Alistair Begg is fairly well known in the world of evangelicalism and reformed calvinism. Since 1983, he has been the pastor of Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio and for years a prominent council member and co-founder of the heretical, unsound and unBiblical The Gospel Coalition (TGC). He is also the voice behind the Truth For Life Christian radio preaching and teaching ministry, which sadly broadcasts his sermons daily to too many stations across North America, tickling the ears of those who lust after fables and unsound spiritual adulterous teachings to feed their own self-indulging lusts and itches.
Remove the Scottish accent and he would likely be a nobody, a nobody passionately pursuing the spotlight.
1. First of all, on Begg’s pro-transgenderism woke, pragmatic and heretical compromise.
In January 2024 Alistair Begg got in trouble with the world of neo-evangelicalism, which is really all of evangelicalism today. He advised a grandmother on a public podcast to attend her grandson's “wedding” to a transgender person. I.e., a sodomite marriage. His excuses for doing so were right out of a logical fallacy dictionary, while denying the plain truths of God's Word. He denies and never addresses that attending a sodomite wedding is in itself sinful, bearing witness to an abominable union and partaking in its celebration. Rightfully so, he was cancelled by a number among what we would call conservative evangelicals or reformed calvinists, such as John MacArthur and his annual Shepherds Conference, who also publicly reproved and criticized his pragmatic and unscriptural stunt. Begg was also cancelled by a number of organizations where his Truth for Life broadcasts were aired. When Begg started getting kickback for his counsel, he did what many called, double downed. He didn't retract. He wouldn't repent of his counsel. There were some that defended him. Public leaders stood on either side of his decision. The answer that Begg gave the grandmother is in line with what the present world, the one so against God, requires, which is approval. It wants professing Christians to approve of their wickedness, while it continues to hate the professing Christian and the Lord of the Christian, Jesus Christ (Jn 15:18-20). Approval does nothing to change that, only adds to to their pride and arrogance and malice (Rom 1:28-32), and takes them even further away from God and the truth, as they recoil on one hand in the compromise of the so-called Christian. The Antichrist, whom is called "the god of this world" (2 Cor 4:3), will ask for full approval from everyone in the world, or force it, as he is doing now more and more. His forms of coercion will surpass whatever kind Begg presently feels to impel him to give the kind of counsel he did. It still follows that this is what Satan and the Antichrist want to become irrelevant, something that is an abomination to God. They gladly accept the capitulation in the present. The trajectory of such counsel is the future total domination of the Antichrist agenda immediately preceding and then into the seven year Great Tribulation period, the fulfillment of his lust to control all men. There is a reason why the Bible says that true salvation results in suffering and persecution, that all those that are truly saved will suffer persecution (2 Tim 3:12). The false professor and pretender knows truly only the natural man, and thus takes no pleasure in being offended, or persecuted (they are stony soil, Matt 13), so any form of pressure or coercion will cause them to bend and capitulate.
"To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress." (Pr 28:21)
True born again believers carry a cross because it is required to be converted (Matt 16:24-26; Mk 8:34-38; 10:17-31; Lk 14:25-33) but Alistair Begg, in contrast, locked his church down in 2020 upon the government's demand, refusing to suffer an ounce for obedience to God's Word (source). Moreover in his Branch Covidianism, he applied unbiblical mandates for worship (source). And Begg was nowhere to be found on the issue of wokeness coming into the churches. So there is no surprise that he would counsel a grandmother to sin rather than to suffer and preach the truth.
Rather than repent over the criticism and hoopla of his ungodly counsel and confirmation of attendance at a wicked event (bravely claiming, "I’m not ready to repent over this. I don’t have to”), he came out fighting and into full justification mode, and then resorted to delivering an entire sermon that defended his actions, and attacked and crushed "evangelicals"/ reformers who had called him out over it (also referring to them as odious modern day Pharisees, of course, a typical position of slanderous attack, exposing that he doesn't even understand this most basic word, a subject we deal with here) most of whom happen to be hypocrites themselves in their denunciation of Begg's unBiblical crime, themselves guilty of heaps of diverse heresies and wokeness. By his combativeness, the story has been elevated and become the biggest event right now in evangelicalism. Begg also resorted to attacking and slandering fundamentalists, saying very harsh things about them, even though practically no fundamentalist actually attacked him over it since none listen to the heretic. Calling someone a “fundamentalist” becomes an ad hominem logical fallacy attack for an evangelist like Begg. The critics of Begg are truly acting or behaving in the militant spirit of fundamentalists, though they are not fundamentalists, and definitely not militant fundamentalists. Men like MacArthur and his comrades in the neo-evangelical/reformed calvinist world who called out Begg, are themselves grand hypocrites, something we expose here specifically in an article titled The Hypocrisy of Calvinists and Evangelicals — Example: John MacArthur over Gender Confusion. They cancel Begg, but continue with the hedonistic, reformed calvinist neo-evangelical utter heretic and woke John Piper. In spite of Pipers awful history of "Christian" hedonism, and other heresy and wokeness, including all his comments about his erotic love for Jesus, he remained a speaker at the conference. In the past, while on a Ligonier show, MacArthur claimed that it was not wrong or sinful to bake a wedding cake for a sodomite marriage, and even though he later retracted the statement, that position makes him a hypocrite concerning his denunciation and cancelling of Alistair Begg over this issue.
It didn't actually take Begg's acceptance of sodomy to reveal that he is a heretic and false teacher. This is simply yet another symptom of his sickness of sin and natural corrupt fruit of a false teacher and wolf sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15-20), who is merely aligning his views with the evil culture of the world in a more open manner, of which he refuses to repent. He feels freedom now to do so because almost all of Christendom is aligned with the world and the culture of the world. Pr 16:5 exposes the mentality of ungodly men and their confidence in majority, and what God thinks of them, who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness (Ju 1:4),
"Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished."
The evidence that Begg is a wolf in sheep’s clothing didn’t take this unscriptural advice; No, the evidence and proof of that is overwhelming based already upon his doctrine, beliefs, dealings with Scripture, and relationships, alone. Profoundly. Massive amounts of proofs in the pudding.
But this is the instant it took for neo-evangelicals (which is all of evangelicalism) and reformed calvinists and others to scrub Allister Begg from their websites and conferences and podcasts, or to distance themselves from him in other ways. Wow, the scripted movements of heretics and ungodly men who reject the truths of Scripture, including the doctrine of separation, for their own personal lusts. Shame on these wicked compromisers and deceivers! You only draw your lines of separation where your buddies at the old boys club do or when someone comes out of the closet. (Even that barely, and for many they continue marching forward hand in hand with Begg, status quo.) These are hypocrites and "blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel" (Matt 23:24) blowing wide open the gates of hell in their anticipated reunion.
Hear ye the denunciation of Christ of your ungodly hypocrisy:
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. . . .Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" (Matt 23:25-28, 33)
Apparently neo-evangelicals who essentially never practiced separation, certainly not take a stand upon the doctrine, now will do that. They don't teach biblical separation, not even mention the doctrine, but they now apparently separate. As mentioned, Begg was cancelled from the 2024 Shepherds Conference. But this "separation" does not actually follow the various formulas of separation found in the NT. Scripture explains why and how to separate, all over the place, including 2 Cor 6:14-7:1; 1 Cor 5; 2 Th 3; 2 Tim 2, 3 and 4; Ti 3; 1 Tim 6; Matt 7; 2 Jn; 3 Jn; etc), a subject we cover in some detail here: The Biblical Doctrine of Separation and Unscriptural Forms of Separation. Scripture explains that a church can and will keep or preserve biblical doctrine and practice through true Biblical separation. Without separation, false teaching and practice will profane or corrupt the true, and true doctrine and practice goes by the wayside. The false teaching and practice "leavens the whole lump" (Gal 5:9) and destroys institutions. This is an important reason why God demands not to allow false doctrine into your house nor to bid it Godspeed (2 Jn). Those who will not separate are not standing with God, and very well might not be truly born again (cf. 2 Cor 6:14-18; lined article above).
Case in point, John MacArthur, again. Christian Headlines reported: “After Begg’s comments became public, he and MacArthur talked and decided the controversy would be “an unnecessary distraction,” the spokesman said.“Pastor MacArthur’s counsel on that issue would be completely different from the counsel Alistair Begg said he gave an inquiring grandmother,” 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.” This is not biblical separation. Nowhere in God's Word is separation described or practiced in such fashion. Separation of course is right, but adherents should actually practice it according to scripture. John MacArthur and Grace Community Church do not treat it as separation. It’s a “distraction.” That’s it. This continues to show a rejection of evangelicals to actually Biblically separate. It actually fits more with a model of what people today call cancel culture. Shepherd’s Conference simply cancelled Begg, because he was a "distraction," not because they separated from him. And quite possibly it went even beyond this to actually help preserve Begg's so-called reputation. It would have been impossible for Begg to defend his postion in a discussion that likely would have occured at the conference, and all sides know that, therefore he was cancelled to save face. This is neo-evangelical "separation" for you. Its unBiblical, wickedly pragmatic, and truly reflective of their unregenerate and rebellious natures that denies the Lord that bought them (2 Pet 2:1) and turn the grace of God into a garbage can of lasciviousness (Ju 1:4) .
Concerning the subject matter, the doctrine of separation is the issue behind Begg's apostasy, and really the apostasy of all neo-evangelicalism and reformed-calvinistic theology. These people HATE separation because they hate discomfort, conflict, reproof, admonition, being exposed, and the like. They really don't like to be viewed as different. They want to fit in. They flatly and blatantly deny and reject the doctrine of separation. The word "separation" is a dirty word to them, which is why you have men like Begg (and his cheerleaders) advocating for showing "compassion" to the sinner by indulging in their sin. That is "grace" to them. The determining factor for evangelical churches on cultural issues is not Scripture. Neo-evangelicals now latch on to the definition of marriage and practice a crude, non-biblical form of separation over it. They cherry pick this one issue. Many others they give almost complete liberty to practice however people want. Scripture on the other hand is very clear that we separate from sin, error, abominations, etc, including the people behind it. Relationships are NOT more important than obedience to God's Word, REGARDLESS who the person is. Our relationship with Christ is so much greater than people, it will actually appear as hatred towards the ones that we relate to in this world, preach to, etc, such as parents, children, spouses, siblings, other family, friends, etc. Jesus said He came to divide households, not to make peace between born again believers and the lost.
"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." (Matt 10:32-39)
Unregenerate heretics and apostaes like the world over in evangelicalism and reformed Calvinism (along with the rest of Christendom, including most Baptists) do not understand how to obey a true stance for the Word of God as illustrated in these passages, because they have never exercised true repentance and faith for genuine salvation. This passage is Jesus teaching His apostles what to preach and expect as He sends them out to preach the gospel of the kingdom (Matt 10:7; Mk 3:14; Lk 9:2), which is the message of repentance (Mk 6:12; Matt 4:17), and that is tied into the sinner surrendering to Christ through losing his own life, denying self, dying to self and taking up the cross for Christ' and His gospels sake (Matt 16:24-26; Mk 8:34-38; Lk 9:23-26, 57-62; 14:25-15:32; Jn 12:24-25; etc).
Beggs refusal to suffer for the cause of Christ reflects an unregenerate nature, not only as epxressed in the above passage, but also in what the Scriptures teach on suffering:
"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 Tim 3:12)
2. Begg is Utterly Rebellious to God’s Word, Demonstrated by his Allowance of Female Leaders and Preachers in the Church.
Begg’s church (Parkside Church) has a woman, Ruth Juergemeier, in the position of Music Ministry Director. They also have women in other Director positions, though they might not provide any sort of teaching privileges over men. But they are leadership postions nevertheless, and whether that is a teaching/preaching position is neither here or there, for all female leadership positions are forbidden entirely in God's Word. Not only in the church, but also in the home and the secular arena, something we cover in this article: Should Women Ever Hold Authority Over Men? Begg is also okay with women preaching a sermon Sunday morning to his “church” (in other words, preaching to men) as long as she has been invited and given permission to do so by the pastor and is doing so “under his authority.” This is unsurprising considering the female leadership positions in his so-called church, but its ungodly and unbiblical and once again affirms him to be a heretic essentially on par with any other heretic, such as Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Ravi Zacharias, John Piper, Tim Keller, John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, James White, John Calvin, Jack Hyles, Rick Warren, Francis Chan, Augustine, Sarah Young, Hannah Whittal Smith, Warren Wiersbe, C.S. Lewis, John Hagee, John Maxwell, K.P. Yohannan and Gospel for Asia, Charles Finney, Choo Thomas, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Billy Graham, Charles Stanley, Andy Stanley, Chuck Colson, Eugene Peterson, and the list goes on and on and on.
The beliefs and actions of Alistair Begg clearly contradicts the clear mandate of women behaviour in the local church:
“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.” (1 Cor. 14:33-35).
“Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” (1 Tim. 2:11-14).
The woman is assigned a role submissive to men in the church, the more restricted setting, because of the larger, universal context: all of God’s design in creation. God made the woman different in order to fulfill her distinct role. However, innate to this role for the woman is a God-given vulnerability. She is the nurturing sex. The next verse, 1 Tim 2:15, reminds us of her special relationship to children. Verse 14 is stated as a reason for the woman’s role in the church. Adam wasn’t deceived; Eve was. The woman is especially susceptible to deceit. For that reason, she needed Adam to fulfill his role, that is, headship.
So it should go without saying — women cannot fulfill any position that puts them into authority over a man, but ungodly wolves in sheep's clothing twist and bend the Scriptures to fit their own narrative. If such women inclined to rebellion were to open a King James Bible, they would read that women are not only prohibited from being a pastor (the pastor is to be male, “the husband of one wife” - Ti 1:6) — they aren’t even permitted to speak in church (1 Tim 2:11-14, quoted above). Woman are not to hold any position of leadership over a man, since God made man the head and ruler of the woman (Eph 5:23; 1 Cor 11:3) — “he shall rule over thee” (Gen 3:16). Woman are not permitted to speak in the church, and it is a shame for them do so. They are to be under obedience to their husband, and ask him at home if they have questions (1 Cor 14:33-35, quoted above). The general priesthood and kingship of believers (1 Pet 2:9; Rev. 1:5; 5:10) in no way grants women the right to preach to an assembly of men, as this has already been expressly forbidden in 1 Cor. 14:34 and 1 Tim. 2:12.
God made men to lead and women to submit to male authority, without exception. The fall of man is what happens when men abdicate their God-given role. Families destroyed, businesses ruined, and multitudes ending up in the eternal lake of fire due to the hypocrisy and faux faith of their parents or church leaders. In order to obey God and His Word women should hold no office in civil government; should stop directing, bossing, superintending, administrating, or managing men in the workplace; should never be leading churches; should discontinue preaching to men; and should no longer challenge or moderate men in blogs and online forums.
Instead of conforming his teaching and beliefs to Scripture, especially after much public and private reproof, Begg only bore down and further defended his actions, attempting to argue that its okay to have a woman speak in a church as long as the pastor and elders approve of it. Those are the words and behaviour of a heretic, par excellence. Its not God’s Word that dictates his behaviour, but something or someone else. By all appearances, Scriptural reproof also doesn't apply to Begg, though it is the way of life for the truly saved,
"For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:" (Pr 6:23)
3. Begg is Neo-Evangelical and Emerging Church to the Core: Heretical and Ungodly and Excessively Compromised.
Though he may present as a more "conservative evangelical," he nevertheless is a neo-evangelical and emerging churcher at the very foundation, which means he is a heretic and wolf in sheep's clothing.
Begg loves the unBiblical and ungodly worldly "worship" that is so popular today, "Christian" Contemporary Music (CCM) which we expose and warn about here: Judging Music: Judging “Christian” Contemporary Music (CCM) to be Strange Fire and Unfruitful Works of Darkness and here: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM), Is It Honouring to God? and here: Christian Contemporary Music (CCM), the Soundtrack of End-Times Apostasy and here: The Incongruity of Contemporary Worship Music (CCM) and Country Music (High Valley) with God's Word.
Keith Getty from The Getty’s lead the “worship” CCM style at Allister Beggs Reformed Calvinist Parkside Church, whom we expose here: The Getty’s Deceptive and Hypocritical Stance Against Modern Worship and Other Heresies. Its rock and roll music for all intents and purposes, merely softened and toned down moderately. Begg himself is known as a rocker, so it would come as no surprise that rock and music would be entertained in the church that they dare call worshipping God or that he would associate himself with absolutely wicked and ungodly heavy metal musicians such as Alice Cooper (real name Vince Furnier), who describes his transformation into the Cooper character prior to concerts as demon possession (Alice Cooper, Concert Shots, Nov 1987, p. 10). Not only associate, but actually have Cooper in church, comfortable and treated as a true Christian, even giving him the pulpit to share his testimony (in July 2019), a man who has never dissociated himself from rock and roll or heavy metal music! Preposterous! Rather than hosting the heavy metaller longhaired Cooper, Begg should have reproved him for his association with and love for the vile world of rock and roll, and also his false profession, but the day that would happen in these man-centred man-appeasing “evangelical” and “reformed” hodge-podge heretical "churches."
Begg, like the rest of the Reformed Calvinist world, don’t separate themselves from the world and the culture of the world (as further noted in the first point), which actually condemns them as unsaved hypocrites (1 Jn 2:15-17; Jam 4:4), NOT true believers that are conformed to the world.
1 Jn 2:15,
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."
Not. In. Him. When someone is absent of the Father's love, that person is very clearly unsaved, because all true born again believers are never separated from the Father's love (Rom 8:35-39; etc), nor do they ever stop loving the Father. They are like the unregenerate and hypocritical Pharisees to whom Jesus said, "But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you." (Jn 5:42).
Jam 4:4 further exposes the true nature of professing believers who are friends of the world:
"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."
There is no greater condemnation for an unsaved person (who in his natural, carnal estate befriends and loves the world) than pretending to belong to Him, while yet unconverted, as the people being described here in Jam 4:4, and further illustrated in places such as Rev 3:14-18, the unregenerate members of the Laodicean church. Satan is called God's enemy, and all unsaved people are the children of the devil (1 Jn 3:10). They are God's enemy. He says they are His enemy, NOT friend, which is the case of all true born again believers (Jn 15:14; Jam 2:23).
Their allegiance to confounding the sexes and immodesty also pronounces them as lovers of the world. (Just to be clear, yes we can judge someone to be unsaved). Sure, sometimes saved people are misled and their lives conform to the world, especially new believers, but its temporal, not permanent. Their inherent desire and will is to conform their lives to the Word of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, and that will absolutely bring about a change of appearance. Frequently the CCM musicians that perform for heretics like Alistair Begg are not only dressed gender indistinctively, but also sensually and immodestly, which has no place in Christian worship and represents a natural heart driven by the only thing it knows: the flesh (1 Cor 2:14-3:3; Rom 8:1-9). Reformed Calvinists and Neo-Evangelicals, like majority of “Christians” today, consider this of little consequence, but it is a clear biblical issue, and in fact a gospel issue, covered in our report on Immodesty and Transgenderism. It’s tied into salvation because as we think in our heart, so are we, and true born again believers worship God "in spirit and in truth" (Jn 4:23-24), not in the carnal flesh and error. Good fruit comes from a good tree, corrupt fruit from a corrupt tree (Matt 7:15-20), "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." (Matt 7:20).
Let us make something very clear. Just because someone speaks or writes pious words about Jesus and the Bible and Christianity, does not make them a true born again Christian. We know whether someone is a true born again believer for the following reasons, though this is by no means an exhaustive list: (1) a true Biblical testimony of salvation that immediately resulted in a new creature in Christ Jesus, (2) true, Biblical good fruit, (3) fulfilling the proof and evidence of salvation, which has no difficulty or grief to it (1 Jn 5:2-3), as detailed in Scripture, especially 1 John and James, wherein at the top sits the next reason, (4) obedience to all of Scripture, God's words and commandments, reading and observing and keeping them, (5) living and growing in holiness, godliness, and righteousness, (6) true spiritual discernment that discerns between truth and error, clean and unclean, that understands the deep things of Scripture, (7) embraces sound doctrine, and true teachers, while separating from false doctrine and false teachers, etc. Read more here: Evidence of Salvation in John's Epistle’s and here: A Profession of Faith that Doesn't Produce Fruit is False.
4. Begg Loves Roman Catholicism, Catholics, and Promotes the False Idolatrous and Blasphemous System.
In a sermon preached on Sept 30, 2019, Begg claimed Brother Lawrence (1614-1691), whose real name was Nicolas Herman, to be our example, that is, a man worthy to be exemplified as an obedient Christ (sermon "True Friendship"). As Begg speaks on friendship with Christ being not just a doctrinal truth of objective, forensic position, but also experiential, he quotes Jn 15:14 which reads, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you,” and then goes on to refer to several authors who wrote about obeying Jesus, starting with our person of interest here,
“If you read the writing, for example, of Brother Lawrence in 'The Practice of the Presence of God,' and you say, now this is an inkling of what’s involved here.”
In other words, Begg is extolling Lawrence as an obedient Christian who was a friend of God Who exactly was "Brother Lawrence"? Lawrence, aka Nicolas Herman, was an unordained lay member of the Roman Catholic Discalced Carmelite religious order who resided at a monastery in Paris, thus a Carmelite monk. He lived his entire life as a faithful Roman Catholic and fully adhered to his church’s false gospel of salvation by sacramental and works-grace and merit. He also purveyed contemplative mysticism (which has made him popular among neo-evangelicals and others) and embraced the truckloads of heresies that define that Roman Catholic Church. His popular book “The Practice of the Presence of God,” purveys his Catholic-based legalistic and anti-Gospel beliefs and religious practices, including contemplative spirituality. Yet none of that deterred Begg from positively quoting and extolling the writings of a committed Roman Catholic and mystic from the pulpit as an exemplary resource on Christian obedience. Obviously Begg must believe that Lawrence was a genuine Christian because of his pious religious prose. What does this then say of Begg? The conclusion is obvious: Begg is a heretic and apostate just like Lawrence, only presenting in a slightly diverse manner. But not that far off, since Begg is a committed TULIP-Calvinist, which stems from the Catholicism and Agnosticism of Augustine.
Begg also references and promotes the Catholic and apostate C.S. Lewis in his sermons frequently, holding him to practically a form of hero worship, which reveals that Begg lacks all true spiritual discernment which enables a person to differentiate between truth and error and take a stand against that which contradicts truth, which is void because he is absent of the indwelling Spirit of God.
Another one, even worse, is the heretic Roman Catholic G.K. Chesterton, who is quoted and referred to favourably by Begg on many occasions from the pulpit. Quoting Lewis is bad, but quoting Chesterton is extremely bad, like apostate bad.
Ecumenical accommodation and compromise are rampant in the lives of neo-evangelicals and reformed calvinists world over, and that includes Alistair Begg. There’s obviously more than ignorance and carelessness at work here, not only evident from this example, but also the next and then the following point on Begg's ungodly ecumenical tendencies.
The practice of recommending heretics from the pulpit, something extremely common and normal among neo-evangelicals and Reformed Calvinists, and others, heard weekly from the pulpit (illustrated in one sermon, point # 7, lots of name as far reaching effects and consequences, further entrenching the unregenerate nature of many of their listeners, into their two-fold children of hell position. The fact that such dangers do not enter or exit the brain of Begg and comrades, reflects how far gone he (and they) really is from the truth, truly a false teacher that turns back to the crap and vomit of the pig and dog (2 Pet 2:17-22).
Begg, like virtually all other mainstream evangelicals and reformed calvinists, is spiritually blind. There could be no other explanation for this radical dichotomy he, and they, uphold.
5. Other Ecumenical Endeavours by Begg.
It's hard to keep an ecumenical heretic down. They have restless leg and tongue syndrome and must always be on the move, building bridges, creating coalitions, expanding pew warmers, magnifying the coffers, increasing the "likes" on social media, wagging the tongue, and so on. 'If you aren't progressing, you're stagnating,' is the cry of the world's choir, and vast majority of neo-evangelicalism/ reformed Calvinism, who are totally joined in union with the world. Unsurprisingly, one of the many heresies that TGC promotes is unscriptural ecumenical “unity.” They love their fake unity while hating God's doctrine of separation. They deny, reject and hate separation, but even the most wild-eyed ecumenist heretic practices separation, though he will likely not admit it. He will certainly not teach it as a doctrine or admit to practicing it, yet would never preach, promote, or recommend us at 20/20, what we do, say, or write. He is in practice separating from us. However, if I am willing to compromise what I believe, then he might change his mind. But they don’t practice biblical separation, more along the lines of giving you the cold shoulder, which is very similar to the so-called "cancel-culture" today. You’ve got to be willing to compromise to get along with these heretical rejectors of God's Word.
Besides Roman Catholicism, Begg associates with and fellowships with and preaches with practically anybody. That is normal in the world of Neo-evangelicalism, where popularity, wealth, and influence is more important than the truth of Scripture, and obedience thereto.
Begg preaches at heretical schools such as Truett Seminary (alongside the heretical social justice warrior Beth Moore and other apostates such as Tony Evans). In Nov 2019, he spoke at the exceedingly heretical and ungodly Baylor University’s National Preaching Conference with, among others, Beth Moore again, who has “visions” of ecumenical unity, promotes Roman Catholic contemplative prayer, advances a severely perverted and false gospel, and rails on those who believe that she is not authorized to preach God’s Word to men, among a truck load of other heresies. Baylor has been a hotbed of heresy since the 1920s, when Samuel Dow taught evolution there. In 2010, the Fantastical Church Music Conference at Baylor featured the apostate Rob Bell, who holds a false gospel and a false christ and denies the fire of hell, among a truckload of other heresy. Bell’s God is “a force, an energy, a being calling out to us in many languages, using a variety of methods and events” (Love Wins). Bell’s “christ” doesn’t even state that those coming to the Father through him will even know that they are coming exclusively through him. He promotes a false universalist and damnable “salvation” that has one path to the eternal fires of hell: “there is one mountain, but many paths. . . . People come to Jesus in all sorts of ways . . . Sometimes people use his name; other times they don’t” (Love Wins). Evil minions of Satan like Moore and Bell are featured but that doesn’t stop ungodly compromisers such as Alistair Begg from attending that institution and thus approving of their actions.
Certainly, there is an absolute implicit approval of one with whom you engage in ministry partnership, to (especially) include sharing a pulpit. God forbid that any respectable Christian leader preach alongside Beth Moore.
In the sermon referenced in the first point, where Begg defended his approval of attending a sodomite marriage, he stated that he places himself within the British evangelicalism of John Stott, and the sermon itself relied heavily on an early book by Stott, Christ the Controversialist. John Stott however was a ravening heretic and wolf in sheep's clothing who joined hands with Roman Catholicism and aggressively promoted it, joined the Evangelical-Roman Catholic Dialogue on Mission in Venice, believed in a form of evolution, propagated the demonic doctrine that Allah of Islam and God of the Bible are one and the same (Islam and Christianity are polar opposites, a precise contrast of hell and heaven, a contrast we make here at 20/20 of Islams god [Allah] with the God of the Bible [Jehovah] and the god of this World [Satan]), purveyed a false gospel as the Church of England does, rejected a literal Hell and eternal torment, believed and preached Annihilationism, denied the inerrancy of scripture, was anti-Jew/Israel, anti-Zionist and embraced Replacement Theology, among many, many more very serious sinful issues and heresies, certainly not an individual any true born again believer would have any association with (Rom 16:17-18). Period.
In 2012 Alistair Begg was scheduled to speak at The Reimagine Conference hosted by the CCCA (Christian Camp and Conference Association), which would also feature the absolutely ungodly and heretical new ager and mystic proponent, Leonard Sweet. After Lighthouse Trails Research Project spoke to Begg’s office about the spirituality of Leonard Sweet, Begg would end up withdrawing from the conference. According to Begg's assistance, he "respectfully asked to be removed as one of the speakers" after "prayerful consideration." Though it is good that he withdrew from the unBiblical conference but a few massive issues loom as elephants in the room. (1) Why did Begg have to "prayerfully consider" to withdraw, when Scripture already makes it plainly, abundantly, crystal clear?? (i.e. Eph 5:11; 1 Jn 4:1-6; 2 Jn 2:11; Rom 16:17; 1 Tim 6:3-5; 2 Tim 4:3-4). Why did he have to "respectfully" ask to be removed from a heretical conference? What a compromised heretic, certaintly the type God will puke out of His mouth (Rev 3:14-18). Why not sharply reprove the conference for there heresy and apostasy, which is obvious based upon their Sweet invite?! The entire conference in fact is beyond heretical, loaded with doctrines of devils and unfruitful works of darkness, but Begg the Begger had to make sure he remained respectful in his withdrawal. The gates of hell slam wide open in the anticipated reunion of these wicked, compromised false teachers. (2) Why did Begg not make it plainly clear to all the reason why he withdrew? He told people that he withdrew but as far as we know he did not actually publicly take a stand for the truth of Scripture and explain why. Thus, the entire theatrical show was just that, likely playing to the majorities disproval, even though he himself never disapproved. Its called man-centred politics and its another big bulls eye to the true nature of wicked deceivers like Begg. (3) This point buttresses the previous. Why was he ever signed up to begin with? Why did he accept an invitation? Obviously he had no issue, and only public outcry made him retreat. Moving forward a decade, the same cannot be said of his approval for sodomy and transgenderism. He has hardened his heart and stiffened his neck, evident by his words "I’m not ready to repent over this. I don’t have to,” in a sermon defending his actions. And so it is with false believers/teachers.
God is not a God of confusion (1 Cor 14:33). Does scripture give the guidelines necessary for biblical separation? It absolutely does. Neo-evangelicalism and even fundamentalism offer confusion.
6. The False Gospel of Begg.
It sickens me to nauseous levels seeing people approving of this man and his trivialization of the gospel. Many have posted on social media an excerpt from a sermon, preached on Nov 20, 2019 (I believe), which Begg also posted on his own social media under Truth for Life with Alistair Begg at a latter date, which went beyond the shallow and into the realm of a false gospel and heresy and serious liberty at the anecdotal. The hypothetical dialogue of the thief and Begg derived from the reformed corrupted mentality of Begg will never occur. It doesn’t exist. As if saved people believe in a works gospel, or the thief on the cross didn’t know he was saved or that he was confused on how he got to heaven, or all the hypotheticals and anecdotal additions to scripture blasted in this excerpt.
“Without preaching the cross to ourselves all day and everyday, we will very, very quickly revert to faith plus works as the grounds of our salvation. So that to go to the old Fort Lauderdale question, 'If you were to die tonight and you were getting entry into heaven, what would you say?' If you answer that and if I answer it in the first person, we've immediately gone wrong. 'Because I believed,' 'Because I have faith,' 'Because I am this,' 'Because I am continuing" Answer is in the third person."
"Think about the thief on the cross. I can’t wait to find that fellow one day to ask him, how did that shake out for you? Because you were cussing the guy out with your friend, you've never been in a bible study. You never got baptized. You didn't know a thing about church membership, And yet you made it. You made it. How did you make it? Thats what the angels must have said—you know, like, 'What are you doing here?' 'Well, 'cause I don't know.'' What do you mean you don't know?' 'Because I don't know!' 'Excuse me, let me get my supervisor.' They go get the supervisor Angel: 'So, we’ve just a few questions for you. First of all, are you clear on the doctrine of justification by faith?' The guy says, 'I’ve never heard of it in my life.' 'And what about… Let’s just go to the doctrine of Scripture immediately.' This guy’s just staring. And eventually, in frustration, he says, 'On what basis are you here?' And he said, 'The man on the middle cross said I can come.' Now, that is the only answer. . . . And if I don’t preach the gospel to myself all day and every day, then I will find myself beginning to trust myself, trust my experience, which is part of my fallenness as a man. If I take my eyes off the cross, I can then give only lip service to its efficacy while at the same time living as if my salvation depends upon me. And as soon as you go there, it will lead you either to abject despair or a horrible kind of arrogance."
Wow. Just. Wow. Besides the use of modern perverted versions of Scripture (i.e., NIV, ESV, NKJV), and besides the wretched propagation of unregenerate heretics and apostates such as Billy Graham, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Augustine in this sermon, we have this 4 min stretch of sick, unsound, disgusting, ear tickling, and irreverent "preaching" that exemplifies what a heretic Begg really is. U.n.b.e.l.i.e.v.a.b.l.e. One can only imagine how bad his preaching is on a weekly basis. The false gospel, corruption of Scripture and eisegesis, taking liberty with Biblical truth, is appalling and revolting. Let us consider a few points that stand out on this ear-bleed:
(a) He claims that genuine Christian’s can easily, like the flip of a switch, revert to a false gospel of works. “Without preaching the cross to ourselves all day and everyday, we will very, very quickly revert to faith plus works as the grounds of our salvation." Wow, 🤭 That would be comical if it wasn’t so terribly and damningly serious. All day long, keep preaching to self, lest you fall away into doctrines of devils, and then what? I wonder if Begg also secretly believes that salvation can be lost. I wouldn't be shocked.
No. They. Can't. How would they? If someone is actually genuinely, truly converted, versus the placebo and faux faith of Begg and the rest of evangelicalism and reformed calvinism, there is actually ZERO chance of ever reverting back to a works gospel as the grounds of their salvation! Ever. The fact he said this reflects the great confusion that soars through the reformed mind, the serious misunderstanding of the true gospel and salvation, and what it really does in a repentant sinner. The people that occupy evangelicalism and reformed calvinism might go through this, and Begg himself likely does rather frequently by all appearances, but that would be no shock because true born again believers don't. Those in Gal 3:1-3 among the Galatians who had been bewitched over this same type of issue, were not being treated by Paul as genuine born again believers. That is why he spends the rest of that chapter preaching the gospel to them. Yes, funny how context always determines meaning. In the previous chapter Paul said those who believed or taught a false gospel were false brethren (Gal 2:4-5). People that claim to be saved but then revert back to a works gospel have never been saved at all. At. All. They have no grounds of salvation. Period.
But it's a straw man. A means to dumbify the true gospel, a subtle form of easy believism.
(b) He undermines what true salvation is, by undermining and even mocking or scorning how a person is genuinely saved and then knows that they are saved. The statements: 'Because I believed,' 'Because I have faith,' 'Because I am this,' 'Because I am continuing,' either reflect how one is saved (the two former) or how one knows they are saved (the two latter). It would not be wrong to hear those statements, though that does not mean that it is actually and genuinely true. In most cases it will not be true (e.g. Matt 7:21-23; Jn 2:23-25; 6:66). Their faith could be feigned, fake or faux, like Begg's and most of the reformed calvinistic/evangelical world, so their belief and faith is dead (Jam 2:14-19), not genuine for any of a number of reasons, most importantly a lack of true genuine repentance, or a lack of understanding what true salvation really is and how it comes about. The latter, the consequence of the perverted gospel that reformed calvinism pushes, which starts with the heresy of monergism, the calvinist version of being born again before you are born again, a subject that we cover here: Does Regeneration (Monergism) Precede Salvation, as Calvinism Supposes?
(c) Apparently the thief on the cross upon entering heaven says, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing here.’ What?!? Man, the world of reformed theologians, calvinists and neo-evangelical is twisted and shallow and corrupt, and most evangullibles chew it up like hungry little pirañas. Wheres the discernment? It doesn’t exist. Gone out the window long time ago. The Bible actually very clearly tells us that when someone is genuinely converted to Christ, they actually know they are truly converted. They know they have been justified. The thief on the cross knew that because it happened to him. He didn’t get into heaven by accident. He didn’t stumble into heaven disorientated. He knows exactly how he got there, and why he got there. It wasn't a lucky dip in a cereal box. He truly, genuinely repented and surrendered to Christ and Christ saved and redeemed him, which is miles more than the hypothetical hypothesis and hocus-pocus pulled out of thin air by this monergism degenerate reformed Calvinist who may be reformed but certainly not transformed.
(d) Begg can’t wait “to ask him. How did that shake out for you?” Wow. The ambitions of a Begg[er]. So very sweet. We actually already see how it shooked out for him, Mr. Begger. He repented. Can you see it there in Lk 23? O you can't, how sad and depressing. Maybe open a KJV, and you just start getting a bit of wisdom and understanding. Here might be a good place for you to start reading, that is once you get over the poisoned corn flakes that your bed buddy James Whiteface has been feeding your camp. By the way, if your feelings are completely shattered, you can fill out our Hurt Feelings Report and email it to yourself.
The heretic completely misses the boat on what it means to be saved or how to be saved. When a preacher says or has to ask, "And yet you made it. You made it. How did you make it?" in spite of the Scriptures being blatantly plain on how he "made it," especially when one rightly divided the word of truth, though Lk 23 alone tells us quite clearly, you know you have a very, very serious problem. Begg doesn't know or understand simple to understand Scripture, nor does he understand that salvation is always the same, beginning with the working of the Holy Spirit in convicting/reproving of sin and judgment and righteousness, and drawing sinners to God, and then granting repentance, and thereafter regenerating the truly saved who genuinely repented and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel of salvation in a nutshell, and its never been different in any age, from the day of Adam, till the end of the Millennial kingdom. Salvation Has Never Changed — Justification Has Always Been through Repentant Faith, by God's Grace. But Begg wouldn’t know that because he’s believed a lie and embraced the damnable heresies of Calvinism’s unbiblical Monergism and TULIP vs the truth of God's Word.
This is precisely what the crucified thief did. He genuinely acknowledged his sinful nature and fear of God, contrasting his wicked and sinfulself to the perfect and innocent Son of God, the perfect standard of God and his glory ("Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss" Lk 23:40-41), and turned from his sins and from himself to the Lord to save him ("And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: . . . And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom" Lk 23:41-42), which further gave acknowledgement that Jesus was God ("Lord" and "thy kingdom") and that He alone could save him. Christ did save him and gave him eternal life ("And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." Lk 23:43). Its "shaken out for him" in the same fashion it does for all other truly converted believers. They know it too. But Mr. Begger with his "gospel" coalition, doesn't know. He just cant't wait to ask him. Oh dear, I don't think you'll have that opportunity Mr. Heretic, because you are going to a very different place than the thief on the cross, and there is a great gulf that is impassable. When, or rather if, you get truly and genuinely converted to Christ, then that meeting appointment would change. I won't hold my breath. You are a purposeful false teacher in love with yourself and your own voice and intellect and accomplishments, a wolf in sheep's clothing, and the plausibility for such to genuinely repent, not only of your sin and self but also your truckloads of false teachings and corruptions of Scripture and for his misleading innumerable people into the eternal fires of hell, is next to impossible. Its easier for a camel to walk through the eye of a needle. The sheer pride and lack of genuine humility before God and man, puts a big dagger into such ambitions. Pr 1:20-32 speaks to the dire situation of those who reject the convicting work of God, and in these passages we don't even get the indication that they are false teachers, which would be inexpressibly worse. But we do have a text of Scripture that specifically speaks to false teachers, and that is 2 Pet 2:17-22. There Peter says,
"For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." (vv. 21-22)
(e) I wonder how the amazing Begg knows that this man never attended a “Bible study” or a “church”? We know nothing about the man, yet Begg preaches anecdotal conjecture as if its Biblical gospel truth. Its actually a very serious case of eisegesis. Reformed-Calvinists and Neo-evangelicals are masters at eisegesis (though they boisterously claim to preach exegetically, that they are masters of the exegesis race, which is in fact a total farce--they are masters of scripture perversion and eisegesis), but its not of God and reveals a very serious and dark spiritual problem. I guess in the world of reformed calvinists where critical Biblical doctrine is rejected; heretical doctrine is embraced; sound doctrine is slighted (like what Begg did here); the gospel is corrupted (also what Begg did); and blasphemous, treasonous “Bible” perversions are exploited (Begg, check mark), one shouldn’t expect anything else. Its scripted behaviour (cf. 2 Tim 3:5-9).
(f) Begg's irreverence and lack of fear of God is absolutely appalling and vile, coming forth when he speaks about "the guy," which is “The man on the middle of the cross,” both, obviously referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. The repentant thief called Him God — “Lord” (Lk 23:42), NOT simply "guy" or "man." He wasn’t just a "guy" or a “man on the middle cross”! Unbelievable. This wicked blasphemer should be disqualified from the pastoral office on this point alone, never mind everything else here in this report, or even in this heretical sermon.
This is certainly not "Truth for Life"! It is heresy that damns souls to hell.
(g) He slights sound doctrine and the necessity to preach the gospel deeply and thoroughly and sufficiently so that people are learned in the gospel and that they may become true disciples of Christ, which is being genuinely converted. What he is pushing is a feelings-based, emotion-driven, form of easy believism, meant to ink a mark upon people to grow his popularity. Begg is not truly interested in furthering the glory of God, but for the accolades and exaltations of man.
(h) Worse, the whole concept of having to continuously preach the gospel to self all day long lest I fall back into a works gospel, is truly a form of bondage and works gospel. Where does the Bible even remotely hint at such an idea possible? What he is saying it won't do, is exactly what it is doing. Keeping unsaved people in their bondage by repeating a mantra all day long. Kinda like their 7-11 CCM music.
Begg is good example of a Satanic "minister of righteousness" (2 Cor 11:12-15). He fulfills what Paul said in 2 Cor 4:2 true ministers don't. He hasn't "renounced the hidden things of dishonesty," he hasn't stopped "walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully;" and has not "by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." This is what men like Begg do, they are dishonest, crafty and deceitful, and do not manifest the truth because they have no fear of God, in the sight of God. Its not Christ's glory that drives him but his own belly (Rom 16:17-18). In this manner, he is exactly like his master and overlord, John Calvin and Augustine of Hippo, two very ungodly, wicked wolves in sheep's clothing, whom we have linked previously in this report.
This short excerpt on its own in more ways than one portrays Begg as the ravening wolf that he really is, one who doesn’t actually understand what true salvation is or does. Begg doesn't seem to have a clue. He appears to be perhaps absent of any fear of God and unable to understand basic scriptural truths, while pushing man-centred, man-glorifying, man-exalting sermons. This is the natural consequence of pushing a Calvinist TULIP false gospel, which will bring about great confusion and increased heresy. Yes, the TULIP is a false gospel, for a lot of reason, some of which is covered here: Trampling Calvinism’s TULIP.
2 Jn 1:9-11 warns,
“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”
Alistair Begg does not come with the doctrine of Christ.
7. Begg is a Reformed Theologian and Calvinist.
The heart of this man and his “church” is completely indoctrinated into Reformed “Theology.” The following articles cover some of the many serious issues and docrtinal corruptions in Calvinism and Reformed "Theology."
They say they love doctrine, but teach unsound doctrine and blatant heresy, neither do they separate from heresy but rather yoke with such. Reformed Calvinism is not biblically sound by any stretch. It is unsound doctrine and fables that scratch’s itching ears (2 Tim. 4:3-4). It is heresy birthed upon the ungodly and heretical unsaved “Church Fathers” such as Augustine, Ignatius, Irenaeus, and Chrysostom and the “Protestant Fathers” such as John Calvin, Martin Luther, and Zwingli, and embraces Protestantism with all its heresies, the Puritans, and infant baptism. It is a path to doctrines of devils such as “Replacement Theology” (the church is Israel) which is major apostasy and immediately revealing of a unsaved false pretender. To embrace this horrible heresy requires a rejection of at least a third of the Bible. It is also a path to the doctrine of devils "Amillennialism," thus a rejection of Christ’s return to establish a millennial kingdom, which further exposes their hypocritical unregenerate condition since every true blood-bought grace-saved born-again saint of God knows the truth and understands the truth (1 Jn. 2:20-21, 27) and doesn’t embrace blatant heresy and wicked doctrine and is always looking for the return of Christ and for the time period known as the millennial kingdom (1 Th. 1:9-10; 4:13-5:11; 1 Cor. 1:6-7; Rev 20). What is also very prevalent among reformed Calvinism, along with practically all religious Christian cults, including many of the Mennonites, are the heresies of Amillennialism and Replacement Theology and Allegoricalism (spiritualizing of Scripture) and Rejection of the Pre-Millennial Return of Christ, which clearly purveys unregeneracy and hypocrisy concerning their spirituality, since true born again believers do not embrace blatant heretical lies and false teachings, or at the very least abhor such travesties when the truth is revealed to them.
Conclusion
Alistair Begg is a well groomed politician and agent of the Antichrist. This is who he really is. The points above, though much more could be added undoubtedly, are more than sufficient to mark (Rom 16:17; 2 Tim 3:8-9) Begg as a heretic (Ti 3:10-11) and false teacher who denies the Lord that bought him (2 Pet 2:1), and makes merchandise of the people, and thus “many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” (2 Pet 2:2-3). The Bible doesn’t give any sort of credence or allowance to endorse, promote or propagate the works of false teachers. It tells us to do the very opposite, as we read in Rom 16:17-18; Eph 5:11; Ti 1:11-16; 2 Tim 3:8-9; 4:1-4; 2 Jn 1:9-11; etc. The potential destructive effects of heresy and false teachers cannot be overstated, and its sinful to promote such men and their heresies and shallow, corrupted views of Scripture.
Clearly Begg and his congregation are living in blatant disobedience to God’s Word and teaching contrary to Scripture, and of such John says, they have not the truth, and lie about knowing God (1 Jn. 2:3-5).
Begg and the rest of the TGC and neo-reformed Calvinist world are heretics and false teachers. They are to be marked and avoided because they are false teachers serving their bellies and by their good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple (Rom 16:17-18). More and more are showing their true colours, especially over modern cultural immorality and other issues, but long before that we can know whether they are true teachers or false teachers by the doctrine they teach and their handling of Scripture (Rom 16:17-18; 2 Jn 1:9-11). And that is more than enough.
The destructive effects of heresy and false teachers cannot be overstated, and its sinful to promote such men and their heresies and shallow, corrupted views of Scripture. God the Son commands flight from the voice of strangers,
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers." (Jn 10:1-15)
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