Where Are Our Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches Headed?

Where Are Our Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches Headed?

By David J. Stewart
September 2014 | Updated November 2014

I gratefully attended First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana (FBCH) and Hyles-Anderson College (HAC) between 1985-1993. When I graduated in 1993 and crossed the platform of FBCH to personally receive my degree from Dr. Hyles' hand, I had tears in my eyes and told Brother Hyles, “I love you preacher!” America owes a debt of gratitude to Dr. Hyles that cannot be expressed in words.

I love the folks at FBCH and HAC, but Dr. Hyles taught me to be loyal to principle and truth, not to institutions or organizations. Someone needs to fight on the front lines, looking for heresy, compromise and apostasy rearing it's ugly head. The Bible warns that Satan continually tries to corrupt churches (Jude 1:4; Matthew 7:15; 2nd Corinthians 11:4-5, 13-15; 2nd Peter 2:1).

I was saddened in 2008 when FBCH (hence also HAC) changed their doctrinal position on the King James Bible, saying that it wasn't inspired. They said the King James Bible is perfect and preserved, but not inspired. As far as I can determine, they still hold to their new position.

Although I consider them family, I respectfully disagree with the claim in 2008 that inspiration refers to the process by which God gave His Word to man, rather than the words themselves. I pray and wish FBCH would officially set the matter straight, instead of quietly letting the matter cool down and leave everybody wondering. It was no small matter in 2008. The co-founder of Hyles-Anderson College, Dr. Russell Anderson, withdrew his support (.pdf) of Hyles-Anderson College, just as Brother Hyles told us all to do if the college ever changed their position...

“Students of Hyles-Anderson College, do not give your loyalty to Hyles-Anderson College. You give your loyalty to what we stand for today, and if tomorrow we don't stand for it, you withdraw your loyalty—loyalty to principle, loyalty to right, loyalty to character, loyalty to integrity, loyalty to conviction, loyalty to truth; not loyalty to institutions.” —Dr. Jack Hyles, from the sermon titled, “Filled With All The Fulness Of God.”

Ironically, HAC now has the best statement of beliefs as compared to Bob Jones University (BJU) and Pensacola Christian College (PCC). BJU and PCC believe that only the originals are without error. Think about what they are saying. The great omnipotent God, Who spoke the universe into existence by the Word of His mouth (2nd Peter 3:5), is incapable of giving us an accurate Holy Bible in the English-speaking language? Really? That dear old grandma or uneducated hillbilly is out of luck because they don't know Greek? Really?

Here's the statement of beliefs of HAC...

We believe the Word of God as found in the sixty-six (66) books from Genesis to Revelation is infallible and inerrant and perfect; it is the plenary and verbally inspired words of God to men. We believe God has also preserved every single word through the ages.

Psalm 12:6; Proverbs 30:5; 2 II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:21; 3 Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4; 4 Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 5:18; Matthew 24:35; I Peter 1:25.

God has divinely preserved His words for English-speaking people in the King James Version. The King James Version is the translation used in any and all ministries of First Baptist Church for English-speaking people.

SOURCE: Beliefs - Hyles-Anderson College

And here is the statement of beliefs of Bob Jones University (BJU)...

Although Bob Jones University does not hold to a King James Only position, we continue to hold the widely-used King James Version (KJV) as the campus standard in the classroom and in the chapel pulpit. The position of the University on the translation issue has not changed since the founding of the school in 1927.

We believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Bible in the original manuscripts, and we believe that God has supernaturally preserved every one of His inspired words for us today. However, from the founder to the present administration, we have never taken the position that there can be only one good translation in the English language.

SOURCE: Statement about Bible Translations | Bob Jones University

And lastly, here is the statement of faith concerning the Bible from Pensacola Christian College (PCC), which also presents the same errant position of BJU that only the originals were inspired...

We believe that the Bible is the verbally inspired and infallible, authoritative Word of God and that God gave the words of Scripture by inspiration without error in the original autographs. God promises that He will preserve His Word; Jesus said, “My words shall not pass away”—Matt. 24:35. We believe that God has kept that promise by preserving His infallible Word in the traditional Hebrew and Greek manuscripts and that the Authorized Version (KJV) is an accurate English translation of the preserved Word of God.

SOURCE: Articles of Faith · Pensacola Christian College

I give two thumbs up, a hallelujah and a big amen for Dr. Shelton Smith at the Sword Of The Lord, who gets it correct on the Bible...

“God has preserved His inspired Word for us. It is preserved in the Hebrew Masoretic text and in the Greek Textus Receptus. It is also preserved for us in the English in the King James Bible. What He at first inspired, the Lord God has now preserved. Therefore, when I hold the King James Bible in my hand, I hold the inspired text. It was inspired and now that inspired Word has been protected, preserved and provided for us!”

SOURCE: What Is That Book You Hold In Your Hand?, by Dr. Shelton Smith, editor, Sword of the Lord

Dr. Smith unashamedly and without reserve boldly declares the inspiration of the King James Bible!

The Heresy That Only the Original Autographs Were Inspired

Pastor Jack Hyles correctly states...

"Don't come to me with your stinkin' 'only the original is inspired'! You're not intellectual... you're retarded!" —Dr. Jack Hyles, Keep your Stinkin' Feet Out of My Drinking Water (1998 Wednesday night Bible study)

Psalms 12:6-7, “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.”

2nd Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Inspiration means much more in 2nd Timothy 3:16 than just the process by which God breathed His Words to man, inspiration means that all Scripture came from God, they are His words! They came from the mouth of God, which is evidenced by Matthew 4:4. The Bible teaches that man shall not live by bread (physical food) alone, but by EVERY WORD which proceedeth from the mouth of God (spiritual food). Therefore, we need an EVERY WORD BIBLE to live by...

Matthew 4:4, “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

Notice that every “word” PROCEEDETH OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD. The Bible doesn't say “every thought”; but rather, “every word.” Amen! This Scripture in Matthew 4:4 is a quote from the Old Testament, when Moses told the Hebrews that there was much more to life than just eating food...

Deuteronomy 8:3, “And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.”

I must have an every word Bible if I am to live by every word of God. God said that He put His words into the prophet Jeremiah's mouth...

Jeremiah 1:9, “Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.”

Jesus said that not one jot nor one tittle will pass away in any capacity until all be fulfilled. The deception is that many Bible colleges today falsely claim to believe that the Bible is inspired, but in reality they also think that the King James Bible is full of errors. They only believe that the original Hebrew and Greek are trustworthy. How does that make the average Christian feel, knowing that your King James Bible is full of errors, mistranslations and mistakes. I'd throw such a Bible in the garbage if I thought it was full of errors. I must have every Word of God if I am to live for God. Jesus said in Matthew 4:4 that man shall live BY EVERY WORD OF GOD. That means I must have every word!!!

The BJU and PCC crowd claim that only the originals are inspired, and those originals have been inefficiently and sloppily preserved. What a joke! These are Bible collages? HAC has confused all their graduates concerning where they stand, because in 2008 they denied the inspiration of the King James Bible, and said it was full of errors; but now they are saying that the Bible is inspired, and we are supposed to assume where they stand. Kindly, Pastor Jack Schaap said the originals had been preserved in a museum in Europe, and not in the King James Bible. Is that what FBCH (HAC) believes still today? I mean, either the King James Bible is inerrant, perfect, infallible, inspired and preserved according to the will of God; or else it has errors in it, could have been translated more accurately, and we DON'T have God's preserved Words in the English-speaking language. If we have to learn Greek to read the pure and perfect Word of God, then 99% of the world is doomed.

Thank God for Dr. Jack Hyles' Stand for the King James Bible

Brother Hyles used to say that you cannot enjoy the roses without the thorns. You cannot love properly unless you hate that which destroys love. You cannot see a rainbow without the rain. You cannot appreciate honesty unless you hate stealing and deception. The farther the pendulum swings one way, the farther it swings the other way. You cannot uphold justice unless you refuse to tolerate injustice. You cannot truly appreciate freedom without knowing the pain of oppression and captivity. You cannot know great joy until you've experienced great sorrow. And likewise, you cannot truly love the truth of God's Word unless you hate satanic deception and lies that corrupt it.

Pastor Jack Hyles was 100% correct when he foretold...

"The biggest split that has ever come will come in the next ten years, if not sooner, over the King James Bible - and it couldn't come soon enough for me. I'm tired of colleges and universities advertising that they 'use' the King James Bible - tell the whole story! Tell everyone that you do not believe that it is inspired word for word." —Pastor Jack Hyles, from the Wednesday night Bible study titled, “Revelation to Illumination” (1998)

Who would have thought that Hyles-Anderson College would abandon the King James Only position just 10 years later? Although FBCH and HAC profess in 2014 to use only the King James Bible, then refuse to expose the modern corrupt Bible versions, and by all indications they still believe that only the process was inspired, not the words themselves. Thus, if inspiration is the only process of God breathing His words through holy men of old, then only the originals can be inspired. Preservation of inspired originals is vastly different than preservation of inspired WORDS. And that's the issue, word-for-word inspiration. My friend, I'm sick and tired of hearing about the originals, originals, originals... THE ORIGINALS ARE IN HEAVEN (Psalms 119:89). Languages are not inspired, God's WORDS are inspired. If you have a correct translation of the Holy Bible, then you have GOD'S INSPIRED WORD!

The only reason why I'm focusing on Hyles-Anderson College is because they have flip-flopped on the Bible twice. Brother Hyles has a great MP3 sermon titled, “Which New Is Right?” That is, it's always ok to move to the right, but never to the left. When they opened their doors in 1972, HAC allowed different versions of the Bible. This was before the satanic New International Version (NIV) was published in 1978 and became popular in 1984. Dr. Al Lacy and other preachers awoke Brother Hyles to the issue, and Dr. Hyles realized (as I have) that all the modern Bible versions have all been corrupted. So HAC went King James Bible only. I attended a summer class at HAC in 1992, where Dr. Al Lacy exposed the modern corrupt Bible versions. Now, in 2008, HAC has taken a new position, denying the inspiration of the King James Bible. Where has that fighting spirit gone?

The painful truth is that all modern Bible versions are corrupt, having been translated from the Greek compilation of occultist's Westcott and Hort. Dr. Gail Riplinger Exposes Corrupt James Strong's Concordance (Strong & Westcott were buddies). Our churches are eating up Satan's poisoned spiritual food (corrupt Bible versions) and asking for seconds! It is apostasy! The fight against the modern corrupt Bible versions is a worthy fight!

In his sermon titled, “The Science Of Calling A Pastor,” Dr. Jack Hyles teaches...

Choose someone who believes the same Bible. Do not ask possible pastors what they believe or what they use. Ask them if they believe that the King James Version is the preserved Word of God. It is not enough that they use the right Bible; they must believe that IT IS the Word of God. Many men in America will say they are not saying that they do not believe in others. That is not good enough. The man chosen ought to believe that the King James Bible is THE inspired and preserved Word of God.

SOURCE: Pastor Jack Hyles, from the sermon, “The Science Of Calling A Pastor”

There you have it. There is no controversy if you love the Lord Jesus Christ and have ears to hear and eyes to see. Only the King James Bible truly uplifts the Lord's deity, Godhead, preeminence and the doctrine of Christ.

Dr. Martin R. DeHaan warned...

"Be on guard against any tampering with the Word, whether disguised as a search for truth, or a scholarly attempt at apparently hidden meanings; and beware of the confusion created by the senseless rash of new versions, translations, editions, and improvements upon the tried and tested Bible of our fathers and grandfathers."

SOURCE: Dr. M.R. DeHaan, from the excellent book, THE TABERNACLE, Pg. 101

It Matters What We Believe And Whom We Promote!

One of the things that I hate about Moody Ministries in Chicago is that they tolerate major doctrinal error. I understand that no two preachers agree on everything, but where do you draw the line of ecclesiastical separation? I mean, Billy Graham endorses the Roman Catholic prisonhouse of religion. John MacArthur says Jesus' blood never made it to the mercy seat in Heaven. MacArthur is a staunch Calvinist who denies that Christ died for all men. According to MacArthur there's no such thing as a childhood conversion, because he says salvation requires a depth of commitment to serve Christ that a child cannot grasp. What nonsense!

Acts 2:41 says that 3,000 souls were saved, baptized and added to the Church in a single day (I believe this was water baptism, not Holy Spirit baptism; but there is much debate). It would be utterly impossible for 3,000 people to be saved and baptized in one day if it was “HARD TO BELIEVE” as MacArthur teaches were true. No my friend, salvation is very simple, so simple that even a little child can be easily saved.

America's biggest Bible colleges, like Bob Jones University (BJU) and Moody Bible Institute (MBI) are dictating the lowering morals of our churches today, through the graduates they produce. The ever-changing for the worse American feminist culture is setting the moral standards in our churches and Bible colleges. Most of the female students at BJU wear pants! In every BJU church I see, the women wear sexy tight pants, even the evangelist's wives and pastor's daughters. It's wickedness!!!

Moody Bible Institute just lifted a century old ban in 2013 against smoking, booze and gambling! It's tragic! America's Bible colleges are going to Hell in a wheelbarrow! Moody now publishes all of Dr. John MacArthur's books. MacArthur is a heretical liberal who denies that Jesus' blood ever made it to the mercy seat in Heaven. Pastor Robert Thieme Jr. taught the same heresy, denying the blood in Heaven. MacArthur esteems Christ's liquid blood as an unholy (common) thing, which soaked into the dirt at Calvary and stayed there. According to John MacArthur, a proud 5-point Calvinist in his theology, children cannot be saved. John MacArthur Says There's No Such Thing As A Childhood Conversion (making salvation hard). Why does Moody Bible Institute promote this horrible man's books and endorse him at Founder's Week each year? Why do Bob Jones University graduates idolize this wicked man?

I'm shocked how many Independent Fundamental Baptist preachers idolize John MacArthur. I heard a Bob Jones graduate (an evangelist) just this week talking about the legendary John MacArthur, as if he's the Elvis Presley of the evangelical world today. It is wickedness and apostasy! MacArthur has sold nearly 10 million copies of his books. Although brilliant in many ways, that's what makes MacArthur so spiritually dangerous. Our churches are saturated with indifference and apostasy. We don't believe right anymore in many churches, because we've got the wrong Bibles and the wrong heroes! John Calvin (1509-1564) was a heretic and abusive monster, and those who follow Calvinism are being led astray into a false plan of salvation. Dr. Curtis Hutson (1934-1995) exposes Calvinism's 5-points.

The Bible Teaches a Pretribulation Rapture

I love Pastor Steven L. Anderson's preaching and bold stand for Christ. Brother Anderson pastors the Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona. I do promote some of Anderson's awesome sermons, as it is becoming difficult to find hard-preaching anymore. Unfortunately, he denies Christ's imminent, sudden and unpredictable return! I won't promote those errant sermons. Anderson denies the pretribulation Rapture! To say that Christ cannot return at any time (which Steve Anderson boldly teaches) goes against everything which the Lord taught. The pretribulation Rapture is indeed a fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith, as it is intended to keep believers on their toes, anticipating Christ's imminent and unpredictable return. Through Deductive Reasoning (a method of Bible study), the doctrine of the pretribulation Rapture is clearly visible in the Word of God.

There is an increasing prevailing attitude in our Independent Fundamental Baptist churches today of elevating brotherly love above doctrinal purity and moral standards. That's what separated Dr. Hyles from the rest of the indifferent preachers of his generation, that is, Brother Hyles placed Biblical doctrine, ethical principles and moral standards as a higher priority than ecclesiastical cooperation, unity or accomplishment. It's better to have a hundred students who mean business for God, than 10,000 students who have low moral standards, deny the pretribulation Rapture, believe Lordship Salvation and are indifferent concerning all the corrupt modern Bible versions on the market today. The reason why I still promote Pastor Steven L. Anderson in Tempe, Arizona, is because his preaching is excellent and because he is what we call “real people!” You gotta love the guy! I am glad that Brother Anderson exposes the modern corrupt New Age Bible versions, same-sex unions and the heresy of Zionism.

And by the way, kindly, I don't understand any preacher saying that he doesn't like to criticize modern corrupt Bible versions, because it might offend someone. You mean you'd rather let them keep using a New International Version (NIV) that removes mention of the precious blood of Jesus 15-times!!! That says Jesus is not God in Philippians 2:6! That says Jesus is no longer the begotten Son of God in John 3:16! That says a leper no longer worships Jesus in Matthew 8:2! That changes and removes 64,000 words from the King James Bible! What? You don't want to warn people about that perverted Satanic Bible version??? My God in Heaven, what is happening to our Independent Fundamental Baptist churches today? Psalms 12:1, “Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.”

Having Done All To Stand!

The Bible says in Ephesians 6:13 that having done all, the Christian believer ought to stand! The common denominator in all of America's apostate Bible collages today is INDIFFERENCE. May I point out again that the New Testament quotes the Old Testament 845 times. These are copies of the originals and not the originals.

I wouldn't send my dog to any liberal so-called Bible college to have their faith shaken in the King James Bible. These so-called Bible colleges cater to the horde of new modern corrupted Bible versions. I'm tired of homosexuals putting their hands on the Bible, removing the word “sodomite” and saying that Jesus is no longer “worshipped” or “begotten.” Why would anyone use the New International Version (NIV)? The Devil has a new Bible version for you!

I consider the fine folks at FBCH and HAC friends, and always have been a friend to them. My heart is with them all. Albeit, I am concerned where we are headed as Independent Fundamental Baptists, and foremost as born-again Christians. The King James Bible is the only Bible that uplifts the deity of Christ, still calls the Holy Spirit a “He,” and doesn't cater to lesbians and feminists. And by the way, the name and doctrine of “Lucifer” have been removed from all modern Bible versions in Isaiah 14:12. It matters which Bible you use!!! We ought to warn new believers about the plethora of satanically inspired Bibles available on the market today, because this lazy generation will go for the watered-down corrupt Bible versions every time! The next generation will embrace what this generation tolerates. Why are we tolerating all these satanic corrupted modern Bible versions?

If someone put a few drops of arsenic or cyanide poison in a glass of milk, would you warn the person about to drink it? Yes, of course you would. So why do we become indifferent concerning the Bible, saying that we don't want to offend baby believers by criticizing their poisonous Bibles? Corrupt Bible versions can only bring forth corrupt fruit. I've actually had people attempt to use Philippians 2:6 in the NIV to claim that Jesus is not God. Read it for yourself! In Philippians 2:6 of the NIV, Jesus is no longer EQUAL with God; but rather, it says Jesus could not grasp equality with God. The NIV is Wicked! Vile! Blasphemy! We need to warn people about this demonic garbage!

Thankfully, as of 2014 HAC and FBCH use only the King James Bible, but there is a deafening silence overshadowing their entire ministry concerning the inspiration of the King James Bible itself, and will continue until they clear the air. I guarantee you that if they don't clear the air and reestablish their original doctrinal position, it's just a matter of time until they WILL go the same route as Bob Jones University, who tolerate modern corrupt Bible versions. Most Bob Jones churches prefer the King James Bible, but the modern corrupt Bible versions are tolerated, never criticized and even encouraged by some. Basically, in most Bob-Jones-influenced churches today, you can use whatever Bible you want and no one will ever point out anything wrong with any of them. It's wickedness and apostasy!!! God only wrote ONE BOOK! John Wesley is correct, “What one generation tolerates, the next generation will embrace!”

William Guy Carr (1895-1959), in PAWNS IN THE GAME, states on page 178...

People who wish to remain FREE can follow only one plan of action. They must support Christianity against ALL forms of atheism and secularism. (SOURCE: PAWNS IN THE GAME, page 127, by William Guy Carr, 1958)

We ought not promote those wayward ministers who ruthlessly attack the pretribulation Rapture and go against the Word of God. Jesus said that no man knows when He is going to return, which only a pretribulation Rapture supports. There are many ways to befriend a weaker Christian brother, embracing him with Christ's unconditional love to help restore him, without promoting his damaging heresy on the postribulation Rapture, which most people are succumbing to in churches today. We are losing the spiritual battle in America today. Still, the Church on its worst day is better than the world on its best day! Amen! We are more than conquerors the Bible says in Christ Jesus Who loves us. Romans 8:37, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

Many Baptist churches are getting caught up into the Lordship Salvation heresy. There is no question that most of these Christian leaders are very sincere. One such false prophet on the plan of salvation is Evangelist Ray Comfort. I admire Ray Comfort tremendously for his public boldness for Christ, and I agree completely with his application of the law to compel sinners to see their need for Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:24-26); however, Mr. Comfort has been teaching since the mid-nineties when he started his ministry that in order to be saved, a person must cease from willful sinning and forsake the sinful world. This is religion at it's best, and theology at its worst! It is another gospel. Satan's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Christian life without ever being born-again. Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith.

Ray Comfort's False Plan Of Salvation

"And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved." —Acts 15:1

Dr. Hyles' Five Great Life Principles

In his classic MP3 sermon, “Filled With All The Fulness Of God,” Dr. Hyles tells the story of how he was called to his second pastorate 10-miles outside of Marshall, Texas.

None of the men in the church voted for him. He was called as their pastor by a vote of 28-to-27. Everyone who voted for him to be their pastor were the church youth and one lady adult.

Three bigshots in the church—the chairman of the deacon board, the Sunday School superintendent and the treasurer—called him close to midnight, demanding to meet with him immediately at the church. So a young 19-year-old Jack Hyles walked down a dark country road to meet with the three men at the church.

As he sat listening in the front pew, those men told him that he wasn't old enough to pastor their church, and that they didn't want him as their pastor. They threatened Brother Hyles that if he did accept the pastorate, the treasurer would never write him a paycheck.

After leaving the meeting, Brother Hyles drove around in the wee hours of the morning in an east Texas pine thicket, praising God and feeling great peace and joy in the Lord. During that drive, the young Jack Hyles made five promises to God; namely:

Nobody will ever tell me what to preach or where to preach.

Money will never be an object in my ministry.

I will always be a friend to my friends

I will be loyal to principles, and not to Institutions. In the sermon Dr. Hyles states:

“Students of Hyles-Anderson College, do not give your loyalty to Hyles-Anderson College. You give your loyalty to what we stand for today, and if tomorrow we don't stand for it, you withdraw your loyalty—loyalty to principle, loyalty to right, loyalty to character, loyalty to integrity, loyalty to conviction, loyalty to truth; not loyalty to institutions.” —Dr. Jack Hyles, from the sermon titled, “Filled With All The Fulness Of God”

I will make the decisions of my ministry on the basis of what I think is right only.

In 1945, Brother Hyles became the pastor at the Grange Hall Baptist Church in Marshall, Texas. They didn't pay him for the first 8-weeks, and when he did get paid, his salary was $20 a week. He faithfully pastored that church and walked with God. Oh, how we need to get back to old-time Christianity in our churches today.

INTERESTING FACTS: In 1945 the average annual salary was $2,900.^[1] Minimum wage was 40 cents an hour. The average weekly salary receiving minimum wage was $16 a week in 1945. That's $832 a year. Dr. Hyles got paid 25% more than minimum wage, which today in 2014 in Texas would be $9.06 an hour (minimum wage in 2014 in Texas was $7.25).

You Need HIS Righteousness!

Believe The Gospel

Ye Must Be Born Again!

“As a blind man has no idea of colors, so we have no idea of the manner by which the all-wise God perceives and understands all things.” —Isaac Newton (1642-1727)