Bible verses twisted by the INC Part 3

"So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart," -Acts 2:46 New King James Version

This verse is very important to Manalo because it serves to kill criticisms to the Iglesia's mandatory twice a week worship service. Manalo twists the phrase, "continuing daily with one accord in the temple," as continuing daily worship service. The Iglesia minister will read the verse to back up the biblical authority of the Iglesia's twice a week worship service. The minister will expound, thus

"Brethren, as we have heard, the first century Church of Christ did have daily worship service. Our detractors persecute us for having twice a week worship service every Thursdays and Sundays. They do not know that the first century Church of Christ perform worship service daily. But, our church administration is kind to us. Why? Because our church administration allows us to do worship service not daily but only two times a week."

TRUE CONTEXT OF THE VERSE:

What is daily that is mentioned by the verse is EATING FOOD. Besides eating their food daily, the first century Christians (not members of the Church of Christ) have some activities both in the temple (this is the Jerusalem temple) and in their houses. What are these activities? If we will read Verse 42, it enumerates the activities:

"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers." -Acts 2:42 NKJV

THEREFORE, the first century Christians continued to be steadfast:

1. in the apostles' doctrine
2. and fellowship
3. in the breaking of bread
4. and in prayers

READILY, we know that there was not any money making activity such as selling the Pasugo or God's Message magazines, or accepting deposits for year end Thanksgiving certificates, or collection of many kinds of offerings. What is the apostles' doctrine about? The doctrine is about repentance and baptism with the Holy Spirit through the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38). Is fellowship a worship service? No! Fellowship is companionship. It is dealing with fellow brethren who have the same interests as yourself. The Christian believers have fellowship among themselves such that they are encouraging each other, stirring up love and good works, and considering one another. We can call this an informal gathering seeing each other and talking about anything with fellow believers of Christ.

WERE THE FIRST CENTURY CHRISTIANS MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST?

Manalo brainwashed all members that the first century Christians were members of the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ). This is a BIG LIE. If it is true, it will appear in the Holy Scriptures. The fact that the name Church of Christ could not be found in any Bible proves that there was no such organization in the first century. The Iglesia uses only the Catholic books and Lamsa Bible. The Iglesia ni Cristo uses dishonestly the Lamsa Translation although it knows that it is a mistranslation of "church of God" into "church of Christ". Even then, the name "church of Christ" is not a name of a particular organization because it is written as a common noun.

Actually, the name of the organization that the first century Christians belong is called "Way". Can this name be found in the Holy Scriptures? Absolutely. Let's read them:

1. Those persecuted disciples of Jesus Christ were members of the "Way":

   "Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that If he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem." -Acts 9:1-2 NKJV

2. The Way was known by the people in those days:

   "And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way." -Acts 19:23 NKJV

3. Apostle Paul admits he persecuted the Way:

   "I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women." -Acts 22:4 NKJV

4. The Way was an organization of the Christian believers, a sect:

   "But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets." -Acts 24:14 NKJV

12) ACTS 20:29 - SAVAGE WOLVES NOT SPARING THE FLOCK:

"For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock." -Acts 20:29 NKJV

How does the Iglesia ni Cristo twists this verse? The Iglesia twists the savage wolves to be priest of the Catholic Church. It is a doctrine of the Iglesia ni Cristo that the alleged first century Church of Christ became extinct due to the Catholic Church that killed the faithful members and forced remaining Christians to embrace catholicism.

TRUE CONTEXT OF THE VERSE:

According to the verse, these wolves COME IN among you. The pronoun "you" refers to the believers who are sometimes called sheeps of the flock. How come that these wolves were able to enter the flock of the sheep? If we will read Mt. 7:15, we will know the answer:

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." -Mt. 7:15 NKJV

THEREFORE, the ravenous wolves have disguised themselves as sheep (in sheep's clothing). That's why they were able to penetrate the flock unnoticed. These ravenous wolves in sheep's clothing are actually the false prophets sent by the devil. These false prophets masquerade as sheeps or people of God using also the same Bible but twist or pervert what are written therein, changing the gospel of Jesus Christ into another gospel, such as gospel of Felix Y. Manalo's Iglesia ni Cristo, gospel of Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church, gospel of Elaine White's Seventh Day Adventists, gospel of Charles Russel's Jehovah's Witnesses. These false prophets also masquerade as Christ, thereby, the Bible calls them False Christs (Mt. 24:24).

HOW DOES THE IGLESIA NI CRISTO MASQUERADE AS CHRIST?

1. By making the Iglesia ni Cristo the body of Christ. The Iglesia teaches that the body of Christ is the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ). They teach that in order to be saved, you must enter Christ through the Church of Christ because the Church of Christ is the body of Christ. This doctrine makes the Iglesia the false Christ. Why? Because the true body of Jesus Christ are the people believers (1 Cor. 12:27).

2. By making the Iglesia ni Cristo the true vine and members are branches of the vine. The Iglesia teaches that if a member leaves the Church of Christ, he/she will wither and gets dry to be gathered and thrown into the lake of fire.

3. By making separation from the Iglesia tantamount to separation from Jesus Christ using John 6:67-68.

13) ACTS 16:30-31 - BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

"And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household." -Acts 16:30-31 NKJV

The Iglesia twists this verse by adding many requirements for salvation including believing Felix Manalo as messenger of God and membership in the Iglesia ni Cristo.

TRUE CONTEXT OF THE VERSES:

The keeper of the prison in said verse asked Apostle Paul and Silas, "what must I do to be saved?" Apostle Paul and Silas replied, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household." Therefore believing completes salvation. Of course, before one can utter "I believe", one must know to what you are believing. Apostle Paul spoke the word of Jesus Christ briefly to him and his household as to the name they should believe in. In speaking the word of Jesus Christ, it did not involve many hours and days of indoctrinations as what the Iglesia is doing. Let's read the continuing verses:

"Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them, and he rejoiced having believed in God with all his household." -Acts 16:32-34

THEREFORE, believing completed the salvation. According to the verse, speaking the word of the Lord was only done in minutes because it took only Apostle Paul the time of ONE HOUR in the same night including washing the stripes (beatings) of Apostle Paul and Silas. What was spoken was only the word of the Lord. There was no preaching about Apostle Paul being the church administrator or being the messenger of God, nor preaching of the alleged Church of Christ membership, nor preaching the many many doctrines of the church. How come that the baptism was immediate? It is because the baptism is understood to be the baptism with the Holy Spirit (Acts 11:16).

14) ROMANS 8:1 - NO CONDEMNATION TO THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." -Rom. 8:1 NKJV

How does the Iglesia twists this verse? The Iglesia twists the phrase, "in Christ Jesus" into "in the Church of Christ." Because of this twisting, the Iglesia members are given a false sense of security. The members think they are no longer subject to condemnation, when they are.

TRUE CONTEXT OF THE VERSE:

Those who are in Christ Jesus are those given by God to Jesus Christ (John 6:37). Their sinful bodies died with Christ in the cross (Rom. 6:8). Henceforth, they are living a spiritual life or bearing spiritual fruits, or doing works of righteousness. How can one receive the mercy of salvation from God? This is only a province of God. No one can tell God what He will do or will not do. Let's read the policy of God:

"For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion. So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy." -Rom. 9:13-14 NKJV

Assuming that God has given us mercy, what will happen next?

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." -John 1:12 NKJV

THEREFORE, the next step is God will allow you to believe Jesus Christ. After that, you become born as a child of God through baptism by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13, Acts 11:16). Next, you will be given to Jesus Christ (John 6:37). The children of God given to Jesus Christ are the ones considered as "in Christ". They are the ones that don't have no more condemnation.

WHY THE IGLESIA NI CRISTO SECRETLY FORBIDS BELIEVING JESUS CHRIST?

Does the Iglesia ni Cristo forbids believing Jesus Christ? Yes, they do. Here is a part of what they say in their Fundamental Belief Indoctrination Lesson #8:

"Lesson No. 8
Not by Faith Only
Theme: Salvation Cannot Be Attained By Faith Alone.
Objectives:

1. Prove that faith alone in our Lord Jesus Christ is not sufficient in order for man to be saved.
2. Show the indispensability of the Church of Christ for salvation.
3. Teach people to give value to their membership in the Church."

by Erano G. Manalo.

THE IGLESIA forbids believing Jesus Christ thru watering down or diluting with many requirements on how to be saved. The requirements include: Believing Felix Y. Manalo as messenger of God, accepting the preaching of FYM and his ministers, complying with all the 38 indoctrination lessons, obeying the church administration (EGM & EVM), undergoing the six months of trial period of attending the twice a week worship service and committee group prayers, fulfilling all the money obligations, etc. Therefore, the presence of the many many requirements (present and future) makes believing Jesus Christ worthless.

15) ROMANS 8:35, 38-39 - WHO SHALL SEPARATE US?

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." -Rom. 8:35, 37-38 NKJV

THE IGLESIA worship service lesson written by Manalo constantly require reading these verses. How does the Iglesia ni Cristo twists these passages? The verses are about separation from the love of God, but, the Iglesia twists the phrase as separation from the Church of Christ. After reading the verses, the Iglesia minister will explain:

"Brethren, as we have heard, the true members can never be separated from the Church of Christ no matter what happens. Tribulations, distress, persecutions from our detractors, famines, sword, even angels or height or depth, or anything, you name it, we will never be separated from the love of God as faithful members of His beloved Church."

TRUE CONTEXT:

The verse is talking about the love of God through Jesus Christ NOT through the Church of Christ. How is this love of God obtained? It is obtained by anyone who believes in Jesus Christ. Let's read the verse: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16 NKJV Why won't those recipients of the love of God not be separated? It is because God and Jesus Christ will protect them. Let's read: "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand." -John 10:28-29 NKJV THEREFORE, only those given by God to Jesus Christ are the ones who can not be separated from the love of God. The Iglesia members are not included because they don't believe Jesus Christ. Whom they believe is Felix Y. Manalo. Those who don't believe Jesus Christ are not the sheep of Jesus Christ (John 10:26). If they are not the sheeps of Jesus Christ, then they are the goats of Felix Y. Manalo. Once again, the Iglesia is guilty of providing a false sense of security. The Iglesia twisting is for the goal of preventing members from leaving their church. If members only understand what their ministers are reading, there is mentioned in the verse about "angels" trying to cause separation. Off hand, we know that Felix Y. Manalo admits he is an angel. We also know that Satan is able to appear as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). Is it a coincidence that FYM preaches the Iglesia ni Cristo as church owned by God and Christ? And that he preaches and exalts himself as messenger of God?