Iglesia ni Cristo believes in the absolute oneness of God, that the only true God is the Father in heaven; The Father is the Lord God Almighty, the Creator of all things; God is Spirit, eternal, immortal and invisible.

"Who is the Creator?"

Name withheld Wrote:

I HAVE BEEN bothered by a major problem which started when I read a book advocating atheism. This book influenced my beliefs to the point that I questioned the existence of God.

Atheism really shook me and hurt me inside, for it made me think that all the years of my life were worthless. Now, I am thankful that after a long time of research and rationalization, I am now able to prove to myself and to anyone that a Creator absolutely exists.

But my personal crisis is not yet over. My major problem now concerns discovering who the Creator really is. This is the same problem discussed in the book, "Friend, You Are Not God" written by Jagad Guru, which I was able to read. Isn't it possible that:

1. You are, in reality, the Creator and you just created the universe to be able to play in it? You deliberately forgot your true identity to convince yourself that you are not God because you want to play as a creature and not as a Creator;

2. Some intelligent beings from other galaxies created or manipulated you and put you in this world to play with you or to experiment on you?

The Bible says that God created the universe and everything in it.  I prefer this Bible theory (at least at present) to the two other theories mentioned above because I know it is nearer to the truth. At least this declaration by the Bible is, say 90% possible compared to the two other theories which are, say, only 10% possible. But I don't want to find myself choosing the Bible's declaration just because it is the best among the possible theories but because it is the undeniable truth.

This is my problem. Although the Bible's statement is nearer to the truth, the matter is I can't absolutely prove it.

Also, How can I serve my God with my whole heart, mind, body, and soul if in the first place I have doubts on who He really is?

I said that the Bible's statement is, say, 90% possible. Hence, at least, I have a little faith in the biblical passage. If you would call that faith, would a little faith like mine be enough for me to be saved come Judgment Day? 

Editor's reply:

We are glad that you believe God exists. Indeed, all the living and the vast universe were created by the powerful hands of God.

The Bible teaches who the Creator is. The prophets introduced Him, thus:

"Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us?" (Mal.  2:10, New International Version)

"No one has ever seen or heard of a God like you, who does such deeds for those who put their hope in him. But you are our father, Lord. We are like clay, and you are like the potter. You created us." (Is. 64:4,8, Today's English Version)

The prophets stated that the Father is the only true God or Creator. The Lord Jesus Christ attested to this:

''And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God....     "Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: 'Father, the hour has come'." (Jn. 17:3, 1, New King James Version)

Even the apostles confirmed that-

"Yet for us there is for us but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live." (I Cor. 8:6, NIV)

With regard to nature, God is spirit, that is, He does not have flesh and bones (cf. Jn. 4:24; Lk. 24:38-39) and thus, He cannot be seen. Yet, why must we believe that God  exists even though He cannot be perceived by our senses?

"Ever sine 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)

Whatever doubts, then, that you still have in your mind should be replaced  by a solid faith that the Father is the One who created us. God rewards those who have full faith in Him,.

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek Him." (Heb. 11:6, NIV)

On the other hand, what is God's judgment on those do not have faith?

"But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake  of burning sulfur. This is the second death."  (Rev. 21:8, NIV)

Faith, then, is a very important requirement for salvation. But the faith that will save us is that which is coupled with works (cf. Js, 2:22), for without work, faith, is dead (cf. ]s. 2:17).

Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? (James 2:22, NKJV)

Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (James 2:17, NKJV)

Which work is this? This is the will of God that all men be gathered in Christ (cf. Mt. 7:21, Eph. 1:9-10).

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. (Matthew 7:21, NKJV)

having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. (Ephesians 1:9-10, NKJV)

How can men be gathered in Christ?  This is by becoming members of the one body which is the Church headed by Christ (cf. Rom. 12:4-5;  Col. 1:18)—the Church of Christ  (cf. Acts 20:28, Lamsa).

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. (Romans 12:4-5, NKJV)

And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:18, 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)

Indeed, faith in God is very important. But, having faith in Him is proven by our submission and obedience to His will.

___________________

Note: Verses in smaller font were added for clarity.

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. 

Opting for God’s choice

IN ALL CREATION, there is but one human race. But humans have sub-classified their own race, for instance, according to the color of skin or to the community of the nation to which one belongs. In his epistle, Apostle Peter introduces one blessed race, the chosen race, the holy nation – God’s own people (I Pt. 2:9). It is the same race Apostle Paul mentions in Ephesians 2:19 as members of the household of God. This is the race of God’s children.

On the other hand, the Lord Jesus Christ calls a particular group of people as “snakes and sons of snakes” (Mt. 23:33, Today’s English Version). He says that they are of their father, the father of liars whom the Bible describes as “that serpent of old, the devil and satan, who deceives the whole world” (Jn. 8:44; Rev. 12:9, Ibid.). According to Christ, these people are “condemned to hell” (Mt. 23:33, Ibid.).

Cursed race – victims of lies

Theologian John Calvin (1509-1564) held that God ordains some to everlasting life and others to everlasting punishment not because of the good or evil He sees or foresees in men, but because that is according to His sovereign will. This corresponds to some degree to the fifth-century Catholic Church Father Augustine’s definition of predestination “that God predestinates from all eternity the number of elect, that He bestows the grace needed to obtain eternal life without any respect to merits on their part, either before or after the grace is conferred” (Catholic Dictionary, p. 668).

However, the predestination that the Bible mentions is that among all creatures, men alone were predestined by God to be His own children (Eph. 1:4-5). This has been God’s will and plan since the beginning. Indeed, the Bible calls Adam, the first man created in His image, son of God (Lk. 3:23-38; Gen. 1:27-28). The Almighty Father created all men to be His and for the purpose of knowing and serving Him (Ps. 100:2-3).

Why then are there people who belong to the devil when in truth God created them? They became of the devil because they were deceived by him, just as the first couple was deceived and corrupted by his craftiness.

This corruption is made manifest in many people’s conception regarding the Divine Being. Apostle Paul teaches that “since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold, or silver or stone – an image by man’s design and skill” (Acts 17:29, New International Version). Apostle Paul points out that such manner of thinking is ignorance (Acts 17:30). While those who think that God is like gold, silver, stone, or wood are ignorant, those who bow down and pray to or worship graven images are absurd (Is. 46:5-7).

Since nobody would ever want to be counted among the devil’s minions, the devil uses guile to deceive and turn man away from the true knowledge about the Creator, making him believe in graven images. Apostle Paul warns that the wicked one comes with the power of satan, performs all kinds of false miracles and wonders, and uses every kind of deceit on those who will perish (II Thess. 2:9-10).

Idolatry and the devil’s deception

People who call themselves Christians look down at pagans as the ones misled into worshiping idols. But there are certain groups of people who, nevertheless, introduce themselves as Christians yet adore graven images, too. They even claim that their metal, stone, and wooden statues perform miraculous signs. They claim that their so-called “saints” have wept and shed tears of blood, or suddenly appeared on trees, or have rained flowers. The undiscerning who were swayed to believe these claims or, more aptly, deceived, continue to worship these images.

But the Holy Scriptures is very explicit on its stand against idolatry, condemning it as a grave sin punishable by death in the lake of fire (Exo. 20:3-5; Rev. 14:10). In spite of this, many people refuse to listen to the words of God written in the Bible.

The devil also uses people to perform his evil tricks. Hence, one should beware of people who may claim to be iconoclasts or idol-haters but would attract people with miracles and wonders. More often than not, they also are false religious preachers.

The reason God allows people of this world to be deceived was explained by Apostle Paul:

“Because they did not welcome and love the truth so as to be saved. And so God sends the power of error to work in them so that they believe what is false.” (II Thess. 2:10-11, TEV)

God allows people to listen and follow deceitful lies because they do not love the truth. For this, they will surely perish.

Man’s hope – the regeneration

Every living person can be restored to his original race and become a member of God’s household according to His plan. This is because God invites man to return to Him (Mal. 3:7) by following Christ in the regeneration (Mt. 19:28).

Christ recognizes those who follow Him in the regeneration as being united in Him. Apostle Paul explains that among the sons of God, there “is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26-28, New King James Version). Oneness in Christ transcends cultural, political, and socio-economic barriers. There is only one race in Christ – His race – the race of God’s children. This is the regeneration: from being of the devil to being reborn or becoming God’s child through Christ.

The people who follow in the regeneration become one in Christ because they “are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another” (Rom. 12:4-5, Ibid.). This body of Christ is the Church of which Christ is the head (Col. 1:18). Thus, those who follow Christ in the regeneration are the members of His Church. They do not simply profess faith in Christ. Their faith moves them to obey Christ’s commandment of entering the Church which He built. Christ said during the early part of His ministry:

…I will build My church.” (Mt. 16:18, NKJV)

This is the Church of Christ (Rom. 16:16). Thus, it is of utmost importance that man join the Church of Christ or Iglesia ni Cristo. To whom do the members of the Church of Christ belong? Apostle Paul made this conclusion:

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” (Eph. 2:19-22, NKJV)

The members of Christ’s Church have become God’s children and members of His household. They have been chosen from the world and taken away from the devil when they followed Christ in the regeneration. Thus, if man wants to belong to the chosen race of God in these last days, he must join the true Church of Christ. By doing so, he will be fortunate to be freed from punishment on the day of Judgment when this world and its ungodly people shall face their inevitable end (II Pt. 3:7, 10). On that fateful day, the cursed race – those who belong to the devil – shall be utterly destroyed; hence, only one race will remain (Mt. 25:31-34, 41). In hopeful encouragement to all who belong to God’s children, Apostle Paul asserts:

“We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule.” (Philip. 3:20-21, TEV)

The proper choice

While it is the unchanging policy of God to choose people for Himself (Rom. 9:11), we humans have been given the gift of free will. But we should remember that we can never escape from the consequences of our choice because God is a just God. The ungodly who reject the will of God will receive His vengeance, that is, eternal punishment (II Thess. 1:8-9). But the righteous or obedient will receive the crown of righteousness – the everlasting life.

We are to choose whether or not to be in accord with God’s will. God’s will is to gather all men in Christ as members of one body, the Church of Christ (Eph. 1:9-10; Rom. 12:4-5; Col. 1:18). We are given two choices, whether to join the chosen race by following Christ in the regeneration – by joining His Church – or forever let go of the chance God has given everyone before He puts and end to evil.

God has chosen, let us opt for His choice.

And This is Eternal Life…

“Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: ‘Father…
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, theonly true God,
And Jesus Christ whom You have sent’.” (John 17:1,3, New King James Version)

THE ISSUE CONCERNING the attainment of eternal life will always be essential to the belief system, not only of Christian-professing churches but also of all religious groups that believe in the hereafter and look beyond this present and temporal life. In fact, this is an issue that is unfailingly associated with everything a man does in his service to his Creator or to anyone whom he considers as a supreme being who has power and authority to either reward or punish him. Among Christian-professing peoples, eternal life is the ultimate reward which they eagerly await from God whom they faithfully serve and worship. Their belief and hope in eternal life and the Almighty God who promised it to them is basically hinged on the teachings of the Bible, the repository of God’s revealed truth. It is the Bible which clearly teaches how one can be worthy of God and His grace of the promised eternal life. Hence, those who believe and serve God with the hope of attaining eternal bliss should faithfully obey what the Bible teaches in order that their hope will not end up in vain. What is one of the teachings of the Bible that aspirants of eternal life should understand and fully believe in? The Holy Writ records this pronouncement of our Lord Jesus Christ, the greatest of God’s messengers:

“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, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 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, New King James Version)

In this prayer of Jesus to the Father, He affirmed some important doctrines essential to gaining eternal life. He said that the Father had given Him authority to give eternal life to those given to Him by the Father. It is clear then that life eternal is reserved for such people. But for them to receive this, they must know and understand that the Father alone is the true God and that Jesus Christ was sent by Him. Hence, anyone who wants to attain eternal life should be certain that he is among those given by the Father to our Lord Jesus Christ and that he recognizes the Father as the only true God and Jesus Christ was sent by Him. In pointing to the Father as the only true God, which means that there is no true God other than the Father, and in distinguishing Himself from the Father by emphasizing that He was sent by Him, Christ has shown that He should not be recognized as God.

Those given by God to Christ
Inasmuch as eternal life is reserved for those whom God has given to Christ, it is important then that one be counted among them. Apostle Paul taught how man is given to our Lord Jesus Christ:

“God is to be trusted, the God who called you to have fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord.” (I Cor. 1:9, Today’s English Version)

God gives people to Christ by calling them to have fellowship with His Son. How one is called by God to have fellowship with His Son is explained further by Apostle Paul, thus:

“It was for this that he called you when we preached the gospel to you, and he wanted you to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. …” (II Thess. 2:14, Phillips Modern English Bible)

God calls people to have fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ through the preaching of the gospel. But this does not mean that all preachers who use the Bible are God’s instruments in calling people. Only God’s messengers have the authority to preach the gospel that will result in man’s having fellowship with Christ. As Apostle Paul rhetorically asked, “how can they preached unless they are sent?” (Rom. 10:15, New International Version), pointing out further that those whom God has called to have fellowship with Christ through the authoritative preaching of His messenger are in the one body of Christ:

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” (Col. 3:15, NKJV)

The body being referred to here is the Church headed by our Lord Jesus Christ (Col. 1:18) and called the Church of Christ (Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation). Therefore, those given by God to our Lord Jesus Christ are those whom He called inside the Church of Christ. It is to the members of the Church of Christ therefore that eternal life is reserved, as prayed for by the Savior:

“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. ‘And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them’. … ’Father I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for you loved Me before the foundation of the world’.” (John 17:9-10, 24, NKJV)

Their knowledge about God
If ever those given by God to our Lord Jesus, that is, the members of the Church of Christ, recognize the Father alone and no one else as the only true God, this should not surprise anyone. Indeed, this belief in God is one of their marks as true Christians. Apostle Paul points this out emphatically to them, thus:

“Yet there is for us only one God, the Father, who is the Creator of all things and for whom we live; and there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created and through whom we live. But not everyone knows this truth. …” (I Cor. 8:6-7, TEV)

For the members of the true Church of Christ like Apostle Paul, there is only one God, the Father. For them, Christ, the Son, is not the true God, for they recognize no other God except the Father although such truth about the true God is not known to everyone. They learned this knowledge not only from Christ but from God Himself who taught:

“Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from the time, and have declared it? Ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no God; I know not any.” (Isa. 44:8, King James Version)

Thus, the members of the Church of Christ do not subscribe to the doctrine of a triune God – a God that is allegedly composed of three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who, according to the adherents of this Trinitarian doctrine, are all equal in being God. Such a teaching is unbiblical because it goes against the declaration of God, who says, “I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me” (Isa. 46:9,NIV).

The true God recognizes no other God beside Himself. Neither does He recognize any equal. Hence, one should not insist that aside from the Father, there are still others who are like Him and co-equal with Him in being God as in the doctrine of the Trinity which holds that besides God the Father, there are still God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Adherents to such a doctrine are recognizing a god other than the Father and therefore they do not have the true God as their God. At best, they are worshipping and serving a false god.

Recipients of God’s loveFor having known and recognized the Father as the only true God as taught by our Lord Jesus Christ, the members of the Church of Christ have received God’s love. In fact, this is Christ’s earnest desire in making known to them that the Father alone is the true God. Christ made this clear when He said:

“Righteous Father! The world does not know you, but I know you, and these know you that you sent me. I made you known to them, and I will continue to do so, in order that the love you have for me may be in them, and so that I also may be in them.” (John 17:25-26, TEV)

Indeed, God’s love and that of His Son will abide in those who have known the Father as introduced by our Lord Jesus Christ. And not only have they received God’s love but also the blessing of eternal life as was assured by the Savior Himself when He prayed to the Father, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3, NKJV).

On the other hand, a great misfortune awaits those who do not know who the true God is and, in the process, worship a god other than Him. Apostle Paul points this out in II Thessalonians 1:8-9:

“In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” (Ibid.)

The Father, who alone is the true God, will exact vengeance on Judgment Day on those who do not know and recognize Him as such. He will punish them in the lake of fire with everlasting destruction on the Second Advent of His Son whom He sent to the world in order to make known that the Father alone is the true God, and whom he will send again to judge those who have not come to that knowledge and understanding. Those whom God has given to our Lord Jesus Christ by calling them into the true Church of Christ have come to that knowledge and understanding and therefore they will not be judged on that great day; instead, they will be rewarded with eternal life.

"Why not publish your own Bible?"

Letter From Carlos Reyes 

YOUR PREACHERS USE different translations of the Bible in delivering a sermon. I was thinking that you do this to suit your own set of reasoning. But upon speaking to a member of your Church I was informed that it is necessary to use different translations of the Bible for there are Bible translations that contain mistranslated verses. If this is true, Why don't you publish your own Bible and put all the correct translation of the verses in it? And given the premise that there are translations that contain errors, how are we to know which one is right?

Editor's Reply:

Your suggestion that the Iglesia ni Cristo publish her own Bible with all the correct translation of mistranslated verses is both well-meaning and appealing. It would be truly convenient and handy to have just one Bible with all the verses that we cite or quote from different translations gathered in one compendium.

By publishing her own Bible, the Iglesia ni Cristo will in effect have a "sanitized" version of the Scriptures--tailor made for her teachings. This is the very thing that the Iglesia ni Cristo avoids, that is, to be accused of manipulating the Scriptures to suit her doctrines.

How, then, are we to know which particular translation of the Bible to use, for example in delivering a sermon? Apostle Paul states the guiding principle to the doctrines of the Bible, thus:

     "This is what we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words." (I Cor.2:13, New International version) 

Therefore, there must be no contradiction between the different version of the Bible because spiritual things are compared to spiritual truths. But one may ask, "Who is in a position to compare spiritual things to spiritual truths?" Are all preachers that we see and hear nowadays are qualified to compare spiritual things with spiritual truths, more so preach the gospel? Apostle Paul answers us, thus:

     "And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!" (Rom. 10:15, New King James Version)

A preacher of the Gospel therefore must be sent by God. Why must he be sent by God?Apostle John states, thus:

     "The one whom God has send speaks God's words, because God gives him the fullness of his Spirit. (John 3:34, Today's English Version) 

Moreover, the messenger sent by God is entrusted with the ministry and message of reconciliation (cf. II Cor. 5:18-20)

Therefore, even if there are translations of the Bible that contain mistranslated verses, the commissioned preachers of God can identify them because they have been given God's spirit for them to understand His will written in the Bible (cf. I Cor. 2:12). □

___________________

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

Why Lamsa for Acts 20:28

Letter From James Jeraldy M. Balingit:

I AM AN avid reader of Pasugo and  among  the articles  I admire is "Toward Responsible      parenting"' (September-October 1992 issue).

However, I have noticed that whenever you refer to Acts 20:28, you always cite George Lamsa's  version   which    used    the  expression "Church of Christ" instead of "Church of God"  which most Bible versions carry. The reason you give is that God is a spirit.  He doesn't have bones and flesh, and blood to be shed for and in behalf of the people who live in His Church to gain salvation.

These are the questions that arose in my mind. Please answer them:
     1. Who is this George Lamsa to change some words of the Bible? 
     2 What are his own views, concepts, and  reasons   for  changing them?
     3. The Bible takes a neutral stand-for all which were written therein are parables. Why does   your church interpret them literally?
     4. Why is it that your Church is bringing Christ's name into the Church's name if you do not believe that Christ is God?
     5. Which are God's priorities in saving us:  the Church where we belong, or the way we perform our role in this world of God's creation?

Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines

Editor's reply:

Mr. George M. Lamsa is a native Assyrian who was born and reared in that part of the ancient biblical land from which Abraham migrated to Palestine. His people, because they were isolated for many centuries, preserved the Aramaic language and the ancient biblical customs which have disappeared everywhere else. The language and the manners and the customs of his people are almost identical with that in which Jesus and his contemporaries were reared. His family, from the days of the patriarch to 1918, lived a simple pastoral life. Even today, they speak in idioms and parables, some of which would be difficult for a Westerner to understand.

Mr. Lamsa began his study of the Scriptures in Aramaic under the teachers of his tribe. Then he was educated in the Archbishop of Canterbury’s College in Persia and Turkey and after the First World War, in the Virginia Theological Seminary of Alexandria, Virginia. In addition to being translator, Mr. Lamsa is a world traveler and lecturer. His translations from the Aramaic and comments on the Scriptures have aroused tremendous interest both in Americaand in Europe. They have helped many to a better understanding of the greatest of all books.

Mr. George Lamsa’s scholarship led him to knowledge that the Hebrew word for “God” and “Lord” is one and the same. This is probably the reason why many Bible versions render Acts 20:28 in reference to the Church as either “Church of the Lord” or Church of God.” The Hebrew word for Lord may refer to the Lord God or to the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who believe that Christ is God are prone to be led by their mind – set to ignore scholarship and to put their belief in their research and thus the translation of Acts 20:28 has been either “Church of God” or “Church of the Lord.”

Mr. Lamsa’s research revealed to him that the Hebrew word for “Lord” in Acts 20:28refers not to God who cannot shed blood for He, being spirit, has no blood. Rather, the word refers to Christ who actually was crucified for the Church.

Acts 20:28 is not a parable. Christ literally shed His blood for the Church when He was crucified (cf. Jn. 19:17-30, 34). He gave His life for the Church because He loved her (cf. Eph. 5:25). And to save her it was necessary for Him to shed His blood (cf. Heb. 9:22, Revised Standard Version).

Note: You may read from verse 17. 
²⁸ Later, Jesus knew that everything had been done. To make the Scriptures come true he said, “I am thirsty.”^[a] 29 There was a jar full of sour wine there, so the soldiers soaked a sponge in it. They put the sponge on a branch of a hyssop plant and lifted it to Jesus’ mouth. ³⁰ When he tasted the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and died.
³⁴ But one of the soldiers stuck his spear into Jesus’ side. Immediately blood and water came out. ^{(Jn. 19:17-30, 34, ERV)}

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives the same as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it.  (Eph. 5:25, ERV)

²² Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. (Heb. 9:22, Revised Standard Version)

The Iglesia ni Cristo carries Christ’s name. This connotes possession. Christ owns the Church which is why the apostles used to call it the Church of Christ or, in Filipino, Iglesia ni Cristo (cf. Rom. 16:16; Acts 20:28, Lamsa). It was Christ who founded the Church which He called “my church” (cf. Mt. 16:18).

¹⁶ Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you.

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)

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. NKJV

For a person to be saved, he should be a member of the true Church of Christ because it is to the Church where God brings those to be saved (cf. Acts 2:47).

⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church^[h] daily those who were being saved. NKJV

This Church has been purchased by Christ with His blood and therefore redeemed and given the right to deify God (cf. Heb. 9:14).

¹⁴ how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

All those outside the Church – whether they lived good lives in the eyes of men or not – will be subject to God’s judgment (cf. I Cor. 5:13, RSV).

¹³ God judges those outside. “Drive out the wicked person from among you.”

But, once inside the Church, one must obey all of God’s commandments because it is in this Church where man must be made worthy of salvation (cf. Eph. 4:11-16).

¹¹ And that same Christ gave these gifts to people: He made some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to go and tell the Good News, and some to care for and teach God’s people.^[a] 12 Christ gave these gifts to prepare God’s holy people for the work of serving, to make the body of Christ stronger. 
¹³ This work must continue until we are all joined together in what we believe and in what we know about the Son of God. Our goal is to become like a full-grown man—to look just like Christ and have all his perfection. 
¹⁴ Then we will no longer be like babies. We will not be people who are always changing like a ship that the waves carry one way and then another. We will not be influenced by every new teaching we hear from people who are trying to deceive us—those who make clever plans and use every kind of trick to fool others into following the wrong way. 
¹⁵ No, we will speak the truth with love. We will grow to be like Christ in every way. He is the head, ¹⁶ and the whole body depends on him. All the parts of the body are joined and held together, with each part doing its own work. This causes the whole body to grow and to be stronger in love. (Eph. 4:11-16, ERV).

___________________

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 

To gain eternal life

PROPONENTS OF THE CHRIST-is-God doctrine strongly asserts that the biblical verses stating that Christ is man and has human characteristics do not disprove the alleged deity of Christ. Any verse that states that Christ is a man, they explain refers to Christ’s nature when He supposedly took on the form of a human being. Allegedly, these verses cannot be used to disprove that He is God. Citing John 1:1 and 14 which mention “the Word was God” and that “the Word was made flesh,” they conclude that it was God Himself who took on human form. Is this scriptural?

If we carefully examine John 1:1, we would understand that the “Word” is not the Almighty God who is the creator of all things because it had a beginning unlike the true God who is “from everlasting to everlasting” or is without beginning or end (Ps. 90:2).

The portion that states, “And the Word was with God” also denies that the “Word” is God Almighty because the only true God cannot be with another true God. There is only one God and there can never be another. The true God alone is Almighty as He had revealed Himself to Abraham (Gen. 17:1). To recognize another God is tantamount to saying that there are two Almighty Gods, which is obviously wrong because no being can be mightier than He who is Almighty or even be equal to Him.

It is written that, “In the beginning was the Word.” The “Word” mentioned here is the promise of God about the coming of Christ (Rom. 1:2-3, King James Version). The coming of Christ into existence was promised by God through His prophets (Dt. 18:18; Is. 7:14). Hence, the Word was “In the beginning.”

Regarding the portion that says, “the Word was with God,” the Bible states:

“God foreknew this even before the foundation of the world, but it is now, in these last days, that for your sakes He has been revealed.” (I Pt. 1:20,Norlie’s Simplified New Testament)

The idea or plan concerning Christ was already conceived by God even before the creation of the world. The Word conceived or thought of by God is not an independent being nor did it have a separate existence from God. The plan was only in the mind of God.

The Official Catholic Edition of the Bible in its footnote on John 1:1 says:

“… St. John employs the term Word. It is so used only by St. John … and designates the Son as a kind of intellectual emanation from the Father.” (The New Testament of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, emphasis ours)

The Word is defined here as a kind of intellectual emanation or thought from the Father. Indeed, the knowledge about Christ was already there even before the foundation of the world. This explains why “the Word was with God.”

It is written in the verse that the “Word was God” because the words of God possess the power of God (Lk. 1:37, 31 American Standard Version). In the statement, “the Word was God,” “God” was used not as a noun but as an adjective to describe the quality of the Word. So, James Moffatt, in his translation of John 1:1, rendered ‘the Word was God” as “the word was divine.”

The part of the verse that says, “the Word was made flesh” refers to the fact that the Word or promise of God about Christ’s coming into existence was fulfilled: “when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law” (Gal. 4:4, Revised Standard Version). The plan of God materialized or “the Word was made flesh” when Mary gave birth to Jesus who Himself is human in state of being.

When the Word was made flesh, the Almighty God did not incarnate or become man in the person of Jesus, as others claim. Christ Himself confirmed that He is not God when He prayed to the Father:

“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.

“An this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (Jn. 17:1, 3, New King James Version)

Christ, while looking up to heaven, said to the Father, “that they may know You, the only true God.” If God Himself were made flesh or if He became Christ, whom then must Christ be addressing in His prayer? Otherwise, He should have said, “that they may know me, the only true God.” He didn’t. The only true God whom all men should know to attain eternal life said that there is no God besides Him (Dt. 32:39).

To claim that God became Christ or changed His nature is to claim that He contradicted His own pronouncement: “I am the Lord, I do not change” (Mal. 3:6, NKJV). God is always God and not man (Hos. 11:9). He even declared that man is not God (Ezek. 28:2). There is only one God Almighty whose nature or state of being is unchangeable. He is Spirit (Jn. 4:24). He does not and will never recognize another.

Christ, on the other hand, says, “I am ascending to My Father, and your Father, and to My God and your God” (Jn. 20:17, NKJV). Christ did not say, “I am ascending as your Father and as your God.” Had it been the case, then who would be the God referred to by Christ when He said, “I am ascending to … My God and your God”?

To gain eternal life, based on Christ’s teaching, we must believe that the Father alone is the true God and Jesus Christ is the One sent by the Almighty Father.

Whoever shall worship Jehovah, call on the name of Jehovah, and be called by the name Jehovah, as in Jehovah's. Witnesses, will be saved?

"On the name of the Almighty God"

Margarita Villanueva Wrote;

AS I UNDERSTAND, the Bible does not have conflicting teachings. Accepting that Jehovah is the real name of God, please clarify the following:

1)   Whoever shall   worship Jehovah, call on the name of Jehovah, and be called by the name Jehovah, as in Jehovah's Witnesses, will be saved .

2) Whoever shall believe in one God, the Father, and in Jesus Christ, the Mediator and Savior, as the Iglesia ni Cristo does, will be saved. :

Editor's reply:

The Holy Scriptures introduce various names of the one true God. God addressed Himself to Moses as "I AM WHO I AM" (cf, Ex. 3:14). He also called Himself the "Lord   (cf. Is. 42:5,8), and likewise used the name "Jealous"  (cf. Ex. 34:14)  He was also named "God of host"(cf. Amos 5:27; 4:13) and "Holy"  (cf. Is. 57:15).

The Jehovah's Witnesses,. as a religious group, strictly uses the name "Jehovah" in reference to God. However, Bible scholars have traced an error with regard to the use of this name in reference to God:

''What are the facts? And   first as to age. 'The pronunciation Jehovah was UNKNOWN UNTIL 1520, when it was introduced by Galatinus; but was contested by Le Mercier, J, Drusius, and L.  Capellus, as against grammatical and historical propriety.' Next, as to formation. 'ERRONEOUSLY  WRITTEN AND  PRONOUNCED  Jehovah, which is merely a combination of the sacred Tetragrammaton and the vowels in the Hebrew word for Lord, substituted by the Jews for JHVH, because they shrank from pronouncing The Name'." (Rotherham Emphasized Bible, pp. 24-25) [emphasis ours]

It is clear then that the name " Jehovah" came to exist only in 1520 or in the 16th century AD, and its use is even erroneous. Scholars who scrutinized the name "Jehovah" expounded on the cause of this error:

"JEHOVAH, je-ho'va: An ERRONEOUS FORM of the divine name of the covenant God of Israel which appears first about 1520 A.D. The error arose from, the fact that the utterance of the divine name in original quadrilateral form (the tetragrammaton) YHWH, became unlawful in Jewish usage as EARLY AS THE THIRD CHRISTIAN CENTURY and probably much earlier, at least outside the sacred precincts..." (The New Schaff-Herzog" Encyclopedia of Religions Knowledge, Vol. Vl) [emphasis ours]

Further explanation on the occurrence of the erroneous form of God's name the Bible is stated in The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Vol. II:

"The form Jehovah arose out of a misunderstanding which in turn arose out of the reluctance of pious }ews to pronounce the divine name (c. 300 B.C.). Instead they uttered the word adonay, my Lord. In the MT [Masoretic Text] the divine name was written with the consonants of YHWH and vowels of adonay as a reminder to say the latter whenever the word was read. The divine name appears as yehowah in the MT. The LXX [Septuagint] reflects the Jewish reluctance to pronounce the divine name and puts the word kyrios, Lord, in its place. The RSV and other Eng. versions also reflect  the practice by giving the  Lord in capital letters whenever the name YHWH stands in the text. The Lat. likewise gave the word Dominus, Lord, for YHWH. The form Jehovah is thus a malformation giving what is virtually a transliteration of the word which is found in the text of the Heb. OT, but which was never actually used as a word." (pp.- 69-70)

Another cause of this error is explained by researchers:

"The hybrid word 'Jehovah' is a combination of the vowels of "Adonai" with the consonants of the tetragrammaton; its appearance in the KJV was the result of of the translators' ignorance of the Hebrew language and customs."  (Harper Bible Dictionary, p.1036)

Hence, "Jehovah," as the supposed name, of God and which some believe as His only true name, is an erroneous form of the divine name of the Creator. To insist on using this term in reference to God is to propagate an error.

How then must God be addressed by those who worship Him? The Lord Jesus Christ teaches, thus:

" In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name" (Mt. 6:9, New King James Version)

"So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and  said: 'Lord, Yon are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them .  (Acts 4:24, Ibid)

Worshipping the only true God, the Father, is by hallowing or honoring His name, as taught by Christ:

""This is how you should' pray: 'Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name'." (Mt. 6:9, New International Version)

One's failure to call God by His own name is itself a failure of recognition, i.e., invoking the wrong name of the "Father in heaven proves that one has not really recognized Him.

It is true that those who recognize the Father as the only true God and Jesus Christ as the One whom God' has sent, are assured of eternal life:

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

" Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (Jn. 17: 1 & 3, Ibid.)