Alistair Begg, respected Bible teacher, recently shared an illustration about counsel he had given to a grandmother regarding whether to attend her grandson’s “gay marriage.” The response to Begg’s comment was swift and severe. In essence, Begg was cancelled by many followers of his radio messages and by other respected Christian leaders.

I am not writing to debate whether Allister’s counsel was appropriate, but I am concerned about the message that has been given to the secular culture. Cable News channels picked up the story focusing on Begg’s words and the immediate harsh response from former friends and supporters of Alistair.

Things haven’t changed since the 1^st century church in Corinth. We still tend to divide the body of Christ over gifted teachers. No longer is it Apollos or Peter or Paul (1 Corinthians 3:4) but gifted authors or radio/TV preachers. The preacher may not be seeking honor.

We can dispute Alistair Begg’s counsel but not his motive. Only God knows our motives. Did Alistair seek to appease a grandmother or to appear to be more open minded to our sexually perverted culture? Or, did he truly and prayerfully seek to understand Scripture as it relates to the issue? Only God knows! Paul warned about playing “judge” over one another for there is only one final judge over each of us. As servants of Christ, each of us must give an account for what we have said and done. (1 Corinthians 4:1-5)That includes Pastor Begg and his critics.

Paul warned the Corinthian church to expose and remove a church member guilty of sexual immorality—to not to even eat with such a person. (1 Corinthians 5) Christians are to live a holy life because our body is the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. However, Paul also warned that we are not responsible to judge unbelievers. After all they are spiritually dead and totally addicted to sin.

True believers are called to flee immorality and to not abuse grace or the freedom that we enjoy in Christ. 1 Corinthians 8 through 10 lay out principles that are relevant to Alistair Begg’s decision to say what he said and has defended. It doesn’t necessarily make him right, but he deserves the opportunity to defend himself. There is no specific biblical text to support or refute his counsel to the grandmother. Jesus befriended sinners and ate with them, but He never excused sin. He did call for repentance and forgave them, but first he befriended them,

1 Cor. 11 also seems to relate to the controversy.  Paul corrected the Corinthian church for abusing of the Lord’s Table by the way they treated one another while sharing the common cup and loaf that are meant to portray unity and authentic love. Has a member of the Body of Christ and a faithful teacher of Scripture been treated unjustly?

Finally, I am drawn to the 13^th chapter of 1 Corinthians—that beautiful description of love—sandwiched between two chapters dealing with the proper us of spiritual gifts. I grieve when I remember the severe treatment that I/we evangelicals once leveled at our charismatic brothers and how our verbal battles were observed by those outside the Church. I wonder, what did they witness?  Christ-like love or noisy gongs and clanging symbols?

Was Christ-like love demonstrated toward Pastor Begg? Was kindness? The love that endures and bears all things?

Has the Church reflected the “cancel culture” that we claim to despise when a well-respected pastor and radio teacher is cancelled so abruptly and publicly?

Seems to me, once again, we have given the secular culture evidence to justify their negative perception of evangelicalism and of the Christian Church and to cancel us.

I long to for the evidence of Jesus’ words: “By this they (the world) will know that you are my disciples that you love one another.”

I encourage your feedback, and I wonder how many followers may cancel me as a result of this post.