(the photo is a screen shot of the sermon where Anderson completely lost it after being cancelled on internet banking systems)
Steven Anderson has become a household name for all the wrong reasons, which include his viral anti-sodomy, anti-Zionism, and crude remarks about praying death upon certain people, the celebration of a mass killing, among other things. He has been banned from at least thirty-four nations, though we wholly disagree with the censorship.
Below we will conclusively show how that Anderson is nothing other than a dangerous enemy of the cross of Christ (Phil 3:18-19) and wolf in sheep's clothing (Matt 7:15-20).
Phil 3:18-19:
"(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)"
Matt 7:15-17, 20:
"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. . . . Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."
Who is Steven Anderson?
Anderson is a past student of the Jack Hyles Hyles-Anderson College (he never graduated) and now for the last roughly twenty years pastors an independent fundamental baptist church in Tempe, Arizona called Faithful Word Baptist Church. It's actually not faithful to the Word, but horribly heretical, following the footsteps of First Baptist Church of Hammond, IN, pastored by the wolf in sheep's clothing Jack Hyles. It's also not a church. It isn’t faithful, nor is it based upon the Word of God. It is built upon a false gospel. Thus, it can’t be a true church or Baptist since historic Baptists have preached repentance as necessary for salvation, and since the church is built upon the gospel, it can’t be a true church either.
Anderson is a popular preacher nationally, even internationally, for all the wrong reasons. His hate-filled preaching against sodomites has gained him a ban from at least thirty four countries. Though we are not opposed to hard, sharp preaching against sin and evilness, what he is doing is going way beyond that. He is a loud mouth, arrogant, antisemitic, holocaust-denying, anti-repentance, false gospel preaching narcissistic control freak, just like his mentor, Jack Hyles, and just like his father, the Devil (Jn 8:44).
Anderson has become popular through the films associated with him, through his business Framing the World. These films are made by Paul Wittenberger have advanced his false teaching everywhere. There is a unique mix to his teaching that is attractive and possesses enough truth, that looks legitimate, so it works as a counterfeit. Anderson understands the power of film, especially for today’s audience, which grew up on television and movies.
Anderson is also the de facto leader of the New IFB. The New Independent Fundamental Baptist (New IFB) movement is a loose affiliation of independent fundamental baptist churches situated in various countries around the world that hold to certain doctrines but most importantly are all intimately connected to Steven Anderson. The doctrines that unites them include salvation by faith alone without repentance and Christ's Lordship; eternal security of the (false) believer; salvation requires no evidence; the King James Bible is the inspired, preserved, inerrant, infallible Word of God; evangelism (its not); loud and crude preaching; anti-worldliness; anti-Calvinism; anti-dispensationalism with a post-trib/pre-wrath rapture of the saints; anti-Zionism; and the doctrine of arrogance and pride. With time Anderson developed a large following, but however big his following at one time, he quickly splintered his movement into numerous factions thanks to a series of “excommunications” and executive decisions about churches established under his ministry. Many of his former allies have distanced themselves from him, especially after an attempt to hide some abuse by members of his own family. Others fled his authoritarian grasp and started churches espousing various false and entirely contrary doctrines to what they once held, from modalism (spiritualizing the Trinity) to teaching that salvation can be “lost” by ceasing to believe on Christ.
Anderson rose to national notoriety after his debacle with US border patrol agents back in 2009, refusing to move his car, or show his identification or roll down his windows after a police dog alerted the police to his car at an interior checkpoint in Arizona, triggering a ninety-minute standoff, which ended with authorities breaking Anderson's car windows, tasering and beating him, forcing him to the ground and arrested. After the confrontation, Anderson uploaded an emotional video detailing his detention and abuse at the hands of the Border Patrol agents and state officers, protesting the right to travel in the country without being stopped and searched and grilled and interrogated. This is where Andersons popularity started.
In the same year (2009), Anderson delivered a sermon titled, "Why I hate Barak Obama," which was preached only a day preceding the presidents visit to the city of Phoenix, close to where Anderson lives. In the sermon he stated “I’m going to pray for Barak Obama to go to hell.” Anderson prays for Obama's eternal death, while the Bible commands us to pray for all who are in authority so that we may "lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." (1 Tim 2:1-3). Yes, that includes "evil beasts" (Ti 1:12) like Barak Obama.
More recently and even more visibly, Anderson made a name for himself using video and social media, railing on homosexuals and forging a patented brand of theology including aspects of antisemitism/anti-zionism, calvinistic replacement theology (though he claims to be against Calvinism), post-trib “anti-dispensationalism,” his “reprobate” theory, and other bizarre private interpretations of the scriptures, all with the goal to generate friction and create notoriety for himself.
Anderson has made public statements that homosexuals should be killed, which has led to him being targeted by the anti-God establishment legacy media. After the mass shooting at a sodomite-friendly nightclub in Orlando, Florida in 2016, Anderson said, “The good news is that there’s 50 less pedophiles in this world, because these homosexuals are just a bunch of disgusting perverts and pedophiles” (“Gay Hating Preacher,” Sunday Express, Sept. 16, 2016). Anderson said it was too bad some of the homosexuals survived. Of transgender sodomite celebrity Bruce Jenner, Anderson said in a sermon, “Listen to me--I hate him with a perfect hatred. I have no love for this Bruce freak. . . . This person is just the evangelist of sodomy and filth to the world, and people are like, ‘Oh, we need to pray for him so that he finds Jesus.’ I’m going to pray that he dies and goes to Hell” (Adam Salandra, “Pastor Prays Caitlyn Jenner’s Heart Explodes,” June 12, 2015).
Sodomites are evil reprobate beasts indeed, God's Word is clear on that, but that doesn't mean that God doesn't love them and didn't die for them as well. God is very angry with the wicked but at the same time has a love for them, noted in passages such as Rom 11:2, where at the same time we note "the goodness and severity of God". Christ indeed "died for the ungodly" (Rom 5:6-8), and desires them to be born again, and I know of a number of occasions where this has occurred. By all appearances, Anderson rejects the Word of God, which states on no uncertain terms that God "is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Pet 3:9), and that He would “have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim 2:4). Anderson says he opposes Calvinism but this evil "reprobate theory" heresy is much more in line with Calvinisms unconditional election and damnation doctrine than anything Baptist or Bible.
As far as what he says about the death penalty for sodomites, I have no issue with it. I agree that homosexuals should be put to death, the Bible does make that clear (Lev 20:13) including in the NT (Rom 1:32; 13:4), but that is no excuse or platform to spout hate beyond what the Bible requires. The wrath and judgment of God is upon them and they will be dealt with, but the true born again believer's job is to reprove the behaviour, warn them of God's soon judgment towards them (i.e. "And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;" 2 Pet 2:9), and call them to repentance, all in the fashion of the Lord Jesus Christ, not invoking the flesh. When James and John wanted to call down fire upon those who rejected the Lord, Christ rebuked them and said they were of the wrong spirit (Lk 9:54-56). God's judgment is God's judgement and the government is responsible to enforce God's laws (Rom 13:1-4), but in a day where the wicked politicians are so corrupt, compromised, and evil, not only is that not occurring, they are actually aiding and propagating the darkness. Thus, Andersons response should be considered a normal response to the purposeful destruction of society, of the home, of the lives of children. The reaction should be one of wrath, but God is the avenger of evil. The idea isn't for sodomites to be executed for the sake of ridding the world of them, but for the reprobate (and others like him or her) to fear God and come to repentance, and yes that can occur contrary to Anderson's claims, who preaches that reprobates cannot be saved. He is wrong. Nothing in Romans 1 or anywhere else indicates reprobates cannot be saved, though the probability is extremely low (cf. Pr 1:20-32; 2 Th 2:10-12). Low isn't impossible, for with God all things are possible.
Anderson’s Corrupt Fruit
Anderson married a girl from Germany, Zsuzsanna, whom he had allegedly led to Christ. He actually didn’t; neither of them know what true salvation is. They have been duped by the same Hyles-type of easy believism and 1-2-3 pray after me, false evangelism that they purvey. Since their secret wedding in 2000, they’ve brought 12 children into the world, three of whom have hopped the coop and exposed their father (and mother) for the hypocritical tyrants that they are.
Over the past year, many things have been going on in the Anderson home. Children who can no longer be controlled by an abusive father, are rebelling against their parental authority and speaking out. The fact that the Anderson children are cutting ties with him is one of the least surprising developments I've ever heard. It’s very sad. Why is this occurring? According to the testimonies of three of his children, Anderson (and his wife, who undoubtedly learned the trade from her husband), physically and emotionally abused his children, and that should not be surprising to anyone familiar with his sordid character, and angry, bitter disposition. The script was written already along time ago, starting with a false profession at the infancy age of six, and then being mentored on how to be a cultish tyrant by the school and church of His Highness Jack Hyles.
The oldest child, Isaac, was the first to speak out, which was confirmed by John, the third oldest. Isaac professes to be a Nazi and bears a tattoo of a Nazi War Eagle across his chest, which is seriously ironic considering his father's rejection of the Jewish people, anti-semitism and denial of the Jewish holocaust. In interviews by some atheistic group, the boys describe an abusive home, both emotionally and physically. The describe how Steven (their dad) would abuse their mother physically, beat her with an electric cord and other objects, and rage/screamed/rail on her frequently. The same behaviour occurred towards the children, by both parents. Hitting in the face, beaten on the back with an electric cord by the mother to the point of bleeding while the mother screamed at them, cursing, withholding meals for punishment, being sent to bed without supper, threatening to kill his son, and giving his son a gash in the head by knocking it against a concrete windowsill. John testified, “My parents were always fighting; they were always mad at each other.”
According to the children, a few years ago the Andersons stopped practicing the standards of separation in their home, the standards that Anderson preached in the church. In regard to music, movies, TV, etc., “the home became extremely de-Christianized” John Anderson stated. John said, “My siblings are not being held to biblical standards. My siblings as young as 11, 12 are watching R-rated movies, listening to explicit music, which my dad is publicly against. The abuse never stopped, but the standards decreased dramatically. . . . We were allowed to do whatever we wanted with our worldly friends that we made at work, as long as nobody at church found out about it.” John also talked about the hypocrisy of his father being enrolled at ASU (Arizona State University) which is a bastion of evil, alcohol and drug parties, openly supportive of the LGBT agenda, officially promoting all kinds of things he disagrees with. "He has no intrinsic core values, and he is willing to do whatever to protect his power and to protect his role that he very much enjoys having, of being an influential pastor. My dad is somebody who is obsessed with control and obsessed with power, and he gets that dose of control and power through his ministry.” John also said, “My dad is an extreme narcissist, has an extreme God complex; he never does anything wrong. My dad never apologized to one of his kids or to my mom. He did what he did and is not sorry, could never be wrong, nobody could question him.”
In Sept of this year (2024), the oldest daughter Miriam, age 17, refused to return home after a visit with her uncle Clint (Steven’s brother). She has concurred with the testimony of her two older siblings, stating that their testimonies are “100% true.” She said she had suicidal thoughts beginning at age 11. She said, "when I got to be a teenager, I kind of decided that the second I turned 18, I was out of there.” She says she is a Christian only because she met a different kind of Christian than her parents. In a tweet dated Sept. 29, Miriam shows a true Christian character and demeanor. She shows humility, kindness, and a desire for God’s blessing on their family. She said her uncle and aunt only helped her when she sought refuge and that they did not “steal” her as her father has claimed. She tweeted, “I came to my uncle desperate for help and he and his family offered me refuge. In my months of living at their house, I gained nothing but respect for both my aunt and uncle. They time and time again proved their wisdom and Godliness and I will forever be grateful for the love they showed me.” Miriam ends this tweet by saying, “Please continue praying for my family as we need it more than ever. Happy Sunday, I hope everyone has a blessed day.” That same day, in his Sunday sermon, Steven Anderson went on an angry tirade, even using curse words, justifying himself and condemning his children. It was the opposite of the Christian attitude of his estranged daughter. He displayed no humility, no kindness, no compassion, no tenderness, no brokenness for his own children. Listening to this self-justifying, angry rant it is easy to believe his children’s testimony that he has been an abusive husband and father.
This point alone disqualifies him from the pastoral office, but Anderson defended his qualification to be a pastor in that sermon by saying he has done the job "successfully" for 18.5 years and that the qualifications in 1 Tim 3 are only for unproven, untested men who are just starting out, which is hocus pocus, Anderson once again wresting the Scriptures to his own destruction. In the sermon he spent a fair amount of time bragging about his accomplishments in the ministry and how great of a father, husband, and pastor he is. He called out a couple of pastor friends by name who criticized him and then belittled them for having small churches. He said that his track record of ruling the church of God well is evidence that he rules his own house well. He says that he has always taught free will and that people have to choose to be saved and serve God on their own. He uses Jack Hyles as an example, calling him the best preacher of the 20th century even though some of his kids didn't turn out right, even though he was an ungodly tyrant and wolf in sheep's clothing. He bragged about all the soul-winning that John did while he was living at home. He says that he wouldn't be surprised if John won at least 100 people to the Lord. He claims to have won 200,000 people to the Lord. He concludes his sermon with these words: "I’m not claiming to have been perfect. I’m not claiming to have been sinless. . . . I have been a great husband, a great father, and a great pastor. . . . If I stopped pastoring today, it was a h**l of a run. . . . I’m not stepping down. I’m not sorry. I’m not repentant, 'cause I’m not guilty.’”
This has already brought great reproach to Christ and will end not well. Even an atheist and a transsexual are reporting on it via YouTube, the ones that interviewed the two boys. The older children are calling on Child Protective Services to intervene on behalf of the children still at home. The only hope is that Steven and his wife would be genuinely converted to Christ through true repentance and surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ. It appears that this is very unlikely seeing his arrogance and superior attitude while unconverted, his rejection of the true gospel that only can save.
I feel very sad for this family, the children, the angry and hypocritical manner of child rearing. Instead of being raised in a loving, godly and humble home, the children are given over to hypocrisy, Satanic pride, arrogance and eventual destruction. This reveals that Anderson is a M.A.P. What is a M.A.P.?
As for the atheists that did the interview, they are only happy to spread Christian hypocrisy, motivated by their own reprobate and hypocritical estate, only a different flavour than that of Anderson. They aren’t off any better, and pursuing false Christian’s and false teachers doesn’t help their cause. They also have eternal hell fire patiently awaiting them, just like Anderson. Both are reprobates. One an immoral reprobate (Rom 1:28-32), and the other a spiritual reprobate (2 Tim 3:8-9).
Sadly, many people have likely been drawn to Anderson because of his family and what appears to be a good Christian home ('he has twelve children who dress in suits and pretty dresses, he must be doing something right'), with some members already publicly testifying that they feel betrayed by learning the true condition of his home.
Knowing the heresy, false profession, false gospel, massive amounts of false believers deluded by his damnable heresies, angry and bitter spirit of Anderson, this corrupt fruit comes as no shock. It was written on the wall.
"For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." (Lk 6:43-45)
Anderson's False Gospel, the Cause of the Corrupt Fruit and Heretical Teachings
The worse thing, worse than anything mentioned here, is his false gospel.
And that dovetails with everything else here.
The false gospel of Steven Anderson has been called different names through the years, especially since the time his mentor and hero Jack Hyles perfected it — easy believism, easy prayerism, or 1-2-3-pray-with-me. All it takes for a person to be counted saved and a recipient of eternal security/life by Anderson is to show even just a little interest, bow the head, and pray the prayer, even if the person never shows fruit of salvation. This is the same ungodly, corrupt and perverted gospel and methodology all over the country, scorching the land with his perversion and making many, if not all, two-fold children of hell.
Steven Anderson doesn’t believe a true gospel. He denies repentance is necessary for salvation, which is in fact the gospel Jesus preached (Matt 3:2) and commanded us to preach in the Great Commission (Lk 24:47). There is no salvation without true repentance, for Repentance is the Foundation of Salvation.
Anderson perverts and corrupts repentance, as done so extremely frequently today by majority of preachers, including so-called Baptists in the Hyles orbit today, such as Bob Gray Sr. of Longview "Baptist" Temple in Texas and Jack Hyles (both mentioned at this source), and Michael Sullivant of Pembina Valley Baptist Church of Winkler, Manitoba, as simply a change of mind, and/or changing from unbelief to belief. Repentance is Not Just a Change of Mind!
Anderson claims that repentance is a work and is only for people after they are already saved. He so much hates the true gospel that includes repentance, that he even started a repentance blacklist page online (which appears defunct now), where he lists men he knows are preaching repentance as necessary for salvation, as part of the message of the gospel. Multiple times I have attempted to get on that page, but to no avail. I guess I must not be important enough.
In his teachings on repentance, he uses many of the same bad arguments that false teacher, Jack Hyles, did, and he uses Hyles extensively on his repentance blacklist website. Hyles had very many followers while alive (and many factions continue today), many of which would probably like Anderson as well, seeing that Anderson follows many of the same positions as Hyles before he slammed into eternity. His preaching, like Hyles, against repentance for salvation leads people to hell, making them twice the children of hell they once were. Thus, let Steven Anderson "be accursed" (Gal 1:6-9).
As an example of Anderson perverting the gospel by corrupting repentance and who Christ is, he uses Ezk. 18:21-23 and Jon. 3:10 in an attempt to buttress his erroneous repentance which latter passage reads “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.” Apparently since God saw their works, and their works were that they turned from their evil way, it couldn't possibly be referring to spiritual salvation, since this would then be a works gospel. He claims that they were attempting to gain favour with God through a form of works. Anderson says that turning from your evil way is works, and people are saved without works. If that is so bad and its allegedly only referring to physical salvation, not spiritual, as he also claims (which means nothing in light of eternity, and actually confuses the Bible significantly), then why is God so happy about what took place in Nineveh, a people that were dead in their sins and under His judgment? Why is God happy that the Ninevites turned from their evil way if God doesn't find that acceptable? God repented of the evil that he said he would do unto them, when they turned from their evil way. Shouldn't God have been angry over their self righteousness? If they were really working to be saved, as Anderson is saying, then why would God have averted His destruction of them? Anderson doesn't explore this any further in his presentations. He just pulls out this small disjointed observation to piece together with other verses to pound into people his false gospel that tries to rid the message and gospel of repentance. What he doesn't want is people repenting. As it follows, according to Anderson no one needs to ever repent to be saved. Anyone that cares anything about the truth knows this is the work of a false teacher.
The hermeneutics for Anderson’s false gospel could be called eisegesis for morons. He is depending on a certain amount of simpleness and superficiality and gullibility in his listeners to swallow his garbage. Anderson calls this preaching and soul-winning, which is certainly not true. True soul-winning includes genuine Biblical repentance and Christ's Lordship. I have attended a church where one of the deacons was an ardent Anderson follower (something he didn't make public knowledge though and attempted to keep hidden out of fear or shame). His talking points were as an Anderson parrot. He rejected the true gospel just like Anderson, and preached an entire sermon that attacked this critical doctrine which without no man can be born again. He got all of this from Anderson, though he attempted to deny it. As it turned out I was right, the church had even once had a split due to the heresies of Anderson being promoted by various deacons and teachers. This deacon was a blatant false teacher but sadly the pastors of that church were blind to it. When confronted with the facts, they were more interested in not offending the false teacher than obeying the truth of God's Word. Such is the sad and sordid state of affairs in most independent Baptist churches today.
Anderson claims what he teaches is faith alone for salvation. But its not in fact Biblical faith. True faith would include repentance, which is not a work. There is no faith without repentance. Faith and believe actually mean something in Scripture, not mere acquiescence to facts. It is more than just “trust” as well, although trust is included. Faith must also be in the Lord Jesus Christ, belief in the true Christ Who is Lord and Saviour (Jn 20:30-31). Christ is the Messiah, He is King, He is Lord, the Lord of Psalm 2. Anderson however removes this critical element of God the Son from the identity of Jesus so that Jesus is not Lord, and he replaces it with the strawman, “making Jesus Lord,” as if he’s quoting someone who thinks that, so that believing in Lordship is a work. Jesus is Lord, so believing in Jesus Christ means He must be Lord. Anderson presents a different Jesus, because He removes the Lordship (Messiahship) of Jesus so someone can have Jesus as Saviour without His being Lord. He sadly will find a lot of sympathy in that major and crucial omission and perversion among those who claim to be independent Baptist. Anderson doesn’t really actually preach believe in Jesus, because his Jesus is "another Jesus" (2 Cor 11:3-4), and his belief isn’t belief, but more along the lines of the demon-faith on James 2, and the faith of the betrayer Judas. We go into detail on Christ's Lordship for salvation in the report, Lordship Salvation is Salvation.
Because of his false gospel, Anderson believes you can kill yourself and still go to heaven. He is not alone on this gospel perversion and damnable heresy. Others include John MacArthur, Billy Graham, John Piper, Hank Hanegraaff, Mark Driscoll, the Catholic church, and many other ministers of Satan today, especially among the reformed Calvinist crowd. This teaching well fits Satan's agenda. He is a murderer and has been from the beginnning (Jn 8:44), and he wants people lost and going where he is going, hell (e.g. Lk 8:12-14). What better way to get them dead and in hell than to lie to them about suicide? Anderson's “damnable heresy" (2 Pet 2:1) is clearly expressed in a number of sermons including one specifically on suicide (preached April 28, 2013), and one titled "Eternal Security" where he specifically mentions taking a gun and blowing the brains out, and in his “Basic Soul-winning Demonstration Video” where he claims,
"No matter if you quit church, even if you did something awful like kill somebody or kill yourself, ok, God will not take away your salvation from you."
This is an attack on the evidence and fruit of salvation. Anderson of course doesn’t believe in looking for evidence of salvation. He believes that eternal security means anyone who has prayed the sinner’s prayer is saved forever, regardless of fruit present, regardless of any evidence of genuine conversion as Scripture decrees, even if that person killed a hundred people and then killed himself, he is still saved and can never be lost (sermon “Eternal Security”). Thats not even the point from a Scriptural basis. The point is that the Bible plainly states that such a person never had salvation to begin with. He might have prayed a sinner’s prayer; he might have been baptized in a Baptist church; but he was never saved, and the evidence demonstrates it.
In “Historic Fundamentalism?” Anderson speaks from the context of 1 Jn 4:20 and says that a person who professes Christ is saved even if he doesn’t love God and hates the brethren.
“Is it possible for a person to be saved and not love God? Absolutely, because he says here there could be a Christian, if he doesn't love his brother, if he hates his brother, the Bible says he doesn't love God. But he's still a brother. He's still saved. Do you understand what I'm saying?” (Anderson, “Historic Fundamentalism")
As he mostly does, Anderson turns Scripture on its head in his interpretation of 1 Jn 4:20. He claims that the word “brother” here must refer to a saved person, and therefore a saved person can fail to love God and can hate his fellow man and yet be saved, even though the verse itself says this is impossible!
“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (1 Jn 4:20).
The very context throughout this epistle tells us that a person that professes to love God but hates his brother is a false brother, a deciever, a false believer. For instance,
“He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.” (1 Jn 2:9)
“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 Jn 3:10)
“We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.” (1 Jn 3:14)
“Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” (1 Jn 3:14)
The fact that John uses the term “brother” in these verses obviously does not mean that the individual is saved. It cannot possibly mean that, because John plainly says that such an individual has not passed from death unto life, is a child of the devil, and does not have eternal life abiding in him. That certainly means that he is not saved. In Rom 9:3, Paul calls the unbelieving, unsaved, persecuting Jews his “brethren,” but that does not mean they were saved.
There is not one example in the NT of someone who was saved and did not experience a powerful repentance and conversion that dramatically changed his or her life. Not one. The Bible emphatically and repeatedly and consistently says that salvation has evidence and lots of it.
Andersons false gospel explains his inability to rightly divide the Scripture and his frightful tendency to twist and wrest Scripture. It explains his strange and arrogant attitude, his rage against his detractors instead of interacting with them with godly humility. He is a false believer who lives in the only realm that he knows, the carnal mind.
Anderson Claims Reprobates Cannot Be Saved
This ties into his false gospel. As mentioned earlier, he frequently argues that homosexuals (reprobates) cannot be saved, that there is no hope for homosexuals to ever be saved, that they are beyond the scope of God's eternal mercy. But this is a malicious and Satanic lie in complete opposition to Scripture, that actually ties into the previous subject of suicides getting into heaven, since a large percentage of sodomites (the alphabet soup people) commit suicide. In a sermon titled “Born That Way?" (preached as a guest speaker at ASU), Anderson claims,
"...once people die and go to hell it's too late for them. Well, I'm just saying that the Bible teaches in many places that it can become too late for a person before that point sometimes, if they reject Christ enough. And I would say homosexuals fall into that category."
In his article “The Truth about Homosexuals,” Anderson uses Rom 1 to argue homosexuals cannot be saved. He writes,
"God has already rejected the sodomites."
This is a blatant lie though. Nowhere does it say in Rom 1 that God has rejected the sodomite. God is simply expressing what is occurring in the immoral reprobates life, how that He has given him or her over to a life of evil, to do the things not convenient. But Rom 1 is not unique to sodomites. The subject matter in Rom 1 begins with these words "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;" (Rom 1:18). This section addresses “all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,” and it gives the reason for “all” of man's "ungodliness and unrighteousness” and God's subsequent condemnation thereof. All men know about God and hold His truth in their hands, but reject Him by refusing to repent (Rom 1:18-21), showing once again the foundational reason why people will not be saved: they won't repent. Everyone fits in here that rejects true salvation, as it is written "The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one." (Ps 14:2-3; cf. Rom 3:10-19).
The reprobate is condemned, just like all others who reject the Lord Jesus christ. Jn 3:18 states,
"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
All unbelievers, sodomites or otherwise, are already condemned but that doesn't mean they cannot be saved. It simply means they are condemned in their present condition of ungodliness and rebellion against God, “the wrath of God abideth on him” that “believeth not.” They don't believe because they hate the light, love their sin, and reject the truth because they don't want their evil deeds reproved, just like Jn 3:19-21 and Rom 1:18-23 tell us, But, if they repent and believe, they can be saved (Jn 3:16 “whosoever”; Ac 17:30).
Sodomites can be saved. The Lord Jesus said,
"Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:" (Mk 3:28-29)
"And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day." (Matt 11:23)
"All sins shall be forgiven” (Mk 3:28) includes the sin of homosexuality, only not blasphemy of the Holy Ghost. If the miracles done in Capernaum had been done in Sodom, the judgment of God would not have come upon the Sodomites. Sodom “would have remained until this day.” Why? Because, just as in the case of Nineveh (Jon 3:4-10), the sodomites would have repented. God's judgment would not have come, and the sodomites would have been saved. That didn't occur and He used them as “an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire” (Ju 1:7) for “those that after should live ungodly” (2 Pet 2:6).
There is more. Paul makes it clear that reprobates can be saved in 1 Cor 6:9-11, a passage that led to my own salvation:
"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
Paul says some of the Corinthians were “effeminate” and “abusers of themselves with mankind” but were now saved (“washed,” "justified," sanctified"). Both of these terms either describe or include homosexuals. “Effeminate” is a translation of the Greek word (malakoi) which is elsewhere translated “soft” (Matt 11:8 x 2; Lk 7:25). That's exactly what many homosexuals are – effeminate, soft, and the effeminacy is a direct result of their homosexuality. Acting like a female is quite typical of sodomites. “Abusers of themselves with mankind,” also translated, “them that defile themselves with mankind” (1 Tim 1:10), is a translation of the Greek word ἀρσενοκοῖται (arsenokoitai) which is a compound word. The first part, ἄρσεν (arsen), means “man” (cf. Gal 3:28) or “male” (cf. Matt 19:4), and the second part, κοίτη (koitê), means “bed” (cf. Lk 11:7), and is used in a sexual context and way (Heb 13:4; Rom 9:10). Thus, with this practice being condemned, it indicates male sexual perversion, as Lev 18:22 declares, "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination." (see also Lev 20:13). This describes “them that defile themselves with mankind” and “abusers of themselves with mankind.”
Anderson’s Corrupt View of the Bible.
Anderson embraces a corrupted position on the King James Bible (KJV). His wacky English translation position is connected to ours, but vastly different, more along the lines of Peter Ruckman’s position, which is thoroughly heretical. He pushes the King James Bible above that of the inspired and preserved texts of Scripture, namely the Hebrew Masoretic Text and Greek Textus Receptus. He believes and promotes an indefensible position on the preservation of Scripture, that the doctrine of preservation of Scripture as found in the Word of God applies to translations such as the King James Bible. In fact, he believes it only applies to the KJV, as voiced in an interview with the Reformed Calvinist, heretic, rationalist, James White, which is the same position of Peter Ruckman and many other IFB preachers and the like, such as Tim Krahn and Reg Kelly.
This is actually a heretical and dangerous position that claims God waited about 1,500 years to preserve His Word in a language that He actually didn’t inspire His words in. English didn't exist in the 1st century, and not till 1,400 years after. You can’t preserve something that doesn’t exist. God has providentially and perfectly preserved His Word in the Greek Textus Receptus and Hebrew Masoretic Text. When the Bible speaks of preservation, that is what God is referring to. You don't preserve something that doesn’t actually exist. When you preserved your vegetables this fall, did you preserve veggies that won’t exist for another 1,500 years? If you can do that, let me know how it goes for you. A person who believes that God preserved His Words in English is denying the preservation of scripture. God preserves what He wrote. He didn't write English. He wrote Hebrew, Greek and some Aramaic. This is so simple, it should insult anyone’s intelligence. I'm hoping this insults your intelligence and not because I'm saying God’s promise of preservation wasn’t an English Bible translation. The promise of divine, perfect, verbal plenary preservation is not to a translation but to all the words God gave in the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek (Ps 12:6-7; Matt 5:18; 2 Tim 3:16). Typically men like Anderson and the others mentioned here will also corrupt and wrest these passages of Scripture into an English Bible meaning, further finalizing the coffin of their heresy and error of the wicked (2 Pet 3:16-17).
Only by extension and indirect application, preservation will apply to any translation that accurately and faithfully renders of the inspired and preserved Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek words (Rom 16:25-26) by formal equivalence (Neh 8:8), but translation itself is not preservation. What is preserved existed already. The promises of preservation as found in Scripture are to those words that existed already, the ones that God inspired. With a prescience of what would occur regarding His Word, God in the Bible says that He would preserve "jots and tittles," which are letters in the Hebrew alphabet. "Scripture" itself refers to the writings, the actual etchings or markings. God would preserve the Words He inspired. We should all be happy about that. Heretics like Anderson are not. They want more, or something different, that helps exalt their "piety" and Pharisaical position in society.
Anderson also teaches that the Word made flesh in John 1 is the Bible itself and not Jesus Christ, which is plain heresy and clear rejection of the plain meaning of the passage. In one video he makes fun and mocks the idea of Word being a name for Jesus. On a number of occasions in Scripture, "the word" is referring to the Lord Jesus Christ, even specifically stated so, such as Rev 19:13, "And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God." And Jn 1:1, 14, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
Anderson’s Wicked Scripture Wresting
Besides what has been mentioned already (Jon 3; Ezk 18; etc), there is truck loads more. Almost every time he touches on a passage of scripture, it is twisted and wrested, it is misused and abused, which reflects, once again, the true nature of this wicked wolf in sheep's clothing.
For instance, in Anderson's paper “The Truth About Homosexuals” he writes,
"The first Sodomite mentioned in the Bible is Ham. Ham took advantage of his own father Noah while he was drunk. He didn't just see his father's nakedness; the Bible says that Noah knew what his younger son had done unto him. The first example of homosexuality in the Bible involves a person being violated against his will."
Anderson is blatantly adding to God's Word here (cf. Pr 30:5-6). The only thing recorded in Scripture that Ham “had done to him” (Gen 9:24) is he “saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without” (Gen 9:22). Anderson adds sodomy to the account and makes more of the text than is really there, which is adding to Scripture, falling under the condemnation of Rev 22:18.
Anderson has to spiritualize vast amount of the Bible because of his Replacement Theology heresy. ALL who allegoricalize scripture on a regular basis are unsaved. Not one exempt. It's impossible. If they are saved, if there is even one saved, then the truth "Let God be true and every man a liar" becomes reversed. God says they are lost in a number of passages such as 1 Jn. 2:20-21, 27; 2 Pet 3:16-17. The Holy Spirit of God whom indwells every true born again believer ONLY teaches truth, literal truth and nothing but literal truth. Even a new believer in Christ does not allegoricalize the Scriptures.
Anderson’s Anti-Israel Jew Hate, Holocaust Denial, and Replacement Theology
With the help of a professional video producer, Anderson has created “documentaries” that slyly promote his strange doctrines, even going as far as titling the Arabic translation of his film Marching to Zion as The Lies of the Jews, obviously intended to resonate with evil Moslem anti-Jewish pagans. In his misnamed and heretical documentary, Marching to Zion, Anderson purports that Israel is not actually Israel, the Jews are not actually Jews, and God is no longer interested in the land promised to Abraham. Anderson claims that Israel has been completely cast away by God, that He is finished with her, and that NT believers are the chosen people of Israel, i.e. Replacement Theology. He rejects the Jewish holocaust of WWII, snd claims that it’s the spirit of the Antichrist that led to Israel being given their homeland. All this means that he must reject large amounts of the Bible and spiritualize (allegoricalize) these Scriptures, twisting them into another meaning besides the obvious. Every person that habitually allegoricalizes Scripture, especially clear factual truths concerning Israel, is a heretic and an apostate. This person has never been genuinely converted to Christ evident by the absence of the indwelling Spirit of God, Who only teaches literal truth to those He indwells (cf. Pr 8:8-9; 22:20-21; 1 Jn 2:20-21, 27). Based upon this fact alone, doubly that if we include his rejection of God's chosen people, we know Anderson is an enemy of the cross and wolf in sheep's clothing.
We cover the subject of the Jews, Israel and Replacement theology, in detail here: The Land of Israel, the Jew and the Covenants of God vs Replacement Theology (a Doctrine of Devils).
Andersons Blasphemous Teachings on Christ
He claims that Christ suffered in hell for our sins. This is a popular teaching among certain IFB churches, especially those aligned with Ruckmanism.
Anderson claims that Jesus did not pay our sin debt on the cross, but had to roast in hell to pay the debt. If Jesus burned in hell to finish the atonement for our sins, the cross obviously wasn’t sufficient.
The Bible never says anywhere that our sins were taken to hell, and actually does clearly tell us where they were taken. Our sins were covered and redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ shed at Calvary (1 Pet. 1:19), and then nailed on the cross (Col. 2:14), for "his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree," and "by whose stripes ye were healed" (1 Pet. 2:24), taking our "trespasses . . . out of the way, nailing it to his cross" (Col. 2:14). Clearly, Christ paid the atonement for sin on the cross itself by His death and blood (Rom. 5:8-9). The Levitical sacrifices teach us that it is the blood that makes the atonement (Lev. 17:11; Heb. 9:22), not Hell.
Anderson Needs to Immediately Step Down from the Ministry and be Genuinely Born Again
It is very sad that Steven Anderson identifies as a Christian. He has brought great reproach to that name, but he is not the first independent Baptist preacher to do this. His hero, Jack Hyles, brought reproach to the name of Christianity that far exceeds that of Anderson.
1 Jn 4:1,
"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."
This report was not intended to deal with everything bad about what Anderson preaches. It’s really to be clear about major issues on who this man is and what he teaches. He is wrong, an enemy of the cross of Christ, a wolf in sheep's clothing, and should not be heeded or followed by any. Run away from him, and the likes of him, as fast as possible.
2 Jn 1:9-11,
"Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds."
False teachers like Steven Anderson can be saved, if they will repent, but that appears to be extremely difficult according to Scripture (e.g. Pr 1:20-32; 2 Pet 2:17-22). Here is a gospel tract that lays out what is necessary for any man to be born again: How to Be Saved and Have Eternal life.
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