ANG 25 NA DOKTRINA NG IGLESIA NI CRISTO

1. Sa biblia nakasulat ang mga salita ng Dyos.

(The words of God are written in the Bible)

2. Ang tunay na dyos na dapat kilalanin at sambahin ayon sa inituturo sa biblia ay

ang Ama na lumalang ng lahat ng bagay.
(The true god that should be recognize and worship that is from the bible is the
Father who created all things.)

3. Hindi totoong pare-parehong sa dyos ang lahat ng mga Iglesia.

(It is not true that all churches belongs to God)

4. Utos ni Cristo na ang sinumang ibig maligtas ay dapat na maging Iglesia ni Cristo.
(It is Christ's commandment that whoever wants to attain salvation should join
Christ's Church or the Church of Christ)

5. Ang dahilan kung bakit ang kinagisnan natiy Iglesia Katolika at hindi Iglesia ni
Cristo.
(The reason why we grow up with Catholic Church and not the Church of Christ)

6. Ang mga aral ng Dyos na tinalikuran ng Iglesia Katolika.

(The Commandments of god that the Catholic Church turned away)

7. Si Cristo ang nagtayo ng Iglesia ni Cristo sa Pilipinas.

(Christ is the founder of the Church of Christ in the Philippines)

8. Si kapatid na Felix Manalo ang sugo ng dyos sa mga huling araw.

(Bro. Felix Manalo is god's last messenger)

9. Ang dahilan ng pag uusig sa mga Iglesia ni Cristo at ang kapalaran ng

maninindigan.
(The reason why the members are persecuted and the fate of whoever will stand in
faith)

10. Ang marapat na pag-anib sa Iglesia ni Cristo.

(The proper way of joining the Church of Christ)

11. Ang mga katangian ni Kristo at ang kanyang tunay na kalikasan.

(True nature of Christ)
12. Ang pagkakaiba ng Dyos at ni Kristo at ang mga patotoo ng biblia na hindi si
kristo ang tunay na dyos.
(Distinctions of God and Christ, and the proofs in the bible that Christ is not the "true
god")

13. Mga maling paggamit at mga maling salin ng talata ng biblia ang batayan ng
mga nagtuturong si Cristo ang tunay na dyos.
(Wrong usage and wrong translation of verses in the bible is the basis of those who
preach that Christ is God)

14. Pananagutan ng mga kaanib sa Iglesia ni Cristo ang pagbabagong buhay.

(Church members are responsible to have a renewed life)

15. Pananagutan sa Dyos ng mga Iglesia ni Cristo ang pagdalo sa bawat araw ng
pagsamba sa Iglesia.
(It is a responsibility of every church member to God to attend in worship services to
the church)

16. Ang Dyos ang may utos ng pag-aabuloy, pagpapasalamat at paghahandog.

(Offerings and thanksgiving are commandments of God)

17. Utos ng Dyos ang pag-iibigang magkakapatid.

(Love one another is God's command)

18. Ang Dyos ang nagbabawal ng pagkain ng dugo at ng pag-aasawa sa hindi

kapananampalataya.
(Prohibition of eating of blood and interfaith marriage are God's commandments)

19. Dapat pabautismo upang maging alagad ni Cristo.

(One should be baptized to be a disciple of Christ)

20. Dapat magmisyon ang bawat isang Iglesia ni Cristo at matuto ng pananalangin.
(Every church member should do missionary works and should learn how to pray)

21. Dapat na nakatala ang bawat isang Iglesia ni Cristo at nasasakop ng

Pamamahala.

22. Aral ng Dyos ang pagkakaisa ng Iglesia ni Cristo.

(Unity in the church is God's command)
23. Sa araw ng paghuhukom magaganap ang pagkabuhay na mag uli ng mga patay
at ang pagmamana ng mga Iglesia ni Cristo.
(In the day of Judgment will happen about the resurrection of the dead and the
inheritance of the members to God's promises)

24. Dapat magdaan sa pagsubok upang malaman kung talagang tunay at tapat ang
pananampalataya.
(One should experience trials/tests to know if they have a real and true faith)

25. Mga pangkalahatang tagubilin

(overall instructions)

Pinatutunayan ko na aking lubos na nauunawaan at buong pusong

sinasampalatayanan at susundin ang lahat ng mga aral ng Dyos na aking narinig sa
panahon ng pagdodoktrina.
(I certify that i really understand and wholeheartedly accept/have faith with and will
obey all commandments of God that i heard in the time of bible studies)

With the signature of the Bible student, meaning he/she AGREES with the statement
above.

So, if youre interested knowing more about such things, dont hesitate to come in the
locale nearest you, i know many may misunderstand the above lessons that's why it
is important that you can attend bible studies in our locales.

And to the brethren, this will be a reminder for us about the lessons being taught to
us, and before we get baptized, we signed the statement saying that we really
understand and accept and will obey the commandments of God, in addition to that,
we also recited a promise in the time of instruction of the minister to the candidates
just before baptism, and we promised it to GOD, not to the "Manalo" and even to
church...

IGLESIA NI CRISTO
CHURCH OF CHRIST
District of _____________

MEMBERSHIP OATH
I,___________________________________residing at
_____________________________________declare the following:

That I voluntarily accept membership in the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ)

motivated by faith and a pure conscience and no other purpose but to love our Lord
God, our Lord Jesus Christ, and His Holy Church;

That I was taught and understand fully all the fundamental doctrines of the Iglesia ni
Cristo (Church of Christ); That I faithfully received all these doctrines without any
doubt whatsoever; That being a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ),

I promise with all sincerity that I will submit myself to all these doctrines and
discipline of the Church, and that I will fulfill all my duties and obligations; That I will
accept any disciplinary action taken against me if I will be found guilty of
transgressing any of these doctrines.

SO HELP ME GOD.

In view of this, I affixed my signature on the _____(date) of ________ (month), in

the year ______ in the locale of _________________________.

Member's Signature: ___________________________

WITNESSES

###end###
 PROPHECIES IN THE CHURCH OF CHRIST
FULFILLED!

Nonmembers doubt the authenticity of prophecies concerning the Iglesia ni Cristo,

and other things that interpreted by the INC as PROPHECIES.

By the way, let us look up the meaning of the word prophecy:

prophecy
noun

1. the foretelling or prediction of what is to come.

2. something that is declared by a prophet, especially a divinely inspired prediction,

instruction, or exhortation.

3. a divinely inspired utterance or revelation: oracular prophecies.

4. the action, function, or faculty of a prophet.

source: dictionary.reference.com

For me, prophecy is not just a prediction, but something that will surely happen in
the future, especially it came from the BIBLE. This church, which is also prophesied
in the bible was fulfilled when God used Bro. Felix Manalo to preach the true gospel
in the last days as the Church in the 1st century was apostatized when new and
unbiblical doctrines, practices, dogmas and traditions came in.

You may question the prophecies concerning the INC, but let me show those first,
and in the part2 of this post, i will answer your misunderstandings and questions
that make you doubt about prophecies that CAME FROM THE BIBLE.

Prophecies and its fulfillment

prophecy: "I have other sheep too. They are not in this flock here. I must lead them
also. They will listen to my voice. In the future there will be one flock and one
shepherd." John 10:16 ERV

Fulfillment: Christ said, there will be one flock and one shepherd IN THE FUTURE,
then this is fulfilled when Bro. Felix was used as an instrument to preach the true
gospel and true Church of Christ, he being the one shepherd and the Church of
Christ as the one flock.

_____________

prophecy: Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east,
and gather you from the west; I will say to the north, give them up! And to the
south, Do not keep them back! Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the
ends of the earth. Isa. 43:5-6

Fulfillment: God's sons and daughters will be bring from afar and from the ENDS
OF THE EARTH. We believe that this phrase refers to a period of time when the END
OF THE WORLD is near, or what we call "last days". In able to know when is this
period of time, we should know the signs of Christ's second coming, in the book of
Matthew it is said:

And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately,
saying, tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming
and of the end of the world? Matt. 24:3

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for
all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and
earthquakes in various places. Matt. 24:6-7

The signs as stated "were wars and rumors of wars, nation will rise against nation
and kingdom against kingdom,..." We believe that this is fulfilled when World War I
happened, which:

"World War I (WWI), which was predominantly called the World War or the Great
War from its occurrence until 1939 (World War II), and the First World War or World
War I thereafter, was a major war centered in Europe that began on 28 July 1914
and lasted until 11 November 1918. It involved all the world's great powers,..."
source: wikipedia

Well, about famines, pestilences and earthquakes, I think I dont need to show
evidences because we are all aware that this is happening in places around the
world. Other signs and their fulfillment about the war:

sign: it would involve nations and armies of nations war, (Matt. 24:6, 33; Isa. 34:1-
2)
fulfillment: Unlike any war in the past, the first world which broke out in 1914, was
named as such for its global scope (Arthur Boak,Preston Slosson and Howard
Anderson. World History, p. 478)

sign: it would break out at a time when many shall run to and fro, Knowledge shall
increase, Would be rumored or widely known (Dan. 12:4; Matt. 24:6)
fulfillment: With the invention of the telephone, and telegram, and radio, as well as
the airplane, thus the news about the war quickly spread to diff. parts of the world.
(pp. 542-544)
sign: horses swifter than eagles and whirlwind-like chariots Used (jer. 4:13, 19)
fulfillment: WWI first made use of modern weaponry would be in warfare. Airplanes
were likened to a kind of aerial cavalry, while tanks to modern Version of ancient
chariots (pp. 478-479; David M. Howard Jr. Fascinating bible Facts, p. 216)

sign: Different kinds of people would Hide in caves to cover themselves (Rev. 6:15-
16)
fulfillment: Millions of soldiers and civilians were responded to have taken cover in
trenches and subterranean caves (H.W Wilson. The great war, p.225)
sign: Four messengers standing upon The four corners of the earth Stop the war
land (Rev. 7:1, youngs literal translation; Jer. 4:11, 19)
fulfillment: Four leaders representing four powerful would nations met and agreed
to make a treaty from blowing upon the officially ending WWI (world history,p.494)

Going back to the topic...

Upon knowing the signs, we already know that the time of the re-emergence of the
Church of Christ in the phrase "ends of the earth" is the time when World War I
broke out, which is fulfilled when Iglesia ni Cristo, Church of Christ through Bro. Felix
Manalo was registered in the Philippine government in July 27, 1914. Some says
World War I broke out in July 28, 1914, some says its July 27, but its not a big deal,
it doesnt matter, as prophecies in the bible does not predict an EXACT TIME or
location, in fact, the bible doesnt contain exact dates. What matter is that the
prophecy concerning the re-emergence of Christ's church in the time of the "ENDS
OF THE EARTH" FULFILLED!
Do you also know that besides the prophecy about World War I, also known as "the
great war", there is also a prophecy concerning the period of time between World
War I and World War II?

Prophecy: "When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about
half an hour." Rev. 8:1

The prophecy states that, "there was silence in heaven for about half an hour", to
know how long it is, let us read II Peter 3:8 for clarification:

"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a
thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day."

To God, 1 day is equivalent to 1 thousand years to us.

The prophecy said that there will be silence for about half an hour.
If we will compute this, 1hr to God is equivalent to 41 years and 8 months to us, but
the verse said it happened only half an hour, so if we will calculate this, the result
will be: 1/2 hr. to God is equivalent to 20 years and 10 months to us.

Let us check:
1/2 hr to God= 20 years and 10 months to us

20 years x 2= 40 years
10 months x 2= 20 months-12months(1 year)= 8 months so,
40 years + (1 year) + 8 months= 41 years and 8 months is 1hr to God

World War I ended in Nov. 11, 1918 and the second world war started in Sep. 1,
1939, so theres no war for about 20 years, 9 months and 20 days to be exact.
Thinking that if we add 10 days more, there will be exactly silence for about 20 years
and 10 months which is prophesied from the bible! Wow!

prophecy #1: There will be one flock and shepherd in the future or one church and
one pastor.

prophecy #2: The re-emergence of the church will be in the "ends of the earth" or in
the time the great war broke out.
Let us now know WHERE Christ's church will re-emerge...

_____________

Going back to the book of Isaiah:

prophecy: Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east,
and gather you from the west; I will say to the north, give them up! And to the
south, Do not keep them back! Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from
the ends of the earth. Isa. 43:5-6

From the Far East will I bring your offspring and from the far west I will gather
you. Isa. 43:5 (Moffat translation)

Far East
Fulfillment: This is fulfilled when the Church of Christ, Iglesia ni Cristo was
registered in the Philippine government (which is a country in the Far East) and not
to other countries in the Far East.

Proof:

"The Far East is an English term (with equivalents in various other languages of
Europe and Asia, Chinese yun dng literally translating to "far east") mostly
describing East Asia (including the Russian Far East) and Southeast Asia, with
South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The term
came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century, denoting East
Asia as the "farthest" of the three "easts", beyond the Near East and the
Middle East..."

Countries and territories included in the term Far East

China
Hong Kong
Macau
Japan
Mongolia
North Korea
South Korea
Taiwan
Brunei
Cambodia
East Timor
Indonesia
Laos
Malaysia
Myanmar
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Vietnam
Russian Far East

source: wikipedia

One of the countries in the Far East is the Philippines, what other proof i can give
that it is really the Philippines the re-emergence of Christ's Church will take place? I
should say that not all countries are candidates, because the bible further stressed:

"Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD; exalt the name of the LORD, the God of
Israel, in the islands of the sea." Isaiah 24:15

The bible give us more clue, the country which re-emergence will take place is an
island country, in the list of island countries in wikipedia, only japan, indonesia, and
philippines are candidates for the country which is composed of many islands.

Religion in Japan

"Upper estimates suggest that 8496 percent of the Japanese population

subscribe to Buddhism or Shinto, including a large number of followers of a
syncretism of both religions. However, these estimates are based on people affiliated
with a temple, rather than the number of true believers. Other studies have
suggested that only 30 percent of the population identify themselves as belonging to
a religion.
Nevertheless the level of participation remains high, especially during festivals and
occasions such as the first shrine visit of the New Year. Taoism and Confucianism
from China have also influenced Japanese beliefs and customs. Fewer than one
percent of Japanese are Christian. In addition, since the mid-19th century
numerous new religious movements have emerged in Japan."

Religion in Indonesia

"The majority of Muslims in Indonesia are Sunni. 9% of the population was

Christian, 3% Hindu, and 2% Buddhist or other."

Religion in the Philippines

"The Philippines is a secular nation having a constitution separating the state and
church. However, a large percentage of the Filipino people identify themselves as
religious. More than 90% of the population are Christians: about 80% belong
to the Roman Catholic Church while 10% belong to other Christian
denominations, such as the Iglesia ni Cristo, the Philippine Independent Church,
the Seventh-day Adventist Church, United Church of Christ in the Philippines, and
Jehovah's Witnesses.

The Philippines is one of two predominantly Roman Catholic countries in

Asia, the other being East Timor. Between five and ten percent of the population are
Muslim, most of whom live in parts of Mindanao, Palawan, and the Sulu Archipelago
an area known as Bangsamoro or the Moro region..."

Do you think Christ's church will re-emerge in Japan, where Christianity is less than
one percent in their population? Do you think it is in Indonesia, where only 9% of the
population were Christians?

Or do you believe, it is in the Philippines, which composed of 7,107 islands,

geographically in the center of Far East, composed of 90% Christians, and a
predominantly Catholic country(which we believe the Church of Christ in the 1st
century became the Catholic Church as it was apostatized)?

The very proof that it is in the Philippines where Christ's church will be re-established
is because of the fact that Church of Christ or Iglesia ni Cristo is registered in the
Philippines, not in Japan, and not in Indonesia. Another thing is that there is no
Church of Christ that established and its origin is Japan or Indonesia. There is none.

Far West
Fulfillment: The verse said "in the far west i will gather you" in moffat translation,
this is fulfilled when the Iglesia ni Cristo, which came from the far east, traveled in
Hawaii, which is a country in the west, established the first ever local congregation
there.

How? The story goes like this:

There are brethren who immigrated to Hawaii wanting of a locale there (they want to
continue maintain being a member of the church), they requested it to the Central
Office, and it was permitted.

"Brethren from Hawaii cried "What now brother? Are we not going to be saved? We
have not been able to worship" When the Executive Minister this, he told them to set
devotional prayers and God would make a way if it is his will that a congregation of
the church be established in Hawaii." "...Thus, on July 27, 1968, the Executive
Minister, Brother Erano Manalo, along with his small entourage, went to Hawaii. They
looked for the brethren and gathered them in a small house at Ewa, Honolulu and
there Bro. Erano officiated at the very first worship service of the Church of Christ in
the Far West." source: pasugo issue July 2008, Editorial

I just found out, surprised and shocked to my amazement that the first gathering of
the brethren outside the Philippines took place in Honolulu, Hawaii in Oahu island
which is known as "The gathering place" (source: wikipedia) remembering the
prophecy about the Church From the Far East will I bring your offspring and from
the far west I will gather you. Isa. 43:5 (Moffat translation)

I think i dont need to give proofs that Hawaii is a country not just in the west but in
the Far West, just by looking in the map:
 From Hawaii, Bro. Erano Manalo went to San Francisco, California then New York
(countries in the West) to gather brethren. It was the start of the expansion of
Iglesia ni Cristo World Wide.

Prophecies concerning God's Last Messenger

prophecy: Calling a bird of prey from the east, the man who executes my counsel,
from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have
purposed it; I will also do it. Isa. 46:11

Fulfillment: With the establishment of the Church of Christ in the Philippines, God
used an instrument to do it, it is Bro. Felix Manalo who is from the east, from a far
country. God said "I have spoken it... I have purposed it; I will also do it".

Another proof:

I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said,
You are my servant; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. Isaiah 41:9

The start of his work is in "ends of the earth" or the time World War I broke out,
"from its farthest corners i called you" it is said, like what is being prophesied in the
re-emergence of the Church of Christ, it is also the same with God's instrument, that
both will came from the east, from afar country, and can be mean far east.
 _____________

prophecy: Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself
will help you, declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah
41:14

Fulfillment: God promised that he will help Bro. Felix Manalo the "worm Jacob".

Why worm Jacob?

because he was mocked, belittled, and despised by the people just like Christ, who is
alluded to as a worm and would be scorned by men and despised by the people
(Ps. 22:6-7). Indeed, harsh were the insults and severe were the persecutions
hurdled against Brother Felix Manalo and the Iglesia Ni Critso especially during its
early years.

Felix Manalo formally started the INC in a makeshift bamboo chapel he and the
church were ridiculed and looked upon with scorn by the predominantly Catholic
populace. But gallant as he was, Manalo preserved though all the mockery.

Slowly, the Iglesia ni Cristo gained recognition and following that unbelievably
spread afar and wide, around the country and all the way to the west. (p.33)
Iglesia ni Cristo: from ridicule to reverence 1983, Manila Magazine

But as what he had promised, he will help him:

You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest
regions, And is said to you, you are my servant, I have chosen you and have not
cast you away: Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your
God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my
righteous hand. Isa. 41:9-10

the Iglesia ni Cristo has shown a phenomenal growth. Starting from Manalo
who, in 1914, constituted a religious hierarchy of one, the church has grown into a
nation-wide organization noted for its ornate cathedrals, centrally located chapels
and well knit ministers and members. A kind of organization like it had never
before been known in the Philippines. That Manalo made such an organization
possible in the country is remarkable; that he was able to make it a great social
force is a tribute to his indigenous aspiration and spiritual leadership. Mac A.
Fabian Felix Manalo (A great Spiritual leader), 1969, p.9

to be continued...

I will make a part2 of this post for the questions and so on of nonmembers
concerning the prophecies in the Iglesia ni Cristo. What we can see is that it is
indeed the church has a God, and God is working, doing his promises unto this
Church.

###end###

INC UNLOCKS THE MEANING OF THE 7 SEALS

By Ravenousbird2004

Mr. Felix Manalo claims that the ends of the earth refers to that time which began in
1914 with WWI and would last until the end of the world. According to Mr. Felix
Manalo, the ends of the earth started at the end of the sixth seal and the beginning
of the seventh, as mentioned in the book of Revelation. How could he tell us the
meaning of the sixth and seventh seal when he never claims to know the meaning of
the first five seals?

Brother Felix Manalo had proven that the first six seals or periods of the Christian era
had already passed. He taught these things to the Church and anyones ignorance
about them is not our fault. Anyway, a brief summary is given here.

When the FIRST FOUR SEALS were opened, the four horsemen were seen, one in
each seal (cf. Rev. 6:1-8). The first horse and its rider, seen when the FIRST SEAL
was opened, signifies the Church in the first century and Christ. The first seal,
therefore, is the beginning of the Christian era at the time of Christ and the apostles.

The second horseman riding a red horse, seen when the SECOND SEAL was opened,
symbolizes the false prophets who led the apostasy of the Christian Church and its
transformation into the Catholic Church. Hence, the second seal is the period of
apostasy.

The black horse and its rider, seen at the opening of the THIRD SEAL, prefigure the
further corruption of the Christian faith at the hands of those whom the Bible calls
wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever (cf. Jude
1:13 ). These were the Protestant preachers who emerged in the Reformation
period.

The horseman, seen as the FOURTH SEAL was opened, indicates the continued
spread and expansion of the Catholic Church, the extent of whose power had
reached over a fourth of the earth.

When the FIFTH SEAL was opened (cf. Rev. 6:9), the souls of those slain by the
apostate church, asking to be avenged, were seen. But they shall not be avenged
until Judgment Day comes.

The Opening of the SIXTH SEAL is followed by a great earthquake, the darkening of
the sun and the moon and the falling of the stars (cf. Rev. 6:12-13). These events
occurred in the 18th and 19th centuries. The great earthquake occurred in Lisbon in
1755, the darkening of the sun and the moon in 1780 and the falling of the stars in
1833.

At the end of the sixth seal, which also signals the beginning of the seventh seal, the
heavens were departed which caused the hiding of all kinds of men in the dens and
in the rocks of the mountains (cf. Rev. 6:14-17). The departing of the heaven that
caused this was the Great War that broke out in 1914. This war is also symbolized in
the prophecy as the winds that were later seen being held by the four angels (cf.
Rev. 7:1; Jer. 4:11 -12, 19). The end of the sixth seal which is also the beginning of
the seventh seal is what is also referred to in Bible prophecies as the ends of the
earth.

(Gods Message Magazine, April 1997 Issue)

###end###
UNDERSTANDING THE EVENTS THAT HAPPENED IN
THE SIXTH SEAL

THE SIXTH SEAL: A PRELUDE to GODS FINAL WORK of SALVATION

THE PROPHECY IN Revelation 7:2-3 began fulfillment when Brother Felix Y. Manalo
made initial triumphs in converting people to the Church of Christ. He did this by
acting as Gods messenger in granting the seal of God or the Holy Spirit to those who
listened to the gospel he preached (Ephesians 1:13-14). Concurrent with the
outbreak of the First World War, the Church of Christ appeared in 1914 in the Far
East (the Philippines) also in fulfillment of other Bible prophecies. By that wars end
(1918), Brother Manalo was already presiding over a rapidly growing congregation.

We have provided extensive discussion of the details of Revelation 7:2-3 and other
corollary prophecies in previous articles. They should be adequate in giving proof
that indeed Brother Manalo is the last of Gods messengers. There is no question that
God uses messengers to do His work of salvation on earth and that the authenticity
of such messengers must be well established in prophecy.

It is helpful, however, to study additional evidences that further prove that the
appearing of the Church of Christ through the last messenger is neither a coincidence
nor the will of man. We want to establish the fact that the period of great upheavals
culminating in the First World War (1914-1918) falls within the sixth seal of the
Christian Era. (See editorial for an explanation on how to understand the seas of
Revelation.) Through prophecy, the Bible gives us a virtual calendar of a series of
remarkable events that truly happened. God has allowed the succession of such
historical events to be written symbolically but He unlocked its true meaning only to
His messenger. What happened in the sixth seal that led to the work of the last
messenger into the seventh seal?

OPENING THE SIXTH SEAL

When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake;
and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became lie blood. (Rev. 6:12,
RSV)

Before proceeding, we must bear in mind that we are not looking for just any great
earthquake it must be the one that precedes the darkening of the sun and the moon
at the beginning of the sixth seal. When did these events take place?

In 1755, the city of Lisbon was reduced to rubble in six minutes during one of the
most devastating earthquakes ever recorded. The sea withdrew from the harbor and
rushed back as a 17 meter- high (55 feet) tsunami, drowning hundreds. Smaller
aftershocks caused landslides, fires broke out and by nightfall 60,000 people were
dead. The shocks from this earthquake were felt over an area nearly 40 times as
large as the United Kingdom. (The Physical Earth, pp.28-29)

The great earthquake of Lisbon, Portugal in 1755 opened the sixth seal of the
Christian Era. As the Bible predicted, after this the sun became black as sackcloth,
the full moon became like blood. When did this darkening of the sun and moon
occur?

DARK DAY, Any day in which the sunlight appears to be remarkably dim or
altogether absent. In New England the term is specifically applied to May 19, 1780,
also known as Black Friday. (The New International Encyclopedia, vol. Vi, p. 502)

Another source describes this amazing phenomenon in 1780:

So, called on account of a remarkable darkness on that day extending over all New
England Birds sang their evening songs, disappeared, and became silent; fowls
went to rest candles were lighted in the houses. The true cause of this
remarkable phenomenon is not known. (Websters Dictionary, 1869 edition)

We must note the progression of events from the great earthquake in 1755 to the
dark day in 1780. What happened next as foretold in the Bible?

What happened next as foretold in the Bible?

THE STARS FELL FROM HEAVEN

And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely
figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. (Revelation 6:13, KJV)

These cannot be the literal stars, each much larger than the earth size. But how was
this fulfilled?

On the night of November 13, 1833, hundreds of thousands of meteors were seen
all over the eastern parts of the United States. It was after this meteor shower that
astronomers first began to make serious study of meteors. (New Encyclopedia of
Science, vol. 9, p. 1217)

Is this meteor shower in 1833 the same phenomenon which the Bible mention as
stars of heaven falling? Another reference goes into the details of the same event:

One of the most remarkable facts connected with shooting stars is that certain
appearances of them are periodic. On most occasions they are sporadic, i.e. they
appear singly, and traverse the sky in all directions. At other times they appear in
swarm of thousands, and these swarms are periodic, or recur on the same days of
the year. Attention was first directed to this fact on occasion of the prodigious swarm
which appeared in North America between November 12 and 13, 1833, described by
Professor Olmsted, of New Haven. The stars fell on this occasion like flakes of snow,
to the number, as was estimated, of 240,000 in the space of nine hours. (The New
International Encyclopedia, vol. Xv, p. 495)

The stars fell, as both the Bible and history record, during a spectacular swarm of
meteorites which are commonly called shooting stars. Then, towards the end of the
sixth seal, the following series of events are prophesied:

HEAVEN SCROLLED UP
And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain
and island were moved out of their places. (Rev. 6:14,KJV)

Two things are mentioned here, namely the scrolling up of heaven and the
movement of every mountain and island out of their places. Inasmuch as these
events have not happened in the literal way, then they must be understood
symbolically. If it is neither the actual heaven where God lives not the sky or the
atmosphere around the earth, what is represented here as heaven according to the
Bible?
And I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron and
your earth like brass. (Lev. 26:19, RSV)

God here speaks of people who have their heavens made like iron. Who can have
such powerful heaven and what does it signify?

All the kings of the nations, all of them sleep in glory, everyone in his house. (Isa.
14:18, NKJV)

The heaven of kings is their glory. This is the heaven referred to that will depart like
scroll at the end of the sixth seal. How and when did this happen? To understand this
better, we have to know first the meaning of the rest of the verse that says every
mountain and island were moved out of their places. Why? Because the loss of the
kings glory (their heaven) resulted in the removal of the prophesied mountains.
What do mountains represent in prophecy?

What do mountains represent in prophecy?

This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which
the woman is seated; they are also seven kings five of whom have fallen. (Rev.
17:9-10, RSV)

Although the above verse concerns an entirely different prediction and event, what
we want to establish is that mountains also signify kings in prophecy. Therefore,
kings would be removed from their places. To be precise, the Bible predicts the
breaking of the glory of kings or heads of states, resulting in their removal from
power. When did this massive fall of kings and rulers of nations happen and by what
kind of catastrophe?

Come near, you nations to hear; and heed, you people! Let them hear, and all that
is in it, the world and all things that come forth from it. For the indignation of the
Lord is against all nations, and His fury against all their armies; He has utterly
destroyed them. He has given them over to the slaughter.

All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled up like a
scroll; al their host shall fall down as the leaf falls from the vine, and as fruit falling
from a fig tree. (Isa. 34:1-2,4, NKJV)
The removal of kings from power resulted from a war among the nations. This
confirms what Apostle John writes in the book of Revelation as the scrolling up or
destruction of the heaven of kings. A war involving the nations of the world, a world
war was predicted to the end of the sixth seal. What further proves that the
prophesied displacement of mountains and islands was the effect of such a global
war?

I looked on the mountains, and lo, they were quaking, and all the hills moved to
and fro.

My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the walls of my heart! My heart is

beating wildly; I cannot keep silent; for I hear the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of
war. (Jer. 4:24, 19, RSV)

This world war would utilize chariots like whirlwind and horses swifter than
eagles, and because of the immediate ruin they brought, all classes of people must
hide. Which war used such weapons? Which one brought the nations together into
mass slaughter?

THE GREAT WAR

The First World War was unlike any war in the past, This was the first war in three
dimensions. The first war in which cities were bombed from the air and winged
warriors fought among clouds. Of course the airplanes of 1914 were not so fast, so
formidable, nor so numerous as those of today. They were really more important as
scouts (a kind of aerial cavalry), photographing enemy movements from above,
the soldiers had to turn themselves into beavers and moles and dig deep trenches
[the] British had invented the tank, or land battleship an armored automobile which
could move on rough ground because it was built like a tractor (World History, pp.
478-479)

The prophesied war was the First World War which began in 1914. The prophesied
horses swifter than eagles were the airplanes first used in that war for scouting and
aerial bombardments. The prophesied chariots like the whirlwind were the tanks or
armored fighting vehicles also introduced in the same war. Soldiers and civilians hid
not only in caves and under rocks but they also built trenches and bomb shelters
underground to avoid the destruction brought by airplanes. Thus, the First World
War marked the end of the sixth seal of the Christian era. What was further
predicted about that Great War?

THE BIG FOUR

"After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth,
holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on
the sea, or on any tree." (Rev. 7:1, NKJV)

The next event was the "holding" of the "winds" by "four angels." "Wind" in prophecy
also means war (Jer. 4:11-13, 19, RSV). The word "angel," although with several
applications, denotes a messenger or someone sent or used by God for His purpose.
Who may qualify then as an angel sent by God?

"Submit yourselves to ordinance of man for the Lord's sake; whether it be to the
king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the
punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well." (I Pt. 2:13-14,
KJV)

Kings and governors (heads of states) are "sent" or used by God as His messengers
to effect justice on the land. Therefore, four heads of states were predicted by the
Bible to hold back the First World War. Does history confirm this fact?

"Orlando of Italy, Lloyd George of Great Britain, Clemenceau of France, and Wilson of
America were called the Big Four when they met in Paris to confer concerning the
treaty of Versailles." (World History, p. 494)

The Big Four, rulers of the earth's most powerful nations stopped the great war in
1918, proving the correctness of the Bible. At the same time that the war was
ending, what prophecy was also being fulfilled?

ANOTHER ANGEL FROM THE EAST

And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth,
holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on earth, nor the
sea, nor any tree.

And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God;
and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the
earth and the sea,

saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the
servants of our God in their foreheads. (Rev. 7:1-3, KJV)

That wars end saw not only the ending (temporarily, since the war was just being
held for a while) of the terrible devastation on earth, but also the appearing of
another angel or messenger of God from the East, one who bears the seal of the
living God, and who was sent to seal Gods servants. What kind of a messenger was
he? Obviously, his work was different from that of the Big Four who persecuted and
themselves stopped the war. The other angel was sent to grant the seal of God to
people. How does Apostle Paul, an earlier messenger, explain the meaning of the
seal of God and the manner by which it was granted to Gods servants in his time?

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation; in whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit
of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the
purchased possession, unto the praise of the glory. (Eph. 1:13-14, KJV)

The seal of God is the promised Holy Spirit. To receive that seal, a person must first
hear the word of truth or the gospel of salvation; then he must believe. So the work
of this messenger from the east corresponds to the preaching of the true gospel,
which if people would hear and believe, they would be sealed with the Holy Spirit.

As early as 1913, Brother Felix Y. Manalo began preaching the true gospel of
salvation in the Far East. Those who believed were baptized into the Church of Christ
which Brother Manalo had registered with the Philippine government at the same
time the First World War broke out in 1914. At wars end in 1918, the work God gave
him to do the preaching of the gospel or the granting of Gods seal on believers
already showed spectacular results. It was ascending, as the prophecy proclaims.

These series of historical events that occurred during the sixth seal of the Christian
Era clearly proves that Brother Felix Y. Manalo was commissioned by God as the last
of His messengers. It also proves that this Church, which appeared as a consequence
of the work entrusted to him, must then be accepted as the restored Church of
Christ, Christs only way for saving man from the coming judgment.
(Gods Message Magazine, p. 2-5, June 1999)

**RAVENOUSBIRD2004**

###end###

THE STEWARDS OF GODS MYSTERIES

Many love to read good mysteries. Trying to figure out who the murderer is before
the author reveals him is half the fun. In fact, the best whodunits are those in which
the culprit comes as a surprise. But what many people do not know is that the best-
selling book of all time, the Bible, is also shrouded in mystery. The problem is that
many consider the Bible an open book, easily read and interpreted by anyone with at
least rudimentary reading skills. Little do they realize that even the most learned
scholar would remain confuse or befuddle.

Hidden in mystery

Have the words of God really been kept hidden? And are they really mysterious?
Apostle Paul, himself learned in the law, answered affirmatively to both questions. In
his letter to the Christians in Rome, he said: Now to him who is able to establish
you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of
the mystery hidden for long ages past (Rom 16:25 NIV).

Therefore, there are many parts of the Bible that are not only mysterious but also
hidden, providing a double level of inscrutability. In fact, the attempt to interpret the
Bible through ones understanding and personal opinion is futile indeed, because
Gods words cannot be privately interpreted (2 Pet 1:20). Those who attempt to do
so would find themselves always learning and never able to come to the knowledge
of the truth (2 Tim 3:7).

Nowadays, there seem to be as many interpretations of the Bible as there are those
who study it. The resulting chaos is the present state of religion with new churches
and beliefs springing up with contradictory teachings even if the same Bible is being
analyzed. So what can be the harm in that? someone might ask, supposing that
little harm, if any, results from people coming to their own conclusions however
wrong they may be. Wrong opinions, however, are extremely dangerous when
applied to what is written in the Bible:
This is what he says in all his letters when he writes on the subject. There are some
difficult things in his letters which ignorant and unstable people explain falsely, as
they do with other passages of the Scriptures. So they bring on their own destruction
(2 Pet 3:16 TEV).

Therefore, grave danger results from personally interpreting the Scriptures. Because
of this, how then can anyone reach the knowledge of the truth? Fortunately, there is
a way.

Revealed to the messengers

Although the Bible has been kept hidden in mystery, its secrets are revealed to the
true messengers of God as Christ declared:

And He said to them, To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom
of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that Seeing
they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand;. . .
(Mark 4:11-12)

As Christ emphasized, there has been a specific group that was given the right to
understand the mystery of Gods kingdom. These are the messengers of God who
alone where given the right to preach and, hence, understand the teaching of the
Bible (Rom 10:15). All those who are not messengers of God are kept in the dark
and no matter how hard they try, they will not understand the teachings of God.

Since the time of the early patriarchs, messengers such as Noah, whom Apostle
Peter called a preacher of righteousness (2 Pet 2:5), have been commissioned by
God. Likewise, during the time of the Israelites, prophets like Jeremiah were
appointed by God to declare His words. In spite of their weaknesses and infirmities,
they were able to speak Gods words, because He placed His words in their mouths
(Jer 1:4-7, 9).

Aside from the prophets, God also chose Levitical priests to teach His words. It was
the duty of these priests to proclaim Gods message:

It is the duty of priests to teach the true knowledge of God. People should go to
them to learn my will, because they are the messengers of the LORD Almighty (Mal
2:7 TEV).

Gods policy of appointing someone to preach His words did not stop with the
Levitical priests. The first one to be chosen by God in the Christian era to preach the
gospel is none other than Christ. This gift to understand the mysteries of God and
the right to preach was also granted to the apostles (Mark 4:11-12; 16:15-16).
The angels right to seal

In these last days, God also gave the gift of understanding the mysteries and the
right to preach to His chosen messengers. When Apostle John was writing the Book
of Revelation, he saw in a vision what would happen when the world is about to end.
The Christian era is divided into seven seals or periods of time. At the end of the
sixth seal and the beginning of the seventh, this is what he saw:

Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God.
And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the
earth and the sea, saying, Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have
sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads (Rev 7:2-3).

In his vision, Apostle John saw another angel ascending from the east. The word
angel denotes one who is sent (Luke 1:19). Therefore, angel refers to the office
of the one who is sent and not to his state of being. The angel from the east would
have the seal of the living God and would not be alone in his sealing function just as
the verse states, till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.
Apostle Paul explained what is meant by seal and how sealing is done:

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of
your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised
Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of
those who are Gods possessionto the praise of his glory (Eph 1:13-14 NIV).

As the verse indicates, the seal is the Holy Spirit and sealing occurs after those who
hear the preaching from the messenger believe and accept the truth. Sealing,
therefore, refers to preaching accompanied with the power of the Holy Spirit. That is
what the messenger of God in these last days, Brother Felix Y. Manalo, and his co-
workers were duly commissioned to do. But since Gods last messenger passed
away, the stewardship of Gods mysteries has been entrusted to the Administration
of the Church Of Christ under the leadership of the Executive Minister. This includes
the ministers and evangelical workers sent by God to continue His last work of
salvation. They are the stewards of Gods mysteries in these last days. They have
been given the right to preach the gospel and seal Gods chosen people until the
Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

###end###

Brother Felix Y. Manalo Did Not Established the

Iglesia Ni Cristo
Brother Felix Y. Manalo Did Not Established, But the One Who Preached The
Iglesia Ni Cristo In The Philippines

Brother Felix Y. Manalo

THE PROPHECY OF the Lord Jesus Christ in John 10:16 refers to the re-establishment
of His Church. He promised the re-emergence of the Church of Christ because the
first century Church of Christ was apostatized. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself
forewarned that many will fall away because many false prophets will rise and lead
many astray:

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be
hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away, and betray
one another, and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead
many astray. Matthew 24:9-11 RSV
Although apostasy take place in the first century Church of Christ, however, the Lord
Jesus also prophesied that He has other sheep not of the fold or the first century
Church of Christ, but He will bring them also and they will hear their voice and He
will form them as one flock (referring to the re-emergence of the Church of Christ).
However, the Lord Jesus Christ also said that there will be one shepherd.

HOW CHRIST ESTABLISHED THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IN THE PHILIPPINES

IN 1914?

The other sheep is the third group of the Church established by Christ, the one
referred to by Apostle Peter in Acts 2:39 as those from afar off. In a related
prophecy, Prophet Isaiah prophesied that the children of God from the ends of the
earth will came from the Far East (Isaiah 43:5-6 and Moffatt). The time ends of the
earth is the time when the end of the world or the second coming of the Lord
Jesus Christ is near (Matthew 24:3 and 33). The first of the signs that indicate that
the second coming of the Lord Jesus is near (or the time ends of the earth) was the
First World War that begun in July 27, 1914 (cf. Mt. 24:3 and 6-8; The Story of the
Great War, p. 923).

The fulfillment of the biblical prophecies referring to the re-emergence of the Church
of Christ was the emergence of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ) in the
Philippines (the Far east) in July 27, 1914 (the ends of the earth).

How did the Lord Jesus Christ re-established the Church of Christ in the Philippines?
Christ said, they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock Christs voice was
heard in the Philippines in 1914 that cause the re-emergence of the Church of Christ
through Gods messenger in these last days. In Luke 10:16 the Lord Jesus said:

"He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects
me rejects him who sent me." (Luke 10:16 RSV)
It was not the Lord Jesus Christ Himself that will preach the Gospel so that His voice
will be heard in the Philippines in 1914. He said, He who hears you hears me The
Lord is referring to His messenger (Jn. 13:21 NEB). Thus, trough His messenger, the
other sheep heard His voice and the Lord made them one flock with one
shepherd:

There are other sheep which belong to me that are not in this sheep pen. I must
bring them, too; they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock with one
shepherd. (John 10:16 TEV)

We believe that the fulfillment of this prophecy is Brother Felix Y. Manalo. Through
the preaching of Brother Felix Y. Manalo, Christs other sheep heard His voice and
they became one flock with one shepherd. Thus, brother Felix Y. Manalo did not
established the Church of Christ in the Philippines in 1914, but the messenger used
by the Lord Jesus Christ to preach the Church of Christ in these last days and the
shepherd of Christs other sheep.

COMPARING THE PREACHING WORK OF BROTHER FELIX Y. MANALO WITH

OTHER CHURCHES

Other preachers preached first their gospel, and after gaining folloers came the
development of their group until the formal establishment of their group into a
church as in the case of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Others started as a
movement within another church, then they separated and organized as an
independent church as in the case of the Methodist Church. Others came a long way
until they arrived at their present name as in the case of the Roman Catholic
Church.

However, the beginning and emergence of the Iglesia Ni Cristo in the P{hilippines
differs from the others. From the very beginning of his work, the main theme of
Brother Felix Y. Manalos preaching was that the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ)
is the one true Church taught by the Bible and that all men must enter in order to be
saved.
How the Seventh-Day Adventist was Established?

The Seventh-Day Adventist Church can trace its beginnings back to 1840s:

By far the largest single Adventist body in point of numbers, both in the United
States and particularly throughout the world, is the Seventh-day Adventist Church
traces its beginnings back to the 1840s. [Frank S. Mead, Handbook of
Denominations in the United States. Nashville, New York: Abingdon Press, 1975, p.
19]

The small group of adventists that eventually evolved into the Seventh-Fay Adventist
Church was then a part of the Adventist Movement of William Miller in 1840s. Miller
made a failed prediction of the second coming of the Lord Jesus two times. After the
second failed prediction of the second coming of Jesus Christ Millers movement
broke up:

The first major point of disagreement between Seventh-day Adventists and the
other Adventist groups was not over the Sabbath question, but the question of the
sanctuary in Dan. 8:14 and the interpretation of that passage. A small group of
Adventists became convinced that the sanctuary was in heaven and not on earth and
that there would be work of investigative judgment in the heavenly sanctuary prior
to the Second Advent. Other Adventist bodies of the period still held that the
sanctuary was on earth. (Ibid.)

The small group that eventually evolved into the SDA Church separated not because
of the issue regarding Sabbath, but regarding the interpretation of Daniel 8:14. The
books says The first major point of disagreement between Seventh-Day Adventists
and the other adventist groups was not over the Sabbath question, but the question
of the santuary in Dan. 8:14. This small group that includes Joseph Bates, Frederick
Wheeler, Ellen G. White, and his husband James White banded together and as early
as 1844 begun obeserving the Sabbath:
As early as 1844, a small group of these Adventists near Washington, New
Hamshire, had begun observing the Sabbath on the seventh day. A pamphlet written
by Joseph Bates in 1846 gave the question wide publicity and created interest.
Shortly after this, Bates, together with James White, Ellen Harmon (later Mrs. James
White, whose writings Seventh-Day Adventists hold in highest esteem(they) accept
them as inspired counsels from the Lord), Hiram Edson, Frederick Wheeler, and
S.W. Rhodes, set out with the aid of regular publications to champion the seventh-
day Sabbath, along with imminence of the advent. Hence their name Seventh-Day
Adventists (Ibid.)

History tells us that this small group since 1844 champion the Seventh-Day
Sabbath. This group preached that the keeping of Sabbath continues up to the
Christian era. After two decades and a half of preaching their gospel that the
keeping of Sabbath continues up to the Christian era and winning converts, they
decided to organized themselves into a church naming it the Seventh-Day
Adventist Church:

In 1869, they officially adopted the name Seventh-day Adventists, and in 1903 they
moved their headquarters to its present location in Washington, D.C. (Ibid.)

In 1844 to 1869, the main theme of their preaching was the keeping of Sabbath. In
1869, they organized themselves into a church and they offcially adopted the name
Seventh-Day Adventist Church. This is how the SDA Church was founded.

How the Methodist Church Was Established?

Other churches started as a movement within a church or denomination, and then

separated and organized themselves as an independent denomination or sect like the
Methodist Church. John Wesley is the founder of the Methodist Church:

Nevertheless, the Christian Methodist Church remains loyal to the principles of

church organization, structure, and beliefs as developed and passed down by John
Wesley, the founder of world Methodism. (An Encyclopedia of Religions in the United
State, pp. 221-222, on entry entitled Christian Methodist Episcopal Church,
prepared by the editor from materials supplied by the CME Church)

Wesley was an ordained Amglical priest that served as missionary in Georgia

(America). However, he went back to England after his unsuccessful mission in
America. During his return in America, he learned the doctrines of the Moravian
church. In 1738, he began preaching his newfound gospel:

The turning point in his life came when, at a prayer meeting in Aldersgate Street,
London, on May 34, 1738, he learned what Paul had discovered, that it is not by
rules and laws, nor by our own efforts at self-perfection, but by faith in Gods mercy
as it comes to us in Christ, that man may enter upon his life and peace

The gospel which Wesley thus found for himself he began to proclaim to others, first
to companions who sought his counsel, including his brother Charles, then in
widening circles that took him throughout the British Isles. (The Book of Discipline,
p. 8)

Wesley did not plan to establish a church. For him, his work was a religious revival
within the Church of England and to preach his newfound gospel:

Wesley did not plan to found a new church. In his work he simply followed, like
Paul, the clear call of God, first to preach the gospel to the needy who were not
being reached by the Established Church and its clergy, second to take care of those
who were won to the Christian life. Step by step he was led on until Methodism
became a great and transforming movement in the life of England, He gathered his
people in groups, in classes and societies. He appointed leaders. He found men who
were ready to carry the gospel to the masses, speaking on the streets, in the open
fields, and in private homes. These men were not ordained ministers but lay
preachers, or local preachers, as they were called. He appointed these men,
assigned them to various fields of labor, and supervised their work. Once a year he
called them together for a conference, just as Methodist preachers meet in their
Annual Conference sessions today. (The Book of Discipline, p. 8)
Although he did not plan to establish a church, but due to certain circumstances he
allowed his followers in America to organized themselves into a church in 1784:

Methodism originated as a renewal movement within the Church of England in the

mid-eighteenth century. It sought to bring genuine evangelical fervor and social
reform to England. The movement later spread to Ireland, the American colonies,
and other parts of the world. Methodists began to organize into churches in 1784
with the formation of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America. (An Encyclopedia
of Religions in the United States, p. 212)

From 1738 to 1784, Wesley was preaching his message. During this period, his
work remained a religious revival movement within the Church of England. In 1784,
his followers in American organized themselves, separated from the Church of
England, and called their church Methodist Episcopal Church:

It adopted a name, The Methodist Episcopal Church. Thus indicated that the church
should be Methodist in its doctrine and discipline; and Episcopal, that is, organized
under bishops, in its form of church government. (Understanding the Methodist
Church, p. 20)

How the Philippine Independent Church Was Established?

Other churches started as a break-away group like the the Iglesia Filipina
Independiente (Philippine Independent Church). This church was a separatist group
that breaks from the Roman Catholic Church:

On August 3, 1902, with anti-friar feeling swelling on dagerous proportionsThat

same night, however, Isabelo delos Reyes called meeting of his Democratic Labor
Unionat the Centro de Bellas Artes and deilivered a severely anti-friar speech. He
proposed the establishment of a Filipino Church independent of Rome with Aglipay as
the Supreme Bishop. The proposal was enthusaistically approved. The new Church
was called Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Philippine Independent Church). With its
founding, the schism with Rome commenced. (Agoncillo, p. 237)

How They Arrived at Being Roman Catholic Apostolic Church?

Unknown to many, the current official name of the Catholic Church is the Holy
Roman Catholic Apostolic Church and it undergone a long process until it was called
by this name in the late 19th century. It was first called Catholic Church, a name
inventd only by Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, in 110 AD:

The name Catholic as a name is not applied to the Catholic Church in the BibleSt.
Ignatius of Antioch, writing to the Christians of Smyrna about the year 110, is the
first to use the name The Catholic Church (Conway, Bertrand L. The Question
Box. Permissau Superiorum: John B. Harney, C.S.P., Sperior General. Nihil Obstat:
Arthur J. Scanlan, S.T.D. Censor Librorum. Imprimatur: Patrick Cardinal Hayes,
Archbishop of New York. New York: The Paulist Press, 1929, p. 132.)

According to this Catholic book, the name Catholic Church was not applied to the
Church of the first century or the Church of the Bible. However, another Catholic
book testifies that the Church stablished by Christ in the first century was called by
the name Church of Christ:

5. Did Jesu Christ establish a Church?

Yes, from all history, both secular and profane, as well as from the Bible
considered as a human document, we learn that Jesus Christ established a Church,
which from the earliest times has been called after Him the Christian Church or the
Church of Christ. Cassily, Francis B., S.J. Religion: Doctrine and Practice for use in
Catholic High Schools. 12th and revised edition. Imprimi Potest: Charles H. Cloud,
S.J. Provincial of the Chicago Province. Imprimatur: George Cardinal Mundelein,
Archbishop of Chicago. Chicago: Loyola university Press, 1934, p. 442-443.)
The name Catholic Church was invented by Ignatius. He was the first to use that
name in 110 AD.

The name Catholic was soon commonly used. In the Martyrdom of St. Polycarp,
written about A.D. 155, it occurs three times. It became the normal name for the
Church in literature and popular usage, although it was not included in the Creed
until the sixth century. (Taylor, Edward K. Roman Catholic. England: Incorporated
Catholic Truth Society, London, 1961, p. 4)

After Ignatius invented the name Catholic Church, this name was soon commonly
used. Thus, the name Catholic Church was only from the second century AD.
However, this name was not exclusive for the Roman church, nor the Catholic
Church of that period refers only to the Roman Catholic Chrch. The Catholic
Church of the early centuries was not Roman Catholic, but the Roman church was
only a part of that Catholic Church. During that time, the name Caholic Church
referred to the whole including the Roman Catholic, the Eastern Orthodox, the Syriac
church, the Coptic church and others. The Western church and the Eastern church
formally and officially separated in 1054 AD. The eastern church was named Eastern
Orthodox Church. The western church was named the Roman Catholic Church, but
only in the 16th century:

The Council of Trent made Roman part of the official title of the Church (Ibid.,
p.7.)

The name Roman Catholic Church was made by the Council of Trent in 1546 AD.
However, their current official name, The Holy Roman Catholic Apostolic Church
was made by the First Council of Vatican in 1870:

In 1870, at the Vatican Council, the name Roman Catholic Church was proposed
but it was rejected. The bishops assembled unanimously decided upon this official
name: The Holy Catholic Apostolic Roman Church... (Crock, p. 191)
THE PREACHING OF BROTHER FELIX Y. MANALO

Brother Felix Y. Manalo started his intense study of the Bible since 1899. After seeing
that the Roman Catholic Church teaches not what are written in the Bible, he decided
to leave this church. From then on, he decided to seek the truth taught not by men
but by the Bible. When he witness a religious debate between a Roman Catholic
priest and a Protestant pastor, this arose his interest regarding the Protestant
churches. He decided to undergo a comprehensive study of different churches,
comparing their teachings with teachings written in the Bible. From 1904 to 1913, he
made an intensive study of different religions.

In June, 1913, when he was still a Adventist pastor, he told his wife, Honorata de
Guzman-Manalo, that he is going to preach the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ)
because this is the Church taught and written in the Bible, and he is going to
convince his fellow Adventist pastors and the pastors of other denominations that
they unite to preach the Church of Christ.

Brother Felix Y. Manalo did made an attempt to convince his fellow Adventist pastors
and pastors of other sects, but they rejected this plan, and mocked him and called
him names. After an intense debate with fellow pastors in a conference held in
Malolos, Bulacan, he decided to leave the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. He went
back to Manila with his wife.

He temporarily stayed at his counsins house in Singalong, Manila. Then, his friend
Eusebio Sunga asked him to manage again the hat store he left in 1904. He went to
Paranaque and manage again the hat store he established in 1903. Then, he
transferred the hat store from Paranaque to Pasay. Take note that Brother Felix Y.
Manalo did not immediately fulfilled his plan to preach the Iglesia Ni Cristo, instead,
he went back to his job that he left nine years ago (1904). He had hesitation
because his fellow pastors rejected him, he has no wealth, and no higher educational
attainment. In addition to this, the people who learned his plan that he is going to
preach the Iglesia Ni Cristo said to him that this will only be in vain.

However, God has a higher plan for him. One night in November, 1913, he told his
wife that he is going to enter his room and once more will immersed himself in an
intense study of the Bible. During this Two Days and Three Nights experience, God
made known to him his mission to preach the Iglesia Ni Cristo and Gods promises
that:

I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said,
'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear,
for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and
help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:9-10, NIV)

When he went out of his room, he told his wife that he is going to preach the Church
of Christ, and he is going to leave every thing. Immediately, Brother Felix Y. Manalo
and his wife went to Punta, Sta. Ana, Manila, where his friends and former brethren
in the Disciples of Christ lived. In a small workers quarter owned by the Atlantic,
Gulf and Pacific Company, he started his work of preaching the Church of Christ to
the people. He taught that the Church of Christ is the one true Church written in the
Bible that all men must enter in order to be save come judgment day.

Many were convinced that this is the truth written in the Bible. They profess faith and
decided to enter the Iglesia Ni Cristo. They received baptism and the locale
congregation of Punta was established.

Because many of those that entered the Church of Christ during that time came from
the Disciples of Christ, an American missionary of the said sect was sent to Brother
Felix Y. Manalo in Punta, Sta. Ana. He made an attempt to convince brother Felix Y.
Manalo to return to their sect and offered Brother Manlo a large amount of money.
However, brother Felix Y. Manalo answered him that he will return if they will preach
that the Church of Christ is the true Church and teach the pristine gospel written in
the Bible. The American replied, I cannot do that, I was only sent here to convince
you to return to our fold. Then, Brother Felix Y. Manalo replied, I cannot also go
back to your sect because I cannot go against my consciense. The American told
him, Your work will only be in vain. You dont have anything. You will only suffer
hardships. Brother Manalo replied, I entrust my fate to the Lord God.
After the establishment of the locale congregation of Punta, Brother Felix Y. Manalo
went to his hometown, in Tipas, to preach the Iglesia Ni Cristo in his hometown. His
work in Tipas resulted in the establishment of the Tipas Locale.

After the first baptism in Tipas, a Protestant pastors, aiming to stop the work of
Brother Felix Y. Manalo, threatened the latter and the members of the Church that
they will sue them in court because of preaching a colorum (illegal) church because
it is not registered. During that time there was a law that any organization must be
registered in the government because during that time there were religious groups
(the American authorites called them colorums) staging rebellion against the
government. Thus, in July 27, 1914, the Iglesia Ni Cristo was registered in the
Philippine government.

CONCLUSION

Thus, Brother Felix Y. Manalo did not established the Iglesia Ni Cristo, but preached
the Iglesia Ni Cristo in the Philippines. The preaching of Brother Felix Y. Manalo of
the Iglesia Ni Cristo in the Philippines is the fulfillment of what the Lord Jesus Christ
said, them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one
flock and one shepherd.

###end####

Felix Manalo is God's Last Messenger On Isaiah

41:4 and 9-10

WHY WE FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT BROTHER FELIX Y. MANALO IS GODS LAST

MESSENGER (On Isaiah 41:4 and 9-10)
GODS LAST MESSENGER? this is how people react whenever they hear we declare
that Brother Felix Y. Manalo is Gods messenger in these last days. They often ask, is
there such thing as Gods messenger in these last days? And they also ask, if there
such a thing, why are you sure that your Brother Felix Y. Manalo is Gods last
messenger? In answering these questions, let us consult Gods pronouncement
written in the Holy Scripture or the Bible.

Gods Last Messenger

What is the biblical basis of the Iglesia Ni Cristo in saying that there is indeed Gods
last messenger? This is what is written in Isaiah 41:4:

Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I,
the LORD, am first, and will be with the last. (Is. 41:4, New Revised Standard
Version)
According to this verse, God is calling the generations from the beginning. It is
indeed a biblical doctrine that God commissioned messengers in every periods of
time. God set apart Seth and his descendants (cf. Gen. 4:26); Noah and his
descendants; Abraham whom God made an everlasting covenant that He confirmed
with his descendants (Isaac, Jacob and the twelve sons of Israel); and God made
Israel His nation. God commissioned Moses to bring the Israelites out of Egypt and
established them as a Gods nation. Moses was succeeded by Joshua that led the
Israelites in conquered the land of Canaan. After the Israelites have settled in the
land, God commissioned men to bring the Israelites out of bondage and be their
leaders (they are called the Judges). Then the kingdom of Israel was established
and God continued sending those messengers to make known to them His will. God
continuously sent prophets to Israel like Nathan, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and
the last prophet was Malachi.

Because Israels falling away from God, they were replaced as Gods nation by the
first century Church of Christ. In the first century God send His beloved Son, the
Lord Jesus Christ, the Gods greatest messenger. The Lord Jesus established His
Church (cf. Matt. 16:18) and gave His life for the salvation of His Church (cf. Eph.
5:25 and 23). The Lord Jesus is not the last of Gods messenger. When He ascended
to heaven, the apostles take over not only the administration of the Church, but also
the preaching of the gospel having the authority of being Gods messengers. Apostle
Paul was Gods messenger to spread the Gospel in the Gentile world. Thus, the Bible
indeed tells the story of Gods continuous commissioning of messengers in every
dispensation of time.

Also, according to Isaiah 41:4, God will be with the last. The word last refers to
the last of Gods messengers. In verse 9 this is what God says:

Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I,
the LORD, am first, and will be with the last

You whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off. (Is.
41:4 and 9, NRSV.)
This verse is a prophecy regarding the last of Gods messenger, He said, You are
my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off. The verse is referring to the
last of Gods messenger because the time of Gods calling of this messenger is at the
ends of the earth, You whom I took from the ends of the earth. Thus, Gods last
messenger is Gods messenger in the ends of the earth.

Why God Send His Messengers

The sending or commissioning of messenger is Gods work as what is mentioned in

John 6:29:

Jesus answered them, This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he
has sent. (John 6:29 RSV)

God call and commissioned His messenger, and people must believe or accept him
whom God has sent. God gave the authority to preach His words only to His
messengers:

And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are
the feet of those who bring good news! (Romans 10:15 NIV)

Thus, thus us the reason why God send messengers in every dispensation of time
to make known His words to men through His messenger.

The Ends of the Earth

As previously cited in the Book of Isaiah, Gods last messenger is from the ends of
the earth. This ends of the earth refers to a time different from end of the earth.
The latter is synonymous with the end of the world or the Second Coming of our Lord
Jesus:
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately,
saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming,
and of the end of the world? (Matthew 24:3 KJV)

The apostles had asked Jesus the signs of the end of the world. His reply was that
they would hear of wars and rumors of wars, which would be followed by a war
involving nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom; there will be famines,
pestilences, and earthquakes. All these are signs that the end is at the very doors:

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately,
saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming,
and of the end of the world?

So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the
doors.

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all
these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences,
and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew
24:3, 33, 6-8 KJV)

Thus, in other words, these events would happen during the time ends of the earth
which precedes the time end of the earth. Take note that the first sign indicating
that the time is in the ends of the earth is that ye shall hear of wars and rumours
of wars. Although there were many wars jappened in history of the world, however,
the this war mentioned by Bible will be followed by another war of the same kind,
see that ye be not troubled: for these things must come to pass, but the end is not
yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. Thus, there
were many wars that happened in the past, bu only one war that was described as
nation against nation, and kingdom against kingdom that was followed by another
war also described as nation against nation, and kingdom against kingdom this is
the First World War.
The Great War (also called the First World War) started on July 27, 1914, and
ended on November, 1918. Then it was followed by another world war, the Second
World War (1939-1945). Prior to, during, and after the two World Wars, famines,
pestilences, and earthquakes occurred in various places.

Thus, the appointed time of the emergence of Gods last messenger was the time
called by the biblical prophecy as ends of the earth, is the time the end of the
earth or the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is near, that began in 1914,
the year of the outbreak of the First World War, the first sign indicating that the time
is already in the ends of the earth.

The Church of Christ emerged in the Far East, specifically in the Philippines,
simultaneous with the commencement of the First World War on July 27, 1914. This
event fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah regarding the appointed time of Gods
messenger whom God called from the ends of the earth.

Jacob, the seed of Abraham?

We now already established that the last referred to in Isaiah 41:4 is the last of
Gods messenger or the messenger of God called from the ends of the earth (cf.
Isaiah 41:9). However, why others find it difficult to accept that the fulfillment of this
prophecy was Brother Felix Y. Manalo because of what is mentioned in verse 8:

But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham
my friend. (Isaiah 41:8 KJV)

Because of verse 8, others believe that the prophecy refers to Jacob, the son of
Isaac, and to the ancient nation of Israel. However, careful examination of the
biblical prophecy proves that the prophecy doesnt referring to Jacob, son of Isaac,
and to the ancient Israelites. Take note that the one prophesied is also called by the
Bible as the last:
Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I,
the LORD, am first, and will be with the last. (Is. 41:4 NRSV)

The verse said, calling the generations from the beginning. And the verse also
mentioned that the one being prophesied is the last, I the LORD, am first, and will
be the last. Surely, Jacob, the son of Isaac, and the ancient nation of Israel is not
the last. Also, the Bible mentioned that the one referring to by the prophecy was
called from the ends of the earth:

But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham
my friend. Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from
the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee,
and not cast thee away. (Isaiah 41:8-9 KJV)

The prophecy said Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth. This will
make Jacob, the son of Isaac, if he is the one being referred to in the prophecy, as
coming from the ends of the earth. Remember that when Prophet Isaiah written
this prophecy, Jacon, the son of Isaac, was already dead for many centuries.
However, others might asked that the one being prophesied was also called seed of
Abraham. The New Testament explains to us that members of Christ body are also
Abrahams seed:

If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the
promise. (Galatians 3:29 NIV)

Thus, not because verse 8 mentioned Jacob and seed of Abraham it follows that
the one being prophesied is the literal son of Isaac. This Jacobseed of Abraham is
the the servant of God called from the ends of the earth.

Gods Last Messenger as the worm Jacob

The prophecy also called Gods last messenger of the messenger of God from the
ends of the earth as worm Jacob:

Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD,
and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. (Is. 41:14, KJV)

What is meant to be compared to a worm accorfing to the Bible? In Psalms 22:6, this
is what we could read:

But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.
(Psalms 22:6 NIV)

This prophecy referring to the Lord Jesus Christ tells us that to be compared to a
worm means to be without strength and to be despised. Thus, the prophecy called
the Gods last messenger as worm Jacob to described him as without strength and
was despised. But, he was not helpless because God promised to strengthen and
help him:

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will
strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of
my righteousness. (Is. 41:10, KJV)

God had chosen someone who was not learned and rich in order to confound the
wise and the mighty (I Cor. 1:26-29). Gods promise to help and strengthen His last
messenger was proven by the result of his work. The present stature of the Church
of Christ that he preached clearly proves this.

It is not surprising that the Catholic Church and the Protestant Churches spread
throughout the world for they came from weatlthy and rich countries, backed by the
government and/or citizens of that country. Brother Felix Y. Manalo and the Iglesia
Ni Cristo came from a small and poor country, without any support from any
government, but spread throughout the world and now considered as a global
church. Indeed, it is the fulfillment of Gods promised to His messenger from the
ends of the earth.

A new threshing instrument

The biblical prophecy also mentioned that God made the worm Jacob as a new
threshing instrument:

Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD,
and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Behold, I will make thee a new sharp
threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them
small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. (Isa. 41:14-15, KJV)

The worm Jacob referred to in the prophecy is the one whom God promised to
make as a new threshing instrument. He would thresh the mountains and beat
them small. What would make the worm Jacob as a new sharp threshing
instrument are the words of God which are powerful, and sharper than any
twoedged sword (Heb. 4:12, Ibid.).

The mountains that would be threshed by him through Gods words are not literal
mountains but kings (Rev. 17:9-10) or rulers of darkness (Eph. 6:12). In other
words, the mountains refer to false religions.

In fulfillment, Brother Felix Y. Manalo, through his preaching, exposed the errors and
falsity of the doctrines of other religions. He showed that such teachings are
diametrically opposed to the true teachings of God. The impact of Gods words or
doctrines which he had preached is continuously being felt by other religious
organizations.
One of the biblical truth that Gods last messenger will preach is also mentioned by
the biblical prophecy:

From the far east will I bring your offspring, and from the far west I will gather you.

You are my trusty witnesses, the servants I have chosen, to own me, to believe me,
to see that I am ever the same; no god was formed before me, nor shall be after
me. (Is. 43:5 and 10, Moffatt Translation)

The servants of God from the Far East will be Gods trusty witnesses. The New Living
Translation clearly renders what the servants from the Far East will witness:

But you are my witnesses, O Israel! says the Lord. You are my servant. You have
been chosen to know me, believe in me, and understand that I alone am God. There
is no other Godthere never has been, and there never will be.

First I predicted your rescue, then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world. No
foreign god has ever done this. You are witnesses that I am the only God," says the
Lord. (Is. 43:10 and 12 NLT)

False religions teach false knowledge about God. In our time where many who
proclaimed themselves as Christians but adhere to the belief that aside from the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are also Gods, the Lord God send His messenger
in these last days to be His trusty witness witnessing that He alone is God, and there
is no other God - there never has been, and there bever will be. To His last
messenger and His servants from the Far East, God said, You are witnesses that I
am the only God.

Brother Felix Y. Manalo fulfilled this God-given task to witnessed that there is only
One True God the Father. This is the teaching of the Bible that today the Iglesia Ni
Cristo (Church of Christ) is the only one that upholds it. This also proves that Brother
Felix Y. Manalo is indeed a true messenger of God:
Don't we all have the same father? Didn't the same God create us all?...

It is the duty of priests to teach the true knowledge of God. People should go to
them to learn my will, because they are the messengers of the LORD Almighty.
(Malachi 2:10 and 7 TEV)

The fulfillment of Gods promises to His messenger, which was clearly proven by his
work and by the continuing growth of the Church that he preached, only proves that
the hand of God has done this:

That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the
hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it. (Is.
41:20, KJV)

The Church of Christ, especially during its pioneering years, experienced severe
persecution from many of its detractors. Yet, they were not able to hinder the
speedy growth of the Church. Many were even confounded as to how the Church of
Christ, from such a small beginning, grew. This, to them, remains an enigma. But to
the members of the Church of Christ, everything is the will and work of the Almighty
God. It was the Lord God who has done this, He who said:

I work and who can hinder it? (Is. 43:13, NRSV)

Thus, we firmly believe that Brother Felix Y. Manalo is Gods last messenger
because it is to him that the prophecy regarding the last messenger was
fulfilled, and even the message that He preached proves that he is indeed
God messenger in these last days witnessing that there the Father alone is
the only true God.

###end###

FELIX Y. MANALO GOD'S LAST MESSENGER AND

HIS MESSAGE
THE EMERGENCE OF the Iglesia Ni Cristo in the Philippines fulfills the prophecies of
God written in the Bible concerning His sons and daughters whom He will call from
the Far East in these last days (cf. Isaiah 43:5-6 and Moffatt; 41:9-15; 46:11-13;
Acts 2:39; John 10:16; Revelation 7:2-3). These biblical prophecies have also
pointed to a servant of God whom He will send to lead Gods chosen people from the
ends of the earth:

"Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief
men thereof, and said unto thee, THOU ART MY SERVANT; I have chosen thee, and
not cast thee away. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy
God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the
right hand of my righteousness." (Isaiah 41:9-10 KJV, enphasis mine)

God said to His servant whom He have taken from the ends of the earth that I
have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. Another biblical prophecy points out that
Gods messenger from the ends of the earth will came from a far country in the
East, or the Far East:

"Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a
far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I
will also do it. Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: I
bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry:
and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory." (Isaiah 46:11-13 KJV)

The ravenous bird from the east mentioned in Isaiah 46:11 is also the the man
that executeh Gods counsel from a far country. Through him, God will bring near His
righteousness. Thus, the messenger of God from the ends of the earth, from the Far
East, is a preacher of the Gospel for the righteousness of God that He will bring near
to the people through this messenger is the the Gospel which is also the power of
God to salvation:

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation
for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the
righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall
live by faith." (Romans 1:16-17 NKJV)

Brother Felix Y. Manalo is the messenger of God from the ends of the earth and from
the Far East, whom God sent to perform this task. God has given His messenger the
assurances that He will help and strengthen him un pursuing such noble task in the
face of tremendous odds and difficulties. God said to Him:

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will
strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of
my righteousness." (Isaiah 41:10 KJV)

The growth and development of the Iglesia Ni Cristo from its humble beginnings to
its present dynamic stature, attest to the fulfillment of these prophecies. The
membership of the Church increased at a phenomenal rate from a handful of
adherents gathered in its pioneering years to the millions now scattered in many
parts of the world.

The houses of worship that the Church has built has effectively changed the
Philippine landscape which the Catholic Church used to dominate. The iglesia Ni
Cristo houses of worship now can also be seen in different parts of the world where
the Church gained a foothold.

The power of the unity of the Church members, their vitality in their practice of
religion, their fidelity to the doctrines taught to them, and their unswerving resolve
to surmount all difficultiesare indications of a vibrant faith the result of the
preaching functions of the late Brother Felix Y. Manalo.

THE DIVINE CALL

Brother Felix Y. Manalo was born at the time when the seeds of the revolution
against the Spanish were being sown in the Philippines. He was born on May 10,
1886, ten years before the outbreak of the Philippine revolution (1886-1898), at
Sitio Calzada, Barrio Tipas, Taguig, the firstborn of the couple Mariano Ysagun and
Bonifacia Manalo.

He was nurtured in the Catholic religion by his devout mother and father. His parent
made to attend the caton class (a catechism class) in Tipas to ensure that he
learned the basic tenets and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1893, when
he was seven years old, he was made to attend public school in Sta. Ana, Taguig.
However, because of the death of his father and the outbreak of the Philippine
Revolution in 1896, his studies was disrupted.

In 1899, when his mother remarried, his uncle, Mariano de Borja, a Roman Catholic
priest, adopted him. During that time, his uncle was assigned in Sta. Cruz, Manila.
He continued his studies in Manila.

In the house of his uncle in Sta. Cruz, Manila where he found a copy of the Holy
Bible. Then, he immediately began reading the copy of the Holy Scripture that he
found. Because he during that time he was living with his uncle, a Catholic priest,
and literally living inside the walls od the Roman Catholic Church, and even attending
a Catholic school during that time, he can thoroughly compare the teachings and
practices of the Roman Catholic Church with the teachings written in the Bible.

Consequently, he lost his faith in Catholicism when he discovered that the Catholic
teachings, rites and ceremonies are not in the Bible. Thus, he decided leave the
Roman Catholic Church, hence leaving also his uncles house and his studies in
Manila. In December, 1902, he went back to Tipas to help his mother twiced
widowed and seven months pregnant during thatv time. There in Tipas, when his
relatives and townmates learned that he leave his uncles house and stop his studies
in Manila, rebuked his decision. And when they learned that he also decided to leave
the Catholic religion persecuted him and made lies against him, hoping through
these he changed his decision. But, the sixteen years old Felix Manalo stand firm on
his decision never to come back to the Catholic religion because their practices and
teachings contradict the teachings written in the Bible.
Out of curiosity, in April, 1903, he went with the Colorums on their lenten
pilgrimage to the mountains of San Cristobal and Banahaw. After learning that their
teachings also contradict the teachings of the Bible and that the Voice of the
Almighty was a hoax, after that lenten pilgrimage he went back to Tipas. After a
short period of time in Tipas, he went back to Manila. In the summer od 1903, he
established a hat store in Paranaque. During this time, he continued his studies of
the Bible.

Although, there were already many Protestant churches in Manila during that time,
but they did not immediately captured the interest of Brother Felix Y. Manalo.
Perhaps, his attention was focued on his study of the Bible. Hence, when Brother
felix Y. Manalo started his intense examination of different Protestant churches, he
was not without any knowledge of the Bible. When he started his examination of
different Protestant sects, he was already studying the Bible for five years (he
started his study of the Bible in the year 1899).

What made him to decide examine the Protestant sects? When he witnessed a
religious debate between a Roman Catholic Church and a Protestant pastor in the
early months of 1904. Other say that this was the event that made him doubting his
Catholic faith. There are wrong. Brother Felix Y. Manalo already left the Roman
Catholic Church in 1902. Thus, the religious debate he witnessed only help him
decide to embraked a comprehensive examination of the Protestant sects and
denominations.

In 1904 to 1913, Brother Felix Y. Manalo embarked on an earnest investigation of

the Protestant churches and denominations, even joining some of them one after
another. But this did not quench his thirst for the truth, for they too did not teach
the words of God they should have been taught. So he severed his relationship with
them.

One day in Novemner, 1913, Brother Felix Y. Manalo secluded himself in one of the
rooms of his house at Pasay City. For two days and three nights he kept himself in
the room depriving himself of sleep and food. Intensively studying the Bible and
fervently praying to God. This period of reflection and withdrawal from the world
outside led to his enlightenment of knowing the divine mission that God called him,
to preach the Church of Christ (Iglesia Ni Cristo in Pilipino) which is the true Church
written and taught by the Bible.

From then on there was no turning back. He was determined to disseminate the
truth that was revealed to him. With his wife, he went to his former friends in Punta,
Sta. Ana, Manila and started preaching the Gospel to them. Thus, the preaching of
the last work of salvation had began.

After establishing two locale congregations (Punta and Tipas), Brother Felix Y.
Manalo officially registered the Iglesia Ni Cristo with the Philippine government on
July 27, 1914. This is the official date of the establishment of the Church of Christ in
the Philippines.

From that time on, for almost half a century, Brother Felix Y. Manalo administered
the Church so effectively and so efficiently that even his detractors have to
grudgingly acknowledgehis dynamic, leadership, his talent in administration. He
cared and cherished Christs beloved Church until his death on April 12, 1963.

His ministry of 48 uninterrupted years of spiritual leadership, observed by Sol H.

Gewkoh in an article published in the Manila Times (My 9, 1966), gave Manalo the
rare distinctionof being the only person in any religious sect in history to have
reigned that long.

THE MESSAGE

Brother Felix Y. Manalos preaching was unique. From the first time it was heard, it
had immediately drawn the attention drawn of his countrymen not only because of
its logic and lucidity but also, and more importantly, because of the undeniable truth
that flows profusely from the holy Scripture whence it came. He preaced like the
fiery preacher that he was and yet in the engaging conversational style. Socratic or
question-and answer method his preaching was, which made it more lively and
effective. But more significant than the liveliness and elegance of his preaching style
was the impact on the life of the believers.

The first few converts that he had, had been profoundly affected by the doctrines he
taught. They were changes by its power, set apart from the world, and became new
creatures in Christ. Their minds were enlightened by these teachings which are so
distinct from the currently accepted dogmas but so identical with the teachings of the
Bible. They were struck with the overflowing compassion of these teachings that
have opened their minds to the knowledge of the will of God.

Through the preaching of Brother felix Y. Manalo, they came to known who the true
God is, the Father alone, our Creator (John 17:1, 3;I Cor. 8:6). How different this
doctrine is from what they used to believe. They have always thought that the Son of
God is God, and so is the Holy Spirit along with the Father. So when Brother Felix Y.
Manalo taught and affirmed to them the absolute oneness of God citing chapter and
verse from the Bible to prove it, he found many responsive souls. The preaching of
Brother Felix Y. Manalo that the Father is the only God and aside from there is no
one else further proves that he is indeed the messenger of God in these last days:

"Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather
you from the west; I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' And to the south, 'Do not
keep them back!' Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the
earth.

You are My witnesses, says the LORD, And My servant whom I have chosen, That
you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was
no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, And besides Me
there is no savior. I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, And there was no
foreign god among you; Therefore you are My witnesses, Says the LORD, that I am
God." (Isaiah 43:5-6,10-12 NKJV)

Brother Felix Y. Manalo, ever faithful to the words of God in the Bible that the Father
alone is the true God, he preached that Christ, the Son of God, is human in nature
and not God. Of course, Catholic and Protestants alike, believe too that Christ is a
man, but Christ to them is both true man and true God. So for most Catholics and
Protestants who have always conceived Christ as God, the teaching that He is not
God is simply heretical. Brother Manalo, however, stressed that what is heretical is
the belief in the deity of Christ for it is not biblical. He recognized Christ as the Head
and Savior of the Church, mans mediator to God, the Son of God, but never as the
true God because it is clearly written in the Bible that the Father of Jesus Christ is
the only true God.

To the members of the Churchof Christ, Brother Felix Y. Manalo preached Gods
purpose in creating man. Brother Manalo preached how God intended to create men
in His own image and made them holy and righteous (Gen. 1:27; I Pt. 1:16), and
how man falls short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23; 5:12). Of course, even then,
there were other peachers who taught the same things. But the difference lies on
their understanding of the Bible on how man can attain sanctification and
righteousness. Catholics were made to believe that indulgences, sacraments,
sacramentals and flagellation could cleanse man and make him holy and righteous
before the sight of God. Protestants thought that they can be justified by faith alone.
But the biblical teachings that Brother Manalo preached point to the shedding of the
blood of Christ as the only means to attain the forgiveness of sin (Heb. 9:22).
Christs blood was shed to cleanse and redeem only His Church, the Church of Christ
(Acts 20:28 Lamsa). It is therefore a necessary condition for justification and
salvation that man should join the Church that Christ will save. This is the Church of
Christ, or Iglesia Ni Cristo in Filipino.

Brother Felix Y. Manalo preached that man must enter the Church of Christ in order
to be saved come Judgment Day (cf. John 10:9, 16; Acts 20:28 Lamsa), because the
Gods righteousness must be observed declaring that:

"Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to
death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin." (Dt. 24:16
NKJV)

The Lord Jesus Christ did not disobeyed any Gods law, thus this law written in
Deuteronomy 24:16 was also observed by the Lord. Hence, Christ commanded those
who wants to be saved to enter the fold through Him or the enter the Church of
Christ because the Church is His body and He Himself its Savior:
"For a husband has authority over his wife just as Christ has authority over the
church; and Christ is himself the Savior of the church, his body." (Ephesians 5:23
TEV)

In the sight of God Christ and his Church are one new man (Eph. 2:15), because
Christ is the head, and the Church is His body (Col. 1:18). Thus, Brother Felix Y.
Manalo preached that the Lord Jesus Christ can save man without breaking Gods law
written in Deuteronomy 24:16 through the Church of Christ (His body and He
Himself is its head).

Brother Felix Y. Manalo did not teach that the Iglesia Ni Cristo is just one church
among too many. He taught unequivocally that the Iglesia Ni Cristo is the one and
only true Church that man should join in these last days.

Here then is a teaching that stands in utter opposition to the common notion that
Church membership has nothing to do with salvation, justification and sanctification.
And the critics and detractors of the Iglesia Ni Cristo would not take this sitting
down. Debates were inevitably held between the ministers of the Iglesia Ni Cristo
and preachers of other religions dwelling on such controversial topics as the means
of salvation and the nature of Christ.

The Iglesia Ni Cristo was taught by Brother Felix Y. Manalo to consider the Bible as
the sole basis of faith, the sufficient guide in the worship of God. Every doctrinal
position of the Iglesia Ni Cristo is biblically supported. Brother Manalo trained the
ministers of the Church to defend these positions by reading and quoting the Holy
Bible. This explains why the Iglesia Ni Cristo strongly rejects the Catholic traditions
because they are unbiblical.

BROTHER MANALOS LEGACY

The memory of Brother Felix Y. Manalo shall always remain with the Iglesia Ni Cristo.
The teachings of God which Brother Manalo preached shall always guide the Church
in her journey to the eternal kingdom. His fraternal love and devotion to the Church
shall always live in the hearts and minds of the faithful. To most members of the
Church of Christ, whatever is said about him is a matter of deep personal concern.
For he is more than a brother to them; he is to them Gods last messenger who was
instrumental in bringing Gods righteousness near them. And they have biblical basis
for such belief.

Of course, others like his critics and detractors, rejected his preaching vehemently.
They persecuted those who were converted into the Iglesia Ni Cristo to discourage
them. But that did not seem to faze the members. Undaunted, they held on to their
faith knowing as they did that they gave received the teachings from Gods
messenger himself.

Brother Felix Y. Manalo is gone now, but the Iglesia Ni Cristo shall always thank
Godfor having sent His messengerin these last days. His memory lives and the
message of God that he brought to Gods chosen people in these last days shall
always occupy a central place in their hearts.

###end###

Who is the ravenous bird in Isaiah 46:11?

Various are the ways and means employed by the enemies of tryth in order to hinder
people from accepting the commission of Bro. Felix Manalo as Gods last messenger.
We sincerely believe that Bro. Felix Manalo is the fulfillment of the prophecy
mentioned in Isaiah 46:11.

Lately, our critics have found, allegedly, a prima facie evidence to prove that Cyrus is
the fulfillment of Isaiahs concerning the ravenous bird. The evidence, they aver, is
Isaiah 46:11 itself. They cite The living bible thus: I will call the swift bird of prey
from the eastthat man Cyrus from far away.

At first glance, it seems that our critics are justified in believing that Cyrus is the
ravenous bird mentioned by the Prophet Isaiah. Our readers must take note of the
fact that our detractors conveniently used Isaiah 46:11 of the living bible which was
translated in a paraphrase style.

What are paraphrases, by the way? To paraphrase is to say something in different

words than the author used. It is a restatement of an authors thoughts, using
different words than he did. (Preface, The living Bible) Take note to that, Is there
any danger in this style of translation? There are dangers in paraphrases, as well as
values. For whenever the authors exact words are not translated from the original
languages, there is a possibility that the translator, however honest, may be giving
the English reader something that the original writer did not mean to say.

If there is danger whenever the authors exact words are not translated from the
original language, thus giving the readers something the original writer did not mean
to say, how much more when the translator inserted something that the original
author did not say.

Most of the translations and versions of the bible do not contain the name Cyrus as
far as Isaiah 46:11 is concerned. The conclusion is inevitablethe name Cyrus was
inserted by the translator of The living bible. Such an actuation is extremely
dangerous.

We are not against from The living bible or any translations or versions of the bible
per se, but we reject and do not use any verse erroneously translated.
Is our rejection of Cyrus as the alleged fulfillment of Isaiah 46:11 merely based on
our refusal to accept Isaiah 46:11 of the living bible because it was erroneously
translated? What differentiate the Ravenous bird from Cyrus?

THE RAVENOUS BIRD

The ravenous bird will execute Gods counsel Is. 46:11

Gods counsel is to bring his righteousness and salvation to those who are
stouthearted and far from righteousness Is. 46:11-13
The ravenous bird will snatch people out of the fire Jude 1:23
This is Gods counsel Is. 46:13
The name of the ravenous bird, a man, is not mentioned Is. 46:11

CYRUS

Cyrus shall perform all of Gods pleasure Is. 44:28

Gods pleasure is that Jerusalem be built and the temples foundation be laid. Cyrus,
king of Persia did this Ezra 1:1-11
Cyrus is to subdue nations before him Is. 45:1
The kingdoms of the earth were given to Cyrus Ezra 1:3
Cyrus name is mentioned in the prophecy Is. 44:28, 45:1
These are merely some of the differences between the ravenous bird and Cyrus. The
conclusion is inevitable: Cyrus is not the ravenous bird mentioned in Isaiah 46:11.
Who then is the fulfillment? We sincerely believe Bro. Felix Manalo is the fulfillment
of the said prophecy. We will therefore proceed to unravel the prophecy and to show
its fulfillment.

Let us quote Isaiah 46:11-13, King james Version:

Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a
far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I
will also do it.
Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness:
I will bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and salvation shall not
tarry; and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.

Who are the stouthearted or hard hearted and are far from righteousness? Certainly
not Israel although they were hard-hearted for them belonged to covenants, giving
of the law, the right to serve God, and the promises (Rom. 9:4). For the benefit of
Israel, Cyrus spirit was moved by God to build him a house at Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1-
11). Who then, are not only stouthearted but are also far from righteousness? The
gentiles: You were not born Jewish. You are the people the Jews call
"uncircumcised."Those who call you "uncircumcised" call themselves "circumcised."
(Their circumcision is only something they themselves do on their bodies.)
Remember that in the past you were without Christ. You were not citizens of Israel,
and you had no part in the agreements with the promise that God made to his
people. You had no hope, and you did not know God. Eph. 2:11-12

The Ravenous bird from the east is actually a man from a far country. He is,
therefore, from the far east. This is supported by a related prophecy in Isaiah 43:5-6
wherein it is stated that Gods chosen messenger and his seed are from the far east:

Don't be afraid, because I am with you. I will bring your children from the east and
gather you from the west.I will tell the north: Give my people to me. I will tell the
south: Don't keep my people in prison. Bring my sons from far away and my
daughters from faraway places.

Students of history will readily admit that Cyrus is from Persia (presently called Iran)
a country geographically located in the middle east, (websters new world dictionary
of the American language) another proof that Cyrus is not the Ravenous bird
prophesied by Isaiah 46:11.

By the name will the seed from the far East, the object of Gods counsel to be
performed by the Ravenous bird, be called? They will be called by the name by God
for his glory (Isa. 43: 5-7). The name Christ is for Gods glory (Acts 2:36; Philip.
2:9-11) How is the name Christ called upon the beneficiaries of Gods counsel, that
is, his righteousness and salvation? They are called Church of Christ (Acts 20:28,
Lamsa). The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation and Gods righteousness is
revealed therein. The ravenous bird , therefore, is a preacher of the gospel and not a
subduer of nations as Cyrus was, another glaring proof that Cyrus is not that
Ravenous bird.

The time element involved in the prophecy concerning the ravenous bird and his
seed from the far east, recognized by God as his sons and daughters, is ends of the
earth. The end of the earth is Christs second coming (Mt. 24:3). So, when is the
ends of the earth? In the same way, when you see all these things happening, you
will know that the time is near, ready to come. Mt. 24:33 Which are the things to be
seen heralding that the end of the earth is near, things that will happen during the
ends of the earth?

You will hear about wars and stories of wars that are coming, but don't be afraid.
These things must happen before the end comes. Nations will fight against other
nations; kingdoms will fight against other kingdoms. There will be times when there
is no food for people to eat, and there will be earthquakes in different places. These
things are like the first pains when something new is about to be born. Mt. 24:6-8

And all these referring to the First World war that started on July 27, 1914 is the
time where the Church of Christ registered on the Philippine government.

###end###
 Brother Felix Y. Manalo An Angel and The Lord
Jesus Christ A Man?

IN DEFENSE OF BROTHER FELIX Y. MANALO:

On The True Meaning of the Word Angel

Iglesia Ni Cristo detractors asked, "If Felix Y. Manalo is an Angel and the Lord Jesus
Chist is a Man, how come that a Man is higher than an Angel?" They aso asked that
"If Felix Y. Manalo us an Angel, why did he died when Angels are spiritual being and
they don't die?"

The truth is, they asked these questions because they misinterpreted and
misundestand the doctrines or teachings of the Iglesia Ni Cristo. We never say that
Brother Felix Y. Manalo is an "angel" in his state of being, but that he is the
fulfillment of the "other angel" prophesied in the Revelation 7:2-3. And also, in
saying that Brother Felix Y. Manalo is the fulfillment of the prophesied "other angel,"
we never meant that he is an angel, a "heavenly being." They misinterpret and
misunderstood our doctrine because if their erroneous understanding of the word
"angel" (that the word angel refers only to heavenly beings).

THE TRUE MEANING OF THE WORD ANGEL

INC detractors will not misinterpret, nor misunderstand the doctrine of the Iglesia ni
Cristo if they only understand the true meaning of the word angel. Many people
taught that the word angel refers only to heavenly beings who are spirit in nature.
However, careful examination of the used of the word angel by the Bible proves
them wrong. Let us find out the meaning of the word angel according to the Bible
and as supported by athorities of other religions. Who are those the Bible called
angels? This is what the Bible says in Luke 1:19:

The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I
have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. (Luke 1:19
NIV)
An angel of the Lord God was sent to Zechariah (the father of John the Baptist). This
angel said to Zechariah, I am GabrielI have been sent to speak to you the Bible
called Gabriel an angel not because he is a heavenly being, but because he was
sent by the Lord. The Greek word translated by many English versions of the Bible as
angel is the word aggelos (the double gamma, the gg, is pronounced as ng).
This Greek word does not mean a heavenly being or a spritual being but literally
means a messenger. Hence, Youngs Literal Translation of the Bible (take note that
this Bible is a literal translation) renders Luke 1:19 as follows:

And the messenger answering said to him, `I am Gabriel, who have been
standing near before God, and I was sent to speak unto thee, and to
proclaim these good news to thee. (Luke 1:19, YLT)

Even Bible scholrs confirmed that the Greek word aggelos literally means a
messenger:

Agg-el-os: a messenger; by impl. a pastor: -angel, messenger.

(Strongs Dictionary of the Greek Testament, p. 7:32)

Thus, the literal meaning of the word aggelus which was commonly
translated in English as angel is messenger.

THERE ARE HUMANS THAT WERE CALLED ANGELS BY THE BIBLE

Is the word angel exclusive for heavenly beings only as the belief of many people
today? The truth is, there are humans that were called angel by the Bible:

And when they went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes
concerning John: What went you out into the desert to see? a reed shaken
with the wind?
But what went you out to see? a man clothed in soft garments? Behold
they that are clothed in soft garments, are in the houses of kings.

But what went you out to see? a prophet? yea I tell you, and more than a
prophet.

For this is he of whom it is written: Behold I send my angel before thy face,
who shall prepare thy way before thee. (Matthew 11:7-10, Douay-Rheims)

Referring to John the Baptist, the Bible said, Behold I send my angel before thy
face. It is clear here that John the Baptist was called an angel of the Lord. Take
note that Douay-Rheims Bible is a Catholic version. In other English versions of the
Bible, the word they used is messenger. However, in the Greek text of Matthew
11:10, the word used is aggelon:

idou ego apostello ton angelon mou pro prosopou sou, hos kataskeuasei
ten hodon sou emprosthen sou. (Matthew 11:10, Nestle-Aland, Novum
Testamentum Graece, 27th Revised Edition, Transliteration mine.)

The Greek word aggelon used to refer to John the Baptist is the same word used to
refer to the Angel Gabriel:

kai apokritheis ho angelos eipen auto: ego eimi Gabriel ho parestekos

enopion tou theou kai apestalen lalesai pros se kai euangelisasthai soi
tauta. (Like 1:19, Nestle-Aland, Novum Testamentum Graece, 27th Revised
Edition, Transliteration mine.)

Because the word anggelos indeed meant messenger thats why many English
version of the Bible translated the aggelon of Matthew 11:10 as messenger.
However, Douay-Rheims is not wrong in translating it as angel because the Greek
word used by Matthew 11:10 (referring to John the Baptist) was also the Greek word
used by Luke 1:19 (referring to the Angel Gabriel).
IS JOHN THE BAPTIST A HUMAN BEING OR A HEAVENLY BEING? HE IS A HUMAN
BEING. DID JOHN THE BAPTIST DIED? YES HE DID. DID THE BIBLE CALLED JOHN
THE BAPTIST AN ANGEL? YES IT DID.

Catholic authorities testify that the word angel denotes not the state of being but
the office of the one being sent by God:

They are called Angels, from a Greek word which means messenger. The
word Angel, therefore, does not express the nature of these spirits, but
rather the offices (Crock, Clement H., Discourses on the Apostles Creed,
p. 72.)

Thus, the word angel was used by the Bible referring both to heavenly
beings and human beings that were sent by God. The word literally means
messenger and does not denotes the nature but the office of the one sent
by God.

THE USED OF THE WORD ANGEL BY THE BOOK OF REVELATION

The Book of Revelation used the word angel about 83 times, and used it referring
both to heavenly and human beings. In Revelation 5:11 this is how the word angel
was used in this verse:

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the
living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand
times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands. (Revelation 5:11 NKJV)

Here, the Book of Revelation used the word angel referring to heavenly beings.
However, the Book of Revelation also used the word angel referring to human
beings:
To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, 'These things says He who
holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven
golden lampstands. (Revelation 2:1, NKJV)

The seven angels of the church mentioned by Revelation are also those mentioned
as the seven stars:

He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-
edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.

Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the
things which will take place after this. The mystery of the seven stars which
you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven
stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which
you saw are the seven churches. (Revelation 1:16,19-20, NKJV)

The angels of the church are the pastors or bishops of the seven churches that
were likened to stars. The wise or those who turn many to righteousness are
likened to stars:

Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And
those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.
(Daniel 12:3, NKJV)

Even Catholic authorities testify that the angel of the church mentioned in
Revelation 2:1 indeed referring to the bishop of the church:

Angel: the guardian angel of the Church, or the church itself, or, and this is
the common view, the bishop of the church. If St. John addresses the
vishops, he regrads them as the incarnation of their respective churches.
(Footnote of Revelation 2:1, Douay-Rheims)

ARE THE BISHOPS OF THE SEVEN CHURCHES MENTIONED BY REVELATION

HEAVENLY BEINGS OR HUMAN BEINGS? THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS. DID THEY
DIED? YES, AS HUMAN BEINGS THEY DIED. DID THE BOOK OF REVELATION CALLED
THEM ANGELS? YES IT DID.

Thus, the Book of Revelation used the word angel referring both to
heavenly beings and human beings.

THE OTHER ANGEL MENTIONED IN REVELATION 7:2-3

Remember that the word angel is the translation of the Greek word aggelos
which literally means messenger, thus Youngs Literal Translation renders
Revelation 7:2-3 as follows:

And I saw another messenger going up from the rising of the sun, having a
seal of the living God, and he did cry with a great voice to the four
messengers, to whom it was given to injure the land and the sea, saying,
`Do not injure the land, nor the sea, nor the trees, till we may seal the
servants of our God upon their foreheads. (Revelation 7:2-3, YLT)

The other angel mentioned by Revelation 7:2-3 is literally equivalent to other

messenger. Thus, what the Iglesia Ni Cristo teaches is that Brother Felix Y. Manalo
is the fulfillment of the other angel prophesied in Revelation 7:2-3, and noth that
he is an "angle" which meant a heavenly being.

CONCLUSION
Now, although we believe that Brother Felix Y. Manalo is the fulfillment of the
prophesied other angel in Revelation 7:2-3, and that the Lord Jesus Christ is not
God but human in state of being, but this does not degrade the Lord Jesus Christ and
exalt Brother Felix Y. Manalo. In saying so is indeed a misinterpretation of our
beliefs.

We did not say that Brother Felix Y. Manalo is an angel meaning a heavenly
being. What we say is that He is the fulfillment of the prophesied other angel
(meaning other messenger) ascending from the East as mentioned in Revelation
7:2-3. Thus, what we meant is that Brother Felix Y. Manalo is a messenger of God, a
man sent by God.

It is the Bible that clearly says that the Lord Jesus Christ is human in nature. He
Himself testified that He is a man:

As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth
that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. (John 8:40 NIV)

However, when we speak of His state of being, Christ is human, but when we speak
of His attributes, He is not a mere human, but a very special man:

People of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus from Nazareth was a very
special man. God clearly showed this to you by the miracles, wonders, and
signs he did through Jesus. You all know this, because it happened right
here among you. (Acts 2:22, NCV)

He is indeed greater than Brother Felix Y. Manalo, because the Lord Jesus Christ is
the greatest messenger of God, the man made as mediator between God and man
(cf. I Tim. 2:5).

"isn't that angels don't die, but Felix Y. Manalo died?"

The Bible used the word angel referring both to heavenly beings and human beings
sent by God. The Bible called John the Baptist an angel (cf. Matthew 11:10 Douay-
Rheims), but he is human and he died. The Bible called him an angel not because
he is a heavenly or spiritual being, but because he is a messenger of God.

Brother Felix Y. Manalo is the fulfillment of the prophesied other angel ascending
fron the Rising of the Sun (cf. Rev. 7:2-3), or other messenger ascending from the
East (Rev. 7:2-3, YLT). When we say that he is the fulfillment of the prophesied
other angel imn Rev. 7:2-3, what we meant is that he is a messenger of God, a
man sent by God.

Thus, if INC detractors only based their understanding in the teachings of

the Bible, they will never misinterpret or misunderstood the doctrines of the
Iglesia Ni Cristo.

###end###

Revelation 7:2-3 The Angel Ascending from the

East

WHY ARE WE CERTAIN THAT BROTHER FELIX Y. MANALO IS THE

FULFILLMENT OF THE PROPHECY REGARDING THE "OTHER ANGEL"
ASCENDING FROM THE EAST?

THE BELIEF THAT Brother Felix Y. Manalo is Gods messenger in these last days is
one of the fundamental doctrines the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) upholds. We
believe that his commissioning as Gods last messenger is based on the words of God
written in the Bible.
This study will focus mainly on Revelation 7:2-3, one of the passages of the Holy
Scriptures that prove the truthfulness and validity of this doctrine. It reads as
follows:

Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living
God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to
harm the earth and the sea, saying, Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till
we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. (New King James
Version)

THE OTHER ANGEL OF REVELATION 7:2-3

There are key words in Revelation 7:2-3 that must be studied closely in order to
acquire a clearer understanding of the prophecy in question. The first word that
needs clarification is the term angel. There are people that when the word angel
was mentioned, what immediately comes to their mind is the common concept that
angels are heavenly beings and spirit in nature, traditionally portrayed as a
human-looking being with wings on its back and a halo above its head.

THE MEANING OF THE WORD ANGEL

However, the word angel does not only refer to spiritual beings but also to human
beings sent by God. The word angel itself comes from the Greek word aggelos
which means messenger:

Agg-el-os: a messenger; by impl. a pastor: -angel, messenger. (Strongs

Dictionary of the Greek Testament, p. 7:32)

To say then that there was another angel means that there was another
messenger. Thus, in Youngs Literal Translation of the Bible, the opening sentence
of the verse reads:
And I saw ANOTHER MESSENGER going up from the rising sun, having a seal of the
living God. (Rev. 7:2, emphasis ours)

THE WORD ANGEL DENOTES OFFICE AND NOT THE NATURE OF THE ONE
BEING SENT

The term angel denotes the office or duty of the one sent by God. Even Catholic
authorities testify that the word angel denotes not the state of being but the office
of the one being sent by God:

They are called Angels, from a Greek word which means messenger. The word
Angel, therefore, does not express the nature of these spirits, but rather the
offices (Crock, Clement H., Discourses on the Apostles Creed, p. 72.)

Thus, the word angel literally means messenger and does not denote the nature
but the office of the one sent by God.

THERE ARE HUMANS CALLED ANGEL IN THE BIBLE

There are people who strongly opposed that the another angel mentioned in
Revelation 7:2-3 referred to a human being because for them the word angel is
exclusive for heavenly beings only. However, this belief is based only on their own
understanding and not on biblical facts. There are humans called angel in the Bible.
In Matthew 11:7-10 of Douay-Rheims version, John the Baptist was explicitly called
angel:

And when they went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning
John: What went you out into the desert to see? a reed shaken with the wind?

But what went you out to see? a man clothed in soft garments? Behold they that
are clothed in soft garments, are in the houses of kings.

But what went you out to see? a prophet? yea I tell you, and more than a prophet.
For THIS IS HE OF WHOM IT IS WRITTEN: BEHOLD I SEND MY ANGEL BEFORE THY
FACE, who shall prepare thy way before thee. (Matthew 11:7-10, Douay-Rheims,
emphasis mine)

Referring to John the Baptist, the Bible said, Behold I send my angel before thy
face. It is clear here that John the Baptist was called an angel. Take note that
Douay-Rheims is a Catholic version.

In many English versions of the Bible, the word used is messenger. However, in
the Greek text of Matthew 11:10, the word used is aggelon:

idou ego apostello ton ANGELON mou pro prosopou sou, hos kataskeuasei ten
hodon sou emprosthen sou. (Matthew 11:10, Nestle-Aland, Novum Testamentum
Graece, 27th Revised Edition, emphasis mine)

The Greek word aggelon used to refer to John the Baptist is the same word used to
refer to the Angel Gabriel:

kai apokritheis ho ANGELOS eipen auto: ego eimi Gabriel ho parestekos enopion tou
theou kai apestalen lalesai pros se kai euangelisasthai soi tauta. (Luke 1:19, Nestle-
Aland, Novum Testamentum Graece, 27th Revised Edition, emphasis mine)

Because the word anggelos indeed meant messenger thats why many English
versions of the Bible translated the aggelon of the Greek text of Matthew 11:10 as
messenger. Thus, Douay-Rheims is not wrong in translating it as angel because
the Greek word used by Matthew 11:10 (referring to John the Baptist) was also the
same Greek word used by Luke 1:19 (referring to Angel Gabriel).

THE USED OF THE WORD ANGEL BY THE BOOK OF REVELATION

Others accept that there are humans called angel in the Bible and this word literally
means messenger. But they insist that the Book of Revelation used the word angel
referring only to heavenly beings. Again, this belief is also based only on their own
understanding and not on biblical facts.

The Book of Revelation used the word angel about 83 times, and used it referring
both to heavenly and human beings. In Revelation 5:11 reads:

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living
creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten
thousand, and thousands of thousands. (Revelation 5:11 NKJV)

The Book of Revelation used the word angel in this verse referring to heavenly
beings. However, the Book of Revelation also used the word angel referring to
human beings. Revelation 2:1 reads:

To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, 'These things say He who holds the
seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden
lampstands. (Revelation 2:1, NKJV)

The angel of the church of Ephesus mentioned in the verse we quoted above was
one of the seven angels of the seven churches the Book of Revelation mentioned:

He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged
sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.

Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things
which will take place after this. The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My
right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the
seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.
(Revelation 1:16,19-20, NKJV)
The seven angels of the seven churches were also the seven stars mentioned by
the Book of Revelation. The Bible itself explained that the wise or those who turn
many to righteousness are likened to stars:

Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who
turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever. (Daniel 12:3, NKJV)

The seven angels of the seven churches were the pastors or bishops of the seven
churches that were likened to stars. Even Catholic authorities testify that the
seven angels of the seven churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation were
indeed referring to bishops of the seven churches:

Angel: the guardian angel of the Church, or the church itself, or, and this is the
common view, the bishop of the church. If St. John addresses the bishops, he
regards them as the incarnation of their respective churches. (Footnote of
Revelation 2:1, Douay-Rheims)

Thus, the Book of Revelation used the word angel referring both to heavenly beings
and human beings.

THE ANGELS WHO ARE SPIRIT IN NATURE ANDTHE ANGELS WHO ARE
HUMAN BEINGS

We have already established the fact that the word angel means messenger. We
must also take into consideration the biblical fact that messengers (angels) who
are spirit in nature or heavenly beings are sent by God for specific purposes like the
Angel Gabriel:
And the angel answered and said to him, I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence
of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. (Luke 1:19
NKJV)

Angels who are spirit in nature were sent to bring specific message, and afterwards
they went back to heaven. Another example is the angel sent to Cornelius:

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was
called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his
household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.
About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in
and saying to him, "Cornelius!" And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said,
"What is it, lord?" So he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have come up for
a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname
is Peter. (Acts 10:1-5 NKJV)

Like other heavenly angels sent to men, the angel sent to Cornelius brought to him a
specific message saying Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial
before God. Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter.
Why Cornelius was commanded to send for Apostle Peter? Acts 10:31-34 and 42
answered this question:

And said: 'Cornelius! God has heard your prayer and has taken notice of your works
of charity. Send someone to Joppa for a man whose full name is Simon Peter. He is a
guest in the home of Simon the tanner of leather, who lives by the sea.' And so I
sent for you at once, and you have been good enough to come. Now we are all here
in the presence of God, waiting to hear anything that the Lord has instructed you to
say." Peter began to speak: "I now realize that it is true that God treats everyone on
the same basis.

And he commanded us to preach the gospel to the people and to testify that he is
the one whom God has appointed judge of the living and the dead. (Acts 10:31-34,
42 TEV)
Apostle Peter is indeed a messenger of God, and remember that the word angel
means messenger. Through an angel, God commanded Cornelius to send for
Apostle Peter because he is the messenger that will preach to him the Gospel of the
Lord.

Thus, the messenger (angel) who is spirit in nature is sent by God to bring a specific
message, and afterwards they will go back to heaven. The messenger (angel) who is
human in nature is the one sent by God to preach to men the Gospel of the Lord.

THE OTHER ANGEL OF REVELATION 7:2-3: BEARS THE SEAL OF THE

LIVING GOD
What makes us so certain that this messenger (angel) in Revelation 7:2-3 is not
spirit in nature? Let us examine the function of the another angel mentioned by
Revelation 7:2-3. The Bible explicitly said that the another angel or messenger
bears the seal of the living God and would seal His servants:

Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living
God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to
harm the earth and the sea, saying, Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till
we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. (New King James
Version)

What does this mean that the angel of Revelation 7:2-3 bears the seal of the living
God and his task is to seal the servants of God by biblical terms? In the following
verse, we can find the answer:

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel
of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the
promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the
redemption of those who are Gods possession to the praise of his glory. (Eph.
1:13-14, NIV)
The seal is the Holy Spirit. The sealing function is the preaching of the Gospel of the
Lord. Those who are sealed are the ones who believed in the words of truth or the
Gospel of the Lord that were preached.

Thus, the angel or messenger spoken of in Revelation 7:2-3 is not a being that is
spirit in nature, but rather a human being who is a preacher of the Gospel.

A MESSENGER FROM THE EAST

We already established the fact that the word angel means messenger and
denotes the office and not the nature of the one being sent, and that the messengers
(angels) who are spirit in nature are those sent by God to bring a specific message
and afterwards will go back to heaven, and the messengers (angels) who are human
in nature are those sent by God to preach the Gospel of the Lord.

The other angel of Revelation 7:2-3 is a messenger who bears the seal of the
Living God and his task is to seal the servants of God, thus, this angel (messenger)
is human in nature because the Bible testified that the seal is the Holy Spirit and
that sealing is the preaching of the Gospel of the Lord.

Another indication given by the prophecy to identify the one being prophesied in
Revelation 7:2-3 is that this messenger is ascending from the rising of the sun:

And I saw ANOTHER MESSENGER going up FROM THE RISING SUN, having a seal of
the living God. (Rev. 7:2, emphasis ours)

Other translations of the Bible rendered ascending from the rising of the sun as
ascending from the east:
Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living
God... (Rev. 7:2-3, NKJV)

Thus, the one being prophesied in Revelation 7:2-3 is a MESSENGER FROM THE
EAST sent by God having the seal of the Living God and tasked to preach the Gospel
of the Lord.

WHAT MAKE US MORE CERTAIN THAT BROTHER FELIX Y. MANALO IS THE

FULFILLMENT OF THE MESSENGER PROPHESIED IN REVELATION 7:2-3?

The Lord Jesus Christ, John the Baptist and Apostle Paul also came from the East.
So, what make us certain that Brother Felix Y. Manalo is the fulfillment of the
another angel (messenger) prophesied in Revelation 7:2-3? The Bible gave the
specific time of the fulfillment of the prophecy mentioned in Revelation 7:2-3. In
fact, the Book of Revelation also prophesied the events before and after Revelation
7:2-3 giving us a clearer understanding to identify the one being prophesied in
Revelation 7:2-3.

Apostle John saw the another angel ascending from the east at the end of the
sixth seal and before the seventh seal.

REVELATION 6:12-13: WHEN THE SIXTH SEAL WAS OPENED

The Bible already appointed what to take place before the another angel was seen
ascending from the East. Revelation 7:2-3 was at the end of the sixth seal.
Revelation 6:12-13 prophesied what will take place at the beginning of the sixth
seal:

I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake;
and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And
the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken
by a mighty wind. (Revelation 6:12-13 NKJV)
According to the Book of Revelation, when the sixth seal was opened there was a
great earthquake. Although there were many great earthquakes happened in the
past, but the Bible explicitly tells us that this great earthquake is followed by the
sun became black as sackcloth of hair, the moon became like blood, and the
stars of heaven fell to the earth. These distinguished the great earthquake of
Revelation 6:12-13 from other earthquakes occurred in the past.

The fulfillment of this great earthquake is the earthquake of 1755 in Lisbon,

Portugal. The Lisbon earthquake is one of the strongest earthquakes recorded, felt in
a radius of about forty times larger that the United Kingdom and claimed 6,000 lives
(The Physical Earth, pp. 28-29).

We are certain that the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 is the fulfillment of the great
earthquake prophesied in Revelation 6:12-13, because this is the earthquake
followed by the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, the moon became like
blood, and the stars of heaven fell to the earth.

The fulfillment of the sun became black as sackcloth of hair and the moon became
like blood is what history called as the Black Friday of May 19, 1780 (The New
International Encyclopedia, volume VI, p. 502).This is how the said event was
described:

On that day, referred to as New Englands Dark Day or Black Friday, the skies over
New England and New Jersey were as black as the boots of the British soldiers,
prompting many agitated colonists to seek solace and salvation in taverns or
churches. The newspapers of the day commented upon it and many diarists recorded
it in their journals. In the Diary of the American Revolution, Frank Moore noted that
2 oclock in the afternoon was the darkest period, when a candle was needed to see
anything. The dunghill fowls went to their roost, cocks crowed in answer to each
other as they commonly do in the nights; wood-cocks, which are night birds whistled
as they do only in the dark; frogs peeped; in short there was the appearance of
midnight. By four oclock, there appeared quick flashes or coruscations, not unlike
the aurora borealis. (Frank Moore, Diary of the American Revolution, Charles
Scribner, New York, 1859, pp. 805-807.) [Wikipedia, s.v. Black Friday]
The fulfillment of the stars of heaven fell to the earth that followed the sun
became black as sackcloth of hair and the moon became like blood is the meteor
shower of 1833. In the night of November 12, 1833, hundreds of meteorites (also
called falling stars) seen in the whole eastern part of the United States (N.E.S., p.
1217).

Take note of the following:

Revelation 6:12-13

I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold there was a great
earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon
became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops
its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. (Revelation 6:12-13 NKJV)

(1) there was a great earthquake 1755 The great earthquake in

Lisbon

(2) and the sun became black as 1780 The Black Fridayof
sackcloth of hair, and the moon New England
became like blood.

(3) And the stars of heaven fell to 1833 Meteor shower seen
the earth, as a fig tree drops its in the whole eastern
late figs when it is shaken by a part of the United
 mighty wind. States

REVELATION 6:14-17: AT THE END OF THE SIXTH SEAL

The great earthquake followed by the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, the
moon became like blood, and the stars of heaven fell to the earth mentioned in
Revelation 6:12-13 is followed by the coming of the great day of their wrath:

The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was
removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the
rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the
rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and
hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!
For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand? (Revelation 6:14-17
NIV)

Because of the great day of the wrath the sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and
every mountain and island was removed from its place. The great day of the
wrath prophesied in Revelation is not the Day of Judgment (How could the other
angel ascending from the east will seal the servants of God if the Day of Judgment
already occurred before him?). The great day of the wrath mentioned by the Book
of Revelation is not the Day of Judgment, but a war which also mentioned in the
prophecy written in the Book of Isaiah:

Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear,
and all that is in it, the world, and all that comes out of it! The LORD is angry with
all nations; his wrath is upon all their armies. He will totally destroy them, he will
give them over to slaughter.

All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all
the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the
fig tree. (Isaiah 34:1-2, 4 NIV)
Prophet Isaiah also mentioned the sky rolled up like a scroll that the Book of
Revelation also mentioned. The Book of Isaiah also mentioned wrath of the Lord.
He says, Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the
earth hear, and all that is in it, the world, and all that comes out of it! The LORD is
angry with all nations; his wrath is upon all their armies. He will totally destroy
them, he will give them over to slaughter. Thus, the prophecy is referring to a
great war.

The hiding in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains of the kings of the
earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free
man mentioned by the Book of Revelation took place during the Great War of
1914-1918. This is the testimony of the history:

The First World War was unlike any war in the pastThis was the first war in three
dimensions, the first war in which cities were bombed from the air and winged
warriors fought among the clouds. Of course the airplanes of 1914 were not so past,
so formidable, nor so numerous as those of todayThe soldiers had to turn
themselves into beavers and moles and dig deep trenches (W.Hist., pp. 478-479)

The Great War of 1914-1918 was the first war which cities were bombed from the
air, thus people have to hide themselves in the air-raid shelters. The soldiers had to
turn themselves into beavers and moles and dig deep trenches.

Also, because of this great war, according to the Book of Revelation The sky
receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its
place... The sky or heaven mentioned by the Book of Revelation refers to the
heavens of men (Lev. 26:19), and the glory of the kings (Is. 14:18). The
mountains that were removed refers to kings (Rev. 17:9-10).

The prophecy indeed came to pass. The emperor of Russia, Austria and Germany
were dethroned, and also the kings of Greece and Bulgaria, because of the First
World War. Also, the government of these nations was changed (Modern Times and
the Living past, p. 687).

The islands that were removed from its place were the colonies. The colonies of
Germany in the Pacific were transferred to Japan and England after the Great War
(M.T.L.P., pp. 707-707).

Thus, the great war referred to by the biblical prophecies is the Great War of
1914-1918 also called as First World War (WWI).

REVELATION 7:1: THE FOUR ANGELS HOLDING BACK THE WIND

Take note that the Book of Revelation also prophesied that after the great day of
the wrath, the four angels seen holding back the four winds of the earth:

After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth,
holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on
the sea, or on any tree. (Revelation 7:1 NKJV)

The wind mentioned here in the Book of Revelation refers to a war:

At that time it will be said To this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the
desolate heights blows in the wilderness Toward the daughter of My people, Not to
fan or to cleanse, A wind too strong for these will come for Me; Now I will also speak
judgment against them. Behold, he shall come up like clouds, And his chariots like a
whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are plundered!

O my soul, my soul! I am pained in my very heart! My heart makes a noise in me; I

cannot hold my peace, Because you have heard, O my soul, The sound of the
trumpet, The alarm of war. (Jeremiah 4:11-13, 19 NKJV)
The Book of Jeremiah mentioned a war likened to a wind. A war not seen or
occurred before. A war with chariots like a whirlwind and horses swifter than
eagles. This is the fulfillment of the prophecy:

The First World War was unlike any war in the pastThis was the first war in three
dimensions, the first war in which cities were bombed from the air and winged
warriors fought among the clouds. Of course the airplanes of 1914 were not so past,
so formidable, nor so numerous as those of today. They were really more important
as scouts (a kind of aerial cavalry), photographing enemy movements from above.
(W. history, pp. 478-479)

The planes were first used as war machines during the First World War, used as a
kind of aerial cavalry. Also, the battle tanks were first used in the First World War:

British had invented the tank, or land battleship an armored automobile which
could move on rough ground because it was built like a tractor. (W. History, p. 479)

Thus, indeed, the First World War was unlike any war before it. Thus, we have
already established that the wind mentioned in Revelation 7:1 refers to a war.
However, the Book of Revelation mentioned that the four angels holding the four
winds of the earth. Does this mean that the Book of Revelation referring to four
wars? Revelation 7:1 is not referring to four wars although it mentioned four
winds because the verse also mentioned the following: ...holding the FOUR WINDS
of the earth, THAT THE WIND should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any
tree.

Take note that the Book of Revelation also mentioned that the WIND should not
blow on the earth although it mentioned four winds of the earth. Actually, the
verse itself explained why it mentioned four winds of the earth. Let us again quote
Revelation 7:1:
After these things I saw four angels STANDING AT THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE
EARTH, HOLDING THE FOUR WINDS OF THE EARTH, THAT THE WIND should not
blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. (Revelation 7:1 NKJV, emphasis
mine)

The verse testified that four winds of the earth only means the wind at the four
corners of the earth. This is how other translations of the Bible rendered this verse:

After this I saw four angels in their places at the four points of the earth, keeping
back THE FOUR WINDS IN THEIR HANDS, so that there might be no moving of the
wind on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree. (Rev 7:1 Bible Basic English,
emphasis mine)

Four angels standing at the four corners of the earth keeping back the four winds in
their hands. Truly, the Bible is referring to the wind at four corners of the earth.
The four corners of the earth refers to the four directions of the earth (I Chron.
9:24). Thus, the wind of the four corners of the earth is referring to the war at the
four corners of the earth or a world war.

As already been discussed, the word angel came from the Greek word which
literally means messenger, and messenger means sent. According to Apostle
Peter, the kings, governor or leaders of nation are sent by Him:

Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether
to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the
punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. (I Peter 2:13-14
NKJV)

Thus, the four angels standing at the four corners of the earth are four leaders of
nation representing the world, holding back the wind at the four corners of the
earth or the world war. Revelation mentioned that the four angels were seen
after this (after the day of the great wrath mentioned in Revelation 6:14-17).
Thus, the Bible prophesied that the four leaders of nation will hold back the Great
War. The following is the fulfillment of the prophecy:

Orlando of Italy, Lloyd George of Great Britain, Clemenceau of France, and Wilson of
America who were called the Big Four when they met in Paris to confer concerning
the Treaty of Versailles. (World History, p. 494)

These leaders of four great nations were collectively called by history as the Big
Four. They met at Paris in 1919 to talk about the Treaty of Versailles.

REVELATION 7:2-3: THE ANOTHER ANGEL ASCENDING FROM THE EAST

Revelation 7:2-3 explicitly mentioned that during the time when the four angels
holding back the wind of the four corners of the earth, the other angel was seen
ascending from the east:

After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth,
holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on
the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having
the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom
it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth, the
sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."
(Rev. 7:1-3 NKJV)

The other angel ascending from the east was a contemporary of the four angels.
These make us more certain that Revelation 7:2-3 was not referring to the Lord
Jesus Christ, nor other messengers of God from the past.

But, the prophecy also explicitly said that the another angel ascending from the
east...And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels. Because of this statement
of the biblical prophecy, others immediately dismiss Brother Felix Y. Manalo as the
fulfillment of Revelation 7:2-3 because he did not had any communication with the
Big Four.

To understand what the biblical prophecy meant when it said that the other angel
cried a loud voice to the four angels, let us refer to the preaching of John the
Baptist. The preaching of John the Baptist was depicted in the prophecy of Isaiah as
a cry in the wilderness. He said, I am The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
Make straight the way of the Lord, (cf. Jn. 1:23, NKJV). Why is Johns preaching
depicted as a cry in the wilderness? Below is the account of the evangelist Luke:

And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of
repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of
Isaiah the prophet, saying: The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the
way of the Lord, Make His paths straight.

Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves,
We have Abraham as our father. For I say to you that God is able to raise up
children to Abraham from these stones. (Lk. 3:3-4, 9, Ibid.)

Johns preaching was contrary to what the people believed during his time. Hence,
his preaching was likened to a CRY in the wilderness a lone and righteous voice
among the multitudes of his time.

In like manner, the function of the angel ascending from the east having the seal of
the living God was to seal the servants of God in their foreheads for their salvation,
whereas the work of the four angels had something to do with destruction.

So, the biblical prophecy mentioned that the other angel ...cried with a loud voice to
the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, "Do
not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God
on their foreheads only shows that the work of the other angel was contrary to
work of the four angels.
The four angels were granted the power to harm the earth and the sea or they
had the authority either to continue the war or to stop it. Such really was the case as
recorded in history:

Early in May, 1919, the representatives of Germany were invited to the Peace
Conference and asked to sign the treaty which was handed to them. They objected
to the hard but just conditions which the treaty imposed upon their country and
spent several weeks in pleading for easier terms. Some minor changes were made in
the treaty, and on June 16th the final conditions were presented to the Germans,
who were told that if they did not accept them the Allies would resume operations
against their country. When faced with this possibility, Germany gave way and
agreed to accept the terms of the Allies. (History of the United States, p. 594)

History affirms that it was within the power of the Big Four to resume military
operations against Germany. Had the Germans refused to accept the provisions of
the treaty, the Allied powers would have certainly resumed operations against them.
Hence, the cry: Do not harm the earth and the sea.

In contrast, the work of the other angel is to seal the servants of God. What is
meant by seal and how is sealing of the servants of God done? Let us again
quote Ephesians 113-14:

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of
promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the
purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. (Eph. 1:13-14, Ibid.)

The Holy Spirit is the seal and the act of sealing is the preaching of the word of
truth, the Gospel of salvation, unto those who believe. This sealing function is done
by Gods messenger (cf. Rom. 10:14-15). Sealing or preaching the Gospel is a
work leading to salvation, unlike the work of the four angels or the Big Four who
were granted the power to harm the earth and the sea.
The Bible also explicitly mentioned that the other angel is ASCENDING from the
East when the four angels was seen holding back the four winds of the earth.
So, during the time when the Big Four met in Paris in 1919, the work of the other
angel was already ascending. The prophecy indeed came to pass. In the year
1919 (five years after the Church was registered in the Philippine government on
July 27, 1914), there were already 21 local congregations of the Iglesia Ni Cristo
(Church Of Christ) throughout the City of Manila and the provinces of Rizal, Bulacan,
Nueva Ecija and Pampanga. The young Church was already spreading throughout
Luzon (Northern Philippine) which already attracting attention.

REVELATION 8:1:WHEN THE SEVENTH SEAL WAS OPENED

Revelation 7:1-3 were at the end of the sixth seal. The Book of Revelation also
mentioned that when the seventh seal was opened there was silence in heaven for
about half an hour:

When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an
hour. (Revelation 8:1 NKJV)

As already mentioned, the heaven refers to heavens of men (Lev. 26:19). Also
take note that one day to God is one thousand years to man:

But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a
thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (II Peter 3:8 NKJV)

One day to God is one thousand years to man. One day is 24 hours. Dividing one
thousand years with 24 hours is one hour is 41 years and 8 months.

One day = One thousand years

24 hors = 1,000 years

1 hours = 41 years and 8 months

Half hour = 20 years and 10 months

Did the prophecy come to past?

First World War ended on November 11, 1918

Second World War started on September 1, 1939

YEAR MONTH DAY

1939 9 1

1918 11 11 .

20 years 9 months 20 days

CONCLUSION

Thus, the fulfillment of the events prophesied that will occur before and after
Revelation 7:2-3 give us certainty that Brother Felix Y. Manalo was indeed the
fulfillment of the other angel ascending from the east prophesied in this verse.

there was a great earthquake 1755 The great earthquake

(Rev. 6:12) in Lisbon

The Black Friday of

and the sun became black as 1780 New England
sackcloth of hair, and the moon
became like blood. (Rev. 6:12)

And the stars of heaven fell to 1833 Meteor shower seen

the earth, as a fig tree drops its in the whole eastern
late figs when it is shaken by a part of the United
mighty wind. (Rev. 6:12) States

great day of the wrath (Rev. 1914-1918 First World War

6:17; Is. 34:1-2 and 4 )

Four angels standing at the Four Nov. 11, 1918 The Big Four
corners of the earth holding back the armistice
the four winds of the earth (Rev.
7:1) 1919 the Big
Four met at
Paris

Another angel ascending from the Dec., 1918 the Brother Felix Y.
east (Rev. 7:2-3) work of Bro. Manalo and the Iglesia
Felix Manalo was Ni Cristo (Church Of
given Christ) in the
recognition from Philippines
other pastors

there was silence in heaven for Nov. 11, 1918 The period between
about half an hour (Rev. 8:1; II and Sept. 1, the end of the First
Pet. 3:8) 1939 World War and the
start of the Second
 World War:

1 day = 1,000 years 20 years, 9 months

and 20 days
One hour = 41 years and 8
months

Half hour = 20 years and 10

months

###end###

"Church Of Christ" is the Official Name of the One

True Church

OTHERS DENY THAT the one true Church established by the Lord Jesus Christ has an
official name. They even asked, Where in the Bible can you read that the Church
built by the Lord Jesus Christ has an official name? This is what they insist because
of the fact that the name of their church cannot be read in the Bible and they are not
called in the name Church of Christ.

DOES THE ONE TRUE CHURCH HAS AN OFFICIAL NAME?

Let us first take into consideration the meaning of the word official. This word
means authorized by an authority, approved, issued or given by an authority
(Encarta Dictionary, copyright 2009 Microsoft Corporation)

In light of this fact, thus, when we say official name it means the name
authorized, approved, issued or given by an authority. Does the Church establish by
the Lord Jesus Christ has an official name (a name authorized, approves, issued or
given by an authority)? This question is definitely answered by James 2:17:

Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called? (James 2:7
NKJV)

The verse proves that there is a noble name which the disciples are called. In other
translations of the Bible, it says, the holy name which was given to you:

Do they not say evil of the holy name which was given to you? (James 2:7 Bible
Basic English)

The Catholic English Bible called Douay-Rheims used the word invoked:

Do not they blaspheme the good name that is invoked upon you? (James 2:7
Douay-Rheims)

Thus, the Bible clearly tells that there is a name given and invoked upon the one true
Church established by Christ. The one true Church is distinguished and called in the
name of Christ:
Is it not they who slander and blaspheme that precious name by which you are
distinguished and called [the name of Christ invoked in baptism]? (James 2:7
Amplified)

God is the one who gave this name to the Lord Jesus:

And now I am coming to you; I am no longer in the world, but they are in the
world. Holy Father! Keep them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave
me, so that they may be one just as you and I are one. (John 17:11 TEV)

The one true Church is called in the name that the Lord God gave to the Lord Jesus.
The Lord Jesus is made Lord and Christ by the Lord God:

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus,
whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:36 NKJV)

Because official name means the name authorized, approved, issued or given by
an authority, thus, it is wrong to say that the true Church established by Christ has
no official name, because the Bible clearly states that tThere is a name "which was
given," "which hey are called" and "invoked" to the Church established by the Lord
Jesus Christ. It is the Lord God, the highest authority in heaven and in earth, who
gave this name. Thus, the one true Church has an official name or name given by
God.

CHURCH OF CHRIST IS THE OFFICIAL NAME OF THE ONE TRUE CHURCH

Official name means the name authorized, approved, issued or given by an

authority. The name Christ is the name the Lord God gave. How is the one true
Church called in this name? This is answered in I Corinthians 12:12:
For just as the human body is one and yet has many parts, and all its parts, many
as they are, constitute but one body, so it is with the Church of Christ. (I Cor. 12:12
NTME)

Even the Catholic authorities testified that the one true Church or the Church
founded by Christ is called in the name Church of Christ:

5. Did Jesus Christ established a Church?

Yes, from all history, both secular and profane, as well as from the Bible
considered as a human document, we learn that Jesus Christ established a Church,
which from the earliest times has been called after Him the Christian Church or the
Church of Christ. (Cassily, Francis B., S.J. Religion: Doctrine and Practice for
use in Catholic High Schools, p. 442-443.)

WHY CHURCH OF CHRIST IS THE OFFICIAL NAME OF THE ONE TRUE

CHURCH?

It is only right that the one true Church founded by the Lord Jesus Christ is called
after His name, because He is the founder and owner of the Church:

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH, and
the gates of Hades will not overcome it. (Matthew 16:18 NIV, emphasis mine)

Christ is also the head of the Church, and the Church is His body:

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn
from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
(Colossians 1:18 NIV)
Christ is the "husband" and the Christ is His "wife":

"For a husband has authority over his wife just as Christ has authority over the
church; and Christ is himself the Savior of the church, his body." (Ephesians 5:23
TEV)

The verse also explicitly states that the Church is the one that will be saved by the
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Because Christ is the owner, the founder, the head, the husband, and the Savior of
the Church of Christ, thus, it is only right to call the one true Church founded by
Christ as "Church of Christ."

OTHERS ARE ONLY DESCRIPTIVE PHRASE, EXPRESSION OR TERM FOR THE

CHURCH OF CHRIST

BODY OF CHRIST

The Bible mentioned body of Christ (cf. Colossians 1:18) to describe the
relationship of the Church with the Lord Jesus Christ:

This mystery is very great, but I speak concerning [the relation of] Christ and the
church

For the husband is head of the wife as Christ is the Head of the church, Himself the
Savior of [His] body. (Ephesians 5:32 and 23 Amplified)

CHURCHES OF THE GENTILES AND CHURCHES IN JUDEA

Churches in Judea (cf. Galatians 1:22) indicates those members of the Church of
Christ in Judea:
And I was still not known by sight to the churches of Christ in Judea. (Galacia 1:22
RSV)

Churches of the Gentiles (cf. Romans 16:4) are the Gentile members of the Church
of Christ:

They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are
grateful to them.

Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.
(Romans 16:4 and 16 NIV)

Church of God in Corinth, Church of the Thessalonians and others are but locale
churches,but all belong to one body of Christ, the Church of Christ:

For just as the human body is one and yet has many parts, and all its parts, many
as they are, constitute but one body, so it is with the Church of Christ. (I Cor. 12:12
NTME)

CHRISTIANS

The members of the Church established by Christ are called Christians. Those
outside of the Church of Christ are not Christians according to the Bible:

For if a man can't make his own little family behave, how can he help the whole
church? The pastor must not be a new Christian because he might be proud of being
chosen so soon, and pride comes before a fall. (Satan's downfall is an example.)
Also, he must be well spoken of by people outside the church-those who aren't
Christians-so that Satan can't trap him with many accusations and leave him without
freedom to lead his flock. (I Timothy 3:5-7 Living Bible)
However, this is not the official name for official name means name authorized,
approved, issued or given by an authority. The origin of the name Christian is
given in Acts 11:

And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole
year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the
disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. (Acts 11:26 NKJV)

CHURCH OF GOD

In I Corinthians 1:2 we can read Church of God:

To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus,
called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our
Lord, both theirs and ours. (I Corinthians 1:2 NKJV)

But, this is only to show that the Church of Christ is also of God. This is what the
Bible testifies in I Thessalonians 2:14:

Brothers and sisters, you followed the example of the churches of God in Judea,
churches of Christ Jesus. For you suffered from your compatriots the same trials they
suffered from the Jews. (I Thessalonians 2:14 CCB)

The Church of Christ is also the Church of God,; the Church of God is also the
Church of Christ because Christ said, All I have is yours, and all you have is
mine:
I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me,
for they are yours. 10All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has
come to me through them. (Juan 17:9-10 NIV)

However, the official name is Church of Christ. How official or authoritative the
name Church of Christ? This is what the Bible says in Acts 4:12:

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to
men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12 NIV)

No one can claim that they are the one true Church if they are not called in the name
Church of Christ. The Bible said, ...there is no other name under heaven given to
men by which we must be saved.

###end###

What makes Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ)

unique?
MANY PEOPLE ASK what makes the Church Of Christ unique? How the Church Of
Christ differs from different churches today? Whats the difference? The following
answer these questions:

1. THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IS THE ONE WRITTEN IN THE BIBLE

The Bible not only tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ established His Church, but also
teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ established only one Church. This is what the Lord
Jesus Christ said in Matthew 16:18:

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and
the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18 NKJV)

The Lord Jesus Christ said, I will build My CHURCH. He did not said, I will build My
CHURCHES. Apostle Paul explicitly said the Church is the body of Christ:

For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is
the Savior of the body. (Ephesians 5:23 NKJV)

Apostle Paul also clearly taught that there is only one body:

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your
calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism. (Ephesians 4:4-5 NKJV)

There is only ONE BODY (ONE CHURCH) with one hope, one Lord, one faith, and one
baptism. This Church is the Church of Christ:

Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you. (Romans
16:16 NKJV)
The Bible explicitly tells us that the Church Of Christ is the one purchased by the
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ:

Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit
has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased
with his blood. (Acts 20:28 Lamsa)

The Bible also explicitly tells us that the one body of Christ is the Church Of Christ:

For just as the human body is one and yet has many parts, and all its parts, many
as they are, constitute but one body, so it is with the Church of Christ. (I
Corinthians 12:12 NTME)

Thus, it is clear that the Church Of Christ is indeed the one written in the Bible.

Please Ponder this:

(1) Others say that the Church Of Christ is not the one true Church. But the Church
Of Christ is the one written in the Bible. Thus, can it be that the one written in the
Bible is not the true Church?

(2) Others say that they are the one true Church, but their church is not written in
the Bible or cannot be found in the Bible, thus can it be that the one true Church
taught in the Bible is the church not written or cannot be found in the Bible?

(3) The Bible is the word of God. Those written in the Bible are the truth. The one
written in the Bible is the Church Of Christ.

2. THE ONE CALLED CHURCH OF CHRIST

It is clear that this Church is called after the name of Christ Church Of Christ. This
name proves the following:

(a) That this is the Church established and owned by Christ. The one true Church is
indeed built and owned by Christ:

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and
the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18 NKJV)

Christ is the owner of the one true Church. He said, My Church. thus, it is only
right that the one true Church is called after His name, the Church Of Christ. How
can a church claim that Christ is His founder and owner if they are not Church Of
Christ?

(b) That this is the body of Christ. The one true Church is indeed the body of Christ:

For a husband has authority over his wife just as Christ has authority over the
church; and Christ is himself the Savior of the church, his body. (Ephesians 5:23
TEV)

Christ is the head of the Church, His body. If the head is named John, then his
body is the body of John. It cannot be that the name of the head is John, and his
body called in different name. So is the one true Church. Christ is the head of the
one true Church, thus as the body of Christ, the one true Church cannot be called
Catholic Church, Methodist Church, Divine Revelation Church, etc.

Because the head of the one true Church is Christ, and because the one true Church
is the body of Christ, thus, it is called Church of Christ:
For just as the human body is one and yet has many parts, and all its parts, many
as they are, constitute but one body, so it is with the Church of Christ. (I
Corinthians 12:12 NTME)

In spite of this fact, others insist that the name doesnt matter. They say that it is
not important that the Church is called Church Of Christ. They only say this
because they are clearly not Church Of Christ. But, the Bible doesnt agree with
them. How important it is to be called Church Of Christ according to the teachings
of the Bible?

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given
among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12 NKJV)

The Bible clearly says that there is no other name under heaven given among men
by which we must be saved. Thus, the one true Church is indeed called Church of
Christ and there is no salvation in any other. Thus, no one can claim that they are
the one true Church if they one not Church Of Christ.

3. ALL THE TEACHINGS AND DOCTRINES OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IS

BASED ON THE TEACHINGS WRITTEN IN THE BIBLE

The Church Of Christ firmly believes that the Bible is the word of God. But, one of
the things that makes the Church Of Christ unique is the fact that ALL our doctrines
are solely based on the teachings written in the Bible because the Bible itself says
that we must not go beyond what is written:

Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit,
so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is
written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. (I
Corinthians 4:6 NIV)
The Church Of Christ rejects all man-made doctrines (those not written in the Bible)
because this is what the Bible says regarding the teachings of men:

They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men. (Matthew
15:9 NIV)

The Bible also prohibits man to give personal interpretation to what the Bible says:

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation.

(II Peter 1:20 NKJV)

The Lord God Himself taught us not to add nor subtract from His words or
commandments:

Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take
away from it. (Deuteronomy 12:32 NKJV)

The Bible warns that those who add anything to it, God will add to him the plagues
described in this book, and those who take away from it, God will take away from
him his share in the tree of life:

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds
anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if
anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him
his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
(Revelation 22:18-19 NIV)

Thus, no church can claim to be the true Church if they uphold teachings or doctrines
not written in the Bible. We must base our beliefs and service of God with what the
Bible teaches and not with man-made doctrines. The Bible or the Holy Scriptures are
able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation:

And you remember that ever since you were a child, you have known the Holy
Scriptures, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through
faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the
truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that
the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of
good deed. (II Timothy 3:15-17 TEV)

Thus, the Bible is the sole basis of the beliefs uphold by the Church Of Christ. All the
doctrines of the Church Of Christ are based on the teachings written in the Bible. If
the Bible is silent, the Church Of Christ is silent. The Church Of Christ speaks only
what the Bible speaks.

4. THE CHURCH OF CHRIST UPHOLDS THE BIBLICAL TRUTH THAT THE

FATHER ALONE IS THE ONE TRUE GOD

The Church Of Christ is truly unique for it upholds the absolute oneness of God, the
biblical truth that the Father alone is the one true God.

The Lord Jesus Christ Himself said that we must recognize the Father as the only
true God in order to attain eternal life. These are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ
in John 17:1 and 3:

After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: Father, the time has
come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you...

Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus
Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17:1 and 3 NIV)
Apostle Paul, addressing to the members of the one true Church, also said the
following:

Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for
whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came
and through whom we live. (I Corinthians 8:6 NIV)

Apostle Paul said, Yet for US (he is referring to the members of the one true Church
or the true Christians) there is but ONE GOD, THE FATHER... Is there other God
aside from the Father? This is what the Father Himself (the one true God) says:

Declare what is to be, present it-- let them take counsel together. Who foretold this
long ago, who declared it from the distant past? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is
no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me. (Isaiah
45:21 NIV)

Thus, the one true Church or the true Church Of Christ upholds the doctrine that
there is one true God, the Father alone. The Lord God proclaimed that He has
witnesses from the ends of the earth witnessing that He alone is the true God:

Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye
may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no
God formed, neither shall there be after me.

Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee
from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back:
bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth. (Isaiah
43:10, 5-6 KJV)

5. THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IS TESTIFIED AS GODS CHOSEN PEOPLE IN

THESE LAST DAYS THROUGH BIBLICAL PROPHECY
Regarding the uniqueness of the one true Church, Apostle Peter taught us the
following:

But you are the chosen race, the King's priests, the holy nation, God's own people,
chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into
his own marvelous light. At one time you were not God's people, but now you are his
people; at one time you did not know God's mercy, but now you have received his
mercy. (I Peter 2:9-10 TEV)

And what testifies to the Church Of Christ as being Gods chosen people? This is also
answered by Apostle Peter:

And we have the word of prophecy made more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye
take heed, as unto a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-
star arise in your hearts. (II Peter 1:19 ASV)

Another uniqueness of the Church Of Christ is that she has the word of prophecy
confirming her election as Gods chosen people or nation.

GODS NATION FROM THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

The Bible prophesied that there will be Gods Holy People from the ends of the
earth:

The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: Say to the Daughter of
Zion, 'See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense
accompanies him.' They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD;
and you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted. (Isaiah 62:11-12
NIV)
The prophecy mentioned a Holy People. They are not the ancient people of Israel,
nor the first-century Church Of Christ because as the Bible stated they are from the
ends of the earth. The prophecy also mentioned that Holy People was Redeemed
of the Lord. The Church of Christ is the one redeemed through the blood of Jesus
Christ:

Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit
has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased
with His blood (Acts 20:28 Lamsa).

What makes us more certain that this is not the first-century Church of Christ is the
fact that they were also called by Isaiahs prophecy as Daughter of Zion. The first-
century-Church is the one called in the New Testament as Zion:

But you have come right up into Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the
heavenly Jerusalem, and to the gathering of countless happy angels; and to the
church, composed of all those registered in heaven; and to God who is Judge of all;
and to the spirits of the redeemed in heaven, already made perfect; and to Jesus
himself, who has brought us his wonderful new agreement; and to the sprinkled
blood, which graciously forgives instead of crying out for vengeance as the blood of
Abel did. (Hebrews 12:22-24 LB)

The Zion referred to in this verse is the first-century Church of Christ. Take note
that the Holy People referred to in Isaiah 62:11-12 is called Daughter of Zion.
The true Church is likened to a chaste virgin:

For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one
husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. (II Corinthians 11:2
NKJV)

Thus, the Daughter of Zion is not the first-century Church of Christ, but the Church
of Christ from the ends of the earth:
The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: Say to the Daughter of
Zion, 'See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense
accompanies him.' They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD;
and you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted. (Isaiah 62:11-12
NIV)

The period ends of the earth, otherwise known as the end times or last days, is
different from the end of the world. The end of the world is the second advent of our
Lord Jesus Christ on the Day of Judgment. The Scriptures states:

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately,
saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming,
and of the end of the world? (Matthew 24:3 KJV)

What was our Lord Jesus Christs answer to this question of His disciples? In verse
33, Christ said:

So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is nearat the doors!
(Matt 24:33)

The "ends of the earth" is the period of time when the end of the world is near, at
the very doors. What are the visible signs that the Day of Judgment is approaching?
Our Lord Jesus Christ gave the sign of a major war, which was unlike any war in the
past:

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all
these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. (Matthew 24:6 NKJV)
What our Lord Jesus Christ gave was not an ordinary sign, but the sign that the end
of the world is near. That is why this is a war that would be heard. Who would hear
about this war? What makes this war different from any other in the past? In a
related prophecy, Prophet Isaiah spoke of a war that would be heard all over the
earth involving all the armies of the world:

Come near, you nations, to hear; And heed, you people! Let the earth hear, and all
that is in it, The world and all things that come forth from it. For the indignation of
the LORD is against all nations, and His fury against all their armies; He has utterly
destroyed them, He has given them over to the slaughter. (Isaiah 34:1-2 NKJV)

A war of this scale never occurred in the history of mankind until the First World
War:

The first terrible war, which involved the whole world and caused so much death
and destruction, was World War I. (World History in an Oriental Setting, p. 850)

The news about this war could not have spread all over the world until the fulfillment
of another prophecy which would occur at a time when the worlds end is near:

But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end;
many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase. (Daniel 12:4 NKJV)

Before the end of the world, knowledge would increase, enabling the news of this
war to travel fast so that the whole world could hear about this war. This increase of
knowledge was manifested in technology:

The electric telegraph was the product of many minds in many lands, but it became
a practical success in the hands of the American, Morse, in 1844. A submarine cable
was laid between England and France in 1851 . . . telephone entered commerce with
the American inventor, Bell, in 1876. The Italian, Marconi, succeeded with wireless
telegraphy around 1896. Radio was invented shortly before the First World War.
(World History, vol. 2, p. 543)

The First World War was unique in many ways. It was the first war global in scope,
and the news of this war was heard all over the world. When did the First World War
begin?

The first great campaign on the southeastern battle grounds of the Great War began
on July 27, 1914, when the Austrian troops undertook their first invasion of Serbia
(The Story of the Great War from official Sources, p. 291)

When, on the other hand, was the Church Of Christ officially registered with the
Philippine government? On July 27, 1914concurrent with the outbreak of the First
World War. The reemergence of the Church of Christ in the Philippines in 1914 is the
fulfillment of biblical prophecies attesting to its election by God. The fulfillment of the
prophesied Daughter of Zion whom the Lord proclaimed to the ends of the earth,
and called the Holy People and the Redeemed of the Lord.

THE CHILDREN OF GOD FROM THE FAR EAST

The Bible also prophesied the place where Gods chosen people from the ends of the
earth will come from. In a related prophecy, Isaiah 43:5-6 proclaimed:

Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather
you from the west; I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' And to the south, 'Do not
keep them back!' Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the
earth. (Isaiah 43:5-6 NKJV)

Gods Holy People from the ends of the earth of Isaiah 62:11-12 are also the Sons
and Daughters of God of Isaiah 43:5-6. These children of God from the ends of the
earth will come from the east, from afar or from the Far East:

From the far east will I bring your offspring... (Isaiah 43:5 Moffatt)
Gods chosen people from the ends of the earth will emerged from the Far East. The
country called the Philippines where the Church If Christ emerged in 1914 is indeed
in the region called Far East:

It cannot be without significance that the country which stands almost at the
geographical center of the Far East, the Philippines, should also be that in which
Christianity has taken the deepest root. (Dela Costa, Horacio, S.J. Asia and the
Philippines, Manila: Solidaridad Publlishing House, 1967, p. 169.)

Thus, the emergence of the Church Of Christ in the Philippines in 1914 is indeed the
biblical prophecy regarding Gods chosen nation in these last days. One of the
uniqueness of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) is that prophecies of the Bible
testified or confirmed her being Gods chosen people or Gods nation in these last
days.

CONCLUSION

The Church Of Christ is indeed unique. She is far different from other churches
because the Church Of Chris is:

(1) THE ONE WRITTEN IN THE BIBLE

(2) THE ONE CALLED CHURCH OF CHRIST

(3) THE ONE THAT ALL TEACHINGS AND DOCTRINES ARE BASED ON THE
TEACHINGS WRITTEN IN THE BIBLE

(4) THE ONE THAT UPHOLDS THE BIBLICAL TRUTH THAT THE FATHER ALONE IS
THE ONLY TRUE GOD

(5) THE ONE THAT TESTIFIED AND CONFIRMED TROUGH BIBLICAL PROPHECIES

###end###
 THE IGLESIA NI CRISTO: WHY ONLY 1914?

Iglesia ni Cristo Central Temple

Commonwealth Avenue, New Era, Quezon City, Philippines

THE IGLESIA NI Cristo (Church Of Christ) was officially established in the Philippines
on July 27, 1914. This posts as a problem to others why they cannot accept that the
Iglesia Ni Cristo as the one true Church established by the Lord Jesus Christ. They
often asked: If the Iglesia Ni Cristo is the one true Church established by the Lord
Jesus Christ why it emerged only in 1914?

The Lord Jesus Christ indeed established His Church when He was still here on earth.
The Church Of Christ was built by Christ in the first century in Jerusalem. However,
apostasy took place. The first century Church Of Christ was apostatized by false
teachers. It was the Lord Jesus Christ Himself who warned the first century
Christians that many of His disciples will be led astray (cf. Matt. 24:9-11). But, the
Lord Jesus Christ also promised that He is going to rebuild His Church (cf. John
10:16).

Thus, we believe that the emergence of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) in the
Philippines in 1914 was the fulfillment of Christ's promise that He is going to rebuild
His Church. These are attested by prophecies written in the Bible.
WHY CHURCH OF CHRIST

It is true that the Lord Jesus Christ build His Church while He was still here on earth.
Matthew 16:18 attests to this fact:

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the
gates of Hades will not overcome it. (Matthew 16:18 NIV)
The Lord Jesus Christ Himself who established the Church Of Christ in the first
century. He said, I will build my church. Take note that the Lord Jesus built only
one Church. He said, I will build my CHURCH. He did not said, I will build my
CHURCHES. This Church has an official name and it is important that she
continuously be called in that name, because:

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to
men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12 NIV)

The Bible said, there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we
must be saved. This name is the name given to the Lord Jesus:

And now I am coming to you; I am no longer in the world, but they are in the
world. Holy Father! Keep them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave
me, so that they may be one just as you and I are one. (John 17:11 TEV)

The Lord Jesus prayed to God to Keep them safe by the power of your name. The
name He is referring to is the name given to Him by the Lord God. So the name
given to Him by the Lord God is also the name given to men by which we must be
saved. This is the name "Christ":

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to
men by which we must be saved.

Then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead... (Acts 4:12 and
10 NIV)

The true Church established by Christ is named after Him. It is only right that the
true Church is named after Him because:

(1) Christ is the founder of the Church (Mt. 16:18)

(2) Christ is the owner of the Church (Mt. 16:18)

(3) The Church is the body of Christ and He is the head of the Church (Col. 1:18)

How is the Church called after the name of Christ? In Romans 16:16, this is what the
Bible says:

Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.
(Romans 16:16 NIV)

Also in Acts 20:28, this is what the Bible says:

Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has
appointed you overseers to feed the church of Christ which He purchased with His
blood. (Acts 20:28 Lamsa)

Actually, even Catholic authorities attest that the Church is indeed called after Christ,
from the earliest times has been called the Christian Church or the Church of
Christ:

5. Did Jesus Christ establish a Church?

Yes, from all history, both secular and profane, as well as from the Bible
considered as a human document, we learn that Jesus Christ established a Church,
which from the earliest times has been called after Him the Christian Church or the
Church of Christ. (Cassily, Francis B., S.J. Religion: Doctrine and Practice for use in
Catholic High Schools. 12th and revised edition. Imprimi Potest: Charles H. Cloud,
S.J. Provincial of the Chicago Province. Imprimatur: George Cardinal Mundelein,
Archbishop of Chicago. Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1934, p. 442-443.)

Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ established His Church in the first century, in Jerusalem,
and it is named after Him, the Church Of Christ. The name Iglesia Ni Cristo is the
Tagalog for Church Of Christ.

WHERE IS THE CHURCH OF CHRIST WHICH CHRIST ESTABLISHED IN THE

FIRST CENTURY?

If the true Church Of Christ was established in the first century, how can the Iglesia
Ni Cristo claims that she is the one true Church established by Christ if she emerged
only in 1914? The answer to this question is also the answer to the question Where
is the Church Of Christ which Christ established in the first century? the Lord Jesus
Christ Himself answered this question:

Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be
hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith
and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and
deceive many people. (Matthew 24:9-11 NIV)

The Lord Jesus Christ Himself warned His disciples that: (1) they will be handed over
and persecuted and put to death; and (2) many false prophets will appear and
deceive many. How many will be deceive? In Weymouth Translation of Matthew
24:11, this is what is written:

Many false prophets will rise up and lead multitudes astray. (Matt. 24:11
Weymouth)

It was the Lord Jesus Christ Himself who said that His disciples will be persecuted
and put to death, and multitudes will be led astray or will be deceived. Thus, when
the Lord Jesus Christ said in Matthew 16:18 that the gates of Hades will not
overcome His Church, it doesnt mean that there will be no apostasy that will took
place. It is the Lord Jesus Himself who said that multitudes of His disciples will be
led astray by false prophets. What does our Lord Jesus Christ meant in saying
that the gates of Hades will not overcome His Church?

And so I tell you, Peter: you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my
church, and not even death will ever be able to overcome it. (Matthew 16:18 TEV)

When the Lord Jesus said that the gates of Hades will not overcome the Church,
according to Today's English Version (TEV) it means that not even death will ever be
able to overcome it. What does it mean that not even death will overcome the
Church established by Christ? This was answered by Apostle Paul in I Thessalonians
4:16:

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the
voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will
rise first. (NIV)

Thus, it is only the conclusion of those who oppose that the first century Church Of
Christ was apostatized that the words of the Lord Jesus saying the gates of Hades
will not overcome the Church meant that the Church will not be apostatized. Their
conclusion contradicts what the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 24:9-11. Not only our
Lord Jesus Christ, but also His apostles forewarned that apostasy will took place. This
is what Apostle Paul said in I Timothy 4:1 and 3:

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from
the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath
created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
(KJV)

Apostle Paul explicitly said that "some shall depart from the faith." Apostle Peter also
wrote the following:

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false
teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying
the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will
follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.
(II Peter 2:1-2 NKJV)

Apostle Peter said. there will be false teachers among you. He also said that these
false teachers will secretly bring in destructive heresies. Take note that these false
teachers will rise among the first Christians and will secretly bring destructive
heresies INSIDE the Church that "many will follow their destructive ways." As related
to this, Apostle Paul also wrote the following:

I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare
the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to
draw away disciples after them. (Acts 20:29-30 NIV)
According to Apostle Paul, Even from your own number men will arise and distort
the truth. He is referring to bishops of the Church (cf. Acts 20:28). Also, Apostle
Paul said that the apostasy will occur after I leave, referring to his death (Cf. Acts
20:29-30, 24-25 and 37-38; I Tim. 4:6-8). Thus, the apostasy will take place after
the death of the apostles or after the apostolic period (first century AD). Those who
will led astray the multitudes of the disciples, who will distort the truth and secretly
bring destructive heresies inside the Church, and called by Apostle Peter as false
teachers, will come from "among their ranks" (among the bishops).

Take note that the apostles prophesied that after their death (after the apostolic
period) or those will come immediately after them, were those that will led astray
the Church. The Catholic Church claims that they are the successors of the apostles.

THE FULFILLMENT OF THE APOSTASY

The dictionary defines apostasy as the renunciation of a religious or political belief

or allegiance (Microsoft Encarta Dictionary). Thus, Apostasy is a defection, a falling
away from what one believed in, as apostasy from ones religion, creed, or politics.
Hence, one becomes an apostate as soon as he departs from his former belief,
whatever it was. What undergoes change is not the person nor his nature but his
beliefs. The Bible defines apostasy as turning away from the true faith. This is
what is written in I Timothy 4:1:

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from
the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from
demons. (New Living Translation)

According to Apostle Paul, some WILL TURN AWAY FROM THE TRUE FAITH; they will
follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. Thus, apostasy took
place when the Church departed from the true Christian teachings and embraced
"different teachings" (teachings not upheld by true Christians, not taught by the Lord
Jesus Christ and His apostles, not written in the Bible).
Here in I Timothy 4:1, Apostle Paul did not only gave a clear definition of what
apostasy is, but also warned the first century Christians that apostasy will take
place:

But the Spirit speaks expressly, that in latter times some shall apostatise from the
faith, giving their mind to deceiving spirits and teachings of demons. (Darby Bible)

Apostle Paul did not only warn the first century Christians that apostasy will take
place, but he also wrote how the first century Christians will be apostatized. He said,
giving their mind to deceiving spirits and teachings of demons. Thus, Apostle Paul
gave signs in order for us to easily identify the apostatized church; they will follow
the teachings of demons. What are some examples of the teachings of demons
that the apostatized church will follow? In I Timothy 4:1 and 3:

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from
the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath
created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the
truth." (I Timothy 4:1 and 3 KJV)

Apostle Paul wrote, ...giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of

devils...Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats. These are
some of the signs that the Bible gave so that we could recognize the fulfillment of
the apostatized church: they followed the doctrines of the devil of forbidding to
marry and abstaining from meats.

The Roman Catholic Church practices clerical celibacy. They forbade their priests
and bishops to marry:

Although celibacy is not expressly enforced by our Savior, it is, however,

commended so strongly by Himself and His apostles, both by word and example,
that the Church felt it her duty to lay it down as a law.
The discipline of the Church has been exerted from the beginning in prohibiting
Priests to marry after their ordination. (Gibbons, James Cardinal. The Faith of our
Fathers. New York: P.J. Kennedy and Sons, 1917, p. 328)

The Roman Catholic Church also orders her members to abstain from meats on
certain days:

What does the second commandment of the Church order us to do?

It orders us to fast and abstain from flesh meat on certain days of the year. (A
Seminary Professor. Manual of Christian Doctrine: Comprising Dogma, Moral, and
Worship. New York: Lassale Bureau, 1949, p. 317)

Thus, when the Church Of Christ of the first century departed from the true faith and
followed the erroneous teachings (teachings not taught by the Lord Jesus Christ and
His apostles, and not written in the Bible) like clerical celibacy and abstaining from
meat, she became the Catholic Church. This is the reason why its the Catholic
Church that continued up to this day - the first century Church Of Christ was
apostatized and transformed into Catholic Church.

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST PROMISED THAT THE CHURCH OF CHRIST WILL
RE-EMERGED

It was the Lord Jesus Christ Himself who prophesied that multitudes of His disciples
will be led astray. However, even though the first century Church Of Christ will be
apostatized, this is what the Lord Jesus promised:

And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they
will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. (John 10:16 NKJV)

Although the first century Church Of Christ will be apostatize, the Lord Jesus Christ
said, other sheep I have. He called them His other sheep because they are not
of this fold. He will bring them also and they will hear His voice and they will be
one flock. The fold or flock the Lord mentioned refers to the Church Of Christ
(Acts 20:28 Lamsa). Thus, when the Lord Jesus said that He has other sheep not of
this fold, what He meant is that He has other sheep not of THIS Church Of Christ
(referring to the first century Church Of Christ).

The "other sheep" mentioned by the Lord Jesus Christ in John 10:16 are not of the
Church Of Christ of the first century. Remember that the first century Church Of
Christ was apostatized. The Lord promised that them also I must bring. He also
said that there will be one flock. The word flock is referring to the Church Of
Christ. Thus, the words of the Lord Jesus Christ saying "Other sheep I have which
are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice, and there
will be one flock..." refers to His promise of rebuilding the Church Of Christ.

Therefore, even though the first century Church Of Christ was apostatized, Christ will
rebuild His Church. The Church Of Christ will re-emerge. Who are Christ's "other
sheep"? When and where it will emerge? Apostle Peter answers these questions:

For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even
as many as the LORD our God shall call. (Acts 2:39 KJV)

This verse shows that the Church Of Christ the Lord established is composed of three
groups of people: (1) "For the promise is unto you" - the Jews (cf. Acts 2:36); (2)
"and to your children" - the Gentiles (cf. I Cor. 4:6); and (3) "and to all that are afar
off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call."

Thus, the "other sheep not of this fold" that the Lord Jesus Christ mentioned in John
10:16 is the third group of people that comprised the Church that the Lord Jesus
Christ founded and will came from "afar off," When and where the third group of
people that comprised the Church that the Lord Jesus Christ founded and who Christ
called as His "other sheep" will emerge? In a related prophecy, Isaiah 43:5-6, this is
what is written:

Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee
from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back:
bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth. (Isaiah 43:5-
6 KJV)
The Bible said, "bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the
earth." The children of God that will come from afar will emerge in the time the
biblical prophecy calls the "ends of the earth."

The Bible explained that the "end of the earth" is the second coming of the Lord
Jesus Christ (cf. Matt. 24:3), while the "ends of the earth" is the time when the end
is near (cf. Matt. 24:33). The Lord Jesus Christ gave signs indicating that the time is
already at the "ends of the earth" or the end is near:

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying,
"Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of
the end of the age?"

So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, at the doors!

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all
these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and
earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matt. 24:3 &
33 & 6-8 NKJV)

The first sign that Jesus gave as an answer to His disciples question about the signs
of His return and the end of the world was a war that would be dramatically different
from all other wars that preceded it. What would make this war so unique is that the
news of its battles would quickly spread both far and wide. This Great War
prophesied by the Lord Jesus Christ found fulfillment in the war that was once called
the war to end all wars, or the First World War which began on July 27, 1914
(Story of the Great War, edited by Francis J. Reynolds, et al. New York: P.F. Collier
and Son, 1916. Vol. 2, p. 291).

The Prophet Isaiah not only prophesied when the children of God will emerge (from
the ends of the earth), but also the place where they will emerge (from the Far
East):
From the far east will I bring your offspring, and from the far west I will gather
you." (Isaiah 43:5 Moffatt)

The Philippines where the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) emerged is in the Far
East:

The Philippines were Spain's share of the first colonizing movement in the Far East."
(Boak, Arthur E. R., et al. World history. Madison United States Armed Forces
Institute, 1942, Vol. 2, p. 445.)

WHY THE IGLESIA NI CRISTO EMERGED ONLY IN 914

The gap between the first century Church Of Christ and the Church Of Christ that
emerged in the Philippines is because the first century Church was apostatized.
Although apostasy took place in the first century Church Of Christ, however, Christ
promised that He is going to re-establish the Church Of Christ. Hence, the
emergence of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) in the Philippines in 1914 was
the fulfillment of Christs promise of re-establishing His Church.

###end###

WHY ARE THERE OTHER CHURCH OF CHRIST?

THERE ARE THREE denominations today which their local congregations used the
name Church of Christ. The reason why there are Leakey Church of Christ,
Moorishville Church of Christ, "Pleasant View Churcj of Christ," etc. However, these
are only local congregations, but they belong either to Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ), Churches of Christ, and Christian Church and Churches of Christ.

These three denominations have the same root, the Stone-Campbell movement of
the 19th century.

BARTON W. STONE AND THE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES

Barton Warren Stone was ordained as Presbyterian pastor in 1798. In 1803, he left
Presbyterianism, and with four other Presbyterian friends, they founded the
Independent Springfield Presbytery. However, it was dissolved in 1804. The
congregations continued under the name Christians and each one was independent
with each other (Westminster Dictionary of Church History. Edited by Jerald C.
Brauer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Westminster Press, 1971, p. 790).

ALEXANDER CAMPBELL AND THE REFORMERS

In 1809, Alexander Campbell went to America to accompany his father, Thomas

Campbell, who arrived in America two years earlier. Soon after his arrival, they
established the Christian Association of Washington, Pennsylvania. In 1811, they
organized their group as a church and choose Alexander Campbell as their pastor.
They called themselves as Reformers (Ibid., p. 152). In 1813, these Reformers
merged with the Regular Baptist, but separated in 1820s (Ibid.).

THE GROUPS OF BARTON AND CAMPBELL MERGED AND THE DISCIPLES OF

CHRIST WAS FOUNDED

In 1832, the Reformers of Alexander Campbell and the Christians of Barton Stone
merged and called their newly established denomination as Disciples of Christ:

In 1832 the Christians and the Disciples merged, both names are still used, but
usually and officially the body is known today as The Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ). (Mead, p. 80.)

Today, the official name of this denomination is the Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ). Every congregation of this denomination enjoys independence and
autonomy. Thus, their locale churches can choose their own name, the reason why
some local congregations of this denomination call themselves Church of Christ,
others include the locality such as San Diego Church of Christ. However, the official
name of their denomination is not Church of Christ but Christian Church (Disciples
of Christ). Thus, these calling themselves Church of Christ are really Christian
Church (Disciples of Christ) and not Church of Christ.

DIVISIONS AROSE

In their general convention of 1849, the Disciples of Christ established the American
Christian Missionary Society and other general boards. These started a division in
their church:

These developments obviously pragmatic and lacking Biblical authorization,

polarized the movement between progressives and conservatives. The latter
resisted all innovations, especially the introduction of musical instruments into
public worship. (Westminster Dictionary of Church History. Edited by Jerald C.
Brauer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Westminster Press, 1971, p. 790)

The Disciples of Christ were divided into progressives and conservatives.

THE DIVISION RESULTED INTO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ANOTHER CHURCH

CALLED CHURCHES OF CHRIST

The Foreign Christian Missionary Society (FCMS) was established in 1875. Because
the conservatives greatly opposed the establishment of the American Christian
Missionary Society and the Foreign Christian Missionary Society, they permanently
separated from the Disciples of Christ in 1906, calling themselves as Churches of
Christ:

The schism was acknowledged in the Federal Religious Census of 1906, which listed
Churches of Christ separately from the Disciples of Christ. WDCH, p. 269.)

Like the Disciples of Christ, the local congregations of the Churches of Christ also
enjoy independence and autonomy. Their locale churches also call themselves as
Church of Christ, and others also include their locality in the name Church of
Christ. Thus, they only call themselves Church of Christ, but in truth they are local
congregations or part of the denomination called Churches of Christ, formerly part
of the denomination called Disciples of Christ.

ANOTHER DIVISION AROSE

Division and schism in the Disciples of Christ did not end at the separation of the
Disciples of Christ and Churches of Christ. Another division arose that resulted
with the establishment of another denomination, the Christian Church and Churches
of Christ:
Among mainstream Disciples, new tension polarized around rival journals. In
opposition to comity, open membership (acceptance of baptized Christians from
other communions without immersion), and liberalism, the more conservative group
formed the North American Christian Convention in 1927. (Ibid.)

In 1969, the Disciples of Christ and the North American Christian Convention
officially separated, and the latter officially called themselves the Christian Church
and Churches of Christ.

A MOVEMENT CALLING FOR UNITY BUT END UP SPLITTING INTO THREE

SEPARATE DENOMINATIONS

The engrossing theme of the Stone-Campbell movement is Christian unity:

The doctor, for instance observes that the character of anything is to be judged by
that which gave it birth, and then says, This reformation was born of the love of
union, and Christian union has been its engrossing theme. (Ibid., p. 4)

The Christian union they referred to as the engrossing theme of the Stone-
Campbell movement is to unite the Christians in all the sects:

It is our intention that the reader will come to see these pioneers who launched a
movement to unite the Christians in all the sects as people and not simply founders
of a new church. (Ibid., p. 1)

Although the engrossing theme of the Stone-Campbell movement is to unite the

Christians in all the sects but they end up n divisions and the establishment of three
factions (denominations):
 As irony has often has its way in history, these men did start a new church, even
though was not their intention. Even more ironical is that their unity effort resulted
not only in one church, but eventually in three churches, usually identified as
Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches, and Churches of Christ,
and there are subgroups within these, especially among the latter. This book tells the
story of how all these happened, a kind of travesty in history, that the only church
ever in the entire history of Christianity with the express purpose of uniting all
believers would itself become so divisive. (Garret, pp. 1-2)

The book quoted is a history of the Stone-Campbell movement written by their own
member. Thus, they admitted, ironically, they dont have any intension of
establishing a church but they did. Still ironical, they call for unity but end up in
establishing three churches. And more ironical is that they are against secularism
but eventually resulted establishing three denominations. This book also admitted
that there are subgroups within these three churches, especially among the one
called Churches of Christ.

CONCLUSION

Thus, although they are calling themselves as Church of Christ, but in truth, they
are not really Church of Christ but locale congregations or part of either of the
three denominations that sprang up from the Stone-Campbell movement.

The Disciples of Christ is not Church of Christ. Also, the Churches of Christ and
the Christian Church and Churches of Christ are not really Church of Christ but
schismatic groups of the Disciples of Christ.

What make us more certain that they are not true Church of Christ? This is what the
Bible says about division and schism:

This wisdom is not `a wisdom' that cometh down from above, but is earthly,
sensual, devilish. For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every
vile deed. (James 3:15-16 ASV)
The Bible also tells us that strife and divisions (schism and factions) are fleshly:

For yet ye are fleshly, for where `there is' among you envying, and strife, and
divisions, are ye not fleshly, and in the manner of men do walk? 4for when one may
say, `I, indeed, am of Paul;' and another, `I -- of Apollos;' are ye not fleshly? (I
Corinthians 3:3-4 YLT)

Those in the flesh are not of Christ:

But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in
you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:9
ASV)

Therefore, when you see a Church of Christ in a certain area which is not part of
the Church of Christ (Iglesia Ni Cristo), this is not really Church of Christ but a local
congregation of either the Disciples of Christ, Churches of Christ or Christian
Church and Churches of Christ. These three denominations are the result of schism
or division that rocked the Stone-Campbell movement. Hence, these three
denominations are not the true Church of Christ because according to the Bible, for
there is faction, strife, schism or division, they are in the flesh and not of Christ.

###end###

Iglesia Ni Cristo as a Corporation Sole

IGLESIA NI CRISTO IS A BUSINESS BECAUSE IT IS REGISTERED AS

CORPORATION SOLE?

CFD claims that Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) is a business because it

was registered as a corporation sole.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

(1) The Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines are also registered and
recognized by the law as a corporation:

That this building is a church, is consecrated as much and was used,

occupied, and possessed by the Roman Catholic Church, as corporation,
from the earliest times... (G.R. No. L-2842, November 24, 1906, The Roman
catholic Apostolic Church vs Leonardo Santos, et al.)

All the archdiocese and diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines are
also registered as corporation sole like the Archdiocese of Manila:

Notwithstanding the petition of counsel for the Catholic Archbishopric of

Manila the six lots involved in this appeal can only be inscribed in the
registry of property in the name of the sole corporation, the Roman Catholic
Archbishop of Manila, duly organized in accordance with the Corporation
Law in force (G.R. No. L-11955, 29 July 1918.)

So, when the CFD accused us as a business because we are registered as a

corporation sole, they are also accusing the Roman Catholic Church as a business
because they too are registered as corporation sole.

(2) The Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Cvhrist) was registered in the Philippine
government and it was registered as a corporation sole because this was
mandated by the existing law of the land, the Corporation Law of 1906:

Section 154. For the administration of the temporalities of any religious

denomination, society, or church, and the management of the estates and
properties thereof, it shall be lawful for the bishop, chief priest, or presiding
elder of any such religious denomination, society, or church to become a
corporation sole unless inconsistent with the rules, regulations, or discipline
of his religious denomination, society, or church or forbidden by competent
authority thereof. (The Corporation Law of 1906 (Act No. 1459), s.v.
Religious Corporation, Section 154.)

The Lord jesus Christ tells us the following:

And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that
are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they marveled at
Him. (Mark 12:17 NKJV)

Apostle Paul adds:

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no

authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist
have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the
authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so
will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who
do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of
the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.
(Romans 13:1-3 NIV)

(3) Not all corporations are business:

1. group regarded as individual by law: a company recognized by law as a

single body with its own powers and liabilities, separate from those of the
individual members.

Corporations perform many of the functions of private business,

governments, educational bodies, and the professions.

2. local governing authority: the governing authority of an incorporated

municipality such as a city or town.
3. group acting as single entity: a group of people acting as a single
entity. (Encarta Dictionary, Microsoft Encarta c. 2009, Microsoft
Corporation c. 1993-2008.)

A corporation is an artificial person created by the law for legal purposes:

Section 2. A corporation is an artificial being created by operation of law,

having the right of succession and the powers, attributes, and properties
expressly authorized by law or incident to its existence. (The Corporation
Law of 1906, Section 2.)

(4) If registered as corporation sole or unipersonal corporation, the bishop,

chief priest, presiding elder (in the case of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, the
Executive Minister) is not the owner but the administrator od the properties
of thecorporation/society/church:

Section 154. For the administration of the temporalities of any religious

denomination, society, or church, and the management of the estates and
properties thereof, it shall be lawful for the bishop, chief priest, or presiding
elder of any such religious denomination, society, or church to become a
corporation sole unless inconsistent with the rules, regulations, or discipline
of his religious denomination, society, or church or forbidden by competent
authority thereof. (The Corporation Law of 1906 (Act No. 1459), s.v.
Religious Corporation, Section 154.)

CFD accused us of being a business because the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of

Christ) was registered as a corporation sole, this also shows their grave
ignorance.

###end###
 The Historical Roots of Catholicism
Published in Pasugo, Nov-Dec 1988

History and Catholic literature show that the Church of Christ and the Catholic
Church are not one and the same entity.

AS A CATHOLIC seminarian, I was imbued with a lot of Church and secular history.
Armed with this knowledge, I was of the same thinking as my friend, Oblate Priest
Rev. Ben Carreon indeed as other Catholics worthy of the name that the
historical Church of Christ which was established in Jerusalem in 33 A.D. is the
Catholic Church. I was firm in that historical conviction. Until 1981, I thought the
claim of the Iglesia Ni Cristo as being the true Church founded by Jesus Christ in
Jerusalem was presumptuous, preposterous, if not downright deceptive and vicious.
Why then am I now a member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo?

Catholic Claims of Historicity

The Catholic claims of being the historical Church of Christ is written in a host of
history books and encyclopedias. Thus, my friend Rev. Ben Carreon, whose historical
errors have already been exposed, feels so confident in asserting that no other
church existing today can validly claim any historical linkage with Christ and the
Apostles except the Catholic Church. A survey of such books reveals that Rev.
Carreon is right.

Roman Catholicism a Christian church characterized by its uniform, highly

developed doctrinal and organizational structure that traces its history to the
Apostles of Jesus Christ in the 1st century AD. 1

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, collective designation for the portion of Christendom

that acknowledges the supremacy of the pope and considers submission to papal
authority in matters of faith an indispensable condition of membership in its ranks.
The Roman Catholic Church regards itself as the only legitimate inheritor, by an
unbroken Episcopal succession descending from Saint Peter to the present time, of
the commission and powers conferred by Jesus Christ upon the twelve Apostles. 2

These two passages coincide with Rev. Carreons claim of Catholic historicity. Yet the
next passage states that the Church founded by Christ is not just the Catholic Church
but other churches as well:
Founded in the 1st century AD by Jesus of Nazareth (the Christ), Christianity has
become the largest of the worlds religions. Geographically the most widely diffused
of all religions, it has a membership of over 1,000,000,000. Its largest groups are
the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox churches, and the Protestant
churches; in addition to these churches there are several independent churches of
Eastern Christianity as well as numerous sects throughout the world. 3

Thus, the New Encyclopedia Britannica disputes Rev. Carreons claim that only the
Catholic Church is founded by Christ. This is more in tune with what the New Catholic
Encyclopedia states:

Since Christ intended His Church to be universal, all those who claim to be members
of the Church must profess Catholicism at least implicitly the word Catholicism is
applied to that Christianity that owes allegiance to the pope those who do owe
allegiance to the pope often see in this designation Catholic an implicit admission
that they alone are the true Church of Christ. They do not realize that the term is
often used merely as a convenient label and no deep signification or recognition of
the papal claims is intended. 4

The Church Founded By Christ And The Catholic Church

Catholic Church authorities make use of Matthew 16:18 to assert that Christ founded
a Church. Yet nowhere in the Bible does it say that the members of the Church of
Christ owe allegiance to the pope as stated in the citations above. Nowhere in the
Bible does it say that the name of the Church established by Christ is called Catholic
Church nor that this Church is fragmented into sects.

The biblical Church founded by Christ has Christ Himself for its rock foundation (Acts
4:8-11; Eph. 2:20) and not Peter as the Catholic Church claims. It could not be Peter
because no other foundation can be laid other than that of Christ (I Cor. 3:11). The
name of the Church founded by Christ is not Catholic Church but Church of Christ
(Acts 20:28, Lamsa). This fact a Jesuit priest states very clearly:

5. Did Jesus Christ establish a Church?

Yes, from all history, both secular and profane, as well as from the Bible considered
as a human document, we learn that Jesus Christ established a Church, which from
the earliest times has been called after Him the Christian Church or the Church of
Christ.This Church, founded and organized by Christ and preached by the Apostles,
is the Church of Christ, It is the only true Church, and the one which God orders all
men to join. 5

The Church of Christ as written in the Bible is holy and without blemish (Eph. 5:26-
27) and is compared to a chaste virgin (II Cor. 11:2). This is a far cry from the
record of the Catholic Church which has shamed herself in history with all kinds of
heinous crimes.

Although it asserts that indeed there were other things done by Christ which were
not written (Jn. 21:25; Rev. 10:4; Dan. 12:4), the Church of Christ considers what
was written is enough to save man (Jn. 20:30-31), that what was written was
inspired by God and should be used to teach men perfection (II Tim. 3:16-17), that
what is not written was not necessary and ordered forgotten (Rev. 10:4), that one
should not go beyond what was written (I Cor. 4:6), and that most of all, there is a
dire warning on those who add to or subtract from what has been written (Rev.
22:18-19). This is a far cry from the Catholic Church which has these claims:

Without the Scripture, says Mohler, the true form of the sayings of Jesus would
have been withheld from us. Yet the Catholic does not derive his faith in Jesus
from the Scriptures. 6

We Catholics acknowledged readily, without any shame, nay with pride, that
Catholicism cannot be identified simply and wholly with primitive Christianity, nor
even with the Gospel of Christ 7

Where then does the Catholic Church get her teachings? From paganism!

In her methods she has borrowed from many sourcesfrom the Jewish ecclesiastical
system, from Roman, and hence pagan, religious and civil procedures 8

Thus it is true, in a certain sense, that some Catholic rites and ceremonies are a
reproduction of those of pagan creeds 9

Thus, history and Catholic literature show that the Church of Christ and the Catholic
Church are not one and the same entity. Why then does the Catholic Church claim to
be the true Church of Christ?

What Happened To The Original Church of Christ?

The claim of the Catholic Church that it is the original Church of Christ lies on the
assumption that the Church of Christ as originally built by Christ was a tiny acorn
primitive and undeveloped but now has grown and developed into the great oak
called the Catholic Church:

We Catholics acknowledged readily, without any shame, nay with pride, that
Catholicism cannot be identified simply and wholly with primitive Christianity, nor
even with the Gospel of Christ, in the same way that the great oak cannot be
identified with the tiny acorn. 10

This is the key to their claim that the Catholic Church is the original Church of Christ
( a tiny acorn when built by Christ) but now grown and fully developed as the
Catholic Church( the great oak). Thats why Catholics are proud of being Catholics
and scoff at the claim of the Iglesia ni Cristo as being the true Church of Christ.

Apostasy? How can this be? they ask. Did not Christ promise in Matthew 28:19-20
that He will be with His Church up to the end of the world? Did He not say in
Matthew 16:18 that not even the gates of hell will prevail against the Church of
Christ? Apostasy? Impossible! Is it?
`

Such promise, however, is premised on the Churchs keeping all the commandments
of Christ. Read closely and attentively Matthew 28:19-20. John 8:31 is even more
specific. In order that Christ will be with the Church up to the end of the world, her
elders and members must teach and obey everything taught by Christ no more, no
less. If the Church ceases to obey Christ in everything, then the members have
rejected Christ and thus, He will not have any reason to be with this Church
anymore. In fact, Apostle Paul vehemently says that:

though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that
which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I
now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received,
let him be accursed. (Gal. 1:8-9, King James Version)

Strong words from Christs Apostle!

The Metamorphosis

That the Church of Christ gained a foothold in Rome through the missionary works of
Apostle Paul is indisputable. But even during his lifetime Apostle Paul spent a lot of
energy warding off false teachings as can be seen in his sometimes very angry
letters. And when he died, history records that false teachers, now rid of the
presence of the Apostle, finally succeded in infiltrating the Church of Christ:
At first the history of the Roman Church is identical with the history of Christian
truth. But unhappily there came a time when streams of poison began to flow from
the once pure fountain. 11

The poison referred to are the false teachings which came from the false teachers
who were now in positions of authority in the Church after Pauls death poison
because such false teachings will lead to mans eternal damnation.

Apostle Paul warned that this poison would come from the overseers of the Church of
Christ who would do the evil work after his death (Acts 20:29). This was fulfilled.

When the original Apostles died, the leadership of the Church was taken over by
local pastors, known as bishops. Under them were ministers of lower rank, known as
the presbyters and deacons. The Church organized the area of the Roman Empire
into provinces. The bishops at the head of the Christian communities in the large
cities such as Rome, Antioch, Alexandria, and Carthage ranked highest. 12

A stream of poison flowed from one of these bishops:

Catholicwas first used by St. Ignatius, bishop of Antioch in Syria, who was
martyred about A.D. 110. The Church founded by Christ is here, for the first time,
called the Catholic Church,It was to stress the unity of the universal Church that
St. Ignatius invented the name. 13

This is lethal poison! The only name through which man can be saved the name
Christ (Acts 4:10,12) was rejected by this bishop and replaced by an invented name!
How can you now expect Christ to be still with this Church that has now rejected His
own name? This Church has now become poisonous!

Both God and Christ abhor paganism (Jer. 10:2; I Cor. 10:19-22). This makes
paganism poison. But what did the first-century Church of Christ, now transformed
into the Catholic Church, do with this poison of paganism? It absorbed such poison
into its very own system!

Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it. The Greek mind, dying, came
to a transmigrated life in the theology and liturgy of the Church; the Greek
mysteries passed down into the impressive mystery of the Mass. Other pagan
cultures contributed to the syncretist result. From Egypt came the ideas of the divine
trinitythe adoration of the Mother and ChildFrom Phrygia came the worship of the
Great Mother; from Syria the resurrection drama of Adonis;The Mithraic ritual so
closely resembled the Eucharistic sacrifice of the MassChristianity was the last
great creation of the ancient pagan world. 14
The cult of a host of saints and martyrs sprang up to take the place of the many
local gods of pagan mythology. The pagan who had relied on the protection of the
homely gods of the hearth found similar comfort from the adoption of a patron saint.
Christian celebrations were created to replace the feasts and holidays of the older
religions. The assimilation by Christianity of so much of popular belief and practice
was in no small degree responsible for its almost universal acceptance during this
period, but at the sacrifice of its early purity and simplicity. 15

Loss of Divine Guidance

Before ascending into heaven, Christ promised the Apostles that He would send the
Holy Spirit to guide them and to remind them of whatever He had taught them (Jn.
14:26;16:13). Such divine guidance is very evident in the Book of the Acts of the
Apostles (Acts 2:4-11; 8:29-31; 13:2-4; 15:28-29; 16:6-7). Even when disputes
arose, no division resulted because of the decisions from the central administration
were accepted with gladness (Acts 15:1-31).

But now with the Apostles gone and with the apostasy of the first-century Church of
Christ a matter of fact, such divine guidance was totally absent.

When Nero died and Titus demolished the Temple, and again when Hadrian
destroyed Jerusalem, many Christians hailed these calamities as signs of the second
coming. When chaos threatened the Empire at the close of the second century,
Tertullian and others thought that the end of the world was at hand; a Syrian bishop
led his flock into the desert to meet Christ halfway, and a bishop in Pontus
disorganized the life of his community by announcing that Christ will return within a
year. As all signs failed, and Christ did not come, wiser Christians sought to soften
the disappointment by reinterpreting the date of his return. He would come in a
thousand years, said an epistle ascribed to Barnabas; he would come, said the most
cautious, when the generation or the race of the Jews was quite extinct, or when
the Gospel had been preached to all gentiles; or, said the Gospel of John, he would
send in his stead the Holy Spirit or Paraclete.Even the belief in the millennium in
the return of Jesus after a thousand years was discouraged by the Church, and
was ultimately condemned. 16

This belief in the millennium was revived as the year 1000 A.D. drew near when the
Church saw that it was materially profitable to do so. A rumor was spread that the
world would end by the year 1000 A.D.

As the year 1000 drew nearer, they go rid of their possessions with increasing
speed. How? By donating them to what they were told was Christs bride on earth,
the Roman Church. And so it came to pass that monasteries, nunneries, abbeys,
bishops palaces and the like bustled with activity. Believers came and went, not only
to confess their sins, to repent and to prepare for the end of the world in purity and
poverty, but also to donate and give to the Roman Catholic Institution all they had.
They gave her their money, their valuables, their houses, their lands. Many of them
became total paupers, since what would it avail them to die as the owners of
anything when the world was destroyed? Whereas, by giving away everything they
were gaining merit in the eyes of the Great Judge!

The Church, via her monastic orders and clergy, accepted the mounting offers of
earthly riches. This she did by duly recording them with legal documents, witnesses
and the likeTo prove with matter-of-fact concreteness and the possessions of those
who had given were, from then on, the possessions of the papacy!

When, following the long night of terror of the last day of December 999, the first
dawn of the year 1000 lit the Eastern sky without anything happening,Those who
had given away their property made for the ecclesiastical centers which had
accepted their offerings, only to be told that their money, houses, lands, were no
longer theirs. 17

This loss of divine guidance has been replaced by false prophets and false teachers
who refused in to fill the void! This also resulted in the divisions of the Church. The
Bible states that divisions are works of the flesh and hostile to God (I Cor. 3:3; Rom.
8:7-9). And the resulting divisions that followed after the death of the Apostles are
again the work of false prophets!

the followers of Christ, in the first three centuries, divided into a hundred creeds.
18

Such divisions resulted after disputes which could not be settled. In the biblical
Church of Christ, disputes were settled by central authority whose decisions were
gladly accepted by all. But in this transformed Church it resulted in schisms.

As a consequence of the Christological disputes, the national churches beyond the

eastern frontiers of the Empire separated themselves from the imperial Byzantine
church, while Germanic Christian kingdoms of both Arian (Ostrogothic and Visigothic)
and Roman (Frankish) observance were formed in the western Empire. The rise of
the specifically Roman Church of Gregory the Great and the Arab invasions of the
seventh century marked the turning pointthe Germano-Roman West became
estranged from Byzantium. 19

And how were disputes settled? By political considerations!

The distinction between orthodoxy and heresy, between opinions accepted or
rejected by the church authorities, was often decided partly by political
considerations and after a bitter struggle between the opposing parties. 20

How Did The Church of Christ Disappear? Reappear?

The disappearance of the first-century Church of Christ came so gradually that it was
almost indiscernible. It changed so gradually as it became the Catholic Church.
Thats why Catholics can claim historical affinity with the Church founded by Jesus
Christ in Jerusalem, but they cannot show the same with the doctrines of the original
Church. What Christ built as the Church of Christ was transformed into the Catholic
Church whose official name was formed only at the Vatican Council I in 1870. It was
not a case of a tiny acorn becoming a great oak but rather of an oak tree being
transformed into a different tree. Such transformation was so gradual that the
members failed to notice it as the fact of apostasy.

This disappearance, however, was complete. The two-thirds the converted Gentiles
and Jews of the first century disappeared. The third part, claimed by Jesus as His
other sheep not yet of this fold those still to be called into the Church (Jn.
10:16), identified by Apostle Peter as from afar off (Acts 2:39), specified by the
Prophet Isaiah as from islands in the Far East (Is. 41:1-5; 43:5), and to be called at
the ends of the earth (Is. 43:6), will appear. This third part arose in the Philippines
in 1914, the Iglesia ni Cristo preached by Brother Felix Y. Manalo.

NOTES

1. The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, Micropaedia, Vol. VIII, p. 644.

2. Funk and Wagnalls New Encyclopedia, Vol. 20. p. 349.
3. The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, Micropaedia, Vol. 4, p.459.
4. New Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. III, p. 338.
5. Francis B. Cassilly, S.J. Religion:Doctrine and Practice, pp. 442,443,444.
6. Karl Adam, The Spirit of Catholicism, p. 50.
7. Ibid., p.2.
8. John Gilland Brunini, Whereon to Stand: What Catholics Believe and Why, p. 316.
9. Rev. John C. OLeary, Ph.D. The Externals of the Catholic Church, p.226.
10. Karl Adam, op.cit. p. 2.
11. The Worlds Great Events, Vol. II. Pp. 163-164.
12. The New Book of Knowledge, Danbury, Conn: Grolier Incorporated, Vol. 3, p.
281.
13. Rev. Edward K. Taylor, Roman Catholic, p. 3.
14. Will Durant, The Story of Civilization III Caesar and Christ, New York:Simon &
Schuster, p. 595.
15. Wallace K. Ferguson and Geoffrey Bruun, A Survey of European Civilization, 3rd
ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, p. 92.
16. Will Durant, op. cit. pp. 603-604.
17. Avro Manhattan, The Vatican Billions, USA: Chick Publications, pp. 55-56.
18. Will Durant, op.cit. p. 604.
19. Karl Baus, History of the Church, Vol. 1. From The Apostolic Community To
Constantine, p. 7.
20. Ferguson and Bruun. op. cit. p. 92.

posted by candy

###end###

The Fact and Process of Apostasy

The Church in History, Part One: The Fact and Process of Apostasy

St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City

 ___________________________

The apostasy of the first century Church of Christ is indeed prophesied by

the Bible

___________________________

THE ISSUE IF there was an apostasy took place in the first century Church of Church
is very vital especially for the Roman Catholic Church because if there was, the
Catholic Church cannot be the true Church founded by Christ, but the apostatized
church because the Catholic Church claims that they succeeded the first century
Church of Christ. This is the reason why the Catholic Church is using every possible
way to cover the biblical and historical facts of the apostasy that took place in the
first century Church of Christ.

WHAT APOSTASY IS

The dictionary defines apostasy as the renunciation of a religious or political belief

or allegiance (Microsoft Encarta Dictionary). Thus, Apostasy is a defection, a falling
away from what one believed in, as apostasy from ones religion, creed, or politics.
Hence, one becomes an "apostate" as soon as he departs from his former belief,
whatever it was. What undergoes change is not the person nor his nature but his
beliefs.

The Bible also has a definition for apostasy. Let us read what is written I Timothy
4:1:

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from
the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from
demons. (New Living Translation)
According to Apostle Paul, some WILL TURN AWAY FROM THE TRUE FAITH; they will
follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These words
(turning away from the true faith) are synonymous with the word apostasy:

But the Spirit speaks expressly, that in latter times some shall APOSTATISE from
the faith, giving their mind to deceiving spirits and teachings of demons. (Darby
Bible)

Aside from turning away from the true faith, the Bible also used the following
words which are also synonymous with the word apostasy:

depart from faith (KJV)

abandon the faith (NIV)

fall away from the faith (NASB)

desert the Christian faith (Gods Word)

turned away from the faith (Bible basic English)

renounce the faith (NRSV)

For Apostle Paul, apostasy is not only turning away from the true faith, but also
following deceptive spirits and teachings that came from demons. The true faith
is what the Lord Jesus Christ and the His apostles taught. Where could we find the
truth taught by the Lord Jesus and His Apostles? Which can teach us the truth? This
is what apostle Paul said in II Timothy 3:16-17:

And you remember that ever since you were a child, you have known the Holy
Scriptures, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through
faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the
truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that
the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of
good deed. (TEV)
Not all the things done by Christ and the Apostles were written (cf. Jn. 20:30-31). In
fact there were some things that God did not want to be written (cf. Dan. 12:4; Rev.
10:4). The Apostles wrote down what they witnessed (cf. 1 Jn. 1:1-4). All such
writings were inspired by God, should be used for doctrine, correction, instruction,
and they make man perfect (cf. II Tim. 3:16-17). What were written are enough and
nothing should be added to them nor subtracted from them (cf. Rev. 22:18-19) for
what are written were written so that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God and that by believing we might have eternal life through His name (cf.
Jn. 20:30-31). Apostle Paul adds that we must not go beyond what is written:

Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit,
so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is
written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. (I
Corinthians 4:6 NIV)

Thus, departing from the true faith is departing from what the Bible teaches through
going beyond what is written. Moreover, apostasy is also changing the Gospel of
Christ or the doctrine written in the Bible:

I am surprised at you! In no time at all you are deserting the one who called you by
the grace of Christ, and are accepting another gospel. Actually, there is no "other
gospel," but I say this because there are some people who are upsetting you and
trying to change the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should
preach to you a gospel that is different from the one we preached to you, may he be
condemned to hell! (Galicia 1:6-8 TEV)

Hence, an apostate is (1) those that followed the doctrines came from the demon or
erroneous doctrines; (2) went beyond what is written (taught doctrines not in the
Bible, upheld unbiblical doctrines); and (3) changed the doctrines written in the Bible
(changed the Gospel or the teachings of Christ and the apostles). Apostle Paul said,
if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel that is different from
the one we preached to you, may he be condemned to hell!.
 1. BIBLICAL FACTS OF THE APOSTASY

On Matthew 16:18

As expected, the Catholic Church denies that apostasy took place. Catholic Defenders
even used Matthew 16:18 and Matthew 28:18-19 to prove that apostasy did not took
place. However, careful reading of the verse will show that the Lord Jesus did not
said that there will be no apostasy. Let us first look at Matthew 16:18:

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the
gates of Hades will not overcome it. (Matthew 16:18 NIV)

When the Lord Jesus said the gates of Hades will not overcome it (the Church He
build), the Catholic defenders understand this to mean that the Church will not be
apostatized. However, this is only their conclusion and this reveals their ignorance of
the teachings of the Bible. What is the equivalent of the words of Christ that the
gates of Hades will not overcome the Church? Let us read the rendering of Todays
English Version:

And so I tell you, Peter: you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my
church, and not even death will ever be able to overcome it. (Matthew 16:18 TEV)

When the Lord Jesus Christ said that the gates of Hades will not overcome it," what
he meant is not even death will ever be able to overcome it. In I Thessalonians,
this is what Apostle Paul said:

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the
voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will
rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord
forever. (I Thessalonians 4:16-17 NIV)

Thus, nowhere in Matthew 16:18 that the Lord Jesus Christ said that the Church He
founded will not be apostatized. What the Lord Jesus Christ said is that "the gates of
Hades will not overcome" the Church He founded. The Bible explained that this
words of Jesus does not mean that the Church will not be apostatized, but that "the
power of death will not overcome it" because the members of the Church He founded
although they suffered death but will be resurrected in His Second Coming.

On Matthew 28:19-20

Regarding Matthew 28:19-20, the Catholic Defenders insist that the words of the
Lord Jesus saying surely I am with you always, to the very end of time means
apostasy will not took place. However, careful study of the verse shows that the
conclusion or interpretation of the Catholic Defenders is erroneous:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I
have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
(Matthew 28:19-20 NIV)

Before the Lord Jesus Christ said the words surely I am with you always, to the very
end of time, He first said, and make disciples of all nationsand TEACHING THEM
TO OBEY EVERYTHING I HAVE COMMANDED YOU." Thus, if the disciples will continue
obeying everything the Lord Jesus Christ commanded, He will be with them always
to the very end of time.

Thus, like Matthew 16:18, nowhere in Matthew 28:19-20 that the Lord Jesus Christ
said that the Church He founded will not be apostatized. The Lord said to His
disciples that He will with them always to the very end of time IF they will continue
obeying everything He have commanded them.

Comparing the Church with Israel

They could not accept the fact that the first century Church was apostatized because
it is built by Christ, taught by the apostles, and guided by the Holy Spirit. It is of God
and the nation of God, so for them it is impossible that apostasy would take place.
However, they forgot that before the Church of Christ, Israel was the nation of God.
In Deuteronomy 7:6 this is what the Bible tells about Israel:

For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen
you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured
possession. (NIV)

How did Israel became Gods nation? In II Samuel 7:24, this is what is written:

You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, O
LORD, have become their God. (NIV)

The following were the privileges enjoyed by the Israelites when they were still the
nation of God:

They are God's people; he made them his sons and revealed his glory to them; he
made his covenants with them and gave them the Law; they have the true worship;
they have received God's promises. (Romans 9:4 TEV)

Although Israel was the first nation of God, that God Himself established them as His
people and they received His promises, however, Israel was apostatized and did not
remained Gods nation:

All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.
"Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant
of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. (Daniel
9:11 NIV)
Israel turned way from God. Isnt that the words turned away are synonymous
with apostatized? Israel was indeed apostatized, that is why she was replaced as
Gods nation. Apostle Peter attests to this fact:

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging
to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into
his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;
once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. I Peter 2:9-10
NIV

Apostle Peter is referring to the Church of Christ, the Church that Christ established.
Thus, because Israel did not remain faithful to God and has been apostatized, she
was replaced as Gods nation by the first century Church of Christ.

Here, we can see that the argument that the first century Church of Christ will never
be apostatized because she was built by Christ and God acknowledge her as His
nation is baseless. Israel was established by God as His people, receiving Gods
promises and covenant, acknowledge as Gods nation, but she was apostatized and
been replaced.

Therefore, although the first century Church of Christ was apostatized, it doesnt
mean that Christ failed. It was not Christ, but it was the people who failed to
continue obeying His commandments. Remember that Christ will only continue to be
with them if they will continue obeying everything He commanded.

Is the continues history of the Catholic Church or its existence for 2,000
years proves that no apostasy took place?

The Catholic defenders asked us that if the Church of Christ was truly apostatized,
why there was no period in history that the Church did not exist. For them, the
continues history of the Catholic Church (it's 2,000 years history proves that there
was no apostasy that took place). If this is the case, then the Jews can still claim
that there are the nation of God until this time, and there were never been replaced
by the Church of Christ as God's nation, because the Jewish nation (the Jewish
people) remained until our time. No period of history can be shown that the Jews did
not continue to exist. From the time of Christ and until this day, the Jewish people
remained, now having a continuous history of about 3,500 years (since the time of
Moses).

However, as the New Testament points out, although the Jewish people remained
but they did not remained God's nation because they departed from the true faith or
because they were apostatized. That's why, even though they continued to exist,
but they were no longer God's nation, and been replaced by the Church of Christ as
God's nation. Therefore, the apostasy mentioned by the Bible does not mean that
the Church will not continue to exist. The Church or the organization remained, but
she was transformed from being the true Church to an apostatized church. So,
although the church continued for 2,000 years, but as we know it, not as the Church
of Christ, but as the Roman Catholic Church.

Who Makes the Lord Jesus Christ a Liar?

The Catholic Defenders say that those who say that the Church was apostatized is
making the Lord Jesus a liar. It is not those who say that the Church was
apostatized that making Jesus a liar but the Catholic Defenders who say that the
Church will not be apostatized. Please ponder this words of the Lord Jesus Christ:

Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be
hated by all nations because of me. At that time MANY WILL TURN AWAY FROM THE
FAITH and will betray and hate each other. (Matthew 24:9-10 NIV, emphasis mine)

These are the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ: "MANY WILL TURN AWAY FROM
THE FAITH." Remember that "apostasy" means "turning away from the faith." So,
who makes the Lord Jesus Christ a liar, those who say that apostasy took place or
those that who say that there was no apostasy? Still, according to the Lord Jesus
Christ, who will led the disciples astray and how many will be led astray?
Many false prophets will rise up and lead multitudes astray. (Matt. 24:11
Weymouth)

Take note that Jesus warned us that not only many will turn away from the faith
but that those faithful disciples will be handed over to be persecuted and put to
death. This is how the first century Church of Christ was totally apostatized. The
faithful disciples were persecuted and put to death, and the multitudes of His
disciples "will turn away from the faith."

Therefore, it is indeed a biblical fact that the first century Church of Christ will be
apostatized.

2. THE PROCESS OF APOSTASY

How the multitude of the disciples was was apostatized? Apostle Peter explains this
in II Peter 2:1-2:

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false
teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying
the sovereign Lord who bought them-bringing swift destruction on themselves.
Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
(II Peter 2:1-2 NIV)

Apostle Peter said, there will be FALSE TEACHERS AMONG YOU. The false teachers
will not rise from outside of the Church and will deceive many to get them to depart
from the Church. The false teachers will rise IN THE MIDST of the disciples. How
these false teachers will distort the doctrines of Christ and the apostles written in the
Bible? Apostle Peter also said that, They will secretly introduce destructive
heresies. Thus, apostasy will happen inside the Church.

The Church will remain, the organization will still be there, however, her doctrines
did not remained pure as what the Lord Jesus Christ and the apostles taught and
as what are written in the Bible. False teachers will rise among them and will secretly
introduce false doctrines. Remember what Apostle Paul said in I Timothy 4:1:
"Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from
the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from
demons. (New Living Translation)

Who are these false teachers that will secretly introduce to the Church destructive
heresies or false doctrines? Apostle Paul answered this in Acts 20:30:

Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw
away disciples after them. (Acts 20:30 NIV)

Apostle Paul said, from your own number men will rise and distort the truth. Who
were Apostle Paul talking to when he said from your own number men will rise and
distort the truth? In Acts 20:28:

Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made
you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood.
(Acts 20:28 ASV)

Thus, among the bishops will rise men that will distort the truth. This is how many
were led astray. False teachers will rise among the bishops and will distort the truth.
When will this happen? This is Apostle Paul's statement in Acts 20:29-30:

I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare
the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order
to draw away disciples after them. (Acts 20:29-30 NIV)

Apostle Paul said, afer I leave... He is referring to his death (cf. Acts 20:29-30, 24-
25 and 37-38; I Tim. 4:6-8). The process of apostasy or the turning away from the
teachings of God as written in the Bible, was already at work even during the times
of the apostles (cf. II Thess. 2:7). Apostle Paul warned the Christians in Galatia that
those who teach doctrines different from what the Apostles already taught be
accursed (cf. Gal. 1:6-9). But for as long as the Apostles were still alive and in
control of Church administration, such forces of iniquity did not succeed in enticing
the entire living members of the Church away from what the Apostles taught them
(cf. II Thess. 2:7).

Thus, the apostasy will take place after the death of the apostles or after the
apostolic period. After the death of the apostles (John, the last of the apostles, died
in c. 90-100 AD), among the bishops (those who succeeded the apostles) will rise
false teachers that will distort the truth.
 3. THE FULFILLMENT OF THE PROPHECY

Christ said that you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you
will be hated by all nations because of me. Indeed, the first century Christians were
persecuted and put to death. Theres the Jewish persecution where Stephen was one
of the Christians who were put to death. Then came the imperial persecution of the
Church started by Roman Emperor Nero in 64 AD:

Tacitus recorded the rumor that Nero had ordered the fire that destroyed part of the
city of Rome. This rumor was so widely accepted by the people that Nero had to find
a scapegoat. He diverted feeling against himself to the Christians by accusing them
of arson and by engaging in a saturnalia of destruction of the Christians.
(Christianity Through the Centuries, p. 91)

Then, another imperial persecution broke out still in the first century AD, this time by
Emperor Domitian:

Persecution broke out again in 95 during the reign of the despotic Domitian. The
Jews had refused to pay a poll tax that had been levied for the support of Capitolinus
Jupiter. Because the Christians continued to be associated with the Jews, they also
suffered the effects of the emperors wrath. It was during this persecution that the
apostle John was exiled to the Isle of Patmos, where he wrote the Book of
Revelation. (Christianity Through the Centuries, p. 91)

Thus, what the Lord Jesus Christ prophesied in Matthew 24:9 was fulfilled. The
faithful, including the apostles, were put to death during the imperial persecution.
Indeed, many Christians were put to death during these two imperial persecutions of
the Church in the first century. Apostle John was exiled in an island called Patmos.
He died in c. 90-100 AD. With the death of the apostles, however, something
happened to the Church:

For the years after the record in Acts ends, evidence for the history of the Christian
Church becomes more scanty. There began to be passing references to it in pagan
writers. These writers make it seem likely that the Roman Emperor Nero blamed the
Christians for the burning of the city of Rome in A.D. 64. It is also very likely that
Saint Peter and Saint Paul were put to death at Rome about this time .

When the original Apostles died, the leadership of the Church was taken over by
local pastors known as bishops. Under them were ministers of lower rank, known as
presbyters and deacons. The Church organized the area of the Roman Empire into
provinces. The bishops at the head of the Christian communities in the large cities
such as Rome, Antioch, Alexandria, and Carthage ranked highest. (The New Book of
Knowledge, vol. 3, pp. 280-281)

Thus, when the Apostles died, not much was recorded on what went on in the
Church of Christ but during this period of silence the administration of the Church fell
into the hands of the bishops. Apostle Paul describes the bishop as he was in the first
century Church of Christ. His qualities are detailed in I Timothy 3:2-7 as:

blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to
hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker not greedy of filthy lucre; but
patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his
children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own
house, how shall he take care of the church of God?). Not a novice, lest being lifted
up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must have a
good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the
devil. (King James Version)

Apostle Paul further says that a bishop should be holding fast the faithful word as he
hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to
convince the gainsayers (cf. Titus 1:9). Thus, among other things, a bishop in the
first century Church of Christ is a husband of one wife and a teacher of things taught
by the Apostles and Christ, things that are written in the Bible.

The bishops that took control of the Church administration in the second century
were of a different breed. They were priests who were not allowed to marry and
taught things not coming from the Bible. Moreover, the bishops of the first century
Church were not monarchical:

In Acts 20:28, the fact that there were several bishops in one community excludes
the monarchical concept of the term (New Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 2, p. 585)

In spite of this clear evidence from the Bible that the original bishop in the Church of
Christ was not monarchical, Catholic Church authorities inject the idea that the
monarchical episcopate which prevailed in the second century must have come from
oral tradition:

Therefore, since there is no clear evidence in NT for a monarchical episcopate, this

office, which was firmly established by the early decades of the 2d century, must
have been based on oral apostolic tradition going back ultimately to Christ. (Ibid.)
A monarchical episcopate is defined as one single bishop assisted by priests and
deacons (Ibid. p. 589), a thing that did not prevail during the time of the Apostles.
In spite of this difference in administration between the first century Church of Christ
and that of the second, Catholic authorities reject the first and accept the second:

The testimony of Ignatius from the first decade of the 2d century, along with the
evidence of the writers from the second half of that century and the earliest catalogs
of bishops in the principal Churches all of which trace a line of succession of
individual bishops back to the apostolic age satisfies most Catholic theologians that
this form of Church government was the only one ever recognized as normal and
regular. (Ibid.)

Soon after the bishops took over the administration of the Church in the second
century, the doctrines of this Church began to be infected with poison:

At first the history of the Roman Church is identical with the history of the Christian
truth. But unhappily there came a time when streams of poison began to flow from
the once pure fountain. (The Worlds Great Events, vol. 2, pp 163-164)

This control of the Church administration by the bishops who began to teach different
doctrines was the fulfillment of what Apostle Paul prophesied concerning the
overseers (bishop):

Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away
disciples after them. (Acts 20:30, KJV)

4. DEPARTING FROM THE TRUE FAITH

The great apostasy did not consist in the destruction of the first century Church of
Christ and the establishment of another one. It consisted in the deterioration of the
Church established by Christ. Immediately after the death of the Apostles, during
this period the bishops took over the administration of the Church and the Church
became very different from what Christ founded (or the first century Church):

For fifty years after St. Pauls life a curtain hangs over the church, through which we
strive vainly to look; and when at last it rises about 120 A.D. with the writings of the
earliest church-fathers, we find a church in many aspects very different from that in
the days of St. Peter and St. Paul. (The Story of the Christian Church, p. 41)
The differences between what used to be the Church of Christ in the first century and
the Church that was revealed in the second to the fourth centuries are profound:

It is necessary to note that we should recall the readers attention to the profound
differences between this fully developed Christianity of Nicaea and the teachings of
Jesus of Nazareth.What is clearly apparent is that the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth
was a prophetic teaching of the new type that began with the Hebrew prophets. It
was not priestly, it had no consecrated temple, and no altar. It had no rites and
ceremonies. Its sacrifice was a broken and contrite heart. Its only organization was
an organization of preachers, and its chief function was the sermon. But the fully
fledge Christianity of the fourth century, though it preserved as its nucleus the
teachings of Jesus in the Gospels, was mainly a priestly religion, of a type already
familiar to the world for thousands of years. The center of its elaborate ritual was an
altar, and the essential act or worship the sacrifice, by a consecrated priest, of the
Mass. (The Outline of History, pp. 552-553)

These profound changes, made on the original teachings of Christ, dealt great
violence on the teachings of the Bible for the purpose of enhancing the interests of
the Catholic Church:

Jesus too, being a Galilean, was of Aryan stock, a remarkable man whose teachings
had, in the course of centuries, been deformed out of all recognition in the interests
of the Catholic Church. (The Vatican in the Age of Dictators, p. 168)

Adding insult to injury, Catholic authorities acknowledge such changes without

shame and even with pride:

We Catholics acknowledge readily, without any shame, nay with pride, that
Catholicism cannot be identified simply and wholly with primitive Christianity, nor
even with the Gospel of Christ, in the same way that the great oak cannot be
identified with the tiny acorn. (The Spirit of Catholicism, p. 2)
Catholic authorities even boast that they did not derive their faith in Jesus from the
Scriptures:

Without the Scriptures, says Mohler, the true form of the sayings of Jesus would
have been withheld from us.Yet the Catholic does not derive his faith in Jesus from
Scripture. (Ibid. p. 50)

Hence, those responsible for this apostasy of the first century Church of Christ were
the bishops under whose administration these profound changes took place. The first
bishop identified as having introduced changes into the Church was Ignatius, bishop
of Antioch who was martyred in Rome about 110 A.D. He was the first to use the
term Catholic Church in reference to the Church of Christ:

The name Catholic as a name is not applied to the Catholic Church in the Bible. ..St.
Ignatius of Antioch, writing to the Christians of Smyrna about the year 110, is the
first to use the name The Catholic Church (The Question Box, p. 132)

This same Ignatius introduced the doctrine that Christ is both God and man:

He asserted unequivocally both the divinity and humanity of Christ, the Savior.
(New Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 7, p. 353)

Ignatius is one of the so-called Antenicene Fathers who were divided into three
groups, namely:

1. Apostolic Fathers supposedly had personal contact with the Apostles or were
instructed by their disciples. To this group belong Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of
Smyna, and Clement of Rome.
2. Greek Apologists born of the Churchs reaction to paganism. To this group
belong Justin Martyr, Athenagoras of Athens, Theophilus of Antioch, and Irenaeus.

3. Theologians to this group belong Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Tertullian, and

Cyprian.

These Church Fathers were the source of the teachings that the Catholic Church
taught and implemented beginning the second century. However, such persons were
not immune from errors and yet, the apostatized church approved their teachings:

Obviously much that Christ and the apostles preached was in time reduced to
writing. Hence there grew up a library composed of men called the fathers of the
Church. They were called so because in apostolic days the word father also meant
teacher of spiritual things, and these were among her earliest teachers. But, unlike
the apostles, all of whom enjoyed infallibility, they were not immune from error nor
inspired as the scriptural writers had been. In so far as they dealt with questions of
faith and morals, much of what they wrote was approved by the Church, and thus,
became part of written tradition. (Whereon to Stand: What Catholics Believe and
Why, p. 142)

As a result of the teachings of these early Church Fathers, the Church of Christ or
Christianity became Roman Catholicism, the last and the greatest of the mystery
religions:

On that dies Domini, or Lords Day, the Christians assembled for their weekly ritual.
Their clergy read from the Scriptures, led them in prayer, and preached sermons of
doctrinal instruction, moral exhortation, and sectarian controversy

By the close of the second century, these weekly ceremonies had taken the form of
the Christian Mass. Based partly on the Judaic Temple service, partly on Greek
mystery rituals of purification, vicarious sacrifice, and participation through
communion, in the death-overcoming powers, of the deity, the Mass grew slowly into
a rich congeries of prayers, psalms, readings, sermon, antiphonal recitations, and,
above all, that symbolic atoning sacrifice of the Lamb of God which replaced, in
Christianity, the bloody offerings of older faiths. The bread and wine which these
cults had considered as gifts placed upon the altar before the god were now
conceived as changed by the priestly act of consecration into the body and blood of
Christ, and were presented to God as a repetition of the self-immolation of Jesus on
the cross. Then, in an intense and moving ceremony, the worshippers partook of the
very life and substance of their Savior. It was a conception long sanctified by time;
the pagan mind needed no schooling to receive it; by embodying it in the mystery of
the Mass, Christianity became the last and the greatest of the mystery religions.
(Ceasar and Christ, pp. 599-600)

Thus, the claim of the Catholic Church that they are the Church founded by Christ in
the first century is not true because the Catholic Church is very much different from
the Church of Christ founded by Christ in the first century. The Catholic Church is not
the Church founded by Christ, instead its the fulfillment of the prophecies of the
Bible regarding the apostasy that will take place immediately after the death of the
apostles. Hence, the claim of the Catholic Church that they succeeded the apostles is
not a proof of being the true Christ founded by Christ, but instead, a strong proof
that the Catholic Church is indeed the apostate Church, the fulfillment of what the
Bible prophesied that after the death of the apostles, among the ranks of the bishops
will rise false teachers that will distort the truth.

###end###

EXAMINING THE FOUR MARKS OF THE ROMAN

CATHOLIC CHURCH
 THE CATHOLIC CHURCH claims that there are four identifying marks of the one
true Church which they possess. However, these identifying marks they claim are
they themselves who made it up. Remember what Apostle Paul said in Romans 10:2-
3?

I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God; but their devotion is not
based on true knowledge. They have not known the way in which God puts people
right with himself, and instead, they have tried to set up their own way; and so they
did not submit themselves to God's way of putting people right. (Romans 10:2-3
TEV)

What are these four marks of the true church that the Roman Catholic Church
made up? In a book entitled The Faith Of Our Fathers, Cardinal Gibbon answered this
question:

And least we should be mistaken in distinguishing between the true Church and
false sects, which our Lord predicted would arise. He was pleased to stamp upon His
Church certain shining marks, by which every sincere inquirer could easily recognize
her as His only Spouse. The principal marks or characteristics of the true Church are,
the Unity, Sanctity, Catholicity, and Apostolicity... (Gibbons, James Cardinal, The
Faith Of Our Fathers, p. 3.)

Let us examine the four marks (unity, catholicity, sanctity and apostolicity) that
the Catholic Church claims as the identifying marks of the one true Church and that
these can befound in them.

1. IS THERE UNITY IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH?

The Catholic Church claims that unity is a mark of being the one true Church, and
further claims that unity is a trait of the Catholic Church. However, unity is only a
negative test for truth. If not united, it cannot claim to be the true Church. This is
what Apostle James tells us to those having no unity, but marked by factions and
divisions:

This wisdom is not `a wisdom' that cometh down from above, but is earthly,
sensual, devilish. 16For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every
vile deed. (James 3:15-16 ASV)

Let us examine carefully if the Catholic Church truly possess unity. In a Catholic book
entitled Why Do Catholics...? this is what they admitted:

The Church developed along two divergent lines: East and West. The emperor and
the bishop of Constantinople, who was called a patriarch, shared the leadership in
the East. But the bishop of Rome acted as both civil and religious leader in the
West...

The East and the West differed on more than leadership and language. Increasing
disagreements in theology and ideology were compounded by personality conflicts.
Moreover, spirituality in the East and the West had distinctly different flavors. The
East concentrated on the mystical and symbolic approach to faith. The West stressed
properness and uniformity.

This difference in perspective along with political and geographic preferences, split
Christianity (Catholicism) in 1054 into the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Western
Roman Catholic Church. (Altemose, Sr. Charlene, MSC. Why Do Catholics...?
Makati, Philippines: Salessians Publishers, Inc., 1989, pp. 2-3.)
The Catholic Church developed a divergent line. Their differences split the
Catholic Church in 1054 AD into Eastern Orthodox Church and Western Roman
Catholic Church. Take note of the words divergent, differences, and split. These
words show no unity.

Actually, within the Western Roman Catholic Church, they have two different rites:

Most people are familiar with the largest Rites of the Catholic Church which is called
the Latin, Western, or Roman Rite. But the Church also includes a number of
ancient and vital Eastern Rites, whose existence and heritage cannot be ignored.
(Altemose, Sr. Charlene, MSC. Why Do Catholics...?, p. 1.)

The Eastern Rites mentioned here are different from the Eastern Orthodox Church.
These Eastern Rites churches are part of the Roman Catholic Church. The Catholic
book we quoted said, ...the (Roman Catholic) Church also includes a number of
ancient and vital Eastern Rites. Take note that within the Roman Catholic Church
there are Western Rite and Eastern Rite. Two rites within the Roman Catholic
Church, is that unity or being one?

Perhaps they have the same teachings, the same rules, the same discipline, the
same liturgy?

What the Latin Church calls the sacraments are mysteries in the Eastern Church.
While in essence the name, they differ in externals and theological emphasis.

Baptism which admits one to the faith, is followed by confirmation (chrismation)

the sealing of baptism in the Spirit, and by Communion. These Sacraments of
Initiation establish a total rebirth and so are given at the same time.

Eastern Rite Catholics have their own clergy who are ordained by the respective
patriarchs. Eastern Church regulation regarding celibacy differs from the Roman
Church rules. Eastern Rites candidates for Holy Orders may marry before becoming
deacons, and may continue in marriage thereafter, but marriage after ordination is
forbidden...

...Such individual Churches whether of the east or of the West, although they differ
somewhat among themselves n what are called rites (that is, lithurgy, ecclesiastical
discipline, and spiritual heritage) are, nevertheless, equally entrusted to the pastoral
guidance of the Roman pontiff... (Altemose, Sr. Charlene, MSC. Why Do
Catholics...?, pp. 6-7.)
Thus, in reality, there is no unity in the Roman Catholic Church.

2. BEING UNIVERSAL AS A MARK OF THE ONE TRUE CHURCH?

The Catholic Church claims that being catholic (universal) or being spread
throughout the world is a mark of the one true Church. However, if we are going to
follow their argument, then the Church during the time when the Lord Jesus Christ
was still here on earth cannot claim to be the one true Church. Regarding the Church
during the time of the Lord Jesus Christ, this is what tHe Himself testified:

Do not fear, LITTLE FLOCK, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the
kingdom. (Luke 12:32 NKJV, emphasis mine)

During the time when the Lord Jesus was still here on earth, the Church then was
still a little flock. Following the argument of the Catholic Church, then the Church
during the time of the Lord Jesus cannot claim to be the true Church because it was
only a little flock.

However, we know that although during the time of the Lord Jesus Christ the Church
then was a little flock and consists only of Jews, but it is still the one true Church.
Thus, being universal doesnt make a church the one true Church.

It is true that the Lord Jesus Christ told His disciples before He ascend to heaven to
preach the Gospel to all nations:

And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be
condemned. (Marcos 16:15-16 NKJV)

Although the Lord Jesus commanded His disciples to preach the Gospel to all nation,
however, the Bible didnt said that the largest and most widely spread church is the
one true Church. Today, aside from the Roman Catholic Church there are many
global churches or those that already established missions in different countries of
the world.

Why we are truly certain that being universal does not follows that that Church is
the one true Church? Because the Bible also teaches that the apostate church is
also a universal church:
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me,
saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on
many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the
inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication." So he
carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a
scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten
horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and
precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and
the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY,
BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF
THE EARTH. (Revelation 17:1-5 NKJV)

The one true Church is likened to a chaste virgin (cf. I Cor. 11:2). Thus, what the
Book of Revelation referring to as the great harlot who sits on many waters is the
apostate church. The Book of Revelation itself explained what Revelation 17:1-2
meant in saying that the apostate church (the great harlot) sits on many waters.
In verse 15 it says:

Then he said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples,
multitudes, nations, and tongues. (Revelation 17:15 NKJV)

We are not saying that if universal or spread all throughout the world automatically
means that that church is an apostate church. However, the Bible clearly tells us that
one of the identifying marks of the apostate church is being universal.

Thus, being universal doesnt follow that that church is the one true Church
because it is a biblical fact that one of the marks of the apostate church is being
universal. And it is also a fact that catholic means universal.

3. THE TRUE SANCTITY OR HOLINESS

Now, talking about sanctity or holiness, it is true that the one true Church is holy.
Apostle Paul said:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for
her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,
and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any
other blemish, but holy and blameless. (Ephesians 5:25-27 NIV)
The Lord Jesus Christ gave His life for the Church to make her holy, to present the
one true Church as a radiant Church, without stain or blemish, but holy and
blameless.

What else makes us holy? What else sanctifies us? The Lord Jesus Christ answered
these questions in John 17:17:

Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. (John 17:17 NKJV)

The Lord Jesus didnt said, Sanctify them through beatification and canonization.
What He said was, Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. Take note that
what sanctifies us, what makes us holy is the word of God. How are we sanctified
through the words of God? This Apostle Peter explained:

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have
sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. (I Peter
1:22 NIV)

We are sanctified by the truth or the words of God through obeying the truth. What a
person is doing if he disobeys the words of God? Apostle John answered:

Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. (I John 3:4 NIV)

Now, going back to our examination of the Catholic Church, they claim sanctity or
holiness. However, the Bible explicitly explains that we are sanctified through Gods
words, and breaking Gods law is sin against God. How obedient is the Catholic
Church to the words of God taught by the Lord Jesus Christ and the apostles?

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the
disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body. Then He took the cup, and gave
thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. (Matthew 26:26-27
NKJV)

In the Catholic mass (one of their seven sacraments), only the priest drink the wine
of the cup, while the Lord Jesus Chris said, Drink from it, ALL OF YOU.
Regarding baptism, the Lord Jesus Christ commanded:

And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be
condemned. (Mark 16:15-16 NKJV)

The Lord Jesus Christ explicitly commanded us to preach first the Gospel, and when
people believe, they will be baptized. Because they are baptizing infants, these
commandment of the Lord Jesus is not been followed by the Roman Catholic Church.
About prayer, this is what the Lord Jesus Christ said:

And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think
that they will be heard for their many words. (Matthew 6:7 NKJV)

What else the Catholic Church disobey? In Exodus 20:3-5, this is what we could
read:

Do not bow down to any idol or worship it, because I am the LORD your God and I
tolerate no rivals. I bring punishment on those who hate me and on their
descendants down to the third and fourth generation.

Do not make for yourselves images of anything in heaven or on earth or in the

water under the earth. (Exodus 20:5,4 TEV)

These are only some of the commandments of God taught by the Lord Jesus and His
apostles that are disobeyed by the Roman Catholic Church.

4. APOSTOLICITY IS NOT A MARK OF BEING THE ONE TRUE CHURCH BUT

ONE OF THE MARKS OF THE APOSTATE CHURCH
The Catholic Church also claims that apostolicity is another mark of the true
Church. In claiming apostolicity, the Roman Catholic Church meant that they can
trace their origin to the apostles because (as they further claim) the Catholic Church
succeeded the apostles. However, studying the truth written in the Bible will show us
that apostolicity proves otherwise (apostolicity is not a proof of being the true
Church, but the proof of being the apostate church).

WHERE IS THE CHURCH ESTABLISHED BY CHRIST IN THE FIRST CENTURY?

The Lord Jesus Christ, before He ascended to heaven warned us the following:

Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be
hated by all nations because of me. AT THAT TIME MANY WILL TURN AWAY FROM
THE FAITH and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear
and deceive many people. (Matthew 24:9-11 NIV, emphasis mine)

Apostle Paul also warned us in I Timothy 4:1 the following:

But the Spirit speaks expressly, that in latter times some shall APOSTATISE from
the faith, giving their mind to deceiving spirits and teachings of demons. (Darby
Bible)

Thus, where is the Church the Lord Jesus Christ established in the first century? It
was apostatized as testified by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and His apostles.

THOSE WHO SUCCEED THE APOSTLES WAS THE APOSTATE CHURCH

According to Apostle Paul, apostasy was already working during their time, but only
restrained:
For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is' one that
restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way. (II Thessalonians 2:7 ASV)

Apostle Paul said, the mystery of lawlessness doth already work. It was only
restrained until those who are restraining them will be taken out of the way. Who
will lead the disciples to apostasy and when was the time that those restraining them
will be taken out of the way? Apostle Paul also answered this question:

I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare
the flock. 30Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in
order to draw away disciples after them. (Acts 20:29-30 NIV)

Apostle Paul said, After I leave...from your number men will arise and distort the
truth in order to draw away disciples after them. Those that will lead the church to
apostasy, according to Apostle Paul will come among YOUR NUMBER. Apostle Paul
addressing this to the bishops of the Church:

Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit HATH MADE
YOU BISHOPS, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own
blood. (Acts 20:28 ASV)

Among the bishops of the Church will rise those that will distort the truth, and
according to Apostle Paul, this will happen After I leave. Apostle Paul is referring to
his death (cf. Acts 20:25, 37-38; I ITim. 4:6-8).

Thus, after the death of the apostles, among the bishops of the Church will rise those
that will distort the truth. Apostle Paul explicitly warned us that those that will follow
or succeed them (after their death) will distort the truth.
Who is claiming apostolicity or that their origin can be traced back to the apostles?
Who is claiming to be the successors of the Apostles? We all know the answer to
these questions.

FULFILLMENT OF THE APOSTASY OF THE FIRST CENTURY CHURCH

What are some of the distorted truth that will be entered to the Church? Let us again
quote I Timothy 4:1 and let us also read verse 3:

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from
the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath
created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
(I Timothy 4:1, 3 KJV, emphasis mine)

Apostle Paul gave us marks to identify the apostate church: (1) Forbidding to
marry; and (2) commanding to abstain from meats. The Catholic Church forbids
their priest to marry (they call this prohibition clerical celibacy):

Although celibacy is not expressly enforced by our Savior, it is, however,

commended so strongly by Himself and His apostles, both by word and example,
that the Church felt it her duty to lay it down as a law.

The discipline of the Church has been exerted from the beginning in prohibiting
Priests to marry after their ordination. (Gibbons, James Cardinal. The Faith Of Our
Fathers. New York: P.J. Kennedy and Sons, 1917, p. 328)

The Catholic Church also commands her members to abstain from meat in certain
days of the year:

What does the second commandment of the Church order us to do?

It orders us to fast and abstain from flesh meat on certain days of the year. (A
Seminary Professor. Manual of Christian Doctrine: Comprising Dogma,
Moral, and Worship. New York: Lassale Bureau, 1949, p. 317)

When the Church of Christ of the first century departed from the true faith and
followed the erroneous teachings (teachings not taught by the Lord Jesus and His
apostles, and teachings not written in the Bible) like clerical celibacy and abstaining
from meat, she became the Catholic Church. This is the reason why the Catholic
Church is the one that continued up to this day.

Thus, the apostolicity (that they are the successors of the apostles and who
continued for 2,000 years) is not a mark of the one true Church, but the mark of the
apostate church. The apostles warned us that those who will follow them after their
death are those that will distort the truth.

CONCLUSION

Unity is only a negative test for truth. If there is no unity, it cannot claim to be the
one true Church. The one true Church is indeed marked by unity or being united.
However, it is a fact that there is no unity in the Catholic Church.

The one true Church is indeed holy for it was sanctified or made holy through the
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, sanctity or holiness is also through
observing carefully the commandments of God. But because it is also a fact that the
Catholic Church disobeyed many of Gods commandments written in the Bible, thus
they also failed in this standard.

In view of the fact that there are no unity and sanctity in the Catholic Church, they
themselves failed in the standard that they themselves claim as identifying marks
of the one true Church.
Catholicity and Apostolicity are not marks of the one true Church but marks of the
apostate church. Because the Catholic Church herself claims catholicity and
apostolicity, thus, it is like admitting that they are indeed the apostate church.

In view of these facts, we can conclude that the Catholic Church is not the one true
Church established by Christ.

###end###

The Origin of Other Churches: Explaining Who

Established the Catholic Church and Other
Churches Not of Christ

SOME PEOPLE HAVE the notion that all the established churches today belong to
Christ. Others wonder why there is such a proliferation of churches that are in
conflict with one another when in fact, there is only one Church established by
Christ. The origin of these various churches was taught by Christ in one of His
parables.
THE SON OF MAN SOWED THE GOOD SEED

According to Christs parable, the kingdom of God is likened to a man who sowed
good seed in his field:

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a man
who sowed good seed in his field. (Matthew 13:24 NKJV)

The sower of the good seed is the Son of Man (or the Lord Jesus Christ):

He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
(Matthew 13:37 NKJV)

The good seed that was sowed by Christ are the children of the Kingdom:

The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are
the sons of the wicked one. (Matthew 13:38 NKJV)

According to the Lord Jesus Christ, the kingdom is given to the flock:

Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the
kingdom. (Luke 12:32 NKJV)

The flock referred to is the Church of Christ:

Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit
has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased
with his blood. (Acts 20:28 Lamsa)

How the Son of Man (the Lord Jesus Christ) sowed the good seed (the Church of
Christ)? The Lord Jesus Christ built His Church:

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and
the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18 NKJV)

The Lord Jesus Christ built only one Church. He said, I will build My church. He did
not said, I will build My Churches. This Church was called in the name of Christ
because:

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given
among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12 NKJV)

Thus, the Church built by Christ is called Church of Christ:

For just as the human body is one and yet has many parts, and all its parts, many
as they are, constitute but one body, so it is with the Church of Christ. (I Cor. 12:12
NTME)

Even Catholic authorities testified that the Church built by Christ is called Church of
Christ:

5. Did Jesus Christ established a Church?

Yes, from all history, both secular and profane, as well as from the Bible considered
as a human document, we learn that Jesus Christ established a Church, which from
the earliest times has been called after Him the Christian Church or the Church of
Christ. (Cassily, Francis B., S.J. Religion: Doctrine and Practice for use in Catholic
High Schools. 12th and revised edition. Imprimi Potest: Charles H. Cloud, S.J.
Provincial of the Chicago Province. Imprimatur: George Cardinal Mundelein,
Archbishop of Chicago. Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1934, p. 442-443.)

THE ENEMY SOWED THE TARES

This parable of the Lord Jesus Christ proves that there is only one true Church that
Christ built, the Church of Christ. Why, then, are there many churches today? How
have they come about? According to the parable of the Lord Jesus Christ, this is what
followed:

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man
who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed
tares among the wheat and went his way. (Matthew 13:24-25 NKJV)

The enemy came while men slept and sowed tares. The enemy who sowed
the tares is the devil:

The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the
reapers are the angels. (Matthew 13:39 NKJV)

The true Church of Christ is likened to the good seed sowed by the Son of Man (or
established by the Lord Jesus Christ). Aside from the Lord Jesus Christ, was there
anyone else who built other churches? Yes, the enemy or the devil. The devil
sowed tares (the true Church of Christ is likened to good seed, thus, the tares
are the false churches).
The devil sowed tares while men slept. What the Lord Jesus referring by sleep
is death:

These things He said, and after that He said to them, Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but
I go that I may wake him up. Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get
well. However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking
about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead. (John
11:11-14 NKJV)

Apostle Paul explained to us who were those asleep or dead after whose passing
away the devil sowed tares. This is what he said in Acts 20:29-30:

For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not
sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse
things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. (Acts 20:29-30 NKJV)

Apostle Paul said, ...after my departure...from among yourselves men will rise up,
speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. He is
referring to his death (Acts 20: 25, 37-38, and II Tim. 4:6).

Thus, after the death of the apostles, the enemy sowed the tares, or the devil
established the false church.

HOW THE TARES WERE SOWN?

It was not the devil himself who will come and establish the false church (the tares
as mentioned by the parable of the Lord Jesus), but he will use an instrument:

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power,
signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who
perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the
lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure
in unrighteousness. (II Thessalonians 2:9-12 NKJV)

They will come according to the working of satan (the devil), with all power, signs,
and lying wonders, and with unrighteous deception. They will make the people
believe in lie that they all may be condemned. They are those Apostle Paul referring
to in Acts 20:29-30:

I know that after I leave, fierce wolves will come among you, and they will not
spare the flock. The time will come when some men from your own group will tell lies
to lead the believers away after them. (Acts 20:29-30 TEV)

When Apostle Paul said, I know that after I leave, he is referring to his death.
Thus, after the death of the apostles, Apostle Paul warned us that some men from
your own number will tell lies to lead the believers away after them. This is how
New International version rendered this verse:

I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare
the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to
draw away disciples after them. (Acts 20:29-30 NIV)

Thus, after the death of the apostles, from among yourselves men will rise up,
speaking perverse things (NKJV), some men from your own group will tell lies
(TEV), and from your own number men will arise and distort the truth (NIV). Who
were those referred to by Apostle Paul that among them or from their own
number men will arise telling lies or distorting the truth? This is what the Bible says
in Acts 20:28 and 30:

Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made
you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood.
And from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to
draw away the disciples after them. (Acts 20:28, 30 ASV)

So among the bishops will rise those who will tell lies or who will distort the truth.
Apostle Peter calls them false teachers:

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false
teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying
the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will
follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.
(II Peter 2:1-2 NKJV)

As Apostle Paul said, from your own number men will arise and distort the truth,
Apostle Peter said, there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring
destructive heresies. Hence, both Apostle Paul and Apostle Peter explicitly proves
that false teachers or false prophets that will be used by the devil to teach lies to
lead the disciples astray came among the numbers of the teachers or bishops of
the first Church of Christ.

Thus, the enemy will sow the tares through the bishops that will rise distorting
the truth or telling lies. The devil is the father of lies (cf. John 8:44). Hence, lies are
the teachings or the doctrines of the devil. What are some of the lies that will be
taught to the first century Church and what will happen to them as they embraced
these lies? Apostle Paul answered:

But the Spirit speaks expressly, that in latter times some shall apostatise from the
faith, giving their mind to deceiving spirits and teachings of demons speaking lies in
hypocrisy, cauterised as to their own conscience, forbidding to marry, [bidding] to
abstain from meats, which God has created for receiving with thanksgiving for them
who are faithful and know the truth. (1 Tim 4:1-3 Darby Bible)
The Bible said, ...giving their minds to deceiving spirits and teachings of
demons...forbidding to marry, [bidding] to abstain from meats... because of this,
they were apostatized. Which church teaches and implements these doctrines? The
Catholic Church forbids their priest to marry (they call this doctrine as clerical
celibacy):

Although celibacy is not expressly enforced by our Savior, it is, however,

commended so strongly by Himself and His apostles, both by word and example,
that the Church felt it her duty to lay it down as a law.

The discipline of the Church has been exerted from the beginning in prohibiting
Priests to marry after their ordination. (Gibbons, James Cardinal. The Faith of our
Fathers. New York: P.J. Kennedy and Sons, 1917, p. 328)

The Catholic Church also commands her members to abstain from meat in certain
days of the year:

What does the second commandment of the Church order us to do?

It orders us to fast and abstain from flesh meat on certain days of the year. (A
Seminary Professor. Manual of Christian Doctrine: Comprising Dogma, Moral, and
Worship. New York: Lassale Bureau, 1949, p. 317)

Thus, through the apostasy of the first century Church of Christ, the church
established by the devil emerged. The rise of the apostate church is the fulfillment
of what the Lord Jesus Christ said that when men were asleep, the enemy will come
and sow the tares.

HOW THE BOOK OF REVELATION DESCRIBES THE APOSTATE CHURCH

The Bible describes the apostate church as the mother of harlots:

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me,
saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on
many waters,

And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE
MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. (Revelation
17:1, 5 NKJV)

The Church built by Christ is likened to a chaste virgin (cf. II Cor. 11:2), so harlot
symbolizes false church. However, the Book of Revelation mentioned mother of
harlots. Thus, the book of Revelation is referring to the false church who is the
mother of other false churches. The Book of Revelation also gave us the marks to
identify the mother of harlots: woman seated upon many waters, and called
Babylon. What does it mean that the mother of harlots is seated upon many
waters? In Revelation 17:5, this is what it says:

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me,
saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on
many waters,

Then he said to me, The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples,
multitudes, nations, and tongues. (Revelation 17:1, 15 NKJV)

Universal is what seated in many waters meant because the waters are
peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. Now, the Catholic authorities
themselves testify that Babylon referred to Rome:

Babylon: Rome. A metaphor probably founded on Jewish usage. (I Peter 5:13

footnote, Douay-Rheims)

Which church claims to be universal?

The word Catholic means universal, extending all over the world. (Catholic
Catechism. Part II. Imprimatur: Rufino J. Cardinal Santos. Manila: Catholic Trade
School, 1961, p. 146b)

Which church claims to be universal and bears the name of Rome?

The Church is called Roman Catholic because its chief ruler is the lawful bishop of
Rome. (Catholic Catechism. Part II. Imprimatur: Rufino J. Cardinal Santos. Manila:
Catholic Trade School, 1961, p. 146a)

Thus, the Roman Catholic Church is the fulfillment of the mother of harlots
mentioned in the Book of Revelation the apostate church which is the mother of
other false churches.

THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS

What other churches branched out of the Catholic Church? Let us take a look of the
history of the Catholic Church:

The Nestorian Church and Monophysites Churches:

Since the fourth century AD, a number of Eastern churches separated from the
Catholic Church:

To find a time when there was one Eastern Church we must go back to the centuries
before the Council of Ephesus (431). Since that council there have been separate
schismatical Eastern Churches whose number has grown steadily down to our own
time. The Nestorian heresy left a permanent Nestorian Church, the Monophysites and
Monothelite quarrels made several more, the reunion with Rome of frictions of every
Rite further increase the number, and quite lately the Bulgarian schism has created
yet another; indeed it seems as if two more, in Cyprus and Syria, are being formed
at the present moment (1908). (Catholic Encyclopedia, s.v. Eastern Churches
www.newadvent.org)

The Council of Ephesus in 431 AD produced the schism between the Nestorians and
the Catholics, and left a permanent Nestorian Church:

The Nestorians are now only a pitiful remnant of what was once a great Church...In
any case the rejection of the Council of Ephesus (431) by these Christians in
Chaldea and Mesopotamia produced a schism between them and the rest of
Christendom. When Babaeus, himself a Nestorian, became catholicos, in 498, there
were practically no more Catholics in those parts... protected by the Persian kings,
the Nestorian Church flourished around Ctesiphon, Nisibis (where the school was
reorganized), and throughout Persia. Since the schism the catholicos occasionally
assumed the title of patriarch. The Church then spread towards the East and sent
missionaries to India and even China. (Ibid.)

Another schism in the Catholic Church in the fourth century AD:

All the other separated Eastern Churches are formed by the other great heresy of
the fourth century, Monophysitism. There are first the national Churches of Egypt,
Syria, and Armenia. (Ibid.)

The Monophysite controversy in the Catholic Church produced the Coptic Church (the
Church of Egypt), the Ethiopic Church (the Church of Abyssinia, or Ethiopia), the
Jacobite Church (the Monophysite Church of Syria), the Armenian Church (the
Church of Armenia), and the Malabar Church of India.

Thus, the Nestorian Church and the Monophysite churches are the daughters of the
Catholic Church from the fourth century AD.
The Eastern Orthodox Churches

Through the early centuries, the Catholic Church developed a divergent line
resulted in the split of the Catholic Church into two churches:

The Church developed along two divergent lines: East and West. The emperor and
the bishop of Constantinople, who was called a patriarch, shared the leadership in
the East. But the bishop of Rome acted as both civil and religious leader in the
West...

The East and the West differed on more than leadership and language. Increasing
disagreements in theology and ideology were compounded by personality conflicts.
Moreover, spirituality in the East and the West had distinctly different flavors. The
East concentrated on the mystical and symbolic approach to faith. The West stressed
properness and uniformity.

This difference in perspective along with political and geographic preferences, split
Christianity (Catholicism) in 1054 into the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Western
Roman Catholic Church. (Altemose, Sr. Charlene, MSC. Why Do Catholics...?
Makati, Philippines: Salessiana Publishers, Inc., 1989, pp. 2-3.)

Their differences split the Catholic Church in 1054 AD into Eastern Orthodox
Church and Western Roman Catholic Church.

The first of the Eastern Churches in size and importance is the great Orthodox
Church. This is, after that of the Catholics, considerably the largest body in
Christendom. The Orthodox Church now counts about a hundred millions of
members. It is the main body of Eastern Christendom, that remained faithful to the
decrees of Ephesus and Chalcedon when Nestorianism and Monophysitism cut away
the national Churches in Syria and Egypt. It remained in union with the West till the
great schism of Photius and then that of Caerularius, in the ninth and eleventh
centuries. In spite of the short-lived reunions made by the Second Council of Lyons
(1274) and the Council of Florence (1439), this Church has been in schism ever
since...The separation of the various national Orthodox Churches from the patriarch
of Constantinople forms the only important chapter in the modern history of this
body...Other causes have led to the establishment of a few other independent
Churches, so that now the great Orthodox communion consists of sixteen
independent Churches, each of which (except that of the Bulgars) is recognized by,
and in communion with, the others.

The Eastern Orthodox Church had split into sixteen independent churches, these are
the following:

(1) The Great Church, that is, the patriarchate of Constantinople that takes
precedence of the others. It covers Turkey in Europe (except where its jurisdiction is
disputed by the Bulgarian Exarch) and Asia Minor. Under the Ecumenical Patriarch
are seventy-four metropolitans and twenty other bishops. Outside this territory the
Patriarch of Constantinople has no jurisdiction.

(2) Alexandria. It covers all Egypt as far as it is Orthodox, and with only four
metropolitans.

(3) Antioch. It extends over Syria from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates as far
as any Orthodox live so far East, touching the Great Church along the frontier of Asia
Minor to the north and Palestine to the south, with twelve metropolitans and two or
three titular bishops who form the patriarchal curia.

(4) Jerusalem. It consists of Palestine, from Haifa to the Egyptian frontier, with
thirteen metropolitans.

(5) Cyprus. It is the old autocephalous Church, with an archbishop and three
suffragans.

(6) Russia. This is enormously the preponderating partner, about eight times as
great as all the others put together. The Holy Synod consists of three metropolitans
(Kiev, Moscow, and Petersburg), the Exarch of Georgia, and five or six other bishops
or archimandrites appointed at the czar's pleasure. There are eighty-six Russian
dioceses, to which must be added missionary bishops in Siberia, Japan, North
America, etc.

(7) Carlovitz (1765). It was formed of Orthodox Serbs in Hungary, with six
suffragan sees.

(8) Czernagora (1765). It has one independent diocese of the Black Mountain.

(9) Church of Sinai. It consists of one monastery recognized as independent of

Jerusalem in 1782.
(10) The Greek Church (1850). It has thirty-two sees under a Holy Synod on the
Russian model.

(11) Hermannstadt (Nagy-Szeben, 1864), the Church of the Vlachs in Hungary,

with three sees.

(12) Bulgarian Church. It is under the exarch, who lives at Constantinople. In

Bulgaria are eleven sees with a Holy Synod. The exarch, however, claims jurisdiction
over all Bulgars everywhere (especially in Macedonia.

(13) Czernovitz (1873), for the Orthodox in Austria, with four sees.

(14) Serbia (1879), the national Church of that country, with five bishops and a
Holy Synod.

(15) Rumania (1885), again a national Church with a Holy Synod and eight sees.

(16) Herzegovina and Bosnia, organized since the Austrian occupation (1880) as
a practically independent Church with a vague recognition of Constantinople as a sort
of titular primacy. It has four sees.

The Mother Church of Other Western Churches

The Roman Catholic Church is also said to be the mother church of the Protestant
and other churches that broke away from it:

The Roman Catholic Church is thought by some to be the mother church of the
Protestant and other churches that broke away from it over time. Prominent among
these are Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican churches and other Christian faith
communities formed over time from these. (Wikipedia, s.v. Mother Church)

Lutheranism, one of the leading Protestant denominations, spread from Germany to

Poland, the Baltic Provinces, Hungary, Transylvania, the Netherlands, Denmark, the
Scandinavians, and in the United States:

Lutheranism dates from 31 October, 1517, when Luther affixed his theses to the
church door of the castle of Wittenberg. Although he did not break with the Catholic
Church until three years later, he had already come substantially to his later views
on the plan of salvation. The new teachings, however underwent a great change
after Luther's return from Wartburg (1521). Before he died (18 Feb., 1546), his
teachings had been propagated in many states of Germany in Poland, in the Baltic
Provinces, in Hungary, Transylvania, the Netherlands, Denmark and Scandinavia.
From these European countries Lutheranism has been carried by emigration to the
New World, and in the United States it ranks among the leading Protestant
denominations. (Catholic Encyclopedia, s.v. Lutheranism)

Another daughters of the Roman Catholic Church are the Calvinistic churches.
Calvinism is the second form of Protestantism caused by the 16th century
Reformation. Calvinistic churches in Europe came to be known as Reformed
Churches and in Scotland as Presbyterian Church, thus, the reason why
Reformed Churches and Presbyterian Churches both can be found in the United
States. The Reformed Churches were brought in the Unites States by immigrants
from continental Europe, and the Presbyterian Churches were brought by immigrants
from Scotland.

Another daughters of the Roman Catholic Church are the Anglican churches:

Before the breach with Rome under Henry VIII there was absolutely no doctrinal
difference between the faith of Englishmen and the rest of Catholic Christendom, and
"Anglicanism", as connoting a separate or independent religious system, was
unknown... When news of the papal decision against the divorce reached England,
Henry VIII gave his assent to four anti-papal statutes passed in Parliament in the
spring of 1534, and in November the statute of the Royal Supremacy declared the
King to be Supreme Head of the English Church (without the limiting clause of 1532),
and an oath was prescribed, affirming the Pope to have no jurisdiction in the realm
of England.

With the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church,
another form of Protestantism emerged, the Anglicanism. However, Anglicanism
produced not only one church (the established Church of England), but there were
offshoot churches:
A term used to denote the religious belief and position of members of the
established Church of England, and of the communicating churches in the British
possessions, the United States, and elsewhere. It includes those who have accepted
the work of the English Reformation as embodied in the Church of England or in the
offshoot Churches which in other countries have adhered, at least substantially, to its
doctrines, its organization, and its liturgy. Apart from minor or missionary
settlements, the area in which Anglicanism is to be found corresponds roughly with
those portions of the globe which are, or were formally, under the British flag.

The Anglican churches in the United States came to be called Episcopal Churches.
The Methodists Churches are offshoot of the Church of England, and so the Puritans.
Holiness and Pentecostals are heavily influenced by Wesleyanism (the teachings of
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism).

There are other churches that branched out of the Roman Catholic Church, and many
churches also branched out of those that branched out of the Roman Catholic
Church. In light of this fact, it is not wrong to say that the Catholic Church is indeed
the mother church the mother of false churches.

###end###

Ang May Numerong '666' na Binabanggit sa

Apocalypsis
 Ang aklat ng Apocalypsis na isinulat ni Apostol Juan sa pulo ng Patmos ay
itinuturing na aklat ng mga simbolo at mga hula o propesiya. Sa aklat na ito ay may
isang popular na numero na lumikha ng kontrobersiya sa lahat ng tao sa daigdig: ito
ay ang numerong 666. Atin pong basahin sa Biblia ang talatang kinalalagyan ng
numerong ito:

Apocalypsis 13:18 Dito'y may karunungan. Ang may pagkaunawa ay

bilangin ang bilang ng hayop; sapagka't siyang bilang ng isang tao: at ang
kaniyang bilang ay ANIM NA RAAN AT ANIM NA PU'T ANIM.:

Maraming sapantaha ang mga tao tungkol sa kung ano ang kahulugan nito at kung
saan at kanino ito tumutukoy. May nagsasabi na ang numerong 666 ay malas na
numero, kaya nagkaroon sila ng sari-saring pamahiin tungkol dito. May mga tao na
makita lamang ang numerong ito kahit saan man ay agad na nakakadama ng takot
at pangamba. May nagsasabi naman na ito daw ay tumutukoy sa mga terorista gaya
nila Adolf Hitler noon, Saddam Hussein, at maging ang presidente ng America na si
Ronald Reagan. Itinuturo naman ng mga Saksi ni Jehova na ang tinutukoy daw nito
ay ang Pangsanglibutang Pamamahala na sa Ingles ay ang United Nations. Kaniya-
kaniya sila ng spekulasyon at pala-palagay tungkol dito. Kaya ating tukuyin ang
tunay na kahulugan ng numerong 666 at kung kangino talaga natupad ang hulang
itoSapagkat ang hulang ito ay may tiyakan at partikular na katuparan.

Bilang ng Pangalan ng isang Tao

Sa ano nga ba tumutukoy ang numerong 666, liliwanagin iyan sa atin ng Bibliang
Ingles, atin pong basahin:

Revelations 13:18 This calls for wisdom. Whoever is intelligent can figure
out the meaning of the number of the beast, because the number stands for
the name of someone. Its number is 666. [Good News Translation]

Sa Filipino:
Apocalypsis 13:18 Nangangailangan ito ng karunungan. Sinomang may
katalinuhan ay malalaman ang kahulugan ng bilang ng hayop, sapagkat ang
bilang ay katumbas ng pangalan ng isang tao. Ang kaniyang bilang ay 666.

Maliwanag na sinasabi ng Biblia na ang bilang na 666 (Anim na raan at anim na put
anim) ay bilang ng kaniyang pangalan isang tao na inihalintulad sa isang hayop. At
sa pamamagitan ng karunungan at pagkaunawa ay maaaring bilangin ito, na ito ay
bilang ng pangalan ng isang tao. Kaya hindi totoo ang paniniwala ng iba na ang
Diablo ang tinutukoy sa hula, at hindi rin totoo na malas ang numerong 666 na kahit
saan natin makita ay dapat tayong matakot. Malinaw na sinasabi ng Biblia na ang
tinutukoy dito ay isang tao na inihalintulad sa hayop na may pangalan na kung
bibilangin ay katumbas ng bilang na 666.

Sa madaling salita ang pangalan ng taong ito kung susumahin o bibilangin ay may
katumbas na 666. Dito na ngayon pumasok ang mga manunuligsa sa Iglesia. Nang
ituro ng Iglesia ni Cristo kung kangino natupad ang hulang ito, ay sumagot ang mga
kumakalaban sa amin at sinabing si Kapatid na Felix Y. Manalo at maging si Kapatid
na Erao G. Manalo daw ang sinasabi sa hula.

Papaano nila ito ipinaliwanag? Ganito:

FELIX YSAGUN MANALO

5 6 6

Kung ang FELIX daw ay gagamitan ng spelling sa tagalog ito ay magiging PELIKS.
tapos magiging ganito:

PELIKS YSAGUN MANALO

6 6 6 = 666
At kung ang pangalan naman daw ng Ka Erdie na: ERAO GUZMAN MANALO
ang gagamitan ng ganun ding pamamaraan:

IRANYO GUZMAN MANALO

6 6 6 = 666

Kaya daw ang kinatuparan ng hula na binabanggit sa Apocalypsis ay ang mag-

amang Felix at Erao Manalo

Hindi maiwasang hindi matawa ng sinomang kapatid sa Iglesia nang kanilang ilabas
ang ganitong paliwanag, dahil una ang sabi ng Biblia ay gamitan ng karunungan at
katalinuhan. Eh matatawag mo bang matalino ang isang tao na ang tamang
spelling ay iminamali? Hindi lang iyon, ang sabi ba sa Biblia ang 666 ay tatlong 6 na
magkakatabi na kung ating susumahin ay 6+6+6 = 18 lang? Hindi ba ang banggit
sa Biblia ay Anim na raan at anim na put anim? SIX HUNDRED SIXTY SIX
iyon at hindi tatlong SIX na pinagtabi-tabi. Kitang-kita ebidensiya na ang propesiya
o hula ay kanilang hinuhulaan lamang ang kahulugan [hula na hinulaan pa],
halatang-halata na kulang sila ng pagkaunawa kaya hindi nila maunawaan ang tunay
na kahulugan ng talata.

Tsaka lalabas na sinomang tao sa daigdig na may pangalan na may anim na letra sa
first name, anim na letra sa middle name, at anim na letra sa last name ay siyang
kinatuparan ng hula. Gaya nito:

ALEXIS ROMANA MOLINA

6 6 6 = 666

ISAIAS CARLOS GALVEZ

6 6 6 = 666
Sige nga, hindi ba kung susundan natin ang kanilang pakahulugan ay lalabas na
natupad din sa mga taong iyan ang sinasabi sa hula? Halatang gusto lang humanap
ng tabla ang mga kumakalaban sa Iglesia ni Cristo, kahit na nakakatawa ang
kanilang pamamaraan. Hindi kasi nila matanggap ang naging kahulugan ng
Apocalypsis 13:18, Kangino ba ito tumutukoy? Sino nga ba ang tao na may
pangalan na kung ating susumahin o bibilangin ay may katumbas na Anim na raan
at anim na put anim [666]?

Ang Titulong VICARIUS FILII DEI

Ang PAPA sa Roma ay may titulo na VICARIUS FILII DEI, isang salitang Latin na
ang ibig sabihin ay KAHALILI NG ANAK NG DIYOS. Noong unang panahon ang
U at V ay magkatumbas ganun din ang J at I, kaya nga VICARIUS ay
katumbas ng VICARIVS, ang pangalang JESUS naman ay isinusulat noon sa latin
na IESVS, kaya nga ang INRI ay IESVSNAZARENVSREXIVDORVM' [Jesus
Nazarenus Rex Judaerum Jesus na taga Nazaret ang Hari ng mga Judio],
mapapansin natin na ang U ay ginamitan ng letrang V.

Tumututol ang iba, ang sabi nila ang sinasabi sa hula ay PANGALAN o NAME at hindi
TITLE o TITULO nung taong hinuhulaan. Kayat ating linawin iyan, ano ba ang
ibig sabihin ng salitang TITLE o TITULO?

TI'TLE, n. - An inscription put over any thing as a NAME by which it is

known. [Websters 1828 Dictionary]

Sa Filipino:
TITULO, n Isang isinusulat sa anomang bagay bilang PANGALAN na
ikakikilala dito.

Ang TITULO, ayon sa patotoo ng Dictionary ay PANGALAN na ikakikilala sa

pinatutungkulan nito, samakatuwid ang VICARIVS FILII DEI ay isang PANGALAN
na ipinantatawag sa PAPA

Saan matatagpuan ang PANGALAN o TITULONG ito? Sa isang Pahayagang

Katoliko na inilathala noong April 18 ,1915 na may pamagat na OUR SUNDAY
VISITOR sa page 3 ganito ang mababasa:

Ang sabi ng dokumentong ito ay:

What are the letters supposed to be in the Popes crown, and what do they
signify, if anything? The letters inscribed in the popes mitre are these:
VICARIUS FILII DEI, which is the Latin for Vicar of the Son of God[Our
Sunday Visitor, Bureau of Information section, page 3, April 18, 1915 Issue]

Sa Filipino:

Ano ang isinisimbulo ng mga letra na nasa korona ng Papa, kung mayroon
man? Ang mga letrang nakasulat sa mitra ng Papa ay ang mga ito:
VICARIUS FILII DEI, na Latin ng Kahalili ng Anak ng Diyos.

Ang mga katagang VICARIUS FILII DEI, ay nakasulat sa Korona na isinusuot ng

Papa sa Roma, itoy nilinaw sa atin ng Pahayagang Katoliko. Ang koronang ito ay
tinawag na Papal Tiara, o Tri-Crown, sapagkat itoy tatlong korona na
magkakapatong [makikita ninyo sa mga larawan sa itaas].
Kaya kung ating babalikan ang sinabi ng talata: Dito'y may karunungan. Ang
may pagkaunawa ay bilangin ang bilang ng hayop; sapagka't siyang bilang
ng isang tao: kaya ating bilangin o sumahin kung ang titulong ito nga ay may
katumbas ng bilang na Anim na raan at anim na put anim.

Sabi ng Biblia gamitan ng karunungan, dahil may mga letra o titik na may katumbas
na bilang o numero kaya gagamitin natin ang ating karunungan o kaalaman sa
pagsasalin ng Roman Numerals sa Hindu-Arabic numbers gaya nito:

Kaya ang VICARIUS FILII DEI ay magiging:

Kitang-kita ang total o ang suma 666 as in SIX HUNDRED AND SIXTY SIX, at
hindi tatlong 6 na magkakatabi lamang hindi po ba? May mga tumututol na
nagsasabi na yung letter V [VICARIUS imbes na VICARIVS] daw ang dapat ay
U, kung letter U daw ang gagamitin hindi daw magiging 666 kundi 661 lamang
ang total. Naipalawanag ko na po sa bandang unahan na yung letter U at V ay
magkatumbas lamang sa Latin. Atin pong patutunayan iyan sa pamamagitan ng
isang napakakilalang example: Napansin niyo ba ang spelling ng POST OFFICE
BUILDING sa Maynila? Oh hindi ba iyong salitang BUILDING ay ginawang
BVILDING? Letter V ang ginamit imbes na Letter U. Kasi nga sa Old Latin ay
magkatumbas lamang ang dalawang letrang ito.
Pero nangangatwiran sila na hindi lang naman daw VICARIVS FILII DEI ang pag
sinuma ay katumbas ng 666 mayroon pang ibang pangalan, at hindi naman kami
tutol doon. Narito ang isa sa halimbawa:
Gaya ng halimbawa sa itaas, ay makikita na may mga pangalan din na maaaring
mag-equal sa 666, pero nangangahulugan ba na dahil sa ganun ang naging suma, ay
sa kanila na din natupad ang hula sa Apocalypsis? Lalabas niyan na maaaring sa
libo-libong tao natupad iyan.

Pero ang Panginoon Diyos ay marunong sa lahat, dahil hindi lang niya ibinigay ang
pagkakakilanlan sa pamamagitan ng bilang ng kaniyang pangalan, ibinigay din niya
ang mga katangian ng taong ito na lalong nagpapatibay kung sino talaga ang
sinasabi sa hula. Atin pong ipagpapatuloy ang ating pagtalakay

Ang mga Katangian ng Taong may Pangalan na katumbas ng 666

Sinasabi sa hula na ito ay tao na inihambing sa isang hayop. Sa anong hayop ba ito
inihambing at ano ba ang mga katangian nito na lalong magpapatibay sa atin ng
tunay na kinatuparan ng hula. Kanina ang binasa natin ay verse 18, itataas lang
natin ang basa sa verse 11:

Apocalypsis 13:11 At nakita ko ang ibang hayop na umaahon sa lupa; at

may dalawang sungay na katulad ng sa isang kordero, at siya'y
nagsasalitang gaya ng dragon.

Ibinigay sa atin ang TATLONG KATANGIAN:

1. may dalawang sungay - Nagtataglay siya ng dalawang sungay:

2. katulad ng sa isang kordero - gagayahin ang kordero

3. nagsasalitang gaya ng dragon. - ang kaniyang sasabihin ay salita o aral
ng dragon

Isa-isahin nating ipaliwanag ang mga katangiang ibinigay ng Biblia:

1. May Dalawang Sungay

Ano ba ang ibig sabihin ng sungay ano ba isinisimbulo nito?

Amos 6:13 Kayong nangagagalak sa isang bagay na walang kabuluhan na

nangagsasabi; Di baga kami ay nagtaglay para sa amin ng mga SUNGAY sa
pamamagitan ng aming sariling KALAKASAN?

Ang sungay ayon sa Biblia ay Kalakasan, kaya ang taong tinutukoy na may bilang
na 666 na may dalawang sungay ay nagtataglay ng dalawang kalakasan. Ano ba
ang ibig sabihin ng Kalakasan, kung ating babasahin sa Bibliang English ay ganito
ang nakalagay:

Amos 6:13 Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not
taken to us HORNS by our own STRENGTH? [King James Version]

Samakatuwid ang Kalakasan ay Strength sa English, na may meaning na:

STRENGTH - That property or quality of an animal body by which it is

enabled to move itself or other bodies. We say, a sick man has not strength
to walk, or to raise his head or his arm. We say, a man has strength to lift a
weight, or to draw it. This quality is called also POWER and FORCE.
[Websters 1828 Dictionary]
Makikita sa Dictionary na ang kasing kahulugan ng salitang Strength o Kalakasan ay
POWER and FORCE o KAPANGYARIHAN at PUWERSA. Kaya sa madaling salita ang
hinuhulaan dito ay isang tao na may DALAWANG URI NG KAPANGYARIHAN, iyon
ang tinutukoy na DALAWANG SUNGAY na kaniyang taglay. Ilan ba at anu-ano ang
KAPANGYARIHAN ng Papa? Sasagutin tayo ng isang Cardinal ng Iglesia Katolika:

The Popes were not only devoted SPIRITUAL FATHERS, but firm and valiant
CIVIL GOVERNORS [Faith of Our Fathers, by James Cardinal Gibbons, p.
113]

Sa Filipino:

Ang mga Papa ay hindi lamang matatapat na AMA NG KALULUWA, kundi

matitibay at magigiting na mga GOBERNADOR SIBIL.

Pinatutunayan ng Cardinal ng Iglesia Katolika na ang Papa ay nagtataglay ng

dalawang uri ng Kapangyarihan: KAPANGYARIHANG SPIRITUAL at
KAPANGYARIHANG PAMPULITIKA, kapuwa saklaw ng Papa ang pamamahala sa
Relihiyon at sa Gobiyerno. Pasok ang Papa sa unang katangian.

2. Katulad ng isang Kordero

Sino ba ang Kordero na binabanggit sa Biblia?

Juan 1:29 Nang kinabukasan ay nakita ni Juan si Jesus na lumalapit sa

kaniya, at sinabi, Narito, ang Cordero ng Dios, na nagaalis ng kasalanan ng
sanglibutan!
Ang ating Panginoong Jesu-Cristo ang Cordero ng Diyos, samakatuwid siya ang
gagayahin ng taong hinuhulaan sa Apocalypsis. Ano ba ang isa sa katangiang taglay
ni Cristo na gagayahin ng taong ito?

Colosas 1:18 At SIYA ANG ULO NG KATAWAN, SA MAKATUWID BAGA'Y NG

IGLESIA; na siya ang pasimula, ang panganay sa mga patay; upang sa lahat
ng mga bagay, ay magkaroon siya ng kadakilaan.

Si Cristo ang ulo ng Iglesia niya. Ang Papa ba sa Roma ay ipinakikilala rin bilang ulo
ng Iglesia? Isa namang Paring Katoliko ang sasagot sa atin:

"The pope, therefore, as vicar of Christ, is the VISIBLE HEAD of CHRIST'S

KINGDOM on earth, THE CHURCH, of which Christ Himself is the invisible
head." [Answer Wisely, by Rev. Martin J. Scott, p. 49]

Sa Filipino:

Ang Papa, samakatuwid, bilang kahalili ni Cristo, ay ang NAKIKITANG ULO

ng KAHARIAN NI CRISTO sa lupa, ang IGLESIA, kung saan si Cristo mismo
ang di nakikitang ulo nito.

Sabi ng Pari ang Papa daw ay ang Nakikitang Ulo ng Iglesia dito sa lupa, si Cristo
naman daw ang hindi nakikitang Ulo, samakatuwid para sa kanila ang Papa ang Ulo
ng Iglesia sa Lupa, si Cristo naman ang Ulo ng Iglesia sa langit. May mababasa ba
tayo sa Biblia na dalawa ang ulo ng Iglesia? Hindi lang iyon, hindi ba nasasakop ni
Cristo ang lupa? Ang kaniya bang pamamahala ay sa langit lang?

Mateo 28:18 At lumapit si Jesus sa kanila at sila'y kaniyang kinausap, na

sinasabi, ANG LAHAT NG KAPAMAHALAAN SA LANGIT AT SA IBABAW NG
LUPA AY NAIBIGAY NA SA AKIN.
Napakaliwanag na ang Papa ay nag-aangkin lamang ng kapangyarihang kay Cristo
lamang ipinagkaloob ng Diyos, dahil ang lahat ng kapamahalaan ay ibinigay na sa
kaniya ng Ama sa langit man o sa lupa. Nabasa natin sa itaas na sinasabi nila na
ang Papa ay may titulong VICARIUS CHRISTI [VICAR OF CHRIST], o KAHALILI NI
CRISTO, samakatuwid hinahalinhan o pinapalitan ng Papa ang pamamahala ni Cristo
sa Iglesia, hindi lang ginaya ang Cristo kundi nakipantay pa sa kaniya sa
kapangyarihan. Puwede bang magkaroon ng KAHALILI o KAPALITAN si Cristo?
Sasagutin sa atin iyan ng Biblia:

Hebreo 7:24 Datapuwa't siya, sapagka't namamalagi magpakailan man ay

may pagkasaserdote siyang DI MAPAPALITAN.

Ang kapangyarihan, posisyon, at karangalang ibinigay ng Diyos kay Cristo kailan

man ay hindi maaagaw ni mapapalitan ninoman. Ang pagsasabing ang Papa ay
KAHALILI NI CRISTO ay maliwanag na pakikipantay at panggagaya sa Cordero ng
Diyos na ito ay isang napakalaking kasalanan at kalapastanganan sa harap ng
Diyos. Hindi lang iyon, kung ating lalawak-lawakan pa ang ating pagtalakay ay
ginaya rin ng Papa na itinuturing na pinakamataas na Pari ang pananamit ni Cristo.

"ANG PANANAMIT NG PARENG NAGMIMISA. Ang pareng gayak sa pagmimisa

ay nakakatulad ni Jesukristo noong umakyat sa bundok ng kalvario." [Siya ang
Inyong Pakinggan: Ang Aral na Katoliko, Page 195]

kaya pasok na naman sa ikalawang katangiang ibinigay ng Biblia ang Papa.

3. Nagsasalitang Gaya ng Dragon

Sino ba ang Dragon na ang salita nito ang gagayahin ng taong may bilang na 666 sa
kaniyang pangalan?

Apocalypsis 20:2 At sinunggaban niya ang DRAGON, ang matandang ahas,

na siyang DIABLO at SATANAS, at ginapos na isang libong taon,
Ang salita ng Dragon o ng Diablo at Satanas ang sasalitain ng taong ito,
samakatuwid magtuturo siya ng aral ng Demonio, na ano ang mga ito?

1 Timoteo 4:1 Nguni't hayag na sinasabi ng Espiritu, na sa mga huling

panahon ang iba'y magsisitalikod sa pananampalataya, at mangakikinig sa
mga espiritung mapanghikayat at sa MGA ARAL NG MGA DEMONIO,

1 Timoteo 4:3 NA IPINAGBABAWAL ANG PAGAASAWA, AT IPINAGUUTOS

NA LUMAYO SA MGA LAMANGKATI, na nilalang ng Dios upang tanggapin na
may pagpapasalamat ng mga nagsisisampalataya at nangakakaalam ng
katotohanan.

Ang taong hinuhulaan ay magtuturo ng Pagbabawal ng pag-aasawa at paglayo o

pagbabawal sa pagkain ng lamangkati o karne. Na mga aral ng demonio na
katumbas ay salita ng Dragon. Na kapuwa natupad sa Iglesia Katolika dahil sa ito
ang itinuro sa kanila?

"Ang disiplina ng Iglesia (Katolika) ay ipinatupad buhat pa sa pasimula, sa

pamamagitan ng PAGBABAWAL sa mga Sacerdote (o pari) NA MAG-ASAWA
pagkatapos na sila'y maordena." [Pananampalataya ng Ating mga Ninuno,
sinulat ni James Cardinal Gibbons, tinagalog ng Paring si Rufino Alejandro,
Page 396]

"Sa ikalawang utos ay ipinaguutos ng Santa Iglesia sa atin na magayuno at HUWAG

KUMAIN NG ANOMANG LAMANGKATI O KARNE sa mga araw ng
ipinagbabawal niya." [Siya Ang Inyong Pakinggan: Aral na Katoliko, sinulat
ng Paring si Enrique Demond, Page 139]

Tupad na tupad sa Papa ang mga katangiang ibinigay ng Biblia tungkol sa taong
nagtataglay ng bilang na 666 sa kaniyang Pangalan o Titulo. Kaya nga may mga
pangalan man na kung susumahin ay mag-e-equal sa 666, kung hindi naman pasok
sa tatlong katangiang ito ay hindi siya ang kinatuparan ng propesiya. Ang
Kapapahan, ang posisyong ito, ang pagiging Papa ng isang tao ang naglalagay sa
kaniya bilang Anti-Cristo ang taong may bilang na ANIM NA RAAN AT ANIM NA
PUT ANIM. Mananatili ka pa ba sa relihiyong pinamumunuan niya? Magsuri sana
kayo mga mahal naming kaibigan

###end###

Sino ang kausap ng Diyos sa Genesis 1:26?

Sabi ng mga walang alam na trinitarian, ang Genesis 1:26 DAW ay isang PROOF na
hindi lang IISA ang Diyos, o kaya naman eh, yon daw ang nagpapatunay na ang
Diyos ay isang TRINITY o Diyos na binubuo ng tatlong persona. Ang kinakausap DAW
ng Diyos sa Gen. 1:26 ay ang kapwa niya mga Diyos, ang dalawa pang persona, si
Kristo at ang Espirito Santo.

Ito ang nakasulat sa Gen. 1:26

"Pagkatapos, sinabi ng Diyos: "Ngayon, likhain natin ang tao ayon sa ating larawan,
ayon sa ating wangis. Sila ang mamamahala sa mga isda, sa mga ibon sa
himpapawid at sa lahat ng hayop, maging maamo o mailap, malaki o maliit."

Bago natin ito talakayin, nais ko munang ipagbigay alam na matagal na palang
inabandona ng maraming trinitarian theologians ang argumento kung saan isa daw
itong PROOF na ang Diyos ay isang Trinity.

Bakit hindi natin itanong sa mga Hudyo, tutal nakasulat ito sa Old Testament at si
Kristo rin naman ay isang HUDYO kaya siguro naman ay imposibleng mali ang
pagpapakahulugan ng mga hudyo sa verse na ito. Sa Hebrew ito nakasulat kaya
malamang ay mga Hudyo din ang makakaintindi nito ng tama, tanong natin sa mga
Hudyo: Diyos anak at Diyos Espiritu Santo ba ang binabanggit sa talata na kausap
ng Diyos? [red, emphasis mine]:

One of the most popular verses used by missionaries as a proof text in support of the
doctrine of the Trinity is Genesis 1:26. This verse appears frequently in missionary
literature despite of the fact that this argument has been answered countless times
throughout the centuries and numerous Christian scholars have long abandoned it.
Lets examine the creation of man as described in the Torah:

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and they shall
rule over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the sky, and over the cattle, and
over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.
(Genesis 1:26)

With limited knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures, missionaries submit the above
verse as evidence that there was a plurality in the godhead that participated in
creation of our first parent. What other explanation could adequately account for the
Torahs use of the plural pronouns such as us and our in this verse?

This argument, however, is deeply flawed, and, accordingly, a great number

of Trinitarian theologians have long rejected the notion that Genesis 1:26
implies a plurality of persons in the godhead.

Rather, Christian scholars overwhelmingly agree that the plural pronoun in

this verse is a reference to Gods ministering angels who were created
previously, and the Almighty spoke majestically in the plural, consulting His
heavenly court. Lets read the comments of a number of preeminent Trinitarian Bible
scholars on this subject.

For example, the evangelical Christian author Gordon J. Wenham, who is no foe of
the Trinity and authored a widely respected two-volume commentary on the Book of
Genesis, writes on this verse,
Christians have traditionally seen [Genesis 1:26] as adumbrating [foreshadowing]
the Trinity. It is now universally admitted that this was not what the plural meant to
the original author.

source: outreachjudaism.org

Hindi naman pala sila naniniwala na ang Diyos ay isang Trinity ayon sa Gen. 1:26.
Kung ganoon naman pala, eh sino ba talaga ang kausap ng Diyos sa verse na yon?
Bakit niya sinabing "likhain NATIN ang tao ayon sa ATING larawan, ayon sa ATING
wangis"?

Ang mga ANGHEL

Ako, meron akong PATUNAY sa BIBLIYA na ang mga anghel ang kausap ng Diyos
dito, pero ang mga trinitarians, WALA SILANG PATUNAY na si Kristo at ang ESPIRITU
SANTO ang kausap ng Diyos, from cover to cover ng bibliya, WALA. Wala silang
mahahanap sa bibliya na sinasabing "kausap ko ang aking anak na si Kristo pati ang
Espirito Santo sa Genesis".

Eto ang sabi sa isang verse sa bibliya na katulad sa Genesis 1:26:

"Pagkatapos, sinabi ng Panginoong Yahweh, "Katulad na natin ngayon ang tao,

sapagkat alam na niya ang mabuti at masama. Baka pumitas siya at kumain ng
bungangkahoy na nagbibigay-buhay at hindi na siya mamatay." Genesis 3:22

Sabi ng Diyos sa Genesis 1:26, ang sabi niya "lalangin NATIN ang tao ayon sa ATING
larawan, ayon sa ATING wangis" at sabi naman niya sa Genesis 3:22, "katulad na
NATIN ngayon ang tao". Eh saan ba nila naging katulad ang TAO?

"Magbago na kayo ng diwa at pag-iisip; at ang dapat ninyong isuot ay ang bagong
pagkatao na nilikhang kalarawan ng Diyos, at nahahayag sa matuwid at banal na
pamumuhay ayon sa katotohanan." Efeso 4:23-24 BMBB

"At kayo'y mangagbago sa espiritu ng inyong pagiisip,At kayo'y mangagbihis ng

bagong pagkatao, na ayon sa Dios ay nilalang sa katuwiran at sa kabanalan
ng katotohanan." Efeso 4:23-24
Hindi ibig sabihin nung ginawa ng Diyos ang tao na KALARAWAN o KAWANGIS niya,
ang ibig sabihin ay ginawang KAMUKHA o KATULAD ng Diyos ang TAO. Kung ganyan
din lang ang interpretasyon ng iba dyan, eh di iinterpret na rin natin na ang tao pala
ay ginawang ESPIRITU at DIYOS din. Ang Diyos kasi ay espiritu sa kalagayan. At
kung literal na pag iinterpret lang din ang gagawin, eh di iinterpret din natin na ang
Diyos na Trinity pala ay babae na lalaki pa dahil ayon sa sumunod na verse, ang
Genesis 1:27:

"Nilalang nga ng Diyos ang tao ayon sa kanyang larawan. Sila'y kanyang nilalang
na isang lalaki at isang babae,"

Nilikha pala ng Diyos ang tao na LALAKI at BABAE, kaya kung kamukha o katulad
ang ibig sabihin non, eh dalawa pala ang kasarian ng Diyos Ama, Diyos Anak at
Diyos Espirito Santo. Kaya ang totoong ibig sabihin ng ginawa ang tao na
KALARAWAN at KAWANGIS ng Diyos eh ginawa ang tao sa KATUWIRAN at
KABANALAN NG KATOTOHANAN, doon naging kalarawan at kawangis ng Diyos ang
tao.

Pero balikan natin ang tanong kanina, sino ba ang kausap niya sa Genesis 1:26 at
Genesis 3:22? Ipagpatuloy lang natin ang pagbasa sa verse 24:

"Ano pa't itinaboy ang lalake; at inilagay sa silanganan ng halamanan ng Eden ang
mga Querubin at ang isang nagniningas na tabak na umiikot, upang ingatan ang
daang patungo sa kahoy ng buhay."

Bukod sa mga querubin, sino ba talaga ang kasama ng Diyos noong una, mga anghel
ba o ang 2 pang persona sa Trinity?

"Sa itaas niya ay nangakatayo ang mga serapin: bawa't isa'y may anim na pakpak:
na may dalawa na nagsisitakip ng kaniyang mukha, at may dalawa na nagsisitakip
ng kaniyang mga paa, at may dalawa na naglilipad sa kaniya." Isa. 6:2

Ang mga ito rin ang kausap ng Diyos sa Isaiah 6:8 na katulad sa Gen. 1:26, kung
saan sinabi niya ay "ATIN":
At narinig ko ang tinig ni Yahweh na nagsasabi, "Sino ang aking ipadadala? Sino ang
magpapahayag para sa atin?"..."

Ang tanong, eh kelan ba ginawa ang mga anghel na ito para masabi kong sila ang
kausap at kasama ng Diyos noong una? Ayon sa gotquestions.org:

"So, although the Bible does not specifically say when God created the angels, it was
sometime before the world was created. Whether this was a day before, or billions of
years beforeagain, as we reckon timewe cannot be sure."

Mahirap matukoy kung kailan eksakto sila ginawa ng Diyos dahil hindi naman ito
nasulat sa bibliya, pero ang sabi nga, "it was sometine before the world was
created". Paano natin malalaman kung totoo nga ito?

"Saan ka nandoon nang ilagay ko ang mga patibayan ng lupa? Ipahayag mo, kung
mayroon kang unawa. Sinong naglagay ng mga sukat niyaon, kung iyong
nalalaman? O sinong nagunat ng panukat diyan? Sa ano nalagay ang kaniyang mga
patibayan? O sinong naglagay ng batong panulok niyaon; Nang magsiawit na
magkakasama ang mga bituin pang-umaga. At ang lahat ng mga anak ng Dios ay
naghihiyawan sa kagalakan?" Job 38: 4-7

Habang ginagawa pala ng Diyos ang mundo, mga saksi na at naghihiyawan pa sa

kagalakan ang lahat ng "mga anak ng Diyos". Eh sino ba itong "mga anak ng Diyos"
na ito?

Ayon sa Pulpit Commentary:

"The sons of God" here must necessarily be the angels (see Job 1:6; Job 2:1),
since there were no men as yet in existence. They too joined in the chorus of
sympathy and admiration, perhaps lifting up their voices (Revelation 5:11, 12),
perhaps their hearts only, praising the Creator, who had done such marvellous
things."

Habang ginagawa pala ng Diyos ang mundo, andoon na ang mga ANGHEL at
pinupuri pa ang Diyos dahil sa mga ginawa niya. Pero teka, kung sila ay pumupuri
lang pala sa Diyos habang ginagawa niya ang mundo, sino ba talaga ang
KAMANLALALANG ng Diyos? Kasama ba ang mga anghel, tumulong ba sila sa Diyos
gawin ang mga tao at ang mundo?

Walang katuwang o kamanlalalang ang Diyos

Tanong ng ilan, eh paano mo nga sasabihin readme na MAG-ISA lang ang Diyos
nung ginawa niya ang mundo at ang mga tao eh sabi nga niya sa Gen. 1:26 eh
"likhain NATIN". Sabi ng Diyos, NATIN, ibig sabihin marami, may katuwang siya.

Ganun ba yon? Ganoon ba ang TAMANG pagkakaintindi doon? na porke sinabi ng

Diyos "natin" tumutukoy ito sa 2 pang persona sa Trinity?

Wala tayong mababasa na tumutukoy ito kay Kristo at sa Espiritu Santo from cover
to cover ng bibliya. Ang sabi, "NATIN" more than one, pwedeng 2 pwedeng 10,
pwedeng 100 ang tinutukoy dyan sa NATIN na yan.

Pero siyasatin na lang natin ang Genesis, tutal sa Genesis din nakasulat itong verse
na ito na may "NATIN". Ilan ba talaga o sino ba talaga ang gumawa ng mundo at ng
mga tao?

Dun muna tayo sa paggawa ng Diyos ng mundo:

1 Nang pasimula ay nilikha ng Diyos (singular) ang langit at ang lupa; 2 ang lupa
ay walang hugis o anyo. Dilim ang bumabalot sa kalaliman at kumikilos ang Espiritu
ng Diyos sa ibabaw ng tubig. 3 Sinabi ng Diyos (singular): "Magkaroon ng liwanag!"
At nagkaroon nga. 4 Nasiyahan ang Diyos (singular) nang ito'y mamasdan.
Pinagbukod niya (singular) ang liwanag at ang dilim. 5 Ang liwanag ay tinawag
niyang (singular) Araw, at ang dilim naman ay tinawag na Gabi. Lumipas ang gabi,
at sumapit ang umaga---iyon ang unang araw. Sinabi ng Diyos (singular):
"Magkaroon ng liwanag!" At nagkaroon nga. 6 Sinabi ng Diyos (singular):
"Magkaroon ng kalawakang maghahati sa tubig upang ito'y magkahiwalay!" 7 At
nangyari ito. Ginawa ng Diyos (singular) na pumagitan ang kalawakan sa tubig na
nasa itaas at sa tubig na nasa ibaba. 8 Langit ang itinawag niya (singular) sa
kalawakan. Lumipas ang gabi, at sumapit ang umaga---iyon ang ikalawang araw.
9 Sinabi ng Diyos (singular): "Magsama-sama sa isang dako ang tubig sa
silong ng langit upang lumitaw ang lupa." At nangyari nga ito. 10 Tinawag niyang
(singular) Lupa ang tuyong bahagi at Dagat naman ang nagsama-samang tubig.
Nasiyahan siya (singular) nang ito'y mamasdan. 11 Pagkatapos, sinabi ng Diyos
(singular): "Magkaroon sa lupa ng lahat ng uri ng tumutubong halamang
nagkakabinhi at mga punong namumunga." At nangyari ito. 12 Tumubo nga sa lupa
ang gayong mga halaman. Nasiyahan siya (singular) nang ito'y mamasdan. 13
Lumipas ang gabi, at sumapit ang umaga---iyon ang ikatlong araw.
14 Sinabi ng Diyos (singular): "Magkaroon ng mga tanglaw sa langit
upang mabukod ang araw sa gabi. Ito ang magiging batayan sa bilang ng mga araw,
taon at kapistahan. 15 Mula sa langit, ang mga ito'y magbibigay ng liwanag sa
daigdig." At gayon nga ang nangyari. 16 Nilikha ng Diyos (singular) ang dalawang
malalaking tanglaw: ang Araw, upang magbigay liwanag sa maghapon, at ang
Buwan, upang tumanglaw kung gabi. Nilikha rin niya (singular) ang mga bituin. 17
Inilagay niya (singular) sa langit ang mga tanglaw na ito upang magbigay ng
liwanag sa daigdig, 18 tumanglaw kung araw at gabi, at magbukod sa liwanag at
dilim. Nasiyahan ang Diyos (singular) nang ito'y kanyang mamasdan. 19 Lumipas
ang gabi, at sumapit ang umaga---iyon ang ikaapat na araw.
20 Sinabi ng Diyos (singular): "Magkaroon sa tubig ng maraming bagay
na may buhay, at magkaroon din ng mga ibon sa himpapawid." 21 Nilikha ng Diyos
(singular) ang mga dambuhala sa dagat, at lahat ng bagay na nabubuhay sa tubig,
gayundin ang lahat ng uri ng ibon. Nasiyahan ang Diyos (singular) nang ito'y
mamasdan. 22 Pinagpala niya (singular) ang mga ito at sinabi: "Magpakarami ang
lahat ng bagay na nabubuhay sa tubig at punuin ang karagatan; magpakarami rin
ang mga ibon at punuin ang daigdig." 23 Lumipas ang gabi, at sumapit ang
umaga---iyon ang ikalimang araw.
24 Sinabi ng Diyos (singular): "Magkaroon ng lahat ng uri ng hayop sa
lupa---maaamo, maiilap, malalaki at maliliit." At gayon nga ang nangyari. 25 Ginawa
nga niya (singular) ang lahat ng ito, at nasiyahan siya nang ito'y kanyang
mamasdan.

Kung mapapansin nyo, from verse 1 to 25, singular, ibig sabihin MAG-ISA LANG ANG
DIYOS sa paggawa. Pero ituloy natin sa verse 26:

26 Pagkatapos, sinabi ng Diyos (singular): "Ngayon, likhain natin (plural) ang tao
ayon sa ating (plural) larawan, ayon sa ating (plural) wangis. Sila ang
mamamahala sa mga isda, sa mga ibon sa himpapawid at sa lahat ng hayop, maging
maamo o mailap, malaki o maliit."

Kung kausap ng Diyos ang mga anghel dito, ibig bang sabihin KATUWANG ng Diyos
ang mga anghel nung likhain niya ang mga tao? Pagpatuloy natin sa verses 27-31:
27 Nilalang nga ng Diyos(singular) ang tao ayon sa kanyang (singular) larawan.
Sila'y kanyang (singular) nilalang na isang lalaki at isang babae, 28 at sila'y
pinagpala niya. Sinabi niya (singular), "Magpakarami kayo at punuin ninyo ng
inyong mga anak ang buong daigdig, at kayo ang mamahala nito. Binibigyan
ko(singular) kayo ng kapangyarihan sa mga isda sa tubig, sa mga ibon sa
himpapawid, at sa lahat ng mga hayop na nasa ibabaw ng lupa. 29 Ibinibigay ko
(singular) rin sa inyo ang lahat ng uri ng halamang nagkakabinhi at mga
bungangkahoy bilang pagkain ninyo. 30 Ang lahat ng halamang luntian ay ibinibigay
ko (singular) naman sa lahat ng hayop sa ibabaw ng lupa at sa lahat ng mga ibon."
At ito nga ang nangyari. 31 Pinagmasdan ng Diyos (singular) ang lahat niyang
(singular) ginawa, at lubos siyang (singular) nasiyahan. Lumipas ang gabi, at
sumapit ang umaga---iyon ang ikaanim na araw.

Hindi naman pala niya katuwang o wala siyang KAMANLALALANG nung ginawa niya
ang mundo at ang mga TAO. Alam nyo, kung talagang ang kausap niya ay yung 2
pang persona dyan at silang dalawa ang kaniyang KAMANLALALANG, eh di sana sa
verse 27 ang sinabi sana eh "nilalang nga NILA ang tao ayon sa KANILANG larawan.
nilalang NILA sila na isang lalaki at isang babae". Pero hindi naman diba? SINGULAR
pa rin sa sumunod na verse kasi nga MAG-ISA lang naman ang Diyos nung ginawa
niya ang mundo at mga tao.

Gusto pa ng ebidensya?

Eto oh, sabi sa Genesis 5:1

"Ito ang kasaysayan ng lahi na mula kay Adan. Nang likhain ng Diyos ang tao,
ginawa niya ito ayon sa kanyang larawan."

Wala talagang kasama ang Diyos nung likhain niya ang tao.

Gugunawin "NAMIN" ang lungsod na ito

Isa pa ito sa mga halimbawa kung saan nabanggit sa bibliya ang "namin" sa pagitan
ng Diyos at mga anghel. Ito kasi ang sabi ng mga anghel nang gugunawin na ang
sodoma at gomorra:
"Sinabi ng dalawang panauhin kay Lot, "Magmadali ka! Isama mong lahat ang iyong
mga anak at iba pang kamag-anak na nakatira sa lunsod na ito. Umalis na kayo rito,
sapagkat gugunawin na namin ang lunsod na ito! Pinakinggan ni Yahweh ang
mabibigat na sumbong laban sa mga taga-Sodoma at pinapunta kami ni Yahweh
upang wasakin ang lunsod na ito." Gen. 19:12-13

Oo, kinasangkapan ng Diyos ang mga anghel upang wasakin ang sodoma at
gomorra, tulad ng mga kinasangkapan ng Diyos na mga tao upang gumawa ng mga
himala at upang magpagaling ng mga tao, ngunit ang Diyos pa rin talaga ang
gumagawa nito dahil sa kaniya galing ang kapangyarihang gawin ang mga bagay na
ito.

At tulad nga sa pagwasak sa Sodoma at Gomorra, ang mga anghel ba talaga ang
nagwasak nito? Ipagpatuloy lang natin ang pagbasa sa mga sumunod na talata:

"Kaya't pinuntahan ni Lot ang mga mapapangasawa ng kanyang mga anak na babae
at sinabi sa kanila, "Umalis na kayo agad sapagkat wawasakin ni Yahweh ang
lunsod na ito." Ngunit akala nila'y nagbibiro lamang si Lot." verse 14

Mataas na ang araw nang makarating si Lot sa Zoar. Saka pa lamang pinaulanan
ni Yahweh ng apoy at asupre ang Sodoma at Gomorra. Tinupok ni Yahweh ang
mga lunsod na iyon at ang buong libis, lahat ng mamamayan doon pati ang mga
pananim." verses 23-25

Kahit pala may kinasangkapan ang Diyos, siya pa rin pala talaga ang GUMAWA ng
pagwasak sa mga bayang iyon.

"Elohim"

Ang elohim(hebrew) ay pwedeng singular o plural ng "god", kung ang ginamit ay

singular verb o adjective ang ibig sabihin nito ay "god/diyos", kung ginamit naman
ay plural verb o adjective ang ibig sabihin nito ay "gods/mga diyos".

Sa Genesis 1:26 sabi ng mga trinitarian, ang elohim daw doon ay plural dahil may
sinabi doon na "NATIN at ATIN".

Kung gagawin ang "elohim" bilang isang ebidensya para sabihing nung nilalang ng
Diyos ang mundo at mga tao ay meron siyang kasamang iba pa, lalabas na MARAMI
ANG DIYOS taliwas sa aral nila na ISA lang ang Diyos pero may tatlong persona.

Muli, ang ibig sabihin ng plural na elohim ay "mga Diyos" at hindi "mga Persona"
kaya hindi ito isang ebidensya sa gusto nilang iclaim.

MAG-ISA lang ang Diyos nang gawin niya ang mundo at ng mga tao

Itanong natin sa bibliya, bukod sa mga talata sa itaas, meron pa bang verses sa
bibliya kung saan makapagsasabi na mag-isa lang talaga ang Diyos nang gawin niya
ang mundo at ng mga tao?

"Do we not all have one father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal
treacherously each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers?
Malachi 2:10

Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that
the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We
are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Ps. 100:2-3

Thus says the LORD who made you and formed you from the womb, who will help
you, 'Do not fear, O Jacob My servant; and you Jeshurun whom I have chosen. Isa.
44:2

But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And
all of us are the work of Your hand. Isa. 64:8

For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed
the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, but
formed it to be inhabited),"I am the LORD, and there is none else. Isa. 45:18

"You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens,
with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and
you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you." Neh. 9:6

Oh yan ah, hindi lang pala basta "Diyos" ang nakalagay kung sino ang gumawa ng
mundo at ng mga tao kundi ang Pangioong Diyos, ang AMA at hindi yung Diyos na
may tatlong persona.
May iba pa bang Diyos bukod sa kaniya?

Eto basahin mo, Diyos mismo ang nagsabi:

I am the LORD, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God I will gird
you, though you have not known Me; That men may know from the rising to the
setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there
is no other, Isa. 45:5-6

Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and
declared it? And you are My witnesses Is there any God besides Me, Or is there
any other Rock? I know of none.'" Isa. 44:8

It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, And there was no
strange god among you; So you are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And I am
God. Isa. 43:12

Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I
am God, and there is no one like Me, Isa. 46:9

You are My witnesses," declares the LORD," And My servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He Before Me
there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me. Isa. 43:10

Declare and set forth your case; Indeed, let them consult together Who has
announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the LORD?
And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is
none except Me. Isa. 45:21

Eto pa ang ibang patotoo ng mga tao:

Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in
heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other. Deut. 4:39

For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God. Ps. 86:10
For this reason You are great, O Lord GOD; for there is none like You, and
there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
II Sam. 7:22

"For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, Nor has the eye
seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him. Isa.
64:4

Singular yang mga yan ah, kaya hindi pwedeng maging Trinitarian God yan.
Maliwanag na maliwanag: wala palang IBANG DIYOS MALIBAN SA KANIYA, WALA
SIYANG KATULAD at walang IBANG DIYOS na nauna sa kaniya at wala ring papalit.

Bakit hindi na kailangan pa ng KAMANANLALANG ng Diyos?

Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said
to him, I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. Gen. 17:1

one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. Eph. 4:6

God also said to him, I am God Almighty; Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a
company of nations shall come from you, And kings shall come forth from you. Gen.
35:11

Ang Diyos pala, ang AMA ay ALMIGHTY, hindi lang basta ALMIGHTY o
MAKAPANGYARIHAN kundi siya ay Diyos "who is over ALL", kaya ang Diyos ang
MAKAPANGYARIHAN SA LAHAT, muli, sa LAHAT.

Si Kristo ba ay "makapangyarihan din sa LAHAT"?

"Ganito ang sinasabi ng kasulatan, "Ang lahat ng bagay ay lubusang ipinailalim ng

Diyos sa kanyang kapangyarihan." Ngunit sa salitang "lahat ng bagay,"
maliwanag na hindi kasama rito ang Diyos na siyang naglagay ng lahat ng
bagay sa ilalim ng kapangyarihan ni Cristo. At kapag ang lahat ay nasa ilalim na ng
kapangyarihan ni Cristo, ang Anak naman ang papailalim sa kapangyarihan ng
Diyos na naglagay ng lahat ng bagay sa ilalim ng kapangyarihan niya. Sa gayon,
lubusang maghahari ang Diyos sa lahat." I Cor. 15:27-28
Ngayon, pano nyo sasabihing CO-EQUAL ang mga Diyos sa TRINITY? Kahit pala si
Kristo ay PAPAILALIM sa kapangyarihan ng DIYOS, sa gayon, lubusang maghahari
ang DIYOS SA LAHAT. Ngunit sa salitang "lahat ng bagay" maliwanag daw na hindi
kasama ang DIYOS DITO. Kaya dito pa lang sa verse na ito makikita na natin na
hindi talaga DIYOS si Kristo dahil kung Diyos siya, hindi niya kailangang pumailalim
sa kapangyarihan ng DIYOS.

Kaya malabo pa sa sabaw ng pusit na may KAMANLALALANG ang Diyos na kapwa

niya Diyos noong likhain niya ang mundo at ang mga tao. Isang kalapastanganan sa
Diyos ang kumilala sa iba pang mga Diyos maliban sa kaniya- sa tunay na Diyos,
ang AMA.

###end###

Historical Background of the Trinity

The current mainstream teaching in Christianity is that God is a coequal, coeternal,

one-substance trinity, and that Jesus Christ is God. This doctrine is considered by
many as the cornerstone of Christianity, but where did this doctrine come from? The
historical record is overwhelming that the church of the first three centuries did not
worship God as a coequal, coeternal, consubstantial, one-substance three in one
mysterious godhead. The early church worshipped one God and believed in a
subordinate Son. The trinity originated with Babylon, and was passed on to most of
the world's religions. This polytheistic (believing in more than one god) trinitarianism
was intertwined with Greek religion and philosophy and slowly worked its way into
Christian thought and creeds some 300 years after Christ. The idea of "God the Son"
is Babylonian paganism and mythology that was grafted into Christianity.
Worshipping "God the Son" is idolatry, and idolatry is Biblically condemned; it breaks
the first great commandment of God of not having any gods before him (Exodus
20:3). Then three centuries after Christ the corrupt emperor Constantine forced the
minority opinion of the trinity upon the council of Nicea. The Christian church went
downward from there; in fact some of the creeds and councils actually contradict
each other. The council of Nicea 325 said that "Jesus Christ is God," the council of
Constantinople 381 said that "the Holy Spirit is God," the council of Ephesus 431 said
that "human beings are totally depraved," the council of Chalcedon 451 said that
"Jesus Christ is both man and God." If you follow the logic here then first you have
Jesus Christ as God, then you have man totally depraved, and then you have Jesus
Christ as man and God. If Jesus Christ is both man and God does this mean that God
is also totally depraved? Well maybe the doctrine of the coequal, coeternal, one-
substance, mysterious three in one triune godhead is deprived of any historical
foundation tying it into the Christianity of the Bible and the Christianity of the first
three centuries. However the historical information ties the trinity into various pagan
origins.

And yet most Christian churches continue to teach and believe the doctrine that God
is a coequal, coeternal, one-substance, mysterious three in one triune godhead, and
that Jesus Christ is God, and that the trinity is "the cornerstone of Christianity".

The Church of the First Three Centuries 1865 Alvan Lamson

" . . . The modern doctrine of the Trinity is not found in any document or relic
belonging to the Church of the first three centuries. . . so far as any remains or any
record of them are preserved, coming down from early times, are, as regards this
doctrine an absolute blank. They testify, so far as they testify at all, to the
supremacy of the father, the only true God; and to the inferior and derived nature of
the Son. There is nowhere among these remains a coequal trinity. . . but no un-
divided three, -- coequal, infinite, self-existent, and eternal. This was a conception to
which the age had not arrived. It was of later origin."

During the first three centuries, Christians did not believe that Jesus Christ was
coequal, and coeternal with God, or that he was God the Son, they believed that
Jesus Christ was subordinate to God, and that he had a beginning, that he was born.
Those that believed otherwise were the exception.

The Doctrine of the Trinity Christianity's Self-Inflicted Wound 1994 Anthony

F. Buzzard Charles F. Hunting

"Those Trinitarians who believe that the concept of a Triune God was such an
established fact that it was not considered important enough to mention at the time
the New Testament was written should be challenged by the remarks of another
writer, Harold Brown:"

"It is a simple fact and an undeniable historical fact that several major doctrines that
now seem central to the Christian Faith -- such as the doctrine of the Trinity and the
doctrine of the nature of Christ -- were not present in a full and self-defined
generally accepted form until the fourth and fifth centuries. If they are essential
today as all of the orthodox creeds and confessions assert it must be because
they are true. If they are true, then they must always have been true; they cannot
have become true in the fourth and fifth century. But if they are both true and
essential, how can it be that the early church took centuries to formulate them?"
A History of the Christian Church 2nd Ed. 1985 Williston Walker

"AD 200. . Noetus had been expelled from the Smyrnaean church for teaching that
Christ was the Father, and that the Father himself was born, and suffered, and died."

Man's Religions John B. Noss 1968

"The controversy first became heated when Apollinarius, a bishop in Syria . . .

asserted that Christ could not have been perfect man united with complete God, for
then there would not have been one Son of God, but two sons, one by nature and
one by adoption, the first with a divine, the second with a human will. Such a thing
seemed inconceivable, religiously abhorrent."

"Nestorius . . . preached a sermon against calling the virgin Mary "the mother of
God" declaring she did not bear a deity, she bore a man,"

Numbers 23:19 states that God is not a man. God was not born, and God certainly
did not die, but when people deviate from what the Bible teaches you can come up
with the bizarre complexities of trinitarian religious mysteries that contradict logic,
common sense and God's Word.

New Bible Dictionary 1982

"The word trinity is not found in the Bible . . ."

". . . it did not find a place formally in the theology of the church till the 4th century."

". . . it is not a biblical doctrine in the sense that any formation of it can be found in
the Bible, . . ."

"Scripture does not give us a formulated doctrine of the trinity, . . ."

The HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism 1995

". . . scholars generally agree that there is no doctrine of the trinity as such in either
the Old Testament or the New Testament."

If the trinity is the cornerstone of Christianity then how did the church of the first
three centuries get along so well without it? If the trinity is the cornerstone of
Christianity then why is it not mentioned in the Bible?

The Encyclopedia Americana 1956

"Christianity derived from Judaism and Judaism was strictly Unitarian (believing in
one God). The road which led from Jerusalem to Nicea was scarcely a straight one.
Fourth century trinitarianism did not reflect accurately early Christian teaching
regarding the nature of God; it was, on the contrary, a deviation from this teaching."

The trinity is a deviation from believing in one God; it is a deviation from what the
early church taught and it is a deviation from the scripture.

The New Catholic Encyclopedia 1967

"The formulation 'one God in three persons' was not solidly established, certainly not
fully assimilated into Christian life and its profession of faith, prior to the end of the
4th century."

Who is Jesus? Anthony Buzzard

"The Old Testament is a strictly monotheistic. God is a single personal being. The
idea that a trinity is to be found there or even in any way shadowed forth, is an
assumption that has long held sway in theology, but is utterly without foundation."

The New Encyclopedia Britannica 1976

"Neither the word trinity, nor the explicit doctrine as such, appears in the New
Testament, nor did Jesus and his followers intend to contradict the Shema in the Old
Testament: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord' (Deut. 6:4). . . The
doctrine developed gradually over several centuries and through many controversies.
. . . By the end of the 4th century . . . the doctrine of the trinity took substantially
the form it has maintained ever since."

The Shema consists of three sections of scripture Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 11:13-21, and
Numbers 15:37-41. It is called the Shema after the Hebrew word hear, the first word
in Deut. 6:4. The Shema was to be recited twice daily once upon arising and once
when going to bed. So the Old Testament Jews would start and finish their day with
'Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.'

The Complete Word Study Old Testament 1994

"To the Jew, (Deut. 6:4-9) this is the most important text in the Old Testament.
Jesus himself called the injunction in 6:5 'the first and great commandment'
Matt.22:36-38. . . Moses is teaching not only the priority of belief in one God, but
also a means to preserve that belief. As time went on, the proper understanding of
the Shema with its spiritual implications was no longer grasped by the people. This
absence of saving knowledge became a factor in their spiritual downfall."
Whenever God's people forget that there is only one God and they follow after other
gods this will result in their downfall. This can be seen time and time again in the Old
Testament where God's people forsook the Lord and then evil came upon them. God
does not send this evil, but He warns us to stay away from the evil of worshipping
more than one God.

Dictionary of The Bible 1995 John L. Mckenzie

"The trinity of God is defined by the church as the belief that in God are three
persons who subsist in one nature. The belief as so defined was reached only in the
4th and 5th centuries AD and hence is not explicitly and formally a biblical belief."

Why You Should Believe In The Trinity 1989 Robert M. Bowman Jr.

"The New Testament does not contain a formalized explanation of the trinity that
uses such words as trinity, three persons, one substance, and the like."

The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology 1976

"The Bible lacks the express declaration that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
are of equal essence. [said Karl Barth]"

Exploring The Christian Faith 1992

"nowhere in the Bible do we find the doctrine of the trinity clearly formulated"

"People who are using the King James Version might be inclined to point to I John
5:7 'For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word and the
Holy Ghost' But it is now generally recognized that this verse does not belong to the
original text of the letter; it is a later insertion."

"The theological formulation took place later, after the days of the apostles."

"the doctrine of the trinity is not found in the Bible"

"The doctrine was to develop along mainly Greek lines"

Take note of the words "explicitly and formally", "formalized explanation", "express
declaration", and "clearly formulated". These words are indicative of the fact that all
the clear verses on the subjects of God, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit do not even
hint at a trinity. There are only a few verses that seem to hint at a trinity, and then
only when they are twisted. The difficult or unclear verse must always be interpreted
in light of the clear verses. If God is a coeternal, coequal, one substance, three-in-
one Godhead, trinity, if that is what God really is, then he would have made himself
known as such to the first century apostles; they would have made the trinity part of
their beliefs teachings and writings. They would have used words like God the Son,
coequal, coeternal, one substance, or trinity, but the scripture is devoid of all of
these trinitarian words and phrases because the first century apostles did not believe
or teach, or write about God being a trinity, or Jesus Christ being God. But the pagan
and Greek and Babylonian religions used those words.

Dictionary Of The Bible 1995 John L. Mckenzie

"The trinity of persons within the unity of nature is defined in terms of 'person' and
'nature' which are Greek philosophical terms; actually the terms do not appear in the
Bible. The trinitarian definitions arose as the result of long controversies in which
these terms and others such as 'essence' and 'substance' were erroneously applied
to God by some theologians."

The Rise of Christianity W.H.C. Frend 1985

"For him [Clement] the trinity consisted of a hierarchy of three graded beings, and
from that concept - derived from Platonism - depended much of the remainder of his
theological teaching."

The Doctrine of the Trinity Christianity's Self-Inflicted Wound 1994 Anthony

F. Buzzard Charles F. Hunting

"Eberhard Griesebach, in an acedemic lecture on "Christianity and humanism"

delivered in 1938, observed that in its encounter with Greek philosophy Christianity
became theology. That was the fall of Christianity. The Problem thus highlighted
stems from the fact that traditional orthodoxy, while it claims to find its origins in
scripture, in fact contains elements drawn from a synthesis of Scripture and Neo-
Platonism. The mingling of Hebrew and Greek thinking set in motion first in the
second century by an influx of Hellenism through the Church Fathers, whose
theology was colored by the Platonists Plotinus and Porphyry. The effects of the
Greek influence are widely recognized by theologians, though they go largely
unnoticed by many believers."

". . . the Trinity is an unintelligible proposition of platonic mysticisms that three are
one and one is three" [quote from Thomas Jefferson]

The Greek mythology and pagan religious beliefs were derived from Babylon.

Nouveau Dictionnaire Universel 1870

"The Platonic trinity, itself merely a rearrangement of older trinities dating back to
earlier peoples, appears to be the rational philosophic trinity of attributes that gave
birth to the three hypostases or divine persons taught by the Christian churches . . .
This Greek philosopher's (Plato, 4th century BC) conception of the divine trinity . . .
can be found in all ancient (pagan) religions"

The Two Babylons 1916 Rev. Alexander Hislop

"Egypt and Greece derived their religion from Babylon"

Microsoft Encarta Funk & Wagnalls 1994

"Neoplatonism is a type of idealistic monism in which the ultimate reality of the

universe is held to be an infinite, unknowable, perfect One. From this One emanates
nous (pure intelligence), whence in turn is derived the world soul, the creative
activity of which engenders the lesser souls of human beings. The world soul is
conceived as an image of the nous, even as the nous is an image of the One; both
the nous and the world soul, despite their differentiation, are thus consubstantial
[one substance] with the One."

Microsoft Encarta Funk & Wagnalls 1994

"The theologians Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and St. Augustine were early
Christian exponents of a Platonic perspective. Platonic ideas have had a crucial role
in the development of Christian theology"

The Rise of Christianity W.H.C. Frend 1985

"we find Christianity tending to absorb Greek philosophical values, until by the end of
the third century the line between the beliefs of educated Christian and educated
pagan in the east would often be hard to draw."

The early Christians began mixing Greek and pagan and Babylonian philosophical
and religious trinitarian concepts with their Christian doctrine which lead them to
begin considering the trinity, and after three centuries that thinking finally took hold.
Acts 17:22 says that the Greeks were too superstitious, and I Corinthians 1:22 says
that the Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom. The Greeks were too
intellectual in their approach to Gods Word. They became wise in their own eyes and
the truth of God's Word became foolishness to them, so they grafted their own
superstitious philosophical wisdom into God's Word and changed the truth into a lie;
they changed Son of God to God the Son.

Catholic Encyclopedia 1991

"The term 'Trinity' does not appear in scripture"

"(The Doctrine of the Trinity) - hammered out over the course of three centuries of
doctrinal controversy against modalism and subordinationism"

Why You Should Believe In The Trinity 1989 Robert M. Bowman Jr.

"Roman Catholics . . often claim that the trinity is not a biblical doctrine and was first
revealed through the ministry of the church centuries after the Bible was written.
This is in keeping with the Roman Catholic belief that Christian doctrine may be
based either on the Bible or on church tradition."

The Roman Catholic Church did not get the doctrine of the trinity from the Bible,
they hammered out their own theology of what they wanted God to be over several
hundred years, and mixed Greek philosophy with Babylonian mystery religion, and
their own private interpretations of the Bible.

I Peter 1:20, 21 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any
private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but
holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

II Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

People don't respect God's Word, they are more interested in inventing their own
theology by the will of man instead of believing the word of God, they are not
interested in rightly dividing God's word of truth. The trinity is private interpretation
and wrong dividing of God's word.

Jesus Christ is not God 1975 Victor Paul Wierwille

"Long before the founding of Christianity the idea of a triune god or a god-in-three
persons was a common belief in ancient religions. Although many of these religions
had many minor deities, they distinctly acknowledged that there was one supreme
God who consisted of three persons or essences. The Babylonians used an equilateral
triangle to represent this three-in-one god, now the symbol of the modern three-in-
one believers."

"The Hindu trinity was made up of the gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The Greek
triad was composed of Zeus, Athena and Apollo. These three were said by the
pagans to 'agree in one.' One of the largest pagan temples built by the Romans was
constructed at Ballbek (situated in present day Lebanon) to their trinity of Jupiter,
Mercury and Venus. In Babylon the planet Venus was revered as special and was
worshipped as a trinity consisting of Venus, the moon and the sun. This triad became
the Babylonian holy trinity in the fourteenth century before Christ."

"Although other religions for thousands of years before Christ was born worshipped a
triune god, the trinity was not a part of Christian dogma and formal documents of
the first three centuries after Christ."

"That there was no formal, established doctrine of the trinity until the fourth century
is a fully documented historical fact."

"Clearly, historians of church dogma and systematic theologians agree that the idea
of a Christian trinity was not a part of the first century church. The twelve apostles
never subscribed to it or received revelation about it. So how then did a trinitarian
doctrine come about? It gradually evolved and gained momentum in late first,
second and third centuries as pagans, who had converted to Christianity, brought to
Christianity some of their pagan beliefs and practices."

Who is Jesus? Anthony Buzzard

". . . we shall find not a hint that Jesus believed himself to be an uncreated being
who had existed from eternity. Matthew and Luke trace the origin of Jesus to a
special act of creation by God when the Messiahs conception took place in the womb
of Mary. It was this miraculous event which marked the beginningthe genesis, or
origin of Jesus of Nazareth"

Arius and his followers believed that Jesus Christ was created, that he was not in the
beginning with God. They believed that he had a beginning, whereas God has no
beginning. This makes Jesus Christ substantially different from God, which means he
cannot be of one-substance with God as the trinitarians believe.

Documents of the Christian Church 2nd Ed 1963 Henery Bettenson

(quotes from Arius and his followers)

"If, said he, the Father begat the Son, he that was begotten had a beginning of
existence; hence it is clear that there was a [a time] when the son was not."

"The Son of God is from what is not and there was [a time] when he was not; saying
also that the Son of God, in virtue of his free will, is capable of evil and good, and
calling him a creature and a work."

The Rise of Christianity 1985 W.H.C. Frend

"If the Father begat the son, there must be when he was not. He could not therefore
be coeternal with the Father."[said by Arius]

Man's Religions 1968 John B. Noss

"Arius held that Christ, . . . was a created being; he was made like other creatures
out of nothing, . . . The Son, he argued, had a beginning, while God was without
beginning."

The Church in History 1964 B. K. Kuiper

"The heathen believe in many gods. Arius thought that to believe that the Son is God
as well as that the Father is God would mean that there are two Gods, and that
therefore the Christians would be falling back into heathenism."

Arius believed that Jesus Christ was born, that he had a beginning, he believed that
Jesus Christ was the created Son, not the Creator, and for taking the Word of God
literally he was excommunicated and anathematized. Starting with Nimrod in ancient
Babylon until today man has stubbornly rebelled against the doctrine of one God.

Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Exodus 34:14a For thou shalt worship no other god:

The trinity is idolatry, it puts Jesus Christ as a god before God.

Forgers of the Word 1983 Victor Paul Wierwille

"To say Jesus Christ is God the Son is idolatry. To say Jesus is the Son of God is
truth."

I Samuel 15:23 For Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as

iniquity and idolatry.

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:
The Lord God Almighty, the Creator, the Father of Jesus Christ is one God not three,
not three-in-one, not one-in-three, ONE! and only ONE! God is not a three-headed
multi-personality trinity.

The Bible clearly refers to Jesus Christ as the Son of God 50 times; it never refers to
him as God the Son. The phrase, Son of God, is in the genitive case; showing that
Jesus Christ originated from and belongs to God. In no way can the Son of God be
the same as God the Son, that violates grammar, language and common sense. God
the Son is not a biblical term, it does not appear in the Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic
texts. God the Son is however a Babylonian term. The Babylonians made Nimrod a
god, and when he died they deified his son Tammuz as God the Son. Making God a
man and man a god was invented in Babylon. This idolatry and false belief has been
carried into pagan religions, and it has worked its way into Christianity as the
doctrine of the trinity.

Ravaged By The New Age 1996 Texe Marrs

"Nimrod, the first of the great Babylonian rulers, was also declared to be the first of
the man-gods."

The Two Babylons 1916 Rev. Alexander Hislop

"He was worshipped in Babylon under the name of El-Bar, or 'God the Son'."

It is clear that the trinity does not have a Biblical origin. It can be traced back to
ancient Babylon, pagan Greeks and Romans. It was forced upon the Christian Church
by the emperor Constantine. It was adhered to by bishops who were afraid to speak
against it. Then when the Protestants broke away from the corrupt Roman Church
most of them still carried the pagan doctrine of the trinity, because they had
practiced error for so long that they accepted the trinitarian doctrine.

Encyclopedia Britannica 1968

"The Council of Nicaea met on May 20, 325. Constantine himself presiding, actively
guiding the discussion, and personally proposed the crucial formula expressing the
relation of Christ to God in the creed issued by the council. 'of one substance with
the father.' Over-awed by the emperor, the bishops, with two exceptions only,
signed the creed, many of them against their inclination. Constantine regarded the
decision of Nicaea as divinely inspired. As long as he lived no one dared openly to
challenge the creed of Nicaea."

The Origins of Pagan and Christian Beliefs Edward Carpenter 1920 1996
"And when at the Council of Nicea (325 AD) it [the early church] endeavored to
establish an official creed, the strife and bitterness only increased."

"-the Nicean creed had nothing to propound except some extremely futile
speculations about the relation to each other of the Father and the Son, and the
relation of both to the Holy Ghost,"

Man's Religions 1968 John B. Noss

"This creed, adopted under pressure from the emperor, who wanted peace, did not
immediately solve the doctrinal difficulties or save the peace. The phrases (not
made) and (of the same substance with the Father) were bitterly denounced by
many"

The Rise of Christianity 1985 W.H.C. Frend

"The Emperor exerted all his influence toward winning unanimous acceptance and
nearly succeeded. Only two bishops stood out against it; but two other senior
bishops refused to sign the anathemas against Arius and were exiled."

Constantine was really only interested in unifying the empire and gaining more
power. He broke truces, started wars, and even had relatives killed to further his
power. Constantine was more interested in unity than in getting the correct doctrine
of the trinity. In fact before he died Constantine switched sides and took Arius
position regarding the trinity instead of the position that he forced through the
council of Nicea. Without Constantine's presiding, actively guiding, and actively
controlling the discussion there would not have been a 'coequal' 'coeternal' 'God the
Son' Nicene creed. But what manner of man was this person who pushed through
this doctrine which was to become the cornerstone of Christianity?

A History of Christianity Volume 1 1997 Kenneth Scott Latourette

"Constantine. . . although only a catechumen, [One who is being instructed in a

subject at an elementary level] presided over its [the council of Nicea] opening
session, and was active in its deliberations. Whether Constantine appreciated the
niceties of the questions at issue is highly doubtful, for he was a layman, a warrior
and administrator, not a philosopher or an expert theologian."

The Rise of Christianity 1985 W.H.C. Frend

"Like all great conquerors from Alexander to Napoleon or even Hitler his
[Constantine's] aim was unity and unification on a worldwide scale."

A History of the Christian Church 2nd Ed. 1985 Williston Walker

"He [Constantine] accepted the pagan title of Pontifex Maximus, and his coins still
showed the emblems of the Sun-God."

Babylon Mystery Religion 1981 Ralph Woodrow

". . his [Constantine's] conversion is to be seriously questioned. Even though he had

much to do with the establishment of certain doctrines and customs within the
church, the facts plainly show that he was not truly converted-not in the Biblical
sense of the word."

"Probably the most obvious indication that he was not truly converted may be seen
from the fact that after his conversion he committed several murders-including the
murder of his own wife and son!"

"Yet in 326-very shortly after directing the Nicean Council-he had his son put to
death."

The Doctrine of the Trinity Christianity's Self-Inflicted Wound 1994 Anthony

F. Buzzard Charles F. Hunting

"It was Constantine who by official edict brought Christianity to believe in the formal
division of the Godhead into two -- God the Father and God the Son. It remained the
task of a later generation to bring Christianity to believe in the Triune God."

". . . years after winning this heaven-inspired triumph, history divulges that the
alleged follower of Jesus murdered an already vanquished rival, killed his wife by
having her boiled alive in her own bath -- and murdered an innocent son." [speaking
of Constantine]

A History of Christianity 1976 Paul Johnson

". . . appears to have been a sun-worshipper, one of a number of the late pagan
cults which had observances in common with Christians. Worship of such gods was
not a novel idea. Every Greek or Roman expected that political success followed from
religious piety. Christianity was the religion of Constantine's father. Although
Constantine claimed that he was the thirteenth apostle, his was no sudden
Damascus conversion. Indeed it is highly doubtful that he ever truly abandoned sun-
worship. After his professed acceptance of Christianity, he built a triumphal arch to
the sun god and in Constantinople set up a statue of the same sun god bearing his
own features. He was finally deified after his death by official edict in the Empire, as
were many Roman rulers."

". . . His private life became monstrous as he aged . . . His abilities had always lain
in management . . . [he was] a master of . . . the smoothly-worded compromise."

It would be an understatement to say that Constantine was a crooked politician; yet

this is the man who is mainly responsible for the Nicene Creed's doctrine of the
coequal, coeternal, one substance three in one God. One day he is setting the
doctrine for the Christian church another day he is murdering people; it would seem
that to anyone with any common sense that formulating church doctrine should not
be done by a non-repentant murderer. How many of you would like to have a non-
repentant murderer setting your Christian doctrine? Yet if you believe the Nicene
Creed you have done just that.

Documents of the Christian Church 2nd Ed 1963 Henery Bettenson

"The decisions of Nicea were really the work of a minority, and they were
misunderstood and disliked by many"

Forgers of the Word 1983 Victor Paul Wierwille

"The truth of Jesus Christ the Son of God was deliberately forged into the doctrine of
God the Son. Seeds of Jesus Christ as God were planted and sprouted during the
lifetime of Paul, continued growing during Timothy's lifetime and flourished shortly
thereafter, reaching full bloom for all future creeds by 325 AD"

"The doctrine that Jesus Christ the Son of God was God the son was decreed by
worldly and ecclesiastical powers. Men were forced to accept it at the point of the
sword or else, Thus, the error of the trinity was propounded to the end that
ultimately people believed it to be the truth. Thus Christianity became in essence like
Babylonian heathenism, with only a veneer of Christian names."

A History of Christianity Volume 1 1997 Kenneth Scott Latourette

"To enforce the decisions of the Council of Nicea, Constantine commanded, with the
death penalty for disobedience, the burning of all books composed by Arius,
banished Arius and his closest supporters, and deposed from their sees Eusebius of
Nicomedia and another bishop who had been active in the support of Arius."

The Rise of Christianity 1985 W.H.C. Frend

"the controversial term, defining the son as Consubstantial with [homoousios] the
father was introduced by Constantine. The term was objectionable to any Origenist
bishop and had been rejected by Dionysius of Alexandria when used by the Libyan
bishops, and the Council of Antioch"

"The great majority of the eastern bishops were placed in a false position. they dared
not challenge the emperor"

A History of the Christian Church 2nd Ed. 1985 Williston Walker

"The majority (of the bishops) were conservatives in the sense that they represented
. . . subordinationism of the eastern tradition. The Emperor himself was present at
the assembly and dominated its proceedings."

"From the very beginning, however, people like Eusebius of Caesarea had doubts
about the (Nicene) creed, doubts focused on the word 'homoousios'. (Greek for one
substance) . . . The term was non-Scriptural; it had a very doubtful theological
history."

"Eusebius of Nicomedia and all save two of the other bishops, signed the creed-
willing no doubt, to go along with what the emperor wanted. Yet he and many others
continued to suspect its language."

The majority of the bishops at the council of Nicea believed in what is called
subordinationism, which is a belief that Jesus Christ is subordinate to God the Father,
not coequal, not coeternal, and not God the Son. The teachings of Arius were
condemned in 325, but the teachings of Arius did not die, by 359 Arianism was
widely accepted, that is until the minority trinitarian bishops found another emperor
that they could get to propose their trinitarian creed at the Council of Constantinople
in 381.

Man's Religions John B. Noss 1968

"The doctrine of the trinity he [Michael Servetus] felt to be a Catholic perversion and
himself to be a good New Testament Christian in combating it. . . According to his
conception, a trinity composed of three distinct persons in one God is a rational
impossibility;"

Saying that Jesus Christ is not God does not degrade Jesus Christ it merely sets
things in their proper order so we can know God and worship Him in spirit and truth.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way the truth and the life: no man cometh
to the Father, but by me.

John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do that the Father
may be glorified in the Son.

We can no longer be lulled to sleep by the bizarre, complex, confusing, ritualistic,

mysterious Babylonian traditions of trinitarian doctrines. We must come back to
Gods Word and worship the one true God; the Father of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 8:4b there is none other God but one.

1 Corinthians 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all
things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by
him.

The Doctrine of the Trinity Christianity's Self-Inflicted Wound 1994 Anthony

F. Buzzard Charles F. Hunting

"The God of Moses, Isaiah, Jesus, and the apostles was one person, the Father. One
cannot be made equal to two or three. All that can be done with one is to
fractionalize it. Divide it into smaller segments and it is no longer one. Expand it, and
in spite of prodigious mental gymnastics on the part of Trinitarians, it cannot be
made into two or three and still remain one."

". . . it is not uncommon for religious leaders to insist that you must believe in the
Trinity to be a Christian, or be branded a cultist."

"One of the great marvels of Christian history has been the ability of theologians to
convince Christian people that three persons are really one God."
A Statement of Reasons for Not Believing the Doctrine of the Trinitarians
Concerning the Nature of God and the Person of Christ 1833 Andrews
Norton

"When we look back through the long ages of the reign of the Trinity . . . we shall
perceive that few doctrines have produced more unmixed evil."

The Bible does not give us a doctrine of a trinity, the historical record shows that
modern Christian trinitarian beliefs were not formulated until about 300 years after
the death of Jesus Christ, but in pagan religions trinitarian beliefs date back to
ancient Babylon, thousands of years before Jesus Christ. The coequal, coeternal, one
substance, three in one trinity is not a Christian Biblical doctrine; yet there are those
who insist that it is the cornerstone of Christianity.

In our day and time the doctrine of the trinity is a cornerstone of idolatry.

###end###

Micah 5:2 Does Christ the Messiah dwells in

eternity?
But thou, Beth-lehem Ephrathah,? Which art little to be among the thousands of
Judah,? Out of thee shall one come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel;?
Whose goings forth?are from of old, from ancient days.?

Many mis-interpret the last part of the prophecy to advance their claim that Christ is
God for He has existed from eternity.However it is quiet obvious that even the entire
verse do not say about a Christ who has pre-existed from eternity.
According to:

[THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, According To The Masoretic Text,?The Jewish Publication

Society of America, Copyright 1917, 1945.] . But thou, Beth-leham Ephrathah,
Which art little to be among the thousands of Judah, Out of thee shall one come
forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; Whose goings forth?are from old, from
ancient days.?(Micah. 5:1)

Out of thee?here we can see that, the LORD God is speaking to Bethleham. Also we
can see that the one?spoken of as, that shall come forth? is spoken of, as coming
forth unto Me?or unto God, and is to be ruler in Israel;?It should be quite clear that
the LORD God as He, spoke through His prophet Micah, is speaking about some one
other then Himself. The one coming forth unto God, out of Bethleham, to be ruler in
Israel, is not God Himself. As it is written:

Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and
from Bethlehem, the village where David was? (John.7: 42. NEW AMERICAN
STANDARD BIBLE, The Lockman Foundation, Copyright 1960, 1977.)

Yes indeed, For the Scriptures say for today in the city of David there has been born
for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke.2: 11. NASB) He will be great, and
will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of
His father David;?(Luke.1: 32. Ibid.) So we can see that according to the Bible, the
one Micah writes about in the Scripture in question is the Christ, not God.

Now to continue with the Scripture in question, Whose goings forth?are from of old,
from ancient days.? This is the portion of Scripture, which is causing many to
stumble. They could not comprehend how the subject Whose?Christ is predicated
by the goings forth? Here, the , goings forth? that is spoken of as which are
from of old, from ancient days.?and not the subject Whose? In other words, what
this Scripture is referring to regarding the Christ,

who was predestined for this before the foundation of the world, but was revealed
only at the end of the ages,?(1 Peter 1:20) [THE BIBLE AN AMERICAN
TRANSLATION, Smith&Goodspeed, Copyright 1931.]

You see, what the Scripture in question is referring to, is the predestination of the
Christ, not to Him as been preexisting, or eternal, and defiantly not to the Christ, as
being God. I hope that this was helpful; in rectifying, your misconceptions regarding
this Scripture.

###end###
 GODS RIGHTEOUSNESS IN SALVATION

Why do we need to enter the Church Of Christ in order to be saved? Can we

attain salvation outside the Church Of Christ?

GODS LAW WRITTEN IN THE BIBLE CLEARLY STATES EACH IS TO DIE FOR
HIS OWN SIN

The Lord Jesus Christ did not violate any Gods law, and Gods law explicitly tells us:

Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to
death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin. (Deuteronomy 24:16
NIV)

Gods law clearly states that each is to die for his own sin. It is against the law of
God to put to death the father because of his sons sin, and to put to death the son
because of his fathers sin. One should not be put to death because of others sin.
This is the reason why the Lord Jesus Christ said:

Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I
am He, you will die in your sins. (John 8:24 NKJV)

The Lord Jesus Christ did not violate any of Gods law, including Deuteronomy 24:16
which says each is to die for his own sin. Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ said, you will
die in your own sins.

WHAT JESUS CHRIST DID TO SAVE MEN WITHOUT VIOLATING GODS LAW?

What did the Lord Jesus Christ do in order to save men without violating Gods law
stating each is to die for his own sin? This is what Apostle Paul explained in
Ephesians 5:23:

For a husband has authority over his wife just as Christ has authority over the
church; and Christ is himself the Savior of the church, his body. (Ephesians 5:23
TEV)

The Lord Jesus Christ made those He is going to save as His body. The verse clearly
stated that the Church is the body of Christ. Colossians 1:18 clearly stated the
relationship of Jesus with His Church:

And he is the head of the body, the church... (Colossians 1:18 NIV)

Christ is the head and the Church is His body. Thus, in the sight of God Jesus and His
Church are "one new man:
By abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His
purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace.
(Ephesians 2:15 NIV)

Jesus is the head and the Church is His body, thus, Jesus (the head) and the Church
(the body) are one new man. Take note that what violates Gods law written in
Deuteronomy 24:16 is if Christ will die for others because this Gods law states that
each is to die for his own sin. Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ will die not for others, not
for all of humanity, but for His Church as what Ephesians 5:25 clearly states:

Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it.
(Ephesians 5:25 TEV)

Christ died for His Church? This doesnt violate but in accordance with Gods law
stating each is to die for his own sin because Christ (the head) died not for others
but for the Church (which is His own body). Christ as the head is responsible for the
Church (His own body).

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST ORDERED US TO ENTER THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

IN ORDER TO BE SAVED

Christ died for those outside the Church? This will violates Gods law stating each is
to die for his own sin. Thus, the reason why those who want to be saved, Christ
ordered them to enter Him:

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved... (John 10:9 NKJV)

Christ said, If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved. Christ is not referring to His
physical body, but to the Church (Col. 1:18), which is called Church Of Christ
(Romans 16:16). Thus, if we enter the Church Of Christ, we enter Christs body
because the Bible explicitly states that the Church is Christs body.

We must enter the Church Of Christ in order to be saved, because if we are outside
His body, His Church, the Lord Jesus Christ cannot die for our sins because it will
violates Gods law stating each is to die for his own sin. This is also the reason why
Apostle Paul explicitly stated that God will judge those outside the Church:

What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge
those inside? 13God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among
you. (I Corinthians 5:12-13 NIV)

Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior, but the one that will save by the Lord Jesus
Christ is His Church:

For a husband has authority over his wife just as Christ has authority over the
church; and Christ is himself the Savior of the church, his body. (Ephesians 5:23
TEV)

ONE TRUE CHURCH THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

The Church is the one that Christ will save because the Church is His own body, and
He is the head of the Church. As the head of the Church, Christs is indeed
responsible for His Church. However, how many Church that Christ built? Are all
churches belonging to Christ? This is the Lord Jesus answer in Matthew 16:18:

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the
gates of Hades will not overcome it. (Matthew 16:18 NIV)

The Lord Jesus Christ built only one Church. He said, I will build my church. He did
not said, I will build my churches. This Church is called Church Of Christ:
Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit
has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased
with his blood. (Acts 20:28 Lamsa)

Those churches who are not called Church Of Christ cannot claim that they are the
one true Church that the Lord Jesus will save because the Bible clearly states the
following:

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to
men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12 NIV)

NOT BY FAITH ALONE

However, there are people that refused to submit to Gods righteousness in

salvation, they tried to set up their own way of salvation as what Apostle Paul
testified:

I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God; but their devotion is not
based on true knowledge. They have not known the way in which God puts people
right with himself, and instead, they have tried to set up their own way; and so they
did not submit themselves to God's way of putting people right. (Romans 10:2-3
TEV)

They claim that it is enough to have faith or through faith alone man will be saved.
This directly contradicts the teaching of the Bible:

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have
works? Can faith save him?

You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. (James 2:14,
24 NKJV)
They claim that it is enough to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior in order to be saved.
But the Lord Jesus Christ says otherwise:

Not everyone who calls me 'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only
those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do. When the Judgment Day
comes, many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God's message, by
your name we drove out many demons and performed many miracles!' Then I will
say to them, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people! (Matthew
7:21-23 TEV)

They claim that salvation can be attained even outside the Church Of Christ. Apostle
Paul answered this:

What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge
those inside? God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among
you. (I Corinthians 5:12-13 NIV)

Others claim that Christ died for all humanity. But the Bible clearly states that Christ
died for His Church:

Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it.
(Ephesians 5:25 TEV)

CONCLUSION

Think about this: How will Christ die for you or save you even though you claim you
believe and accepted Him as your personal Savior, but you are outside the Church Of
Christ (His own body), if Gods law clearly states that each is to die for his own sin?
Christ established the Church Of Christ and made it His own body, and order those
who want to be saved to enter it, so that He can die for you or save you without
violating Gods law which states that each is to die for his own sin. Christ as the
head of the Church Of Christ, and the Church is His body. Christ died for His Church
(His own body). This is Gods righteousness in salvation.

###end###

DO WE HATE THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT INC

MEMBERS?

One of the many misconceptions of nonmembers is that we, INC members hate
people who are Catholics, protestants and so on because they have different beliefs
with us.

They see our ministers in television, radio and in personal debunking their beliefs,
but the question is, is this the very proof the WE HATE THEM?

Honest answer. NO.

Why?

Because it is very NORMAL not to agree with other beliefs which is for us, were
wrong beliefs. Coming to the point that we debate and argue with them concerning
our beliefs, but that is not a very big reason for us to hate them as individuals. What
we are against is about their false beliefs, which violates god's commandments and
make them attain not salvation but curses from god that is why before there will be
regrets, we are educating them the TRUTH which are written in the bible.

We are not selfish that we keep that truth to ourselves, that's the reason why we are
continually inviting nonmembers to KNOW the CHURCH DOCTRINES. And if they
think that what we believe is wrong then we can do nothing about it, atleast we had
the chance to introduce them to the church so that when judgment day comes, they
will not blame us for not inviting them to the church... Every member of the church
does have the duty to spread the words of god by inviting them, not by means of
preaching, and if they accept it or not its not our problem...
About debates and arguments

It is not normal for religions with different beliefs to agree each other, if that will be
the case then there should only be ONE CHURCH worldwide, no sects, no
denominations, no cults, no other independent churches. The only reason why
christian churches multiplied because of DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS of the bible,
it is also the reason why the Church of Christ in the 1st century, the church which
Christ built, had fallen to apostasy.

If you see a catholic agrees with a protestant out of biblical concern, its normal. But
if you see a catholic agrees with a protestant concerning her/his beliefs, then there is
a problem.

That's also the same with the Iglesia ni Cristo members, Catholics and Protestants.
You can see us ARGUE with our beliefs, but the purpose of that is not to promote
hatred and so on, but we do is that we are fixing and solving biblical matters whom
someone will benefit for the sake of the truth.

On ministers debunking other religion

Ministers in the INC do not attack Catholics and Protestants personally, and the word
"attack" is not the best word to describe what are ministers do in television, radio
and in worship services, their objective is not to hurt the feelings of other people but
to CORRECT THEIR ERRONEOUS BELIEFS by comparing it to what was written in the
bible, only the bible, because:

"Since you were a child you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to
make you wise. And that wisdom leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for showing people
what is wrong in their lives, for correcting faults, and for teaching how to
live right. Using the Scriptures, the person who serves God will be capable, having
all that is needed to do every good work." II Tim. 3: 15-17

Apostle Paul recommended to expose their wrong doings instead, and that's whats
ministers are doing, not with the intention of hurting their feelings but showing the
reality that what they believe are wrong:
"Take no part in and have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds and enterprises of
darkness, but instead [let your lives be so in contrast as to] expose and
reprove and convict them." Eph. 5:11

Non INC members are already destined to hell?

This is also one of the many misconceptions of non members to the INC, or i can also
say that this is one of the many "attacks" on the church, they accuse the INC of
having a belief that all non INC members will be automatically be in hell which make
us judgmental, as what they say.

I want to make this clear, WE DO NOT HAVE THAT KIND OF BELIEF, what we believe
is that Christ will save his church, the Church of Christ, because he is the savior of
the church:

For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his
body, of which he is the Savior. Ephesians 5:23

Christ is the head of the church, he is also the savior of the church, it doesnt say he
is the savior of all people in the world with different beliefs. This is the proof that the
church is NEEDED for SALVATION, not all people in this world are candidates for
salvation, the proof is that there are those who will attain salvation and those who
will be punished:

Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will
hear his voice and come outthose who have done what is good will rise to
live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned." John
5:28-29

It will be unfair to those people who are good if God will save all including those
people who done bad. Examples of this is in the time of Noah, we know that God
destroyed mankind and saved only 8 people including Noah in the great flood
because of wickedness among people. The same happened when Sodom and
Gomorrah were destroyed, only Lot and his two daughters were saved. The same
with the ancient Israel, selected to be God's nation, they are chosen not because
they are many:
The Lord did not set his love on you nor choose you because you were more in
number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples. Deut. 7:7

What does these all mean? Does these mean God is unfair that he did not saved all
people but chose what he liked? You know, God is not unfair, in fact, he wanted
everyone to be saved:

"God wants everyone to be saved and to fully understand the truth." I tim. 2:4

In the verse above it is said that GOD WANTS or in other words, GOD WISHES
everyone to be saved, it did not say, GOD WILL SAVE EVERYONE please let us
always remember that. And how can God save all people if they had sinned and did
not follow his commandments?

""Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings
and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh,
that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!" Deut.
30:19

It is in our choice and in our works if we will be saved by God or not. Those who had
sinned will receive the second death, which will be in the lake of fire, this teaching is
not an invention of Manalos' or ministers in the church as what nonmembers alleged,
these are written in the bible:

"When people sin, they earn what sin paysdeath. But God gives his people a
free gifteternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
"And Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the
second death." Rev. 20:14

How will we be saved? How will we attain the promised salvation? Can we receive it
just by believing and not with works? Christ tells us how:
I am the door; ANYONE WHO COMES INTO THE FOLD THROUGH ME SHALL BE
SAFE. John 10:9

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me." John 14:6

We should enter Christ for us to be saved by him, he being the savior of the body,
and he who purchased the church by his blood:

Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has
appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with
his blood Acts 20:28 Lamsa Translation

How important is it when Christ purchased the church by his blood?

"In Christ we are set free by the blood of his death, and so we have forgiveness
of sins..." Eph. 1:7
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from
the wrath of God through Him. Romans 5:9

If we enter Christ's church, there will be forgiveness of sins. Again, this is the very
proof that the CHURCH is indeed NEEDED for SALVATION, and if anyone had heard
this good news but did not believe, here is what the bible says:

"When that Man of Evil comes, it will be the work of Satan. He will come with great
power, and he will do all kinds of false miracles, signs, and wonders. The Man of Evil
will use every kind of evil to fool those who are lost.

They are lost because they refused to love the truth and be saved. So God will
send them something powerful that leads them away from the truth and causes
them to believe a lie. They will all be condemned because they did not believe
the truth and because they enjoyed doing evil." II Thess. 2:9-12

What will happen to those who are not INC member prior to 1914 and those
who are not reached with the evangelical works of the church?

The most asked question of nonmembers, finally, i can now answer this.

Ill make this clear once again, we believe that we are the ones who will be saved by
Christ because we are members of his church. We do not believe that while we will
be saved, ALL nonmembers will be AUTOMATICALLY be in hell, including those who
are not reached by the gospel, and those who lived before 1914, this is just a
misunderstanding of INC doctrines.

Now, there is a commandment written in the bible that the gospel will be preached
around the world AS A WITNESS to all people, and then the end will come:

"And this good news of the kingdom (the Gospel) will be preached throughout the
whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then will come the end." Matt.
24:14

The Iglesia ni Cristo, Church of Christ is now in 100 countries and territories and
continually spreading around the world. The verse said that the gospel will be
preached AS A TESTIMONY TO ALL THE NATIONS, it did not say the gospel will be
preached throughout the world and ALL PEOPLE will accept it automatically. So, it is
not surprising if there are people who heard about the teachings in the Iglesia ni
Cristo but did not accepted and believed.

Lets continue...

What will happen to those who lived before 1914?

"For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who
have sinned under the law will be judged by the law." Romans 2:12

Those who lived with the law and have sinned (time of the 1st Century Church of
Christ and the time reestablishment of Church of Christ in 1914 up to present) will
be judged by the law, but those who lived without the law and have sinned (time
when apostasy of the 1st Century Church of Christ began up to the reestablishment
in 1914 or those who lived and have sinned before 1914) will be judged without the
law.

Lets understand this well, let us continue reading Romans 2: 13-16 here is what
stated:

"For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of
the law who will be justified. For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature
do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not
have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while
their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even
excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of
men by Christ Jesus."

It is not important that you just know the teachings, what's important is you follow
it. Like whats in the verses, even if the gentiles do not have the law, their conscience
and their hearts will be their law, meaning, they will be judged by God based on
what their heart and conscience dictates. For example, if killing is not prohibited in
the bible, you should still not to kill someone because you know it is wrong.

The fate of those who lived before 1914 and those who are not reached with the
evangelical works of the church are the same, it is God who will judge them:

"God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you." I Cor.
5:13

So, this teaching, that Christ's church will be saved by him is not an invention of the
Manalos or by the ministers in the church, because it is Christ who said that he is
way and the life, he is the savior of the church and anyone who is apart from him
can do NOTHING:

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is
that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

It is indeed important not just to become an Iglesia ni Cristo member but should also
follow and obey the church's doctrines and teachings.

And even you are not an INC member it is not a reason for us to HATE YOU, in fact,
we have many friends who are Catholics, protestants, muslims, and so on. It is not
true that we believe ALL PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT INC MEMBER WILL BE
AUTOMATICALLY BE IN HELL because there is still time, a chance to know the
truth, the TRUE GOSPEL which are all written in the bible.

###end###

THE WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT GOD WILL

NOT JUSTIFY
PEOPLE who are promoting the FAITH ALONE MOVEMENT and of course Eric
(our Blogs number 1 Fan and Supporter) who is promoting the YOUR FAITH
and YOUR WORKS can NOT SAVE you MOVEMENT, have similar belief that
WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS or WORKS OF THE LAW, is NOT seen as
RIGHTEOUS or JUSTIFIED by GOD. And of course in order to convince people in this
belief, they are using VERSES from the Bible, to prove that what they are preaching
are WORDS of GOD and to make it appear that their beliefs and teachings are
BIBLICAL.

These are the VERSES:

Titus 3:5 NOT BY WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH WE HAVE DONE, but

according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and
renewing of the Holy Ghost; [King James Version]

Galatians 2:16 yet knowing that A MAN IS NOT JUSTIFIED BY THE WORKS
OF THE LAW but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed on Christ
Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of
the law: because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
[American Standard Version]

In the first instance by just merely looking at these verses it would appear that they
have a point, and what they are trying to prove were really written in the Bible.
Well of course if we have a HABIT of just PICKING UP only the VERSES that will
agree with what we believed and IGNORE the others, it would mean that we dont
believe in the ENTIRETY of the written words of God in the Bible.

We should follow the Rule that Eric suggested, for this is the APPROPRIATE MOVE:

WE SHOULD NOT IGNORE VERSES

The only problem is, ERIC is the FIRST and FOREMOST who defies his RULE
hehehehe.

Why did I say that they do not believe in the Bibles entirety by picking up verses
that only they think agrees and ignoring those that they think do not? Because if
they would interpret those verses as the way they interpret and explain them,
meaning without further researching on what are their TRUE MEANING, it would
appear that in the Bible there are CONTRADICTIONS.

Let us see the following verses that will CONTRADICT their EXPLANATION and
UNDERSTANDING.

Regarding WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS:

Psalms 106:3 BLESSED ARE THEY that keep judgment, and HE THAT
DOETH RIGHTEOUSNESS AT ALL TIMES. [KJV]

Acts 10:35 but in every nation he who is fearing Him, and IS WORKING
RIGHTEOUSNESS, IS ACCEPTABLE TO HIM; [Youngs Literal Translation]
1 John 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of
the devil: WHOSOEVER DOETH NOT RIGHTEOUSNESS is NOT OF GOD,
neither he that loveth not his brother. [KJV]

As we can see very clearly see from those passages above that God will BLESS,
ACCEPT, and consider His CHILDREN anyone who will do the WORKS OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Regarding the WORKS OF THE LAW:

James 1:25 But whoso looketh into the PERFECT LAW of liberty, and
continueth therein, HE BEING NOT A FORGETFUL HEARER, BUT A DOER OF
THE WORK, this man shall be blessed in his deed. [KJV]

It is very clear also that not the FORGETFUL HEARER but the DOER OF THE
WORK will be blessed.

Which work? Of course the WORKS of the LAW.

It means when we do the WORKS of the LAW, we are OBEYING THE LAW. We
are not only listeners, but we are doers of the LAW.

For it is a COMMANDMENT of the Almighty God:

Leviticus 18:4 OBEY MY LAWS and DO WHAT I COMMAND. I am the LORD

your God. [Good News Bible]
And those who will not obey His LAWS are committing a SIN:

1 John 3:4 WHOSOEVER COMMITTETH SIN TRANSGRESSETH ALSO THE

LAW: FOR SIN IS THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW. [KJV]

So what is the meaning of TRANSGRESSION? Let us get the meaning from another
Bible version:

1 John 3:4 Those who live sinful lives are disobeying God. Sin is
DISOBEDIENCE. [GWT]

So TRANSGRESSION means DISOBEDIENCE to the LAWS of GOD.

If were going to go back to the people who believed in their INSTANT LITERAL
INTERPRETATION of Galatians 2:16 and Titus 3:5, and accept how they
UNDERSTOOD these verses, it would appear then that God has put a man in a
situation where he will not be saved. Because it would appear that God commanding
us to do the things that he consider being NON RIGHTEOUSS or JUSTIFIED.

What is that? Was it not mind boggling?

Its like God has commanded us humans to Go to a Ravine and Jump there and die.

Look at this, If God will not JUSTIFY or will not consider RIGHTEOUS the WORKS OF
THE LAW and RIGHTEOUSNESS, why the Bible which is the WORDS of GOD said
that if we will not do the WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS we are not consider as His
Children or if we do not OBEY THE LAW we are sinful.
It would be like we are in a TWILIGHT ZONEin a puzzle thats very hard to
comprehend.

If we do the WORKS of the LAW or OBEY THE LAW we are also BLESSED, and not
considered as SINFUL but we are not JUSTIFIED or seen as RIGHTEOUS.

BLESSED, and NOT SINFUL BUT NOT JUSTIFIED nor RIGHTEOUS

And similar to WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, if we do the WORKS OF

RIGHTEOUSNESS we are ACCEPTABLE, BLESSED, AND CONSIDERED AS HIS
CHILDREN, and yet we are NOT RIGHTEOUS nor JUSTIFIED.

ACCEPTABLE, BLESSED, AND CONSIDERED AS CHILDREN OF GOD BUT NOT

JUSTIFIED nor RIGHTEOUSS

So the solution of those people: Keep their UNDERSTANDING and INTERPRETATION

of Galatians 2:16 and Titus 3:5 since they are in accordance with their beliefs and
IGNORE those verses weve shown that are in CONTRAST in what they believed.

Thats why youll never see them using those verses, and if only given the chance
and possibility we are sure, they would ERASE them from the Bible.

Because of this we can ask now, look whos ISOLATING VERSES, ha Eric?

We no so very well that the WORDS of GOD will NEVER CONTRADICT ITSELF nor
it will create CONFUSION, for God is not the AUTHOR of CONFUSION:
1 Corinthians 14:33 For GOD IS NOT THE AUTHOR OF CONFUSION, but of
peace, as in all churches of the saints. [KJV]

Its very clear that we can conclude that God will not speak or do things to CONFUSE
us. For His WORDS written in the BIBLE are upholding UNITY and ONENESS of
TOUGHT because ALL of them came from ONLY ONE GOD, so they will never ever
contradict each other.

So let us DIG DEEPER to Galatians 2:16 and Titus 3:5s TRUE MEANING, for they
should not contradict other verses that we have shown.

1. The WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS That God Will Not Justify

Let us quote again the verse:

Titus 3:5 NOT BY WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH WE HAVE DONE, but

according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and
renewing of the Holy Ghost; [King James Version]

The people who are using this passage were just focusing on the phrase WORKS
OF RIGHTEOUSNESS but deliberately ignoring the phrase: WHICH WE HAVE
DONE that follows after.

What is the meaning of that specific phrase? Let us read the same verse in another
Bible version:
Titus 3:5 not by works done in RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH WE DID
OURSELVES, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of
regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, [ASV]

It is clear that this is the RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH WE DID OURSELVES, it

means we are the CREATOR, MAKER, FABRICATOR and SOURCE of this
RIGHTEOUSNESS and not GOD.

Was there a proof of this from the Bible? That we humans CREATED or ESTABLISHED
our own RIGHTEOUSNESS? Of course, look and see for yourselves:

Romans 10:3 FOR THEY BEING IGNORANT OF GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS,

AND GOING ABOUT TO ESTABLISH THEIR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, have not
submitted themselves unto the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD. [KJV]

See Eric, according to Apostle Paul who also wrote Titus 3:5, there are people who
are IGNORANT of GODs RIGHTEOUSNESS and instead of submitting themselves
to the RIGHTEOUSNESS which God has CREATED, THEY ESTABLISH THEIR OWN
RIGHTEOUSNESS.

And these are the WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS that we DID, CREATED,

ESTABLISHED by ourselves THAT GOD WILL NOT JUSTIFY nor consider as
RIGHTEOUSS, because these does not comply with GODs RIGHTEOUSNESS which
is the WORD of GOD [Psalms 119:172].

What are those WORKS of RIGHTEOUSNESS that we humans have done as a

result of our IGNORANCE to GODs RIGHTEOUSNESS or His Words?

Romans 10:3 They have not known the way in which God puts people right
with himself, and instead, THEY HAVE TRIED TO SET UP THEIR OWN WAY;
and so they did not submit themselves to God's way of putting people
right. [GNB]

Apostle Paul said: THEY HAVE TRIED TO SET UP THEIR OWN WAY, instead of
submitting themselves to GODs WAY or RIGHTEOUSNESS.

These are the WORKS that we base not on the RULES or LAW of GOD written in the
BIBLE, but the RULES we ESTABLISHED and CREATED for ourselves and we decided
to follow and consider for ourselves as RIGHTEOUS, those are the things that GOD
will never consider as RIGHTEOUS nor JUSTIFY.

2. The WORKS OF THE LAW That God Will Not Justify

Let us go back to the verse that they use that we quoted earlier regarding this:

Galatians 2:16 yet knowing that A MAN IS NOT JUSTIFIED BY THE WORKS
OF THE LAW but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed on Christ
Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of
the law: because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
[American Standard Version]

Which WORKS OF THE LAW were being referred here that God will not be
JUSTIFIED? Let us get the full context and reasons why Apostle Paul said this
message to the Gentile Christians of Galatia.

Let us read the PRECEDING VERSES and you will see what I mean, that those people
using this passage were just JUMPING IN A WRONG CONLUSION.
Gal 2:11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I OPPOSED HIM TO HIS FACE,
BECAUSE HE WAS TO BE BLAMED.

Gal 2:12 For before certain men came from James, he would eat together
with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to draw back and began to
separate himself, FEARING THOSE OF THE CIRCUMCISION PARTY.

Gal 2:13 And the rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, so that even
Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

Gal 2:14 But when I saw that they did not act rightly with respect to the
truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, "IF YOU, BEING A JEW,
LIVE IN GENTILE FASHION AND NOT IN JEWISH FASHION, WHY DO YOU
COMPEL THE GENTILES TO LIVE AS JEWS?

Gal 2:15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,

Gal 2:16 knowing that A MAN IS NOT JUSTIFIED BY THE WORKS OF THE
LAW but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, so
that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law;
because no flesh shall be justified by the works of the law.

There is a story behind that was often OVERLOOKED and NEGLECTED by the
people who use Galatians 2:16. The very History that took place when this letter
was written by Apostle Paul, they are DELIBERATELY IGNORING.

Always remember my beloved viewers that this LETTER BY APOSTLE PAUL was
addressed to the GENTILE CHRISTIANS OF GALATIA (Not to you Eric, and
those people who use that verse, keep that in mind). There are SIGNIFICANT
ISSUES here that we should consider. Apostle Paul mentioned about the
CIRCUMCISION PARTY and a question which he addressed to Apostle Peter which
says: WHY DO YOU COMPEL THE GENTILES TO LIVE AS JEWS?

Therefore we should consider the meaning and intention of Apostle Paul why he said
that message, and we should not give our own meaning. For that will DISTORT the
TRUE MEANING of the message.

Based on the EVIDENCES that we have seen from the Previous passages, we could
say that the WORKS OF LAW that are being mentioned by Apostle Paul is a kind
of LAW that would make the GENTILES live like a JEW. Because he said this to
Apostle Peter:

WHY DO YOU COMPEL THE GENTILES TO LIVE AS JEWS?

And by this important phrase came out our LEAD in determining the TRUE MEANING
of Galatians 2:16:

For the information of those who do not know, when the CHURCH OF CHRIST in
the First Century propagated in the Gentile Nations, A PROBLEM ARISES between
the JEWS and the GENTILES and this is recorded in the Scriptures:

Acts 15:1-2 Some men came from Judea to Antioch and started teaching
the believers, "YOU CANNOT BE SAVED UNLESS YOU ARE CIRCUMCISED AS
THE LAW OF MOSES REQUIRES." Paul and Barnabas got into a fierce
argument with them about this, so it was decided that Paul and Barnabas
and some of the others in Antioch should go to Jerusalem and see the
apostles and elders about this matter. [GNB]

Acts 15:5 But some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and
said, "PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT JEWISH MUST BE CIRCUMCISED AND
ORDERED TO FOLLOW MOSES' TEACHINGS." [GWT]
The JEWISH CHRISTIANS were requesting the CONVERTED GENTILES to follow
the LAW OF MOSES about CIRCUMCISION, they are commanding the GENTILES
to be CIRCUMCISED, and Apostle Paul disagree and argued with Peter regarding this
issue. And this has created a dispute between brethrens among JEWS and
GENTILES, that their solution was to go to JERUSALEM and settle the matter in front
of the CHURCH ELDERS. And as we continue to read the rest of the verses in the
same chapter, Apostle James stood up and made a decision which he said:

Acts 15:19-20 Therefore I judge that WE MUST NOT CAUSE TROUBLE FOR
THOSE WHO ARE TURNING TO GOD FROM AMONG THE GENTILES; but that
we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, and from sexual
immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. [English Majority Text
Version]

And the decision of the Church turn out to be in FAVOR of the GENTILES for they are
no longer required to obey the WORKS OF THE LAW that are trying to impose or
implement by the JEWS to the GENTILES.

This is the WORKS OF THE LAW that are being mentioned by Apostle Paul in
Galatians 2:16 that will not be JUSTIFIED, it is the LAW OF MOSES THE LAW
THAT WILL MAKE A GENTILE LIVE LIKE A JEW and the GENTILES no longer
needed to obey this LAW.

And Apostle Paul himself, directly said that in the Bible:

Acts 13:16, 38 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men
of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audienceBe it known unto you
therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you
the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all
things, FROM WHICH YE COULD NOT BE JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW OF MOSES.
[KJV]
Very clearly spoken by Apostle Paul as I quote again:

FROM WHICH YE COULD NOT BE JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW OF MOSES.

So this statement that he said in Galatians 2:16 which says:

yet knowing that A MAN IS NOT JUSTIFIED BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW
but through faith in Jesus Christ,

WORKS OF THE LAW here very clearly refers to the LAW OF MOSES, for it is
TRUE that well no longer be Justified by this LAW, for this LAW ends its VALIDITY
when JOHN THE BAPTIST was born.

Of course this TRUTH is recorded in the Bible, and NOT MY OWN WORDS:

Luke 16:16 "The LAW OF MOSES and the writings of the prophets WERE IN
EFFECT UP TO THE TIME OF JOHN THE BAPTIST; since then the Good News
about the Kingdom of God is being told, and everyone forces their way in.
[GNB]

We will never be JUSTIFIED anymore in our time if we still continue to follow and to
do the WORKS OF THE LAW of MOSES, for that LAW is only IN EFFECT before the
TIME of JOHN THE BAPTIST.

And thats how we should UNDERSTAND Galatians 2:16, not from our own ANGLE
or POINT OF VIEW, but from the ANGLE or POINT OF VIEW of Apostle Paul who said
it, for that is really what he meant in that message.
And that meaning will NEVER CONTRADICT any other passages from the Bible for
sure.

So by giving a FALSE EXPLANATION to the letter of Paul to the Galatians you

Eric, and others are bringing destruction to yourselves, as Apostle Peter emphasized:

2 Peter 3:15-16 Look on our Lord's patience as the opportunity he is giving

you to be saved, just as OUR DEAR FRIEND PAUL WROTE TO YOU, using the
wisdom that God gave him. This is what he says in all his letters when he
writes on the subject. THERE ARE SOME DIFFICULT THINGS IN HIS LETTERS
WHICH IGNORANT AND UNSTABLE PEOPLE EXPLAIN FALSELY, AS THEY DO
WITH OTHER PASSAGES OF THE SCRIPTURES. SO THEY BRING ON THEIR
OWN DESTRUCTION. [GNB]

So before you attempt to INTERPRET any of the messages written in Pauls

LETTERS think twice because maybe instead of bringing out the TRUTH you might
end up bringing DESTRUCTION to your own self.

God bless to all brethrens in Christ Jesus

###end###

ISLAM, JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY

Islam is the second largest religion in the world after Christianity. As a monotheistic
faith that originated in the Middle East, Islam holds many beliefs and practices in
common with Judaism and Christianity.
Judaism, Islam and Christianity are collectively known as "Abrahamic religions"
because they trace their history to the covenant God made with Abraham in the
Hebrew Bible.
The Prophet Muhammad met both Jews and Christians during his lifetime, and Islam
has come into frequent contact with both of its fellow monotheistic faiths throughout
most of its history.
As a brief guide of the similarities and differences of Islam, Judaism and Christianity,
the following chart compares the statistics, origins, history and religious beliefs of
these three great monotheistic faiths.
Please note that, as with all charts of this kind, the information is oversimplified and
should not be used as a sole resource.

Comparison of Statistics and Basics

Islam Judaism Christianity

adherents
Muslims Jews Christians
called

current
1.3 billion 14 million 2 billion
adherents

current size
2nd largest 12th largest largest
rank

Europe, North and

major Middle East, Israel, Europe,
South America, rapid
concentration Southeast Asia USA
growth in Africa

Bible (Jewish Bible +

sacred text Qur'an (Koran) Bible
New Testament)

church fathers, church

other written Talmud, Midrash,
Hadith councils, papal decrees
authority Responsa
(Catholic only)

religious law Sharia Halakhah Canon Law

priests, ministers,
clergy imams rabbis
pastors, bishops
house of church, chapel,
mosque synagogue
worship cathedral

main day of
Friday Saturday Sunday
worship

church and
integrated separate separate
state

Comparison of Origins and History

Islam Judaism Christianity

date founded 622 CE unknown c. 33 CE

place founded Saudi Arabia Palestine (def) Palestine

Moses or
founder Muhammad Jesus
Abraham

original
Arabic Hebrew Aramaic, Greek
language(s)

within 12 years, within 60 years,

entire Arabian churches in major
peninsula; within little expansion; cities in Palestine,
early expansion 100 years, Muslim mostly confined Turkey, Greece and
world stretched to Palestine Rome (map); entire
from the Atlantic to Roman Empire by end
China of 4th cent.

Catholic/Orthodox,
Shia/Sunni, c. 650 Reform/Orthodox, 1054 CE;
major splits
CE 1800s CE Catholic/Protestant,
1500s CE
Comparison of Religious Beliefs

Islam Judaism Christianity

strict
type of theism strict monotheism Trinitarian monotheism
monotheism

ultimate reality one God one God one God

Allah (Arabic for Yahweh, the Holy

names of God Yahweh, Elohim
God) Trinity

other spiritual angels and

angels, demons, jinn angels and demons
beings demons

prophets, imams
revered humans prophets saints, church fathers
(especially in Shia)

true prophet of God, Son of God, God

identity of Jesus whose message has false prophet incarnate, savior of the
been corrupted world

birth of Jesus virgin birth normal birth virgin birth

did not die, but

ascended into death by
death of Jesus death by crucifixion
heaven during crucifixion
crucifixion

resurrection of
denied denied affirmed
Jesus

second coming
affirmed denied affirmed
of Jesus

divine through Muhammad, through through Prophets and

 Prophets, Jesus (as God Himself),
revelation recorded in Qur'an
recorded in Bible recorded in Bible

inspired, literal word inspired, some believe

view of sacred
of God, inerrant in views vary inerrant in original
text
original languages languages

two equal
"original sin" inherited
equal ability to do impulses, one
human nature from Adam - tendency
good or evil good and one
towards evil
bad

correct belief, faith,

good deeds,
means of correct belief, good belief in God,
sacraments (some
salvation deeds, Five Pillars good deeds
Protestants emphasize
faith alone)

God's role in divine revelation predestination, various

predestination
salvation and forgiveness forms of grace

views vary:
good afterlife eternal paradise either heaven or eternal heaven
no afterlife

views vary:
either eternal eternal hell, temporary
bad afterlife eternal hell Gehenna, purgatory
reincarnation, or (Catholicism)
no afterlife
 Jews and Christians
Islam and
are respected as Judaism is a true
Christianity are
view of fellow "People of the religion, but with
false
Abrahamic Book," but they incomplete revelation.
interpretations
religions have wrong beliefs Islam is a false
and extensions
and only partial religion.
of Judaism.
revelation.

source: religionfacts.com

If you still didnt know, there are similarities on Islam, Judaism and Christianity and
they have links to each other.

These religions originated in the Middle East and were "Abrahamic Religions".

Islam-Saudi Arabia
Judaism- Palestine
Christianity- Palestine

Judaism claims a historical continuity spanning more than 3,000 years. (source:
wikipedia)

Christianity began as a Jewish sect in the mid-1st century (source: wikipedia).

The origin of Islam can be traced back to 7th century Saudi Arabia. Islam is thus the
youngest of the great world religions. The prophet Muhammad (circa 570-632 A.D.)
introduced Islam in 610 A.D. (source: allaboutreligion.org)

Judaism use the Old testament (Hebrew Bible/tanakh), Christianity use the Old
Testament and New testament while Islam use Qur'an (Koran), the bible of Muslims
has connection to that of Christians and Jews.

Torah, Hebrew Bible and New Testament

The Quran speaks well of the relationship it has with former books (the Torah and
the Gospel) and attributes their similarities to their unique origin and saying all of
them have been revealed by the one God. According to Sahih Bukhari, the Quran
was recited among Levantines and Iraqis, and discussed by Christians and Jews
before it was standardized. Its language was similar to the Syriac language.

The Quran recounts stories of many of the people and events recounted in Jewish
and Christian sacred books (Tanakh, Bible) and devotional literature (Apocrypha,
Midrash), although it differs in many details. Adam, Enoch, Noah, Eber, Shelah,
Abraham, Lot, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Jethro, David, Solomon, Elijah,
Elisha, Jonah, Aaron, Moses, Zechariah, John the Baptist, and Jesus are mentioned in
the Quran as prophets of God.

In fact, Moses is mentioned more in the Quran than any other individual.Jesus is
mentioned more often in the Quran than Muhammad while Mary is mentioned in the
Quran more than the New Testament. Muslims believe the common elements or
resemblances between the Bible and other Jewish and Christian writings and Islamic
dispensations is due to their common divine source, and that the original Christian or

Jewish texts were authentic divine revelations given to prophets.

Similarities with Christian apocrypha

The Quran has been noted to have certain narratives similarities to the Diatessaron,
Protoevangelium of James, Infancy Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew
and the Arabic Infancy Gospel.One scholar has suggested that the Diatessaron, as a
gospel harmony, may have led to the conception that the Christian Gospel is one
text.

source: wikipedia

If you noticed, Judaism and Islam believes there is only but ONE GOD, the Father.
While Christianity(not all religions in Christianity), believes in one but a trinitarian
God that composed of The father, Christ and the Holy Spirit. If you want to know
how and why, click here.

###end###

BIBLE AND QURAN: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE BIBLE AND QURAN?

THE CHRISTIANS REGARD the Bible as their Sacred Scriptures, where the words of
God are written. For true Christians, the Bible is the sole basis of their faith. Muslims
also regard Quran as their Sacred Scriptures, where the words of God are written.
So, what the differences between the two books?

PHYSICAL DIFFERENCES

The Bible is a library (a collection) of sixty-six (66) books. Written in a span of 1,500
years (Genesis, the first book, was written about 1447-1407 BC, and Revelation, the
last book, was written about 90-95 AD). The Bible is written by more than forty (40)
inspired writers.

Quran is a single book. It is comparable in length with the New Testament. The
standard Quran was done by a single man.

Take note that if you going to read the whole Bible, you can see that it seems it was
written by a single writer in particular period or time because of its unity.
Remarkable for the Bible is not a single book but a collection of 66 books, written by
40 men in a span of 1,500 years. If there is a unity in Quran, whats remarkable
about that for it was done by a single man in a particular time or period?

ON DIVINE INSPIRATION

The Christians firmly believe that the Bible is divinely inspired. The Muslims also
claim that Quran is divinely inspired. Divine inspiration means that the one who
wrote was truly inspired by God as prophet or apostle.
The Bible is divinely inspired for the those who wrote the books are the inspired
prophets and apostles themselves. The first five books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers and Deuteronomy) are written by the inspired prophet Himself, Prophet
Moses. The Book of Joshua was written by Joshua, The books of Samuel written by
the prophets Nathan and Gad, the Book of Isaiah written by Isaiah, and so on.

Contrary to popular belief, it was not Muhammad who wrote Quran, and he never
wrote anything. The book called Quran never existed during his lifetime. That
Quran was written during the lifetime of Muhammad was only a claim of Muslims
today, but their hadith and sahih dont agree with it. Let us first quote the admission
of modern Muslims. In a book entitled, Islam in Focus this is what they admitted

he consulted (Abu Bakr) the leading authorities and then entrusted Zayd Ibn
Thabit, Muhammads Chief Scribe of Revelations, to compile a standard and complete
copy of the Book... (Islam in Focus, p. 219)

This book authored and published by Muslims admitted that the standard Quran
was done by Zayd Ibn Thabit who Abu Bakr commissioned to do so. Abu Bakr was
the first caliph (he succeeded Muhammad). Thus, Quran was done after the death
of Muhammad. But did Zayd only collected and compiled those already written
during the lifetime of Muhammad? This is what Sahih Al-Bhukari admitted (Sahih Al-
Bhukari, together with Sahih Al-Muslim, these two are considered by many Muslims
as semi-canonical books, these are collections of Hadith or Islamic traditions):

Accordingly, I sought out the Quran: I gather it together from leafless palm-
branches and thin white stones and mens breasts. (Sahih Al-Bhukari, Book 66,
Hadith 8)

According to the testimony of Zayd himself, when he was requested by Abu Bakr to
search out the various Quran and gather it together, he responded I sought out the
Quran: I gather it together from leafless palm-branches and thin white stones and
mens breasts.

Remember that the Quran they were referring was not the book called Quran,
but Quran that recited by Muhammad as divine revelations revealed to him. He
seek out those uran and what he found were those in leafless palm-branches, thin
white stones and mens breasts. Divine revelation of God written in leafless palm-
branches and thin white stones? Are these reliable and credible? Actually great
numbers came from mens breasts as we will see later.

Now, let us first see why the sudden move of collecting the Quran that resulted in
having a standard written Quran? This is what the Islamic traditions tell us:

Abu Bakr sent someone to call me when Yamama people were killed. Umar was
there with him. Abu Bakr said: On the day of Yamama, Umar came to me and said
that the reciters of the Quran were killed. He was afraid that others might be killed
elsewhere. This indicates the loss of much of the Quran. He suggested that I
command that the Quran be compiled. I asked Umar: How would you do something
that the Prophet of Allah did not do? Umar kept telling me to think about it until
Allah made my heart cheerful. I took on Umars perspective. Abu Bakr said to me:
We do not doubt that you are a wise young man. You used to write down the
revelation for the Prophet of Allah. So trace the Quran and compile it. I said: By
Allah, if they had chosen me to move the mountain from its place, it would have
been easier than compiling the Quran. I argued: How would you do something the
Prophet of Allah did not do? He replied: By Allah, this is good! Therefore, I
continued compiling it from palm branched, thin stones, and the chests of men....The
leaves (suhuf) were with Abu Bakr until he died; then they were handed down to
Umar, then to Hafsah, Umars daughter. (Sahih Al-Bhukari, Book 66, Hadith 8)

.

.



.


























{
}


.

Let us be reminded that the Quran compiled by Zayd were not written Quran.
The book Quran were not written or it does not exist during the lifetime of
Muhammad. If there are revelations of Muhammad that were put in writing during
his lifetime, very few, a small fraction. Great numbers were found in mens breast
or memorized only in their hearts by Muhammads companions and followers. As a
proof, when Abu Bakr commanded Umar to tell Zayd the task of compiling the
Quran, he replied How would you do something that the Prophet of Allah did not
do?

When Abu Bakr said to Zayd that We do not doubt that you are a wise young man.
You used to write down the revelation for the Prophet of Allah. So trace the Quran
and compile it. Zayd answered, By Allah, if they had chosen me to move the
mountain from its place, it would have been easier than compiling the QuranHow
would you do something the Prophet of Allah did not do? Take note that if Zayd
have been written all or many of the revelations recited by Muhammad during the
latters lifetime, he would not say such words, if they had chosen me to move the
mountain from its place, it would have been easier than compiling the Quran. Zayd
again said, How would you do something the Prophet of Allah did not do? This only
proves that Quran was not written and compiled during the lifetime of Muhammad.
The book called "Qur'an" does not exist during the lifetime of Muhammad. The
Quran was put in writing after Muhammads death by a young man commissioned by
Abu Bakr, named Zayd Ibn Thabit.

Why did Abu Bakr commissioned Zayd to make the book that is now called Quran?
During the Battle of Yamama many Muslims were killed. Abu Bakr said, On the day
of Yamama, Umar came to me and said that the reciters of the Quran were killed.
He was afraid that others might be killed elsewhere. This indicates the loss of much
of the Quran. This proves (1) many revelations recited to them by Muhammad
were not put in writing during his lifetime but only memorized by his followers, and
(2) and not all recited by Muhammad were included in the book made by Zayd (thus
refuting the alleged perfect preservation" of Muhammads revelations or of Quran).
Although the Lord Jesus Christ did not wrote any book in the Bible, however, the
writers of the New Testament books were apostles and ministers of the Gospel, like
Apostle John, Apostle Paul and Apostle Peter. Was Zayd Ibn Thabit an apostle of
Allah? Apostle Paul said, Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God
were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
(II Corinthians 5:20, NKJV) Can Zayd Ibn Thabit say the same for Muhammad?

Therefore, if the books of the Bible were written by the prophets and the apostles
themselves, the Quran was not written by the prophet of Islam, not written by
Muhammad himself, but only by a young man commissioned by Abu Bakr when
Muhammad was already dead. So, the books of the Bible claimed divine inspiration
because the writers of the book were the divine prophets and apostles themselves.
How about Quran? How can it claim divine inspiration if it is not written by
Muhammad himself but by a young man commissioned by Abu Bakr? Was Zayd
himself an inspired prophet or apostle of Allah?

Truly, there are great differences between the Bible and Quran. The basis of the
Bibles divine inspiration is greater than the basis (if they have) of the Qurans divine
inspiration.

There are still many great differences between the Quran and the Bible, but these
are enough for now, and these are enough to show that the Bible rises over and
above the Qur'an.

###end###

WHO WROTE QUR'AN AND WHO ORDERED TO

WRITE IT
The Differences Between the Bible and Quran: Part 2

WHO WROTE THE BOOK CALLED QURAN AND WHO ORDERED THEM TO
WRITE IT?
Actually the Quran verses being collected by Zayd doesn't mean he is the
author, as this was already memorized by many other disciples, all what he
did is that he collected the verses in one book with evidence and witnesses
for every verse.

THE BOOK CALLED Quran was authored and written by Zayd Bin Thabit as testified
by the Islamic traditions:

(The Caliph `Uthman ordered Zaid bin Thabit, Sa`id bin Al-As, `Abdullah bin Az-
Zubair and `Abdur- Rahman bin Al-Harith bin Hisham to write the Qur'an in the form
of a book (Mushafs) and said to them. "In case you disagree with Zaid bin Thabit (Al-
Ansari) regarding any dialectic Arabic utterance of the Qur'an, then write it in the
dialect of Quraish, for the Qur'an was revealed in this dialect." So they did it.
Narrated Anas bin Malik:

[Sahih Al-Bhukari, Book 66, Hadith 6.]

Please take note of the following:

(a) According to Islamic traditions, Caliph Uthman ordered these men to write the
Book called Quran. As compared to the Bible, it was God Himself who ordered the
inspired prophets and apostles to write the books of the Bible as what the Lord God
commanded Prophet Jeremiah:

Thus speaks the LORD God of Israel, saying: 'Write in a book for yourself all the
words that I have spoken to you. (Jeremiah 30:2 NKJV)
(b) Indeed, Quran was written by these men. These words of Uthman testify that
these men were the author, not only collectors but writers, of the book called Quran,
In case you disagree with Zaid bin Thabit (Al-Ansari) regarding any dialectic Arabic
utterance of the Qur'an, then write it in the dialect of Quraish. While, during the
writing of the Bible, God guided and guarded the inspired writers and ordered them
write only what He ordered them to write:

Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard
a voice from heaven saying to me, "Seal up the things which the seven thunders
uttered, and do not write them." (Revelation 10:4 NKJV)

(c) Those written by Zayd came from the disciples and followers of the prophet of
Islam (this was already memorized by many other disciples, all what he did is that
he collected the verses in one book with evidence and witnesses for every verse).
Unlike the Bible, those written in the books of the Bible were not collected from those
who heard it from the prophets and apostles, but what the prophets and apostles
themselves heard from God because they themselves who wrote it:

Thus speaks the LORD God of Israel, saying: 'Write in a book for yourself all the
words that I have spoken to you. (Jeremiah 30:2 NKJV)

CONCLUSION

THUS, OUR POINT IS, the Book called Quran was not written by Muhammed, did not
exist during Muhammeds lifetime but after his death, those who wrote it are not
prophets or apostles, only Abu Bakr and Uthman ordered them to write the book
called Quran, and their sources were those who heard the utterance of Muhammed.
Unlike the books of the Bible, they were written by the inspired writers themselves
and God Himself who ordered them to write the books of the Bible saying Write in a
book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you.

###end###
 QUR'AN NOT A MIRACLE AT ALL

THE MIRACLE OF QURAN: NOT A MIRACLE AT ALL

For Muslims, Quran was not only a revelation from Allah, but the miracle of
miracles. The miracle of Quran is a popular doctrine accepted and upheld by
Muslims. Muhammad himself claimed that Quran is his miracle:

Again and again when miracles are demanded from the Prophet of God by the
cynical and frivolous few, he is made to point to the Quran Message from High
as The Miracle. THE MIRACLE OF MIRACLES And men of wisdom, people with
literary and spiritual insight, who were honest enough to themselves, recognised and
accepted Al-Quran as a genuine miracle. (Al-Quran, The Miracle of Miracles, p. 12.)

Why this doctrine is very important for Muslims? The miraculousness of the Quran
is the foundation of Islam and the most essential evidence for the propethood of
Muhammad:

This absolute confidence in the miraculousness of the Quran has remained

unshaken among Muslims to this day. In a sense, this is the foundation of Islam and
the most essential evidence for the prophethood of Muhammadthe prophetic office
of the Prophet upon whom be peace is built upon this miracle. A contemporary
Muslim author, Faruqi, observes that Muslims do not claim any miracles for
Muhammad. In their view, what proves Muhammads prophethod is the sublime
beauty and greatness of the revelation itself, the Holy Quran, not any inexplicable
breaches of natural law which confound human reason. (Answering Islam, p. 103-
104.)

A contemporary Muslim author, Faruqi, said Muslims do not claim any miracles fir
Muhammad. In their view, what proves Muhammads prophethood is the sublime
beauty and greatness if the revelation itselfm the Holy Quran, not any inexplicable
breaches if natural law which confround human reason.
Thus, proving that the miracle of Quran is not a miracle at all will refute the
prophethood of Muhammad.

THE ISLAMS DOCTRINE OF INIMITABILITY

Ask a Muslim to prove the miracle of Quran abd they will point to their doctrine
called the costrine of inimitability. This is how they explain their doctrine of
inimitability:

The Quran is the word of God revealed to Muhammad through the Holy Spirit
Gabriel, and it is beyond human imagination to produce anything like it. (Islam in
Focus, p, 217)

Muslims claim that it is beyond human imagination to produce anything like it.
Muhammad himself claimed that only God can produced the Quran:

This Quran is not such As can be produced By other than God (Surah 10:37, ALI)

They claimed that no man can produced the like of Quran and that only God can
produced the Quran because of the literary beauty of Quran:

They believe that Quran is second to none in the world according to the unanimous
decision of the learned men in points of diction, style, rhetoric, thoughts and
soundness of laws and regulations to shape the destinies of mankind. (Ans. Islam,
p. 181)

They claimed that the diction, style, rhetoric, thoughts and soundness of laws and
regulations are second to none. Thus, they concluded the following:
Say: If the whole Of mankind and Jinns Were to gather together To produce the
like of this Quran, they Could not produce The like thereof, even if They backed up
each other. (Surah 17:88, ALI)

For Muslims, the literary beauty of Quran is a miracle for no one can produce the
like of it and that the diction, style, rhetoric, thoughts and soundness of laws and
regulations are second to none. This is the core reason why they say that Quran is a
miracle.

THE FLAWS OF THEIR ARGUMENT FOR QURAN

(1) Even if the Quran is the most eloquent book in Arabic, this would hardly
prove it had divine authority. For the same could be argued for the most eloquent
book in Hebrew, Greek or any other language. Homer would qualify as a prophet for
producing the Iliad and the Odyssey. Shakespeare is without peer in the English
Language.

(2) It is logical fallacy to argue that simply because it is eloquent that God
must have said it. Not because God said it, He would say it most eloquently. The
sovereign God (whom Muslims accept) could choose to speak in plain everyday
language, if he wished.

(3) There is no logical connection between literary eloquence and divine

authority. Even it were proved beyond the possibility of doubt that the Quran far
surpassed all other books in eloquence, elegance, and poetry, that would no more
prove its inspiration than a mans strength would demonstrate his wisdom or a
womans beauty her virtue. Not because that woman is the most beautiful woman iin
the Not because that man is the strongest man in the world, it doesnt prove that he
is a prophet of God.

(4) Eloquence is highly questionable as test for divine inspiration. At best it

only proves that Muhammad was extremely gifted. After all Mozart wrote his first
symphony at the age of six! In fact Mozart was even more talented, since his entire
music corpus was produced before age thirty-five. Muhammad did not begin to
produce the suras of the Quran until age forty. But what Muslim would say that
Mozarts works are miraculous like the Quran?

(5) The so-called inimitability (that no one can produced the like of it) is
not a valid test for divine authority. Would Muslims accept the challenge to
produce a work like Romeo and Juliet or else accept the divine inspiration of the
works of Shakespeare? In fact, other religious leaders have given the beautiful
literary style of their work as a sign of its divine origin. Would Muslims accept the
inspiration of these works? For example, the Persian founder of the Manichaeans,
Mani, is said to have claimed that men should believe in him as the Paraclete
(Helper) Jesus promised in John 14 because he produced a book called Artand, full
of beautiful pictures. Further, he said that the book had been given him by God,
that no living man could paint pictures equal in beauty to those contained in it, and
that therefore it had evidently come from God Himself. Yet, no Muslim will accept
this claim. Why then should non-Muslim accept literary beauty as a valid test for
divine authority.

QURANS LITERARY BEAUTY, ELOQUENCE AND DICTION ARE SECOND TO

NONE?

Even though we accept (for the sake of argument) that literary beauty and
eloquence is a valid test for divine authority, still, the Quran fails.

In terms of literary beauty and style:

The Islamic scholar, C.G. Pfander, points out that it is by no means the universal
opinion of unprejudiced Arabic scholars that the literary style of the Quran is
superior to that of all other books in the Arabic language. For example, some doubt
whether in eloquence and poetry it surpasses the Muallaqat, or the Magamat or
Hariri, though in Muslim lands few people are courageous enough to express such an
opinion. (Ans. Islam, p. 187)

In terms of eloquence and diction:

Eloquence means discourse marked by apt and fluent diction:

1a: discourse marked by force and persuasiveness suggesting strong feeling or

deep sincerity; esp: discourse marked by apt and fluent diction, and imaginative
fervor <the poetry of western nations ~ in meter George Santayana> b: the art or
power of using such discourse (Websters Third New International Dictionary,
unabridged, 1961, p. 737)

Diction means correctness, clearness, or effectiveness of wordings used:

choice of words esp. with regard to correctness, clearness, or effectiveness:

wording used (Websters Third New International Dictionary, unabridged, 1961, p.
627)

What Muslim scholars admits regarding Quran:

The Iranian Shiite scholar Ali Dashti contend, however, that the Quran possesses
numerous grammatical irregularities. He notes thatThe Quran contains sentences
which are incomplete and fully intelligible without the aid of commentaries; foreign
words, unfamiliar Arabic words, and words used with other than the normal
meaning, adjectives and verbs infected without observance of the concord of gender
and number; illogical and ungrammatically applied pronouns which sometimes have
no referent; and predicates which in rhymed passages are often remote from the
subjectsDashti concludes: to sum up, more than one hundred Quranic aberrations
from the normal rules and structure of Arabic have been noted.

An example of grammtical irregularities in Quran as pointed out by Ali dashti, a

Muslim scholar:
He (Ali Dasgti) lists numerous examples (74:1; 4:160; 20:66; 2:172, and so on),
one of which is In verse 9 of sura 49 (ol-Hojorat), If two parties of believers have
started to fight each other, make peace between them, the verb meaning have
started to fight is in the plural, whereas it ought to be in the dual like its subject
two parties.

Other examples of literary flaws in Quran:

Anis A. Shorrosh list other literary flaws in the Quran. For example, in 2:177 he
points out that the word Sabireen in Arabic should have been Sabiroon because of its
position in the sentence. Likewise, Sabieen is more correct Arabic than Sabioon in
5:69. Also, Shorrosh notes that there is a gross error in Arabic in 3:59.

###end###

DOES A PERSON GO TO HEAVEN OR HELL RIGHT

AFTER HE DIES?

MAN WILL NOT be judged right after he dies. The Lord God has appointed a day on
which He will judge the world in righteousness:

Because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness
by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising
Him from the dead. (Acts 17:31, NKJV)

This is the Day of Judgment, also called the Day of the Lord:

But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are
reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will
pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the
earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. (II Peter 3:7,10, NKJV)

On that day, the heavens will pass away, and the earth and the works that are in it
will be burned up.The Day of Judgment is on the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus
Christ:

Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying,
"Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on
all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they
have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners
have spoken against Him. (Jude 1:14-15 NKJV)

In the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, He will execute judgment on all.
Thus, the Day of Judgment will take place not right after man dies but in the
Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of this, what does the Bible
say regarding the dead? This is what we could read in Psalms 88:5:

Adrift among the dead, Like the slain who lie in the grave, Whom You remember
no more, And who are cut off from Your hand. (Psalms 88:5 NKJV)

The dead lies on his grave, and remember no more for the deads thoughts perish:

His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts
perish. (Psalms 146:4 KJV)

When a person dies, his breath cease, he return to earth, and his thoughts perish.
Until when the dead will remain in the grave? When will the dead rise to receive
judgment? Job 14:10-12 reads:
But man dies and is laid away; Indeed he breathes his last And where is he? As
water disappears from the sea, And a river becomes parched and dries up, So man
lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, They will not awake Nor
be roused from their sleep. (Job 14:10-12 NKJV)

When man dies, according to the Bible, he lies down and does not rise. He will not
rise to received judgment Till the heavens are no more, They will not awake Nor
roused from their sleep. The passing away of heaven was on the Day of the Lord,
the Day of Judgment, the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. II Peter 3:7,
10).

Thus, the dead will remain on their grave until the Second Coming of the
Lord Jesus Christ, the day He will execute judgment to all, so only on that
day men will received judgment.

###end###

CAN WE COMMUNICATE WITH THE DEAD AND

CAN THE DEAD STILL COMMUNICATE WITH THE
LIVING?

MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE that the living can communicate with the dead, and the
dead can still communicate with the living. However, this belief is against the
teachings of the Bible. The Bible explicitly tells us that when a person dies, his soul
also dies:

Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is
Mine; The soul who sins shall die. (Ezekiel 18:4 NKJV)
The belief that living can communicate with the dead, and the dead can still
communicate with the living is based on the belief that the soul is immortal. That
when a person dies, his soul still lives, and the reason why the living can
communicate with the dead, and the dead can still communicate with the living.
However, the Bible doesnt agree with the immortality of the soul. The verse said,
The soul who sins shall die. And the Bible also declared that all have sinned (cf.
Romans 3:23, NKJV). Thus, when a person dies, his soul also dies.

The Bible also tells us that when a person dies his thoughts perish:

His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts
perish. (Psalms 146:4, KJV)

Nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun:

For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no
more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and
their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share In anything done
under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6, NKJV)

Thus, the living can no longer communicate with the dead, and the dead can no
longer communicate with the living. This is the reason why the Lord God forbids the
practice of consulting (communicating) with the dead, and during the time of
ancient Israel the penalty of such offense was death:

Any man or woman who consults the spirits of the dead shall be stoned to death;
any person who does this is responsible for his own death. (Leviticus 20:27 TEV)

The Lord God also forbids His people to consult, to turn to or seek out mediums
and spiritists:
'Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am
the LORD your God. (Leviticus 19:31 NIV)

The New Testament tells us that spiritism is among the work of flesh and those
who practice it will not inherit the Kingdom of God:

But when you follow your own wrong inclinations, your lives will produce these evil
results: impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, spiritism (that is,
encouraging the activity of demons), hatred and fighting, jealousy and anger,
constant effort to get the best for yourself, complaints and criticisms, the feeling that
everyone else is wrong except those in your own little group-and there will be wrong
doctrine, envy, murder, drunkenness, wild parties, and all that sort of thing. Let me
tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the
Kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21, LB)

###end###

WHAT WOULD BE OUR CONDITIONS WHEN WE

DIED?

THE FOLLOWING VERSES state the condition of the dead:

(1) He shall never return, nor shall his place know him anymore:

As the cloud disappears and vanishes away, So he who goes down to the grave
does not come up. He shall never return to his house, Nor shall his place know him
anymore. Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my
spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. (Job 7:9-11, NKJV)

(2) He remembers no more:

Adrift among the dead, Like the slain who lie in the grave, Whom You remember
no more, And who are cut off from Your hand. (Psalms 88:5, NKJV)

(3) His thoughts perish:

His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts
perish. (Psalms 146:4, KJV)

(4) They know nothing:

For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no
more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten. (Ecclesiastes 9:5, NKJV)

(5) Nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun:

For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no
more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and
their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share In anything done
under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6, NKJV)

(6) The dead lies on his grave till the heaven are no more or until the Day
of Judgment:

But man dies and is laid away; Indeed he breathes his last And where is he? As
water disappears from the sea, And a river becomes parched and dries up, So man
lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, They will not awake Nor
be roused from their sleep. (Job 14:10-12 NKJV)

But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are
reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will
pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the
earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. (II Peter 3:7, 10, NKJV)
 ###end###

WHAT HAPPEN TO A PERSON WHEN HE DIES?

WHAT HAPPEN TO A PERSON WHEN HE DIES? WHAT IS THE TRUTH ABOUT

DEATH?

THERE ARE DIFFERENT views regarding what will happen to man when he dies.
However, these are all man-made views. Because it is God who appointed death (cf.
Hebrews 9:27), thus, God is the authority regarding this topic. The word of God
regarding death is the truth that all men should accept. His words are written in the
Holy Scriptures (we call today as the Bible):

And you remember that ever since you were a child, you have known the Holy
Scriptures, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through
faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the
truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that
the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of
good deed. (II Timothy 3:15-17, TEV)

Thus, let us disregard all concepts and notions about death made only by men. Let
the Bible speaks about this topic. Let us find the biblical Truth about death.

MAN IS COMPOSE OF BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT

The Bible tells us that man is compose of body, soul and spirit:

May the God who gives us peace make you holy in every way and keep your whole
being--spirit, soul, and body--free from every fault at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ. (I Thessalonians 5:23, TEV)
Because man is compose of body, soul and spirit, let us find out what will happen to
mans body soul and spirit when he dies according to the Bible.

THE BODY RETURNS TO DUST

The body is the flesh created from dust:

And the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed
flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years. (Genesis 6:3 New King
James Version)

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7 NKJV)

Thus, when a person dies, he will go back to dust, as what the Bible explicitly said:

After all, the same fate awaits man and animal alike. One dies just like the other.
They are the same kind of creature. A human being is no better off than an animal,
because life has no meaning for either. They are both going to the same place--the
dust. They both came from it; they will both go back to it. (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20,
TEV)

The Bible said, A human being is no better off than an animal during death because
They are both going to the same placethe dust. This is the biblical truth about
death, that both human beings and animals will go the same place when they died
the dust, because both came from it; they will both go back to it.

THE SOULD AND SPIRIT ARE NOT THE SAME

The Bible also explicitly declared that the soul and the spirit are not one and the
same:
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it
penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts
and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12, NIV)

If the soul and the spirit are not one and the same, thus, what will happen to the
soul is different to what will happen to the spirit when a person dies.

WHEN A PERSON DIES, HIS SOUL ALSO DIES

The Soul is the inner nature or inner person of a man:

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature
is being renewed every day. (II Corinthians 4:16, RSV)

Therefore we do not despair, o but even if our physical body is wearing away, our
inner person is being renewed day by day. (New English Translation)

Contrary to the popular belief, the Bible explicitly tells us that when a person dies,
the soul also dies:

Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is
mine: the soul that sins shall die. (Ezekiel 18:4 RSV)

Thus, the biblical teaching about the soul does not conform with the popular belief
about the immortality of the soul. The bible clearly tells us that when a person dies,
his inner person or his soul also dies.
THE SPIRIT IS THE BREATH OF LIFE

The Bible teaches that the spirit is the breath of life:

All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.
(Genesis 7:22 KJV)

As long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils. (Job 27:3, NIV)

Thus, when a person dies, as his body returns to dust, his spirit (the breath of
life) returns to God who gave it:

And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave
it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7 RSV)

CONCLUSION

Thus, what will happen to a person when he dies? His body will return to dust; his
soul or inner person also dies; and the spirit or breathe of life will go back to God
who gave it.

###end###

WHO CAN TELL US THE TRUTH ABOUT DEATH?

NO MAN CAN TELL WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO A PERSON WHEN HE DIES

UNTIL HE HIMSELF EXPERIENCE DEATH. SO, WHO CAN TELL US THE TRUTH
ABOUT DEATH?
 ITS TRUE THAT no man knows what will happen to a person when he dies, but the
Bible is not the words of man, but the words of God. No man can tell what happen to
a person when he dies because mans knowledge is limited. However, Gods
knowledge is not limited like man. He is omniscient or He knows everything:

For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
(I John 3:20 NKJV)

Because God knows all things, He declared the end from the beginning, and from
ancient times things not yet done:

Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not
yet done, Saying, 'My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,' (Isaiah
46:10, NKJV)

The Lord God committed His words in writing through His servants like the Prophet
Jeremiah:

This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Write in a book all the words I have
spoken to you. (Jeremiah 30:2 NIV)

The words of the Lord God are written in the Holy Scriptures (which we call today as
the Bible)

And you remember that ever since you were a child, you have known the Holy
Scriptures, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through
faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the
truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that
the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of
good deed. (II Timothy 3:15-17 TEV)

The Holy Scripture (the Bible) is inspired by God. Thus, it is true that no man can tell
what will happen to a person when he dies, however, the Bible is the inspired words
of the All-Knowing God. Hence, let us reject man-made teachings or notions
(unbiblical concepts, unscriptural perspectives), and accept the Bible as the authority
not only regarding what will happen to a person when he dies, but also regarding the
worship of God, religion and salvation.

###end###

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1

Question # 1. In John 10:16, Jesus said, I have other sheep. Since Jesus used
the present tense and did not say, I will have other sheep, this verse cannot be a
prophecy and hence does not refer to the Iglesia ni Cristo.

Answer: This view that Jesus statement in John 10:16 is not a prophecy
proceeds from the wrong assumption that prophecies are always spoken in the
future tense. This is simply not true. Prophecies in the Old Testament regarding our
Lord Jesus Christ were spoken in the present and past tenses. For instance, Isaiah
61:1 states: The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; he hath sent me to bind up
the broken-hearted The same book of prophecies foretold the work of John the
Baptist: A voice cries: In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD (Is. 40:3,
Revised Standard Version evidently in the present tense. Should we then reject
Jesus and Johns affirmation (cf. Lk. 4:18 21; Jn. 1:23) that they were the ones
spoken of in those verses written hundreds of years before they were born just
because the pronouncements were made in the present tense and not in the future
tense? And even if anyone does reject them on that ground, would it make any
difference at all? Would such rejection render untrue the fact that Jesus and John
were the ones referred to in those prophecies?

Christs pronouncement in John 10:16 states that He has other sheep which are not
of this fold. Whom He must also bring and who shall hear His voice, that there shall
be one flock and one shepherd. The Easy-to-Read New Testament (Life Publishers
International, 1978) renders the last portion of that verse: In the future there will
be one flock and one shepherd. (Italics ours). Certainly, this pronouncement is a
prophecy about a future event.

Question # 2. In John 10:16, Christ says that His sheep will hear His voice. He
did not say that anyone would be speaking for Him. Since the members of the Iglesia
ni Cristo heard Mr. Felix Manalos voice and not Christs in gathering them together,
the Iglesia ni Cristo belongs to Mr. Manalo and not to Christ.

Answer: The criticism reflects either a woeful ignorance of the Bible or

dishonesty. Christ clearly said to those whom He sent, He that heareth you heareth
me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me (Lk. 10:16 ). So, if we listen to those
whom Christ sent to preach or his messengers, we, in effect, listen to Him. Christs
voice could still be heard by His sheep even if He is not actually the one teaching
among them as long as the one who is actually preaching is His messenger.

Question # 3. Why does the Iglesia ni Cristo claim that Acts 2:39 refers to them
when the verse clearly refers only to the Israelites? (V. 22, Men of Israel, hear
these wordsv. 39, For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who
are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.)

Answer: If the promise belongs exclusively to the Israelites then where does that
leave the Gentiles who were also called into the Church through the preaching of the
apostles? How would this interpretation account for the statement of Apostle Paul in
Ephesians 3:6: That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and
partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel?

Clearly, the promise is not exclusively for the Israelites. It is also for those whom
they have begotten through the gospel (cf. I Cor. 4:15 ), that is, their children in the
faith, the Gentiles. According to Apostle Paul: For we are the people he called, not
only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles ( Rom. 9:4, Todays
English Version).

Indeed, during the time of the apostles, however, the gradual turning away of the
early Christians from the true Christian faith began until the inevitable had to come,
the great apostasy of the early Christian Church. History attests to the fulfillment of
biblical prophecies concerning that event. Those who refused to follow the heretical
teachings of the false teachers who led the apostasy were summarily killed.
But Christ said He has other sheep (cf. Jn. 10:16 ) and was referring to the same
group of people foretold by the apostles in Acts 2:39 as partakers also of the
promise of God and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God
shall call. This prophecy was fulfilled when the Church of Christ (Iglesia ni Cristo)
reemerged in the Philippines in 1914.

Question # 4. Even if we say that winds in Revelation 7:1-3 refers to the First
World War -- -- How could Mr. Felix Manalo be the fulfillment of this prophecy when
his work started in 1914, while the Big Four met in 1919?

Answer: The prophecy in revelation 7:2-3 states that the other angel cried to
the four angels when he was already ascending and not during the inception of his
work. The four angels who symbolized the Big Four in the Peace Conference in
Versailles (Wilson, Lloyd George, Clemenceau, and Orlando) met in 1919 and the
peace treaty they signed ended the First World War.

At that time, the evangelical work of Brother Felix Manalo who was referred to in the
prophecy as the other angel was referred to in the prophecy as the other angel was
well on its way. By then, he was already recognized by preachers of other religions.
Local congregations of the Iglesia ni Cristo were already established.

In 1919, when the four angels were fulfilling their designated tasks, the work of the
other angel which started in 1914 was already manifested was seen ascending
from the east.

--- According to the verse, the other angel ascending from the east would seal the
servants of our God on their foreheads before the four angels would release the
winds of war. When the Big Four met in Versailles , World War I was already over.
How could the Big Four hold back the winds or the war when the war occurred even
before they met?

The prophecy states that war would have first broken out before the four angels
were seen holding the winds, meaning the war. The preceding verses (chapter 6,
verses 14-17) speak of the departing of the heaven which caused all kinds of people
kings, great men, rich men, chief captains, mighty men, every bondman and every
free man to hide themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains because
of that conflagration which historians dubbed the Great War or the First World War.

After these things, so the prophecy continued, the four angels were seen holding the
winds. In fact the conference of the Big Four took place after the war had been
waged, for had it not yet broken out, what winds would these angels be holding?

It was at the time the four angels were holding the winds, that is, the war, that the
other angel was seen ascending from the east sealing the servants of God. As it was
foretold, so did it happen.

-- The angel from the east cried with a loud voice to the four angels. Does this mean
that Mr. Felix Manalo actually spoke to the Big Four?

We do not teach that. We have never said that Brother Felix Manalo communicated
with any of the Big Four nor did we ever say that the Big Four acknowledged that
they were the four angels mentioned in Revelation 7:1.

The cry of the other angel should not be taken literally. It signifies the stark contrast
between his work which is evangelization and salvation and that of the four angels
which was purely secular and had something to do with the destruction through war.
Whether or not the Big Four acknowledged that they were the four angels mentioned
in that prophecy does not alter the truth that they fulfilled the prophecy concerning
the angels that held the winds in Revelation 7:1.

The Big Four were called angels in the prophecy because they were messengers
(angels) of their respective nations (cf. I Pt. 2:13 -14; Is. 14:32). They were Wilson
of the U.S.A. , Lloyd George of Great Britain , Orlando of Italy, and Clemenceau of
France.

Leaders of nations are also called by the Bible as ministers of God (cf. Rom. 13:3-
4). They are sent neither to preach the gospel nor to establish a nation of God, but
to serve Gods purpose similar to that which was fulfilled by leaders of ancient
nations who, whether they acknowledged Him or not, were sent by God and called
by Him as His servants.

The pagan Nebuchadnezzar was sent by God: Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the
God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon , my
servant (Jer. 43:10-11).

Of Cyrus, God said, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure (Is.
44:28). Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have
holden, to subdue nations before him; (Is. 45:1).
Babylon and Persia were not the chosen nations of God in ancient times. And yet
their leaders had once served Gods purpose.

--Since the U.S. did not join the war until 1917, when Mr. Felix Manalo registered the
Iglesia ni Cristo in 1914, there was no Big Four yet. There would have been only
three of the angels.

The four angels or the Big Four, as we have stated above, performed their tasks in
the Peace Conference in 1919. It was during this time that the other angel was seen
in a vision ascending from the east, not during or before the entrance of the United
States in the war.

Question # 5. How could Mr. Felix Manalo be the angel in Revelation 7:2-3 when
he could not have sealed the twelve tribes of Israel mentioned in verses 5-8? It is
not stated in Revelation 7:4 that the other angel mentioned in verses 2-3 is the
one who sealed the 144,000 from the twelve tribes of Israel . The 144,000 were the
first fruits of the preaching of the Lamb (cf. Rev. 14:1, 4; Jas. 1:1, 18). They were
sealed during the earliest period of the Christian dispensation.

Answer: Note how Apostle John narrated in Revelation 7:2 the vision he had seen
concerning Gods work in these last days: And I saw another angel..

In verse 4, there was a remarkable shift in the point of view, he said: And I heard
This is not part of the vision, and yet Apostle John mentioned the sealing done
during the time of Christ and His apostles so he can show the link between the first
century Church and the Church in these last days. Both are acts of sealing and both
are Gods work for mans salvation.

Question # 6. True messengers of God do not use several verses to prove that
they are sent by God. John the Baptist used only one verse when he said he was
the voice of one crying in the wilderness (Is. 40:3; Jn. 1:23 ). If Mr. Felix Manalo is
a true messenger of God, why did he have to use so many verses to try and prove
it.?

Answer: Just because John the Baptist quoted only one verse from the Bible does
not mean that all those sent by God should in the same manner quote only one
verse from the Bible to prove that they are genuine. Christ and His apostles quoted
more than one verse in the Bible and yet they were truly sent by God. Moreover,
there is more than one verse in the Bible that foretold the divined mission of John
the Baptist. Aside from the most commonly known prophecy of Isaiah prefigured
John as the voice of one crying in the wilderness (cf. Is. 40:3), there is that
prophecy of Malachi saying, Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare
the way before me: (Mal. 3:1) which also refers to John.

That there is more than one prophecy in the Bible concerning the divine mission of
Gods messenger in these last days is not Brother Felix Manalos doing. And he
should not be faulted for citing those verses that attest to his election as Gods
messenger.

As a matter of fact, his citing of those verses should even be viewed favorably by
any level-headed student of the Bible because this provides him with more reasons
to believe the truthfulness, or genuineness, of this messenger.

For those who do not accept the messenger, they should also view favorably his
citing of many verses because they have more points to argue against. But, of
course, more important that the number of verses one shows as proof of his election
as Gods messenger is the certainty that he is really the one referred to in those
verses, and that he is truly the fulfillment of those prophecies.

Question # 7. Any Bible scholar is aware of the fact that most of the verses in
the old Testament refer to Israel and to ancient civilization then not to the
Philippines . How could Mr. Felix Manalo say that Isaiah 43:5-6 refers to the Iglesia
ni Cristo when the verse is addressed to Israel and not to any Filipino? (After the
destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, the Jews were scattered all over the world,
in all directions North, South, East and West. Isnt the gathering of the Jews in
modern Israel in 1948 the fulfillment of Isaiahs prophecies?)

Answer: The Israelites ceased to be Gods chosen people in the ancient times when
they departed from His laws. They were cursed by God for having sinned against Him
(cf. Dan. 9:11 ). And, in their place, God has set apart another nation: the people
who constituted the Church founded by Christ. They were characterized by Apostle
Peter as a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people;
that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into
his marvelous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of
God (I Pt. 2:9-10). The apostle was referring to the Church of Christ .
However, after the death of the apostles, many members of that Church were led
astray by false teachers and the rest were killed. The Church suffered the same fate
met by ancient Israel . Just as those former people of God were brought captive in
Babylon , the Church became a captive to the new Babylon , which was the Roman
Church. That is why in the prophecies in which both the emancipation of Gods
people from the Roman Church and the reemergence of the Iglesia ni Cristo, the new
Israel, in these last days are foretold, images of the former people of God being set
free from Babylon were used.

THE FAR EAST: The Hebrew word mizrach means the place of the suns rising and
refers to the far east, as in Isaiah 43:5 and Revelation 7:2-3, both prophecies
concerning the call of Gods messenger in the last days, fulfilled in the person of
Brother Felix Y. Manalo when he preached the gospel and became Gods instrument
in the emergence of the Iglesia ni Cristo from the Philippines, a far east country.

Question # 8. Mr. Felix Manalo claims that the ends of the earth refers to that
time which began in 1914 with WWI and would last until the end of the world.
According to Mr. Felix Manalo, the ends of the earth started at the end of the sixth
seal and the beginning of the seventh, as mentioned in the book of Revelation. How
could he tell us the meaning of the sixth and seventh seal when he never claims to
know the meaning of the first five seals?

Answer: Brother Felix Manalo had proven that the first six seals or periods of the
Christian era had already passed. He taught these things to the Church and anyones
ignorance about them is not our fault. Anyway, a brief summary is given here.

When the first four seals were opened, the four horsemen were seen, one in each
seal (cf. Rev. 6:1-8). The first horse and its rider, seen when the first seal was
opened, signifies the Church in the first century and Christ. The first seal, therefore,
is the beginning of the Christian era at the time of Christ and the apostles.

The second horseman riding a red horse, seen when the second seal was opened,
symbolizes the false prophets who led the apostasy of the Christian Church and its
transformation into the Catholic Church. Hence, the second seal is the period of
apostasy.

The black horse and its rider, seen at the opening of the third seal, prefigure the
further corruption of the Christian faith at the hands of those whom the Bible calls
wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever (cf. Jude
1:13 ). These were the Protestant preachers who emerged in the Reformation
period.

The horseman, seen as the fourth seal was opened, indicates the continued spread
and expansion of the Catholic Church, the extent of whose power had reached over a
fourth of the earth.

When the fifth seal was opened (cf. Rev. 6:9), the souls of those slain by the
apostate church, asking to be avenged, were seen. But they shall not be avenged
until Judgment Day comes.

The Opening of the sixth seal is followed by a great earthquake, the darkening of the
sun and the moon and the falling of the stars (cf. Rev. 6:12-13). These events
occurred in the 18th and 19th centuries. The great earthquake occurred in Lisbon in
1755, the darkening of the sun and the moon in 1780 and the falling of the stars in
1833.

At the end of the sixth seal, which also signals the beginning of the seventh seal, the
heavens were departed which caused the hiding of all kinds of men in the dens and
in the rocks of the mountains (cf. Rev. 6:14-17). The departing of the heaven that
caused this was the Great War that broke out in 1914. This war is also symbolized in
the prophecy as the winds that were later seen being held by the four angels (cf.
Rev. 7:1; Jer. 4:11 -12, 19). The end of the sixth seal which is also the beginning of
the seventh seal is what is also referred to in Bible prophecies as the ends of the
earth.

Question # 9. Neither Christ nor the apostles or the prophets ever mentioned the
term far east. Mr. Felix Manalo was only giving his own interpretation when he
connected the words afar off and east. Why does the Iglesia ni Cristo insist on
using James Moffatt translation of the Bible when this translation did not come out
until 1923, and most serious biblical scholars have never even heard of this
translation?

Answer: The book entitled The Oxford Companion to the Bible (ed. Metzger and
Coogan, 1993) does not agree with the view that Moffatts translation of the Bible is
never heard among many Bible scholars or students of theology. The said book
which has more than 250 contributors, representing the international community of
scholars, coming from some twenty countries, on five continents, states on page
761:
The translation that made the greatest impact upon the Bible-reading public,
though, was that of the Scottish scholar James Moffatt . . . His translation of the Old
Testament appeared in 1924 and the whole Bible was revised in 1935. He spent the
last years of his life as Professor of Church History at Union Theological Seminary,
New York , and at the time of his death (1944), he was working on a translation of
the Apocrypha.

This can hardly be considered a put-down to Moffats work.

But this is not the reason we quote Moffats translation of Isaiah 43:5 in which he
used the term far east instead of just plain east as other versions have it. We
believe his rendition is the more accurate one because the word in the original
Hebrew which he translated far east is mizrach.

Smiths Dictionary of the Bible (p. 637) has this to say on this Hebrew term:

The Hebrew terms descriptive of the east differ in idea, and, to a certain extent, in
application; (1) kedem properly means that which is before or in front of a person,
and was applied to the east from the custom of turning in that direction when
describing the points of the compass, before, behind, the right and the left, (2)
mizrach means the place of the suns rising, and strictly answers to the Greek
anatole and the Latin oriens; mizrach is used of the far east with a less definite
signification (Is. Xli. 2, 25, xliii. 5, xlvi. 11).

Here is a testimony of a renowned Bible scholar that mizrach was the Hebrew term
used in Isaiah 43:5, and that this word is the equivalent in English to far east. So
Moffatts translation of Isaiah 43:5 is after all the more accurate one.

It is averred that Christ and His apostles never mentioned the term far east. Now
every Bible student worth his salt is aware that the Book of Revelation is The
Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants
things which must shortly come to pass; and signified it by his angel unto his servant
John (Rev. 1:1). This is the last book of the New Testament, originally written in
Greek.

When Jewish scholars translated the New Testament to Hebrew, it is remarkable that
they translated the Greek word for east in Revelation 7:2 into Hebrew as
mizrach, which as we have pointed out above is more accurately translated far
east. Revelation 7:2 is a prophecy regarding the divine mission of Brother Felix Y.
Manalo. This belies the unfounded claim that Jesus and His apostles never mentioned
the term (or its equivalent) far east.

Question # 10. According to the Iglesia ni Cristo, the farthest corners refers to
the four directions North, South, East, and West. In their understanding of Isaiah
41:9, they say that Mr. Felix Manalo came from the farthest corners. How could
one man come from four different directions?

Answer: Brother Felix Manalo who came from the Far East is the fulfillment of the
prophecy in Isaiah 41:9. Our critics could not understand how Brother Felix Manalo
could come from the farthest corners of the earth when he could only be in one place
or direction at a given time. But these directions which are indicated by the term
corners used in the prophecy are not to be taken literally.

North and South signifies the Protestant and the Catholic churches because these
religions became the predominant faith in those regions. Owen Chadwick writes in
his book, The Reformation (Penguin Books, 1972);

In the north the Protestants were in control Lutheran churches in Sweden,

Norway, Denmark, Iceland, the northern and central states of Germany: Calvinist or
Reformed churches in Scotland, the Netherlands, Hesse, the Palatinate, and a few of
the western German states. In the south the Catholics were in control Spain, Italy ,
Austria , Bavaria , and elsewhere in southern Germany .

Question # 11. When Mr. Felix Manalo preached, he deliberately tried to appeal
to the emotions of the listeners by always using comparisons. This was his strategy
in winning over his converts. He would enumerate the teachings of Christ word for
word and compare them to Catholic doctrines or dogma. Many Filipinos believed
Mr. Felix Manalo only because they never read the Bible and because they associated
Catholicism with their hatred for the Spanish regime.

Answer: Comparison is a common pedagogical tool that has been employed by

biblical teachers since the earliest times. The Book of Proverbs is replete with
comparisons. As a matter of fact, according to scholars The Hebrew word (masal)
translated proverb can mean comparison, and many of the proverbs contain a
metaphor or simile. (The Oxford Companion to the Bible, p. 624)

Moses used this very effective approach in teaching when he declared: I call heaven
and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death,
blessing and cursing, therefore choose life, (cf. 30:19).

During Christs earthly ministry, He used comparison in His teachings to emphasize

the difference between His teachings and common peoples beliefs. In one instance,
he said:

Therefore take no though, saying, What shall we eat? Or, What shall we drink? Or,
Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for
your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things (Mt. 6:31 -32).
And in another instance, he said, For I say unto you, That except your
righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees ye shall in
no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Mt. 5:20)

Apostle Paul warns the Christians not to give heed to Jewish fables, and
commandments of men, that turn from the truth (Titus 1:14 ).

Apostle John admonished us to believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether
they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world (IJn.
4:1).

Certainly, a clear presentation of alternatives is vital in anything that calls for a

decision, especially if it is a choice between life and death, light and darkness, and
salvation and damnation. So why should anybody begrudge Brother Felix Manalos
use of comparison in his preaching?

It is not true that Filipinos associated Catholicism with their hatred for the Spanish
regime because when they revolted against Spain , they retained Catholicism per se.
The Iglesia ni Cristo was established in the Philippines in 1914, sixteen years after
Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States of America . We wonder where our
critics got the idea that the hatred of the Filipinos against the Spanish regime was
associated with Catholicism!

Actually, the main reason why many people are converting to the Iglesia ni Cristo is
the realization that this is the true Church of Christ today, the fulfillment of the Bible
prophecies concerning the third and last group of people who would comprise the
Church established by Christ and who would uphold the true Christian doctrines, the
fruit of the divine mission of Gods messenger in these last days, and whose calling
and election are solidly grounded on the sure word of prophecy.
Gods Message INTERNATIONAL EDITION
April 1997

###end###

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 2

Question #1: Certain Christian denominations such as the Seventh-day Adventists

abstain from eating rabbit meat, pork, and other types of food they consider as
unclean. Does your Church observe prohibitions of a similar kind?

Answer: The Bible teaches that God forbade His ancient people, the Israelites, from
eating certain types of food considered by Him as unclean (Lev. 11:4-8). It is from
this practice that some Protestant denominations derived their teaching regarding
abstinence from certain meats. However, such prohibition was exclusively imposed
on the ancient Israelites and does not apply to the Christian era (Col. 2:16). Thus,
we do not abstain from eating such food that were formerly considered ritually
unclean, for God Himself has declared them as clean (Acts 10:9-15). We are,
however, forbidden to eat blood or any food mixed with blood. God gave this
commandment not only to the patriarchs (Gen. 9;1-4) and to the prophets (Dt
12:22-23) but also to the Christians (Acts 21:25). We dare not violate this
commandment, for doing is to commit a grave sin before God (Lev. 17:10).

Question #2: One of my employees who is a member of your Church was having
difficulty in working overtime particularly on Thursdays. When I asked him why, he
said that he could not work overtime on Thursdays because he had to attend worship
service. Do you really need to go to Church even on weekdays?

Answer: Members of the Church of Christ believe that worshiping God is every
person's duty to his Creator (Eccl. 12:13; Ps. 95:6).

This is why they diligently attend worship services. During such gatherings, they
receive spiritual guidance and nourishment. They are edified and made strong in the
faith (I Cor. 14:26).
The early Christians worshiped on the first day of the week (Sunday). But there were
times when they worshiped every day (Acts. 2:46)--as the Church deemed it
necessary.

In our case, we hold worship services twice a week as the Church has decided
through the authority of the Church Administration (Mt 18:19) and in obedience to
God's admonition (Jn. 4:23; Heb. 10:25). It is during such services when we receive
religious instruction to guide us in life.

Question #3: When I attended your worship services, I noticed that your chapels
do not have statues of Saints, the Virgin Mary, and even the Lord Jesus Christ in
them. Why?

Answer: Your observation is correct. We neither keep such images nor worship
them because such practices are prohibited by God. He declared:

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is
in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the
earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy
God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the
third and fourth generation of them that hate me; (Exo. 20:4-5, KJV)

Furthermore, the Bible says,

But cowards, traitors, perverts, murderers, the immoral, those who practice magic,
those who worship idols, and all liarsthe place for them is the lake burning with fire
and sulfur, which is the second death. (Rev. 21:8, GNT)

Question #4: My best friend, who is a member of your Church, just gave birth to a
healthy baby boy. I offered myself to be her baby's godparent and to witness his
christening. To my surprise, she told me that in your Church babies are not baptized.
Can you explain why?

Answer: The Lord Jesus Christ teaches that to qualify for baptism, one must first
prove his faith after believing in the gospel preached to them by God's messengers
(Mk 16:15-16; Rom. 10:15-17). We do not baptize infants because they do not yet
have the faculty and the Capacity for understanding and believing in the gospel.
Moreover, since baptism is to be administered for the forgiveness of one's sins (and
to commit a sin is to transgress God's law of which little children are not capable of
doing) infants, therefore, sholld not be baptized at that stage of their lives (Acts
2:38; I Jn. 3:4).

Baptism is not for infants or children who have not reached the age of discretion.

Question #5: My son has expressed his romantic feelings to one of the daughters of
a close friend of mine, However, my friend's daughter explained to my son that she
could not be romantically involved with him because she is a member of the Iglesia
ni Cristo. And as a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo, she is not supposed to marry
someone who is not a member. Why do you prohibit the members of your Church to
marry nonmembers?

Answer: The Lord God, through the apostles, forbids Christians to unite in marriage
with unbelievers. Apostle Paul explained that just as righteousness has no fellowship
with iniquity, a believer also has no accord with an unbeliever. True Christians or
members of the Church of Christ are the temple of God while unbelievers, that of
idols or false gods (II Cor. 6:14-16, Lamsa Translation).

Since the earliest times, God has prohibited His people to intermarry with those who
do not belong to His nation. One of the reasons for this prohibition is that by
marrying those not belonging to His nation, God's children would be drawn away
from following Him "to serve other gods" (Dt. 7:3- 4, New Revised Standard Version)

Question #6: As a Catholic, I grew up believing that the souls of the dead are
purified in purgatory before they are allowed entrance to heaven and that the living
can help the dead by means of their prayers, I was so surprised to learn that your
Church does not pray for the dead. Why? Don't you want to help the souls of the
departed ease their sufferings in purgatory?

Answer: The Catholic Church teaches that when a person dies, his soul goes to any
of these three destinations: heaven, hell or purgatory. Catholic bishop Louis La
Ravoire Morrow explains that "The soul is judged by God, and rewarded with heaven,
punished with hell, or sent for a time to be cleansed in purgatory" (My Catholic Faith,
p. 248).

The Catholic Church officially teaches that, "Purgatory is a place vice where souls are
detained for a time and purified if they die guilty of slight sins or if they have not
entirely atoned for grave sins, though these have been forgiven" (A Catechism for
Inquirers, p. 28)

The Bible, however, does not mention about purgatory. So, we do not believe that
such a place exists. Instead, the Bible teaches that man will go to either heaven (to
receive eternal life) or hell (to suffer eternal punishment). All men will be judged
accordingly on Judgment Day, and not immediately after they die (Mi 25:31-34,41),

The term purgatory itself and Re the teachings and practices surrounding it are
unscriptural. The Holy Scriptures teaches that when a person dies, he "will never
again take part in anything that happens in this world" (Eccl. 9:6, TEV) since the soul
dies, too (Ezek. 18:4). While waiting for the day of Judgment, the dead will remain in
the grave (Ps. 88:5; Job 14:10,12; II Pt. 3:10, 7). So, offering prayers for the dead
is unbiblical and useless.

Question #7: My wife and I were invited by our neighbors to attend your worship
service and we gladly accepted the invitation. But, when my wife and I entered the
chapel, we were ushered to separate seats because the seating arrangement in the
chapel requires males and females to be seated separately from each other. I find
this arrangement quite odd. What is your purpose for such seating order?

Answer: We assign separate seats for male and female worshipers during our
worship services in keeping with the biblical instruction to "do everything properly
and in order" (I Cor. 14:40, Contemporary English Version). Such a practice
maintains the propriety and orderliness of the worship service and contributes to the
solemnity of the sacred occasion.

Question #8: I heard that your Church does not celebrate Christmas on December
25. How could you ever ignore to celebrate the birthday of our Savior?

Answer: The popular belief that Christ was born on December 25 is nothing but a
myth. The Holy Scriptures does not specify the date of the Lord's birth. On the
contrary historical evidences point to December 25 as the birth date of the pagan
Roman sun-god, Sol Invictus., "the unconquered sun" (The New Schaff-Herzog
Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, p. 47; Handbook of Christian Feasts and
Customs p. 61) And because the celebration Christmas has been riddled with pagan
ways and practices, we do not take part in it. The apostles admonished:
Question #9: I understand that what makes a Christian religion distinct from
among others is the belief that Christ is God. How can you claim that you are
Christians when you don't believe in the teaching that Christ is the God?

Answer: A true Christian is a follower of Christ's commandments. He is one who

faithfully uphold the teachings of the Lord (Jn. 8:31). One of these teachings concern
the true nature of the Lord Jesus Himselfthat He is man (Jn. 8:40). The fact that
He is man negates any assertion that He is God. Moreover, Christ declared that the
only true God is the Father, who is a spirithaving no flesh and bones or without
material form as Christ had (Jn. 17:1, 3; Lk. 24:39; Jn. 4:24).

Christ being man cannot be God, and God, being God, cannot, be man (Ezek.28:2;
Hos. 11:9). Even the apostles taught that Christ is man and is a different being from
God Himself (1 Tim. 2:5). Apostle Paul declared that "there is only one God, the
Father" who definitely is not Christ, the Son (I Cor. 8:6, New King James Version),
Those who uphold beliefs contrary to these are themselves far from being true
Christians.

Question #10: I believe that Valentine's Day is a festival for lovers. Why don't you
celebrate Valentine's Day? Do you discourage your members to be loving?

Answer: To love God and to love one's neighbor are the two commandments the
Lord Jesus Christ emphasized (Mt. 22:36-40). Therefore, loving God and loving our
fellowmen are good acts. But, the celebration of Valentine's Day is not in any way
connected with these great commandments. We do not celebrate Valentine's Day
because its practices and customs bear close association with paganism. Valentine's
Day is the feast day celebrated on the 14th of February in honor and veneration of
two so-called martyr-saints, both of whom are believed to have the name Valentine
(The New Catholic Encyclopedia, v. 14, p. 517). This feast is closely associated with
the ancient Roman feast of Lupercalia, observed on the 15th of February (Funk
&Wagnalls New Encyclopedia, v. 21, p. 59). According to the Catholic Dictionary,
pagan boys drew the names of girls "in honor of the goddess Februata Juno" (p.
827).

To observe the practices connected with Valentine's Day is to compromise the

teachings of the Bible with such pagan customs and practices.

###end###

Interesting Questions-52: "Awaiting Judgment

Day"
Letter to the Editor:
PASUGO, April 1998, p.2

WHEN I HAPPENED to read your magazine and noticed your letters section, I decided
to write you regarding this: The Bible teaches that there are people who have gone
up to heaven. Is this a proof that a man indeed goes to heaven or hell right after he
has died?

Joveno de Mesa
Pasay City, Philippines

Editor's reply:

Indeed, the Bible states that there are persons who have gone up to heaven such
Enoch, Elijah, and the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Gen. 5:22,24; Heb. 11:5; II Kings 2:1,
11; Acts 1:11). But it must be noted that except for Christ, the other two went up
to heaven without having experienced death.

After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had
sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five
years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. (Gen.
5:22,24, New King James Version)

By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, and was not found,
because God had taken him; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that
he pleased God. (Heb. 11:5, NKJV)

And it came to pass, when the LORD was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a
whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. ( II Kings 2:1, NKJV)

who also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same
Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you
saw Him go into heaven. (Acts 1:11, NKJV)

In the case of the Lord Jesus Christ, He did not remain in the grave because God
had risen Him from the dead and took Him up into heaven after 40 days (cf. Acts
1:3-4, 9).

to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs,
being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the
kingdom of God. And being assembled together with them, He commanded them
not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, which, He
said, you have heard from Me; Now when He had spoken these things, while
they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. (Acts
1:3-4, 9, NKJV)

The Lord ascended into heaven to prepare a place for His servants (cf. Jn. 14:1-3)
The fact that He is to PREPARE such place is a clear proof that man does not
immediately receive his reward or punishment upon death.

Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My
Fathers house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to
prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again
and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
(John 14:1-3, NKJV)

The Bible also makes it clear that only on the second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ
that everyone will be judgedonly then will man accept the reward or punishment
for all his deeds, whether good or evil (cf. Rev. 22:11-12; Jn. 5:28-29). On that
day, those who died in Christ will be risen first and together with those true
Christians who still live, will be gathered to meet the Lord in the air (cf. I Thess.
4:16-17).

He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he
who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.
And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one
according to his work. (Rev. 22:11-12, NKJV)

Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will
hear His voice 29 and come forththose who have done good, to the resurrection of
life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. (John 5:28-
29, NKJV)

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an
archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then
we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to
meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. (I Thess. 4:16-
17, NKJV)

###end###

Interesting Questions-08: "Not the majority"

Letter to the Editor:
GOD'S MESSAGE, July 2005, p.3

I AGREE WITH YOU that it is the Church built by Christ which He sill save (Matt.
16:18). But what makes you think that it is your Church which does not comprise the
majority of the people in the world that is going to be saved?

Vener Cheng
Kowloon, Hong Kong

Editor's reply:

The true Church does not need to be composed of the majority for it to be saved by
Christ. A church's being composed of the majority does not translate to being its
elected or chosen to attain salvation. Of ancient Israel which was the first nation of
God, the Holy Scriptures says:

"The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in
number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples" (Deut. 7:7,
New King James Version)

Bible history proves that God has chosen His own people since the beginning. God
elected Noah and his family; by virtue of their election, only eight of them were
saved while the rest perished from the great flood (II Peter 2:5). In the first verse
we have quoted, it is explicitly stated that God elected His people the ancient
Israelites who were few in number, a small nation. There were millions of people who
lived during the biblical times, but only few were elected according to God's will. The
right to serve God and to attain salvation therefore is not determined by the size of a
religious organization but by the election or setting apart by our Lord God (Ps.4:3).

Regarding the election of the Church where we belong, the Church of Christ that
emerged in the Philippines, Christ has this prophecy:

"And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they
will hear my voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd." (John 10:16,
NKJV)

Christ "other sheep" which were not yet in the fold or flock when Christ was still on
earth, or the people (Ezek. 34:31) who were not yet called in the Church of Christ
(Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation), would come from "distant times" and "afar off"
place (Acts 2:39, Rieu and NKJV).
We believe that the phrase "distant times" refers to the "ends of the earth"
mentioned in Isaiah 43:5-6 which is the period of time when the coming of the Lord
Jesus Christ is near, the beginning of which is signaled by a world war (Matt. 24:3,
33, 6-7; Isa. 34:1-2). On July 27, 1914, the First World War broke out (Story of the
Great War, Vol II, p.291; The nations at war, p.8) indicating the beginning od the
period "ends of the earth." It is on this very date when this Church of Christ was
registered with the Philippine government.

We believe that the "afar off" place in the prophecy refers to the "far country"
mentioned in Isaiah 46:11 which is found in the "Far East" (Isa. 43:5, Moffatt), the
fulfillment of which is the Philippines, a country which is found in the Far East (Asia
and the Philippines, p.169) and from where the Church of Christ in "distant times"
emerged.

###end###

Interesting Questions-22: "An unfair Affair"

Letter to the Editor:

GOD'S MESSAGE, May 2006, p.4

ROMANS 5:12 STATES that "through one man, sin entered the world/' Am I
correct in my understanding that the "one man'' being referred to is Adam? if so, is
there any way we can be set free from inheriting Adam's sin? Are we and the next
generations after us doomed to carry the curse of Adam's sin? It just seems so
unfair that I or my children have to pay the price for a mistake that was made by
someone else.

Patrick Montoya Jr.

Anaheim, California , U.S.A.

Editor's reply:

You are right in your understanding that the "one man" through whom "sin entered
the world" being referred to in Romans 5:12 was Adam. However, with your
question, "is there any way we can be set free from inheriting Adam's sin?'', it
appears that you believe that sin, particularly Adam's sin, is inherited. Such thinking
needs to be corrected.

We should bear in mind that sin is the transgression of God's law:

"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of
the law" (I John 3:4, King James Version)

Sin is what one commits when he breaks God's commandments. It is not something
that a person inherits from another person. Each person is accountable for his own
sins and not for the sins of others, as the law of God states:

"Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to
death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin" (Deut.
24:1 6, New King James Version)

How is it, then, that "through one man, sin entered world"? Remember that prior
to the first couple's transgression of God's law, sin did not exist on the earth. Man
was placed in paradise, free from sickness and death, and having dominion over
every living creature that was moving upon the earth (Gen. 1:28; 2:15, Ibid.). It
was only when the first couple disobeyed God's command that sin and death
entered the world (Gen. 2;17- 3;16- 24, ibid.).
Romans 5:12 states in full:

"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin,
and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned." (Ibid)

Having fallen from God's grace, Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of
Eden (Gen. 3:23-24). And since then, mankind's history has been replete with
suffering and death

Since all have sinned, with the exception of our Lord Jesus Christ, all need to be
forgiven in order to be reconciled with God. How can man's sins be forgiven? He
must be reconciled with God through the blood of Christ:

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near
through the blood of Christ" (Eph. 2:1 3, New International Version)

It is only through the blood of Christ that man can be reconciled with God, for
"without the shedding of the blood, there is no forgiveness" (Heb. 9:22, ibid:)

In view of this reconciliation between God and man, membership in the true Church
of Christ is necessary for man's redemption and salvation because it is the Church of
Christ that was redeemed by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ:

"Take heed therefore to yourselves and to\ all the flock over which the Holy Spirit
has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased
with his blood." (Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation)
 ###end###

Interesting Questions-33: "My Lord and my God"

(John 20:28)

Letter to the Editor:

GOD'S MESSAGE, November 2004, p.4

HOW CAN YOU say that Jesus Christ is not God when Thomas, an postle of Christ,
clearly called Him God. In John 20:28 we can read, "And Thomas answered and
said to Him, 'My Lord and MY GOD!"" Doesn't the pronoun ''Him" refer to Christ?
Clearly, Thomas referred to Christ as God because He is God.

Ian Parks
Madison Wisconsin, USA

Editor's reply:

We are not the only ones who say that Jesus Christ is not God. Christ Himself
proved this when He declared that He is man (Jn. 8:40; 4:24; Lk. 24:39).

But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard
from God. Abraham did not do this. (John 8:40, NKJV)

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. (John
4:24, NKJV)

Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does
not have flesh and bones as you see I have. (Luke 24:39, NKJV)

Regarding Apostle Thomas' statement in John 20:28, please refer to the

article on page 31, which discusses in full the context of such statement and the
reason it is not a valid basis to further the false claim that Christ is God.

_____________

Please read the following verses to get a good idea on what transpired prior Thomas'
statement:

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

10
Then the followers went back home. 11 But Mary stood outside the tomb, crying.
While she was crying, she bent down and looked inside the tomb. 12 She saw two
angels dressed in white sitting where Jesus body had been. One was sitting where
the head had been; the other was sitting where the feet had been. 13 The angels
asked Mary, Woman, why are you crying? Mary answered, They took away the
body of my Lord, and I dont know where they put him. 14 When Mary said this, she
turned around and saw Jesus standing there. But she did not know that it was Jesus.
15
He asked her, Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for? She
thought he was the man in charge of the garden. So she said to him, Did you take
him away, sir? Tell me where you put him. I will go and get him. 16 Jesus said to
her, Mary. She turned toward him and said in Aramaic, Rabboni, which means
Teacher. 17 Jesus said to her, You dont need to hold on to me! I have not yet
gone back up to the Father. But go to my followers [a] and tell them this: I am
going back to my Father and your Father. I am going back to my God and
your God. 18 Mary Magdalene went to the followers and told them, I saw the
Lord! And she told them what he had said to her.

Jesus Appears to His Followers

19
The day was Sunday, and that same evening the followers were together. They
had the doors locked because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly,
Jesus was standing there among them. He said, Peace be with you! 20 As soon as
he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. When the followers saw the
Lord, they were very happy. 21 Then Jesus said again, Peace be with you. It was
the Father who sent me, and I am now sending you in the same way. 22 Then he
breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of
anyone, their sins are forgiven. If there is anyone whose sins you dont forgive, their
sins are not forgiven.

Jesus Appears to Thomas

24
Thomas (called Didymus) was one of the twelve, but he was not with the other
followers when Jesus came. 25 They told him, We saw the Lord. Thomas said,
Thats hard to believe. I will have to see the nail holes in his hands, put my
finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side. Only then will I
believe it. 26 A week later the followers were in the house again, and Thomas was
with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them. He said,
Peace be with you! 27 Then he said to Thomas, Put your finger here. Look at my
hands. Put your hand here in my side. Stop doubting and believe. 28 Thomas
said to Jesus, My Lord and my God! 29 Jesus said to him, You believe because you
see me. Great blessings belong to the people who believe without seeing me! (John
20:10-29, Easy To Read Version)

_____________

The following are excerpt from the article referred above: How should we understand
Thomas statement in John 20:28, GOD'S MESSAGE, November 2004, p.31-33:

A statement of amazement and disbelief:

When Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" was he at this
point affirming his faith in the alleged deity of Jesus or was he in state of unbelief?

Think of the situation before Jesus showed Himself to them: the doors were shut
when Jesus abruptly stood in their midst and summoned Thomas to come near to
Him. What was Thomas' reaction? A reaction of unbelief and amazement. Is this kind
of reaction something that is strange or unusual? No. The fact is, Thomas was not
the only one caught perplexed but also the rest of his companions. Luke reported
that when Jesus appeared abruptly in their midst while the disciples were gathered
together, they were terrified and frightened (Lk. 24: 36-37).
36
Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said
to them, Peace to you. 37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed
they had seen a spirit. (Luke 24:36-37, NKJV)

Even after Jesus showed His hands and His feet (Lk. 24:40), still they did not believe
because of their joy and amazement (Lk 24:41).
40
When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. 41 But while they
still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, "Have you any food
here?" (Luke 40-41, NKJV)

It was at this time that Jesus upbraided them (Mk. 16:14).

14
Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their
unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen
Him after He had risen. (Mark 16:14, NKJV)

It is not surprising, therefore, for Thomas to react in such fashion similar to the
other disciples. Being in a state of wonder and disbelief, he uttered statements that
were contrary to the message taught to them by Jesus through Mary Magdalene.
What did Jesus tell Mary that Thomas and the rest of the disciples should believe
concerning the question of who should be their God? Jesus taught Mary and the
disciples that their God is His God (Jn. 20:17)

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

17
Jesus said to her, You dont need to hold on to me! I have not yet gone back up
to the Father. But go to my followers and tell them this: I am going back to my
Father and your Father. I am going back to my God and your God. 18 Mary
Magdalene went to the followers and told them, I saw the Lord! And she told them
what he had said to her. (John 20:17-18, Easy to Read Version, emphasis ours)

It must be remembered that during the preceding days before His death, Jesus
taught His disciples the identity of the only true God whom they should believe. In
His intercessory prayer to the Father in heaven, He emphasized the absolute oneness
of God by saying, "Father, ... You, the only true God" (Jn. 17:1,3, NKJV).
1
Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: Father, the
hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 3 And this is
eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom
You have sent. (John 17:1,3, NKJV, emphasis ours)

Obviously, Thomas failed to remember these words of his Master. What he uttered
in John 20:28 should not be regarded as a statement of faith nor should they be
considered as a strong biblical foundation to assert Christ's alleged deity.

Thomas' statement in John 20:28 should be rejected as basis in proving the alleged
divinity of Christ. Remember that Thomas was not preaching at that moment. His
statement was against the statement that was written about Christ, uttered by Peter
when he was preaching under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4, 22)
22
Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to
you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as
you yourselves also know (Acts 2:22, NKJV, emphasis ours)

If the proponents of the Christ-is-God theology were to summon Thomas as a

witness to prove their point, their evidence is weak because the one they consider as
their prime witness was at that time in a state of doubt.

A mistake rebuked

Others ask "Why did Jesus not rebuke Thomas if his statement was wrong?" They
allege that Jesus accepted Thomas' statement and even blessed him afterwards.
Is it true that Thomas was not rebuked and was blessed later? What did Jesus tell
him after he proclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you
believed because you have seen me? . . . . . (Jn. 20:29, Revised Standard
Version)

Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those
who have not seen and yet believe." (John 20:29, RSV)

What do we see at this point? Jesus was rebuking him, not blessing him. On the
other hand, who are blessed according to Jesus? "..... .. .. Blessed are those who
have not seen and yet believe." (Jn. 20:29, Ibid.)

It is true that many of Christ's disciples had neither seen Him person-after He had
risen nor had witnessed His resurrection. They had not seen His resurrected body,
yet they believed His body had risen from the grave. Although many have not seen
Jesus walked on earth as a man, many have accepted His testimony that He is a
man telling the truth which He heard from God (Jn. 8:40). Apostle Peter testified
that He is a man proven by God through the miracles, wonders, and signs which
God did through Him (Acts 2:22, Today's English Version). Apostle Paul taught the
Christians that the man Jesus Christ is their Mediator to God (I Tim. 2:5, KJV). His
disciples never proclaimed Jesus as God in their preaching and in their epistles.

Unfortunately, there are still those who insist on submitting the doubting apostle's
statement in John 20:28 as their alleged evidence in proving their thwarted belief on
Christ's state of being. The reason is simple. In the absence of explicit biblical
evidences that could substantiate their claim, they have no other recourse but to
give much credit to the testimony of a doubting person. In a way, there are many
"doubting Thomases" who, in spite of the overwhelming biblical evidences that it is
not Jesus but the Father alone who is the only true God (Jn. 17:1, 3; 1 Cor. 8:6;
Eph. 4:6) still contend that Jesus is God, using as basis erroneous statements such
as that which was uttered by the Apostle Thomas in John 20:28.

However, those who have done a thorough examination of the biblical narratives
cited, after doing an exhaustive study, would agree to the truth that: Thomas'
statement in John 20:28 is not a confession of faith but a statement made by a
person who was in a state of amazement and disbelief.

###end###

Interesting Questions-66: Are Christ and Jehovah

one and the same God? (Genesis 17:1)
Letter to the Editor:
PASUGO, December 2002, p.2

I BELIEVE THAT 'there is only one true God; He is invisible and His name is Jehovah
or Yahweh. Although I do not believe in the Trinity, I believe that Christ is God
incarnate or else who would the Bible be referring to as Jehovah Who
appeared Himself to Abraham in Genesis 17:1?

Belinda Alvarez
Naga City, Philippines

Editor's reply:

To begin with, the word Jehovah is not the correct rendition of YHWH-the
tetragrammaton or the Hebrew word for one of the names of God. The
tetragrammaton is never spoken out loud by the Jews, and because it is composed of
consonants only, the correct way of pronouncing it has long been forgotten. Whether
it is rendered as Jehovah or Yahweh, we firmly believe that it does not refer to
our Lord Jesus Christ.

Your conclusion that Christ is God rests on the premise that Christ is Jehovah
Who appeared before Abraham. Such premise relies on two basic assumptions that
are biblically untenable.

First, you are assuming that the mention of God appearing to Abraham in Genesis
17:1 means that Abraham saw God in the flesh as Jesus Christ. However, as you
yourself have pointed out, the true God is invisible, which means, as clarified by
Christ, that God cannot be seen in His form (Jn. 5:37; I Tim. 1:17). The way God
manifest Himself to man is by means of His power through the things that He made
(Rom. 1:19-20). And so, what Abraham saw were the manifestations of Gods power
and not Christ appearing as God or Jehovah. The belief in Christ as God incarnate
is not biblical.

Second, you are assuming that Christ somehow has pre-existence, yet the Bible
teaches otherwise. Christ did not exist during the time of the patriarchs and the
prophets; He was not there before He was born (Is. 7:14; Mt. 1:20-24). Hence,
Abraham, who lived during the dispensation of the patriarchs, could not have seen
Christ in the flesh because the promise concerning Christ was not yet fulfilled (Rom.
1:2-3).
 If we were to take your premise that Christ is Jehovah as true, then we would
end up with inconsistencies. For example, Jehovah is described as the Most High,
yet Christ is called the Son of the Highest or the Most High (Ps. 83:18; Lk. 1:31-32).
How could such be possible if Christ and Jehovah were one and the same God, as
you claim? In addition, Jehovah is God Almighty, yet Christ is not Almighty because
He will submit to the Almighty God (Exo. 6:3; and I Cor. 15:27-28).

These biblical verses, and a host of others, prove conclusively that Christ is
Himself not God. Christ, therefore, can never be the one true God.

The teaching of the Bible is very clear; the one and only true God is the Almighty
Father in Heaven who created all things (Jn. 17:1-3; I Cor. 8:6).

###end###

Interesting Questions-35: "The Child and the

Mighty God"

Letter to the Editor:

GOD'S MESSAGE, May 2007, p.4-5

ALMOST ALL OF the articles I've read proving the divinity of Christ mention
Isaiah 9:6, a verse which prophesies about "a Child." Accordingly the Child referred
to in this verse which also mentions about the "Mighty God" is none other than the
Son or Jesus Christ. Does the Iglesia ni Cristo deny that Christ is the fulfillment of
this prophecy? If not, why not teach that He is the "Mighty God"?

David Koch
Geneva, Illinois, USA

Editor's reply:

Thanks for writing us. Isaiah 9:6 indeed is a prophecy about the "Son," our Lord
Jesus Christ. However, as you will see later, Jesus Christ is not the Mighty God
referred to, nor does this prophecy indicate His alleged divinity.

Isaiah 9:6 reads, "For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the
government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful,
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (New King James
Version)
Since Isaiah 9:6 was originally written in Hebrew, it would be of help to consult
the Jewish Publication Society of America, for instance, on how it renders the
verse:

For a child is born unto us. A son is given unto us; And the government is upon his
shoulder; and his name is called Pele-joez-el-gibbor-Abi-ad-sar-shalom." (The
Holy Scriptures According to the Masoretic Text, 1917 edition)

The Hebrew name Pele- joez-el-gibbor-abi-ad-sar-shalom is translated in the

footnote as, "Wonderful in counsel is God the Mighty, the everlasting Father, the
Ruler of Peace."

It is evident here that this is not a series of names as interpreted by some but just
one long name. More importantly, we could clearly notice here that the "God the
Mighty'' or is also "Mighty God" referred to who is also "Wonderful in counsel" is none
other than "the everlasting Father" Himself. Taking into consideration that
Jesus Christ is the ''Son" of the Father (Matt. 3:16-17), He therefore, is not the
Father Himself, hence, Christ is not the Mighty God.

Does it say anywhere else in the Bible that the Father is indeed "wonderful in
counsel"? In the same book of Isaiah, these are stated:

'All this also comes from the Lord Almighty, wonderful in counsel and
magnificent in wisdom." (Isa. 28:29, New International Version, emphasis ours)

"And yet, Lord, you are our Father We are the clay, and you are the potter. We are
all formed by your hand." (Isa. 64:8, New Living Translation, emphasis ours)

Clearly then, the "Mighty God"' who is referred to in the prophecy as also
"wonderful in counsel" is not the Son Jesus Christ but the "everlasting Father."

Why then is that one long name, having as its part the term "Mighty God" mentioned
in the prophecy concerning Christ? It is because the "government" or "authority"
(JPS, 1999 edition) that the Child (Christ) would later hold came from no less
than the Mighty God who is the Father. Christ Himself proved this when He said:

'And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me
in heaven and on earth'." (Matt. 28:18, NKJV, emphasis ours)

''All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, ......" (Matthew 11:27, Ibid,
emphasis ours)
Therefore, although Christ is the fulfillment of this prophecy about the child,
it does not mean that He is God. It is worthwhile to note that one's state of
being is not necessarily determined by the meaning attached to his personal name,
much less by the meaning of the title of the government or authority he holds.
Simon the apostle was named "Cephas" or "Peter" which means rock (John 1:42),
and the apostle James and John, were name "Boanerges", that is, 'Son
Thunder'" (Mark 3:17). However, it doesn't mean that Peter is himself a rock and
that other two are "sons of thunder." Moreover, biblical names of persons
such as Eliphelet (the God of deliverance) and Elihu (whose God is he
[Jehovah]) and places like Elkosh (God my bow) and El-bethel (the God of bethel)
[Smith's Bible Dictionary. pp.163-167] also contain descriptions about God, but
no serious theologian so far claim that those persons and places are God.

Going back to Isaiah 9:6; is this how Jewish scholars understand this verse
which is originally written in their languagethat the name in this prophecy
does not indicate Christ's alleged divinity? The Jewish Study Bible, edited by
Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Betler, they explain, thus:

"The Mighty Cod . . . ruler. This long sentence is the throne name of the royal
child. Semitic names often consist of sentences that describe God; thus the
name Isaiah in Hebrew means, 'The Lord saves'; Hezekiah, 'The Lord
strengthens'...... These names do not describe that person who holds them but
the god whom the parents worship. Similarly, the name in this v. [Isa. 9:6] does
not describe that child or attribute divinity to him, contrary to classical
Christian readings of this messianic verse." (p. 802 emphasis ours)

It is clear that Pele-joez-el-gibbor-abi-ad-sar-shalom is the "name" or the

"title" (Moffatt Translation) of the authority or government or, as Jewish scholars
put it, the "throne name" which "does not describe the child or attribute divinity to
him" but, as another scholar also puts it, "descriptive of his [Christ] office" given
by the Father:

'This son is not to have a name which will be for a sign, like the names of Isaiah's
sons (cf. 7.3; 8.1), but one which will be descriptive of his office." (Isaiah 1-39, by
John Mauchline, p. 113, emphasis ours)

###end###

Interesting Questions-117: Did God create Satan?

Letter to the Editor:
GOD'S MESSAGE, December 2001, p.2

I HAVE READ your magazine and I find your teachings quite interesting and
enlightening. I wrote to ask these questions that have been bothering me for some
time: What is the purpose of God in creating Satan? If God is a God of love, why did
He create such an evil being?

Stanly Erdmann
Rochester, New York, U.S.A.

Editor's reply:

God did not create evil. He did not cerate the devil. What He created was a guardian
cherub included among His holy angels

You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on
the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in
your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. (Ezek.
28:14-15, New International Version).

The anointed cherub was created as blameless and perfect, until wickedness
was found in him. Seeing his perfection, the anointed cherub turned against God and
aspired to be like the Most High. The almighty, seeing the arrogance and pride of the
cherub, cast him down to earth:

How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You
have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in
your heart,I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I
will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred
mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most
High. (Is 14:12-14, Ibid.)

Thus, what was once the guardian cherub a perfect creation is now the
devil or Satan (Is.14:15; Rev. 12:9). Satan is Gods adversary. The Bible also refers
to Satan as the great dragon or serpent who deceives the whole world (Rev.
12:9). He is the father of lies who walks about like a roaring lion seeking for
victims to devour (Jn.8:44; I Pt. 5:8-9, New King James Version?).

God did not create Satan. Rather, it was the cherub that consequently
became Satan after going against the Almighty God.
 ###end###

Interesting Questions-61: Who 'created' God?

Letter to the Editor:

GOD'S MESSAGE, June 2008, p.4

I'M A FRESHMAN in college taking up a bachelor's degree. During our breaks, my

classmates and I often engage in trivial as well us intellectual discussions. Some
questions at times enter our minds to which no one among us, not even our
professors, could give satisfactory and conclusive answers. So I want to hear from
your religion, who created God? Is it possible for us to explain everything about
God? And what proof does the Bible offer that there exists a God?

William Heatwole
Zurich, Switzerland

Editor's reply:

Concerning God, our Creator, the Book of Job in the Bible rhetorically asks, thus:

Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the
Almighty? They are higher than heaven-what can you do? Deeper than Sheol-what
can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.
(Job 11:7-9, New King James Version)

Though many deep things about God cannot be completely understood and
explained by our finite mind, there are things about Him that we can comprehend as
they were revealed through the Holy Scriptures:

The secret things belong to the Lord of God, but those things which are revealed
belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
(Deut. 29:29, Ibid.)

Hence, through the Bible, we learn for instance that God is omnipotent or
Almighty (Gen. 35:11), omniscient or knows everything (I John 3:20), omnipresent
or is everywhere (Eph. 4:6; Jer. 23:23-24), His ways are just (Ezek. 18:25), and
nothing is impossible with Him (Luke 1:37, New International Version).

However, as to who created God and where He came from, the answer is no one
and nowhere, for God is not a created being but is the Creator of all things (Isa.
64:4, 8; 45:18). God has no beginning and no end; He is eternal or everlasting:
 Before you created the hills or brought the world into being, you were eternally
God, and will be God forever. (Ps. 90:2, Todays English Version)

The eternal God, the Creator of all things, is the Father, as taught in the Old
Testament (Mal. 2:10, NIV) and the New Testament (John 17:1, 3, NKJV).

The one true God is spirit (John 4:24), that is, without flesh and bones (Luke
24:38-39) and thus, is invisible by nature (I Tim. 1:17). Yet, we know and believe
that God exists, as Apostle Paul pointed out:

Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities, both his eternal power
and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in the things that
God has made. So those people have no excuse at all! (Rom. 1:20, TEV)

In the things that God has made among others, the heavens and the skies and
everything in them (Ps. 19:1-4, NIV), the beasts, birds, and the fish (Job 12:7-9),
and the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind (Job 12:10)-Gods
existence, eternal power, and nature are clearly seen.

###end###

Interesting Questions-114: Mary everywhere?

Letter to the Editor:

GOD'S MESSAGE, September 2005, p.4

NON-CATHOLICS OFTEN ATTACK the respect and veneration we dedicate to the

Virgin Mary. But you cannot blame us for having such devotion as a reaction to Her
apparition. For what can you say about the apparitions of the Holy Mary in Portugal
and in almost every Christian country, which the world believes to be real? Are
they not real?

Juny Chan
Bangkok, Thailand

Editor's reply:

Even Catholic authorities will agree that Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ,
died in the first century.

The Bible teaches that the dead are in the grave (Ps. 88:5), including those who are
holy (Ps. 86:2; Acts 2:29, 34).
29
Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is
both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 34 For David did not
ascend into the heavens, . . . (Acts 2:29, 34, NKJV)

The Holy Scriptures prove that when a human being dies, he can no longer
participate in anything done under the sun (Eccles. 9:5-6), his thoughts perish (Ps.
146:4), and he cannot come back to the world of the living (Job 7:9-10; II Sam.
12:23). The dead remain dead till the heavens are no more:

But man dies and is laid away; Indeed he breathes his last And where is he?...

So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, They will not
awake Nor be roused from their sleep. (Job. 14:10, 12, New King James Version)

The heavens will be no more or will pass away on Judgment Day (II Pet. 3:7, 10).
Therefore, only then will Mary, together with the rest of the dead who are worthy of
salvation, live again to receive their reward (I Thess. 4:16-17; Matt. 25:31-34).

What others claim to have seen in so-called Marian apparitions could not be the
mother of Jesus. When a person dies, not only does his body return to dust (Ezek.
18:4; Rom. 3:23; Ps. 119:25), and the spirit returns to God (Eccles. 12:7).

Moreover, no less than Catholic priests and authorities themselves testify to the fact
that the Catholic doctrine of Marys Assumption, or her alleged being taken to
heaven body and soul after her death, is not found in the Holy Scriptures:

There is no statement of the Assumption in Holy Scripture. Moreover, if we consult

the historical writings of the first five centuries, we find them void of any historical
data to certify the fact of the Assumption. (God the Redeemer, p. 98)

There is no explicit reference to the Assumption in the Bible, yet the Pope insists in
the decree of promulgation that the Scriptures are the ultimate foundation of this
truth. (New Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. I, 1967, p. 972)

It is, therefore, clear that the very principle of what Catholics believe as apparitions
is against the teaching of the Bible.

###end###

ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the power that sent by the Father in the
name of Christ
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the power (cf. Acts 1:8, TEV) sent by the Father in
the name of Christ, to teach and remind His messengers of all things that Christ said
(cf. Jn. 14:26), to help us in our weaknesses and infirmities (cf. Jn. 15:26; Rom.
8:26). The Holy Spirit strengthens, edifies, and comforts the Church Of Christ (cf.
Eph. 3:16-17; Jn. 14:26). And though the Holy Spirit is a spirit, but the Scriptures
never refer to it as God the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is not God but one
of the spirits being sent by God (cf. Rev. 5:6).

###end###

Interesting Questions-16: "Mystified by the Holy

Spirit"

Letter to the Editor:

GOD'S MESSAGE, July 2007, p.4

I HAD BEEN a regular viewer of your TV broadcast. I am a former Catholic who left
the church because I could do longer understand my stand as a "Christian." I
practically studied and . . fellowshipped with almost all religions starting with the
Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists, Unification Church, Baptist,
Pentecostals, and Mormons. ... The Iglesia ni Cristo was never in my mind because
of the question on the deity of Christ. After thorough study, I could no longer
defend my faith in the Trinity which is copied from an ancient pagan doctrine of
anthropomorphism. I now deeply believe that Jesus is truly hurnan.
However, I am still confused with the concept of the Holy Spirit. Can you explain to
me further what is the Holy Spirit, its role and significance in our Christian lives?
Everything is very clear to me now except this aspect.

Oscar Erasquin
oscarerasquin@yahoo.com

Editor's reply:

That you went out of your way to seek the truth shows the intensity of your desire to
be savedand this is actually what God has set as His condition fcr men to be saved,
that is, to know the truth (I Tim. 2:3-4).

For this [is] good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men
to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:3-4, NKJV)
As to your query on what is the Holy Spirit, we give you as an answer this promise
made by our Lord Jesus Christ to His true believers:

"But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name He shall
teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said
to you/' (John 14:26, New King James Version)

Christ promised that God would send the Holy Spirit as the Comforter of His
people. Christ also said that He Himself would send the Holy Spirit which is also
called the Helper and the Spirit of truth (John 15:26).

But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of
truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. (John 15:26, NKJV)

Being sent by God and Christ, the Holy Spirit cannot be God, as what the Trinity
doctrine stipulates, for the one who is sent is not greater than the one who sent him
(John 13:16).

Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who
is sent greater than he who sent him. (John 13:16, NKJV)

The Holy Spirit is also described in the Bible as the power of God (Acts 1:8) that He
sends to help us in our weaknesses and infirmities (Rom. 8:26) and to strengthen us
so that we can withstand our many trials in life and still remain rooted to our faith:

But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will
be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the
earth." (Acts 1:8,TEV)

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should
pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings
which cannot be uttered. (Romans 8:26, NKJV)

This prayer of Apostle Paul, especially its last few lines, is also our prayer for you
and for al I others who seek the truth that leads to salvation. May God continue to
enlighten you and bless you in your quest to become His true servant.

"I ask God from the wealth of his glory to give you power through his Spirit to be
strong in your inner serves, and I pray that Christ will make his home in your
hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, so
that you, together with all God's people. may have the power to understand how
broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ's love." (Eph. 3:16--18, Today's English
Version)

###end###
Interesting Questions-18: "Lying to the Holy Spirit
= lying to God?"

Letter to the Editor:

GOD'S MESSAGE, August 2007, p.4-5

I HEARD MY [Protestant] pastor say that the biblical narration recorded in Chapter 5
of the Book of Acts affirms, among others, the deity of the Spirit. I verified it with
my own Bible and I found this: "But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your
heart to lie to the Holy Spirit.....? ... . You have not lied to men but to God'? What
can you say about this?

Susan Seale
Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.

Editor's reply:

These verses you quoted (Acts 5:3 4, New King lames Version") undeniably point out
that to lie to the Holy Spirit is to lie to God. But does this mean that the Holy Spirit is
God? No, it does not. For if it did, then it would contradict the essential truth about
God. As Apostle Paul clearly stated,

"there is but one God, the Father, from whom a!! things came" (I Cor. 8:6, New
International Version).

The Almighty Father Himself said,

"I alone am God and that there is no one else like me" (Isa. 4-6-9, Today's English
Version).

Why is it, then, that if one lies to the Holy Spirit, he also lies to God? To answer this,
let us quote the following statements of Christ concerning the Holy Spirit:

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach
you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (John
14:26, NKJV)

But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of
truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. (John 15:26, NKJV)

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he
who receives Me receives Him who sent Me." (John 13:20, NKJV)
TThe Lord Jesus Christ taught "the Helper" or the Holy Spirit is sent both
by the Father and the Son. Furthermore, Christ declared that anyone who
receives whomever He sent equally receives the one who sent Himthe Father who
is the only true God (John 17:1, 3). Hence, whatever the person does to the one
sent by Christ and by the Father, he Iikewise does it to God Himself. And since the
Holy Spirit is sent by Christ and the Father, lying to the Holy Spirit necessarily means
lying to God Himself. It is not surprising, therefore, that when Ananias lied to the
Holy Spirit, the Bible teaches that he, in effect, lied to God.

The problem with believing that the Holy Spirit is God just because lying to the
Holy Spirit is tantamount to Iying to God the Father is that this would have several
erroneous ramifications. For example, the apostles would be Gods also because
when Christ was commissioning the apostles, to them He proclaimed:

"He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me
rejects Him who sent Me." (Luke 10:16, NKJV)

Here, Christ Himself says quite clearly that rejecting the apostles is the same
as rejecting Him and God. If we were to follow the line of thinking of those who
argue that "the Holy Spirit is God, then we would be forced to accept that the
apostles and all other messengers are God as well.

Historically, the erroneous belief that the Holy Spirit is God became an article of
faith of the Catholic Church through the Council of Constantinople only in 381
A.D., more than three centuries after the Bible had been written (Discourses on the
Apostles' Creed, p. 206)

###end###

Interesting Questions-34: "Why is it very

important for men to have the right knowledge
about the Holy Spirit?"

Why is it likewise important for man to confess the right understanding concerning
the Holy Spirit? Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself points this out, thus:

"The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor
knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." (John
14:17, NKJV)
 Those who do not know the Holy Spirit will not receive Him. The Holy Spirit dwells
only in those who know Him. Hence, just as it is important to have the right
knowledge and understanding concerning the Father and the Son, so is having the
right understanding concerning the Holy Spirit. And the right understanding
concerning them is founded on the teachings of the Bible.

Concerning the Holy Spirit:

The teaching of the Bible regarding the Holy Spirit is crystal clear. If people would
only strictly adhere to this teaching, they would not fall into the mistake of taking the
Holy Spirit as God. This is how the Lord Jesus Christ introduced the Holy Spirit:

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,
he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever
I have said unto you." (John 14:26, King James Version)

The Holy Spirit is the Comforter whom the Father sends in the name of Christ. He
teaches the chosen ones everything and reminds them of what Christ had said. And
aside from the Father, the Son also sends the Holy Spirit for the benefit of the
servants of God. Christ points this

"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even
the Spirit of truth/ which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me." (John
15:26,Ibid.)

Another role of the Holy Spirit is to guide the chosen ones into all the truth. He does
not speak of Himself but does so only according to the commandment of the one
who sent Him.:

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he
shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he
will shew you things to come/' (John 16:13, Ibid.)

The Holy Spirit, whom the Son and the Father send, could not have been God. The
Bible testifies that there are "seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth" (Rev.
5:6, NKJV).

And I looked, and behold, in the midst of throne and the four living creatures, and in
the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven
horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
(Rev. 5:6, NKJV)

Were the Holy Spirit God also, it would appear that there are not only three Gods but
nine Gods because there are seven spirits being sent by God. The fact that the Holy
Spirit is being sent proves that He is not, and could not be God, because the one
who sends is greater than the one sent.

Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who
is sent greater than he who sent him. (John 13:16, NKJV)

Even adherents of the Trinitarian doctrine concur to this. James Cardinal Gibbons, a
Catholic authority, rhetorically asks: "Is not the power that sends an ambassador
greater than he who is sent?" (The Faith of Our Fathers, p.96). In view of this, the
Son is greater than the Holy Spirit and the Father is greater than both the Son and
the Holy Spirit because both of them are being sent by the Father. Clearly, then, the
so-called three persons of the Trinity are not equal as claimed by its proponents.

Not found in the Bible:

Believers of the Trinitarian doctrine themselves tacitly admit that the Bible does not
call the Holy Spirit God. Catholic authority, the Rev. Msgr. Joseph Pohle, wrote that
"the Bible nowhere expressly calls the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity 'God'" (The
Divine Trinity; A Dogmatic Treatise, p.109). Indeed, not only is such doctrine not
found in the Bible, it is also against the revealed teaching of God written therein
concerning the Holy Spirit. As to how this doctrine came about, Catholic author, the
Rev. Clement H, Crock, provides this information:

"In 381, at the Council of Constatinople, it was defined that is is an article of faith
that the Holy Ghost is God." (Discourses on the Apostles' Creed, p.206)

As the Christ-is-God doctrine is an invention of a Catholic church's council in the 4th

century, so is the teaching that the Holy Spirit is God, this time by the council of
Constantinople in 381 AD, more than half a century after the former was formulated
as an official doctrine of the Catholic Church in 325 AD

Hence, these teachings, upon which the Trinitarian doctrine stands, are man-
made and they run counter to the teachings of the Bible. Those who have accepted
such doctrine possess a wrong understanding regarding the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit. Had they conformed with what is written in the Bible, they would not
have been misled into believing such an erroneous teaching.

The right understanding regarding the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, is indeed
very important because it goes with the attainment salvation and eternal life.

References:
Crock, Clement H. Discourses on the Apostles Creed. Nihil Obstat: Arthur J.
Scanlan, STD. Imprimatur: Pat Cardinal Hayes. New York: John Wagner, Inc.,
1938.
Gibbons, James Cardinal. The Faith of Our Fathers. Rockford, Illinois: Tan Books
and Publishers, Inc., l980.
Pohle, Joseph. The Divine Trinity: A Dogmatic Treatise. n.p.: B. Huder Books Co..,
1911

Source: The above excerpts are from the article: Biblical Truths Concerning the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit by Ruben D. Aromin. God's Message, February
2007, p.17-18

###end###

Interesting Questions-88: On glossolalia or

speaking in tongues (Acts 2:4)

Letter to the Editor:

PASUGO, October 1997, p.2

I WOULD LIKE to know if your religion believes in baptism in the Holy Spirit and in
speaking in tongues upon receiving the Holy Ghost. The early Christians spoke in
tongues when they received the promised Holy Spirit on the day of the Pentecost
(Acts 2:4).

Jenny Villareal
Mindoro, Oriental, Philippines

Editor's reply:

The Lord instructed that a person must be taught His commandments, believe in
them, and be baptized in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit
for him to become His disciple (cf. Mk. 16:15-16). Those who receive this baptism
receive the forgiveness of their sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 2:38).

A person who receives the true baptism also receives the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The true baptism is also called by the apostles as baptism into death because
those who are baptized share in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Rom. 6:3-5).
Those who have received this are found in the one body or Church which is the
Church of Christ (cf. I Cor. 12:13; Col. 1:18; Rom. 16:16).

On the day of the Pentecost, the disciples, who were mostly Jews, received the
Holy Spirit as promised by the Lord Jesus Christ, through which they were able to
speak in tongues (cf. Acts 2:4). But this happened during the time of the apostles
since the apostles were the ones who were personally instructed and promised by
Christ to receive such gift (cf. Mk. 16:15-18). However, the language uttered by the
apostles when they spoke in tongues was not unintelligible. Instead, the message
they spoke came to the ears of the listeners as if the words were articulated in the
hearers native languages (cf. Acts 2:7-11).

This occurrence in the apostolic era was the fulfillment of Gods prophecy that His
sons and daughters would prophesy, see visions, and dreams as they have received
Gods Spirit, the Holy Spirit that He has poured out (cf. Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2:16-18).

On the other hand, preachers of different religious denominations who claim to

speak in tongues, as they have allegedly invoked the Holy Spirit, admit that they
utter sounds which no one has ever heard before nor understood (cf. The Protestant
Churches of America, p. 171). They themselves concede that these ecstatic
utterances may have come from the devil as no one could readily distinguish which is
from God or from the devil:

Speaking in tongues is the most dramatic of the nine gifts listed by Paul, and the
one whose genuineness is most readily suspect, for the gift is not difficult to
simulate. Such simulation may be conscious or unconscious, and there is the further
possibility, admitted by Pentecostalists, that ecstatic utterance may be of the devil as
well as of God, and that one may not be readily distinguished from the other. (Sects
and Society, p. 20)

But such a demonstration is likened by Apostle Paul to speaking into the air as if
one is out of his mind:

So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will
anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air.

So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and
some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you
are out of your mind? (I Cor. 14:9, 23, NIV)

Like what the early Christians did, there is anyone among the congregation who
does not understand the language spoken by the preacher during a worship service,
then there should be an interpreter so as for the message to be understood (cf. I
Cor. 14:27).

###end###

Interesting Article-159: Belittling the importance

of the Church of Christ
The greatest paradox:
The greatest paradox in today's religious scene is the utter disregard by many
people for the significance of the Church on the issue of salvation. Nowadays, many
Christian-professing preachers peddle the teaching that membership or affiliation
with any particular Church is no longer necessary for man's salvation and attainment
of eternal life. Man allegedly need not become a member of any Church, let
alone the Church of Christ (Iglesia ni Cristo) to gain entrance into heaven. Their zeal
in propagating this opinion is matched only by their enthusiasm in preaching that
faith in Christ is enough to be saved. Their teaching necessarily undermines the
Church's reason for being and virtually reduces it to insignificance. Ironically
however, these same people belong to various religious groups or churches.

The oft-repeated argument:

The oft-repeated argument of those who belittle the importance of the Church of
Christ is that, "It is Christ not the Church, who will save us; the Church is not the
Savior but Christ, thus, it is Christ not the Church whom we need to attain
salvation." The problem with people who cling tenaciously to such belief is that
they either miss or choose to ignore the significant issue.

The more important issue:

There is no dispute in the fact that Christ is the Savior. The whole of Christendom
acknowledges this and hence it is a non-issue. In the same vein, it is pointless to
take issue on the statement that the Church is not the Savior. In the first place, no
preacher teaches that it is. No where in the Bible does it says so, either. The more
important issue here, therefore, is not so much who the Savior is, but whom
the Savior will save.

The biblical explanation and testimonies why the Church of Christ is

indispensable for man's salvation.

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock

I will build my church, and the powers of death
shall not prevail against it.
(Matthew 16:18, Revised Standard Version)

This declaration of our Lord Jesus Christ proves that He did establish a Church.
Concomitant with this all-important statement is His promise that the powers of
death shall not prevail against this Church. Death, the Bible informs us, is the
payment for man's sins (cf. Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:14). Hence, the Church was built
by the Savior primarily to save man from the punishment for his sins, which
is death.

The Church And Christ's Mission of Salvation

Christ's mission

Christ's mission is to save man from eternal damnation. God sent Him "not to
condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him" (Jn. 3:17,
RSV). As Apostle Paul emphatically stated "Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinners" (I Tim. 1:15,lbid). He was was appointed by God as the Savior of
mankind (cf. Acts 5:31). His mission of salvation is God's love and compassion to
man (cf. Rom., 5:8-9). But Christ, in fulfilling His mission, had to abide by
the will and the law of God. In His own declaration, He came not to destroy the
law but to fulfill it. (Mt 5:17, NKJV).

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to
destroy but to fulfill. (Mt. 5:17, NKJV)

God' s law concerning sin and punishment

What is God' s law concerning sin and punishment? The Bible states this, thus:

"The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be
put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin." (Deut.
24:16, KJV)

God's law stipulates that no man would be held liable for the sin of another. Each
one is responsible for his own sin. How then, could Christ, who is without sin (cf. I pt
2:21-22), save the sinner from God's punishment without violating the law
concerning the payment of sin? Apostle Paul teaches us how Christ fulfilled His
saving function in compliance with the requirement of God's law.

"having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments
contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus
making peace" (Eph. 2:15, NKJV)

The creation of the One New Man

In order to fulfill both His saving mission and the requirement of God's law, Christ
created in Himself the "one new man from the two." Which are these two that
constitute this one new man? The head and the bodyChrist as the head and the
Church His body. Apostle Paul specifically points this out, thus:
"
And He is the head of the body, the church, ... (Col. 1:18, NKJV)

The union of Christ and the Church forms the "one new man." Christ (the
head) and the Church (the body) stand as "one man" before God. This union paved
the way for Christ to be the lawful Savior of the Church. As the head of the Church,
Christ did not violate the law of God by assuming responsibility for the sins of its
members. Apostle Paul said:

For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is
the Savior of the body. (Eph. 5:23, NKJV)

Christ is the Savior of the Churchhis body

Christ is the Savior, but He can only save the Church which is His body and none
other. There is that law of God that should be obeyed that is "every man shall be
put to death for his own sin" (Deut 24:16). The sacrificial death of Christ is not
for the sin of all men but only for His Church, His body. God's law does not
allow Christ to save those outside of His Church. To partake in the saving grace of
Christ's death, one should therefore be in union with Christ through His Church:

Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in
union with him we might share the righteousness of God. (II Cor. 5:21, Good News
Translation)

Man should first be in union with Christ so that Christ could assume responsibility for
his sin. To be in union with Christ is to become a member of His Body or His Church
(cf. Rom. 12:4-5; I Cor. 1:9; Col 1:18; 3:15). Without being so, man would be
separate from Him and therefore he himself, not Christ, would pay for his own sin.
It would be unlawful for Christ to save those who are not in union with Him through
His Church. He would be violating God's law if He should do so. And surely He
would not violate God's law because He said so Himself. Instead, He would tell
them point blank:

"I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins" (Jn- 8:24, KJV).

The Church of Christ

But which Church is the body of Christ and hence the true beneficiary of Christ's
sacrificial death? Which Church was purchased b the precious blood of Christ?
Acts 20:28 provides us a clear answer:
"Take heed therefore to yourself and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has
appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with
his blood." (Acts 20:28, Lamsa)

The Church of Christ (Iglesia ni Cristo) is the Church which Christ purchased with His
blood. This is the Church which benefited from Christ's death. It is the only the
Church embraced by Christ's saving grace in consonance with the requirements of
God's law.

There is no other way by which man could be saved other than through the
Church of Christ. Only through this could the requirement of God's law (concerning
salvation of the sinners by the sinless Christ) be satisfied. Such is the great value of
the Church of Christ in God's grand design for the salvation of man. Such is the
reason why Christ established the Church and died it.

Testimonies Concerning The Church Relevance To Salvation

Not surprisingly, there are many religious authorities who test to the biblical
truth that the Church is essential in man's salvation. Their assertions virtually
prove that man's salvation is precisely the Church's reason for being. Their
pronouncements unequivocally declare that salvation cannot be possible apart from
the Church of Christ.

From the Catholics:

The book, The Papal Encyclicals, tells us what a Roman Catholic Pontiff thinks about
the Church of Christ:

"... the Church of Christ, which been divinely instituted for the sake of souls
and of eternal salvation. " (p.153) (emphasis ours)

Another Catholic book records the same testimony concerning the importance of the
Church of Christ in man's attainment of salvation. The book Father Smith instructs
Jackson, has the following testimony:

'The Church of Christ today must be in nature, in power, in teaching, what it was
when it served men through the twelve Apostles. It is to this Church that all are
obliged to belong in order to be saved. Those people who through their own
grave fault do not know the true Church, or, knowing it, refuse to join it,
cannot be saved." (pp- 35-36) (emphasis ours)

These pronouncements conform with the teachings of the Bible. It is for this reason
alone that they should be taken seriously.
From the Protestants:

Even Protestants, who are themselves adherents of the "faith-alone concept" of

salvation, have their share of testimonies on the importance of the Church of Christ.
A Protestant book entitled, A Time to Unite, records the following statements:

"Are you in the Church of Christ? Are you a member of His Church? It is a great
privilege. The Church is the bride whom He loves and perfects. The Church is His
body which He nourishes and cherishes. The Church is His temple which He fills with
His Holy Spirit. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it. It is a great privilege to
be a member of the Church of Christ... The way to belong to the Church of
Christ is to belong to Christ." (p. 27)

On page 31 of the same book, it is also stated that, "The Church is the body of
Christ, and Christ is the Savior of the body; then all who are saved are in
that body, and outside that body there is no salvation." (emphasis ours)

From the Seventh Day Adventist:

And if all these still do not suffice, here is another testimony from Ellen G. White of
the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Says she:

The church of Christ is God's appointed agency for the salvation of men."
(.Steps To Christ, p, 55) (emphasis ours)

The message is plain and simple

The above declarations are self-explanatory. The message is plain and simplebe a
member of the Church of Christ in order to be saved. The veracity of this
message is affirmed by the Bible and thus should silence those who deny the
indispensability of the Church of Christ for man's salvation.

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For a more detailed explanation of the above subject:

Click this link to UniqueBibleStudy.com Lesson #28 - The Master Plan Of God For The
Salvation Of Man (a new window will be opened)

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Source: The above are excerpts from Pasugo Jan-Feb.1993 article - Church of
Christ: Reason for Being by Ruben D. Aromin