April 21, 2012

Alistair Begg and Calvary Chapel

While I do not personally know Alistair Begg I do know quite a bit about what he
believes and teaches. In widely circulated articles, books, audio/video messages
(etc.), Begg speaks clearly, not only about what he believes and teaches but why he
believes and teaches it. In addition to what he has written and spoken, his
association with (and in some cases leadership of) various Reformed ministries and
organizations, Begg makes clear that he is unashamedly Reformed in his
soteriology (i.e., in his view of who can be saved and why). To me, the word
Reformed is not a pejorative but simply a fair and accurate designation of a
particular theological leaning or interpretation of Scripture. Begg is not only clear
but interesting, engaging and frankly, just about as good a speaker as one can find.
Begg is not only greatly appreciated by a large so-called lay audience, including
those in his own very large church, but is also respected among many scholars and
theologians both inside and outside the Reformed community.

There are many things that Begg believes and teaches unrelated to Reformed
soteriology that I (along with many other non-Reformed Evangelicals) whole-
heartedly agree with. Moreover, while I do not know Begg I know people who do
and they assure me that he is a good and godly Christian man and I do not doubt
this assessment for a moment. While Begg may speak at conferences related to the
Calvary Chapel movement and even in Calvary Chapel churches, Begg could
never be a pastor of a Calvary Chapel church, unless Calvary Chapel became
Reformed or Begg renounced his Reformed soteriology. I point this out only
because some young or new Calvary Chapel pastors (who seemed to be leaning
Reformed in their soteriology) are asking; if Reformed soteriology is not
compatible with Calvary Chapel, why is Begg speaking at Calvary Chapel
conferences and in Calvary Chapel churches? While Begg speaks to some Calvary
Chapel audiences, he never teaches a Reformed soteriology when he does. I
suspect that if he did, it would be his last invitation to a Calvary Chapel conference
or church. While his doctrine of salvation may be one of the most important of all
subject matters to him, he does have other topics to talk about. Some Reformed
leaning pastors are saying we should allow Calvary Chapel pastors to be Reformed
in their soteriology for two reasons.
 1. It is argued that the difference between Reformed soteriology and non-
Reformed soteriology, especially when expressed in what is called neo-
Calvinism, is not that great. The fact is, the difference could hardly be more
important and more pronounced, as is evidenced by the fact that no non-
Reformed pastor is allowed to pastor in a Reformed church or in an
association of Reformed churches.
2. It is also argued that a Calvary Chapel church should not be closed to
Calvinist pastors because ones view of who can be saved and why is a
secondary and not a primary or central issue. Of course, no Reformed church
or association of churches argue this way because they know that allowing
non-Reformed pastors into their Reformed churches would create division,
lead to a lot of confusion within that Reformed church or association of
churches.

The only people that argue this way are extremely nave or people who would
like to see Calvary Chapel go Reformed. I have never even heard of a Calvinist
in a Calvinist church or association of churches say that ones view of who can
be saved and why, are secondary issues and should be ignored as far as
affiliation is concerned. It is also interesting that once a church leader or the
church leadership goes Reformed they exclude the non-Reformed from
preaching and teaching soteriology in the now Reformed church. So what is that
Begg believes and teaches versus what Calvary Chapel pastors believe and
teach (or say they believe and teach) about who can be saved and why?

THE REFORMED DOCTRINES OF GRACE

According to Alistair Begg, Mark Driscoll, J.I. Packer, Tim Keller, Wayne
Grudem, Al Mohler, C.J. Mahaney, John MacArthur Jr., R.C. Sproul Sr., Francis
Chan, David Platt and most all (if not all) mainstream Calvinists say that the
Reformed doctrines of grace insists that:

1. Regeneration precedes and produces saving faith in Christ. Only those

unconditionally elected for salvation can and will be born again. All of the
elect will be regenerated.
 2. God unconditionally elected to save some lost sinners and not all lost
sinners. Only the elect will (or even can) be saved. All of the elect will be
saved. None of the non-elect can be saved.

3. Christ did not die for all the sins of all sinners and in fact He did not die for
any of the sins of many sinners. For the elect and only the elect Christ died
for their sins. That is, Christ only died savingly, redemptively or propitiously
for the elect.

4. Only the elect are inwardly, effectively, efficaciously, or irresistibly called to

saving faith in Christ. To the non-elect, a Gospel proclamation is necessarily
waters on a ducks back or totally ineffective.

5. All of the elect will persevere in faith and righteousness unto the end, and
no one can be absolutely certain they are one of the elect until they have
persevered in faith and holiness to the end. And only after the final judgment
is it possible to know for sure that the faith and righteousness someone is
persevering in, is in fact the true faith and righteousness one need to
persevere in (to the end) to be saved.

THE BIBLICAL DOCTRINES OF GRACE

According to Chuck Smith, Skip Heitzig, Bob Coy, Greg Laurie, Damian Kyle,
Sandy Adams, David Guzik, Raul Reis, Joe Focht, Mike McIntosh and Wayne
Taylor and (by definition and affirmation) all CC senior pastors (as well as all
other mainstream non-Reformed Orthodox Evangelicals) agree that the Biblical
doctrines of grace say that:

1. Saving faith in Christ always and immediately results in regeneration and

any and all lost sinners can believe in Christ and be born again (Jn. 1: 10-13,
20: 30-31).
2. God desires all men to be saved and has determined that all can and will be
saved on condition they believe in Jesus Christ (Jn. 3: 15-18, 1 Tim. 2: 3-4,
Acts 16: 27-31).

3. Christ died savingly, redemptively, or propitiously for all the sins of all
sinners (1 Jn. 2: 2, 2 Cor. 5: 14-15).

4. God calls all lost sinners to a saving faith in Jesus Christ through a Gospel
proclamation and by believing the Gospel all lost sinners can and will be
saved (Rom. 1: 16, 1 Cor. 15: 1-3).

5. All those who believe in Jesus Christ and are thus saved (regenerated and
justified) are called to live a life to please, honor, and glorify the Lord and
that living this life (although possible for and expected of the believer) is not
automatic or inevitable for the believer (Rom. 12: 1-2, Eph. 4: 1-3, 2 Pet. 1:
1-10).

Begg is way too sharp of a theologian not to know that these two views of who
can be saved and why, are not compatible. Begg is way too sharp to think that
why some are saved and others are not is not a very big deal or that it is a
secondary issue. The only time a Calvinist might say that this is a secondary
issue is when he is still trying to get a foot in the door. Once in, the so-called
secondary issue becomes the most important of all issues to the Reformed. So
important, that if you do not agree with his Reformed soteriology, the non-
Reformed will be forbidden to teach soteriology or be given the left foot of
fellowship if he does. I would be shocked to discover that Begg would ever try
to teach his Reformed doctrine of salvation to a Calvary Chapel audience. I
would be even more shocked to discover that someone holding to a non-
Reformed soteriology would be allowed to teach his non-Reformed doctrine of
salvation in the church of which Begg is the pastor.