Part 2c: What is the Gospel?
What must I do to be saved?
What must I do to be saved?
What is the gospel? 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 provides both the gospel: “1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures”, and the evidence which supports the gospel as true: “5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.”
This is the truth that saves. When Scripture tells us to believe and be saved, or believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved, we are to believe in what the gospel tells us to believe in: that Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures; that Jesus was buried and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. This is reiterated in Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” And make no mistake, all that is necessary is for one to believe. Nothing else is required. This does, however, beg the question, “What is meant by ‘believe’?”
The word “believe” in Romans 10:9 is translated from the Greek word pisteuó, a verb, which means believing or persuaded. The context of the verse indicates one is in the process of believing due to being persuaded by the Lord. In verse 10, the word “believeth” is translated from the same Greek word. Therefore, the passage can be understood as, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, being persuaded by the Lord and believing in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For the Lord persuades the heart of man that he may believe unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
The word pisteuó is also translated “faith,” indicating the two words, in this case, are interchangeable when understanding this passage. Faith, or as in Romans 10:9-10 “belief” is never self-generated, but is a gift from God. As Ephesians 2:8 notes, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God,” noting also Galatians 5:22-23 which lists the fruit of the Holy Spirit (which the Spirit produces in the believer): “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance”, both indicating faith/belief which leads to salvation (pisteuó), is from God and not ourselves. All of which serves to demonstrate that salvation does not require any works of any kind. In short, as Romans 10:9-10 clearly states, if you believe, you will be saved. In this Steven Anderson is absolutely correct. Neither repentance nor anything else is necessary for salvation.
That being said, however, belief (pisteuó) is not simply an intellectual assent to facts. As James notes, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” (James 2:19). While an intellectual assent to the facts is an integral part of true saving belief, equally necessary is an intellectual awareness of the reality of Christ’s substitutionary atonement on the cross. One must know – not guess, not perhaps, not maybe, but possess a certainty that Jesus actually and truly died on the cross as the penalty for our sins, and was raised back to life by God three days later.
There is also a third aspect of saving belief, and that is a personal commitment of trust in Jesus because of His substitutionary atoning death on the cross for our sins, and His resurrection which proves He is who He claimed to be, and therefore our trust is not misplaced.
So while Anderson is completely correct when he says nothing else other than belief is necessary or required for salvation, saving faith/belief is much more complicated and involved then he would have us believe. Just mentally acknowledging that yes, Jesus died for my sins, and with that mental acknowledgment reciting the sinner’s prayer does not save anyone. The idea that simply reciting the sinner’s prayer while possessing nothing more than a mental acknowledgment of the facts of the gospel is known as “easy-believism” and is wholly unbiblical.
Anderson responds to such criticism by saying, “The Bible is very clear that believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is the only prerequisite for salvation. Yet today we find those who believe this truth from the Bible being labeled as believing in ‘Easy-Believism.’ I plead guilty. I do believe that it is easy to be saved and that it is easy to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.”48
He explains that when sharing the gospel he uses a version of the “Roman’s Road” method which he has modified himself, placing “strong emphasis on eternal security.”49
The “Roman’s Road to Salvation” has been used for years by Christians to lead unbelievers to the Lord Jesus where they can (and hopefully will) decide to follow Jesus. It consists of several verses, all from the Book of Romans, which begin with mankind’s hopeless condition, and ending with God’s promise to maintain and persevere His followers. It generally involves 8 passages (or “signposts along the Roman’s Road”). They are:
1. Romans 3:10, 23, “There is none righteous, no not one...For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
2. Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
3. Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
4. Romans 10:9-10, “For if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Fo rwith the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
5. Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
6. Romans 5:1, Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
7. Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
8. Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
According to Steven Anderson, the “Roman’s Road” that he takes people down goes like this:
“1. Every one is a sinner (Rom 3:10, Rom 3:23)
2. Everyone deserves to go to Hell (Rom 6:23, Rev 20:14, Rev 21:8)
3. Jesus died on the cross for us so we could be saved (Rom 5:8, I Pet 2:24)
(At this point I go through the events of the cross, the blood, the death, burial, and resurrection)
4. You must believe on Jesus Christ as your only way to Heaven (Acts 16:31, John 3:16)
5. When you believe on Jesus Christ, God gives you eternal life (Rom 6:23)
(At this point I use the illustration of receiving a gift and explain eternal security in detail)
Then, to wrap things up, I ask the person 4 questions:
1. Do you believe that you have sinned?
2. Do you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for YOUR sins and rose again from the dead?
3. If you were to ask Jesus to save you right now would he do it?
4. How long would you be saved for?
If the person confidently answers these questions correctly, I then say,
‘Let's pray together right now, and I will help you ask Jesus to save you.’
Most of the time people who have listened to the whole gospel and understood it are very willling to pray and trust Christ as their saviour. I then lead them in a prayer something like:
‘Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I know I deserve to go to Hell. But I believe that you died on the cross for my sins. Please save me and take me to Heaven when I die. I'm only trusting you, Jesus. Amen.’
“I then talk to them about baptism as the first step of obedience and about the importance of coming to church.
“This is the process I go through virtually every day out door-to-door soul-winning.”50
Did you notice a difference between the standard Roman’s Road and Steven Anderson’s Roman’s Road? Not only does Anderson add verses that have more to do with his condemnatory style of evangelism, than with leading an individual to salvation (i.e. Rev. 20:14, “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” & Rev. 21:8, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolators, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake with burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”), but he leaves out an important signpost on the Roman’s Road, and that is Romans 8:1 (signpost #7 above), “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
Although Anderson does not provide any specific comments as to why he chose to ignore this verse, it is distinctly possible that he leaves it out because it disagrees with his personal beliefs. You see, Romans 8:1 contains a caveat – a warning or proviso of specific stipulations, conditions, or limitations,51
and Steven Anderson does not like caveat’s attached to the gospel. Yet, Romans 8:1 does contain such a stipulation. Notice the passage again, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” which is great news indeed, but the verse continues, “[those who are in Christ Jesus] who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” The “no condemnation” promise applies only to “those who are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” And not only is this a stipulation, but the stipulation is one of repentance, a word – a doctrine, that Steven Anderson and his clones absolutely loathe because they believe repentance is a work and thus a different gospel, a false gospel.52
The problem with Anderson’s position is that it is not true. He has created an anti-repentance doctrine in his mind, and he teaches it to his followers, and it is based on nothing more than his misunderstanding of what repentance actually is. When he preaches and teaches his anti-repentance doctrine, he uses four premises to do so. The first is that the term repentance, the doctrine of repentance, is not something that can be easily understood. “Repent of your sins to be saved. Nobody even knows what it means! You talk to ten different people you get ten different definitions.” He claims that teaching repentance does nothing but cause confusion, and therefore we can know it is a false doctrine.53
He then manipulates his followers into believing that repentance for one’s sins is not a biblical teaching. He does this by saying, “But here’s the thing about that phrase, ‘repent of your sins’, it’s never found in the Bible,”54 and he repeats this statement throughout many of his online videos. Anderson sounds authoritative when he makes this claim, and it is technically true that the four words, “Repent Of Your Sins” appear nowhere in the Bible in that particular order; it is, however, incorrect to say that the Bible never teaches that we are to repent of our sins, because it actually does teach this, and it teaches it over and over and over again.
The third premise is rooted in Anderson’s misunderstanding of the word. He simply doesn’t know what the word “repent” means. Throughout several of his videos, Anderson defines “repent” as meaning nothing more than “turning or changing,” with the identify of the thing turning or changing being determined by the context of the passage.55
Anderson attempts to convince his followers and others to trust his teaching regarding this, as he claims to “know Greek.” When asked if he did, Anderson replied, “Yeah, I do know Greek. I’ve read the New Testament cover to cover in Greek multiple times.” The gentleman asking Anderson then said, “So, metanoia means...” Anderson then cut him off saying, “It’s not even pronounced metanoia.” He was then asked, “How would you pronounce it?” To which Anderson said, “It’s metanoeó” (which he pronounced “Meta-nee-oh”).56
Anderson explains that according to Scripture, repentance simply means turning or changing. He says the context within which the word is used, determines what exactly is turning or changing. He gives the following example, “when God repents He’s not repenting of His sin, because God doesn’t have any sin. God is perfect in every way, yet the Bible records God repenting more than anyone else in the whole Bible. He frequently repents in the Bible. What is He changing? Is He changing who He is? No. is He changing His character, is He changing His nature? No. God said, ‘I change not.’ But what He does change is His course of action. Where He says He was going to do one thing, but then you did this so now I’m changing courses, now I’m gonna do this. So God will change His course or direction based upon man.”57
Anderson’s fourth premise is his re-defining what the word repent means. According to Anderson, repentance from sin means to stop sinning completely, to go from being a sinner to sinless perfection. He teaches that when a person repents of a particular sin, then that person has completely stopped committing that particular sin altogether. He argues, “Repent means to turn. So, if you have to repent from your sins to be saved, then that would be like you have to stop sinning to be saved.”58
He goes on to say, “Whether it be lying, stealing, whatever, they tell them they have to repent of a sinful life. Now look, which sins do they think you have to repent of to be saved? ‘Cause I don’t know about you, but I have not repented of all my sins ‘cause I’m not perfect. And the Bible says, ‘if we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.’ No one in here can say, ‘I’ve made my heart pure from sin.’ Nobody in here can say, ‘I’ve turned from all my sin.’ And people say, ‘You know I repented of my sin and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as my savior.’ You know, which sins did you repent of? ‘Cause if you’re gonna tell me you repented of all of them, you’re a liar, is what you are! And let me tell you something, repenting of your sins is a daily thing. Salvation’s not a daily thing. Salvation’s a one time thing. You must be born again. The Bible didn’t say born again, and again, and again, and again. The Bible says you must be born again. You believe on Christ, and in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye you are saved, you are regenerated, you are passed from death unto life, you are a child of God. Now look, after that you’re still gonna sin! Every single person in this room has sin in their life. No one is perfect, myself included. And so therefore, if we had to turn from our sins to be saved, no one would be saved!”59
Anderson’s concludes that, based on his understanding of repentance, “people should repent of their sins after they are saved, but whether or they do or don’t, they are still saved.”60
But this is not what repentance means. In the New Testament, there are three words which are translated as “repent.” They are the verbs metamelomai and metanoeó, and the noun metanoia.61
The first of these words, metamelomai, means to regret, to experience a change of concern and emotion to regret, contrition, and remorse after the fact. It is used in the New Testament of a persons regret and remorse over their sin.62
The second of these words, Metanoeó, means a change of one’s mind. Not simply to change one’s mind, as in “I think I will turn left instead of turning right,” or as in this case, “I think I will no longer embrace sin, but will change my mind and reject sin.” Metanoeó (as also with metanoia) means more of a changed mind than a changing of one’s mind; to think differently after the fact, to feel sorry that one has done something they should not have. It used especially of those instances where one becomes consciously aware of their sins, and as a result they experience genuine sorrow, contrition, and abhorrence of their sin, and they are intent upon receiving God’s forgiveness for their sin. And, this is not something that man is able to do in and of himself, just as man is unable to generate true saving faith/belief in and of himself, it is a gift of God, lest any man should boast.63
The third word, metanoia, also refers to a change of one’s mind, and particularly those who experience a change of mind coupled with an abhorrence and sincere sorrow and contrition of their sins. 64
To understand the absolute necessity of repentance in the life of the Christian, it is necessary to have a proper understanding of sin. The word translated “sin” in the New Testament is translated from the Greek word hamartia (hah-mar-tee-ah), which literally means missing the mark, or failing to hit the mark, or a failure to measure up to the mark. Biblically it refers to a failure to keep the law, a failure to obey God, a failure to abide by God’s morality, etc. In other words, a failure to be righteous. And this is exactly how Scripture defines sin. 1 John 5:17 teaches us that “All unrighteousness is sin,” and 1 John 3:4, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” Romans 14:23 tells us “...whatsoever is not of faith, is sin” which teaches us that even in Christian liberty, those things which are not done in faith, are themselves sin.
Clearly then, sin permeates the lives of every single person, both saved and unsaved. The difference between the two, however, is that Christians are no longer slaves to sin, while the unsaved continue to be shackled to their sins. The baptism a believer undergoes is an outward symbol of an inward reality. As Romans 6 teaches us, when we are baptized, we are baptized in Jesus Christ and into His death (v3). Just as He was buried in tomb, we too were covered as if buried; and just as He rose again “by the glory of the Father” so we too arose up out of the water (just as we will arise at the resurrection) (v4). “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin.” (vv5-6).
Did you catch that? Verse 4 tells us that we are to walk in newness of life, and verses 5-6 tell us that as Christians “we should not serve sin.” This is repentance. It is not simply turning or changing, but as already explained, it is a change in our minds that brings with it sorrow, contrition, and abhorrence of sin. As born again Christians we are dead to sin (v11), we are not to let sin reign over us, nor obey it (v12), we are not to yield to it as instruments of unrighteousness (v13), sin has no dominion over us (v14), we have been delivered from sin (v17). Unless…
If a person is still living in persistent, habitual, unrepentant sin, yielding themselves to sin as an instrument of unrighteousness, then know this, “that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey” and if you have yielded to sin, never repenting, remaining an instrument of unrighteousness, then it is “unto death” (v16), “For the wages of sin is death” (v23). Not that you can lost your salvation, because you cannot. However, one who refuses to repent, believing they do not have to repent, and can still live in unrepentant sin, yielded to sin as an instrument of unrighteousness, a servant of sin, well, that person was never saved in the first place. Or, to be more to the point as it relates to this article, they have been thoroughly deceived by someone who has taught them that repentance is not necessary. That you maybe should, but even if you don’t as long as you believed a certain set of facts and repeated the sinner’s prayer, then you are guaranteed heaven no matter whether you repent or not.
Sorry, but Scripture disagrees with that. Now that you know the truth, you can either continue to follow that same false teacher that is leading to eternal damnation, or you can repent and run to Christ begging Him to forgive you, and then live as His servant, not the servant of sin.
“But wait,” the one resisting repentance may say, “we are saved by grace! We are no longer under the law!” Sigh. There’s one in every crowd. No. No. No. Go back and re-read Romans chapter six again. The apostle Paul has already answered this objection of yours. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God Forbid! How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (vv1-2); and, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God Forbid!” (v15) Don’t forget, you who desire to remain an unrepentant servant of sin, “the wages of sin is death!” (v23) and the sin to whom are a servant will pay you in full!
This does not mean a person must stop sinning in order to be saved. That is a strawman employed by Steven Anderson and other New IFB pastors in an attempt to deceive their followers and keep them from Christ. While we are here in a fallen world, in a fallen body, continue to have to deal with sin. But that isn’t the point. When a person is born again, regenerated by God, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, that person becomes a new creation in Christ Jesus! They are given the gift of faith, of belief, and of true biblical repentance. They are a new creation, no longer a slave of sin, but a servant of God!
The doctrine of repentance is found throughout Scripture, even though the word itself is not always used. In the Old Testament we it is such passages as 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Here we see forgiveness of sin dependent upon repentance of sin (“turning from their wicked ways”).
Jeremiah 4:14 demonstrates the need for repentance in order to stay God’s wrath: “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings”, and in Jeremiah 4:14 we also see the absolute necessity for repentance among God’s people: “O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?”
And this is repeated over and over throughout the Old Testament: “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” (Isaiah 57:15) – Only those who are humble and of a contrite heart (repentant) will be with God.
“The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart: and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. (Psalm 34:16-18) – The Lord is with those who are of a broken heart and contrite spirit (repentant).
“To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” (Isaiah 66:2) – Who does the Lord look to? The one who is poor with a contrite spirit (repentant).
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psalm 51:7) – Again, the one with a “broken and contrite heart” (repentant) the Lord will not turn away.
“Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD; and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:6-7) – The Lord will abundantly pardon those sinners who first forsake their wicked ways and thoughts. It is the same theme repeated over and over again: exercise faith by believing in Christ (which is initially expressed through repentance) and be saved.
And we see the exact same thing flowing from the Old Testament right into the New Testament. Look at Luke 3:3 where John taught repentance for the remission of sins, and in Luke 15:1-7 where we read the parable of the one lost sheep versus the ninety-nine sheep who are not lost, and in verse seven Jesus states emphatically, “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” This is repeated in Luke 15:8-10 and the parable of the lost piece of silver, where Jesus says in verse 10, “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”; and again in Luke 15:11-32 with the parable of the prodigal son, who, in verses 18 and 21 realizes and admits that he has sinned and in repentance he begs his father for his forgiveness for his sins.
Throughout the entire fifteenth chapter of Luke the biblical doctrine of repentance for sin is clearly brought forth, and it culminates in the following chapter, Luke 16, in verses 19-31, and the story – not parable but rather presented as an actual event – of the Rich Man and Lazarus the Beggar. Both die, and the rich man dies finds himself in hell (Hades), while Lazarus is taken to Abraham's Bosom (paradise). The rich man has several brothers who are just as sinful as he was, and he asks Abraham to please send Lazarus to warn them lest they too die in their sins and end up in hell. Abraham tells him no, they have Moses and the prophets to warn them. The rich man answers Abraham and says, “Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.”
We can also look at Acts 8:22 where the Apostle Peter announces “Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.” And in Revelation chapters 2 through 3 where Jesus tells the churches at Ephesus, Smyrna, Thyatira, Sardis, and Laodicea all to repent of their sins.
Although Steven Anderson repeatedly says, “You will never find the words ‘Repent of your Sins!’ anywhere in the Bible”, he is simply wrong. As we have seen both the words and the teaching are clearly and explicitly taught throughout Scripture. (see also: Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:14-15; Mark 6:12; Luke 3:2-4; Luke 13:1-5; Luke 17:3-4; Luke 24:46-47; Acts 2:36-38; Acts 3:19; Acts 11:18; Acts 17:30; Acts 26:20; 2 Corinthians 7:10-11; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Hebrews 6:1; 2 Peter 3:9).
As we have seen, Anderson’s definition and understanding of repentance (simply to change or turn) is neither accurate nor biblical. A biblically accurate definition of repentance is a change of one’s mind which results in sincere sorrow, regret, and remorse (contrition) over sins committed, inherited, imputed; as well as a general abhorrence of sin.
But what about those passages where God repents? Obviously God cannot repent of sin, as He has no sin. Nor can it be said that God truly repents in the same sense that we repent, as the Prophet Samuel notes in 1 Samuel 15:29, where he says of God, “And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for He is not a man, that He should repent.”
When the biblical writers wrote about God repenting of something, it usually refers to three types of situations. The first is when God promises to repent of the evil (or disaster or calamity) He has promised to do to a group of people of they repent of their wickedness and sin (such as in Jeremiah 18:8-10), this is speaking of God’s promise to judge a people based on their actions. If they continue in their sin, they will be judged by God and punished, if they repent, they will be judged by God and blessed. This is what God has said to us as well. But it does not refer to God needing to repent of a sin of His own. Sometimes, such as in Genesis 6:6 and Exodus 32:14, God’s “repenting” refers to His grieving over the sin of man, but not His own sin. And the third type of situation where God states He will not repent, such as in Psalm 110:4 and Ezekiel 24:14, refers to those situations where has ordained something to happen, and He will not change His mind regarding it.
As 1 Samuel 15:29 notes, God is not a man, and thus does not “repent” in the same sense that man is called to repent by God. God is perfect and incapable of doing sinful, evil, wickedness (see Psalm 5:4-5; James 1:13; 3 John 1:11; Leviticus 11:44–45; 19:2; 20:7; and 1 Peter 1:15–16). Note: when we see references to God causing or creating evil in the Bible, this refers to calamity or disaster. Not wickedness.
The result of Steven Anderson’s doctrine of no repentance is antinomianism, which is just a big word that essentially means “no law.” In practice, antinomianism leads to living in sin – persistent, habitual, unrepentant sin, with the person subscribing to Anderson’s antinomian teaching thinking that since they are under grace and not under the law, no repentance is ever really necessary (because, hey, they have said the prayer and now cannot lose their salvation), so why change? Why turn from sin? The answer to this, as we have already seen, is that those who possess no desire to turn from the sin, no desire to repent of their sin, no desire to obey God’s repeated commands to repent of their sin, have nothing to do with God. Nothing. They are not saved, they are not children of God. This is not a case of they have lost their salvation, but rather they were never saved in the first place.
Scripture tells us, “3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” (1 John 2:3-6)
“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. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” (1 John 2:15-17).
“29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.” (1 John 2:29)
“4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” (1 John 3:4-10)
“22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” (1 John 3:22-24)
“1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:1-5)
“18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.” (1 John 5:18)
[Emphasis added]
Did you catch all of that? If you are saved, you do not live in persistent, habitual, unrepentant sin. If you do live in persistent, habitual, unrepentant sin, then you are not saved. It’s really very simple. While no one has to repent to become saved, those who do not repent are not saved. Never have been. Steven Anderson has lied to you friend. He has lied to you in order to keep you away from the one true God, and keep your eyes fixed on him and on the false god of no repentance that he has been preaching to you. Again, as Scripture says, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1; cf 1 Peter 2:11)
The result of Anderson’s no-repentance, antinomian gospel is also seen in the “soul-winning” he does. According to Steven Anderson, during the first 12 years of his church 27,797 people were saved as the direct result of “soul-winning” efforts made by Anderson and his church.65
That averages out to almost 200 people per month – an impressive number. But where are they? They are certainly not in Anderson’s church, nor in any other church in the greater Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area. Certainly some of them have been attending some of the churches in the area, but there has not been an influx of almost 28,000 new Christians into those churches over the 12-year period referred to by Anderson. Had there actually been almost 28,000 people saved, regenerated by God, possessing a changed mind, a changed nature, living for God, they would be in church, worshiping their Creator each and every Lord’s Day. But they aren’t, and the reason for this is, they were never saved in the first place. Anderson and those trained to employ his techniques have been lying to these people for more than a dozen years. As we have seen, Anderson’s “soul-winning” practice consists primarily of getting the “gospel according to Anderson” out to the person as quickly as possible, get them to repeat the sinners prayer, and then move on to the next house or person.
In fact, actually taking the time to explain the gospel and answer any questions a person may have, is considered a sign of a heretic and a false prophet according to New IFB pastor Manly Perry. In a telephonic interview, Pastor Perry said that long drawn out explanations of the gospel are used by false prophets and heretics to obscure the pure gospel. Pastor Perry claims that 10-minutes is a good “target goal” for sharing the gospel with someone. When “soul-winning,” Perry says, “just get in there and if God opens their heart like Lydia (Acts 16:14) then great. But don’t focus on answering a bunch of questions. We’re out looking for low hanging fruit, and when you drag it out people become disinterested. You need to just get in there and get it done and move on to the next person. You know, I’m not gonna go on a five minute explanation of what the Trinity is.”66
This “get in, get it done and move on” type of evangelism accomplishes very few actual conversions, especially when it is combined with Anderson’s no need to repent, you can live in sin gospel presentation. And this is exactly what happens. When asked why those who are allegedly “won” through “soul-winning” efforts don’t attend church, Pastor Manly Perry explained by saying, “ain’t got no peanut butter.” Perry explained this simply means “one excuse is as good as the next.”67
Steven Anderson gives several reasons why those who are saved during “soul-winning” efforts, such as:
1. They go to other churches.
2. They are teen-agers.
3. A lot of people speak Spanish.
4. A lot of people live to far from a church.
5. Many people are too shy to go to church.
6. Some are afraid to go to church and so don’t go.
7. Some are handicapped and cannot go to church.68
These are not reasons. These are excuses, and they are very poor excuses at that. The reality is, of those who claim to be saved by Steven Anderson and his church, the vast majority of them have no reason to attend church, just as they have no reason to stop living in sin – because Anderson and his people have told them they don’t have to. They are told they are saved and cannot lose their salvation no matter how they live, no matter how gross or perverted their sin is. At the end of the day, thanks to Anderson and his church, those whom they reach during their “soul-winning” efforts really have no reason to attend church.
As we have seen, repentance is vitally necessary for salvation. Not to become saved, but to be saved. In other words genuine biblical repentance for ones sin and abhorrence of sin in general, is a visible result of regeneration. If there is no repentance, then salvation has not taken place. One cannot live in persistent, habitual, unrepentant sin and be a Christian. Of course, Steven Anderson and other New IFB pastors disagree with this, but they do so to their own destruction. As pastors they are responsible for leading those in their congregation toward the Lord, not away from Him, and yet this is exactly what they are doing by teaching and preaching a no repentance gospel. They are deceiving lost people into believing they are saved when they are not. They are not true Christians, but rather pseudo-Christians.
Friend, open your eyes to the danger around you in the New IFB. Matthew 7:15-20 tells us, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”
What are the fruits that have been brought forth by the New IFB Prophet, Steven Anderson? Some may take exception to the title of Prophet for Steven Anderson, but it is a title he has proclaimed for himself. Yes, Steven Anderson claims to be a prophet. Not only does he claim to be a prophet, but he claims to have been personally chosen by God, thus placing him in the ranks of Moses, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, Samuel, and others chosen by God to be prophets. In 2016 Anderson stated during a live radio interview, “God has chosen me to be a prophet to the nations, to preach the word of God, and to sound it out with no fear with boldness not like these preachers who are only interested in people's money so they tell them what they want to hear for money. I don't want your money, I want to preach the truth; you can like it or lump it.”69
In Easton’s Bible Dictionary, under the heading, “prophet”, we read, “(Heb. nabi, from a root meaning "to bubble forth, as from a fountain," hence "to utter", Compare Psalms 45:1). This Hebrew word is the first and the most generally used for a prophet. In the time of Samuel another word, ro'eh , "seer", began to be used (1 Samuel 9:9). It occurs seven times in reference to Samuel. Afterwards another word, hozeh , "seer" (2 Samuel 24:11), was employed. In 1 Chronicles 29:29 all these three words are used: "Samuel the seer (ro'eh), Nathan the prophet (nabi'), Gad the seer" (hozeh).
The "prophet" proclaimed the message given to him, as the "seer" beheld the vision of God. (See Numbers 12:6 Numbers 12:8.) Thus a prophet was a spokesman for God; he spake in God's name and by his authority (Exodus 7:1). He is the mouth by which God speaks to men (Jeremiah 1:9; Isaiah 51:16), and hence what the prophet says is not of man but of God (2 Peter 1:20 2 Peter 1:21; Compare Hebrews 3:7; Acts 4:25; 28:25). Prophets were the immediate organs of God for the communication of his mind and will to men (Deuteronomy 18:18 Deuteronomy 18:19).”70
So Steven Anderson is claiming to be the mouthpiece of God, speaking to men that which God has revealed to him, speaking for God, and “beholding the vision of God.” Is this where Anderson received his clairvoyant powers? Yes, Steven Anderson also claims to possess clairvoyant powers, the ability to see into the future. In a blog article written by Anderson titled, “My Wife Zsuzsa,” dated March 11, 2013, Anderson states, “A few things to keep in mind: although I had obviously felt an attraction to her the first time I met her, and I even had a premonition that I might marry her on Wednesday afternoon of the week that I met her, I was definitely not in love with her because I still barely knew her.”71
A premonition is defined as “A clairvoyant or clairaudient experience, such as a dream, which resonates with some event in the future.”72 This would be in keeping with Anderson's claim that he is a prophet chosen by God. According to Anderson, he met his wife on October 4, 1999,73 which was a Monday. Therefore, if Anderson's prophetic premonition was correct, they should have been married on October 6, 1999. Instead, they were married almost a year later on August 13, 200074 (which by the way, was a Sunday, and not a Wednesday).
One would think that a prophet chosen by God, to the nations, would not be prone to false premonitions and predictions such as this. One would also think that a prophet chosen by God would possess the spiritual gift of discernment. Remember, as a prophet he is speaking for God, therefore it is reasonable to believe that God would ensure a high degree of discernment. Yet, with Steven Anderson we do not see this. For example, on August 26, 2014, Prophet Steven Anderson ordained Donnie Romero, sending him out to Fort Worth, Texas to start a New IFB church.75 Yet, less than five years later in January 2019, Romero is forced to resign his pastorship due to moral failure.76 Why was Anderson unable to discern this ahead of time?
On March 27, 2016, Anderson ordained Tyler Baker as a deacon in his church,77 with the intent to have Baker start a church, Valiant Baptist church, in Jacksonville, Florida within 90 days of his ordination.78 By June 27, 2017, however, Anderson had fired Baker, accusing him of being a oneness pentecostal heretic,79 of cheating on his time sheets,80 and of stealing money from Anderson’s church.81
On September 14, 2016, Under Steven Anderson’s supervision, Faithful Word Baptist Church Deacon, Tyler Baker, ordained Garrett Kirchway.82 It was Anderson’s intention to send Garrett Kirchway to Botwanna, Africa that very month, where Kirchway would start two satellite churches from Anderson’s Faithful Word church. These would be Faithful Word Baptist Church – Botswanna, and Faithful Word Baptist Church – Malawi (Africa).83 Anderson spoke highly of Kirchway, saying “If a man is going to be sent out as an evangelist or a missionary, to go out and preach the gospel and baptize and see people saved and see a church established, that man must be trained and sent out of a local church and serve first and be found faithful in the local church, not just be sent out without knowing who he is. …Churches are to be started by men of God who have been trained and tested and tried in the local church, and we need to stay with this biblical model that we see in Acts 13 and many other places, that leaders are identified, trained, and sent out of a local church. ...Brother Garrett Kirchway is one who is not a novice. He's not a newbie. He has been faithful. He knows the Bible. He knows what he's doing. He's mature in the faith.”84
The following month, October 2016, saw Garrett Kirchway marrying his wife, Neo, with pastor and prophet Steven Anderson officiating the wedding. During the ceremony Anderson said, “Garrett is a very godly man. I’ve known Brother Garrett Kirchway for a little over 8 years now, and I’ve gotten to know him very well. … He’s very dedicated to the service of the Lord. … I don’t really know what the future holds for Garrett and Neo, but I know, that according to the Bible, God’s gonna bless them and keep them. … [Garrett is a] man of God. … We know that all things work together for good for people like Garrett and Neo, people who love God, people who are called according to His purpose. … I don’t know exactly what the future holds for Garrett and Neo, but you know what? I know it’s gonna be amazing. I know it’s gonna be great. Because these are two godly people who want to dedicate their lives to serving the Lord, and they want to be in missions, they want to win people to the Lord in the uttermost parts of the earth. And I don’t know what’s gonna happen, they don’t know what’s gonna happen, but you know what? I know one thing for a fact is they’re gonna succeed, that God’s gonna bless them, and that great works are..it’s gonna be exciting! It’s going to be something that’s we’ll look back on years later, and I think that Garrett and Neo will be able to say like the song says, ‘Jesus led me all the way.’”85
On May 27, 2018 – almost two years later, and after Steven Anderson had know his good friend Garrett Kirchway for a decade, Anderson kicked Kirchway out of his church as well. Garrett Kirchway, whom the self-proclaimed prophet Steven Anderson said was “trained,” “tested,” and “found faithful.” Garret Kirchway, whom Steven Anderson claimed, “is not a novice. ...not a newbie. ...has been faithful. ...knows the Bible. ...knows what he's doing. ...[and is] mature in the faith.” Garret Kirchway, whom Steven Anderson called a “godly man” and a “man of God” who would be blessed by God, was suddenly kicked out of Steven Anderson’s church, while Anderson himself stood in the pulpit and vilified his good friend of the past ten years, calling Kirchway a heretic, gutless, a coward, screaming that he made Anderson sick and that he was not welcome in Anderson’s church, claiming that Kirchway had stabbed him in the back, mocking Garrett’s disabled wife, and boasting that it only took him thirty seconds to fire his good friend and kick him out.86 Both of Anderson’s African church plant attempts failed as well.
Was all of the glowing admiration Steven Anderson heaped on Garrett Kirchway and his wife Neo nothing more than empty platitudes? Was Anderson simply lying when he claimed Kirchway was a true mature man of God? Was the man who claims to be a prophet chosen by God unable to discern that he good friend of ten years was not a Christian? And how good a friend is Steven Anderson when he will turn on a good friend and attack both him and his wife; and how good of a pastor is Steven Anderson when he would rather publicly vilify and expel a long time member of his congregation for believing wrong doctrine, rather than taking the person aside and instructing him and gently renewing him as Scripture requires? No shepherd chosen and called by God to pastor a church, treats God’s children in such a manner.
On October 16, 2016, pastor and prophet Steven Anderson ordained Richard Miller, and sent Miller and his family out to Nashville, Tennessee to start Soul-Winning Baptist Church.87 Less than three months later Miller and his family walked away from the church and away from the New IFB. On January 5, 2017 Anderson wrote in his blog that Miller had quit and the church had been disbanded. He stated he did not know why Miller and his family left. And, while he asked for prayers for those who were members of Miller’s church, expressing concern they might become discouraged and quit attending church altogether, he did not ask for prayers to be said on behalf of Richard Miller or his family.88
In perhaps the most egregious example of both a complete lack of discernment and an equally complete lack of leading by and fellowship with God, is Steven Anderson’s partnership with and endorsement of Paul Wittenberger, who, as we have already noted earlier in this article, supports a Hindu Ashram in California, and a Hindu commune in India, through the sale of Hindu vedic health care items on his Framing the World website. As we have already seen, Steven Anderson endorses this, promotes this, and encourages people to purchase the items Wittenberger sells on his website, which includes the Hindi vedic products; and Anderson and his wife both sell their own items on the Framing the World website as well.89
Ironically, Steven Anderson once said, “it just blows my mind how people lack discernment”.90
It is even more mind blowing that Steven Anderson, a man who claims to be a prophet chosen by God, has such a complete lack of discernment, and that people allow themselves to be taken in and blatantly deceived by such a man.
Perhaps Steven Anderson’s lack of discernment has also caused him to add works to the gospel of Jesus Christ. For all of his rhetoric regarding repentance being a work that is added to salvation, he is unable to grasp the simple truth that repentance is an exercise of the heart and the mind, just as belief is. In other words, if repentance is a work, then so is belief, because they both involve the regenerated heart and mind of the believer. If something requires a physical action, however, then there is no doubt that it can be considered a work. If someone claims baptism is necessary to become saved, then that is adding a physical action – a work. And this is exactly what Steven Anderson does. He adds physical actions as requirements for salvation and forgiveness.
For instance, in a 2014 interview with James White, Steven Anderson states that salvation is dependent upon which Bible version you understand. He explained to Dr. White that those who prefer versions other than the King James version are not saved. Thus, according to Anderson, one must read and understand the King James Version of the Bible.91 A strong case could be made that based on this requirement Anderson himself would be excluded.
In addition to this, Anderson has also taught that at least in one instance, as determined not by God, but by Steven Anderson himself, certain people would be required to perform penance in order to receive forgiveness and be admitted to Christian fellowship. In a sermon titled “Sheba the Son of Bichri (Adam Fannin Exposed)”, which Anderson delivered on January 9, 2019 and posted to his personal YouTube channel on the same day, Anderson claimed that Christians who stood against his decision regarding a church other than his own, and choose instead to stand with the man who had been pastoring their church since it’s inception (Anderson decided to step in and install his own choice for pastor in their church, without their input and without regard for their desires), were by the decree of Anderson’s man, to be removed from Christian fellowship. Anderson then decreed that if they want to be readmitted to Christian fellowship and participation in corporate worship of God, repentance and seeking forgiveness is not enough. According to Steven Anderson they must also create a video denouncing the man who had been acting as their pastor since their church started, renouncing their support of him, and beg – yes beg – to be let back in; and then they must post that video in a public forum such as YouTube.92
Apparently this does not simply hold true for Anderson’s Faithful Word Baptist church and the Stedfast franchise of New IFB churches pastored by Anderson’s man, Jonathan Shelley; as Pastor Manly Perry of Old Path Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas as also expressed if any of those who disagreed with Anderson tried to attend his church in Texas, he would throw them out immediately, and would only let them partake in Christian fellowship in his church if they made the video as required by Steven Anderson.93
Friends, to say that one must read and understand a specific translation of the Bible in order to be saved is nothing less than works based salvation; and requiring a specific action, a work, such as begging and video making, in order to be forgiven and allowed to participate in Christian fellowship and corporate worship of God is nothing less a form of penance – very much like the penance required by the Roman Catholic church. Unbelievable. One wonders if in addition to begging, Anderson might also require them to kiss his New IFB papal ring as well.
As Jesus said in Matthew 7:15-10, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”
What kind of fruit does Steven Anderson and his New IFB have? Let’s review:
1. He has moved from teaching modalism to teaching tri-theism.
2. He endorses Hinduism and encourages his congregation to purchase Hindu related items.
3. He claims to be a prophet chosen by God, yet prophecy/premonition was shown to be false.
4. He has repeatedly demonstrated a complete lack of discernment regarding false Christians, not only bringing them into his church, but ordaining them and placing them in positions of authority over his congregation.
5. He teaches and preaches a false gospel of no repentance, antinomianism, and easy-believism.
6. He adds to the gospel by implementing works.
7. He adds to the gospel by teaching and preaching that sometimes repenting and seeking forgiveness isn’t enough, but penance must be performed as well.
Throughout this series of articles we have learned that Steven Anderson and the New IFB is anything but Christian. With the constant lying, deceit, dishonesty, unbiblical doctrines, unbiblical teachings, and a false gospel, Steven Anderson’s New IFB is at best a pseudo-Christian group and at worst a cult. The spiritual abuse and pulpit bullying, coupled with the coercion and manipulation certainly lead one to think they are more a cult than anything else; and the self-proclaimed prophet Steven Anderson is nothing more than just another false prophet. Based on the Old Testament law Anderson himself likes to rely on point to as his justification for much of his hatred, he himself is now eligible for the death penalty. The irony of this should not be lost on anyone. Just as Anderson and the other New IFB leaders rail about homosexuals, adulterers, and rebellious children all deserving the death penalty as based on the Old Testament Levitical Law, Anderson himself is now condemned as well through that same Levitical Law, thus placing him in the same category as homosexuals, adulterers, and rebellious children.
Our sincere prayers should be for the repentance and salvation of Steven Anderson and those in the New IFB who subscribe to his false doctrines and false gospel.
This is the truth that saves. When Scripture tells us to believe and be saved, or believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved, we are to believe in what the gospel tells us to believe in: that Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures; that Jesus was buried and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. This is reiterated in Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” And make no mistake, all that is necessary is for one to believe. Nothing else is required. This does, however, beg the question, “What is meant by ‘believe’?”
The word “believe” in Romans 10:9 is translated from the Greek word pisteuó, a verb, which means believing or persuaded. The context of the verse indicates one is in the process of believing due to being persuaded by the Lord. In verse 10, the word “believeth” is translated from the same Greek word. Therefore, the passage can be understood as, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, being persuaded by the Lord and believing in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For the Lord persuades the heart of man that he may believe unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
The word pisteuó is also translated “faith,” indicating the two words, in this case, are interchangeable when understanding this passage. Faith, or as in Romans 10:9-10 “belief” is never self-generated, but is a gift from God. As Ephesians 2:8 notes, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God,” noting also Galatians 5:22-23 which lists the fruit of the Holy Spirit (which the Spirit produces in the believer): “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance”, both indicating faith/belief which leads to salvation (pisteuó), is from God and not ourselves. All of which serves to demonstrate that salvation does not require any works of any kind. In short, as Romans 10:9-10 clearly states, if you believe, you will be saved. In this Steven Anderson is absolutely correct. Neither repentance nor anything else is necessary for salvation.
That being said, however, belief (pisteuó) is not simply an intellectual assent to facts. As James notes, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” (James 2:19). While an intellectual assent to the facts is an integral part of true saving belief, equally necessary is an intellectual awareness of the reality of Christ’s substitutionary atonement on the cross. One must know – not guess, not perhaps, not maybe, but possess a certainty that Jesus actually and truly died on the cross as the penalty for our sins, and was raised back to life by God three days later.
There is also a third aspect of saving belief, and that is a personal commitment of trust in Jesus because of His substitutionary atoning death on the cross for our sins, and His resurrection which proves He is who He claimed to be, and therefore our trust is not misplaced.
So while Anderson is completely correct when he says nothing else other than belief is necessary or required for salvation, saving faith/belief is much more complicated and involved then he would have us believe. Just mentally acknowledging that yes, Jesus died for my sins, and with that mental acknowledgment reciting the sinner’s prayer does not save anyone. The idea that simply reciting the sinner’s prayer while possessing nothing more than a mental acknowledgment of the facts of the gospel is known as “easy-believism” and is wholly unbiblical.
Anderson responds to such criticism by saying, “The Bible is very clear that believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is the only prerequisite for salvation. Yet today we find those who believe this truth from the Bible being labeled as believing in ‘Easy-Believism.’ I plead guilty. I do believe that it is easy to be saved and that it is easy to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.”48
He explains that when sharing the gospel he uses a version of the “Roman’s Road” method which he has modified himself, placing “strong emphasis on eternal security.”49
The “Roman’s Road to Salvation” has been used for years by Christians to lead unbelievers to the Lord Jesus where they can (and hopefully will) decide to follow Jesus. It consists of several verses, all from the Book of Romans, which begin with mankind’s hopeless condition, and ending with God’s promise to maintain and persevere His followers. It generally involves 8 passages (or “signposts along the Roman’s Road”). They are:
1. Romans 3:10, 23, “There is none righteous, no not one...For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
2. Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
3. Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
4. Romans 10:9-10, “For if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Fo rwith the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
5. Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
6. Romans 5:1, Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
7. Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
8. Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
According to Steven Anderson, the “Roman’s Road” that he takes people down goes like this:
“1. Every one is a sinner (Rom 3:10, Rom 3:23)
2. Everyone deserves to go to Hell (Rom 6:23, Rev 20:14, Rev 21:8)
3. Jesus died on the cross for us so we could be saved (Rom 5:8, I Pet 2:24)
(At this point I go through the events of the cross, the blood, the death, burial, and resurrection)
4. You must believe on Jesus Christ as your only way to Heaven (Acts 16:31, John 3:16)
5. When you believe on Jesus Christ, God gives you eternal life (Rom 6:23)
(At this point I use the illustration of receiving a gift and explain eternal security in detail)
Then, to wrap things up, I ask the person 4 questions:
1. Do you believe that you have sinned?
2. Do you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for YOUR sins and rose again from the dead?
3. If you were to ask Jesus to save you right now would he do it?
4. How long would you be saved for?
If the person confidently answers these questions correctly, I then say,
‘Let's pray together right now, and I will help you ask Jesus to save you.’
Most of the time people who have listened to the whole gospel and understood it are very willling to pray and trust Christ as their saviour. I then lead them in a prayer something like:
‘Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I know I deserve to go to Hell. But I believe that you died on the cross for my sins. Please save me and take me to Heaven when I die. I'm only trusting you, Jesus. Amen.’
“I then talk to them about baptism as the first step of obedience and about the importance of coming to church.
“This is the process I go through virtually every day out door-to-door soul-winning.”50
Did you notice a difference between the standard Roman’s Road and Steven Anderson’s Roman’s Road? Not only does Anderson add verses that have more to do with his condemnatory style of evangelism, than with leading an individual to salvation (i.e. Rev. 20:14, “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” & Rev. 21:8, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolators, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake with burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”), but he leaves out an important signpost on the Roman’s Road, and that is Romans 8:1 (signpost #7 above), “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
Although Anderson does not provide any specific comments as to why he chose to ignore this verse, it is distinctly possible that he leaves it out because it disagrees with his personal beliefs. You see, Romans 8:1 contains a caveat – a warning or proviso of specific stipulations, conditions, or limitations,51
and Steven Anderson does not like caveat’s attached to the gospel. Yet, Romans 8:1 does contain such a stipulation. Notice the passage again, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” which is great news indeed, but the verse continues, “[those who are in Christ Jesus] who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” The “no condemnation” promise applies only to “those who are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” And not only is this a stipulation, but the stipulation is one of repentance, a word – a doctrine, that Steven Anderson and his clones absolutely loathe because they believe repentance is a work and thus a different gospel, a false gospel.52
The problem with Anderson’s position is that it is not true. He has created an anti-repentance doctrine in his mind, and he teaches it to his followers, and it is based on nothing more than his misunderstanding of what repentance actually is. When he preaches and teaches his anti-repentance doctrine, he uses four premises to do so. The first is that the term repentance, the doctrine of repentance, is not something that can be easily understood. “Repent of your sins to be saved. Nobody even knows what it means! You talk to ten different people you get ten different definitions.” He claims that teaching repentance does nothing but cause confusion, and therefore we can know it is a false doctrine.53
He then manipulates his followers into believing that repentance for one’s sins is not a biblical teaching. He does this by saying, “But here’s the thing about that phrase, ‘repent of your sins’, it’s never found in the Bible,”54 and he repeats this statement throughout many of his online videos. Anderson sounds authoritative when he makes this claim, and it is technically true that the four words, “Repent Of Your Sins” appear nowhere in the Bible in that particular order; it is, however, incorrect to say that the Bible never teaches that we are to repent of our sins, because it actually does teach this, and it teaches it over and over and over again.
The third premise is rooted in Anderson’s misunderstanding of the word. He simply doesn’t know what the word “repent” means. Throughout several of his videos, Anderson defines “repent” as meaning nothing more than “turning or changing,” with the identify of the thing turning or changing being determined by the context of the passage.55
Anderson attempts to convince his followers and others to trust his teaching regarding this, as he claims to “know Greek.” When asked if he did, Anderson replied, “Yeah, I do know Greek. I’ve read the New Testament cover to cover in Greek multiple times.” The gentleman asking Anderson then said, “So, metanoia means...” Anderson then cut him off saying, “It’s not even pronounced metanoia.” He was then asked, “How would you pronounce it?” To which Anderson said, “It’s metanoeó” (which he pronounced “Meta-nee-oh”).56
Anderson explains that according to Scripture, repentance simply means turning or changing. He says the context within which the word is used, determines what exactly is turning or changing. He gives the following example, “when God repents He’s not repenting of His sin, because God doesn’t have any sin. God is perfect in every way, yet the Bible records God repenting more than anyone else in the whole Bible. He frequently repents in the Bible. What is He changing? Is He changing who He is? No. is He changing His character, is He changing His nature? No. God said, ‘I change not.’ But what He does change is His course of action. Where He says He was going to do one thing, but then you did this so now I’m changing courses, now I’m gonna do this. So God will change His course or direction based upon man.”57
Anderson’s fourth premise is his re-defining what the word repent means. According to Anderson, repentance from sin means to stop sinning completely, to go from being a sinner to sinless perfection. He teaches that when a person repents of a particular sin, then that person has completely stopped committing that particular sin altogether. He argues, “Repent means to turn. So, if you have to repent from your sins to be saved, then that would be like you have to stop sinning to be saved.”58
He goes on to say, “Whether it be lying, stealing, whatever, they tell them they have to repent of a sinful life. Now look, which sins do they think you have to repent of to be saved? ‘Cause I don’t know about you, but I have not repented of all my sins ‘cause I’m not perfect. And the Bible says, ‘if we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.’ No one in here can say, ‘I’ve made my heart pure from sin.’ Nobody in here can say, ‘I’ve turned from all my sin.’ And people say, ‘You know I repented of my sin and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as my savior.’ You know, which sins did you repent of? ‘Cause if you’re gonna tell me you repented of all of them, you’re a liar, is what you are! And let me tell you something, repenting of your sins is a daily thing. Salvation’s not a daily thing. Salvation’s a one time thing. You must be born again. The Bible didn’t say born again, and again, and again, and again. The Bible says you must be born again. You believe on Christ, and in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye you are saved, you are regenerated, you are passed from death unto life, you are a child of God. Now look, after that you’re still gonna sin! Every single person in this room has sin in their life. No one is perfect, myself included. And so therefore, if we had to turn from our sins to be saved, no one would be saved!”59
Anderson’s concludes that, based on his understanding of repentance, “people should repent of their sins after they are saved, but whether or they do or don’t, they are still saved.”60
But this is not what repentance means. In the New Testament, there are three words which are translated as “repent.” They are the verbs metamelomai and metanoeó, and the noun metanoia.61
The first of these words, metamelomai, means to regret, to experience a change of concern and emotion to regret, contrition, and remorse after the fact. It is used in the New Testament of a persons regret and remorse over their sin.62
The second of these words, Metanoeó, means a change of one’s mind. Not simply to change one’s mind, as in “I think I will turn left instead of turning right,” or as in this case, “I think I will no longer embrace sin, but will change my mind and reject sin.” Metanoeó (as also with metanoia) means more of a changed mind than a changing of one’s mind; to think differently after the fact, to feel sorry that one has done something they should not have. It used especially of those instances where one becomes consciously aware of their sins, and as a result they experience genuine sorrow, contrition, and abhorrence of their sin, and they are intent upon receiving God’s forgiveness for their sin. And, this is not something that man is able to do in and of himself, just as man is unable to generate true saving faith/belief in and of himself, it is a gift of God, lest any man should boast.63
The third word, metanoia, also refers to a change of one’s mind, and particularly those who experience a change of mind coupled with an abhorrence and sincere sorrow and contrition of their sins. 64
To understand the absolute necessity of repentance in the life of the Christian, it is necessary to have a proper understanding of sin. The word translated “sin” in the New Testament is translated from the Greek word hamartia (hah-mar-tee-ah), which literally means missing the mark, or failing to hit the mark, or a failure to measure up to the mark. Biblically it refers to a failure to keep the law, a failure to obey God, a failure to abide by God’s morality, etc. In other words, a failure to be righteous. And this is exactly how Scripture defines sin. 1 John 5:17 teaches us that “All unrighteousness is sin,” and 1 John 3:4, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” Romans 14:23 tells us “...whatsoever is not of faith, is sin” which teaches us that even in Christian liberty, those things which are not done in faith, are themselves sin.
Clearly then, sin permeates the lives of every single person, both saved and unsaved. The difference between the two, however, is that Christians are no longer slaves to sin, while the unsaved continue to be shackled to their sins. The baptism a believer undergoes is an outward symbol of an inward reality. As Romans 6 teaches us, when we are baptized, we are baptized in Jesus Christ and into His death (v3). Just as He was buried in tomb, we too were covered as if buried; and just as He rose again “by the glory of the Father” so we too arose up out of the water (just as we will arise at the resurrection) (v4). “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin.” (vv5-6).
Did you catch that? Verse 4 tells us that we are to walk in newness of life, and verses 5-6 tell us that as Christians “we should not serve sin.” This is repentance. It is not simply turning or changing, but as already explained, it is a change in our minds that brings with it sorrow, contrition, and abhorrence of sin. As born again Christians we are dead to sin (v11), we are not to let sin reign over us, nor obey it (v12), we are not to yield to it as instruments of unrighteousness (v13), sin has no dominion over us (v14), we have been delivered from sin (v17). Unless…
If a person is still living in persistent, habitual, unrepentant sin, yielding themselves to sin as an instrument of unrighteousness, then know this, “that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey” and if you have yielded to sin, never repenting, remaining an instrument of unrighteousness, then it is “unto death” (v16), “For the wages of sin is death” (v23). Not that you can lost your salvation, because you cannot. However, one who refuses to repent, believing they do not have to repent, and can still live in unrepentant sin, yielded to sin as an instrument of unrighteousness, a servant of sin, well, that person was never saved in the first place. Or, to be more to the point as it relates to this article, they have been thoroughly deceived by someone who has taught them that repentance is not necessary. That you maybe should, but even if you don’t as long as you believed a certain set of facts and repeated the sinner’s prayer, then you are guaranteed heaven no matter whether you repent or not.
Sorry, but Scripture disagrees with that. Now that you know the truth, you can either continue to follow that same false teacher that is leading to eternal damnation, or you can repent and run to Christ begging Him to forgive you, and then live as His servant, not the servant of sin.
“But wait,” the one resisting repentance may say, “we are saved by grace! We are no longer under the law!” Sigh. There’s one in every crowd. No. No. No. Go back and re-read Romans chapter six again. The apostle Paul has already answered this objection of yours. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God Forbid! How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (vv1-2); and, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God Forbid!” (v15) Don’t forget, you who desire to remain an unrepentant servant of sin, “the wages of sin is death!” (v23) and the sin to whom are a servant will pay you in full!
This does not mean a person must stop sinning in order to be saved. That is a strawman employed by Steven Anderson and other New IFB pastors in an attempt to deceive their followers and keep them from Christ. While we are here in a fallen world, in a fallen body, continue to have to deal with sin. But that isn’t the point. When a person is born again, regenerated by God, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, that person becomes a new creation in Christ Jesus! They are given the gift of faith, of belief, and of true biblical repentance. They are a new creation, no longer a slave of sin, but a servant of God!
The doctrine of repentance is found throughout Scripture, even though the word itself is not always used. In the Old Testament we it is such passages as 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Here we see forgiveness of sin dependent upon repentance of sin (“turning from their wicked ways”).
Jeremiah 4:14 demonstrates the need for repentance in order to stay God’s wrath: “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings”, and in Jeremiah 4:14 we also see the absolute necessity for repentance among God’s people: “O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?”
And this is repeated over and over throughout the Old Testament: “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” (Isaiah 57:15) – Only those who are humble and of a contrite heart (repentant) will be with God.
“The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart: and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. (Psalm 34:16-18) – The Lord is with those who are of a broken heart and contrite spirit (repentant).
“To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” (Isaiah 66:2) – Who does the Lord look to? The one who is poor with a contrite spirit (repentant).
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psalm 51:7) – Again, the one with a “broken and contrite heart” (repentant) the Lord will not turn away.
“Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD; and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:6-7) – The Lord will abundantly pardon those sinners who first forsake their wicked ways and thoughts. It is the same theme repeated over and over again: exercise faith by believing in Christ (which is initially expressed through repentance) and be saved.
And we see the exact same thing flowing from the Old Testament right into the New Testament. Look at Luke 3:3 where John taught repentance for the remission of sins, and in Luke 15:1-7 where we read the parable of the one lost sheep versus the ninety-nine sheep who are not lost, and in verse seven Jesus states emphatically, “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” This is repeated in Luke 15:8-10 and the parable of the lost piece of silver, where Jesus says in verse 10, “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”; and again in Luke 15:11-32 with the parable of the prodigal son, who, in verses 18 and 21 realizes and admits that he has sinned and in repentance he begs his father for his forgiveness for his sins.
Throughout the entire fifteenth chapter of Luke the biblical doctrine of repentance for sin is clearly brought forth, and it culminates in the following chapter, Luke 16, in verses 19-31, and the story – not parable but rather presented as an actual event – of the Rich Man and Lazarus the Beggar. Both die, and the rich man dies finds himself in hell (Hades), while Lazarus is taken to Abraham's Bosom (paradise). The rich man has several brothers who are just as sinful as he was, and he asks Abraham to please send Lazarus to warn them lest they too die in their sins and end up in hell. Abraham tells him no, they have Moses and the prophets to warn them. The rich man answers Abraham and says, “Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.”
We can also look at Acts 8:22 where the Apostle Peter announces “Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.” And in Revelation chapters 2 through 3 where Jesus tells the churches at Ephesus, Smyrna, Thyatira, Sardis, and Laodicea all to repent of their sins.
Although Steven Anderson repeatedly says, “You will never find the words ‘Repent of your Sins!’ anywhere in the Bible”, he is simply wrong. As we have seen both the words and the teaching are clearly and explicitly taught throughout Scripture. (see also: Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:14-15; Mark 6:12; Luke 3:2-4; Luke 13:1-5; Luke 17:3-4; Luke 24:46-47; Acts 2:36-38; Acts 3:19; Acts 11:18; Acts 17:30; Acts 26:20; 2 Corinthians 7:10-11; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Hebrews 6:1; 2 Peter 3:9).
As we have seen, Anderson’s definition and understanding of repentance (simply to change or turn) is neither accurate nor biblical. A biblically accurate definition of repentance is a change of one’s mind which results in sincere sorrow, regret, and remorse (contrition) over sins committed, inherited, imputed; as well as a general abhorrence of sin.
But what about those passages where God repents? Obviously God cannot repent of sin, as He has no sin. Nor can it be said that God truly repents in the same sense that we repent, as the Prophet Samuel notes in 1 Samuel 15:29, where he says of God, “And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for He is not a man, that He should repent.”
When the biblical writers wrote about God repenting of something, it usually refers to three types of situations. The first is when God promises to repent of the evil (or disaster or calamity) He has promised to do to a group of people of they repent of their wickedness and sin (such as in Jeremiah 18:8-10), this is speaking of God’s promise to judge a people based on their actions. If they continue in their sin, they will be judged by God and punished, if they repent, they will be judged by God and blessed. This is what God has said to us as well. But it does not refer to God needing to repent of a sin of His own. Sometimes, such as in Genesis 6:6 and Exodus 32:14, God’s “repenting” refers to His grieving over the sin of man, but not His own sin. And the third type of situation where God states He will not repent, such as in Psalm 110:4 and Ezekiel 24:14, refers to those situations where has ordained something to happen, and He will not change His mind regarding it.
As 1 Samuel 15:29 notes, God is not a man, and thus does not “repent” in the same sense that man is called to repent by God. God is perfect and incapable of doing sinful, evil, wickedness (see Psalm 5:4-5; James 1:13; 3 John 1:11; Leviticus 11:44–45; 19:2; 20:7; and 1 Peter 1:15–16). Note: when we see references to God causing or creating evil in the Bible, this refers to calamity or disaster. Not wickedness.
The result of Steven Anderson’s doctrine of no repentance is antinomianism, which is just a big word that essentially means “no law.” In practice, antinomianism leads to living in sin – persistent, habitual, unrepentant sin, with the person subscribing to Anderson’s antinomian teaching thinking that since they are under grace and not under the law, no repentance is ever really necessary (because, hey, they have said the prayer and now cannot lose their salvation), so why change? Why turn from sin? The answer to this, as we have already seen, is that those who possess no desire to turn from the sin, no desire to repent of their sin, no desire to obey God’s repeated commands to repent of their sin, have nothing to do with God. Nothing. They are not saved, they are not children of God. This is not a case of they have lost their salvation, but rather they were never saved in the first place.
Scripture tells us, “3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” (1 John 2:3-6)
“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. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” (1 John 2:15-17).
“29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.” (1 John 2:29)
“4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” (1 John 3:4-10)
“22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” (1 John 3:22-24)
“1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:1-5)
“18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.” (1 John 5:18)
[Emphasis added]
Did you catch all of that? If you are saved, you do not live in persistent, habitual, unrepentant sin. If you do live in persistent, habitual, unrepentant sin, then you are not saved. It’s really very simple. While no one has to repent to become saved, those who do not repent are not saved. Never have been. Steven Anderson has lied to you friend. He has lied to you in order to keep you away from the one true God, and keep your eyes fixed on him and on the false god of no repentance that he has been preaching to you. Again, as Scripture says, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1; cf 1 Peter 2:11)
The result of Anderson’s no-repentance, antinomian gospel is also seen in the “soul-winning” he does. According to Steven Anderson, during the first 12 years of his church 27,797 people were saved as the direct result of “soul-winning” efforts made by Anderson and his church.65
That averages out to almost 200 people per month – an impressive number. But where are they? They are certainly not in Anderson’s church, nor in any other church in the greater Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area. Certainly some of them have been attending some of the churches in the area, but there has not been an influx of almost 28,000 new Christians into those churches over the 12-year period referred to by Anderson. Had there actually been almost 28,000 people saved, regenerated by God, possessing a changed mind, a changed nature, living for God, they would be in church, worshiping their Creator each and every Lord’s Day. But they aren’t, and the reason for this is, they were never saved in the first place. Anderson and those trained to employ his techniques have been lying to these people for more than a dozen years. As we have seen, Anderson’s “soul-winning” practice consists primarily of getting the “gospel according to Anderson” out to the person as quickly as possible, get them to repeat the sinners prayer, and then move on to the next house or person.
In fact, actually taking the time to explain the gospel and answer any questions a person may have, is considered a sign of a heretic and a false prophet according to New IFB pastor Manly Perry. In a telephonic interview, Pastor Perry said that long drawn out explanations of the gospel are used by false prophets and heretics to obscure the pure gospel. Pastor Perry claims that 10-minutes is a good “target goal” for sharing the gospel with someone. When “soul-winning,” Perry says, “just get in there and if God opens their heart like Lydia (Acts 16:14) then great. But don’t focus on answering a bunch of questions. We’re out looking for low hanging fruit, and when you drag it out people become disinterested. You need to just get in there and get it done and move on to the next person. You know, I’m not gonna go on a five minute explanation of what the Trinity is.”66
This “get in, get it done and move on” type of evangelism accomplishes very few actual conversions, especially when it is combined with Anderson’s no need to repent, you can live in sin gospel presentation. And this is exactly what happens. When asked why those who are allegedly “won” through “soul-winning” efforts don’t attend church, Pastor Manly Perry explained by saying, “ain’t got no peanut butter.” Perry explained this simply means “one excuse is as good as the next.”67
Steven Anderson gives several reasons why those who are saved during “soul-winning” efforts, such as:
1. They go to other churches.
2. They are teen-agers.
3. A lot of people speak Spanish.
4. A lot of people live to far from a church.
5. Many people are too shy to go to church.
6. Some are afraid to go to church and so don’t go.
7. Some are handicapped and cannot go to church.68
These are not reasons. These are excuses, and they are very poor excuses at that. The reality is, of those who claim to be saved by Steven Anderson and his church, the vast majority of them have no reason to attend church, just as they have no reason to stop living in sin – because Anderson and his people have told them they don’t have to. They are told they are saved and cannot lose their salvation no matter how they live, no matter how gross or perverted their sin is. At the end of the day, thanks to Anderson and his church, those whom they reach during their “soul-winning” efforts really have no reason to attend church.
As we have seen, repentance is vitally necessary for salvation. Not to become saved, but to be saved. In other words genuine biblical repentance for ones sin and abhorrence of sin in general, is a visible result of regeneration. If there is no repentance, then salvation has not taken place. One cannot live in persistent, habitual, unrepentant sin and be a Christian. Of course, Steven Anderson and other New IFB pastors disagree with this, but they do so to their own destruction. As pastors they are responsible for leading those in their congregation toward the Lord, not away from Him, and yet this is exactly what they are doing by teaching and preaching a no repentance gospel. They are deceiving lost people into believing they are saved when they are not. They are not true Christians, but rather pseudo-Christians.
Friend, open your eyes to the danger around you in the New IFB. Matthew 7:15-20 tells us, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”
What are the fruits that have been brought forth by the New IFB Prophet, Steven Anderson? Some may take exception to the title of Prophet for Steven Anderson, but it is a title he has proclaimed for himself. Yes, Steven Anderson claims to be a prophet. Not only does he claim to be a prophet, but he claims to have been personally chosen by God, thus placing him in the ranks of Moses, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, Samuel, and others chosen by God to be prophets. In 2016 Anderson stated during a live radio interview, “God has chosen me to be a prophet to the nations, to preach the word of God, and to sound it out with no fear with boldness not like these preachers who are only interested in people's money so they tell them what they want to hear for money. I don't want your money, I want to preach the truth; you can like it or lump it.”69
In Easton’s Bible Dictionary, under the heading, “prophet”, we read, “(Heb. nabi, from a root meaning "to bubble forth, as from a fountain," hence "to utter", Compare Psalms 45:1). This Hebrew word is the first and the most generally used for a prophet. In the time of Samuel another word, ro'eh , "seer", began to be used (1 Samuel 9:9). It occurs seven times in reference to Samuel. Afterwards another word, hozeh , "seer" (2 Samuel 24:11), was employed. In 1 Chronicles 29:29 all these three words are used: "Samuel the seer (ro'eh), Nathan the prophet (nabi'), Gad the seer" (hozeh).
The "prophet" proclaimed the message given to him, as the "seer" beheld the vision of God. (See Numbers 12:6 Numbers 12:8.) Thus a prophet was a spokesman for God; he spake in God's name and by his authority (Exodus 7:1). He is the mouth by which God speaks to men (Jeremiah 1:9; Isaiah 51:16), and hence what the prophet says is not of man but of God (2 Peter 1:20 2 Peter 1:21; Compare Hebrews 3:7; Acts 4:25; 28:25). Prophets were the immediate organs of God for the communication of his mind and will to men (Deuteronomy 18:18 Deuteronomy 18:19).”70
So Steven Anderson is claiming to be the mouthpiece of God, speaking to men that which God has revealed to him, speaking for God, and “beholding the vision of God.” Is this where Anderson received his clairvoyant powers? Yes, Steven Anderson also claims to possess clairvoyant powers, the ability to see into the future. In a blog article written by Anderson titled, “My Wife Zsuzsa,” dated March 11, 2013, Anderson states, “A few things to keep in mind: although I had obviously felt an attraction to her the first time I met her, and I even had a premonition that I might marry her on Wednesday afternoon of the week that I met her, I was definitely not in love with her because I still barely knew her.”71
A premonition is defined as “A clairvoyant or clairaudient experience, such as a dream, which resonates with some event in the future.”72 This would be in keeping with Anderson's claim that he is a prophet chosen by God. According to Anderson, he met his wife on October 4, 1999,73 which was a Monday. Therefore, if Anderson's prophetic premonition was correct, they should have been married on October 6, 1999. Instead, they were married almost a year later on August 13, 200074 (which by the way, was a Sunday, and not a Wednesday).
One would think that a prophet chosen by God, to the nations, would not be prone to false premonitions and predictions such as this. One would also think that a prophet chosen by God would possess the spiritual gift of discernment. Remember, as a prophet he is speaking for God, therefore it is reasonable to believe that God would ensure a high degree of discernment. Yet, with Steven Anderson we do not see this. For example, on August 26, 2014, Prophet Steven Anderson ordained Donnie Romero, sending him out to Fort Worth, Texas to start a New IFB church.75 Yet, less than five years later in January 2019, Romero is forced to resign his pastorship due to moral failure.76 Why was Anderson unable to discern this ahead of time?
On March 27, 2016, Anderson ordained Tyler Baker as a deacon in his church,77 with the intent to have Baker start a church, Valiant Baptist church, in Jacksonville, Florida within 90 days of his ordination.78 By June 27, 2017, however, Anderson had fired Baker, accusing him of being a oneness pentecostal heretic,79 of cheating on his time sheets,80 and of stealing money from Anderson’s church.81
On September 14, 2016, Under Steven Anderson’s supervision, Faithful Word Baptist Church Deacon, Tyler Baker, ordained Garrett Kirchway.82 It was Anderson’s intention to send Garrett Kirchway to Botwanna, Africa that very month, where Kirchway would start two satellite churches from Anderson’s Faithful Word church. These would be Faithful Word Baptist Church – Botswanna, and Faithful Word Baptist Church – Malawi (Africa).83 Anderson spoke highly of Kirchway, saying “If a man is going to be sent out as an evangelist or a missionary, to go out and preach the gospel and baptize and see people saved and see a church established, that man must be trained and sent out of a local church and serve first and be found faithful in the local church, not just be sent out without knowing who he is. …Churches are to be started by men of God who have been trained and tested and tried in the local church, and we need to stay with this biblical model that we see in Acts 13 and many other places, that leaders are identified, trained, and sent out of a local church. ...Brother Garrett Kirchway is one who is not a novice. He's not a newbie. He has been faithful. He knows the Bible. He knows what he's doing. He's mature in the faith.”84
The following month, October 2016, saw Garrett Kirchway marrying his wife, Neo, with pastor and prophet Steven Anderson officiating the wedding. During the ceremony Anderson said, “Garrett is a very godly man. I’ve known Brother Garrett Kirchway for a little over 8 years now, and I’ve gotten to know him very well. … He’s very dedicated to the service of the Lord. … I don’t really know what the future holds for Garrett and Neo, but I know, that according to the Bible, God’s gonna bless them and keep them. … [Garrett is a] man of God. … We know that all things work together for good for people like Garrett and Neo, people who love God, people who are called according to His purpose. … I don’t know exactly what the future holds for Garrett and Neo, but you know what? I know it’s gonna be amazing. I know it’s gonna be great. Because these are two godly people who want to dedicate their lives to serving the Lord, and they want to be in missions, they want to win people to the Lord in the uttermost parts of the earth. And I don’t know what’s gonna happen, they don’t know what’s gonna happen, but you know what? I know one thing for a fact is they’re gonna succeed, that God’s gonna bless them, and that great works are..it’s gonna be exciting! It’s going to be something that’s we’ll look back on years later, and I think that Garrett and Neo will be able to say like the song says, ‘Jesus led me all the way.’”85
On May 27, 2018 – almost two years later, and after Steven Anderson had know his good friend Garrett Kirchway for a decade, Anderson kicked Kirchway out of his church as well. Garrett Kirchway, whom the self-proclaimed prophet Steven Anderson said was “trained,” “tested,” and “found faithful.” Garret Kirchway, whom Steven Anderson claimed, “is not a novice. ...not a newbie. ...has been faithful. ...knows the Bible. ...knows what he's doing. ...[and is] mature in the faith.” Garret Kirchway, whom Steven Anderson called a “godly man” and a “man of God” who would be blessed by God, was suddenly kicked out of Steven Anderson’s church, while Anderson himself stood in the pulpit and vilified his good friend of the past ten years, calling Kirchway a heretic, gutless, a coward, screaming that he made Anderson sick and that he was not welcome in Anderson’s church, claiming that Kirchway had stabbed him in the back, mocking Garrett’s disabled wife, and boasting that it only took him thirty seconds to fire his good friend and kick him out.86 Both of Anderson’s African church plant attempts failed as well.
Was all of the glowing admiration Steven Anderson heaped on Garrett Kirchway and his wife Neo nothing more than empty platitudes? Was Anderson simply lying when he claimed Kirchway was a true mature man of God? Was the man who claims to be a prophet chosen by God unable to discern that he good friend of ten years was not a Christian? And how good a friend is Steven Anderson when he will turn on a good friend and attack both him and his wife; and how good of a pastor is Steven Anderson when he would rather publicly vilify and expel a long time member of his congregation for believing wrong doctrine, rather than taking the person aside and instructing him and gently renewing him as Scripture requires? No shepherd chosen and called by God to pastor a church, treats God’s children in such a manner.
On October 16, 2016, pastor and prophet Steven Anderson ordained Richard Miller, and sent Miller and his family out to Nashville, Tennessee to start Soul-Winning Baptist Church.87 Less than three months later Miller and his family walked away from the church and away from the New IFB. On January 5, 2017 Anderson wrote in his blog that Miller had quit and the church had been disbanded. He stated he did not know why Miller and his family left. And, while he asked for prayers for those who were members of Miller’s church, expressing concern they might become discouraged and quit attending church altogether, he did not ask for prayers to be said on behalf of Richard Miller or his family.88
In perhaps the most egregious example of both a complete lack of discernment and an equally complete lack of leading by and fellowship with God, is Steven Anderson’s partnership with and endorsement of Paul Wittenberger, who, as we have already noted earlier in this article, supports a Hindu Ashram in California, and a Hindu commune in India, through the sale of Hindu vedic health care items on his Framing the World website. As we have already seen, Steven Anderson endorses this, promotes this, and encourages people to purchase the items Wittenberger sells on his website, which includes the Hindi vedic products; and Anderson and his wife both sell their own items on the Framing the World website as well.89
Ironically, Steven Anderson once said, “it just blows my mind how people lack discernment”.90
It is even more mind blowing that Steven Anderson, a man who claims to be a prophet chosen by God, has such a complete lack of discernment, and that people allow themselves to be taken in and blatantly deceived by such a man.
Perhaps Steven Anderson’s lack of discernment has also caused him to add works to the gospel of Jesus Christ. For all of his rhetoric regarding repentance being a work that is added to salvation, he is unable to grasp the simple truth that repentance is an exercise of the heart and the mind, just as belief is. In other words, if repentance is a work, then so is belief, because they both involve the regenerated heart and mind of the believer. If something requires a physical action, however, then there is no doubt that it can be considered a work. If someone claims baptism is necessary to become saved, then that is adding a physical action – a work. And this is exactly what Steven Anderson does. He adds physical actions as requirements for salvation and forgiveness.
For instance, in a 2014 interview with James White, Steven Anderson states that salvation is dependent upon which Bible version you understand. He explained to Dr. White that those who prefer versions other than the King James version are not saved. Thus, according to Anderson, one must read and understand the King James Version of the Bible.91 A strong case could be made that based on this requirement Anderson himself would be excluded.
In addition to this, Anderson has also taught that at least in one instance, as determined not by God, but by Steven Anderson himself, certain people would be required to perform penance in order to receive forgiveness and be admitted to Christian fellowship. In a sermon titled “Sheba the Son of Bichri (Adam Fannin Exposed)”, which Anderson delivered on January 9, 2019 and posted to his personal YouTube channel on the same day, Anderson claimed that Christians who stood against his decision regarding a church other than his own, and choose instead to stand with the man who had been pastoring their church since it’s inception (Anderson decided to step in and install his own choice for pastor in their church, without their input and without regard for their desires), were by the decree of Anderson’s man, to be removed from Christian fellowship. Anderson then decreed that if they want to be readmitted to Christian fellowship and participation in corporate worship of God, repentance and seeking forgiveness is not enough. According to Steven Anderson they must also create a video denouncing the man who had been acting as their pastor since their church started, renouncing their support of him, and beg – yes beg – to be let back in; and then they must post that video in a public forum such as YouTube.92
Apparently this does not simply hold true for Anderson’s Faithful Word Baptist church and the Stedfast franchise of New IFB churches pastored by Anderson’s man, Jonathan Shelley; as Pastor Manly Perry of Old Path Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas as also expressed if any of those who disagreed with Anderson tried to attend his church in Texas, he would throw them out immediately, and would only let them partake in Christian fellowship in his church if they made the video as required by Steven Anderson.93
Friends, to say that one must read and understand a specific translation of the Bible in order to be saved is nothing less than works based salvation; and requiring a specific action, a work, such as begging and video making, in order to be forgiven and allowed to participate in Christian fellowship and corporate worship of God is nothing less a form of penance – very much like the penance required by the Roman Catholic church. Unbelievable. One wonders if in addition to begging, Anderson might also require them to kiss his New IFB papal ring as well.
As Jesus said in Matthew 7:15-10, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”
What kind of fruit does Steven Anderson and his New IFB have? Let’s review:
1. He has moved from teaching modalism to teaching tri-theism.
2. He endorses Hinduism and encourages his congregation to purchase Hindu related items.
3. He claims to be a prophet chosen by God, yet prophecy/premonition was shown to be false.
4. He has repeatedly demonstrated a complete lack of discernment regarding false Christians, not only bringing them into his church, but ordaining them and placing them in positions of authority over his congregation.
5. He teaches and preaches a false gospel of no repentance, antinomianism, and easy-believism.
6. He adds to the gospel by implementing works.
7. He adds to the gospel by teaching and preaching that sometimes repenting and seeking forgiveness isn’t enough, but penance must be performed as well.
Throughout this series of articles we have learned that Steven Anderson and the New IFB is anything but Christian. With the constant lying, deceit, dishonesty, unbiblical doctrines, unbiblical teachings, and a false gospel, Steven Anderson’s New IFB is at best a pseudo-Christian group and at worst a cult. The spiritual abuse and pulpit bullying, coupled with the coercion and manipulation certainly lead one to think they are more a cult than anything else; and the self-proclaimed prophet Steven Anderson is nothing more than just another false prophet. Based on the Old Testament law Anderson himself likes to rely on point to as his justification for much of his hatred, he himself is now eligible for the death penalty. The irony of this should not be lost on anyone. Just as Anderson and the other New IFB leaders rail about homosexuals, adulterers, and rebellious children all deserving the death penalty as based on the Old Testament Levitical Law, Anderson himself is now condemned as well through that same Levitical Law, thus placing him in the same category as homosexuals, adulterers, and rebellious children.
Our sincere prayers should be for the repentance and salvation of Steven Anderson and those in the New IFB who subscribe to his false doctrines and false gospel.
Sources:
Part 2a
1. Paster Steven Anderson’s Churches:
Faithful Word Baptist Church
Tempe, AZ 85282
http://www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/page6.html
Faithful Word Baptist Church - North
Tucson, AZ 85719
http://fwbcnorth.org/index.php/doctrinal-statement/
Faithful Word Baptist Church – El Monte
El Monte, CA 91733
http://fwbcla.org/index.php/doctrine/
2. Pastor Manly Perry’s Church:
Old Path Baptist Church
Adkins, TX 78101
http://www.oldpathtxb.church/Home/AboutDoctrine
3. Pastor Aaron Thompson’s Churches:
Sure Foundation Baptist Church – Vancouver, Washington
Sure Foundation Baptist Church – Vancouver, BC, Canada
www.surefoundationbaptist.church
www.veritybaptistvancouver.com
4. Pastor Roger Jimenez’s Church:
Verity Baptist Church – Sacramento, California
Verity Baptist Church – Boise, Idaho
https://veritybaptist.com/what-we-believe/
5. Pastor Jonathan Shelley’s Churches:
Pure Words Baptist Church
Houston, TX 77085
www.purewordsbaptist.com
Stedfast Baptist Church – Fort Worth, Texas
www.stedfastbaptistkjv.org
Stedfast Baptist Church – Jacksonville, Florida
www.stedfastjacksonville.com
Stedfast Baptist Church – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
www.stedfastokc.com
6. Word of Truth Baptist Church
Prescott Valley, Arizona
http://www.wordoftruthbaptist.org/doctrine
(Pastor Steven Anderson)
7. Video: "Using the Right Words" Baptist Preaching (independent, fundamental, KJV), published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 21 October 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooFMs-oYIfY accessed 01 March 2019
8. Video: Pastor Steven L. Anderson Teaching That Jesus is God the Father, published to YouTube by Valiant Baptist Church (Tyler Baker), on 01 March 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9erDCE7ekmA accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Pastor Steven Anderson Says Jesus is The Father, published to YouTube by James Owens on 26 July 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRD8AGSQSEA accessed 01 March 2019
Video: More Evidence - 2nd Sermon where Anderson Taught that Jesus is the Father, published to YouTube by Timotheus on 02 July 2017, taken from a sermon on Isaiah 9, preached by Pastor Steven Anderson on 04 June 2008 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqQGvQrTk54 accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Trinity Moment #31 - "I Have One Father, Jesus Christ", published by Elliott Ray on 26 September 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PMXemxe6kQ accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Pastor Steven Anderson Jesus is the Father and Not Just One in Spirit, published to YouTube by James Owens published on 08 March 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IgKap9Nd_4 accessed 01 March 2019
Video: "Bastard Barry" - Sermon about Barrack Hussein Obama (KJV Bible Preaching), published to YouTube and to the Faithful Word Baptist Church website on 02 November 2014 by Steven Anderson. Though Anderson repeatedly claims he is being taken out of context, his exact words (taken from a sermon transcript on his church website) were: “He's not my brother in Christ. He's not my brother from another mother. He's my brother from another father because his father is the devil and my father is Jesus. My father is Jesus and he is not of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxQHiGgFQ2A
http://www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/transcript_bastard_barry.html
accessed 01 March 2019
Video: PROOF Steven Anderson and “The New IFB” Preached That Jesus is the Father, published to YouTube by Valiant Baptist Church (Tyler Baker) on 01 June 2018. It features several examples of New IFB pastors teaching that Jesus actually is the Father (modalism).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYpStvSCGcs&feature=youtu.be
accessed 01 March 2019
Video: He Which is of God Hath Seen the Father, published to YouTube by Elliott Ray on 13 May 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVP-Fn3rT3M accessed 01 March 2019
Video: The Madness and Folly of Steven Anderson, published to YouTube by Elliott Ray on 12 May 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UIriYgX--c accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Trinity Moment #26 - God Speaking to Himself, published to YouTube by Elliott Ray on 26 April 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGfDVKUDhTs accessed 01 March 2019
9. Telephonic interview #02 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member Kris Byrne, 30 January 2019
10. Video: Dr. James White Full Interview NWO Bible Versions, published to YouTube by Framing the World (Paul Wittenberger) on 11 August 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJrptikLjq8 accessed 01 March 2019
11. Video: Oneness Pentecostal Heretic Checklist by Pastor Donnie Romero - Stedfast Baptist Church (TX), published to YouTube by Banned From THE NEW IFB on 11 January 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxw1rZLZ1_Q accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Pastor Donnie Romero - Luke 23, published to YouTube by Ex Andersonite on 05 March 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JrXmbbXcHk accessed 01 March 2019
12. Video: Pastor Manly Perry - Jesus was John's Cousin and Father, published to YouTube by Ex Andersonite on 16 March 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8L6MCTXZnA accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Pastor Manly Perry - 3 Person Trinity is not Biblical,
Published on 01 March 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzWokYptRPo accessed 01 March 2019
13. Video: Trinity Moment #23 - The Son is the Father, featuring David Berzins, published to YouTube by Elliott Ray on 24 April 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSI7BxezJ3g accessed 01 March 2019
14. Video: The Trinity Spectrum (Pastor Roger Jimenez | VBC Sacramento, CA), published to YouTube by Verity Baptist Church (Roger Jimenez) on 03 July 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKwPJl4jgo8 accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Trinity Moment #28 - Jesus is the Son and the Father, featuring Roger Jimenez, published to YouTube by Elliott Ray on 03 May 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YckVVy5wRfI accessed 01 March 2019
15. Video: Jonathan Shelley: Hypocrite Extraordinaire, featuring Jonathan Shelley, published to YouTube by Elliott Ray on 07 March 2018, in this video, Shelley teaches that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are “all the same person.” “You have to believe that Jesus is God and the Father is below Him, or they're the same person.” “You can't say that verse is true (Rev.19:16) and say that Jesus isn't God, or that Jesus isn't the Father.” “The word God actually means ruler.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YJZrzA39KE accessed 01 March 2019
Trinity Moment #37 - Jesus and the Father Are the Same Person, featuring Jonathan Shelley, published to YouTube by Elliott Ray on 17 January 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExIyZBtSe78 accessed 01 March 2019
16. Telephonic interview #01 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member & Deacon Tyler Baker, 24 January 2019
Telephonic interview #02 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member & Deacon Tyler Baker, 06 February 2019
Telephonic interview #03 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member & Deacon Tyler Baker, 09 February 2019
Telephonic interview #04 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member & Deacon Tyler Baker, 12 February 2019
Telephonic interview #05 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member & Deacon Tyler Baker, 27 February 2019
Telephonic interview #02 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member Kris Byrne, 30 January 2019
Video: What I Believe About the Godhead, published to YouTube by Rick Martinez on 30 January 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jP2dOIeCn8 accessed accessed 01 March 2019
17. Video: Pastor Anderson confronts Tyler Baker on Oneness Heresy, published to YouTube by Kragen Clan dotcom on 26 October 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyIrVpoxS1M accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Angry Steven Anderson vs. Tyler Baker, published to YouTube by Fellar Davis on 01 November 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IItGUaI8c9Q accessed 01 March 2019
18. Video: I Reject Modalism/Oneness Pentecostalism! - Tyler Baker, Valiant Baptist Church, published to YouTube by Valiant Baptist Church (Tyler Baker) on 04 March 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqE7rUzjuzA&feature=youtu.be accessed 01 March 2019
19. Video: "Trinity 101" (Throwing Out Oneness Heretics),published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 27 May 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0ZxB8_VsrY&feature=youtu.be accessed 01 March 2019
Telephonic interview #01 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member & Deacon Tyler Baker, 24 January 2019
Telephonic interview #02 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member & Deacon Tyler Baker, 06 February 2019
Telephonic interview #03 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member & Deacon Tyler Baker, 09 February 2019
Telephonic interview #04 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member & Deacon Tyler Baker, 12 February 2019
Telephonic interview #05 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member & Deacon Tyler Baker, 27 February 2019
Telephonic interview #01 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member Kris Byrne, 25 January 2019
Telephonic interview #02 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member Kris Byrne, 30 January 2019
Telephonic interview #03 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member Kris Byrne, 06 January 2019
20. Video: My Belief on the Trinity Hasn't Changed, published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 01 March 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ4_kkdMrPY accessed 01 March 2019
21. Video: Take Me Out, published to YouTube by Elliott Ray on 16 May 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrNw8JkFCFA accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Steven Anderson “I'm always right even when I'm wrong!”, published to YouTube by Steven Anderson Be Lying FWBC on 17 May 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ_5fCviNbU accessed 01 March 2019
22. Video: "Bastard Barry" - Sermon about Barrack Hussein Obama (KJV Bible Preaching), published to YouTube and to the Faithful Word Baptist Church website on 02 November 2014 by Steven Anderson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxQHiGgFQ2A
http://www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/transcript_bastard_barry.html
accessed 01 March 2019
23. Video: I Never Believed/Taught Oneness Doctrine (Modalism), published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steve Anderson) on 28 June 2017. In the comments section, an individual named CassieRae McMurtry (actually Cassandra McMurtry, the wife of New IFB pastor Tommy McMurtry and good friend of Steven Anderson) commented, “When you scour through hours and hours of preaching, things will be found that were mis- spoken by the preacher. The key is admitting, "I misspoke". (not doubling down and getting stubborn about your words) My husband has said things mistakenly before. And he has also said he has to present the trinity better, because he never even knew this oneness thing was "a thing", so he now needs to be even clearer on the subject.” To which Anderson replied, “Exactly!” I have to wonder if Anderson put her up to this, or if she is just trying to help a friend. At the end of the day, however, no, he did not misspeak. According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary:
Definition of misspoke:
transitive verb
1 : to speak (something, such as a word) incorrectly
2 : to express (oneself) imperfectly or incorrectly claims now that he misspoke himself
intransitive verb
: to speak incorrectly : misspeak oneself
Either Anderson mispronounced a word (doesn't fit here), or he imperfectly explained something (doesn't fit here), or, he lied. Bingo! He lied. He taught false doctrine regarding the Trinity, from the pulpit, at least four times! He may have it correct on his websites statement of beliefs, but coming out of his mouth to his congregation it was certainly incorrect, and heretical to say the very least.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paDX-lpeJQI accessed 01 March 2019
24. email made public by Victor Tey in the following YouTube video: Response to Pastor Steven Anderson (Part 3) - The Church in Punchbowl History & Doctrines, published to YouTube by The Church in Liverpool (Victor Tey) on 01 August 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk6vi12tVts accessed 01 March 2019
25. Video: Modalism is Stupid, published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 24 December 2017. Interestingly, in this video Anderson cites Proverbs 30:4 as a Trinity proof text, while in the video “Trinity Talk” (see below)) he explicitly denies that Proverbs 30:4 is a Trinity proof text, and corrects Donnie Romero who tried to point to it as such. At about 3:30 in this video, Anderson states that Jesus has always been a man, a human man, because Jesus never changes and is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. This must have come as a surprise to His mother, Mary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZGsj5DyxIU accessed 01 March 2019
Video: God Confounding Heretic Steven Anderson “Trinity Talk”, published to YouTube by Whole Armour Ministries on 03 March 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im1VR713mTw accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Biblical Bible Broadcast-Trinity Talk, published to YouTube by mstamps1611 on 05 March 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAjXOEY5iTI accessed 01 March 2019. Note: The original video, “Trinity Talk” which had been uploaded by Stedfast Baptist Church (Donnie Romero’s church) on 02 March 2018 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWjquj2fNLI], was removed from YouTube, and is no longer available, However, before it was taken down, it was downloaded and reposted on the Marshal Stamps 1611 YouTube channel (mstamps1611).
Video: Isaiah 9:6 Taken out of Context by Modalists, published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 27 August 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6taKnJLN9g accessed 01 March 2019
26. Video: Pastor Roger Jimenez Clarifies his Trinity teaching, published to YouTube by Mike Harrison on 09 March 2018. When Anderson began dealing with the Tyler Baker situation and those who also believed the oneness doctrine that Anderson and the rest had been teaching, it quickly became necessary for them to change their beliefs in order to justify expelling Tyler Baker and the rest. This includes Roger Jimenez, who in the following video falsely claims (just as Anderson did in his video), that he and Verity Baptist Church have NEVER believed in oneness/modalism, when clearly, that is exactly what he taught as shown in the previously noted videos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ofLLVK0v0A accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Trinity Moment #25 - God is Not Three Persons, featuring Manly Perry, published to YouTube by Elliott Ray on 26 April 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2ufxtSYBWw accessed 01 March 2019
Video: The Oneness of God | Preached @ Morning Star Baptist Church, published to YouTube by brothermanly316 (Manly Perry) on 17 July 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApPX0pQ3ETQ accessed 01 March 2019
27. Telephonic interview #01 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member & Deacon Tyler Baker, 24 January 2019
28. Video: Steven Anderson Believes Polytheism, Calls it the Trinity | Tyler Baker is a Trinitarian | Baptist, published to YouTube by Valiant Baptist Church (Tyler Baker) on 18 October 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcrPEO0iglY accessed 01 March 2019
Video: "Trinity 101" (Throwing Out Oneness Heretics), published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 27 May 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0ZxB8_VsrY&feature=youtu.be accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Jesus is the Express Image of God the Father's Person, published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 28 May 2018. In this video, Steven Anderson claims Jesus looks exactly like the Father in his outward appearance. He says when God said, “Let us make man in our image” (Gen 1:26) proves that all three have the same image. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are identical in their outward appearance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swT11WsN4ms accessed 01 March 2019
29. Video: Sam Gipp is Demonic and Evil (hear it for yourself), published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 09 May 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQTVLK1xe4Q accessed 01 March 2019
30. Video: Steven Anderson Believes Polytheism, Calls it the Trinity | Tyler Baker is a Trinitarian | Baptist, published to YouTube by Valiant Baptist Church (Tyler Baker) on 18 October 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcrPEO0iglY accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Pastor Roger Jimenez Clarifies his Trinity teaching, published to YouTube by Mike Harrison on 09 March 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ofLLVK0v0A accessed 01 March 2019
31. Video: Trinity Moment #25 - God is Not Three Persons, featuring Manly Perry, published to YouTube by Elliott Ray on 26 April 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2ufxtSYBWw accessed 01 March 2019
Video: The Oneness of God | Preached @ Morning Star Baptist Church, published to YouTube by brothermanly316 (Manly Perry) on 17 July 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApPX0pQ3ETQ accessed 01 March 2019
32. Video: Pastor Joe Major: Trinity-Deniers Will Be Thrown Out, published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 29 May 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2zud6WUPDc accessed 01 March 2019
33. Video: "Sovereign" is Deceptive, published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 31 May 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39qqDyJ1FRE accessed 01 March 2019
34. Ibid
35. Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language, webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/sovereign
36. Easton’s Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897
37. Video: Attributes of God, published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 24 September 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB9gaM6Vzgk accessed 01 March 2019
Sources
Part 2B:
38. Video: Trinity Moment #35 - The Word Became Jesus, featuring Steven Anderson, published to YouTube by Elliott Ray on 26 September 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA1Z7LN42yI accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Trinity Moment #32 - The Written Word Became the Living Word, featuring Steven Anderson, published to YouTube by Elliott Ray on 26 September 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afCAONaM1ls accessed 01 March 2019
Video: "The Word" Is Not Just a Title for Jesus, featuring Steven Anderson, published to YouTube by Elliott Ray on 24 September 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M33mLqjCj3I accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Jesus is the Word!! The Bible is God!! The Bible is Jesus!!, published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Andeson) on 17 January 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xKvdU0qgrs accessed 01 March 2019
Video: The Word of God and the word of God, published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 27 April 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7_k6EU2O34 accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Steven Anderson says that the Bible is God Part 2 (New IFB), featuring Steven Anderson, published by New IFBdot info on 17 September 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=21&v=cCHhT8FZi-c accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Roger Jimenez: The Living Word IS the Spoken Word, featuring Roger Jimenez, published to YouTube by Elliott Ray on 02 October 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jiv2UaM8I7o accessed 01 March 2019
39. Video: Trinity Moment #32 - The Written Word Became the Living Word, featuring Steven Anderson, published to YouTube by Elliott Ray on 26 September 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afCAONaM1ls accessed 01 March 2019
40. Video: Jesus is the Word!! The Bible is God!! The Bible is Jesus!!, published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Andeson) on 17 January 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xKvdU0qgrs accessed 01 March 2019
41. Video: The Word of God and the word of God, published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 27 April 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7_k6EU2O34 accessed 01 March 2019
42. Steven Anderson and the New IFB pastors are King James Version Only. They believe only the King James Version of the Bible is the preserved word of God, they believe it to be inspired, infallible, and inerrant. What they cannot do, however, is reconcile that belief with the various errors that have appeared in the KJV over the years, and they cannot reconcile their belief with which KJV? Do they believe the 1611 authorized version of the King James Bible is the preserved, inspired, infallible, inerrant word of God? Or do they believe it is the 1613 edition/version? Or the 1616, 1617, 1618, 1629, 1630, 1633, 1634, 1637, 1638, 1640, 1642, 1653, 1659, 1675, 1679, 1833, 1896, or the 1904 editions/version? Which one do they consider to the preserved, inspired, infallible, inerrant word of God? Now bear in mind that the 1611 edition, the original edition of the KJV contained the apocrypha. Does Steven Anderson and company then consider the apocrypha to be the preserved, inspired, infallible, inerrant word of God as well? After all, it was included. And if not, then by what objective standard to they exclude the apocrypha?
And what of the numerous errors throughout the years, such as Matthew 26:36 in the original 1611 Authorized Version which read, “Then cometh Judas with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.” Judas? Or the 1631 KJV which read in Exodus 20:14, “Thou shalt commit adultery”? Is it safe to say then that Donnie Romero, the former New IFB pastor who dallied with prostitutes was simply obeying the 1631 KJV? Or the 1653 KJV which assures us in 1 Corinthians 6:9, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,”? The verse from the KJV certainly does not fit in with New IFB beliefs regarding homosexuals, since it clearly says they will inherit the kingdom of God. Various errors can be found in the editions/versions of 1638, 1641, 1702, 1711, 1716, 1717, 1746, 1792, 1801, 1802, 1804, 1805, 1806, 1807, 1810, 1823, and 1829. Some serious, some not.
This is not to say that the KJV is not the inspired, infallible, inerrant word of God, because it is, as are the NASB, the ESV, the NKJV, and other translations. For the KJV Only people, such as Steven Anderson and the New IFB folks, to say other versions and translations are wrong because they change this word or that word, all without ever changing doctrine, are not God’s word, all while ignoring the record of errors found in the KJV is nothing less than a hypocritical double standard.
43. Video: What was Finished? (when Jesus said, "It is Finished."), published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 31 October 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbB-NWphmHc accessed 01 March 2019
44. Ibid
45. Video: Steven Anderson EXPLODES...denies Biblical repentance!!!, published to YouTube by Kdubtru on 07 March 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uYlYT114VE, accessed 07 March 2019
46. Article: Jesus Spent 3 Days and 3 Nights in Hell by Steven Anderson, Thursday, November 24, 2016, http://sanderson1611.blogspot.com/2016/11/jesus-spent-3-days-and-3-nights-in-hell.html accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Dr. James White Full Interview 'NWO Bible Versions', published to YouTube by framingtheworld (Paul Wittenberger) on 11 August 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJrptikLjq8 accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Jesus Descended into Hell - Pastor Steven Anderson, published to YouTube by Truth in Genesis on 16 April 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5rKQyVKShI accessed 01 March 2019
47. Video: We Should Never Go Back To The Greek As Preachers, published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 16 October 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ujP-fI1sL8 accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Dr. James White Full Interview 'NWO Bible Versions', published to YouTube by framingtheworld (Paul Wittenberger) on 11 August 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJrptikLjq8 accessed 01 March 2019
Sources
Part 2C:
48. Article: “Easy-Believism” Defended by Pastor Steven L Anderson, 2006, http://www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/easybelievism.html accessed 01 March 2019
Webpage archived at: https://web.archive.org/web/20190325221235/http://www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/easybelievism.html
49. Article: The Sinner's Prayer Defended by Steven Anderson, January 26, 2017, http://sanderson1611.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-sinners-prayer-defended.html accessed 01 March 2019
Webpage archived at: https://web.archive.org/web/20190325221335/http://sanderson1611.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-sinners-prayer-defended.html
50. Article: “Easy-Believism” Defended by Pastor Steven L Anderson, 2006, http://www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/easybelievism.html accessed 01 March 2019
Webpage archived at: https://web.archive.org/web/20190325221235/http://www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/easybelievism.html
Article: The Sinner's Prayer Defended by Steven Anderson, January 26, 2017, http://sanderson1611.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-sinners-prayer-defended.html accessed 01 March 2019
Webpage archived at: https://web.archive.org/web/20190325221335/http://sanderson1611.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-sinners-prayer-defended.html
51. “Caveat, n1.” Oxford English Dictionary Online, © 2019 Oxford University Press, https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/caveat accessed 01 March 2019
52. Video: "How Forcible Are Right Words!" Pastor Steven Anderson preaching @ Verity Baptist Chuch, published to YouTube by Steven Anderson on 28 February 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IblV92zEA08 accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Repentance Abuse, published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 30 May 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2oWqx_ye2s accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Repent of Sins for Salvation? Repentance Spectrum Disorder - Pastor Steven Anderson, published to YouTube by Truth In Genesis on 09 October 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Oj6Io5rQ1Y accessed 01 March 2019
Video: "Naaman and Elisha" Baptist Preaching (King James Bible) Christians Sermons KJV, published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 18 December 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJE8N5XzEec accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Steven Anderson EXPLODES...denies Biblical repentance!!!, published to YouTube by Kdubtru on 07 March 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uYlYT114VE, accessed 07 March 2019
Video: Repent of your Sins for Salvation EXPOSED!, featuring Steven Anderson, published to YouTube by Truth In Genesis on 24 July 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64plXQqb6yM accessed 01 March 2019
Video: "Repent of Your Sins" Hyprocrisy, published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 24 March 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px3EaSVjVjo accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Rant Against the "Repent of Your Sins" Crowd, featuring Steven Anderson, published to YouTube by KJV soulwinners (Jeff Utzler) on 31 October 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnCMy1d8w60 accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Confrontation Outside Revival Baptist Church Orlando, video taken by Benjamin Naim (Ben the Baptist), published to YouTube by New IFBdot info on 07 September 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEHpV9gDVyQ accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Steven Anderson Mob Accosts Repentance Street Preacher!, published to YouTube by TruthMercyBaptist on 01 September 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4N1nAbmpLw accessed 01 March 2019
Website: “Repentance Blacklist”, created and managed by Steven Anderson, accessed 01 March 2019. Although the site has been taken down, it can still be viewed via the Internet Wayback Machine at Internet Archive:
https://web.archive.org/web/20190118025615/repentanceblacklist.com/
https://web.archive.org/web/20180821002707/repentanceblacklist.com/tulip/
https://web.archive.org/web/20180820235413/repentanceblacklist.com/articles/
https://web.archive.org/web/20180820235457/repentanceblacklist.com/salvation/
https://web.archive.org/web/20180821015252/http://repentanceblacklist.com/blacklist/
https://web.archive.org/web/20180821012535/repentanceblacklist.com/articles/bible-corruptions/
Video: Burning Satanic Material- Book of Mormon and "Repent of Your Sins" Tracts, published to YouTube by KJV soulwinners (Jeff Utzler) on 08 October 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXIf-FW0jgM accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Do you have to repent from a sinful life to be Saved? - Pastor Steven Anderson, published to YouTube by The Good News on 27 March 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6qEFoWdoDE accessed 01 March 2019
53. Video: "How Forcible Are Right Words!" Pastor Steven Anderson preaching @ Verity Baptist Chuch, published to YouTube by Steven Anderson on 28 February 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IblV92zEA08 accessed 01 March 2019
54. Ibid
55. Ibid
Video: Repentance Abuse, published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 30 May 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2oWqx_ye2s accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Steven Anderson EXPLODES...denies Biblical repentance!!!, published to YouTube by Kdubtru on 07 March 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uYlYT114VE, accessed 07 March 2019
56. Ibid
Note: Spelling the word phonetically, it would be pronounced: met-uh-nō-ĕh/ŏw
How to pronounce Metanoeō in Biblical Greek - (μετανοέω / change one’s mind; repent),
Logos Bible Software, Published on Sep 1, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql4C5vMOns8
57. Video: "How Forcible Are Right Words!" Pastor Steven Anderson preaching @ Verity Baptist Chuch, published to YouTube by Steven Anderson on 28 February 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IblV92zEA08 accessed 01 March 2019
58. Ibid
Video: Repent of Sins for Salvation? Repentance Spectrum Disorder - Pastor Steven Anderson, published to YouTube by Truth In Genesis on 09 October 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Oj6Io5rQ1Y accessed 01 March 2019
Video: "Naaman and Elisha" Baptist Preaching (King James Bible) Christians Sermons KJV, published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 18 December 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJE8N5XzEec accessed 01 March 2019
59. Video: Do you have to repent from a sinful life to be Saved? - Pastor Steven Anderson, published to YouTube by The Good News on 27 March 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6qEFoWdoDE accessed 01 March 2019
60. “Easy-Believism” Defended by Pastor Steven L. Anderson, 2006, www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/easybelievism.html accessed 01 March 2019
61. there is a fourth word, ametameletos, which means literally no repentance, referring to something that is not repented of. Also used to indicate something that is irrevocable. If Steven Anderson actually did know Greek as he claims, and has read the New Testament cover to cover, in Greek, multiple times as he claim, then he would know this. As Anderson correctly said to James White in Paul Wittenberger’s video, “Dr. James White Full Interview 'NWO Bible Versions'” (framingtheworld, Published on Aug 11, 2014; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJrptikLjq8), knowing a little Greek can be dangerous and get one into trouble. Anderson then admitted that he only knew a little Greek, having only a semester or two of it while in Bible college before he dropped out. That was, however, in 2014, and he may have taught himself since then. If this is the case, his inability to properly pronounce metanoeó, his inability to distinguish the difference between metanoeó and metanoia, and his lack of knowledge regarding metamelomai and ametameletos demonstrates his knowledge of biblical Greek is wholly inadequate. With his faulty understanding of biblical Greek, one wonders how many other doctrines he is wrong about after his reading of the “New Testament, cover to cover, in Greek, multiple times.”
62. Strong’s G3338. metamelomai
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: metamelomai
Phonetic Spelling: (met-am-el'-lom-ahee)
Definition: to regret, repent
Usage: I change my mind (generally for the better), repent, regret.
– properly, to experience a change of concern after a change of emotion and usually implying to regret, i.e. falling into emotional remorse afterwards.
https://biblehub.com/greek/3338.htm
63. Strong’s G3340. metanoeó
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: metanoeó
Phonetic Spelling: (met-an-o-eh'-o)
Definition: to change one's mind or purpose
Usage: I repent, change my mind, change the inner man (particularly with reference to acceptance of the will of God), – properly, "think differently after," "after a change of mind"; to repent (literally, "think differently afterwards"). Definition: to change one's mind or purpose
to change one's mind, i. e. to repent (to feel sorry that one has done this or that),
used especially of those who, conscious of their sins and with manifest tokens of sorrow, are intent; on obtaining God's pardon; to repent, clothed in sackcloth and besprinkled with ashes, Matthew 11:21; Luke 10:13. to change one's mind for the better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins: Matthew 3:2; Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:15 (cf. Matthew 3:6; Matthew 3:8 and Luke 3:8, i. e. conduct worthy of a heart changed and abhorring sin); (Matthew 11:20; Mark 6:12); Luke 13:3, 5; Luke 15:7, 10; Luke 16:30; Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19; Acts 17:30; Revelation 2:5, 16; Revelation 3:3, 19; Matthew 12:41 and Luke 11:32
https://biblehub.com/greek/3340.htm
64. Strong’s G3341. metanoia
metanoia: change of mind, repentance
Part of Speech: Noun,
Transliteration: metanoia
Definition: change of mind, repentance
metánoia – literally, "a change of mind"
a change of mind; especially the change of mind of those who have begun to abhor their errors and misdeeds, and have determined to enter upon a better course of life, so that it embraces both a recognition of sin and sorrow for it, to give one the ability to repent, or to cause him to repent, Acts 5:31
https://biblehub.com/greek/3341.htm
65. Video: Salvation Stats for First 12 Years of FWBC, published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 25 December 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL-koSgLSYQ accessed 01 March 2019
According to Steven Anderson in this video, these are the numbers of those saved through “Soul Winning” by FWBC from 2005-2017: 2005 = 33; 2006 = 200; 2007 = 226; 2008 = 941; 2009 = 1258; 2010 = 1143; 2011 = 1264; 2012 = 1043; 2013 = 1199; 2014 = 1556; 2015 = 2546; 2016 = 5141; 2017 = 11,247. For a grand total, according to Anderson, or 28,000 people saved. The actual total is 27,797
66. Telephonic Interview #01 with New IFB Pastor, Manly Perry, pastor of Old Paths Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas, 03 February 2019
67. Video: No Peanut Butter, published to YouTube by brothermanly316 (Manly Perry) on 14 June 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwrmYflgUSY accessed 01 March 2019
68. Video: Why New Converts Don't Go to FWBC, published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 11 August 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNncmDP6utc accessed 01 March 2019
69. Interview with Steven Anderson on “The Point with Reginald Richardson”, "Breakfast with Reg", GABZ FM, Botswana, 20 September 2016; featured in the following video: Full Botswana Radio Interview With Pastor Steven Anderson, published to YouTube by Discerner of Spirits on 23 September 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f73tpvfqgfc accessed 01 March 2019
70. Topic: Prophet, Easton's Bible Dictionary, M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain.
71. Article: My Wife Zsuzsa - Part 3, by Steven L. Anderson, March 11, 2013, http://sanderson1611.blogspot.com/2013/03/my-wife-zsuzsa-part-3.html accessed 07 April 2019
72. https://wikidiff.com/clairvoyant/premonition
73. On October 4, 1999, my wife and I met for the first time.
http://sanderson1611.blogspot.com/2013/03/my-wife-zsuzsa-part-1.html
74. Married August 13, 2000
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5828592/
75. Ordination Service for Donnie Romero (Stedfast Baptist Church)
Transcript, dated 26 August 2014, www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/transcript_ordination_romero.html accessed 02 April 2019
76. Video: Resignation of Pastor Romero, published to YouTube by Stedfast Baptist Church (Steven Harper & Kevin Edelman YouTube channel administrators) on 02 January 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=BbWAhNxVcWo accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Pastor Donnie Romero Steps Down from Stedfast Baptist Church, published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 04 January 2019, https://youplay.pk/watch?v=lOkt4-gAkYc accessed 04 January 2019. Note: This video has been removed from YouTube by Steven Anderson.
77. Video: Ordination of Bro Tyler Baker as Deacon, published to YouTube by Richard Sousa on 24 June 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDhRcadEOZk accessed 01 March 2019
78. Faithful Word Baptist Church Facebook Posting dated 01 May 2017, stating, “Bro. Tyler Baker, who is our deacon at FWBC, is starting a church this summer in Jacksonville, FL: Valiant Baptist Church. The first service will be on August 6th. Below is a link for the church's YouTube channel. This is where the weekly sermons will be uploaded. If you haven't already, go ahead and subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7e5uVHY29cfnBHcl7rLmUg Also Check out his website: http://valiantbaptist.org/”
https://www.facebook.com/183465927963/posts/bro-tyler-baker-who-is-our-deacon-at-fwbc-is-starting-a-church-this-summer-in-ja/10155234429557964/ accessed 01 March 2019
79. Video: Angry Steven Anderson vs Tyler Baker - Pastor Berates Understudy While Wife in Labor, published to YouTube by Banned From THE NEW IFB on 28 January 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaHyA5Ij2ko accessed 01 March 2019
80. Video: Garrett Kirchway on Tyler Baker's Work Performance, published by Faithful Word Baptist Church (Steven Anderson) on 30 May 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=jHsYR1DY4Ls&feature=youtu.be accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Tyler Baker's Timesheets - Read 'em & weep!, published to YouTube by Faithful Word Baptist Church (Steven Anderson) on 30 May 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RefDM8gjfo accessed 01 March 2019
81. Video: Hard Evidence of Tyler Baker Employee Theft, published to YouTube by Faithful Word Baptist Church (Steven Anderson) on 30 May 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uInMJaWh1LI accessed 01 March 2019
82. Video: The Cost of Discipleship Evangelist Garrett Kirchway, published to YouTube by Saved by Faith on 27 May 2018. This video features Garrett Kirchway’s ordination. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igJV-x-yeUM accessed 01 March 2019
83. Video: "Bible Principles for Missions" (Botswana), published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 22 May 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O67FOt-m-jE
Sermon Transcript: "Bible Principles for Missions" KJV Baptist Bible Preaching, May 22, 2016,
https://www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/transcript_bible_principles_for_missions.html
accessed 01 March 2019
84. Ibid
85. Video: Wedding Of Brother Garrett & Neo (with reception), published to YouTube by Discerner of Spirits on 31 October 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYk6QisEpes accessed 01 March 2019
MP3 Audio Has Been Downloaded For This Video
86. Video: Garrett Kirchway Fired from FWBC, published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 28 May 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ9toArU-RI accessed 01 March 2019
Video: Pastor Anderson kicks out Garrett Kirchway & Dominique Davis for Modalism, FWBC 5/27/18, published to YouTube by The New IFB on 27 May 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjOlTxb6Pxg accessed 01 March 2019
87. Video: Richard Miller Pastor Ordination (Faithful Word Baptist Church), published to YouTube by Wendy Davis on 16 October 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76XT0GT32v4 accessed 01 March 2019
88. Article: We Need More Soul-winning Churches by Steven L Anderson, dated November 9, 2016,
http://sanderson1611.blogspot.com/2016/11/we-need-more-soul-winning-churches.html, Anderson made the comments in the comments section of this article on January 5, 2017 at 12:00 PM, accessed 03 April 2019
89. Video: Paul Wittenberger is a Great Guy!, published by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 02 September 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcWGa01q4w0 accessed 17 March 2019
Article: Framing the World by Steven Anderson, Pastor Anderson's Blog, September 29, 2016, https://www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/bl_framing_the_world.html accessed 17 March 2019
Framing the World website: https://store.framingtheworld.com/
Framing the World website store: https://store.framingtheworld.com/t/auromre
What are the Vedas? - Definition from Yogapedia, https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/5007/vedas accessed 17 March 2019
What Is Ayurveda? Treatments, Massage, Diet, and More - WebMD
https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/ayurvedic-treatments accessed 17 March 2019
Integral Yoga page on the Auromere website, https://www.auromere.com/integral-yoga/ accessed 17 March 2019
Auromère “About” Website page, https://www.auromere.com/about/ accessed 17 March 2019
Auromère “Auroville” Website page, https://www.auromere.com/auroville/ accessed 17 March 2019
Auromère Ichapur School website page, https://www.auromere.com/ichhapur-school/ accessed 17 March 2019
Video: Hindu Moment #1 - Definition of Yoga, published by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 15 March 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ3oXmjfTBM accessed 17 March 2019
Video: The Lord" of Hinduism is Satan Himself! (The Devil), published by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 23 January 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbGwExJYuhI accessed 17 March 2019
90. Video: "Bible Principles for Missions" (Botswana), published to YouTube by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 22 May 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O67FOt-m-jE
Sermon Transcript: "Bible Principles for Missions" KJV Baptist Bible Preaching, May 22, 2016,
https://www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/transcript_bible_principles_for_missions.html
accessed 01 March 2019
91. Video: Dr. James White Full Interview 'NWO Bible Versions', published to YouTube by framingtheworld (Paul Wittenberger) on 11 August 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJrptikLjq8 accessed 01 March 2019
92. Video: "Sheba the Son of Bichri" (Adam Fannin Exposed), published by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 09 January 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crCo4fYHSag accessed 17 March 2019
93. Telephonic Interview #01 with New IFB Pastor, Manly Perry, pastor of Old Paths Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas, 03 February 2019
Links for Series Articles Posted Thus Far:
Part 1a
https://reasonfiles.weebly.com/blog/steven-anderson-and-the-new-ifb-movement-part-1a
Part 1b
https://reasonfiles.weebly.com/blog/steven-anderson-and-the-new-ifb-movement-part-1b
Part 1c
https://reasonfiles.weebly.com/blog/steven-anderson-and-the-new-ifb-movement-part-1c
Part 2a
https://reasonfiles.weebly.com/blog/steven-anderson-and-the-new-ifb-movement-part-2a
Part 2b
https://reasonfiles.weebly.com/blog/steven-anderson-and-the-new-ifb-movement-part-2b
Part 2c
https://reasonfiles.weebly.com/blog/steven-anderson-and-the-new-ifb-movement-part-2c
Steven Anderson and the New IFB Movement -- Update #1
https://reasonfiles.weebly.com/blog/steven-anderson-and-the-new-ifb-movement-update-1
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