Begg has gone woke are well wide of the mark. While I profoundly disagree with him in this case, I am not into effectively canceling someone's ministry on the basis of a situational misstep, even a serious one like this. I pray he will come to realize his mistake and repent of it.
 
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Ok, I will weigh in.

Allister Begg is wrong. It is not any more compassionate to attend the wedding of an lgbtq etc., etc. person than it is to attend the wedding of an adulterer who is marrying the woman with whom he has had an affair and left his wife and children for.

My oldest son, Caleb, is living in homosexual sin. He has lived with many men since he left home over 6 years ago. About 3 years ago he returned to our hometown on vacation with the man he was calling himself engaged to but would not see us unless we agreed to host this man as well. Of course, we said no, and Caleb refused to see us. I cannot begin to tell you how incredibly painful this was and continues to be. That was several men ago. As is typical for this community, contrary to anything that they say about loving, monogamous relationships.

We have seen Caleb once since then. Once, in what will soon be 7 years. My stomach turns and my heart aches as I type this out. Caleb has been HIV positive for 5 or more years. One day I will most likely hold his hand and watch him die, hopefully after his repentance. Please tell me, what on earth would be kind and loving about me affirming these relationships that will one day kill him and usher him into eternal damnation?
 
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retroGRAD3 said:
I don't think this is a joke. He mentioned it on one of those Ligonier panels at one point as well.
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If true, with my Lebanese blood, I’d be kicked off of his diaconate if I went 36 hours without shaving.
 
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Charles Johnson said:
Imagine calling yourself a Christian pastor while being more approving of sodomy than beards. This is absolute insanity.
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This seems uncharitable. Begg isn't affirming homosexuality, but saying that it's alright to go to a same-sex wedding as an act of love to an unbeliever. I don't agree with him, but we shouldn't be blowing things out of proportion.
The fact that he said something odd about beards at a ligonier conference does not mean that his thoughts on pastoral grooming habits are held equally to his views on lgbt issues.
 
The bottom line is that his stated positions mean that he approves of pastors attending gay weddings but not having beards. For that reason, I agree with Charles.
 
Reformed Covenanter said:
The bottom line is that his stated positions mean that he approves of pastors attending gay weddings but not having beards. For that reason, I agree with Charles.
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Again though, are these positions that are held equally by him? Is he willing to die on a hill to prevent his pastors from having beards? Probably not, but we can’t say either way.
I maintain that it’s uncharitable to say he’s in favor of homosexuality. I think his approval of attending a gay wedding is inconsistent, but it doesn’t mean he approves of sodomy, as was suggested.
 
ZackF said:
That is new to me.
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Maybe I am mistaken. It appears that Alistair Begg was the pastor of the church I attend back in the early 2000s. First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, SC is an ARP church. The previous pastor who just left was Derek Thomas. The new pastor is Neil Stewart. And the pastor previous to Derek Thomas was Sinclair Ferguson. The ARP college and seminary at West Point, SC had a few issues with liberalism a few years ago. Not sure how that has worked itself out.

And the PCA has had its problems with the Federal Vision as well as the Revoice movement and the ordination of openly homosexual but "celibate" male teaching elders. I personally disagree with the ARP on the ordination of women to the office of deacon. Deacons are to the husbands of one wife.
 
Cranmer19591959 said:
Maybe I am mistaken. It appears that Alistair Begg was the pastor of the church I attend back in the early 2000s. First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, SC is an ARP church. The previous pastor who just left was Derek Thomas. The new pastor is Neil Stewart. And the pastor previous to Derek Thomas was Sinclair Ferguson. The ARP college and seminary at West Point, SC had a few issues with liberalism a few years ago. Not sure how that has worked itself out.

And the PCA has had its problems with the Federal Vision as well as the Revoice movement and the ordination of openly homosexual but "celibate" male teaching elders. I personally disagree with the ARP on the ordination of women to the office of deacon. Deacons are to the husbands of one wife.
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No. You’re thinking of Sinclair Ferguson.

Parkside is Alistar’s only American pastorate
 
I have been musing on this situation a little of late. I think that the lesson we need to learn concerning non-confessional celebrity preachers is that while they may do a lot of good with evangelising the lost and preaching to their congregations, they have often been (at least partially) disastrous in terms of their teaching ministry to the wider church.
 
I don’t how many in his American congregation will take well to his remarks about being a European non-fundamentalist. That is a head scratcher for sure.
 
Santos said:
Ok, I will weigh in.

Allister Begg is wrong. It is not any more compassionate to attend the wedding of an lgbtq etc., etc. person than it is to attend the wedding of an adulterer who is marrying the woman with whom he has had an affair and left his wife and children for.

My oldest son, Caleb, is living in homosexual sin. He has lived with many men since he left home over 6 years ago. About 3 years ago he returned to our hometown on vacation with the man he was calling himself engaged to but would not see us unless we agreed to host this man as well. Of course, we said no, and Caleb refused to see us. I cannot begin to tell you how incredibly painful this was and continues to be. That was several men ago. As is typical for this community, contrary to anything that they say about loving, monogamous relationships.

We have seen Caleb once since then. Once, in what will soon be 7 years. My stomach turns and my heart aches as I type this out. Caleb has been HIV positive for 5 or more years. One day I will most likely hold his hand and watch him die, hopefully after his repentance. Please tell me, what on earth would be kind and loving about me affirming these relationships that will one day kill him and usher him into eternal damnation?
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Thank you all for your gracious responses. Please pray for Caleb. And Allister's repentance.
 
ZackF said:
I don’t how many in his American congregation will take well to his remarks about being a European non-fundamentalist. That is a head scratcher for sure.
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I prefer to call myself a fundamentalist Presbyterian because the word "Evangelical" has become so watered down as to be meaningless.

dsanch1120 said:
Again though, are these positions that are held equally by him? Is he willing to die on a hill to prevent his pastors from having beards? Probably not, but we can’t say either way.
I maintain that it’s uncharitable to say he’s in favor of homosexuality. I think his approval of attending a gay wedding is inconsistent, but it doesn’t mean he approves of sodomy, as was suggested.
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The problem is capitulating to gross immorality as a method of evangelism. That's how entire denominations go liberal. I totally disagree with the Tim Keller approach to evangelism. It basically uses sophistry and double speak in order to appease the wicked so they will attend your church. The practical result is you have more tares than wheat in the congregation, not genuine conversions and solid professions of faith.
 
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