Introduction
In a recent interview about his book ‘The Christian Manifesto,’ Scottish Pastor Alistair Begg’s advice for a grandmother to attend her grandson’s gay wedding has ignited controversy. Originally stated last year, these comments resurfaced, sparking heated debates.
The backlash was swift, with actions such as American Family Radio dropping his show ‘Truth For Life’ after over a decade, and the Shepherd Conference removing Begg from their speaker lineup. Begg has refused to walk back his statements, despite calls by some for his dismissal as senior pastor of Parkside Church, which heโs held since 1983.
Many were taken aback by the controversy, expecting support from usual allies, only to be confronted with their dissent. This unexpected opposition, rather than moderating the discourse, seemed to intensify the disagreements further.
Amidst these online disputes, crucial issues are being overlooked. Both factions are guilty of transgressions against each other and against Pastor Begg. Scripture reminds us that while truth can indeed lead to division, as followers of Christ, we are called to pursue unity among ourselves. It is my conviction that by engaging with the truth, we can find common ground. Let us, therefore, navigate through this intricate controversy together.
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The Original Context
The following is a summary of what stirred the controversy. I highly recommend you read the original, available as a transcript from Truth for Life (see near the end.)
A grandmother asked Begg about attending her gay grandson’s wedding. Begg asked if her grandson was aware she was a Christian and couldnโt affirm his lifestyle. Begg advises she should attend and bring a gift, to subvert expectation and keep a door open for witnessing.
Unfortunately, far too many have removed the advice of its original context and shortened it to: โBegg tells Christians to celebrate LGBTQ weddings.โ
Scripture vs. Begg
Scripture on Homosexuality
Leviticus 18:22 calls homosexual acts an โabomination,โ of the most serious types of sexual immorality. In Romans 1:18-32, we see Godโs just โwrath is revealedโ in the โgiving overโ of sinners โto dishonorable passionsโ and โexchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural,โ referring to homosexual desire and actions.
Alistair Begg on Homosexuality
If, as critics claim, Begg was compromising, weโd expect him to break from these teachings. Yet, in his late-2022 sermon series, โGod Gave Them Upโ, Begg affirms all of these points:
โAnd now here we see that they exchanged the normal, natural function of human sexuality for that which is contraryโฆGod has given them up to something whichโฆthe Bible pronounces to be an abomination, to be a perversionโฆSo, in coming to this this morningโฆI come to itโฆwithโฆthe convictionโฆthat God knew exactly what he was doing when he put us together the way he put us together, and that anything that runs foul of that runs foul of Godโs intentions.โ [emphasis added]
These convictions are reflected in his question to the grandmother:
โDoes your grandson understand that your belief in Jesus makes it such that you canโtโฆaffirmโฆthe choices that he has made in life?โ
Begg Agrees with Scripture
Begg’s stance on homosexuality aligns with Scripture. The controversy isn’tโor shouldnโt beโabout him endorsing what God condemnsโhe doesn’t. It’s important to confront the misattribution of intentions to Pastor Begg.
Furthermore, accusations that his remarks were made as a compromise or out of fear are contradicted by his own words and follow-up sermon. Begg explains his intention to reach out to those outside the Christian faith, urging the need to “take that risk a lot more.” We may interpret his motivation to be fear-based, but we need to make a distinction between our interpretation and his own words.
To continue to insist Begg is โsupporting gay marriageโ or blanket attendance to the same is to bear false witness. Setting aside these distractions will allow us to address the legitimate and real concerns.
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The Nature of a Wedding
At heart, what is being asked, โIs it always a sin for a Christian to attend an LGBTQ wedding?โ Some would respond, โYES!โ Others, like Begg himself, pointed may argue Christ ate with sinners and prostitutes. This latter position has some problems. Namely, it assumes that a dinner with sinners is the same as a LGBTQ wedding.
Pastor Doug Wilson, love him or hate him, has impeccable acumen when it comes to cultural issues, and respectfully challenges this notion:
So the issue is not kindness, but rather approval. The issue is going along with a serious delusion. It is not a sin for a screwed up person to have a birthday, and it is no sin to help them celebrate it. Jesus ate with tax-collectors and sinners (Mark 2:16), and so may we. But I seriously doubt if Jesus would have been willing to be the after dinner speaker for the Annual Judean Shakedown Banquet. Leviโs birthday, fine. Leviโs celebration of how he squeezed that poor widow woman until she cried over losing her house, not so fine.
Wilson expounds upon how a Christian should be willing to conduct business with a homosexual or transsexual person under most circumstances. As people living in the world, we interact with people in the world all the time who donโt โrecognize Jesus as King.โ We canโt, as Begg points out, love our enemies if we avoid them like the Pharisees. However, the issue become when our interactions become celebratory and approvingโas we see when photographers, bakers, and other creative professionals are called to specifically serve LGBTQ weddings.
โWell, Matthew,โ you might argue, โAlistair didnโt say we should approve of the wedding, only attend.โ True. Wilson responds to this:
But what does it mean not to countenance โin any affirming wayโ a choice to marry someone who is transgender? If your absence from the wedding registers your censorious disapproval โฆAttending shows the opposite, and does not demonstrate a studied neutrality. Approval or acceptance is what your attendance means. If it didnโt mean that, there would be no difficulty if you didnโt showโฆSo the issue is not kindness, but rather approval. The issue is going along with a serious delusion.
One who โcountenancesโ something shows or gives support or approval. In essence, Begg is asking us to do the impossible and show our approval of non-approval! No wonder why Christians are confused, as it seems at some level Beggโs own reasoning on this has become muddled in conflicting rationales. How can a Christian show โapproving disapprovalโ or โdisapproving approvalโ? Yet, is their attendance always that? And who gets to decide?
Can One Witness in Nineveh?
Since weโre discussing context, it might help to reinsert his remarks as the final thoughts in an interview of his book, “The Christian Manifesto.” The book is summarized as a โan exploration of Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain, encouraging Christians to live a radically different life that challenges the world’s values and philosophies.โ
The final portions of the book challenge Christians to leave their comfort zone to witness to the lostโespecially relevant given 70 percent of Christians havenโt in the last 6 months.
This does beg the question: Is a ceremony which embodies that, โalthough they know the righteous requirement of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice themโ (Romans 1:32 LSB) the proper place for such a witness? Or the perfect place?
Unfruitful Works of Darkness?
Some have fallen back on Ephesians 5:11, โAnd do not participate in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead even expose them,โ but this is a misapplication of the passage. In context, Paul is warning sinful and sexually immoral people claiming to be Christians shouldnโt be permitted in the church (see the previous 10 verses.) This understanding is affirmed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:11-13:
11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is a sexually immoral person, or greedy, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindlerโnot even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Are you not to judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God will judge. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.
Should Christians follow this interpretation of Ephesians 5:11 to its natural conclusion, we would become as isolated as the Amish. One must also point out the apparent hypocrisy. We can โparticipate in the unfruitful works of darknessโ in as so long as it involves our Netflix, Starbucks, and sports teams, but not if our intent is attendance at a LGBTQ wedding to share the Gospel.
Before we judge another manโs motives, we should begin with our own. (Matthew 7:1-7)
My Position
First, I disagree with Pastor Beggโs advice. I think it was bad advice. That said, one can think advice is bad without summarily judging a man as sinful, or even the advice as sinful. In all of this, Iโve been caught in the awkward position of defending Begg against what he didnโt say to those uninterested in the truthโIโve never been called a โchild of Satanโ more times in my life than this last week, simply because Iโve refused to join the mob.
In this world of highly polarized views, nuance is often lacking and attacked as compromise. Just because I can argue and defend aspects of Beggโs message, doesnโt mean I support the whole. A wise person can learn from those with home he disagrees.
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Conclusion
In my research for this article, I read and listened to several of Beggโs sermons. They were my first exposure to Begg prior to this controversy. I have been struck by his compassion for the lost, faithfulness to Scripture, and clarity. It is possible to admire him as a faithful man of God, agree he said something unwise. I think Pastor Begg missed the mark and would be wise to reevaluate the broader cultural context. Someone can witness to the LGBTQ crowd without attending a ceremony dedicated to giving God and His intended design the middle finger. If we were discussing other contexts, we likely wouldnโt be having this conversation.
To reiterate, homosexual desires and acts are sinful in the eyes of a righteous and holy God who has set the parameters, as we can see in His word, for human sexuality. Everyone involved in this debate agrees marriage should be honored as the union of one man and one woman. The decision for a Christian to attend an LGBTQ wedding is not one to be taken lightly, and never in celebration or congratulation. We do not cheer for joy as people row themselves over the waterfall.
Yet, as we engage in these discussions, it’s imperative that we hold steadfastly to biblical truths and God’s commandments. This is a crucial conversation, one that should be approached soberly, with love, and a desire for unity, where possible.
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