When the Anchor Breaks: Why Scripture Cannot Be “Unhitched”

⚓️Unhitching from the Word: Andy Stanley’s Pragmatic Apostasy

Sheepfold Under Siege — Article 3

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Introduction — A Subtle Wolf at the Gate

There are wolves who storm the sheepfold with teeth bared and doctrine blazing, and we see them coming long before they arrive. But there are others — quieter, smoother, more polished — whose danger does not lie in volume but in velocity, drawing the flock away slowly, almost imperceptibly, with gestures of kindness and rhetorical gentleness that hide a deeper wound. These wolves do not shout. They smile. They do not openly deny the authority of Scripture. They quietly move it to the periphery.

In every generation, Scripture warns us of such men:

> “From among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.”

— Acts 20:30

These men are not cartoon villains. They are often admirable in many ways — intelligent, articulate, strategic, winsome. Their ministries are not built on freight trains of flamboyance but on smooth roads of pragmatism, paved with the best of intentions. Yet their influence is profound, for no sheep is more vulnerable than the one who trusts a shepherd whose staff is hollow.

Andy Stanley’s influence on the modern American church is immense — far beyond the walls of his North Point campuses. His words shape the thinking of pastors, elders, parents, ministry leaders, youth directors, and thousands of young believers looking for a faith that feels accessible in an age of cultural hostility. And it is because of that influence — that credibility — that his drift is so grievous. His approach is not one of overt rebellion, but of slow, strategic “unhitching,” a term he himself gave the world in 2018.

Every wolf costume is tailored differently.

This one, tragically, is tailored in the fabric of evangelical reasonableness.

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1. The Teacher & His Appeal — A Shepherd Whose Voice Felt Safe

Andy Stanley did not gather his kingdom through shock or spectacle. His appeal rests on something more subtle, more modern — a sincerity that feels almost disarming. His manner is calm, conversational, and rational. He appears as the pastor who understands the doubts of a skeptical age, the guide who wants Christianity to make sense to a generation allergic to dogmatism.

In leadership books, podcasts, and conferences, Stanley describes his mission in familiar terms:

**“We want to create churches unchurched people love to attend.”**¹

At first, this sounds laudable — compassionate, even. Who doesn’t want unbelievers to enter church with curiosity rather than fear? But methods matter. Philosophies shape doctrines. And underlying Stanley’s vision is an ecclesiology that subtly replaces the historic Triad — Word, sacrament, and shepherding — with a new trio: accessibility, clarity, and cultural comfort.

In his book Deep and Wide, Stanley writes:

> **“The church should be the safest place in the world for people who are skeptical of Christianity.”**²

He does not mean safety from harm. He means safety from offense — particularly the offense of Scripture.

And so begins the real danger.

When a shepherd prioritizes the comfort of the outsider over the nourishment of the flock, he will eventually change the menu. When he prioritizes persuasion over proclamation, he will alter the message. And when he prioritizes “what works” over “what is written,” he will stand at the crossroads of apostasy long before anyone notices the path beneath his feet.

This is Andy Stanley’s appeal: a shepherd who feels safe — and therefore more dangerous than the wolves who roar.

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2. The Drift — A Soft Unraveling of the Word

The drift did not begin in 2018. That year merely revealed it. The cracks had been forming for years under the pressure of a ministry built on pragmatic foundations.

A. Shifting the Authority Base — “The Bible is Not the Reason We Believe”

In a 2016 sermon series titled Who Needs God?, Stanley declared:

> **“Christianity does not exist because of the Bible. The Bible exists because of Christianity.”**³

And elsewhere:

> **“The Bible is not the foundation of our faith.”**⁴

At first, the listener may think he means that the resurrection is central — which is true enough. But Stanley’s point is more radical: he divorces the event of the resurrection from the authoritative interpretation of the Scriptures.

This is the first cut of the tether.

For Reformed believers, Scripture is not a helpful supplement; it is the voice of the Shepherd (John 10:27). There is no Christ known apart from the Word. There is no resurrection significance apart from the apostolic testimony. There is no Christianity apart from Scripture’s revelation.

To detach the event from the Word is to detach Christ from His own voice.

But Stanley’s second cut went much deeper.

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B. “Unhitch Your Faith From the Old Testament” — The Moment of Public Break

In 2018, during his Aftermath series, Andy Stanley told his global audience:

> **“Peter, James, Paul — they elected to unhitch the Christian faith from their Jewish Scriptures. And we must as well.”**⁵

The sermon ignited national controversy — and rightly so — because in that sentence, Stanley unintentionally revealed his entire theological trajectory.

Notice the methods:

He grounds his command in the apostles themselves (a subtle twisting).

He frames unhitching as a duty (a pastoral command).

He elevates evangelistic effectiveness over biblical continuity.

He ignores Jesus’ own words: “Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35).

Reformed orthodoxy does not treat the Old Testament as outdated material.

It is the foundation of the Gospel:

Abraham heard the gospel beforehand (Gal. 3:8).

Moses wrote of Christ (John 5:46).

The apostles always preached Christ from the Old Testament (Acts 18:28).

To “unhitch” is not humility.

It is hermeneutical amputation.

A Christ unhitched from Scripture is not the Christ of Scripture.

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C. Pragmatism as Hermeneutic — “Whatever Makes Christianity Work for Modern People”

Stanley’s drift is not primarily philosophical or academic. It is pastoral — but tragically misdirected. He genuinely wants skeptics to find Christianity believable. But instead of grounding their confidence in the trustworthiness of God, he grounds it in the plausibility of human history.

Listen to his reasoning:

> **“If you lost the entire Bible, Christianity would still stand because it’s based on the resurrection.”**⁶

Such a sentiment sounds clever, but it collapses under Reformed scrutiny.

For without Scripture:

How do we know who rose?

How do we know what the resurrection means?

How do we know what the Gospel is?

How do we know what Christ accomplished?

How do we know God’s covenant promises?

The resurrection is not self-interpreting.

It is only known, only understood, only saving because the Word interprets it.

In Stanley’s framework, however, Scripture is not the spine of the Christian faith — it is an accessory. Christianity becomes a flexible tent, not a rooted tree. And a flexible tent always bends toward the prevailing winds.

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D. Ethical Unmooring — The LGBTQ Fold and the Softening of Holiness

In recent years, Andy Stanley’s churches hosted conferences and counseling events for LGBT-affirming ministries — events that blurred, at best, and contradicted, at worst, the biblical doctrine of repentance.

In defending the inclusion of openly gay speakers at North Point, Stanley famously said:

> **“Gay people have more faith than any of you.”**⁷

He meant it as respect. But the statement revealed his hermeneutic:

faith = sincerity, regardless of doctrinal fidelity.

This is the fruit of unhitching Scripture: once you detach biblical authority from faith,

ethics become pastoral preference,

and holiness becomes harmful.

Pragmatism becomes grace.

Grace becomes affirmation.

Affirmation becomes gospel.

And the sheep are left exposed.

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3. The Fruit — When the Sheep Are Fed Sand Instead of Bread

Jesus taught us to evaluate prophets not by their charisma, but by their crops:

> “By their fruits you shall know them.”

— Matthew 7:16

So what fruit has this subtle drift borne?

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A. A Church Comfortable to Unbelievers, Unbearable to the Word

When Scripture is no longer supreme, worship changes.

Not outwardly at first, but inwardly.

The music grows louder, but the message grows thinner.

The atmosphere grows warmer, but the truth grows colder.

The crowd grows larger, but the disciples grow smaller.

North Point’s entire model has produced a generation that loves the idea of Jesus, but not the voice of Jesus. And Jesus Himself warns us that those who cease to hear His voice cannot follow Him (John 10:27).

A church that feels safe to unbelief will soon feel unsafe to holiness.

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B. A Generation Unanchored — Losing the Bible, Losing the Christ

The most tragic fruit of Stanley’s influence is not his church’s numerical success.

It is the young believers who no longer know how to trust Scripture.

When their faith is built on historical probability instead of divine authority, they crumble under the weight of skepticism. They cannot withstand the arguments of the academy, the pressures of culture, or the allure of expressive individualism.

A faith unhitched is a faith unmoored.

And a faith unmoored will drift toward whatever shore seems safest.

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C. The Inevitable Slide Toward Cultural Accommodation

When Scripture becomes secondary, holiness becomes negotiable.

We should not be surprised that Stanley’s shift on the Old Testament preceded his shift on sexual ethics. A shepherd who sees the Old Testament as expendable will eventually see biblical holiness as impractical. Pragmatism does not remain in the pulpit; it becomes policy.

And policy, when detached from Scripture, becomes a path not to life but to ruin.

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D. The Erosion of the Fear of God

At the bottom of it all, the most devastating fruit is this:

When the Bible loses its authority, God loses His awe.

A church that unhitches from Scripture eventually unhitches from reverence.

The God of Sinai becomes the God of suggestion.

The God of Isaiah 6 becomes the God of uplifting advice.

The God whose Word shakes the cedars becomes the God whose Word opinions the blog.

And a God who does not command fear cannot sustain faith.

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4. The Call — Returning to the Shepherd’s Voice

Beloved, what should we do when a subtle wolf stands in a well-lit pulpit?

We do not rage.

We do not despair.

We do not imitate his methods.

We return to the Word — the whole Word — with trembling joy.

A. Reaffirm What God Has Spoken

Not just the New Testament.

Not just the teachings of Jesus.

But all Scripture, breathed out by God (2 Tim. 3:16).

B. Rebuild Faith on the Rock, Not the Presentation

A generation fed on accessibility must be reintroduced to the awe of God.

Worship must be re-anchored in the Word, not the experience.

C. Recover a Biblical Doctrine of Holiness

It is not loving to affirm what God calls sin.

It is not pastoral to avoid what God confronts.

It is not merciful to silence what God declares.

Holiness is not an obstacle to grace — it is the fruit of grace.

D. Pray for Shepherds Who Fear God More Than Losing People

This age will not be saved by influential pastors, brilliant communicators, or clever strategies.

It will be shepherded into safety only by men who carry a Bible stained with their tears, not their branding.

E. Guard the Sheep — For the Fold Is Under Siege

Not from loud heretics, but from subtle teachers who make faith easier by making Scripture optional.

But Scripture is never optional.

It is the breath of God in ink.

The voice of Christ on the page.

The rod and staff of the Shepherd.

The weapon of the church.

The anchor of the soul.

To unhitch from it is not innovation.

It is apostasy by inches.

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Conclusion — The Shepherd’s Voice Calls Us Back

Andy Stanley is not the first to weaken the authority of Scripture for the sake of cultural palatability. And unless the Lord intervenes, he will not be the last. His ministry may continue to draw crowds, but crowds are not the measure of Christ’s pleasure.

The measure is obedience to His Word.

Beloved, listen again to the voice of the Good Shepherd:

> “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

— John 10:27

His voice is not found in marketing strategies.

Not in clever apologetics detached from revelation.

Not in a gospel trimmed for modern taste.

His voice is found in Scripture — Old and New — uncut, unashamed, and unhindered.

Let us return to it with repentance.

Let us cling to it with joy.

Let us guard it with courage.

For the sheepfold is under siege.

And only the voice of the Shepherd can save His flock.

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Citations & Sources

1. Andy Stanley, Deep and Wide (Zondervan, 2012), p. 58.

3. Andy Stanley, Who Needs God? Sermon Series, North Point Community Church, 2016.

5. Andy Stanley, Aftermath Sermon Series, April 2018, North Point Community Church.

6. Andy Stanley, Irresistible (Zondervan, 2018).

7. Andy Stanley, Comments at North Point’s 2023 “Unconditional Conference,” reported by Religion News Service (Oct. 2023).

✒️ The Pilgrim’s Post