You know, folks, as we go through the Bible, chapter by chapter and verse by verse, we discover that God wants His people to have a strong foundation in His truth. I’ve always believed in, just teaching the Word of God simply, letting the Holy Spirit speak through the Scriptures. That’s the heart of our Calvary Chapel-style ministry.
When I look around Scotland and see what churches are using to reach people, I have to be honest with you, and it grieves me deeply.
I see a church heavily involved in the Alpha Course. I usually know it’s not the place for solid, Bible-centered teaching. Not because everything in it is bad, God can use many things, but because it often leads to a weaker, more experience-focused kind of Christianity that moves away from the clear teaching of the Bible.
What the Alpha Course Is
The Alpha Course began back in the late 1970s at Holy Trinity Brompton in London. It’s a ten or eleven-week program with meals, short talks or videos, and small-group discussions. There’s usually a special weekend or day focused on the Holy Spirit. It’s very friendly, well-produced, and has been used by millions of people around the world, including here in Scotland.
Now, reaching people for Jesus is wonderful. But we have to test everything by the Word of God.
The Main Problems I See (Tested by Scripture)
Here are the key concerns that line up with what solid Bible teachers like the late Rev. John Greer and the late Dr Alan Cairns (Free Presbyterian Church) have pointed out.
- Unscriptural Approach to Ministry
Alpha presents Christianity as something we “explore” together in a relaxed, discussion-style way. But the church isn’t called to sit around exploring truth like we’re all trying to figure it out.
We’re called to proclaim the Word that God has already given us.
2 Timothy 4:2 (NKJV): “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”
The Holy Spirit weekend often encourages people to seek tongues or strong emotional experiences as a sign of being filled with the Spirit.
But that’s not the main work of the Holy Spirit according to the Bible.
John 16:8 “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”
The Holy Spirit convicts of sin and points us to Jesus, not mainly to feelings or manifestations.
- Weak Teaching on Sin, God’s Holiness, and the Cross
In Alpha, sin is often described as “messing up our lives” or being a bit tarnished.
But the Bible paints a much clearer picture.
Romans 3:10, 23 “There is none righteous, no, not one… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death…” Alpha presents the cross more as a great demonstration of love than as Jesus taking the full wrath of God in our place.
2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Isaiah 53:5-6 “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities… and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
- Strong Ecumenical Spirit
Alpha works very comfortably with Roman Catholic churches and doesn’t say anything that would contradict their doctrines.
It avoids warning about false teaching or calling people out of systems that deny justification by faith alone. Jude 3-4 “…exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed…”
Real love for people includes warning them when something is pulling them away from the pure gospel (see also Galatians 1:6-9 and 1 John 4:1).
- Risk of False Assurance
Some who go through the Alpha Holy Spirit weekend say things like, “I felt overwhelming joy,” “I started laughing uncontrollably,” or “I spoke in tongues - now I know I’m saved.”
While the Bible does mention tongues, the danger is when people base their assurance on emotional experiences rather than genuine repentance and faith in what Jesus did on the cross.
True conversion comes when the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, and we trust in Christ alone.
A Much Better Alternative: Christianity Explored
When I see a church using Christianity Explored, I feel much better about it and give a fist pump.
It simply walks people through the Gospel of Mark, letting the Scripture speak for itself.
It deals more clearly with sin, repentance, the cost of following Jesus, and the real meaning of the cross.
There’s less emphasis on dramatic experiences and more on the solid teaching of God’s Word.
It has a simpler, more expositional feel that lines up with going through the Bible verse by verse.
My Simple Advice for Scottish Believers
Test everything by the Bible (Isaiah 8:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:21). If a church makes the Alpha Course its main tool for outreach or discipling, be careful. Ask yourself: How clearly are they teaching the holiness of God, the seriousness of sin, and the finished work of Christ on the cross?
Look for churches that teach straight through the Bible, book by book and chapter by chapter. That’s where real growth happens.
For reaching the lost, Christianity Explored or just opening the Gospels together and letting Jesus speak is far better.
I share this with a heavy heart but out of love for the truth and for souls. Scotland needs the pure, uncompromised Word of God more than ever. We must “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).
If you’ve been involved in Alpha and the Lord has been speaking to your heart about these things, come away from it gently but firmly. Get back into the Word. God will use you powerfully when your foundation is built solidly on the Scriptures.
I’m happy to share more Bible verses or talk about any of this or even a Bible study together, either here in Helensburgh or Glasgow.
May the Lord give us all a love for His infallible Word and a heart to teach it simply and clearly.
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