We believe in the Scripture of the Old and New Testaments as inspired by God and inerrant in the original writings, and that they are the supreme and final authority in faith and life.
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary and is true God and true man.
We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death but also that spiritual death which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature and, in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become sinners in thought, word and deed.
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice and that all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood.
We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, His ascension into heaven and His present life there for us as a High Priest and Advocate.
We believe that all who receive by repentance and faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit, and become children of God.
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved and the everlasting punishment of the lost.
40 Responses to Statement of faith for The John Ankerberg Show
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I want to say thank you and ask God’s greatest blessings and protection over all of your ministry. What a joy and encouragement to see a statement of true Biblical beliefs based on God’s own Word given here in this time of ” New Age ” teachings.
Sue, you are welcome! Thank you for your encouraging comment. Please keep this ministry in your prayers.
Cathy at J A Show
How do I help stop or bring to light a local church in my community from breaking up Christian families and teaching false doctrine? . . . I believe them to be (false) wolves in sheeps clothing (Matt. 7:15), not true brethren . . .
I have exhausted Matthew 18: 15-17
Thank you.
Dear John Ankerberg
Firstly I would like to say I am one of your biggest fans. I live in South Africa and came across your show on youtube. You have been a huge inspiration to me and my involvement in ministry.
I have a question about pentecostalism. I currently attend a pentecostal church and I am involved in ministry and have been for the past 6 years.
The church I am in is part of a fellowship made up off 1800 churches in over a 100 nations around the world all under Pastor Wayman Mitchell.
We are very adament about world evangelism however I have one MAJOR problem with them. I wanted to find out whether this is true pentecostalism or not.
During our services eg. worship, our worship leader or Pastor will say , “lets praise God” and then start babbling in tongues over the microphone. During prayer time for the service before the the service starts, everyone shouts and prays in tongues. When the leaders pray for people to get healing or to get baptised in the Holy Spirit they start babbling in tongues.
In particular when they pray for people to get baptised in the Holy Spirit they say things like “God may only give you one word, but you need to speak it out by faith, its your heavenly language” then they lay hands and put their ear next to the person’s mouth and say “come on speak it out, don’t pray in english” and the pastor will start babling in tongues right next to the persons ear. Sometimes they call members of the congregation to all pray in tongues behind the people getting prayed for and specifically say “Come on church stand behind these folks and pray in the Holy Ghost”.
I approached my Pastor about this but as you would expect from such a large fellowship he didnt take kindly to what I had to say and brushed it of saying that speaking in tongues requires an act of faith like healing.
No where in the Bible do you find people getting prayed for in tongues. Paul even forbids speaking in tongues unless an interpeter is present. I believe you can speak in tongues but its for personal edification as Paul states in 1 Cor 14. Tongues should be banned from corporate meetings unless an interpreter is present.
I also feel people should be prayed for to receive the Holy Spirit and tongues should not even be mentioned. When God pours out his spirit the people will speak in tongues.
I also believe that Acts 2 is an example of Xenoglossy – praying in real languages that exist where people around you can understand and know that its a miracle and this is not a heavenly language.This does not happen in my church. All people do is babble and they go to the extent where a pastor preached likening the story of the 10 virgins where 5 had oil and 5 didnt have oil, he likend the virgins with oil ,oil being the baptism in the holy spirit with speaking in tongues with pentecostal christians.
The virgins who were not saved had no oil ( no baptism in the holy spirit with speaking in tongues) . Meaning every denomination that is not baptised in the holy spirit speaking in tongues is not saved.
SO I want to know is all this tongues business really pentecostalism or is this cult like characteristics in terms of doctrine?
I await a response from you.
Kind Regards
Nigel Naicker
You do not necessarily have to be pentecostal to speak in tongues. I agree with most of what you say in your letter. However as far as speaking in tongues goes, the idea that that is part of the pentecostal faith means hardly anything. “I will pour out my spirit upon ALL flesh”. The GIFT OF TONGUES is just one of the 9 GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT, and it is for ANYONE who will receive this gift for the benefit of our prayer life. Not just pentecostals but for you, your children, your children’s children. And as many who are afar off.
In Acts 2 on the day of Pentacost–was all Jews. The church, the body of Christ was not formed yet. Acts 9 the Apostle Paul was on his way to Damacus when the bright light struck him, and that is where God started to use him to be the apostle to the Gentiles. The whole Pentacostal movement is based on wrong reading of the Scriptures. See for yourself. (-:
Hi Nigel,
One word APOSTOLIC GIFTS. The giving of/imparting of the Holy Spirit was an act the ONLY the Apostles, including the one born out of season Paul, could do. In acts 8 you will read of philip who could do all manner of miracles. He even baptised them. But when it came to the laying on of hands to receive the Holy Ghost, John and Peter were sent for. Simon the magician desired the Apostles gift of imparting the Holy Ghost. He did not desire Philips gifts.
So in summing up, unless you or any other Christian has personally had one of the twelve or paul lay hands on you then you have no chance of receiving any supernatural gift including speaking unlearned fluent spanish, german, chinese etc. Be honest with yourself, most if not all speak garble and not real unlearned earthly languages. This was certainly the case in my situation. So let the Scripture do the talking and not me and read below.
Acts 8 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.6* And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
7* For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.8* And there was great joy in that city.
9* But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:10* To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.12* But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.13* Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.14* ¶ Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:15* Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)17* Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.18* And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.20* But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.21* Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
22* Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.23* For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
I have been following your shows on youtube and have read your bible believes. I would like to enquire on your believe on the Sabbath and also on the books of Daniel and Revelation.
Mr Ankerberg,
I read your Statement of Faith and have one problem with it. You capitalize the “V” in virgin, hence, giving Mary a title. Mary has no title. She is not the “Virgin Mary”. She is just Mary, who was a virgin, and needed a Savior.
Catholics, for instance, always write “Virgin Mary”, as they are obligated by their false religion to give Mary a title.
But, I don’t expect to see born-again Christians giving Mary a title, as in, “Virgin Mary”. Unfortuantely, I have seen several websites of Christian ministries/churches, that erroneously use the false term, “Virgin Mary”.
Thank you.
I was listening to your show today on the new world translation and about Jehovah witness.. I was once part of the Jehovah’s witness and the people that you had on your show are totally wrong and they gave you wrong information about them. I feel if you want to get accurate answer about a Jehovah witness the ones that hasn’t been dis-fellowship shouldn’t be answering your questions. You should get answers from a witness that’s still active. Even tho I’m not apart of them.. I would never bash them like the way your guest did…. One GOD (Jehovah) one lord (Jesus Christ) Thank you…
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS/UNDERSTANDING ON “ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED?” IF SIN IS THE ONLY THING THAT SEPARTES US FROM GOD,IF WE COMMIT A SIN WILL WE STILL GO TO HEAVEN UNDER THE ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED CONCEPT? IF WE SIN WHETHER PURPOSELY OR BY MISTAKE DON’T WE HAVE TO ASK GOD FOR FORGIVENESS? PLEASE ADVISE ME ON THIS QUESTION. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER.
Do you believe in the rapture of the church?
One would think that if God is JUST then the MOST emphasis for the penalty of sin as being ETERNAL TORMENT IN A FIERY HELL would be made VERY CLEAR at the very BEGINNING of time… BEFORE the very first sin was ever committed… so they would know EXACTLY what the consequences would be, not only for them, but for the entire human race.
BUT as you will see, the Old Testament Law only predicted DEATH as the penalty for sin… NOT “eternal torment.”
Hello Br. John, Thanks for bringing attention to Mormonism’s pretending to be a truly Christian denomination. In regard to the faith statement, I challenge the need to say that inerrancy is required as a characteristic of the Bible. The Bible is a wonderful combined effort of God and those He gifted to write the respective portions of it. I like your mention of Christ as High Priest and Advocate. We need to emphasize that part of His ministry more clearly and completely. In regard to the last sentence, why not clarify the biblical revelation re. the fate of the lost? It’s helpful to combine John 11:26 with Revelation 20:9. Jesus told Martha “and every one who lives and believes in Me will certainly not die forever” (the Greek has a double negative). The “second death” in Revelation 20 has no authority over those resurrected in the first resurrection. The “nations in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog…encircled the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down out of the heaven and consumed them.”
Amen!!!! I believe the same as you…Praise God for you and this ministry…May the lost be saved, the Gospel be spread around the world, and the Glory be to our Great God!!! Thank You for all that your doing…
Good on you John Love you Statement of Faith!
Its obvious you beleive in Father Son and Holy Ghost, the resurection of Jesus our Lord, Salvation of the lost the cleansing of our sins by the Blood of the Lamb, That we must be Born Again and the fact there is a heaven and Hell.
God Bless you for the Truth of Gods Word
Thank you!
Clint from Australia
Your Statement of Faith doesnt really go deep enough for me and I would go as far to say that practically all of those who preach so much compromise (to tickle the ears of their TV audience)that to say they preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ is simply not true. I have yet to hear the likes of Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Joyce Meyer, Benni Hinn etc etc ever mention what it really means to take up your cross and follow Christ. That it involves self denial (every day), suffering and constant warfare against the lust of the flesh. In a nutshell 4 years ago I discovered the Reformed Faith (call it Calvinism if you like) and my whole perspective of the glory and power of God and this glorious Jesus He sent to redeem us. We’re all born Armenianists; tis only the grace of God that leads us to the real Gospel and the cross we all have to bear.
Calvanism? Sorry, just can’t grasp how God has predestined one of my twin boys to hell and the other to heaven. Better luck next time.
Terry, imagine both your boys floating towards Niagara Falls on a wooden raft with no paddle and no hope of swimming against the current.
Just before the raft goes over, a guy with a jetpack rockets in to rescue one of the boys. How would you feel towards him when he hands you back one who was lost?
God is not responsible for man’s sin, just like the rescuer was not responsible for your boys being on the river.
It is only by His grace that any of us are rescued at all.
We are born into sin and, without the workings of the Holy Spirit, we would all resort to a life of self-seeking iniquity.
There is encouragement in this, and I pray that God reveals it to you.
Calvinism? Do not listen to him on the subject. What does your LORD say?
Joh 6:44* No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:37* All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Joh 6:65* And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
And as for you not grasping how God can do this
Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Isa 55:9* For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
and most importantly do not lean towards your own understanding of how you think things should be.
Pr 3:5* Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
May you be guided and find peace on this subject.
I would love for minister to tell the truth About our savior name they know that when he walk the earth he was not called (Jesus). With technology we have today it has been proven that was not his name.John5:43 YAHSHUA says I come in my father’s name (YAHWEH) and you receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him you will receive.YAHSHUA means YAHWEH salvation.
I would love for someone to explain to me I corithians 8:6.I hear minister say God is one but exist in 3 person Father son and Holy spirit.Jonh14:28 Yahshua said his father is greater than him so if Yahweh exist as 3 person or spirit at different times at one point he was greater then himself.What about Hebrews 1:8-9 But unto the Son he says the thy throne O Elohim is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou love righteousnessand hate iniquity: therefore Elohim (Yahshua) even Eloihim(YAHWEH)hath anointed you with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.Clearly the father call him Elohim(GOD)I believe what scripture teaches YAHSHUA came from the YAHWEH but was seperated from the father before the worlds came into existence. In heaven there is YAHWEH and his Son YAHSHUA not one ELOHIM as some teaches. I would love for someone to comment In the spirirt of love.
Thank you John for your thought-provoking programs. Relative to the statement of faith, I see no mention of the second coming of Christ. Could you indicate your doctrinal position on this, not particularly relative to the various tribulation theories, but rather to His coming again, per se.
I am going to be straight forward, I don’t know any other way. Your statement of faith does not agree with your promotion of the John MacArthur study bible as John MacArthur does not believe this statement “We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice and that all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood.” based on his reformed doctrine. His belief in the Calvinist doctrine of Limited Atonement refutes that statement.
How can you promote a false teacher and leader that teaches contrary to the word of God?
I notice that your statement of faith is some what similar to the doctrines of the Salvation Army. Are you on an SA board somewhere in the U.S.?
I would like to know how to better respond to Christian brothers who know and live the Gospel message of Christ on the cross plus nothing else added to save them,yet buy into Christian replacement theology-that the promises of God to the Jews have been abrogated and given to the Church instead.It seems to me to be veiled antisemitism.
It is with great disappointment, concern, and a heavy heart after recently watching your show about the “Big Bang” with Dr. Hugh Ross that I send this note with hopes you will clarify and reaffirm your commitment to your own Statement of Faith for the John Ankerberg Show.
Your own Statement of Faith says: “We believe in the Scripture of the Old and New Testaments as inspired by God and inerrant in the original writings, and that they are the supreme and final authority in faith and life.” If this is true, how could you not only air, but support a “theory” that IS direct contrast to His Word?
The Bible, specifically Genesis, tells us that God created the heaven, earth and everything in them in six days and rested on the seventh.
Genesis tells us that God created the stars on day four – three days AFTER the earth was created. This is in stark contrast to the “Big Bang” model that the universe and earth were formed over billions of years, and specifically that stars existed billions of years before earth.
The Bible (2Peter 3:5, Genesis 1:2-9, Psalm 24:2) tells us that the earth was made from water, unlike the molten blob of the Big Bang.
To accept the Big Bang, we are asked to reject the Word of the Lord and accept naturalism – the belief that nature is all there is and that was current “is” is what always was. They try to “sell” this misguided philosophy by conceding that God had a hand in it. The Big Bang not only asks that we reject His Word, it asks that we accept bad science because the big bang is not testable, repeatable labratory science.
As a teacher of His Word, our Lord has said that YOU, a teacher, will be held to a higher standard and held accountable for all that you mislead by NOT standing by His inerrant Word.
I beg you to reconsider and submit to His teachings and not those of man. We will continue to pray for your enlightenment, discernment, wisdom, and for your submission to His will.
May God Help You,
I find it refreshing to see that science and God’s word are compatible and complimentary. Some may say that is heresy. In fact, many said it was heresy when Galileo claimed that the earth rotated around the sun. What good does it do to reject science except push away those that are un-believers or skeptics?
Personally, I find that God is so much greater than just to speak something into existence and that’s it. How much greater is it to consider Him speaking a process into existence that will continue to progress. I am not suggesting the creation account is wrong at all. I see creation and science fitting like a zipper. Where one part stops explaining the other takes over. Science does not know how life came from non-living matter, but the Bible does.
You discuss the stars but they way it is discussed in Genesis 1 is the same way we discuss Genesis 2 without sounding contradictory. In Genesis 2 it can sound as though man was created, then the plants and animals, but this isn’t true. Can the same not be said of the 4th creation event – that God had already created these things but then they are revealed on this 4th creation event?
To accept the Big Bang theory is NOT to accept naturalism the way you suggest. You are wrong. There does not have to be an either/or position. God is great than that!
Dear Reverend Mullen,
If you go to Resources/Current Offer at the top of this page, scroll down to find the “Proof of God” offer (not the actual name of it). The product explains through current scientific theory, that at one point, there was nothing, i.e. there was no volume into which to put matter, energy, space or time. A creator – God – had to create those fundamental aspects of our reality.
Also, the man in the New Age Movement has curious logic. He says that the smallest atom shows nothing but space. If that is true, it has no significance as a fundamental building block. In addition, in a quantum leap of logic, he concludes that given that the smallest atom has zero space, therefore God is space. How does he conclude that, especially since God produced the creation and thus is not equivalent with it.
I meant to address Reverend Meyers.
I am not clear on what you believe about regeneration. Does one become regenerate (born again) by repenting and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ – or – does one repent and believe because he or she had been regenerated (born again) ?
Which comes first?
One becomes regenerate when one has repented of ones sins and accepted Jesus as their lord and saviour. John 3:16 says:For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Note the beliving (act of faith in repentence) comes first then the eternal life.
Sir, please do not add works to salvation by saying one must “repent of ones sins” in addition to accepting Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. To repent means to change your mind, not to turn from your sins. The act of turning from your sins is a work. Salvation is a gift from God not a reward.(Eph. 2:8&9) There is nothing a man can do to be saved but by placing their child like faith in the only Saviour God the Father ever provided in His Son Jesus Christ and His FINISHED work on the cross.
Dear Bro. Myers –
Ask your “New Age Movement” friend, who wants you to prove the existence of God by means of physics, to prove to YOU the existence of “rational thought” by the same means. He CAN’T DO IT! Moreover, if everything is only a “dream” — he is illogically refuting his own basis for disproving God. Fallible physics cannot prove or disprove the metaphysical/spiritual, although the physical universe ever reflects the Creator’s Handiwork. Even Satan admits the existence of God, yet eternally denies saving Faith.
But saving Faith in Jesus Christ only comes by the Holy Spirit Working Through The Word. Faith is the Gift of God, through the Means of Grace — never merely a rational conclusion. You know the Scripture verses which are the Foundation of the advice of this humble Orthodox Lutheran pastor & your brother in Christ. God Bless You!
I will be leading a group on your Contenders Series, How Do We Know God Exists? Would be interested in information for each session. I was not able to find that on the Contenders Series website. Where might I find this information to help me facilitate a study group?
Dear Dr. Ankerberg,
It is good to know that individuals like yourself is defending the truth of biblial Chistianity and the historic Christian church. I too am a defender of the Christian faith, especially within the African American church. I just recently produced a “FACT SHEET” on a very controersial movement within the mainstream of Baptists called, “The Full Gospel Baptist.” It is heretical in its orientation and controversial in its theology: that of its borrowing of its source from various philosophical and religious traditions (1 Timothy 6:20). It is impossible to mix wine with water knowing that is takes away its flavor. That of Baptist and Pentecostalism are not bedfellows by which the leadership o this movement attempt is to bridge the gap. Thus the leadership itself is ignorant of church history and theology. Such a movement claim to be the restorer of primitive biblcal Christianity: that of the perpetuity of spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12-14) by which many “traditional” Black Baptists have not yet assess the fulness of the Spirit as to the epistemology of knowledge and experience (Col. 2:18, 19). Also such a movement has in fact created a “crisis” within Christianiy so as to deface the African American Church, thus ruin the moral lives of believers. I will like to send a portion of my manuscript which I am working on a book project to address this most important issue that is facing the Church today.
Co-Defender of the Christian Faith,
The Rev. Darryl Miller
President, Darryl Miller International Ministries
dlm (1)
What is your mailing address? I am not finding it on this web site. I want to ask some questions via letter and need an address.
Thank you.
Dear John, I am thouroughly heart broken that tonight I saw you promote darbyism in its suggestive theological direction. I’m writing a book called ‘The Last Day’ and I have clear proof that most every conclusion that you spoke about is incorrect. I would gladly speak to you or send you a manuscript. You guys are so far off base that I cannot believe it. Are you aware that you are following a prior belief system of J.N. Darby?? This would certainly be the starting point of our conversation; for if you have no personal study of Darby, and yet promote his doctrine, it should tell you that either he is truly speaking the word of God or there is a large amount of tradition handed down to which you have picked up on. Please contact me. I won’t reply unless you do. Joel Blane Lee Owner ‘Titan Homes’, biblical student and author.
Dr. Ankerberg, Do you believe in the “Rapture of the saints?”
I ask that question and would like an answer?