Iglesia Ni Cristo Founded
27 July 1914. Felix Ysagun Manalo officially establishes the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ) about nine months after he supposedly received divine revelation to found “the true church.” Earlier, he forsook his Catholic roots and successively became an active member among the Methodists, Disciples of Christ, and, finally, the Seventh-Day Adventists. Among the cardinal doctrines of this sect are (1) Felix Manalo is “God’s Last Messenger” for the last days, he being the fifth angel from the “east” (i.e. the Philippines, according to the Iglesia) in Revelation 7.2 and he being the fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 41.9; (2) the Iglesia is the only true church; and (3) Jesus is not God. The Iglesia has been known across the archipelago for its monolithic structure, ubiquitous church buildings, aggressive proselyting, discipline in formal assemblies, civic outreaches, and political clout.
Suggested Readings/References:
♦ Official INC Publications: Adriel O. Meimban, “God’s Last Messenger,” Pasugo September-October 1988, 10-14; Bienvenido C. Santiago, “What We Believe and Why,” Pasugo: God’s Message, September-October 1988, 3; Feljun B. Fuentes, “Remembering God’s Messenger in These Last Days,” Pasugo: God’s Message, May 1994, 4; Antonio E. Bocobo, Jr., “Brother Felix Y. Manalo: A Brief Biography,” Pasugo: God’s Message, May 1994, 5-8, 10, 16; Nicanor P. Teosen, “‘Come to Me,…’: An Invitation to Salvation,” Pasugo: God’s Message, September 2007, 8-11.
♦ Critiques/Doctrinal Reviews: Platt, Donald. Counterfeit. Manila: OMF Literature Inc., 1981; Ruivivar, Tino C. The Absurd Claims and Biggest Mistakes of the Iglesia Ni Cristo. Quezon City: Evangelical Life Publishers, Inc., 2005.
Related Articles: “The Language of Exclusivism,” “ABS-CBN vs GMA; ADD vs ATD,” “The Iglesia’s Exclusivist Discourse“
Don’t forget to watch the Live Video COnference 2morrow, July 28, 8:30 am @ Net 25, GEM Tv, and Iglesia Ni Cristo Channel.
Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord God, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
In this one text Jesus subscribes to himself the same titles used of God in the Old Testament. If Jesus is not God, he lied when he claimed to John to be the Lord God. Jesus claims he is the LORD GOD, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the ALMIGHTY! For the Iglesia Ni Cristo group to claim Jesus was only a man is to call Jesus a liar. Who do we believe, the Iglesia Ni Cristo and the central administration or Jesus?
BIG PROBLEM! What about his last baptism and the authority to baptise new converts into his new religion? DID FELIX USE A BAPTISM FROM ONE OF THE PRIOR DEVIL RELIGIONS AS HIS AUTHORITY TO BAPTIZE INTO HIS NEW RELIGION?
Bible translation of George Lamsa. They love his translation of “Church of God” into “Church of Christ” in Acts 20:28.
Authorised Version
English Standard Version
Good News Bible
Holman Christian Standard Bible
J B Phillips New Testament
King James Version
The Living Bible
The Message
New American Bible
New American Standard Bible
New International Version
(New) Jerusalem Bible
New King James Bible
New Living Translation
(New) Revised Standard Version
Today’s English Version
Today’s New International Version
These bible translations have Acts 20:28 as “8Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”
LAMSA vs. 17 BIBLE Translations with the same point on Church of God being purchased by his OWN BLOOD
INC explains the four angels on the four corners of the earth in Revelation 7:
“Ang apat na anghel na pumipigil sa hangin ay mga pinuno ng bansa, na ito’y mga sugo rin o anghel ayon sa I Ped. 2:13-14. Ang hanging pinipigil ay digmaan, gaya ng sinasabi sa Jer. 4:11-13, 19. Ito nga ang digmaang sumiklab noong 1914. Ang apat na pinuno ng bansa na kumakatawan sa pagpigil sa digmaang sumiklab noong 1914 ay sina Lloyd George ng Gran Bretanya, sina Clemenceau ng Pransiya, si Orlando ng Italya at Wilson ng Amerika. Sila ay lalong kilala sa tawag na The Big Four” (World History, p. 494).”
Translation: “The four angels holding the winds were leaders of nations, who were also messengers, or angels, as written in I Pet. 2:13-14. The wind that they were controlling refers to war as mentioned in Jer. 4:11-13, 19. This was the war that broke out on 1914. The four leaders of nations who worked on the prevention of the war, which broke out in 1914, were Lloyd George of Great Britain, Clemenceau of France, Orlando of Italy, and Wilson of America. They were better known as the Big Four” (World History, p. 494)–(Pasugo, July 1964, p. 33).
Now get this: it would be Felix Manalo to instruct George, Clemenceau, Orlando, and Wilson, NOT TO HURT THE EARTH UNTIL THEY (Manalo and these four), HAD SEALED THE 144,000 IN THEIR FOREHEADS. Did Felix Manalo DO THIS? No! Did he even write letters to these four men-angels? No! Did he call them on the hot-line? No! Did he send them a telegram? No! Did he send a smoke signal message? No! Did Manalo and these four men seal 144,000 in their foreheads with the seal of God? No! Did Manalo and these four men even try to seek out the 144,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel? No! Manalo came to America we are told in 1919 and did not even send a post card to President Wilson. Lies, Lies, Lies, and these people really believe they are the true Church of Christ?
Who were the Big Four?
The Big Four were the Allied leaders who met at the Paris Peace Conference in January 1919, after World War I (1914–18). They were President Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) of the United States, Prime Minister David Lloyd George (1863–1945) of Britain, Premier Georges Clemenceau (1841–1929) of France, and Premier Vittorio Orlando (1860–1952) of Italy. The Allies included twenty more nations and representatives from all the countries attended the conference. The decisions, however, were made by these four heads of state. Other representatives formed committees to work out the details of treaties signed by each of the Central Powers (Austria-Hungary, Germany, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire): the Treaty of Versailles was signed with Germany; the Treaty of St. Germain, with Austria; the Treaty of Neuilly, with Bulgaria; the Treaty of Trianon, with Hungary; and the Treaty of Sevres, with the Ottoman…
Did Felix Manalo go to Paris Peace Conference
Disputed Verses website http://www.geocities.com/truthfinder_inc/
OT
Genesis 1:26″Elohim”
Isaiah 7:14″Immanuel”
Isaiah 9:6
Isaiah 42:13
Isaiah 46:11
Micah 5:2
NT
Matthew 1:23
Matthew 4:7
Matthew 28:19
John 1:1″and the Word was God”
John 5:18
John 8:58″I Am”
John 10:18
John 10:30″I and my Father are one”
John 14:8
John 17:5Glory of Christ
John 20:28″My Lord and My God”
Philippians 2:5-6″In the form of God”
Romans 9:5
Colossians 2:9
Hebrews 1:8″Your throne O God”
1 Timothy 3:16″God is manifest in the flesh”
Titus 2:13″The Great God and savior”
1 John 5:7″and there are three that bears record in heaven”
1 John 5:20″This is the true God and eternal Life”
Revelation 1:8″ I am the Alpha and the Omega”
Why have they disputed Bible verses which are contrary to their their belief?
Obey what is written and commandment. Who are they to dispute the scriptures they didn’t even write a single verse? We cannot command the scriptures to only pick what is applied to one’s faith but believing all that is written and be your faith by prayer even though its hard and painful BECAUSE IT IS WRITTEN. No one can change what is written
the last part cought my attention that says… Obey what is written and commandment. Who are they to dispute the scriptures they didn’t even write a single verse? We cannot command the scriptures to only pick what is applied to one’s faith but believing all that is written and be your faith by prayer even though its hard and painful BECAUSE IT IS WRITTEN. No one can change what is written
—————————————
question
are you sure that the reference you have is correct ? have you asked yourself the question
Why are there so many copies of the bible yet some words have already been change? does that follow the command where you cannot change what its written, are you a hundred percent sure that the translation you have is correct ?
just read God’s Message (pasugo) and watch On Net 25!!!
I read the Pasugo from time to time, Jenny, and I do find myself watching some INC TV programs. Your church has got great talents and there are lots of good community relations that you do, I can see. But I still find the rehashing of the same old topics on “We are the only true church,” “Jesus is not God,” “Felix Manalo is the Last Messenger for the Last Days,” etc. tiring, shallow, and pathetic. I have just gotten out of a sectarian church system (the Church of Christ, a part of the so-called “American Restoration Movement” which had three ecclesiastical offshoots one of which was Disciples of Christ with which your founder Felix Manalo was once connected). Sorry, but I still think Mr. Tino Ruivivar’s broadside against the INC (The Absurd Claims and the Greatest Mistakes of the Iglesia Ni Cristo) ungetoverable by you guys.
I am firmly convinced that salvation is not dependent on one’s membership to a particular sect. The CHURCH OF CHRIST is far larger than what the Philippine-born Iglesia Ni Cristo or the sectarian American-born Church of Christ or any other exclusivistic church group would have us believe…
May we all continue to seek a broader — and more intellectually, spiritually and morally fulfilling — perspective in life.
“You cannot speak of ocean to a well-frog — the creature of a narrow sphere; you cannot speak of ocean to a summer insect — the creature of a season.” Zhuang Zhu
if salvation is not dependent on one’s membership in a sect – then you are saying that some bible teachings should not be regarded.
i am not a preacher or a minister, but ..
in the bible GOD chosen the Israelites to be his people, so, those who are not born Israelites are not His people.
another.. Noah..God told Noah to call people and tell them about the great storm and asked them to ENTER the boat he was asked to make. People didn’t want to ENTER the boat..and so, only Noah’s family was saved, and some few creatures..
if you have any questions, feel free to ask..
you missed my point, ‘igan. There is no argument about the Israelites and the survivors of the Noahic Deluge. The issue is whether the Iglesia Ni Cristo and all other exclusivistic groups in Christianity are right in claiming that their respective groups alone comprise the One, True Church. My point is that this arrogant claim is false, for the true Church transcends sectarian and denominational boundaries. The Church is composed of all the saved, and the saved are not made so by virtue of their affiliation with a particular sect in Christianity, but by virtue of their relationship with Jesus Christ who has made all his people one in His body, the (universal, invisible) Church. What you have to prove is whether your sect can indeed claim to be THE ONLY people of God (or, if you please, whether your sect solely comprises the True Israel and is the Genuine Lifeboat which all people should be in to be saved from damnation.
I see. So the argument here is that an individual can be saved just by believing that Jesus Christ is his Savior and just all about the relationship built with HIM? And that the affiliation of a person with some church is not that of significance?
Our church had already discussed that argument, and it was written in the BIBLE that there is only ONE TRUE CHURCH that a person has to enter to achieve salvation. Jesus Christ had sacrificed his blood and died in the cross for ALL of us to be GIVEN A CHANCE to achieve salvation. And only if we entered the church that he built. (i’m sorry, i forgot the verses of these statements, but if you ask i could someone to give it to you)
The BIBLE is written in mystery. The words are not what they seem to mean when we read it, it has deeper and complex meanings, which only the God’s chosen people can truly understand.
AWn lAnG……..
Hi kapatid, thanks for helping keep this conversation going.
The argument is that when an individual enters into a genuine relationship with Jesus, he is added to this worldwide fellowship of Christians (the One, True Church) composed of all the saved. This community has existed and survived for over two millennia and has been represented by various types of believers from all over the inhabited earth. No local Christian group can encompass this universal church. Membership with a particular denomination or sect (like the American-born Church of Christ or the homegrown Iglesia Ni Kristo) is not salvific; it is significant not because this kind of affiliation saves, but because it is in this local group of the pious where one hopefully finds holistic nurturance and from which one draws strength or inspiration to serve the larger community to which the group belongs.
You wrote:
It is significant that you would preface this paragraph with a reference to your church authorities. You assume that whatever your church leaders declare to be doctrinally sound must be gospel truth. Of course, you must think this way because you have bought the idea that only your sect can claim to be the “people of God.” So when you read about “the church” in the New Testament (Matthew 16.18, Romans 16.16, Acts 20.28, etc.) you immediately think it must refer to the Iglesia Ni Kristo founded by Felix Ysagun Manalo in 1914. This line of thinking is common among sectarian groups in Christianity like the Jehovah’s Witnesses (Charles Taze Russell), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Joseph Smith), the Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ, 4th Watch (Arsenio Ferriol), or The Kingdom of Jesus Christ Name Above Every Name (Apollo Quibolloy). What these people are really saying is that among all the Bible exegetes who have graced this earth from at least the 4th century to the present, only they have correctly understood the Bible. Sectarians take great pride in this claim; ex-sectarians like me call it hubris (or delusion of grandeur, if you will).
I find it disturbing that you would forget the basic Bible verses that would presumably back up your claim that we must enter your group to be saved. To me, this is symptomatic of Bible believers who have let their church leaders to do most, if not all, the thinking for them in matters of Biblical interpretation. Don’t you find it ironic that the Iglesia which started out attacking mainly the Catholic Church largely for its ecclesiocentric claim (i.e. that it is the “One, True Church” – well, at least prior to Vatican II) and its doctrine of “Papal Infallibility” (i.e. when the Pope speaks ex-cathedra he speaks the very words of God), has now arrogated unto itself the same cloak of infallibility in claiming that all its founder’s teachings are divinely wrought and are therefore to be accepted without question?
You also wrote:
I’m sorry but this a sectarian lie which is akin to the claim of many Catholic leaders in the past that the Bible was could not be understood by the common people who must rely solely on the Magisterium for a knowledge of the truth. While it is true that there are a lot of things in the Bible that we don’t fully understand, there are also many other things we all can commonly comprehend and agree on if we take some time studying it using the interpretive tools available around us. [You might want to consider reading the hermeneutical guide written by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002).]
Kapatid, there are lots of good things about the Iglesia (just as there are in other groups in Christendom). But just like other human organizations, it is not free from error. To test this assertion, you might want to start comparing historical facts with its interpretation of Revelation 6.12-17 as a prophecy on World War I; that the four angels of Revelation 7.1 were actually the “Big Four” of WW I (David Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau, Vittorio Orlando, and Woodrow Wilson; and that the 5th angel of Revelation 7.2 was actually Felix Ysagun Manalo.
I think you will find this thread and these books worth your while: Ruivivar, Tino C. The Absurd Claims and Biggest Mistakes of the Iglesia Ni Cristo. Quezon City: Evangelical Life Publications, Inc., 2005;
Platt, Donald L. Counterfeit? Quezon City: OMF Literature, Inc., 1981 (2001 reprint); Booth, Leo. When God Becomes a Drug: Breaking the Chains of Religious Addiction and Abuse. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, 1991.
Well, yes, THE BIG FOUR..you are right on that, we just actually discussed that yesterday. The “4 angels were actually referring to the “BIG FOUR”…
GOD Also gave the earth an hour of peace which equals 41 years and 8 mos. on earth, before the 2nd world war came. And it is on the bible that in the 2nd world war, “the IBONG MANDARAGIT” will come which we believe refers to
Bro. Felix Manalo(the 5th angel). And there GOD’s true church will be build again.
There is only ONE TRUE CHURCH because there is only ONE true GOD. GOD gave regulations and rules on how HE wanted us to worship HIM. So even if an individual worships for HIM and all what he does is for HIM(GOD), if he is not doing it right , or the way how GOD wanted to be worshiped , his sacrifices will be disregarded. So we can’t say that whatever church you are in, if you think it is for HIM anyway, it is still not regarded.
ARE WE GOING TO WORSHIP HIM THE WAY WE WANTED TO?
OR IN THE WAY GOD WANTED TO BE WORSHIPED?
*which religion are you in?
Not too fast, kapatid. This “question barrage” begs the question, a tactic which works only when your correspondent is easily swayed by emotional appeals. Before you assert that your group is the “only ONE TRUE CHURCH” and that your group’s understanding of the “only ONE true GOD” is valid or sound, you have to first prove the validity of your church’s foundational doctrine (i.e. that Felix Manalo is the IBONG MANDARAGIT of Isaiah 46.11 and the 5th ANGEL – God’s Last Messenger — of Revelation 7.2).
I suggested in my previous comment that you try to check out historical data and compare it with your church’s interpretation of the disputed passages. I was let down that in response to it, you simply went back to a “our-authorities-say-so” argument:
Well, how did it happen that “The ‘4 angels were actually referring to the ‘BIG FOUR’…”? The rest of the world wouldn’t know how for the “Big Four” had never heard even a whisper from a 5th biggie. Please note that as Tino Ruivivar, Fortunato Gonzal and other INC critics have well noted, when Manalo supposedly “called out in a loud voice to the four angels” in 1914, there were actually only THREE “angels,” for the U.S.A. officially joined WWI three years later when Wilson signed his country’s declaration of war against Germany on 06 April 1917. [See Alan Axelrod, 1001 Events That Made America (Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2006), 160]
You have to do better than that to convince people of the validity of your claim, kapatid. How do those 41 years and 8 mos. of peacetime relate to your whole argument? Was it a biblical prophecy? Where in the Bible is it? How can it be proven that that prophecy has something to do with your church? And be careful, you might be misrepresenting your church. Per your church authorities, the ravenous bird did not come during WWII, but during WWI.
Cheers!
Hello:D
I would like to apologize for late reply.
I just wanted to say that first of all, I would try to answer the questions that you raised -one by one. . .
And I do respect your opinions and I do appreciate your answers with references (you are right. I have to show evidences or references).
As you called “question barrage” – i didn’t mean to use it as a tactic for a correspondent who is easily swayed by emotions. WELL, AT LEAST NOW I KNOW THAT IT WAS A TACTIC TO SWAY MY EMOTIONAL OPPONENTS.
(maybe i could use that sometime)
“the ravenous bird did not come during WWII, but during WWI.”
YES, I WOULD LIKE TO RECTIFY THAT, I was too eager to reply tht I hadn’t look or review my references.
Let us start with the Ravenous Bird in the Far East.
I will post verses in Filipino because all I got here is a Filipino translated Bible and our PASUGO magazine.
ISAIAS 46:11-13
-Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it. “Listen to Me, you stubborn-hearted, Who are far from righteousness: I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off; My salvation shall not linger. And I will place salvation in Zion, For Israel My glory.”
We, INC Members believe that this “BIRD OF PREY” is Brother Felix Ysagun Manalo.
Far East – (we believe) refers to a country in the Far East which is the Philippines.
“The man who executes My counsel” – This we believe is the biblical prophecy where and when will GOD send his MESSENGER in these last days.”
APOCALIPSIS 7:2-3
-”At nakita ko ang ibang anghel na umaakyat mula sa sikatan ng araw, na taglay ang tatak ng Dios na buhay at siya’y sumigaw ng tinig na malakas sa apat na anghel na pinagkaloobang maipahamak ang lupa, kahit ang dagat, kahit ang mga punong kahoy, hanggang sa aming matatakan sa kanilang mga noo ang mga alipin ng ating Dios.”
The Big Four were the countries that were there to discuss the Treaty of Versiles the countries were the
1. United States,
2. United Kingdom,
3. France and
4. Italy.
The countries were represented by Woodrow Wilson(United States), David Lloyd George (United Kingdom), Georges Clemenceau (France), and Vittorio Orlando (Italy).
The four angels referred to THE BIG FOUR.
And there is also the 5th angel – “called out in a loud voice to the four angels” – in which we believe is Brother Felix Ysagun Manalo.
July 27, 1914 – is the date when Bro. Felix Ysagun Manalo registered the Iglesia Ni Cristo in the Philippines and also the date (which we believe) that the WWI was officially declared.
later, i will answer and rectify the HOUR OF PEACE. I sincerely apologize for my non-evidence answers. And Thank You.
Good Day!
Hi ading KC,
It’s good to hear from you again! Re: “question barrage,” I’m sure you didn’t mean to try to trick me into being swayed emotionally so if I came close to accusing you of consciously using this type of propaganda, I would like to apologize.
It is good to be aware though of our need to be conscious of the religious environment we belong to and within which we are conditioned to automatically employ certain rhetorical techniques or tactics in exchanging ideas with others.
In regard to the Sugo doctrine, I would like to refer you to my other article, “The Iglesia’s Exclusivist Discourse,” since what you posted here is simply a claim or assertion and not really a set of evidence. Simply citing verses and claiming these to confirm a truth-claim does not constitute real proof — one needs to explain how a particular interpretation fits into the immediate and remote contexts of these scriptural texts.
I look forward to hearing more from you. Good day to you too, thanks for taking time to write!
let me just ask isn’t the job of the 5th angel is to stop the first 4 angels? so do you mean Mr. Felix Manalo had stopped those BIG FOUR on their works?
the sugo doctrine is pure bull____.
The Sugo lies profited the Manalos. That’s more certain than what they’re teaching.
any evidence?
“People damn what they don’t (and don’t want) to understand.”