Posted on 02/02/2024 7:49:21 AM PST by Morgana
Alistair Begg will no longer be speaking at the upcoming 2024 Shepherds Conference, according to a spokesperson for Grace To You to RNS, following the fallout and controversy of his recent remarks advising a grandmother to attend an LGBTQ wedding and then a much-panned follow-up message justifying his reasons.
“After Begg’s comments became public, he and MacArthur talked and decided the controversy would be “an unnecessary distraction,” according to a spokesman for Grace to You, one of the conference sponsors.
“Pastor MacArthur’s counsel on that issue would be completely different from the counsel Alistair Begg said he gave an inquiring grandmother,” said Phil Johnson, executive director of Grace to You told Religion News Service in an email. “So both agreed that it was necessary for Pastor Begg to withdraw.”
Begg has been a frequent speaker at Grace Community Church events, including speaking at the Shepherds Conference in 2015 and 2023, and a regular guest lecturer for the Doctor of Ministry program at The Master’s Seminary.
This is a developing story.
People are sheep, they want to be told what to do. They want answers.
They went to the pharisees and got another rule. So many rules their spirit was killed.
If you read the complete response by begg, there were qualifications to the response.
The apostle Paul’s response to such a question was “work out your faith with fear and trembling.”
People didn’t like that, they went back to the Pharisees.
Scripture does not directly speak to the issue. While all things are lawful, not all things edify.
Alistair, nearing retirement, will bear this as one of his final notable marks. Pity.
Scripture does not directly speak to the issue. ...
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When you attend a gay wedding, you are signaling that you approve this type of homosexual relationship. Your actions speak louder than any private words of disapproval.
Exactly—always ignore what people say and watch what they do.
That is all irrelevant.
Attending = approval.
You can say all you want that you don’t approve, but by going it tells the world that you do.
All this excuse making and rationalization over his comment does not change the fact that he is wrong in advising such a course of action.
“an unnecessary distraction,”
Not only because MacArthur’s advise to the grandmother would have been different but I think that Begg is not willing to address this anymore and didn’t want to go ( he says he is being shielded from the criticisms from friends and family) and everyone at the conference would want to ask about, not only the original comment, but his follow up sermon last Sunday where he implied that those who disagree with him are pharisees.
Mr Begg has been one of my wife and mine’s favorite teachers. I disagree with his advice on this subject , but do agree with 99 percent of what he teaches. I think it is wise not to have him speak at the conference because it would be a divisive distraction. I will pray for him for God’s wisdom and handling this whole situation.
Why is Begg controversial now? I like his preaching/teaching. Has he said something unscriptural?
IIRC Patrick Madrid on Relevant Radio suggested that this is a “food sacrificed to idols” issue. There is no such thing as a homosexual marriage, any more than there is an Apollo or an Astarte, so we are no better off if we go or worse off if we don’t. However, the rest of the world is watching us, and if they see us going to David and Jonathan’s wedding, their conscience will be defiled by thinking that if we’re willing to be there, it must be OK to do it.
Paul said he would rather never eat meat if that is what it took to keep people from thinking idols were OK; by the same token, if I had to stop attending all marriages in order to keep people from thinking that homosexual marriage is OK, then that’s a necessary sacrifice. I don’t think it is, but I have refused to attend such marriages, even at the expense of family members thinking, if they thought in such terms, that I am an SOB Pharisee.
Excellent comparison. Thanks.
this is a “food sacrificed to idols” issue.
Interesting that Begg didn’t use this argument but instead used the prodigal son parable. I would suggest it’s because he wasn’t as concerned with defending his counsel to the grandmother as he was with calling out those who disagree with him.
There's absolutely no reason to boycott normal marriage.
We have to draw the line somewhere.
Mr. mm and I have discussed this very real issue that we could be confronted with. We have decided we could not go and would decline. We have declined wedding for other relatives for other reasons not related to homosexual marriage.
No one is obligated to go to any wedding.
Yeah, well, the prodigal son repented and returned to the father.
Attending = approval.
What is in your heart is the test. Not attending makes a statement but it also removes you from having any influence.
I think my Mom would have been there speaking the truth in her own way, sometimes direct and sometimes polite.
My mother had a great granddaughter that transitioned. Her comment spoked often and within earshot of the girl and girls parents was, “GOD CREATED A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMAN.”
She was bold and a seed was planted. The truth was spoken.
Absolutely not.
The "wedding" is only ONE event in the person's life. Not attending does not cut you off from the whole rest of the person's life and having any influence at holidays, birthdays, family get togethers, helping with meals when they are sick or had surgery, etc.
And it doesn't stop anyone from praying for that person.
My point to YOU is the answer is different for different people. You have your choice and response, others have a different one. Beggs advice was have a right heart in what you do.
And no, I wouldn’t go either.
Meat offered to idols.
Sorry, but that is really not on point. But that grandmother should not have gone opinion shopping .... IMO
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