We feel compelled to make our position clear to our SermonAudio audience regarding the issue of Billy Graham with the understanding that we must respectfully disagree with some of our closest brethren and personal friends. There is no denying that Dr. Graham had a towering influence in Christendom in our generation and we certainly join our voice in thanksgiving to God for every soul genuinely won to Christ through his ministry. We know of many whose lives have been affected for good and there is no minimizing it or denying it. Having said that, it is nevertheless important to us to set forward the following concern and caution.

We do not wish to caricature a man’s entire ministry based on a few short clips. So regardless of how Dr. Graham may have misspoke on various occasions, whether it was in the interview with Robert Schuller or David Frost, the most substantial concern and caution we have with Dr. Graham’s overarching ministry was his consistent pattern of cooperation with the Roman Catholic Church in his evangelistic campaigns from the earliest years and his deliberate attempts to remove the walls between Evangelicalism and Catholicism erected by the 16th century Reformers. It is on this one particular issue that we would offer our strongest word of caution. Despite Dr. Graham’s praise for the Roman Catholic Pope as “one of the greatest moral and spiritual leaders of this century” (The Saturday Evening Post, Jan 1980), our forefathers throughout church history have made it clear in no uncertain terms that the Pope of Rome is “that Antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalts himself, in the Church, against Christ and all that is called God.” (Westminster Confession XXV).

The chief motivation for this article is this: Roman Catholicism, although it calls itself Christian, preaches another Gospel and must never be confused with true Bible Christianity. For anyone to suggest otherwise must be called to task.

Be sure to listen to Dr. John MacArthur’s excellent sermon clip on this specific issue. Also, we highly recommend this starter sermon as a great place to start in clearly setting forth the Gospel in all its simplicity.

In addition, listen to this radio interview of Dr. Ian Paisley some years ago which contains a succinct and lively debate on Catholicism. Here’s another equally enjoyable yet slightly shorter radio debate.

Steven Lee
Founder, SermonAudio