The Original Church of Jesus has disappeared?
Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormon Church made a surprise finding in 1830. ‘The Church Jesus founded in Jerusalem is dead or totally disappeared in the 1st century itself! It is apostatized!’ So, he formed a new church in America and called it “Church of Jesus Christ” or “Mormon Church,” and claimed that, in the last days the original church will re-emerge through him. Those who want to be saved must become a member of the re-emerged church and believe in two Holy Books: The Bible and Book Of Mormons! (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1966)
Felix Y. Manalo copied this mental gimmick of Joseph Smith; when he proclaimed the original Church of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem was disappeared in the 1st century because of apostasy and persecution. But it is re-emerged through him in the Philippines on July 27, 1914. That is the true church! Those who want to be saved must believe in the Bible and the Fundamental Teachings of ‘Iglesia Ni Cristo’ or ‘Church of Christ.’ (‘Pandoktrina’ Serie 1976-77) What is the truth? Who says the lie? Let us analyze their claims in the light of the Holy Bible.
Promise of Jesus Contradicts Total Apostasy:
As history proves, from the beginning until now, many false prophets have appeared with contrary views to divide the only one Church Jesus established forever. But the Church was always victorious over them, as it was Jesus who is guiding His Church through the Holy Spirit. Many denied what Jesus taught! Some preached Jesus is only a man. For others, he is only God. Some disbelieved the Holy Spirit, while others questioned the validity of sacraments. Foreseeing this danger, Jesus even warned His apostles about the work of Satan against the Church He founded: “Many will come in my name to lead you astray” (Mat. 24:5). But Jesus always assured the apostles His eternal presence with the Church. “When two or three are gathered in my name I will be in your midst,” was His word. He is not one who knows to establish His Church, but does not know how to safeguard it. The Church, he purchased by His blood, was not just for a few days, but for eternity!
Iglesia Ni Cristo tries to make the people believe in a false doctrine of apostasy by quoting the above passage from the Bible, which really meant against them; by Jesus; “For many will come in My name, saying ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray” (Mat. 24:5). This may be tactfully interpreted as ‘all’ to prove the Church, Jesus himself instituted, failed to survive in history. “Many” will fall away never meant all will fall away. ‘Many Filipinos are working in Japan,’ does not mean all Filipinos are working in Japan. The word ‘many’ never defend their claim of total apostasy.
Nobody can deny the biblical fact that Jesus instituted His Church upon the apostles in 33 A.D. Jesus didn’t create thousands of churches as we see now, but only one Church, which He called ‘My Church’ upon Simon whom He renamed “Peter, the Rock.” Mat. 16:18-19 says, “You are Peter and on this rock, I will build my Church. The gates of hell will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven….”
When Jesus instituted the Church, he also assured its protection. “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Those who carry total apostasy theory for their very survival, and to justify their illegal fake churches, are making Jesus a liar who made a promise and failed to keep it. More than that, Jesus gave His assurance to the apostles; He will be with His Church “even until the end of the world” (Mat. 28:20) not for a few days.
Total Apostasy teaches Satan is more powerful than Jesus!
According to them, when the Christians were persecuted in Rome, Jerusalem and all over the world, the Church ceased to exist; Jesus abandoned His Church. So, the enemies of the Church became victorious. Can a Christian believe in this foolishness? Can Jesus, the good shepherd, abandon His Church when its members were sacrificing their lives for Him? Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. The hired man who is not a shepherd and to whom the sheep does not belong as his own beholds the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and flees – and the wolf snatches them and scatters them, because he is a hired man and does not care for the sheep!” (Jn. 10:11-13). Jesus is the good shepherd, not hired one. This total apostasy in the 1st century is a myth and a lie. If anyone accepts this lie, he proclaims Satan is more powerful than Jesus himself – ‘false prophets’ are stronger than “Christ.”
Church as Body of Jesus can never be totally apostatized:
Jesus considered the Church as His own body. When Saul persecuted His Church, Jesus asked him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:4-5).
Those who are compelled to carry the doctrine of total apostasy have to believe Saul was able to persecute and even kill Jesus, His body, the Church!
The Old Testament Prophecies against Total Apostasy:
Isaiah 9:5-6 says, “For us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.” See? He will uphold His kingdom ‘forevermore,’ ‘without end.’
In the Book of Daniel, we read a very clear statement against total apostasy. Daniel 7:14 says, “His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed.” Once more, Daniel 2:44 speak about this unrealistic myth of total apostasy.
Daniel 2:44 says, “And in the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring to an end, and it shall stand forever.”
The Fiction of Total Apostasy questions the Validity of the Bible:
Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormon Church made a surprise finding in 1830. ‘The Church Jesus founded in Jerusalem is dead or totally disappeared in the 1st century itself! It is apostatized!’ So, he formed a new church in America and called it “Church of Jesus Christ” or “Mormon Church,” and claimed that, in the last days the original church will re-emerge through him. Those who want to be saved must become a member of the re-emerged church and believe in two Holy Books: The Bible and Book Of Mormons! (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1966)
Felix Y. Manalo copied this mental gimmick of Joseph Smith; when he proclaimed the original Church of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem was disappeared in the 1st century because of apostasy and persecution. But it is re-emerged through him in the Philippines on July 27, 1914. That is the true church! Those who want to be saved must believe in the Bible and the Fundamental Teachings of ‘Iglesia Ni Cristo’ or ‘Church of Christ.’ (‘Pandoktrina’ Serie 1976-77) What is the truth? Who says the lie? Let us analyze their claims in the light of the Holy Bible.
Promise of Jesus Contradicts Total Apostasy:
As history proves, from the beginning until now, many false prophets have appeared with contrary views to divide the only one Church Jesus established forever. But the Church was always victorious over them, as it was Jesus who is guiding His Church through the Holy Spirit. Many denied what Jesus taught! Some preached Jesus is only a man. For others, he is only God. Some disbelieved the Holy Spirit, while others questioned the validity of sacraments. Foreseeing this danger, Jesus even warned His apostles about the work of Satan against the Church He founded: “Many will come in my name to lead you astray” (Mat. 24:5). But Jesus always assured the apostles His eternal presence with the Church. “When two or three are gathered in my name I will be in your midst,” was His word. He is not one who knows to establish His Church, but does not know how to safeguard it. The Church, he purchased by His blood, was not just for a few days, but for eternity!
Iglesia Ni Cristo tries to make the people believe in a false doctrine of apostasy by quoting the above passage from the Bible, which really meant against them; by Jesus; “For many will come in My name, saying ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray” (Mat. 24:5). This may be tactfully interpreted as ‘all’ to prove the Church, Jesus himself instituted, failed to survive in history. “Many” will fall away never meant all will fall away. ‘Many Filipinos are working in Japan,’ does not mean all Filipinos are working in Japan. The word ‘many’ never defend their claim of total apostasy.
Nobody can deny the biblical fact that Jesus instituted His Church upon the apostles in 33 A.D. Jesus didn’t create thousands of churches as we see now, but only one Church, which He called ‘My Church’ upon Simon whom He renamed “Peter, the Rock.” Mat. 16:18-19 says, “You are Peter and on this rock, I will build my Church. The gates of hell will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven….”
When Jesus instituted the Church, he also assured its protection. “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Those who carry total apostasy theory for their very survival, and to justify their illegal fake churches, are making Jesus a liar who made a promise and failed to keep it. More than that, Jesus gave His assurance to the apostles; He will be with His Church “even until the end of the world” (Mat. 28:20) not for a few days.
Total Apostasy teaches Satan is more powerful than Jesus!
According to them, when the Christians were persecuted in Rome, Jerusalem and all over the world, the Church ceased to exist; Jesus abandoned His Church. So, the enemies of the Church became victorious. Can a Christian believe in this foolishness? Can Jesus, the good shepherd, abandon His Church when its members were sacrificing their lives for Him? Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. The hired man who is not a shepherd and to whom the sheep does not belong as his own beholds the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and flees – and the wolf snatches them and scatters them, because he is a hired man and does not care for the sheep!” (Jn. 10:11-13). Jesus is the good shepherd, not hired one. This total apostasy in the 1st century is a myth and a lie. If anyone accepts this lie, he proclaims Satan is more powerful than Jesus himself – ‘false prophets’ are stronger than “Christ.”
Church as Body of Jesus can never be totally apostatized:
Jesus considered the Church as His own body. When Saul persecuted His Church, Jesus asked him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:4-5).
Those who are compelled to carry the doctrine of total apostasy have to believe Saul was able to persecute and even kill Jesus, His body, the Church!
The Old Testament Prophecies against Total Apostasy:
Isaiah 9:5-6 says, “For us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.” See? He will uphold His kingdom ‘forevermore,’ ‘without end.’
In the Book of Daniel, we read a very clear statement against total apostasy. Daniel 7:14 says, “His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed.” Once more, Daniel 2:44 speak about this unrealistic myth of total apostasy.
Daniel 2:44 says, “And in the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring to an end, and it shall stand forever.”
The Fiction of Total Apostasy questions the Validity of the Bible:
In the Gospel, we never see Jesus commanding us to believe in a ‘Bible.’ There was no Bible at the time of the apostles. The Bible emerged in the 4th century only! Those who use the Bible to support their doctrine of apostasy contradict themselves when history proves the Bible itself is coming from a Church that they call “apostatized in the 1st century.” The Bible was completed and formulated in 397 A.D. by the Council of Catholic Church (For more details, please read “Who Made The Bible?”).
Poor Knowledge of History:
Complete apostasy theory is supported by poor knowledge of its proponents in Church history. In the 1st century itself, the Church started to flourish in different parts of the world. The apostles travelled to different countries. The History of the Church in Rome and Jerusalem are blood stained. In fact, strong witness of martys strengthened the Church more and more. ‘Blood of the martyrs became the seed of Christianity.’ But there were other churches, which grew without fierce persecution. Take the case of the Church in India. In A.D. 52, St. Thomas the apostle came to Kerala, S. India and the Church he established there was protected and supported by the kings and rulers. Until now, that Church, known as St. Thomas Christians, keeps pure Catholic doctrines. There was neither apostasy nor total persecution in the history of that Church. Remember, history of churches is not exclusive to the Church in Rome and Jerusalem.
Conclusion:
Jesus is not a dead God. He lives and rules through his body – the only church he instituted here on earth. It is the Holy Spirit that guides the Church as promised by our Lord. Evil can never overtake her. The powers of hell, ‘wolves with sheep’s clothing’ (Mat. 7:15) tried the best to kill her always in different forms –political or religious. Caesar and Nero in Rome, Napoleon in France, Henry VII in England, Carl Marx and Lenin in Russia, Martin Luther in Germany, Mao in China… the list of persecutors goes on. The political powers perished. The anti-Catholic churches were broken into pieces. They all kept but one dream: “destroy Catholicism.” But still now, she continues as victorious as ever. The greatest moral power in the world. When the Pope speaks, all nations listen whether they belong to Muslims, Hindus, Protestants, Communists or Secularists. “The gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Mat. 16:18).
But the apostles of apostasy will appear always. They all will carry the Bible. Years before, Satan tempted Jesus quoting the scripture passages three times (Lk. 4). Now he uses the same trick to destroy the mystical body of Jesus! “Quote the Bible, destroy Catholic faith” is the new policy! So Jesus warned His apostles “Beware that no one leads you astray…many will fall away…” (Mt. 24:4-10)
Jesus has only one bride! His Church! “Christ loved the Church and handed himself over for her” (Eph. 5:25). Now new preachers are creating new churches, new wives for Jesus! They can never be the bride of Christ. Christ will never divorce his wife for whom, he died, with whom, he lives! He is, he was, and he will be, faithful to his church, his bride!
If I will make my own church and call it Church of Christ or "Iglesia ni Cristo" and because letter for letter it can be read in the Bible the world Church of Christ or Iglesia ni Kristo, does it mean that it is the true church of Jesus Christ? by no means, yet the INC people do so believed. Deceiving people is an easy job for Satan nowadays for this kind of people.
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