Joseph Prince who denies he is an Antinomian is a Persistent Liar & Shameless Hypocrite – By Rev George Ong (Dated 8 Oct 2022)
Bishop Ho Chee Sin, Bishop Kuan Kim Seng, Bishop Andrew Phang, Dr Roland Chia, Rev Henry Hong, Rev Tan Cheng Huat and many other ministers are convinced that Joseph Prince preaches heresies… Read on…
Preface
There are crucial points stated in the Preface that you ought not to miss.
The previous article, titled,
“Joseph Prince Makes God a Liar when he said it is His will to Take Away the Ten Commandments,”
is closely related to this latest piece.
It will do you a lot of good to read it if you haven’t. To read, kindly click the link to the previous article below:
These 2 articles are a must-read and shouldn’t be missed as they addressed the core doctrinal error and heresy of Joseph Prince.
The previous article focuses on the fact that Joseph Prince, who teaches that the Ten Commandments are taken away or removed under the New Covenant is antithetical to what every Reformation Father (including Martin Luther, of course) and Church Father of every (Evangelical) denomination taught.
Hence, what Joseph Prince teaches is not the ‘Salvation by Grace’ Reformation Theology of Martin Luther, whom Prince constantly claims he is following, rather it is the Antinomian doctrine of Johann Agricola.
Agricola, who teaches that the Ten Commandments are no more applicable to New Covenant believers as Joseph Prince does, and whom Luther doctrinally fought, is the real theological forefather of Joseph Prince, not Martin Luther.
This article emphasises that the removal of the moral law in the Ten Commandments – which is what Joseph Prince teaches – is the core definition of what Antinomianism represents.
And Antinomianism is considered by many, especially the Lutherans and the Methodists to be a heresy.
In Lutheranism and Methodism, Antinomianism is a heresy:
(Hurst, John Fletcher (1903). John Wesley the Methodist: A Plain Account of His Life and Work. Eaton & Mains. p. 200
(Failinger, Marie; Duty, Ronald W. (17 April 2017). Lutheran Theology and Secular Law: The work of the modern state. Taylor & Francis. p. 81. ISBN 978-1-35199607-5.)
Let me quote what Dr Roland Chia, a credible and courageous (he dares to speak out when others flinched about the doctrines of Joseph Prince) Bible scholar from Singapore and a Methodist had written in an article, titled, “A Therapeutic ‘Gospel’” that was featured on this website:
“Despite its deceptive veneer and a common vocabulary, this religion, as propounded by Joseph Prince and the new antinomians, is not orthodox Christianity but a dangerous distortion of it. The gospel that they present is a different gospel, a false gospel.
The gate through which it leads the followers of Joseph Prince and the antinomians is not the narrow gate, but the wide gate. And the wide gate does not lead to God’s kingdom. It is not the entrance to life, but to destruction (Matthew 7:13).”
Dr Roland Chia categorically asserts that the Antinomian gospel that Joseph Prince preaches is a different and a false gospel that leads to eternal destruction.
If Dr Roland Chia, who is well-regarded for his scholarship and research on Joseph Prince’s Pseudo-grace doctrine, has reached the firm conclusion that Prince’s Antinomian gospel can lead people to eternal destruction, how can Prince not be a heretic, and how can a Singapore Methodist Bishop and a Singapore Presbyterian Pastor say he is not a heretic?
Next, Bishop Kuan Kim Seng has also concluded that Joseph Prince is a heretic in an article written by Tony-Wong Jensen, an Ex- New Creation Church member that was featured on this website:
“It was not until just a few weeks ago (from 14 Oct 2020) that I dined with a retired Anglican Bishop, Bishop Kuan Kim Seng, who is a close friend whom I had not seen in decades and he was an ex-colleague in the Singapore Armed Forces. We spent hours catching up on things and when he asked me where I worshipped, I told him New Creation Church. Then he told me something about Joseph Prince which made me fall off my chair. He told me that Joseph Prince is not a true pastor and that he is a heretic who spouts nothing but heresies in his sermons and books.”
Rev Ho Chee Sin, the former Bishop of the Methodist Church of Singapore and Bishop Andrew Phang, an Anglican from Malaysia, have also written that Joseph Prince preaches heresies.
Let me produce the texts of what they wrote that were featured on this website:
Rev Ho Chee Sin (Former Bishop of the Methodist Church, Singapore): Pastors & Elders of Churches Must Publicly Speak Up Against the Heresies of Joseph Prince
“Rev George Ong is a well-regarded and faithful itinerant preacher and teacher. His messages can be interesting and full of humour, and yet on other occasions, it can also be serious and sober. He is an outstanding communicator of the Word of God, which is evident to his hearers. I believe that the Holy Spirit always empowers him to share God’s message.
George is very focused on what God has called him to do and does not mince his words when he painstakingly points out the seriousness of errant preaching and teaching as in the case of Joseph Prince, a prominent but iniquitous preacher in Singapore.
Heresy is a dangerous thing that can lead people to the lake of fire. The threat and influence of the Pseudo-grace (or Hyper-grace) teachings by Joseph Prince who anchors the biggest church in Singapore, is not something which is academic, but it has already permeated many of the churches in Singapore and around the world. The battle against false teachers will intensify as Jesus and Paul have already prophesied that false teachers will arise in the last days.
Nourishing the flock with sound doctrine, and guarding the flock against savage wolves is a key duty of pastors and elders. Any neglect is to the detriment of their flock. So, the task of preventing heresies from seeping into the church must be taken seriously by the pastors and elders of churches. We can do something concrete by publicly speaking up against the heresies of Joseph Prince. The sheep need to hear the voice of true shepherds, or the voice of false shepherds will influence and choke them to their destruction.
I thank God that Rev George Ong is painstakingly sticking out his neck by highlighting to the church about the threat of such deadly teachings by Joseph Prince. It is a tough and dangerous calling that few would be willing to undertake.”
Rev Ho Chee Sin
Former Bishop of the Methodist Church, Singapore
It’s Time to Speak Up Against Joseph Prince’s Heresies – By Bishop Andrew Phang
“While Jesus Christ was on earth, he had often warned his disciples against false teachers and their teachings. For instance, in Matthew 7:15, Jesus warned: “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
Sadly, because believers have not taken the warning of Jesus seriously, many have been deceived by the teachings of Joseph Prince. It’s time to denounce all the deceiving spirits in false teachers, including those in Joseph Prince.
I thank God that He has raised Rev George Ong to expose and contend against the heresies of Joseph Prince. At times, even as a minister, it’s not easy to tell what is concretely wrong with Joseph Prince’s teachings, but Rev George Ong’s clear and cogent explanations have greatly helped to clarify the contradictions. It’s like a fog being lifted.
I am truly grateful to Rev George Ong who has helped me and many others to be well aware of Joseph Prince’s many false teachings, especially regarding the topic of the saving grace of our Lord Jesus. We can trust Rev George Ong’s teachings because he has always referred to the scripture in his defense of God’s truth against Joseph Prince’s Pseudo-grace doctrine.
I sincerely salute the courageous spirit of Rev George Ong, who obeyed God’s call to undertake this highly unpopular task, in spite of the great risks he is putting himself under. I am amazed at his courage and his willingness to pay a heavy price to stand against the tide of the overwhelming majority. May God grant him the strength and protection as he continues to fulfil this very difficult calling of his life.
As I am fully convinced that Joseph Prince’s heresy is one that could even lead our sheep to end up in hell, the shepherds of God’s flock should boldly come forward and speak publicly against the destructiveness of his teachings.”
Bishop Andrew Phang
Vicar, Emmanuel Harvest Centre (Anglican Church), Sg. Ara, Penang, Malaysia
If both Bishop Ho Chee Sin and Bishop Andrew Phang have written that Joseph Prince’s heresies can lead one to hell or the lake of fire, how could this Singapore Methodist Bishop and Singapore Presbyterian Pastor say that Joseph Prince is not a heretic?
In a Sunday sermon at Glory Presbyterian Church, Singapore, Rev Henry Hong, an experienced and veteran Presbyterian Pastor said:
“Recently, it was brought to my attention that there were several Open Letters addressed to the National Council of Churches of Singapore by our local church leaders. And they expressed their concern about false and heretical teachings in one of our local churches.
You can find out more about this issue from the website of the Rev George Ong: www.revgeorgeong.com who is actually an itinerant teacher and preacher. I’ve heard his preaching and it’s absolutely sound. He was the former pastor of Grace Assembly of God, but he knows the word of God. He lives the word of God.
I refer to his website because he was one of the whistle blowers and carefully studied the preaching, teaching and writings of the said preacher of this local church. And he has also extensively documented the views and correspondences of various church leaders on this particular issue of what he calls the false teachings.
Now to be sure of this issue, I have also checked with one of our own Presbyterian Pastors, the Rev Tan Cheng Huat, our former Presbyterian Synod’s Moderator and now who is an out-station missionary of Trueway Presbyterian Church. He was one of those who have written to NCCS to express similar Pastoral concerns.
Suffice to say, the counsel of God’s word has to be taken seriously because the Church of Singapore is not spared of false teachings.”
The above was featured on YouTube:
from 40.54 – 43.00 mins,
and on this website
https://www.revgeorgeong.com/rev-george-ong-rev-henry-hongs-concern-over-false-teachers/
Rev Henry Hong and Rev Tan Cheng Huat, who are both experienced and veteran Presbyterian Pastors, have written that Joseph Prince teaches heresies.
Despite what Bishop Ho Chee Sin, Bishop Kuan Kim Seng, Bishop Andrew Phang, Dr Roland Chia, Rev Henry Hong and Rev Tan Cheng Huat
(not just me, as there are many others too, such as Canon Rev James Juhari (Anglican), Rev David Liew (Methodist), Rev Lawrence Yam (Baptist), Rev Eric Chua (Presbyterian), Arnold Rajan (Pentecostal), Rev Eric Lee (Assembly of God), Rev Kelvin Jawa (Anglican), Rev Momoh Sylvester Foh (Lutheran), Rev Goutam Datta, Rev Wilston Trin (Anglican), Rev William Patrick (Assembly of God), Pastor Dr Albert S K Chia (Independent), Elder Ng Tah Wee (Presbyterian), Dr Simon Chong (Methodist), etc, who are also featured on this website),
had expressed their serious concerns of the heresies of Joseph Prince,
(and the massive amount of evidence that I have amassed on this website week after week; and it’s still ongoing, regarding the heretical teachings of Joseph Prince),
yet, there is a Singapore Methodist Bishop and a Singapore Presbyterian Pastor, who defended Joseph Prince that he isn’t a heretic.
This is unbelievable!
If the leaders of the Singapore Church are deceived, can you imagine the state of deception that ‘ordinary’ church members of this nation are in with regards to Joseph Prince’s heretical Antinomian doctrine?
By defending the heretic, both these spiritual leaders are putting the sheep in Singapore in perilous danger as millions in Singapore and around the world have already been deceived and many more would be in the days to come.
Don’t miss Appendix 2 at the end of this article. The truths contained therein about the crucial importance of works (besides faith) for salvation may surprise and even shock many!
As you read Appendix 2, you would discover that works are crucial because we will finally be judged ‘not by faith’ but by works as the evidence of true faith.
(This article was also sent to Rev Dr Ngoei Foong Nghian, General Secretary, National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) office, and for the attention of the Executive Committee Members.)
In a weekly Sunday sermon aired on YouTube on 25 September 2022, 2 Sundays ago, Joseph Prince said;
Please click here to view the one-minute video:
“John Wesley’s concern was like, people, they called it Antinomian or the ‘Ranters’ in those days. And they are people who say, ‘We are not under the law.’ Okay, but at the same time, they told John Wesley. ‘You know we can take anything from anyone.’ That’s called stealing. ‘We’re not under the law. Okay, we can sleep with any woman. Why? All things are ours.’ That is stupidity. Okay. Now, you can call it Antinomian, unfortunately. But the moment you start teaching that you are dead to the law, people will say ‘You are Antinomian.’ That was the teaching of the Antinomian at that time. You can check it out. These two areas: stealing and adultery. It’s something that they say ‘It’s okay.’ Does this church practice that? Do we teach that? Have you ever heard me teach that? No! Amen.
That’s why the devil will try to muddle up the real gospel so people are scared to go into grace – the true grace of God.”
Joseph Prince is blatantly lying about the core definition and primary meaning of Antinomianism.
Joseph Prince said,
“That was the teaching of the Antinomian at that time. You can check it out. These two areas: stealing and adultery. It’s something that they say ‘It’s okay.’
Does this church practice that? Do we teach that? Have you ever heard me teach that? No!”
Prince selectively picks out the secondary expressions and the worst outcomes of Antinomianism of which there can be many, but cunningly leaves out its core definition and primary meaning (which I will unveil in the ensuing discussion), with the aim of giving people a distorted understanding of Antinomianism.
Then based on his twisted definition of what the core of Antinomianism is – that it’s okay to steal and commit adultery, he denied he teaches that.
It is rather sickening that Joseph Prince would deceivingly reduce and grossly distort the core definition of Antinomianism to merely stealing and adultery.
We won’t need to study what Antinomianism is if it’s just about stealing and adultery as these are sins that every believer is aware of.
More so, if any doctrine that teaches it is okay to steal and commit adultery, most human beings, not just Christians, would know that is sick theology.
Then based on his twisted description of the core of Antinomianism as allowing stealing and adultery, Prince went on to deny that he teaches that – and that he is an Antinomian when he said:
“Does this church practice that? Do we teach that? Have you ever heard me teach that? No!”
Who is Prince trying to kid?
See how low Joseph Prince has gotten in his crafty efforts to publicly and shamelessly deny that he is an Antinomian when he really is!
What is Antinomianism?
Here are the relevant facts that I have gleaned from Wikipedia (which in turn quoted from many authoritative Christian sources):
“To be freed from the ceremonial law is the Gospel liberty; to pretend freedom from the moral law is Antinomianism.”
“The term antinomianism was coined by Martin Luther during the Reformation to criticize extreme interpretations of the new Lutheran soteriology. In the 18th century, John Wesley the founder of the Methodist tradition, severely attacked antinomianism.”
“John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist tradition, harshly criticized antinomianism, considering it the “worst of all heresies”. He taught that Christian believers are bound to follow the moral law and that they are to partake in the means of grace for their sanctification. Methodists teach the necessity of following the moral law as contained in the Ten Commandments, citing Jesus’ teaching, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (cf. John 14:15).”
“The Articles of the Church of England, Revised and altered by the Assembly of Divines, at Westminster, in the year 1643 condemns antinomianism, teaching that “no Christian man whatsoever is free from the obedience of the commandments which are called moral. By the moral law, we understand all the Ten Commandments taken in their full extent.” The Westminster Confession, held by Presbyterian Churches, holds that the moral law contained in the Ten Commandments “does forever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof”.”
Martyn Lloyd Jones in the book, ‘Born of God: Sermons from John, chapter One’, Pages 55-56, said:
“Eventually, in terms of sanctification, this misunderstanding of the law works out into what is called ‘antinomianism’, which means that you do not recognize any law at all. You say, ‘It doesn’t matter very much what I do: I’m under grace. I’m saved. I’m a Christian. I’m all right now. “Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” The law is finished. We don’t talk about law any longer: we’re in the New Testament now. Don’t bring law in again.’ Very many Christians think like that, and act accordingly, so there is a lowering of their lives, a living in a worldly manner. The world enters in and everybody feels it is all right. ‘Grace! We are under grace!’ But that is sheer antinomianism.
What I have quoted from Wikipedia (which in turn quoted from Christian sources) and Martyn Lloyd-Jones about the essence of Antinomianism, is the core of what Joseph Prince teaches.
During the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther coined the term “Antinomianism” to confront this heresy.
Grace and faith were two key truths that Luther proclaimed.
But one of Luther’s associates, Johann Agricola, dangerously toyed with the idea that they could be taken a little further.
If legalism was the issue that they were confronting, then they should stop preaching about the Ten Commandments.
Johann Agricola then wrote,
“The Decalog [Ten Commandments] belongs in the courthouse, not in the pulpit. … To the gallows with Moses!”
Agricola and his followers were against (anti) the law (nomos), so Luther coined the term “Antinomianism” and wrote a book entitled ‘Against the Antinomians’ to counter their heresy.
Martin Luther coined the term Antinomianism to describe those who teach that since salvation is a free gift of God’s grace, obeying God is unimportant and, in particular, the need to obey God’s moral laws in the Ten Commandments is abrogated or made obsolete. This is exactly what Joseph Prince teaches! Go and listen to his preaching again to hear it for yourself.
Luther called them Antinomians: anti means against, and nomos means law.
Thus, a simple definition of Antinomianism is it is a theology that maintains Christians are freed from the moral laws of God in the Ten Commandments by virtue of grace.
Another way of putting it is that Christians are released by grace from the obligation of observing God’s moral laws in the Ten Commandments as they have become obsolete.
So this means the Antinomians are against all laws, including the moral laws in the Ten Commandments of God.
This aptly describes the core teachings of Joseph Prince, who is an Antinomian.
If you read his books, listen to his sermons and follow his teachings, Joseph Prince’s passionate pursuit is to teach that New Covenant believers, who are the people of grace, are no longer required to obey the moral laws in the Ten Commandments of God because they have become obsolete.
To put it starkly, what Joseph Prince teaches, is in essence, Antinomianism pure and simple!
What is utterly nauseating is that Joseph Prince has gone on to deny in his recent sermon on 25 Sep 2022, 2 Sundays ago (which you have viewed at the beginning of this article), and in his book that he is an Antinomian.
In ‘Destined To Reign’, Page 122 Joseph Prince wrote:
“One of the things which I have been accused of is being an antinomian (someone who is against the law of Moses).”
How could Joseph Prince ever deny that?
How could Joseph Prince, who is an Antinomian, and who teaches Antinomianism in broad daylight, deny that he is an Antinomian?
This is absolutely repulsive and grossly revolting!
It is like a thief who keeps denying he is a thief when he is being caught time and again for the act of stealing.
What defines a thief is the act of stealing. In the same way, what defines an Antinomian at its core is the teaching that the moral law in the Ten Commandments is no longer relevant to New Covenant believers by virtue of grace – and that’s the core of Joseph Prince’s grace teachings.
Joseph Prince, is undoubtedly, a true-blooded Antinomian.
But he has the cheek and the shamelessness to deny he is an Antinomian.
And for an Antinomian like Joseph Prince to deny he is an Antinomian, just as a thief who denies he is a thief, is not only a blatant lie but hypocrisy of the highest order.
How could Joseph Prince ever deny he is an Antinomian when it is so patently obvious that the core of what he teaches is pure and unadulterated Antinomianism – that New Covenant believers are no longer required to obey the moral law of God in the Ten Commandments as they have become obsolete.
In a sermon, titled, ‘The Law Given By Moses’ based on John 1:17, Martyn Lloyd-Jones said,
“This misunderstanding of the law works out what is called, Antinomianism. Antinomianism means this that you don’t recognise any law at all. And then you say in the light of that, ‘It doesn’t really matter what I do. I’m under grace. I’m saved. I’m a Christian. I’m now alright. Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. The law is finished. We don’t talk about law any longer. We’re in the New Testament. Now, you don’t bring law in again. We’re under grace.’ That is sheer Antinomianism.”
All the points of Martyn Lloyd-Jones that I have listed about Antinomianism in the above quote is what Joseph Prince has been truly teaching.
It is like Martyn Lloyd-Jones had a prophetic inkling and insight about someone like Joseph Prince who is going to come and spread his Antinomian and Pseudo-grace teaching years after he was gone in 1981.
What Martyn Lloyd-Jones has described Antinomianism, which is a false doctrine that our Reformation Fathers fought against, only serves to confirm that Joseph Prince is an Antinomian as that is exactly what he teaches.
Joseph Prince has absolutely no ground to deny that he is an Antinomian, as the freedom from the moral law of God (Ten Commandments) for New Covenant believers by virtue of grace, is what he is constantly crusading for, which is the core definition of what an Antinomian is.
In ‘Exposition of Romans Chapter 7:1 – 8:4, The Law: Its Functions and Limits’, Page 156, Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote,
“Another method used by sin – and this is one of the most terrible of all – is ‘antinomianism’… (Antinomianism teaches) You are a saved man, you are “under grace”, so what you do no longer matter.’
Antinomianism is one of the most blinding curses that has ever afflicted the life of the Church. It troubled the early Church, and it has continued to do so ever since.
Men, taking the letter of the doctrine of justification, and the ‘letter of the law’ twist them to say that our actions no longer matter because we are now under grace…”
What Martyn Lloyd-Jones described about Antinomianism in the above is what Joseph Prince teaches.
Prince teaches that your state (sanctification) can never affect your standing (justification) or your behaviour or what you do can never affect your belief or your position in Christ.
In other words, what you do no longer matter as all your future sins have been forgiven without the need for confession and repentance as you are once righteous, always righteous, and nothing can shake the security of your salvation.
No matter what you do, God will never get angry and punish you, and how you behave can never affect your position in Christ because once you have said the sinner’s prayer, you are once saved, always saved, and your actions or behaviour will not in any way jeopardise your eternal security.
John MacArthur said,
“Antinomianism is the notion of justification apart from sanctification. Luther himself coined the term for already in his lifetime, some were beginning to corrupt the doctrine he had rediscovered, claiming that justification by faith rendered unnecessary the preaching of the law, obedience to the law, or sanctification as evidence of justification.”
John MacArthur also said,
“When some of Luther’s associates began to teach Antinomianism (the idea that behavior is unrelated to faith, or that Christians are not bound by any moral law), he opposed them.
He called their teaching “the crassest error,” designed to “grind me under foot and throw the gospel into confusion.” Such teaching, according to Luther, “kick(s) the bottom out of the barrel” of God’s saving work.”
In ‘The Daily Bible Study Bible by William Barclay, The Letters of John and Jude’, Page 160, Barclay wrote:
“THE HERETICS… They were antinomians. Antinomians have existed in every age of the church. They are people who pervert grace. Their position is that the law is dead and they are under grace.”
What John MacArthur and William Barclay said accurately describes the Antinomian doctrines of Joseph Prince.
Hence, this proves that Prince is undeniably an Antinomian.
In ‘Paths to Power’, A W Tozer defined Antinomianism this way:
“Fundamental Christianity in our times is deeply influenced by that ancient enemy of righteousness, Antinomianism.
The creed of the Antinomian is easily stated:
We are saved by faith alone; works have no place in salvation; conduct is works, and is therefore of no importance. What we do cannot matter as long as we believe rightly. The divorce between creed and conduct is absolute and final. The question of sin is settled by the Cross; conduct is outside the circle of faith and cannot come between the believer and God. Such in brief, is the teaching of the Antinomian.
And so fully has it permeated the Fundamental element in modern Christianity that it is accepted by the religious masses as the very truth of God.
Antinomianism is the doctrine of grace carried by uncorrected logic to the point of absurdity. It takes the teaching of justification by faith and twists it into deformity.”
What A W Tozer defines as Antinomianism is the very teaching of Joseph Prince.
After reading some of the doctrinal beliefs of Antinomianism that are described by A W Tozer,
“We are saved by faith alone; works have no place in salvation; conduct is works, and is therefore of no importance. What we do cannot matter as long as we believe rightly… The question of sin is settled by the Cross,”
Some of you may remark,
“Hey, I thought that’s the gospel! I thought that’s the kind of grace that I’m familiar with! That’s what I believe and practise!”
What I am trying to drive at is that because Antinomianism is such a subtle doctrine, it has deceived many people to think that it is orthodox doctrine.
What makes the Antinomians so dangerous are the subtleties of their doctrinal errors.
One has to carefully unpack and examine the subtle shift that takes place from Reformation orthodoxy to Antinomianism.
This is why, it is quite common to find believers and even pastors expressing the view that there is nothing really wrong with Joseph Prince’s teachings, (which is Antinomianism), and they even remark that it is rather close to evangelical Christianity.
I’ve personally spoken to pastors whose views are that Joseph Prince is just overemphasising the grace doctrine. One even said his doctrine is helpful to the Church.
If pastors themselves can be deceived by the Antinomian teachings of Joseph Prince, the church is really in trouble – and the truth is she is.
Antinomianism seems so inviting because there seems to be such a similarity between what Antinomianism represents and what is revealed in the scriptures.
This is made worse by the fact that through the years, the gospel has been corrupted not only by Joseph Prince but many evangelical pastors and preachers themselves, who have been influenced by Antinomianism without them even knowing it.
Antinomianism has been around for a long time, not just in our time.
That is why A W Tozer states:
“Fundamental Christianity in our times is deeply influenced by that ancient enemy of righteousness, Antinomianism.”
“And so fully has it permeated the Fundamental element in modern Christianity that it is accepted by the religious masses as the very truth of God.”
Even in Tozer’s time (born 1897, died 1963), Antinomianism was prevalent.
In the contemporary scene:
“What Joseph Prince has ‘ingeniously’ done to deceive the modern audience is that he has craftily disguised the heresy of Antinomianism with a grace-centred theology and a Christ-centred twist.” (George Ong)
“With the crafty disguise of the Antinomian gospel as Paul’s gospel of grace by Joseph Prince, masses of people have been hoodwinked by him.” (George Ong)
My friends, let it be said again that Antinomianism that Joseph Prince preaches is a false gospel because it is another gospel.
Let me take a few descriptions of Antinomianism that were listed by A W Tozer:
“The question of sin is settled by the Cross.”
What Tozer said about
“The question of sin is settled by the Cross,”
is a key teaching of Joseph Prince.
I’ve said so many times that Joseph Prince teaches that all our sins, past, present and future, have been forgiven at the cross, without the need to confess and repent from them – which is false!
Though the cross has made provision for the forgiveness of all future sins, the forgiveness of God isn’t automatic without confession and repentance.
Can you now understand why so many “goats” are attracted to Joseph Prince’s church?
– Because of the feel-good theology that my salvation can be so easily obtained by just uttering a quick prayer.
– Once I’ve said the sinner’s prayer, my behaviour (sanctification), whether bad or evil, can never affect my belief (justification) or salvation, which can never be lost.
– Plus, the key bonus that – I needn’t have to worry about all my future sins because all such sins have been forgiven without me even confessing them because all such sins have been settled at the cross.
– This means that if I were to commit any future sin, be it lying or adultery or rape or homosexuality or even murder, they would all have been forgiven without me taking the trouble to confess them.
– But if I disobey Joseph Prince and confess my future sins, be it lying or adultery or rape or homosexuality or murder, Joseph Prince, has said time and again that would be a great insult to God because every single future sin has been forgiven at the cross.
Only a clown and a simpleton would believe such horrendous doctrines, and yet so many have chosen to believe such utter nonsense!
A W Tozer said,
“The creed of the Antinomian is easily stated: We are saved by faith alone; works have no place in salvation; conduct is works, and is therefore of no importance. What we do cannot matter as long as we believe rightly. The divorce between creed and conduct is absolute and final.”
Tozer correctly defines the doctrine of salvation of Antinomianism comprises only of faith and what one believes. Works or conduct has no or little place in salvation.
As long as you believe rightly, say the sinner’s prayer, you are once saved, always saved, and conduct, no matter how bad can never shake your faith.
Such is the key teaching of Joseph Prince.
For an explanation why works are crucial and that we will finally be judged ‘not by faith’ but by works as the evidence of true faith, please see Appendix 2 at the end of this article.
Next, Joseph Prince said in the video in his sermon on 25 Sep 2022,
Please click here to view the 8-second video:
“That’s why the devil will try to muddle up the real gospel so people are scared to go into grace – the true grace of God.”
While Joseph Prince claims it is the devil who tries to confuse people about the real grace gospel that he is preaching, in reality, he is preaching the false grace gospel as he is preaching Antinomianism.
It was Martin Luther, who categorically asserted that it was Satan who had originated the teaching that the Ten Commandments ought to be taken out of the church – which is the core Antinomian teachings of Joseph Prince.
Martin Luther, in the Preface to Luther’s ‘Commentary on Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians’ wrote,
“But Satan, the god of all dissension, stirreth up daily new sects, and last of all, (which of all other I should never have foreseen or once suspected,) he hath raised up a sect as such as teach that the Ten Commandments ought to be taken out of the church, and that men should not be terrified by the law, but gently exhorted by the preaching of the grace of Christ.”
Just as Luther had stated, the Antinomian doctrine that the Ten Commandments ought to be taken out of the church that was taught during his days, originated from Satan,
if Luther were alive today, he would have no qualms to declare that Joseph Prince’s grace doctrine, which is Antinomianism to the core as it teaches the removal of the Ten Commandments,
IS SATANIC!
This is because Joseph Prince is teaching exactly the same doctrine as his Antinomian ancestors – such as Johann Agricola whom Martin Luther fought doctrinally – that with the advent of grace, there is no more place for the moral law – the Ten Commandments.
Finally, the definition and core meaning of Antinomianism taught by Martin Luther, A W Tozer, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, William Barclay and John MacArthur, is that the moral law in the Ten commandments have been made obsolete because of New Covenant grace and that works no longer matter, is the very core of what Joseph Prince teaches.
Knowing the credentials of every of these Bible Teachers, who teaches from God’s word; if you harden your heart (like the Pharoah of Egypt did to Jehovah God) and choose to believe that Joseph Prince isn’t an Antinomian, no one, not even God can convince you of the truth.
Rev George Ong
Appendix 1
Quotes of other Bible scholars on Antinomianism:
Kevin DeYoung:
“Legalism is a problem in the church, but so is anti-nomianism. Granted, I don’t hear anyone saying, ‘Let’s continue in sin that grace may abound’. That’s the worse form of antinomianism. But strictly speaking, antinomianism simply means no-law, and some Christians have very little place for the law in their pursuit of holiness.”
Timothy Keller:
“Since the Protestant Reformation, it has been understood that there are two apparently opposite mistakes or errors into which you can fall so as to lose your grasp on this biblical gospel and its power. They are called “legalism,” the view that we can put God in our debt and procure his blessing with our goodness, and “antinomianism,” the idea that we can relate to God without obeying his Word and commands (or law). Both words, derived from the Latin and Greek words for “law,” miss a crucial aspect of how the gospel functions.”
Mark Jones:
“But often there is such an overreaction to “moralizing sermons” that preachers fail to give appropriate, soul-searching application in the form of commands. Direct and specific application is something that Paul does not omit in his letters. For example, he reminds the Thessalonians to love one another and then urges them “to do this more and more” (1 Thess. 4:10). Try harder? Yes. Do more? Yes. For Paul, the law functioned as a means of sanctification. But the antinomians utterly rejected the view that the law could function as an instrument of sanctification.” (Mark Jones, Antinomianism: Reformed Theology’s Unwelcome Guest?)
Appendix 2
Antinomianism as painted by A W Tozer is that salvation is by faith alone, and works are completely divorced from it.
But one better be bearing in mind that when it comes to the final day of judgement, God will not judge us based on faith/what we believe but on works/how we behave as the evidence of true faith.
God will judge us on what we have done and what we have not done:
David declared,
12 “and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”; and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done” (Psa 62:12 NIV).
Solomon announced,
12 If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done (Prov 24:12 NIV)?
Apostle John related what he witnessed at the great white throne judgement:
12 “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done” (Rev 20:12-13 NIV).
Referring to the last days, the Lord Jesus said,
27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done” (Matt 16:27 NIV).
Still dwelling on the last days, the Lord Jesus said,
12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done (Rev 22:12 NIV).
Commenting on the resurrection, the Lord Jesus said,
28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned” (Jn 5:28-29 NIV).
Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians,
10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Cor 5:10 NASB).
About the judgement, Apostle Paul said,
6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile (Rom 2:6-10 NIV).
In the above passage, ‘doing’ or ‘done’ or ‘does’ (twice), is in context, indispensable to salvation or the loss of it.
So far, this certainly sounds the very opposite of what Joseph Prince, the Antinomian is teaching, doesn’t it?
We are judged ‘not according to what we believe’, but according to our behaviour – our works – what we have done which is the evidence of true faith.
This is the teaching of the Lord Jesus, and Apostle Paul and John.
Many other teachings in scripture agree.
Jesus said to his disciples,
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” 6 “If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned” (Jn 15:1-2,6 NIV).
19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matt 7:19).
Yet, in one of Joseph Prince’s sermons, he categorically said that in John 15:2, God will never cut you down no matter what you do or regardless of what happens.
Yet, Jesus said it so clearly that those who don’t bear fruit (or show works) will be cut off from the Lord by the Father and thrown into the fire and burned (Jn 15:2,6, Matt 7:19).
Jesus also talked about the future judgement of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:31-46 to stress the importance of works and what we do or don’t do matters for eternity.
Once again, the setting is the judgement.
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then Jesus tells how the people will be judged:
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
Jesus also told the basis for the judgement:
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matt 25:31-46 NIV)
Who do you suppose are the ones who don’t take Jesus’s word seriously?
Naturally, it would be the followers of Joseph Prince, the Antinomian, who believe his false teachings.
They believe Joseph Prince that right-believing is what would qualify a person for salvation and behaviour or conduct is not a factor that would affect their eternal inheritance.
They are opposed to works, often claiming those with works (of obedience) are trying to earn salvation and are committing the sin of legalism.
But what did Jesus say would happen to those who did nothing?
They will be cast into the
“eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt 25:41).
That is why I have said many times and I would say it again, that those who believe the teachings of Joseph Prince are setting themselves up for hell!
What we believe (of course, all must believe in Christ, and that is a given) turns out to be not that important at the judgement.
What we have done and what we have not done – our works, as evidence of our faith in Christ, will be the crucial determinant that we will be judged with regards to our eternal destinies.
Furthermore, our conduct or what we do or our obedience to God’s will and Christ’s commands will determine whether Jesus will acknowledge us as His friend and spiritual brothers and sisters (Matt 12:50; Jn 15:14).
50 “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matt 12:50 NIV).
The Lord Jesus also said,
14 “You are my friends if you do what I command” (Jn 15:14 NIV).
Matthew 12:50 states that only those who do the will of Father God will Jesus acknowledge as brother, sister and mother.
John 15:4 also states that only if we do what Christ commands, will Jesus accept us as His friends.
Do we have any chance of salvation if we are not a friend or a spiritual brother or sister or mother of the Lord Jesus because we didn’t do what Jesus commands (Jn 15:14) and the will of the Father (Matt 12:50)?
Again, Jesus establishes the crucial requirement of doing as our conduct or behaviour is the evidence of what we truly believe,
– doing God’s will (Matt 12:50)
and doing what He commands (Jn 15:14)
– as that has a direct impact on our salvation.
The Antinomian Joseph Prince is so proud to be an ardent follower of Paul as he has often claimed that what he teaches is nothing but Pauline theology.
He is lying!
Paul taught against what Joseph Prince teaches.
As opposed to Joseph Prince, Paul taught that conduct or behaviour is of crucial importance as it can affect one’s salvation.
Apostle Paul warned the Galatians:
19 “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Gal 5:19-21 NIV)
Here Paul is making the point that wrong conduct or behaviour will result in one being barred from the kingdom of God.
If Paul in disguise were to speak at New Creation Church and preach on Galatians 5:19-21, he would be falsely charged by Joseph Prince for preaching a ‘salvation by works’ doctrine.
Apostle Paul also gave similar warnings to the Corinthians:
9 “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor 6:9-10 NIV)
Did you notice that almost everything Paul lists is conduct or behaviour?
How can an Antinomian like Joseph Prince claim that only right believing matters and conduct or behaviour does really not matter for salvation because every sin of a believer has already been forgiven, once they said the sinner’s prayer, and that they are once righteous, always righteous?
Hence no matter what they do, God can never judge and punish them.
But Paul repeatedly says that wicked conduct or behaviour will keep one from entering God’s kingdom.
The emphasis on conduct or behaviour by Apostle Paul was repeated to the Colossians:
5 “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.” (Col 3:5-8 NIV)
Paul clearly states that those who are guilty of sinful conduct or behaviour will not escape the wrath of God.
Towards the end of Revelation, Apostle John quotes the Lord Jesus:
8 “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” (Rev 21:8 NIV)
Jesus is making the point that conduct or behaviour does matter, and that wicked conduct such as those who commit adultery and murder will cause people to be condemned to hell.
Joseph Prince, by his teaching that salvation is by faith alone and works/conduct/behaviour/sanctification, can never affect faith/creed/belief/justification – your state can never affect your standing – is going against what Jesus and Paul taught.
In the light of such clear truths, those who continue to embrace the Antinomian teachings of Joseph Prince are setting themselves up for eternal destruction.