Is the Holy Bible is a very fragile book or literature to be the basis of the Christian faith?

A fragile basis of faith?

Letter from Melanie Distor:

A RELIGIOUS PROGRAM I watched on television contested the authenticity and authority of the Bible.  The preachers in the said program pointed out that the Bible is a very fragile book or literature to be the basis of the Christian faith. Two of the reasons they gave are as follows:

1. Almost all of the Bible writers were not firsthand witnesses to the biblical events they wrote. Therefore, they are not-qualified to be writers of such events. There is a great possibility that their accounts are inaccurate because they were not present when  the events took place.

2. The four evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), although having written the same gospels, have contrasting accounts of the life of Jesus.

How can I explain to my friend that the above-mentioned reasons are weak arguments to discredit the Bible. 

Lagro, Philippines

Editor's reply:

     That not all Bible writers were firsthand witnesses to the accounts they wrote does not make the Bible a fragile basis of faith. It was God Himself who willed that such book be written (cf. Jer. 30:2). For this, God guided the men whom He commissioned to write the Scriptures, as proven in this particular event:

     “And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down’.” (Rev. 10:4, New International Version)

     Notice that when Apostle John was about to write down what the seven thunders spoke, a voice from heaven prevented him from doing so. Instead, the voice from heaven instructed him to seal up what the seven thunders had said and NOT write it down. Clearly, then, the men tasked by God to write the Bible were guided by Him.

     Even Apostle Paul affirmed that “all Scripture is inspired by God” (cf. II Tim. 3:16, Today’s English Version). Hence, although some of the authors were not physically present to witness the various biblical events (such as the Creation, the Deluge, etc.), the fact that they were writing under the divine inspiration of God makes the Bible the most credible basis of faith.

     That God inspired the men who wrote the Holy Scriptures does not mean that the four evangelists in particular -- Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – should have written exactly the same account of Christ’s life. Divine inspiration does not destroy the individuality of a particular writer. We must bear in mind that as an individual, each one of these evangelists had a particular point of view or a different way of seeing a subject at hand. Thus, a particular account may have been narrated by them in various ways, depending on the point of view adopted by each one of them, yet maintaining the truthfulness of the accounts.

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Bible Study Suggestion: If you have further questions, please feel free to visit the Iglesia ni Cristo congregation nearest you. A minister or an evangelical worker would be happy to answer any biblical question you have in mind. 

Why do you forbid your members to read the Bible? What are you afraid of? Are you afraid they will know the truth?

"What it takes to understand"

Letter from Tatia Marshall

I HEARD THAT members of the Church of Christ are prohibited from reading the Bible. This is saddening because everyone should benefit from the enormous wisdom the Holy Scriptures offers. The Bible is an open book and it doesn't take a genius to read it and understand God's will. In fact the Bible has been translated into different languages so that people from various races and nationalities can benefit from it. Why do you forbid your members to read the Bible? What are you afraid of? Are you afraid they will know the truth?

Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.

Editor's reply:

There is no such prohibition for members of the Church of Christ to read the Bible. Indeed, everyone must benefit from the enormous wisdom the Bible offers, and everyone must understand the "truth" or the words of God (Jn.17:17), especially in the matters concerning man's salvation.

However, we do not agree with your belief that the Bible is an "open book" or that it can be understood by simply reading it. To illustrate this point, let's turn to the Bible and examine the case of the Ethiopian Eunuch:

". . . . The Eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of Isaiah. The Holy Spirit said to Philip, 'Go over and walk along besides the carriage'. Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the book of Isaiah; so he asked, ' Do you understand what you are reading?' The man replied, 'How can I, when there is no one to instruct me?' And he begged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him." (Acts 8:27-31, New Living Translation)

In the preceding biblical passages we see that the Eunuch was already reading the book of Isaiah. But, when asked if he understood what he was reading, his reply was, "How can I, when there's no one to instruct me?"

Therefore, no matter how educated we are, we need someone to instruct us. This is because the words of God written in the Bible have been hidden in mystery (Rom. 16:25).

Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began (Romans 16:25, NKJV)

 It is not the case that one who reads and studies the Bible will definitely come to the knowledge of the truth (II Tim. 3:7).

always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (II Timothy 3:7, NKJV)

It really doesn't take a genius to read and understand the Bible. Rather, it takes a messenger of God to understand it and teach us. God's messengers understand the words of God written in the Bible because they have been entrusted with God's words (II Cor. 5:18-19).

18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (II Cor. 5:18-19, NKJV)

No wonder the Eunuch by himself could not understand the Scriptures without the messenger explaining it to him. So, Philip taught him the words of God. In one of his epistles, Apostle Paul says:

"And how shall they preach unless they are sent?" (Rom. 10:15, New King James Version). □

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Note: Verses in smaller font are added for clarity. Some words and phrases are in italics  for emphasis.

Suggested Bible Study Lesson: 
The Gospel of Christ and the Preachers of God - from UniqueBibleStudy.com

"God will judge those outside the church" (I Corinthians 5:12-13, Romans 2:12-15)

Letter From Aniway E. Abranillaaniway2000@yahoo.com

I HAVE AN officemate, Atty. Robert  Samson, who keeps on inquiring about the Iglesia ni Cristo doctrines.  I gave him a copy of Pasugo.  The other day, I saw a note on my desk from him.   Please allow me to state the content verbatim:

"Aniway,
I started reading the PASUGO (although I am still in p. 5 as of writing).  There was a letter to the Editor which alleges that the INC members claim to be the only ones to be saved.   Is this true? If yes,  how about the persons who„ lived before 1914? How about the over 6 billion people who are not INC members, will they not be saved?  I am just clarifying. No offense meant.   
Sir Obet"

Please answer him for me. Thank you very much.

Editor's reply:

The teaching that members of the Church of Christ will be saved on the day of Judgment is not an empty claim but one that the Bible supports. Christ, the Savior, commanded those who want to be saved to “enter the flock,” which is the Church redeemed through His blood (Jn. 10:9, 16; Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation).

⁹ I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
¹⁶ 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. (Jn. 10:9, 16, NKJV)

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)

This Church – and not just any church – is the one that Christ will save:

“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.” (Eph. 5:23, New International Version)

Clearly, Christ is the Savior of the Church He founded (Mt. 16:18).

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. (Mt. 16:18, NKJV)

Now, salvation is not be granted on the basis of a religious group’s preponderance in number of adherents. In fact, when God destroyed the ancient people through the great deluge, only eight people were saved – the family of Noah (II Pt. 2:5).

⁵ and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; (II Pt. 2:5, NKJV)

If people want to be saved on Judgment Day, then they must comply with what the Savior commands, that is, to enter or join His Church. The Bible teaches that those who refuse to enter the Church will not be saved for “God will judge those outside” (I Cor. 5:12-13, NIV).

¹² What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? ¹³ God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.  (I Cor. 5:12-13, NIV).

Those who lived prior to the emergence of the Iglesia ni Cristo in 1914 together with those who will not have been reached by the gospel will be judged not according to the law written in the Scriptures, but according to the law written in their hearts. Apostle Paul taught:

“All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. (Rom. 2:12, NIV)

¹³ For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. ¹⁴ (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵ They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)  (Rom. 2:12-15, NIV)

The people who lived and died before the reemergence of the Church of Christ have their idea of morality because of the law written in their hearts. It is through such law that they will be judged by God.

However, those people who were reached by the gospel have the responsibility to fulfill what God requires of them in order to be saved. Moreover, the Bible teaches that the people must “seek the law,” because on the day of Judgment, they will be judged according to the gospel (Mal. 2:7, New King James Version; Rom. 2:16).

“For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge,
And people should seek the law from his mouth;
For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. (Mal. 2:7, New King James Version)

¹⁶ This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares. (Rom. 2:16, NIV)

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Note: Some cited verses are printed in full to facilitate study.

Bible Study Suggestion: If you have further questions, please feel free to visit the Iglesia ni Cristo congregation nearest you. A minister or an evangelical worker would be happy to answer any biblical question you have in mind. For the latest Worship Service Directory of Iglesia ni Cristo Locales and Congregations outside the Philippines, please visit www.iglesianicristoworshipservice.com

Victory through perfect unity

Letter From J. Brittany Coneley

I MET A member of your Church whom I worked with in a systems project in Singapore last month.  She was in a hurry to get back to Manila to catch up with your national elections.

Though not very familiar with  Philippine politics, I asked her whom she's favoring for the presidential post. But, I was surprised when she said the Church would have to decide on that.

What exactly is your Church's basis in implementing this rule on your members?  If the candidates you support do not make it to public office, wouldn't that mean that your goal was defeated?

Editor's reply:

It is true that the Iglesia ni Cristo practices unity at the polls. In fact, it is united in all endeavors.

This unity is based on God’s commandment written in the Bible:

 “BEHOLD, HOW good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Ps. 133:1, Amplified Bible)

God is the author of the unity of His people. Even the Lord Jesus Christ prayed for the unity of the members of His Church:

 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours…. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.” (Jn. 17:9, 11, (NKJV)

The Church of Christ as one new man was structured by God as such so that there would be no division or schism among its members (cf. Eph. 2:15; I Cor. 12:18, 25-26).

¹⁵ having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandmentscontained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thusmaking peace, (Eph. 2:15, NKJV)

^18-19 If each part of the body were the same part, there would be no body. But as it is, God put the parts in the body as he wanted them. He made a place for each one. ²⁰ So there are many parts, but only one body. 

²⁵ God did this so that our body would not be divided. God wanted the different parts to care the same for each other. ²⁶ If one part of the body suffers, then all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part is honored, then all the other parts share its honor.
(I Cor. 12:18-20, 25-26, Easy to Read Version)

Hence, the apostles warned against any division in the Church and enjoined the members to have the same mind and judgment (cf. I Cor. 1:10).

¹⁰ Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (I Cor. 1:10, NKJV)

So, unity is observed by the Church in all undertakings (cf. Eph. 4:4-6; Phil. 2:2-3) including the exercise of the right of suffrage.

⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you^[a] all. (cf. Eph. 4:4-6, NKJV)

² fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. ³ Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Phil. 2:2-3, NKJV)

Apostle Paul urged the Christians to be perfectly united in one mind and judgment:

“But I urge you all, brothers, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, to agree in what you say, and not to allow factions among you, but to be perfectly united in mind and judgment.” (I Cor. 1:10, Goodspeed Translation)

Since voting is an expression of the judgment, the Church is united in voting those who are to lead the nation.

In the early Church, the Administrator was the one who gave the final judgment when controversy arose. Apostle James the Less, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, handed down the decision (cf. Acts 15:1-2, 13, 19, 28). The entire Church then rejoiced and obeyed his decision (cf. Acts 15:30-31).

The same is observed in the Church of Christ today. However, a consultation among Church members is made prior to the decision making. The decision on whom the Church will vote is then confirmed by the overall Administrator.

Finally, the Church’s success is not measured by the victory or defeat of any candidate it supported. The goal is to keep the Church united. Thus, whether the candidates win or lose, the Church emerges victorious by practicing perfect unity in all endeavors. 

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Bible Study Suggestion: If you have further questions, please feel free to visit the Iglesia ni Cristo congregation nearest you. A minister or an evangelical worker would be happy to answer any biblical question you have in mind. For the latest Worship Service Directory of Iglesia ni Cristo Locales and Congregations outside the Philippines, please visit www.iglesianicristoworshipservice.com

Born again? Who are they?

Noel Rojas Wrote:

I AM A born-again Christian. I wrote to you to clarify certain issues regarding our Lord Jesus  Christ. You teach that Jesus is man. If this was so, then the Scriptures should not have stated that every knee should be bowed before Jesus.

You also uphold that Jesus is not God because He is not omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. But didn't Jesus say that ALL authority is given unto Him? The Savior didn't say that SOME authority was given unto Him.,

Moreover, Christ didn't say that unless a man joins the Iglesia ni Cristo, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. But what He said was that a man must be born again. This is the key and not your so-called Church. Thus, who are we to believe? Your Church, or Jesus?

Manila, Philippines

Editor's reply:

     Your belief that Christ is God because of the scriptural mandate that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow is nothing else but your own opinion. The commandment does not in any way imply that Christ is God. Christ should be worshipped not because He is God but because it is God’s will that we do so to Him who is our Lord and Savior (cf. Phil. 2:11).

     Christ is neither omnipotent nor omniscient as is the Almighty Father. In fact, He admitted that He couldn’t do anything by Himself (cf. Jn. 5:30). Also, He doesn’t know when the day Day of Judgment will come (cf. Mt. 24:36). He is not omnipresent. If he were everywhere, why then would he still have to go to places?

     Matthew 28:18 states that all authority has been given to our Lord Jesus Christ. By the word given alone, it is clear that such authority is not inherent in Him. It is the Father who gave Christ authority over all things as stated in Matthew 11:27.

     We agree to what the Savior said that a person must be born again to enter the kingdomof God. Being born again, however, is not simply by having accepted Christ as personal Savior and by showing that one has undergone some positive changes in his life and lifestyles. The Bible teaches the process by which one can be born again.

     In the first place, man is incapable of changing himself. Prophet Jeremiah says:

     “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.” (Jer. 13:23, New International Version)

     For man to effect real change, he must first be redeemed from the curse of the law being referred to is the punishment for man’s sins – the second death, that is, death in the lake of fire (cf. Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:14).

     Regarding the redemption of man’s sins, Apostle Paul writes:

     “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” (Eph. 1:4-5, NIV)

     God has predestined man to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ. In Christ, man is redeemed of his sins through the Savior’s blood (v. 7). Though redemption is for mankind, not all men are redeemed. To be counted among the redeemed, one must undergo regeneration according to the Lord Jesus (cf. Mt. 19:28). How? The Apostle Paul writes, thus:

     “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (II Cor. 5:17, KJV)

     Those who underwent regeneration as taught by Christ have become new creatures – born again. How can one be born again?

In Romans 6:3-4, this is written:

     “For surely you know that when we were baptized into union with Christ Jesus, we were baptized into union with his death. By our baptism, then, we were buried with him and shared his death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from death by the glorious power of the Father, so also we might live a new life.” (Today’s English Version)

     Those truly born again are those baptized in union with Christ. They share Christ’s death and resurrection. They are able to live a new life because they had already been redeemed from the curse of the law (cf. Rom. 6:7). They were baptized into the one body, the Church (cf. I Cor. 12:13; Col. 1:18) (emphasis ours).

     As to which Church, it is the Church redeemed or purchased by Christ’s blood, theChurch of Christ (cf. Acts 20:28, Lamsa) (emphasis ours).

     The true born – again Christians, therefore, are found inside the Church of Christ. One cannot be truly born again unless he joins the true Church of Christ. Only by joining the true Church can he be born again.   

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Bible Study Suggestion: If you have further questions, please feel free to visit the Iglesia ni Cristo congregation nearest you. A minister or an evangelical worker would be happy to answer any biblical question you have in mind. For the latest Worship Service Directory of Iglesia ni Cristo Locales and Congregations outside the Philippines, please visit www.iglesianicristoworshipservice.com

The temple or house of worship is the house of God (II Chron. 7:16; Psalms 26:8)

Jeremy Sedenio Wrote:

IT IS CLEARLY stated in the Bible that "God does not dwell in temples made with hands" (Acts 17:24). So, why do you call your temple or chapel as "house of God" when, obviously, your chapels and temples were made with man's hands? This is certainly a doctrinal error on your part.

Mabalacat, Pampanga, Philippines

Editor's reply:

     It is never wrong to call the temple as the house of God. The Almighty God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Prophet Isaiah made such pronouncements.

     Prophet Isaiah called the temple as “the house of the God of Jacob” (Is. 2:3, New King James Version). The Lord Jesus Christ referred to the temple as “my Father’s house” (Lk.2:49, Today’s English Version). Above all, the Almighty God Himself declared that the temple is His house:

     “Now He said to me, ‘It is your son Solomon who shall build My house and My courts’.” (I Chron. 28:6, NKJV)

     You would, then, ask why it is written in Acts. 17:24 that God does not dwell in temples made with man’s hands? The Almighty does not dwell in temples made with man’s hands in the sense that the temple is not His place of rest or dwelling:

     “Thus says the Lord: ‘Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest?’” (Is. 66:1, Ibid.)

     The temple is not God’s place of rest or dwelling. He does not dwell or “rest” in it. Which is it then that dwells in the house of worship or temple? God said:

     “For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and my eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.” (II Chron. 7:16, Ibid.) (emphasis ours)

     It is the name of God that dwells in the temple. God has chosen and sanctified His house, and promised that His name would be there forever. Moreover, His glory also dwells in the temple:

     “Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells.” (Ps. 26:8, Ibid.) (emphasis ours)

     Thus, it is biblically sound to call the temple or house of worship as the house of God, for His name and glory dwell in it.

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Bible Study Suggestion: If you have further questions, please feel free to visit the Iglesia ni Cristo congregation nearest you. A minister or an evangelical worker would be happy to answer any biblical question you have in mind. For the latest Worship Service Directory of Iglesia ni Cristo Locales and Congregations outside the Philippines, please visit www.iglesianicristoworshipservice.com

Who founded the Iglesia ni Cristo in 1914, was it Jesus Christ or Felix Manalo?

Christ is the founder

Gertrudes Beltran Wrote;
I AM CONFUSED about some of the doctrines of your religion, I have several questions which I believe many of your readers also have in mind.  These are my questions;
1.  Who founded the Iglesia ni Cristo in 1914, was it Jesus Christ or Felix Manalo?
2.  If it was our Lord Jesus Christ, did he come to Manila in 1914 for the purpose of establishing His church?
3.  Or, was Iglesia ni Cristo founded  by Felix Manalo who stated in his application to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that said applicant is the FOUNDER and present head of the Iglesia ni Cristo and desires to convert said entity into a unipersonal corporation as published several years ago in PASUGO?
4.  If the Iglesia ni Cristo was founded only in 1914, where was it from 33 A.D. to 1913? 

Editor's reply:

      1.  Our Lord Jesus Christ founded a Church as He Himself mentioned to Apostles Peter:

      “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.” (Mt. 16:18, NIV)

     The Church, which is His body and of which He is the head, is none other than the Church of Christ (or, Iglesia ni Cristo in Filipino) for which He shed His blood (cf. Col. 1:18; Acts 20:28, Lamsa).

      2. Our Lord Jesus Christ didn’t descend from heaven to establish His Church in Manila in 1914. (Note that the first century Church apostatized after the apostolic period.) The Churchof Christ in the Philippines is the reestablished Church. It was reestablished by virtue of the fulfillment of biblical prophecy – John 10:16. Here, Christ mentions about His other sheep that were not yet in the fold during His ministry but which He must also bring into the fold. They will be brought into the fold or the reestablished Church by heeding His voice.

      By that time (1914), Christ was in heaven but His voice would be heard when God’s chosen messenger would preach His words (cf. Lk. 10:16; Jn. 13:20). It was not Christ Himself who would do the preaching but someone whom God would send to echo His words. We believe that Brother Felix Y. Manalo – God’s messenger in these last days – was sent to fulfill this function. Through his instrumentality, Christ was able to reestablish theChurch of Christ (or, Iglesia ni Cristo) in the Philippines.

      3. In the application for registration submitted by Brother Felix Y. Manalo to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), it is stated that he is the founder. Brother Felix Y. Manalo, instead of our Lord Jesus Christ, was registered as the founder not because he is recognized by the Church as the founder but because the registration of any organization with the SEC requires the name of the founder with his domicile furnished and his signature affixed.

      So, for the purpose of registration and for the enjoyment of protection before the law, someone must represent the Church to be registered. Would it not sound ridiculous had Brother Felix Y. Manalo insisted to write down the name of Jesus Christ on those papers? Brother Felix Y. Manalo’s name then had to be placed as founder just to comply with the requirements of the Articles of Incorporation and not to reflect or declare the religious beliefs of the Church then to be registered.

     The Iglesia ni Cristo stands firm in its teaching that Christ (not Brother Felix Y. Manalo) is the founder of the Church.

     Brother Felix Y. Manalo registered the Iglesia ni Cristo as a corporation sole (unipersonal corporation). This does not mean that he is the owner of the properties of the Church (as the unschooled would claim). Of course, not! Rather, he is to act only as the administrator (and NOT the owner) of the temporalities located in the territory comprised by said corporation sole (Martin, Commentaries and Jurisprudence on the Philippine Commercial Laws, 245-246, rev. ed., 1971).

     This is substantiated by the Articles of Incorporation of the Iglesia ni Cristo which states: “That as Pastor of this organization he is overseer and administrator of all the temporalities of the organization.” Thus, Brother Felix Y. Manalo is the administrator, not the owner, of the properties of the Iglesia ni Cristo.

     4.  The first – century Church of Christ apostatized when the bishops took over the administration of the Church from the apostles. When doctrinal changes creped into the true Church, it was transformed into the Catholic religion. Eventually, the members of the Church were led away from the truth and were made to follow teachings of the devil (cf. I Tim. 4:1, 3).

        Hence, in 1914, by virtue of the prophecies of God and of Christ, the true Church (Iglesia ni Cristo) reemerged.

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Bible Study Suggestion: If you have further questions, please feel free to visit the Iglesia ni Cristo congregation nearest you. A minister or an evangelical worker would be happy to answer any biblical question you have in mind. For the latest Worship Service Directory of Iglesia ni Cristo Locales and Congregations outside the Philippines, please visit www.iglesianicristoworshipservice.com

. Is the Church of Christ mentioned in the Scriptures as the "body" of Christ composed of many religious groups believing in Christ?

Letter from Ma. Cecilia Conception

MY   UNDERSTANDING   OF   THE  teachings of the Bible is that all religions that believe in Christ, like the various Protestant groups to name  some, compose the Church of Christ mentioned in the Holy Scriptures.  Remember that this Church is also referred to by the Holy Scriptures as the "body" of Christ (Col. 1:18). The analogy is so purposive to indicate that as a literal body is made up of many parts, the Church  built  by  Christ, though only one,  is composed of many religious groups believing in Christ.

 From Los Andes, Chile

Editor's reply:

To begin with, we are glad to know that you  too  believe  that Christ  built  only  one Church (Matt. 16:18) the name of which is Church of Christ (Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation). Concerning this Church, the Bible moreover teaches that the true believers in Christ are baptized into this "one body'' (I Cor. 12:13) and that outside it, there is judgment (I Cor. 5:12-13)

The Bible however negates the opinion that all religious organizations compose this singular Church of Christ. Proclaiming one of the characteristics of this body or Church of Christ, Apostle Paul stated, thus:

"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." (Eph. 4:4-6, New King James Version)

Notice the unity  in the one Church— members share "one hope of [their] calling", believe in "one God/' receive "one baptism. and uphold "one" or the same "faith" Not allowing the members of the one true Church to be divided especially in faith, the Bible prescribes, "there should be no schism in the body" (I Cor. 12:25,Ibid)

that there should be no schism in the body, but [that] the members should have the same care for one another. (1 Corinthians 12:25, NKJV)

This important quality of the Church can hardly be seen among various Protestant groups and other Christian-professing religions when taken as a whole. Viewed collectively, these religious organizations cannot be said to be truly united in faith and religious convictions. Though their members may all be professing faith in Christ, they nonetheless uphold different—and oftentimes opposing—creeds, set of doctrines, biblical  interpretations, and religious   practices.   Concerning   the   belief about God, for instance, some denominations teach that Christ and the Father are one and the same, while others uphold that Christ is distinct  from  the Father.  Demonstrating that these religions do not have one or the same mode of baptism, some do immersion while others,  pouring (effusion),   and   still   others, sprinkling (aspersion).   Some   churches  even bestow baptism on the infants, and worse, on the dead. As these religions make contradicting doctrinal claims, they cannot be all true, much less compose the true Church of Christ. 

The Bible itself clarifies for us the composition of the Church of Christ In the one body or Church, what are many are the members not the organizations:

"Christ is like a single body, which has many parts; it is still one body even though it is made up of different parts. In the same way, all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free, have been baptized into the one body by the same Spirit, and we have all been given the one Spirit to drink."(I Cor. 12:12-13,   Today's English Version)

Take note that the "Jews or Gentiles" and "slaves or free'' who are referred to as "many parts" of the body in the verses were the members of the Church of Christ during the apostles' time. Therefore,   the "many parts"  composing the body or Church refer to the "many members" and not to "many religious groups" Then, again,   these members,  though   many,   have one hope and one faith, complimenting one another as one body. As Apostle Paul further elucidated:

"For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another" (Rom. 12:4-5, NKJV)

"Now indeed" as the Holy Scriptures itself concludes, "there are many members, yet one body." (I Cor. 12:20, tbid.)

But now indeed [there are] many members, yet one body. (1 Corinthians 12:20, NKJV)

"Church of the Lord," or "Church of God," or "Church of Christ"? (in Acts 20:28)

Letter from Jasmine Domingo

I CONSULTED SEVERAL Bible translations and versions, and I found out that in most renditions, instead of "Church of Christ," the phrase written in Acts 20:28 which refers to the true Church is either "Church of the Lord" or "Church of God." As far as I know, only Lamsa's Translation mentions "Church of Christ." Why do you believe that "Church of Christ " is the correct name of the Church founded by Christ?

Editor's reply:

 It must be taken into account that it is Christ who built the true Church .and that He called it His Church (Mt. !6:18). To explain the relationship between Christ and His Church, Apostle Paul teaches that the Church is Christ's body (Col.1:18). The correct name of the true Church built by Christ therefore is "Church of Christ," for it is but right and just for the body to be called by the name of the head.

Regarding the phrase "Church of Christ" in his translation of Acts 20:28, George M. Lamsa explains, thus:

      "The eastern text reads: 'The church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood.' . . . . Jewish Christian could not have used the term God, because in their eyes God is spirit, and spirit has no flesh and blood. . . . It was Jesus of Nazareth who shed his blood on the cross for us, and not God." (New Testament Commentary: From the Aramaic and the Eastern Customs, pp. 149-150)

Granting without conceding that only George M. Lamsa's translation of the Bible renders the phrase in Acts 20:28 as "Church of Christ," still no rule of reasoning compels us to conclude that if one is alone in his position, then his stand would be wrong.

Besides, it is not just Lamsa's translation which mentions "Church of Christ" in Acts 20:28. The English translation of the verse in Syriac manuscript such as MS Syriac 325 (12th century), MS Syriac 27 (16th century), and the Novum Testamentum Syriace (17th century) read "Church of Christ."

Syriac is an Aramaic dialect into which most of the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament were first translated. Consulting Syriac manuscripts can help settle controversies in the Greek manuscripts. According to some Bible scholars, "No branch of the Early Church has done more for the translation of the Bible into their vernacular than the Syriac-speaking"(The early versions of the New Testament: Their origin, transmission and limitations, p.3). It is also asserted that the Syriac manuscripts are "of great value to the Biblical exegete . . .  in view of their origin in the second and third centuries" (The text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration, p.67).

Aside from Syriac manuscripts, the phrase "Church of Christ" can also be found in Acts 20:28 in Peshitta Aramaic Text with a Hebrew Translation which, when translated in English, reads:

     "Watch then for yourselves and for all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has given you the responsibility to feed the church of Christ which he has acquired with his own blood."

In Dr. John Wesley Etheridge's translation "The Apostolical Acts and Epistles, from the Peschito, or ancient Syriac, the phrase in the verse was rendered as "church of the Meshija [or Christ]. Moreover, the Disciples New Testament translated by Victor Alexander, puts in the verse the name "church of Jesus Christ."

We are confident that the translations or versions that have "Church of Christ" are the more accurate rendition of Acts 20:28 because the latter part of the verse states, "which he purchased with his own blood" (Acts 20:28, American Standard Version, emphasis ours). It is clear that the one referred to here by the pronoun "he" is the one who shed his blood for the Church. Here, we can only agree to Lamsa's explanation, for it is indeed what the Bible teaches. The pronoun "he" does not refer to our Lord God for  He, being a spirit (Jn. 4:24), has no flesh and bones (Lk.24:36-39), and thus has no blood. It is the Lord Jesus Christ's blood, which washed the members of the Church of their sins (I Peter 1:18-19; Rev. 1:5). When the text reads, "Church of Christ," it furnishes no difficulty for reading "with his own blood."

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Note: Some words and phrases are in italics for emphasis.

Does God's statement in Ezekiel 28:2 "you are a man, and not a god" also applies to Christ?

Rica Paras Letter:

IN REJECTING THE "hypostatic union" or the doctrine of the Bible stating that Christ is both man and God, you cite Ezekiel 28:2 in which God said to the Prince of Tyre, "you are a man, and not a god."  I believe  that this verse is impertinent to the  issue, for it is clear that God here was talking to the Prince of Tyre, and not to the Lord Jesus Christ.  What applies to the Prince of Tyre does not automatically apply to Christ.  Remember that the statement of the Bible that "all hare sinned" (Rom, 5:12) applies to all men except to Jesus, for He has not sinned (I Ft 2:21-22)How sure are you, then, that God's statement "you are a man, and not a god" applies to Christ?

Pagasa, Quezon City, Philippines

Editor's reply:

     To say that the Bible supports the doctrine of the “hypostatic union,” is categorically and grossly incorrect. What we are certain about is the fact that this doctrine was invented by the Council of Chalcedon (Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, p. 540) hundreds of year after the Bible was written after the last apostle had died. This teaching is against the teachings of the Bible. While Christ clearly introduced Himself as man (Jn. 8:40), the Lord God unequivocally stated that He (God) is not man and that man is not God (Hos. 11:9; Ezek. 28:2).

     Of course, it wasn’t Christ whom God was talking to in Ezekiel 28:2. Indeed, it was to the Prince of Tyre God said, “you are a man, and not a god.” The verse, however, is never irrelevant to the issue of whether Christ has dual nature or not. In this verse, God strongly declares that if someone is man, he is not God. Inasmuch as the Prince of Tyre is a man, he is, therefore, not God. God didn’t say to him he is not God because he is the Prince of Tyre, but rather because the Prince of Tyre is man. And since in state of being, Christ is “truly human” (I Tim. 2:5, Contemporary English Version), He is, therefore, not God.

     What further proves that what God said to the Prince of Tyre, being man, applies to Jesus Christ and even to all of us? In the succeeding verses, Ezekiel 28:9-10, this is recorded:

     “’Will you still say before him who slays you, “I am a god”? but you shall be a man, and not a god, in the hand of him who slays you. You shall die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of aliens; for I have spoken’, says the Lord GOD.” (New King James Version)

     Regarding Ezekiel 28 verses 1-10, the book entitled A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture says this:

     “XXVIII 1-10 Pride and Humiliation of the Prince-2. In his pride he thought himself a god and his island capital the throne of a god. … 9. His death will show that he is a man.” (p. 614)

     The Bible agrees with what is mentioned in this book that even though the Prince of Tyrethought himself as god, “his death will show that he is a man.” The Scriptures teaches that men are mortals for “it is appointed for men to die once” (Heb. 9:27, NKJV). God, on the other hand, does not die, for He is immortal (I Tim. 1:17). And since our Lord Jesus Christ experienced death, that doesn’t qualify Him as God (Jn. 19:30, 33).

     We are very much certain, therefore, that the statement of God, “you are a man, and not a god,” expressed to the Prince of Tyre, also applies to the Lord Jesus Christ and to all human beings.

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Bible Study Suggestion: If you have further questions, please feel free to visit the Iglesia ni Cristo congregation nearest you. A minister or an evangelical worker would be happy to answer any biblical question you have in mind. 

God is everywhere (Jeremiah 23:23)

Jay Magunay Wrote:

THE TEACHING THAT God is everywhere is against the Bible. If God were everywhere, He must also be in beer houses, prostitution dens, and crack houses.  In Matthew 6:9, Jesus said in His prayer that God is in heaven.

Isn't it that God is in heaven and not in places where there is immorality?

Sta Rosa, Laguna, Philippines

Editor's reply:

     The teaching that God is everywhere or that God is omnipresent is a biblical teaching. In fact, it was the Almighty God Himself who declared that He is everywhere:

     “I am God who is everywhere and not in one place only.” (Jer. 23:23, Today’s English Version)

     We do not oppose the Lord Jesus Christ’s prayer written in Matthew 6:9. What we are opposing is the erroneous conclusion about the verse. It is true that the Lord Jesus acknowledged in His prayer that the Father is in heaven. But, He did not say that the Father is in heaven only. To assume such is a violation of biblical teachings.

     We cannot confine God to any specific location. Apostle Paul, in fact, testifies that “He [God] is everywhere and in everything” (Eph. 1:4, Easy-to-Read Version).

     However, we should not think that the omnipresence of God is the same as pantheism-equating God with the combined forces and laws that are manifested in the existing universe. For example, we should not think that God is in the table in our living rooms and therefore, that table should be worshipped. God is omnipresent in the sense that He can see everyone and everything and no one can hide from Him. The Almighty proclaims:

     “No one can hide where I cannot see him. Do you not know that I am everywhere in heaven and on earth?” (Jer. 23:24, TEV)

     Even King David emphatically expressed in one of his psalms that there is no place he can go to escape from God.

     “Where could I go to escape from you? Where could I get away from your presence? If I went up to heaven, you would be there; if I lay down in the world of the dead, you would be there. If I flew away beyond the east or lived in the farthest place in the west, you would be there to lead me. You would be there to help me.” (Ps. 139:7-10, Ibid.)   

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Bible Study Suggestion: If you have further questions, please feel free to visit the Iglesia ni Cristo congregation nearest you. A minister or an evangelical worker would be happy to answer any biblical question you have in mind. 

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?

Who 'created' God?

Letter from William Heatwole

 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?

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, Today’s 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)-God’s existence, eternal power, and nature are “clearly seen”.        

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Bible Study Suggestion: If you have further questions, please feel free to visit the Iglesia ni Cristo congregation nearest you. A minister or an evangelical worker would be happy to answer any biblical question you have in mind.