You are on page 1of 9

Iglesia ni Cristo

Historical Background: The lglesia ni Cristo (Tagalog, "Church of Christ) claims to be the true Church established by Christ, and Felix Manalo, its founder, heralded himself as Gods prophet. Many tiny sects today claim the same thing, and there are just as many individuals claiming to be Gods prophet. What makes lglesia ni Cristo different from these is that it is not tiny. Since it was founded in the Philippines in 1914, it has grown to the point that it boasts over 200 congregations in some 67 countries outside the Philippines, including a large and expanding contingent in the United States. The exact number of members is uncertain because the Iglesia keeps that a secret but it is estimated to be between 3 and 10 million world-wide. It is, in fact, larger than the Jehovahs Witnesses, a much better known sect (which also claims to be Christs true Church). The reason lglesia is not better known, despite its numbers, is that the vast majority of Iglesias members including those in the U. S., are Filipino. Virtually the only exceptions are a few non-Filipinos who have married in the Iglesia. The organization publishes two magazines, Pasugo and God's Message, which devote most of their energies toward condemning other Christian churches especially the Catholic Church. It s not surprising that the majority of the Iglesias members are ex-Catholics. The Philippines is the only dominantly Catholic nation in the Far East, with eighty-four percent of its population belonging to the Church. Since this is its largest potential source of converts, Iglesia relies on anti-Catholic scare tactics as support for its own doctrines which cannot stand up to biblical scrutiny. The Iglesia sells its doctrines not by proving they are right but by attempting to prove the Catholic Churchs teachings are wrong. Manalo was baptized a Catholic but he left the Church as a teenager. He became a Protestant, going through five different denominations including the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Finally, unsatisfied with the denominations he had encountered, Manalo decided to start his own church, which he did in 1914, but he didnt begin with all current lglesia doctrines, in place. In 1919, Manalo left the Philippines because he wanted to learn more about religion. Where did he go? To America to study with Protestants, whom Iglesia would later declare to be apostates, just like Catholics. Why, five years after being called by God to be his "last messenger` did Manalo go to the U. S. to learn from apostates? What could Gods messenger learn from a group that, according to Iglesia, had departed from the true faith?

Their Teachings: 1. The Iglesia ni Cristo believes that the "angel (or messenger) from the east" mentioned in Rev. 7:2 refers to its founder, Felix Manalo. Manalo himself claimed to be "God's messenger," divinely chosen to reestablish the true Church which, according to Manalo, disappeared in the first century due to apostasy. Response: Manalo did not believe himself to be God's final messenger back in 1914. He didn't use the last messenger doctrine until 1922. He appears to have adopted the messenger doctrine in response to a schism in the Iglesia movement. The schism was led by Teogilo Ora, one of its early ministers. Manalo appears to have developed the messenger doctrine in an effort to accumulate as much power as possible and re-assert his leadership in the church.

2. They believe that the Bible cannot be correctly understood "without the guidance of God's messenger" (i.e., Felix Manalo) (Pasugo, November 1973, p. 19, 20). Response: This is a monopoly of Biblical interpretation. The Spirit is the true and the perfect guide in matters of biblical truth (Jn. 16:13), not Felix Manalo. 3. The Iglesia ni Cristo believes that Isa. 43:5-6 prophesies that the Philippines is the place where the true Church would emerge (Pasugo, March 1975, p.6) Response: Iglesia argues that in this verse Isaiah is referring to the "far east" and that this is the place where the Church of Christ" will emerge in the last days. But the phrase "far east" is not in the text. In fact, in the Tagalog (Filipino) translation, as well as in the original Hebrew, the words "far" and "east" are not even found in the same verse, yet the Iglesia recklessly combine the two verses to translate "far east. " Using this fallacious interpretation Iglesia goes on to claim that the far east refers specifically to the Philippines. They claim that the Philippines is the geographic center of the Far East. The problem is that Philippines is not the geographic center of the Far East. The Far East includes China, Korea, Japan, East Siberia, the Indo-Chinese, countries, and the Philippines. On a map of the Far East the Philippines is on the lower right hand corner. The geographic center is in Southern China, not in the Philippines. 4. They assert that the true Church's name must be Church of Christ (Igiesia ni Cristo) based on passages like Romans 16:16 and Colossians 1: 18. Response: These passages have been misused by Iglesia to support its 'name' doctrine. By reading these passages and those surrounding them, these verses are merely referring to a flock that belong to Christ. They are not specifying a name--contrary to what Iglesia misleads its followers into thinking. The fact remains, there is no biblical nor any other historical record on a specific name for Christ's church. lgiesia's doctrine that the bible specifies the name of Christ's church is false. It is not bible-based. It is Manalo-based. 5. Like Mormonism, the Jehovah's Witnesses, and other fringe groups, Iglesia asserts that the early Christian Church suffered a total apostasy. It believes in the complete disappearance of the first-century Church of Christ and the emergence of the Catholic Church (Pasugo, July-Aug. 1979, p, 8). Response: This doctrine is essential for the Iglesia because one can't take seriously Manalos claim to have reintroduced the true Church if, in fact, the original true Church never died. You can't have a "restoration" without an apostasy. The problem is that Jesus promised that his Church would never totally apostatize. He told Peter, "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18). 6. They teach that Christ is just a human being, not God (God's Message, July - September 1994; Pasugo, May-June 1984, p. 14 & 15). Response: This is also the belief of Jehovah's Witnesses. Although the dual nature of Christ is one of the great mysteries of the Bible, it is affirmed by the Scripture. John 20:28; Heb. 1:8-9; Col. 2.9; Phil. 1:6; John 1:1,14. There is no reason to reject the truth, just because you don't understand it. 7. Like the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Iglesia ni Cristo believes that Jesus is the first created being (Pasugo, January-February 1980, p. 37).

Response: The Iglesia ni Cristo base their belief on Col. 1: 15, which says, He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation." Firstborn can certainly mean the first one born in a family. However, it can also mean preeminence or supremacy (Ps. 89:27; Jer. 31:9): " Christ is ... superior to all created things" (TEV). 8. They believe that Christ is not the Creator of all things (Pasugo, March-April 1982, p. 26) Response: John 1:3 clearly states that "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. See also Col. 1: 16. 9. They believe that a person has no consciousness after death ("soul-sleep"). Response: Again, this is a doctrine borrowed from the Jehovah's Witnesses. It is clear in Luke 16:24-26 that the soul of people who died go immediately to their eternal destiny and have consciousness.

Jehovahs Witnesses
Historical Background: Jehovah's Witnesses, a religious movement that grew out of the Bible Student movement developed by Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916), of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the 1870s. In 1876 Russell adopted the biblical" chronology of the former Millerite Nelson H. Barbour, with whom he was associated for several years. Barbour's chronology, although changed significantly over the years, remains basic to the date-setting apocalypticism of Jehovah's Witnesses. Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower and Tract Society (now the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania) in 1881 to spread his views. In 1931 Joseph Franklin Rutherford (1869-1942), Russell's successor as president of the society from 1917 until his death, gave the name Jehovah's Witnesses (from Isaiah 43:10-12) to those Bible Students who remained loyal to the society. Rutherford abandoned many of Russell's teachings, rearranged Barbour's chronology to fit then-current circumstances, and established autocratic control over the Witnesses. He also originated the doctrine that every Jehovah's Witness must be a "publisher of the good news," if possible through a door-to-door ministry. The third president of the Watch Tower, Nathan Homer Knorr (1905-1977), streamlined the movement and established congregational Theocratic Ministry schools and the society's missionary college, the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead. Knorr presided over the growth of Jehovah's Witnesses into a worldwide community. It was in the later years of Knorr's presidency, however, that the nearly absolute spiritual rule of Watch Tower presidents was replaced by that of a collective leadership. The Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses was established in 1971, and in 1975 Knorr and his vice president, Frederick William Franz (1893-1992), were compelled, reluctantly, to surrender much of their authority to it. Franz was elected Watch Tower president on Knorr's death in 1977 and continued to play an important role in Witness affairs until shortly before his own death. Presently, the Governing Body, consisting of six central committees and a number of administrative branch committees, continues to direct

the lives and activities of Jehovah's Witnesses through the Watch Tower Society. The movement has no ordained clergy. In 1992 there were 4,472,787 Jehovah's Witness "publishers" in 229 countries, and 11, 431,171 persons worldwide attended the annual memorial celebration of the Lord's Supper. The movement's publications, The Watchtower and Awake! appear in many of the world's languages. Their Teachings 1. There is one God in one person; there is no Trinity (Let God be True, p. 100-101, Make Sure of All Things, pp. 188, 386). Response: The Bible gives so many references to the doctrine of the Trinity. Some of these are Matt. 28:19-20; Matt. 3:16-17; John 14:16-17a, 26; 20:21-22; Acts 2:33; 1 Cor. 12:4-6; 2 Cor. 1:21-22, 13:14; Eph. 3:14-17; 1 Pet. 1:1 -2; Jude 20,21. 2. The Holy Spirit is a force, not alive (Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 406-407). Response : If the Holy Spirit is simply a force then - Why is He called God (Acts 5:3-5)? - How is it that He can teach (John 14:26)? - How can He be blasphemed (Matt. 12:31,32)? - How can be the one who comforts (Acts 9:31)? - How is it possible for Him to speak (Acts 28:25)? - How then can He be resisted (Acts 7:51)? - How can He be grieved (Eph. 4:30)? - How can He help us in our weaknesses (Rom. 8:26)? 3. Jehovah's first creation was his 'only-begotten Son' was used by Jehovah in creating all other things" (Aid to Bible Understanding, pp. 390-391). Response: Col. 1:15 is used by Jehovah's Witnesses to say that Jesus is the first created thing. This verse says, "He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation." Firstborn can certainly mean the first one born in a family. However, it can also mean preeminence or supremacy (Ps. 89:27; Jer. 31:9): " Christ is ... superior to all created things (TEV). 4. Jesus was Michael the archangel who became a man (The Watchtower, May 15,1963, p. 307; The New World, 284). Response: This is a baseless belief; it cannot be supported by the Scripture. Jesus was never called an angel. 5. Jesus was only a perfect man, not God in flesh (Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 300). Response: The Jehovah's Witnesses find it difficult to understand the dual nature of Jesus--that he is both God and man. So they try to do away with this doctrine. But this truth is taught in the Bible and must not be rejected (John 20:28; Heb. 1:8-9; Col. 2:9; Phil. 1:6; John 1:1,14).

6. Jesus did not rise from the dead in his physical body. He was raised "not a human creature, but a spirit" (Awake! July 22, 1973, p. 4; Let God be True, p. 276). Response: Jesus himself said, "Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have" (John 24:39). 7. The cross is a pagan symbol and should not be used. Jesus did not die on a cross but on a stake. (Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 89-92). Response: If that is true, then why does Thomas say "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were ... I will not believe"(john 20:25). Therefore, there was more than one nail used in the hands of the crucifixion of Christ. 8. Jesus returned to earth, invisibly, in 1914 (The Truth Shall Make You Free, p. 300). Response: When Christ ascended, "he was taken before their (the disciples) eyes (Acts 1:9). And "he will come back in the same way" the disciples seen him go into heaven (Acts 1:11). In other words, just as Christ ascended visibly, he will come back visibly: Look, he is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him (Rev.1:7). 9. Jesus' ransom sacrifice did not include Adam (Let God be True, p. 119). Response: The Bible clearly says that Christ died for all" (2 Cor. 5:15), and "he gave himself as a ransom for all men (1 Tim. 2.4). 10. They claim to be the only channel of God's truth (The Watchtower, Feb. 15, 1981, p. 19). Response: This is typical to all the cults. They always claim that they are the only true church that gives true teaching. But we know from the Bible that their claim is incorrect. True teaching must be in accordance with the truth of the Bible: "you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth (Matt. 22:16). 11. Only their church members will be saved (The Watchtower, Feb, 15, 1979, p. 30). Response: As far as the Bible is concerned, those who will be saved are those who believe in Christ: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved (Acts 16:31). See also John 1:12; Acts 2:21; Rom. 10:9,13. 12. Good works are necessary for salvation (Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 1, pp. 150, 152). Response: If salvation here means entrance into God's family, then good works are not necessary. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith---and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God---not by works, so that no one can boast (Eph. 2:8-9). 13. The soul ceases to exist after death (Let God be True, p. 59, 60, 67). Response: It is dear in the Bible that the soul of people who died go immediately to their eternal destiny (Lk. 16:24-26; Lk. 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23). Heb. 12:23 speaks of the "spirits of righteous men made perfect.'

14. There is no hell where the wicked are punished (Let God be True, p. 79, 80). Response: The Jehovah's Witnesses don't know their Bible. There are so many references about hell in the New Testament: Matt. 5:22, 29-30, 10:28, 18:9, 23:15, 33; Mk. 9:43,45,47; Lk. 12:5, 16:23; 2 Pet. 2:4; Rev. 20:14-15. 15. Only 144,000 Jehovah's Witness go to heaven (Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 166-167, 361; Let God be True, p. 121). Response: This is a wrong interpretation of Rev. 7 where it mentions 144,000 people from the tribes of Israel. They interpret the "144,000 literally and the tribes of Israel figuratively, referring to their faithful members. The 144,000 is symbolic of the Church as the new Israel. The number is purely symbolic, indicating the totality of God's people. In apocalyptic writings, the common number indicating totality or completeness is 4, 7, 10 and 12. 12 was the number of the people of God in Jewish texts (e.g., Dead Sea Scrolls), and 144,000 is 12 x 12 x 10 x 10 x 10. 16. Blood transfusions are a sin (Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 72-73). Response: The Jehovah's Witnesses forbid transfusions based upon Gen. 9:4, Ps. 16:4, Lev. 13:17, 7:26-27, Dt. 12:16,23, 15:23, 1 Sam. 14:34, and Acts 15:20,29. But these verses are not talking about blood transfusions, where human blood is placed in the bloodstream in order to save human lives. This is, again, another example of interpreting a passage out of context. 17. They also refuse to vote, salute the flag, sing the national anthem, or celebrate Christmas or birthdays. They are not allowed to serve in the armed forces. Response: Again, these are baseless, and have no Biblical warrant. These practices do not contradict Biblical principles. There is nothing wrong to vote if you do it honesty and discreetly; there is nothing wrong if you salute the flag or sing the national anthem if you do it not as a worship but as an expression of your respect and love to your country. There is nothing wrong if you celebrate Christmas or birthdays if you do all these things for the glory of God, and it is not wrong to serve in the armed forces when you are called to defend your country. In fact, it was God himself who commanded the Israelites, in many instances, to fight those nations who attack them.

Mormons
Historical Background Mormons in popular usage are members of the Mormon Church, properly called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Neither Protestant nor Catholic, the church did not break off from any other religious group. It affirms that it is a restoration of the primitive church, necessary because other, later churches are in apostasy--that is, have renounced the true faith. It was established anew by the prophet Joseph Smith in Fayette, New York, on April 6, 1830. After Smith's death in 1844, the church split, with the major body moving west to Utah and the remainder staying behind in Missouri and Illinois to organize splinter churches, such as the

Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. United in origin and in many basic beliefs and practices, the various bodies of Latter-Day Saints differ in details. This article will deal principally with the church in Utah. Mormons accept as the scriptural base of church teaching four books of revelation, or "Standard Works": the Bible (King James Version), the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. In addition, the church believes in continuing revelation through the prophet at its head. The Book of Mormon (1830), the church claims, was translated by Joseph Smith through the "gift and power of God" from golden plates engraved in a language referred to as reformed Egyptian. The plates, which were seen and handled by 11 witnesses, deal chiefly with the inhabitants of the American continents spanning the period 600 B.C. to 421 A.D. The plates relate the sacred history of Israelites who, led by a divinely directed righteous man named Lehi, emigrated from Jerusalem to the New World, where Christ appeared and gave them his teachings. The record of their experiences, kept by various prophets, was compiled and abridged by the 5th century prophet Mormon, from whom the book derives its title and its believers, their name. Mormons refer to the book as the new witness for Christ, but in no way do they consider it as supplanting the Bible. The other two Mormon works contain revelations to Joseph Smith and other church leaders.

Their Teachings: 1. The true gospel was lost from the earth. They teach there was an apostasy and the true church ceased to exist on earth. Mormonism is its restoration (Mormon Doctrine, by Bruce R. McConkie, p. 635), Response: The true gospel is in the Bible, and the gospel is about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for our redemption (1 Cor. 15:1-4). The true church of Christ are the people who trully follow the Lord, and they never ceased to exist: "upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18), 2. The book of Mormon is more correct than the Bible (History of the Church, 4:461). Response: The Bible has no errors for it was written under the inspiration of God (2 Tim. 3:16, 2 Pet 1:20-21). 3. If it had not been for Joseph Smith and the restoration of the church, there would be no salvation. There is no salvation outside the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Doctrine, p. 670). Response: Joseph Smith or the Church of Mormon or any church cannot save men, only Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; Matt. 1:21) 4. There are many gods (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 163, 516) Response: The Bible clearly teaches that there is only one God (Deut. 6:4, 32:39; 2 Sam. 7:22; 1 Tim. 2:5; Eph. 4:6; Rom. 3:30), and the Bible flatly denies the existence of any other gods (Isa. 43.10, 44:6,8, 45:5). 5. God used to be a man on another planet (Mormon Doctrine, p. 321. Joseph Smith, Times and Seasons, Vol. 5, pp. 613-614; Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, Vol 2, p. 345, Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses. Vol. 7, p. 331)

Response: God is an unchanging God. "I, the Lord, do not change" (Mal. 3:6). God is "from all eternity (Ps. 93:2) which means that he was God in eternal past and he will r emain as God in eternal future. 6. After you become a good Mormon, you have the potential of becoming a god (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pages 345-347, 354). Response: If the Lord is the true God (Jer. 10:10; Jn. 17.3; 1 Thess. 1:9), and all other gods are false (Ps. 4:2, 40:5; Jer. 13:25 ), then all good Mormons who became gods are false gods. (See also the response in no. 4). 7. God the Father had a Father and a Mother (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, vol. 6, p, 476; Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses, vol 5, p. 19; Milton Hunter, First Council of the Seventy, Gospel through the Ages, p. 104-105, Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, 443.) Reponse: If God is the beginning and the end (Rev. 21:6) and the etemal God (Gen. 21:33; Deut. 33:27), how can he had a father and a mother? 8. God resides near a star called Kolob (Pearl of Great Price, pages 34-35; Mormon Doctrine, p. 428) Response: God is everywhere: he dwells in heaven (Ps. 1152; 123: 1), in the cloud (1 Kings 9: 12), in Jerusalem (1 Chron. 23:25), in his people (Exo. 29:45-46; Eph. 2:22), in individual Christian (Rom. 8:9, 1 Cor. 6:19; 1 Jn. 4:15). In reality, the whole universe cannot contain him (1 Kings 8:27; 2 Chron. 2:6). 9. God the Father has a body of flesh and bones (Doctrine and Covenants, 130:22) Response: Ony God the Son (Jesus) has flesh and bones, and he is the only visible person in the Trinity. No one has seen the Father (Jn. 6:46; Jn. 1:18; 1 In. 4:12). 10. God is married to his goddess wife and has spirit children (Mormon Doctrine p. 516) Response: God did not need a wife to create beings. All things were created "by his command" (Heb. 113). Nowhere in the Bible can we find the teaching that God has a wife and spirit children. 11. We were first begotten as spirit children in heaven and then born naturally on earth, (Journal of Discourse, Vol. 4, p, 218.) Response: The Bible tells us that we were formed, body and soul, in our mothers' womb (Ps. 139:13). 12. The first spirit to be born in heaven was Jesus (Mormon Doctrine, page 129). Response: Jesus could not be a created being for all things were created through him (Col. 1:16) and he was co-eternal with God the Father (John 1:1; Rev. 22:13). 13. Jesus and Satan are spirit brothers and we were all born as siblings in heaven to them both (Mormon Doctrine, p. 163).

Response: Jesus never called Satan his brother. If they are brothers, why is it that Satan was never called Son of God? Also, the Bible does not teach that Jesus and Satan have spiritual wives and spiritual children. This is purely a myth! 14. A plan of salvation was needed for the people of earth so Jesus offered a plan to the father and Satan offered also a plan to the father, but Jesus' plan was accepted. In effect the Devil wanted to be the Savior of all Mankind and to "deny men their agency and to dethrone god" (Mormon Doctrine, page 193; Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, page 8). Response: Why did Satan offer a plan of salvation when he himself is the cause of all wickedness and misery on earth? The Devil did not come to be the Saviour of all mankind, but he came to destroy us (Jas. 4:7-8) 15. God had sexual relations with Mary to make the body of Jesus (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, p, 218, 1857; vol. 8, p. 115). - This one is disputed among many Mormons and not always 'officially' taught and believed. Nevertheless, Young, the 2nd prophet of the Mormon church taught it. Response: A very blasphemous teaching, a product of a corrupt and sinful mind. The Bible says that Mary was found to be with child through (the power of) the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18), not through any sexual relationship, human or divine. 16. Jesus' sacrifice was not able to cleanse us from all our sins (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 3, p. 247, 1856). Response: This is a clear contradiction to the teaching of the Bible that says, "Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness." (Tit. 2:14; see also 1 Jn. 1: 7) 17. There is no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith as a prophet of God (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 1, p. 188), Response: "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). The only name that can save us is Jesus. 18. The Holy Ghost is a male personage (A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, by Le Grand Richards, Salt Lake City, 1956, page 118; Journal of Discources, Vol. 5, page 179). Response: In Greek, the third person pronoun used for Holy Spirit is sometimes "he (Gk. autos) and at other times "it (Gk. auto), indicating that the Spirit is not gender-bound.

You might also like