Andy Stanley is undermining the inerrancy of Scripture...it started a few years back actually...

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All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that every man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. -- 2Timothy 3: 16-17 (ESV)

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1: 14 (ESV)

Mega church heretic Andy Stanley is at it again. Some may balk at referring to him as such but the record is there for people to examine and if they keep paying attention it will become crystal clear that he is the hireling the Bible warns us about. This month Andy gave a sermon series entitled "Who Needs God." Part two of this series deals with his attempt to completely undermine Scripture as being inerrant and infallible. It is a breathtaking display of humanism run amok and worse yet, he uses our kids as the reason why we should not hinge our faith upon the Word of God. In doing some research on the matter, this is not actually the first time he has offered such a notion and while I may eventually do an entire sermon review, we should start at the beginning and that was in 2013 during an interview Stanley gave where he first presented these ideas. Before we get there however it is important to realize how heretical Andy Stanley has been even without this recent nonsense. He has publicly given up on the biblical instruction to shepherd God's people, which is the only role for a pastor:

(When asked about Pastors being called shepherd) -- "That word needs to go away. It was culturally relevant in the time of Jesus, but it's not culturally relevant anymore." -- Andy Stanley -- Leadership Journal, May 2006

So to the man that has one of the largest churches in America, the Bible means so little as to change what it teaches based upon cultural whims. More importantly, the primary role that God has given to pastors, Stanley thinks is obsolete. This is not terribly surprising since he is an acolyte of Rick Warren and the Purpose Driven Church. The sheep have become customers to people like Andy Stanley instead of belonging to the Lord and in desperate need of shepherding. Just last year Andy had to apologize for some public sheep-beating when he chastised those who attended small churches as being "so freaking selfish." It is all about the business model for the hireling remember. Stanley has not only embraced the humanistic and carnal purpose driven model but he has injected it with steroids:

"Your church is a great church because it is led well, not because your folks are praying and waiting for revival." -- Andy Stanley - June 2014 Tweet

Did you get that beloved? A great church is great not because of the sufficiency of God but rather the leadership of man. It matters not who is standing in the gap praying for the church -- it is all about the CEO-Pastor-Dude standing in the pulpit; casting vision and not shepherding the sheep. Just this year Stanley showed his irreverence for God by incorporating 1990's Boy-Band songs during worship including the sexual innuendo lyrics indicating that your girl has "got the right stuff baby; Love the way you turn me on." As if this was not enough, a few weeks later he had devoted much of "worship" time to the British Invasion and had his band do a set of Beatles songs. I say this all as the backdrop to the 2013 interview given by Stanley, in which he displayed that he has walked even farther away from orthodox beliefs and is now firmly living in the humanistic world of modern day Sodom. In the clip, Stanley starts out by claiming we have done previous generations, especially children and high school students, a terrible disservice by the way we speak about the Bible. He recounts a tale about being in a college class where the teacher went through several different religions and their "creation myths" including of course Adam and Eve from the Bible. His assertion is this teaching unwittingly destroyed every Christian's faith because it was "a house of cards." Because of this he concludes:

"The foundation of our faith is not Scripture, not the infallibility of the Bible. The foundation of our faith is something that happened in history and the issue is always -- who is Jesus? The Scriptures are simply a collection of ancient documents that tell us that story." -- Andy Stanley

For me it is not that surprising when someone as heretical and unbiblical as Andy Stanley seemingly abandons the Holy Scriptures. But it is frightening because so many people follow him. So many Christians are being led by a man who has admitted to not wanting to shepherd them and who now is on record as saying that the Bible is just a collection of ancient documents. No Andy it is not. Let's deal first with the pitiful example he provides. It is true that many kids go off to college and can have their faith easily destroyed. The cause of this phenomenon however is not that belief in Christ in general is a house of cards but that they based what they believe on reason instead of faith. For the person who is firmly rooted in faith there is nothing an unsaved college professor can say to change what we already know. The things of God are foolishness to them! Of course to them everything is a myth! Faith knows better however. But if your beliefs are simply based upon reason then reason can undo them very easily indeed.

So it is absurd and mind boggling that someone claiming to be a pastor thinks it is doing a disservice to explain to people that the Bible is infallible. That we ought to look at them as just a collection of ancient documents. Perhaps Andy has forgotten the power of Scripture when his house of cards fell but let us start with the first set of key verses above. The Scriptures are profitable. They present gain for the reader. In what areas? For teaching, reproving, correcting, and training in righteousness. You name it Andy and the Bible provides profit. Perhaps the most important portion of these verses is the fact that all Scripture is literally breathed out by God Himself! The Creator of the entire universe has written the Scriptures and Andy Stanley thinks they are just a collection of stuff. This is what happens when you turn the church into a business and replace the supernatural truths of God with the carnal business plans and marketing schemes of man. Human wisdom starts taking over. The Bible is divinely inspired by God. It is not merely a road sign pointing you to the person of Jesus. It is Jesus! It is stunningly ironic and sad that Andy thinks the issue is always -- who is Jesus -- yet he forgets that Jesus is the Word, confirmed in our second key verse. Jesus is the Logos Word. The Word made flesh. He completely embodies His Word and His Word embodies Him. You cannot separate the two unless you are trying to be disobedient to one or both. Jesus Himself reflected constantly to the Scriptures as the answer to everything:

He answered, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?- Matthew 19: 4-5 (ESV)

This is Jesus in direct response to the Pharisees trying to trap Him. Have you not read? When tempted for forty days what was the response of Jesus to every temptation laid out before Him? It is written. Think about that:

Have you not read?

It is written.

The foundation of our faith is not Scripture, not the infallibility of the Bible.

One of these is not like the other beloved. What is Andy Stanley actually railing against here? Faith in the Word of God. What is the one area Satan always attacks first? The infallibility of Scripture. Why? Because if he can get you to doubt any one portion of Scripture as being questionable then the rest easily falls away. Stanley actually turns faith into the house of cards he complained about by removing the infallibility of Scripture from the conversation. Not content with the damage he has wrought so far, Stanley continues to elaborate:

"When I deal with the story of Adam and Eve, I am quick to say, 'Hey this is one of those odd stories. This is that story you heard growing up about two naked people running around in a garden and who can believe that!" -- Andy Stanley

Try and remember that Andy Stanley calls himself a pastor. As do tens of thousands of people in his congregation. Who amongst us has not reflected upon the beautiful story of creation and thought, "Oh yeah, the story about two naked people running around in a garden." I would say this misses the mark but that is too great an understatement. What kind of pastor starts relating any biblical story by undercutting it before he even tells the story! Hey this story is crazy y'all! Who can believe that God would create two human beings and place them in a garden! How nuts is that? Makes you wonder what Andy does with stories about God stopping the sun, flooding the earth, shutting the mouths of the lion for Daniel, saving the three Hebrew boys, parting the Red Sea, parting the Jordan River, or I don't know"being resurrected from the dead? But that garden story and the running around naked, yeah that one is a little odd. Are you serious? You start your discourse on Scripture by doubting it? By legitimizing uncertainty for those who do not wish to believe and you think that is being responsible? Makes one wonder if any of Scripture is held in any regard by Andy Stanley:

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. -- John 17: 17 (ESV)

The Word of God is truth -- period. So truthful that it sanctifies us from the pollution of untruths in this world and even in our own pulpits. But only if it is presented that way. Once we start dabbling in doubting any part of it, we open the door for anyone to dismiss all of it. Unfortunately, Stanley would conclude:

"And there are many creation myths but here is why I believe this actually happened. Not because the Bible says so but because in the Gospels Jesus talks about Adam and Eve and it appears to me that He believed they were actually historical figures and if He believed they were historical then I believe they were historical because anyone who can predict their own death and resurrection and pull it off, I just believe anything they say." -- Andy Stanley

So let me see if I got this right. You do not believe the story of Adam and Eve because the Bible says so but because Jesus said so and the source of your knowing Jesus said so is the Bible? Talk about a logical disconnect and circular unreasoning that can only come from relying upon fallible human wisdom! Stanley claims to believe anything Jesus said; how about these:

For the words of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. -- Hebrews 4: 12 (ESV)

Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path. -- Psalm 119: 105 (ESV)

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. -- Psalm 119: 11 (ESV)

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. -- Romans 10: 17 (ESV)

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. -- Mark 13: 31 (ESV)

How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. -- Psalm 119: 9 (ESV)

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. -- Colossians 2: 8 (ESV)

The Bible says that words of eloquent wisdom actually empty the cross of its power! Whenever we start to fancy ourselves as wise in our own eyes we are in dangerous territory. We are taught that not the slightest dot over an "I" will be done away with from the Word of God until Christ returns. Collection of ancient documents? Maybe to someone who built their house of cards on reason instead of faith. Maybe to someone who thinks shepherding is an outdated concept. Maybe for a purpose driven, mega church hireling who is more concerned with entertaining the goats then he is with the actual Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Andy Stanley is a dangerous man for the body of Christ. He consistently takes anti-biblical stances on a range of topics. The efficacy of prayer? Nope; it is all due to leadership that the church grows. The inerrancy of the Bible? Nope; just ancient documents man. The necessity for the sheep of God to be tended to? Nope, that is so passe dude. You cannot get to the person of Christ without the Word. The Book of Romans teaches us that only the Gospel is the power of god unto the salvation of men. Not human wisdom and carnal reasoning. Jesus is the Word and the Word is Jesus. To pretend otherwise is simply heretical.

Reverend Anthony Wade -- August 30, 2016

Authors Bio:
Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.