Bible verses twisted by the INC Part 1

by Jerry

Bible twisting by the Iglesia ni Cristo is so pervasive and so comprehensive that one who studies its doctrines can readily conclude that almost all the verses it uses are twisted and made to conform and follow what Manalo wants not what God wants. Never in the history of cultic behavior has there been a God defying church and a cultic church that is a true menance to society than the Iglesia ni Cristo cult. Iglesia members are made slaves of Manalo under the pretense of serving God. Complete obedience to Manalo and his founded Iglesia ni Cristo is a full defiance to the first commandment enunciated by Jesus Christ to love the Lord God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength (Mark 12:30). Even the second commandment of love your neighbor as yourself (Mk. 12:31) is also being perverted to mean converting your neighbors to become members of the Iglesia cult. In this series, we will enumerate the verses that are being twisted and perverted by the Iglesia and provide the proper context in which they are written.

1) MATTHEW 10:40 - HE WHO RECEIIVES YOU RECEIVES ME:

"He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me, receives Him who sent Me." Mt. 10:40 NKJV

The Iglesia ni Cristo twists this verse in furtherance of Felix Y. Manalo's alleged appointment as Mmessenger of God in these last days. The Iglesia has constructed a chain of link to God unbroken as follows:

"WE MUST RECEIVE AND FOLLOW WHATEVER MANALO SAYS BECAUSE IF WE DO, WE ARE RECEIVING AND FOLLOWING JESUS CHRIST. IN TURN, RECEIVING AND FOLLOWING JESUS CHRIST WOULD RESULT IN RECEIVING AND FOLLOWING GOD HIMSELF."

TRUE CONTEXT OF THE VERSE:

Jesus Christ did not give this authority to anyone but to the twelve apostles (See Mark 10:1). Therefore, the context is: anyone who receives the apostles receives Jesus Christ, and anyone who receives Jesus Christ receives God who sent Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the true messenger (sent) of God (Jn. 5:36).

If Felix Manalo contends he is also sent by God using this verse, then, he must be around when Jesus Christ was talking to his apostles. How can it be possible that Felix Manalo was around in the first century when Felix Manalo was born only in the 1880's? It is because the deceiving spirit, also known as the devil, has been around since the era of Adam and Eve. Satan has been around when Christ was on earth. Satan is able to enter man whom he wants to use as instrument in deceiving people. Who can doubt that the deceiving spirit is present in the Iglesia ni Cristo?

Besides, which of the doctrine of the Iglesia is true? Felix Manalo was sent by God based on their use of Rev. 7:2-3?, or Felix Manalo was sent by Christ based on their use of John 10:16? or Felix Manalo was sent by the apostles based on their use of 2 Cor. 5:19-20? The perversions of the Scriptures by the Iglesia is manifested by their conflicting doctrines.

2) ACTS 2:47 NKJV - ADDED TO THE CHURCH:

"praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." -Acts 2:47 NKJV

The Iglesia uses this verse to back up their doctrine that people must be added or be included or be a member of the Church of Christ (Iglesia ni Cristo). The twisting here is making the word "church" into "Church". Ultimately, the goal is to make the word into "Church of Christ". Another twisting by the Iglesia is making the order backwards. The proper order according to the verse is: SAVING COMES FIRST BEFORE ADDING. In the Iglesia, however, ADDING COMES FIRST BEFORE SAVING. In the Iglesia, you must be added first into their church rolls before you can become saved. The Iglesia will not use any other Bible versions other than King James and New King James because in other versions you can not find the word "church" which word is easily twisted to become Church of Christ.

TRUE CONTEXT OF THE VERSE:

The true context of the word "church" (not capitalized) is "body" which refers to people believers. Every believer is a body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27). Since we are no longer under the law of Moses but under the era of grace (Rom. 6:14), we are saved only through the grace of God (Eph. 2:5). First, we get saved not by any other means than by grace from God (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 9:15-16). Therefore, God saves us first before we are given to Jesus Christ (Jn. 17:6) to be added as part of Jesus Christ's flesh and bones (Eph. 5:30). The following verses support the context that those saved are ADDED TO THE LORD (not added to the Iglesia ni Cristo-Church of Christ):

"And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women." -Acts 5:14 NKJV

"For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord." -Acts 11:24 NKJV

3) ACTS 20:28 LAMSA - The common noun, "church of Christ":

"Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock ove 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 Translation

The twisting here is making the common noun "church of Christ" into proper noun "Church of Christ" in order to lend biblical legitimacy of their cult. Also, the Iglesia cult dishonestly uses the Lamsa knowing fully well that the correct translation is "church of God" (King James, New King James, Today's English Version, New International Version):

"Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His blood." -Acts 20:28 New King James Version

TRUE CONTEXT OF THE VERSE:

What was purchased is not an organization such as the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ), but, people. The people believers were purchased by God with Jesus Christt's blood. Being purchased by God, they become the property of God. Therefore, the people are called church of God or people owned by God. The verse that supports this context is 1 Cor. 6:20:

"For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." 1 Cor. 6:20 NKJV

THE VERSE SAYS, "For YOU were bought at a price;.." The pronoun YOU refers to the people because only people can glorify God with their body and spirit.

The Iglesia ni Cristo, in an effort to play down their twisting of Acts 20:28 Lamsa, insinuates that since the original Greek manuscripts were all in lower cases, the translation for church is also in lower case. The fallacy of this argument is that how come the word Holy Spirit is translated as upper case? In the Greek manuscripts, although they were all written in lower cases, there are identifications within the sentence construction that a word is translated either lower or upper case in English or in other languages. The translators are experts in Greek as well as in English and other languages they were translated into. All Bible translators including George Lamsa agree that the word "church" should be a lower case (not capitalized), but, the word Holy Spirit is an upper case (capitalized).

4) MATTHEW 16:18 NKJV - "MY CHURCH" TWISTED AS "CHURCH OF CHRIST":

"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

How can the Iglesia twist "My church" into "Church of Christ"? We have to understand that the Iglesia ministers were trained by Manalo in bible twisting for many years in the Philippines. Here's how the Iglesia minister twists this verse. The minister will ask: "If Christ says to the Church that He will build, "My church", will you call that Church any other name such as Church of Peter, or Church of James? No! If Christ calls it "My church", it is not the Church of Peter or Church of James, but, Church of Christ!"

I"m telling you, these ministers didn't become ministers for nothing. If we will follow their reasoning, then, what they are talking about is ownership. Supposing Peter says, "My car!" Naturally, we call that car as "car of Peter". The name "car of Peter" is not the name of the car but indicates only ownership of the car by Peter. If we want to know the name of the car of Peter, it could be Cadillac, or Firebird, or Mustang, or some other name.

TRUE CONTEXT OF THE VERSE:

When Christ says, "I will buld My church," He was referring to a house building because it is to be built upon a rock. The building here is symbolic representing the people believers who became the house of Christ. This context is supported by Heb. 3:6 NKJV

"but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end." -Heb. 3:6 NKJV

THEREFORE, when Christ said, "I will build My church," He was referring to a house building. This house are actually the people believers holding fast to the confidence and rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. In other verse, believers are called temple of God (1 Cor. 3:16-17 NKJV).

5) ACTS 2:39 NKJV - TWISTING TWO GROUPS INTO THREE:

"For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." -Acts 2:39 NKJV

The Iglesia ni Cristo twists this verse to create three groups out of the two in order to create a slot for their cult. Thus, Manalo's work of art is as follows: First group (to you --JEWS); Second group (to your children -- GENTILES); Third group (to all who are afar off-- the Iglesia ni Cristo).

TRUE CONTEXT OF THE VERSE:

There are only two groups with promise, namely:

1. to you and to your children, (Jews)
2. and to all who are afar off (Gentiles)

The two groups are separated by only one comma. With regards to the children, they can either be Jews or Gentiles depending on the race of the parents. The context that there are only two groups are supported by Rom. 1:16, 9:24, and 1 Cor. 1:24:

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." - Rom. 1:16 NKJV

This verse enumerates only two groups--Jews and Gentiles (also called Greeks).

"even us whom He called not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?" -Rom. 9:24 NKJV

Again, this verse enumerates only two groups-Jews and Gentiles.

"but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." -1 Cor. 1:24 NKJV

Here, again, the verse specifies only two groups, they are: Jews and Gentiles (sometimes called Greeks).

WHICH GROUP DO THOSE AFAR OFF BELONG?

The Iglesia ni Cristo members are adamant in their position that AFAR OFF is also FAR EAST. Due to the twice a week brainwashing worship sessions, members no longer have any ability to distinguish right from wrong. Afar off is very different from Far East. Afar off is far away whether in the North, South, East, and West. Far East, however, is limited to just one location--EAST. Does the Bible say which group are those found in the afar off? Certainly. Let's read:

"And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near..., Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcison by what is called Circumcision made in the flesh by hands--" -Eph. 3:17,11 NKJV

ACCORDING to the verses, the afar off group are the Gentiles. The term Gentiles apply to anyone who is not a Jews. Therefore, the Gentiles could be found in all four corners of the world. The group of Manalo could no longer be Gentiles because if they do, who then will be called members of Manalo's third group? Manalo and Son will cry if INC members will leave the unbiblical third group to join the second group Gentiles.

6) ACTS 5:3-5 NKJV - LYING TO THE HOLY SPIRIT:

"But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirt and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? you have not lied to men but to God. Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon those who heard these things." -Acts 5:3-5 NKJV

THIS VERSES, is about the story of Ananias and Sapphira, the couple killed by God for lying to the Holy Spirit. The Iglesia twists this story as being not about lying to the Holy Spirit but about not following fully the church administration's commandments. Manalo use these verses to scare members into full compliance with whatever Manalo wants to implement inside the Iglesia.

INCIDENTALLY, the verse mentions that the Holy Spirit is God as the verse says, "You have not lied to men but to God." Since, it's the Holy Spirit was the one lied to, therefore, the Holy Spirit is God.