THE SHIFT FROM THE FIRST-CENTURY CHURCH OF CHRIST TO THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF THE SUCCEEDING CENTURIES

By PEDRITO B. PLACIO

MANY ARE AGHAST, if not incredibly surprised, at the teaching of the Iglesia ni Cristo or Church of Christ that emerged in the Philippines in 1914 that it is the true Church established by Christ. There are even those who do not include it among the so called “Christian” churches because the Jesus Christ it preaches is not God but man. The prevailing belief is that the Catholic Church is the only church that can claim historical roots back to the first century and thus, is the true Church founded by Jesus Christ.

NO LONGER CONDEMNED

Answer:

            Just because salvation is God’s gift does not mean that man needs to do nothing but to accept it. In the same way, Christ’s pronouncement that “whoever believes in Him … [will] have everlasting life” should not be taken to mean that membership in His true Church is no longer necessary for man’s salvation.

            It is true that there are works by which man is not saved. Among these is what Apostle Paul describes as the “works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves” (Titus 3:5,3, American Standard Version), for God did not purpose that man be saved on the merits of his own works, “that no flesh may boast in His presence” (I Cor. 1:29). This does not mean, however, that man does not need to do anything anymore. Verse 10 of Ephesians chapter 2 (proceeding from verse 8 and 9 which you cited) elucidates that when God created man, He intended him not only to be “in Christ Jesus” but also “for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (New King James Version).

            Indeed, those who are “in Christ Jesus” are no longer condemned or will “not perish but have everlasting life.” But in order to be among those who truly are in Christ Jesus, it is not enough for one to merely profess belief or faith in Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ says to those who say they believe in Him, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord’, but not do what I command?” (Luke 6:46, New American Bible). Apostle James likewise taught:

            “What good is it my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? …You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.” (James 2:14, 24, New International Version)

            Clearly, believing or having faith in Christ entails much more than just merely declaring that one accepts Christ as his personal Savior. To become a true believer of Christ, one must be among His sheep: “But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep ...” (John 10:26, NKJV). Thus, Christ calls on everyone who wants to be saved to enter the fold or flock, which is the Church of Christ-which He redeemed or purchased with His blood (John 10:9, Revised English Bible; Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation). These are the ones referred to as people “who are in Christ Jesus.”

              Membership in the true Church of Christ, not just any church, is thus indispensable for receiving God’s gift of salvation. It is this Church to which God adds those who are to be saved (Acts 2:47). It is this Church for which the Savior Jesus Christ gave up His life and that He will save (Eph. 5:23, 25).

“SAVED ALREADY OR YET TO BE SAVED?"

Answer:

            About the questions you raised in your letter, allow us to clarify further the Iglesia ni Cristo’s stand concerning the necessity of the Church of Christ with regard to salvation as well as the biblical verses attesting to this fact:

1.     You will notice that in Item C (p. 31) of the article, it was not only Acts 2:47, New King James Version that was quoted from the Scriptures but also Eph. 5:23, Today’s English Version, John 10:9, Revised English Bible, and Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation. Let us quote item C (p. 31) in its entirety:

“c) The Church of Christ is where the Lord adds those who will be saved.

‘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)

‘For a husband has authority over the church; and Christ is himself the Savior of the church, his body.’ (Eph. 5:23, TEV)

For this reason, the Savior Himself commands all of those longing for salvation to enter the fold.

‘I am the door; anyone who comes into the fold through me will be safe.’ (John 10:9, REB)

This fold or flock is none other than the Church of Christ (Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation). Would the Lord God add to the Church of Christ those who will be saved and would Christ command people to enter in it if the Church were not important and necessary?”

Hence, to say that “The Church of Christ is where the Lord adds those who will be saved” is not a matter of personal opinion but an established biblical truth.

Bear in mind that to attain salvation has to undergo a process set by the Savior Himself (Mark 16:15-16). That is why Luke stated “the Lord added to the Church daily those who WERE BEING SAVED” (past progressive or continuous action), and not those who “WERE SAVED ALREADY” (simple past or action already completed) as you asserted. Those who “were being saved” were “added to the Church” because Church membership (in the true Church of Christ) is an essential part of the process of attaining salvation.

2.     We used the word “will be saved” because these are the very words of the Savior Himself explicitly recorded in John 10:9, NKJV and is rendered “will be safe” in REB. Consequently, the phrase “those who were being saved” in Acts 2:47 in the NKJV is also rendered “such as should be saved” (Douay-Rheims, King James Version) and “those that were to be saved” (Darby). Hence, the teaching that “The Church of Christ is where the Lord adds those who will be saved” is in harmony with the teaching of Christ and His apostles.

3.     When Luke testified in Acts 2:47, NKJV that “the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved,” he was witnessing to the fact that it is in the Church (not outside of it) where “those who were being saved” are placed. This is primarily because outside of the true church, there is God’s judgment or condemnation (I Cor. 5:12-13, New International Version). You are correct in saying that sinners need salvation.  But again, remember that attaining salvation is a “process.” In order for sinners to attain salvation, they must undergo the process of attaining salvation set forth by Christ Himself. That is why during the time of the apostles, those who were being saved (should be saved, were to be saved) where those who listened to the preaching of the gospel, believed and were baptized (Acts 2). They were added to the church by baptism for according to Apostle Paul, “we were all baptized into one body” (I Cor. 12:13, NKJV) or Church (Col. 1:18). Moreover, the Savior Himself stated that “He who believes and is baptized will be saved,” that is, from condemnation of Judgment Day (Mark 16:15-16, NKJV), emphasis ours. It is true that “Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (I Tim 1:15) as you stated. However, let us not discount the important fact that Christ built or established a Church and it is the Church, His body, that Christ will save (Eph. 5:23, TEV). Thus, in order for sinners to avail themselves of the salvation offered by the Savior, they have to be part of the body or Church of Christ-an essential components in the process of attaining salvation.

4.     Does this necessarily mean they are not yet saved after they had been added to the Church by means of baptism? Apostle Paul state, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins”, (NKJV, emphasis ours).

“Delivered” was rendered “saved” in the New International Reader’s Version. Hence, those who were conveyed or transferred into the Kingdom of the Son where redemption is found (i.e. the Church of Christ, Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation) are already “saved” and they are already have the hope of salvation on the day of judgment.

5.     There is nothing wrong with using the terms “are already saved” because they have been saved from the power of darkness and they were transferred into the kingdom of the Son or the Church of Christ-the place where redemption and salvation can be found (as explained above). Those who are in the Christ of Christ are the beneficiaries of God’s promised salvation and as Apostle Paul stated, they are no longer under condemnation:

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

Thus, we say that those who were added to the Church “are already saved.”

On the other hand, those who were added to the Church “will be saved” because the salvation from eternal damnation or from the lake of fire promised by God will be rewarded on the day of judgment. What the members of the Church of Christ have now is the hope of receiving God’s promised salvation, which will be given on the day of the Lord return. Remember that members of the Christ’s Church are still sojourning in this world and are awaiting the great day of salvation. Salvation is a privilege, though not an irrevocable one. This can be gleaned from the words recorded in Hebrews 2:3:

“How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him.” (Ibid.)

There is always the danged or losing this privilege. In order to maintain the condition of being “saved”, one must fulfill and complete the requirements set forth by God. One of those requirements set forth by God. One of those requirements was stated by Christ to His disciples who definitely had already believed in Him. He said, “…he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matt. 24:13, Ibid., emphasis ours). It is also for this reason Apostle Paul instructed the early Christians to “work out” their “own salvation” (Phil. 2:12, Ibid.)

6.     Concerning the purpose of Church membership, in John 10:9, Christ explicitly states, “If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved.” Entering by Jesus is by means of coming into the fold or flock, that is the Church of Christ (John10:9, REB; Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation). Since the Church of Christ was purchased or redeemed by Christ with His precious blood, it is in the Church where man can truly serve the living God and proclaim His praises (Heb. 9:14, NKJV; I Pet. 2:9-10, Ibid.) which will redound to his salvation. On the contrary, to refuse to join the Church of Christ is to refuse such wonderful privileges, for that is the same as refusing to do the things that Christ says (Luke 6:46). Such people will only be disappointed when the appointed time comes, for regardless of their efforts to call upon the name of Jesus and to serve Him, Christ would only say to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who act wickedly-disregarding my commands” (Matt. 7:21-23, Amplified Bible). Is this not tragic especially for those who claim to have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior but would not follow His commandment to come into the flock or Church of Christ?

7.     Concerning Christ being the husband and the Church’s being His wife, it should be noted that such analogy used by the Apostle Paul serves only to illustrate the kind of relationship and unity that Christ and His Church share (Eph. 5:32, Ibid.)-that they are inseparable in God’s sight. In another analogy, the same apostle did liken the Church to pure and faultless to her one husband who is Christ (II Cor. 11:2, Revised Standard Version). 

“YOUR THRONE , O GOD”

Answer:

            As you have correctly observed, various Bible versions indeed differ in their renditions of Hebrews 1:8. For our readers to notice the difference, let us quote the verse from two different versions of the Bible:

            “But of the Son He says, ‘Thy throne, o god, is forever and ever’, …” (NNNNkkkNew American Standard Bible)

            “But of the Son he says, ‘God is your throne forever and ever!’  …”   (Goodspeed

Translation)

            The New American Standard Bible’s rendition exemplifies those translations of Hebrews 1:8 in which it appears as though the son were addressed “O God” by the Father, whereas that of the Goodspeed Translation typifies those Bible versions where it has no indication that the Father called the Son is God, but states instead that the throne of the Son is God. One Bible version even combines the two differing translations and renders Hebrews 1:8 this way:

            “But of the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, is {Or [God is your throne]} forever and ever’  …”  (New Revised Standard Version)

            One thing that explains the disparity in various Bible translations is the fact that the Bible has been translated into several languages, that in the process, some alternations have been made resulting from, among others, the idiosyncrasy of languages, differences in shades of meaning, and dissimilarity in interpretation by different translators as well as their theological bias. It cannot be denied that many Bible versions are done by people or groups of people with their own beliefs that subjectively influenced their versions, thereby producing translations with tainted, if not twisted, meaning.

            So how, then, are we to know particular translation of the Bible to use, for example, in a particular verse? Apostle Paul states the guiding principle we should employ thus:

            “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”  (I Cor. 2:13, New King James Version)

            Because spiritual things should be compared with spiritual truths, there must be no contradiction among verses of the Bible. As a rule therefore in determining which rendition of a particular verse expresses the truth, a verse should not be in opposition to any other verse of the Bible because God, in whose will and guidance the Bible was written, is not the author of confusion (I Cor. 14:33).

            It is for this reason that the Church of Christ believes that any translation of Hebrews 1:8 that puts it in such a way that Christ is being acknowledge as God by the Father is unquestionably erroneous because such rendition categorically contradicts the following statements of the Father Himself:

            “Acknowledge that I alone am God and that there is no one else like me.” (Isa. 46.9, Today’s English Version)

            “…  And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.” (Isa. 44:8, Revised Standard Version)

            “…  I am the only God. Besides me there is no other god; there never was and never will be.”  (Isa. 43:10, TEV)

            Lest people suppose that there is one God in heaven but there is another on earth, the Bible further adds:

            “Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the lord Himself  is God in heaven above and in the earth beneath; there is no other.” (Deut. 4:39, NKJV)

            But what does it mean that “God is [the Son’s] throne”? The answer is found in Psalms 45:6, the very verse in the Old Testament that is quoted in Hebrews 1:8:

            “Your throne is from God, for ever and ever, the sceptre of your kingship a sceptre of justice.”  (New Jerusalem Bible, emphasis ours)

            Clearly then, that God is the throne of the Son denotes that the Son’s throne is from God. Is it also taught in the New Testament that the throne or authority that the Son holds comes from no other than the Almighty God who is the Father? Yes, it is. In fact, Christ Himself taught this when He declared:

            “… ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth’.” (Matt. 28:18, NKJV)

            “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, …” (Matt. 11:27, Ibid.)

            Contrary therefore to the belief of some authors, nowhere in the Bible, not even in Hebrews 1:8, does the Father acknowledge the Son as “God”. What the Holy Scriptures openly teach regarding the issue is that the Son Jesus Christ, who is mistaken by some to be God, is introduced in the same epistle to Hebrews as “man” (Heb. 7:24, King James Version), and that He unmistakably acknowledge the Father, not Himself, as the “only true God”:

            “Father, the time has come for you to bring glory to your Son, in order that he may bring glory to you … Eternal life is to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, the one you sent.” (John 17:1, 3, Contemporary English Version)

LYING TO THE HOLY SPIRIT = LYING TO GOD?

Answer:

            These verses you quoted (Acts 5:3-4, New King James Version) undeniably point out that to lie to the Holy Spirit is to lie to God. But does this mean that the Holy spirit is God? No, it does not. For it did, then it would contradict the essential truth about God. As Apostle Paul clearly stated, “there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came” (I Cor. 8:6, New International Version). The Almighty Father Himself said, “I alone am God and that there is no one else like me” (Isa. 46:9, Today’s English Version).

            Why, is it, then, that if one lies to the Holy Spirit, he also lies to God? To answer this, let us quote the following statements of Christ concerning the Holy Spirit:

            “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” (John 14:26, NKJV, emphasis ours)

            “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” (John 15:26, Ibid. emphasis ours)

            “Most assuredly, I say to you he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me” (John 13:20, Ibid. emphasis ours)

            The Lord Jesus Christ taught that “the Helper” or the Holy Spirit is sent both by the Father and the Son. Furthermore, Christ declared that anyone who receives whomever He sent equally receives the one who sent  Him-the Father who is the only true God (John 17:1,3). Hence, whatever a person does to the one sent by Christ and by the Father, he likewise does it to God Himself. And since the Holy Spirit is sent by Christ and the Father, lying to the Holy Spirit necessarily means lying to God Himself. It is not surprising therefore, that when Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit, the Bible teaches that he, in effect, lied to God.

            The problem with believing that the Holy Spirit is God is just because lying to the Holy Spirit is tantamount to lying to God the Father is that this would have several erroneous ramifications. For example, the apostles would then be Gods also because when Christ was commissioning the apostles, to them He proclaimed:

            “He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” (Luke 10:16, NKJV)

              Here, Christ Himself says quite clearly that rejecting the apostles is the same as rejecting Him and God. If we were to follow the line of thinking of those who argue that the Holy Spirit is God, then we would be forced to accept that the apostles and all other messengers are God as well!

            Historically, the erroneous belief that the Holy Spirit is God became an article of faith of the Catholic Church through the Council of Constantinople only in 381 A.D., more than three centuries after the Bible had been written (Discourses on the Apostles’ Creed, p. 206).