WHY DO YOU
SAY THAT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE FOUNDER OF THE IGLESIA NI CRISTO (CHURCH
OF CHRIST)?
_________________________________
“The Lord Jesus
Christ is the true Founder
of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ) in
the Philippines and
not Brother Felix Y. Manalo”
_________________________________
Many non-members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ)
thought that the founder of this Church was Brother Felix Y. Manalo. However,
this information came not from this Church, nor from the members of this
Church. Ask members of this Church if who
is the founder of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ),
and all will surely answer, “The Lord Jesus Christ is the true founder of this
Church and not Brother Felix Y. Manalo.”
However, detractors of this Church could not accept that the Lord Jesus Christ is the true founder of this
Church because the Iglesia Ni Cristo emerged only in 1the Philippines in 914.
These people often ask, “Did the Lord Jesus Christ came down to the Philippines
in 1914 to establish the Iglesia Ni Cristo?”
The
truth is, the Iglesia Ni Cristo that emerged in the Philippines in 1914 was established
by THE LORD JESUS Christ by means of prophecy.
CHRIST'S PROPHECY REGARDING
HIS "OTHER SHEEP"
HIS "OTHER SHEEP"
In John 10:16, the Lord Jesus
Christ prophesied that He has “other sheep” which would be made into “one
flock”:
"And
other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they
will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd." (John
10:16 NKJV)
Christ said, “other sheep I have.” Why He called
them His “other sheep”? Because they are “not
of this fold.” What did the Lord Jesus Christ promised to do with His other
sheep? He also said, “them also I must
bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one
shepherd.”
What did Christ mean when He
said that His other sheep “are not of
this fold” but He will bring them also and He would form them as one flock?
There are instances In the Bible that the word “flock” is used to refer to the Church of Christ:
"Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over
which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers to feed the church of Christ which He purchased with His
blood." (Acts 20:28 Lamsa)
The word “fold” also means
“flock”:
Thus, when the Lord Jesus said “And other sheep I have not of this fold,” He meant He has other sheep “NOT OF THIS CHURCH” or “not of the first century Church of Christ” And when He said that He will bring them also and they will be one flock, Christ meant that His other sheep will also be made “Church of Christ.”
"I have other sheep that are not in this flock, and I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd." (John 10:16 New Century Version)
Thus, when the Lord Jesus said “And other sheep I have not of this fold,” He meant He has other sheep “NOT OF THIS CHURCH” or “not of the first century Church of Christ” And when He said that He will bring them also and they will be one flock, Christ meant that His other sheep will also be made “Church of Christ.”
Why did the Lord Jesus Christ
mention that He has “other sheep” that He promised to bring them also and they
will be one flock or will also be made “Church of Christ”?
Because the first century Church of Christ (the fold or flock existing during the time of the Lord Jesus and the apostles, or the first century) will be apostatized. The Lord Jesus
Christ Himself testified that those disciples that remained faithful will be
persecuted and put to death, and many will be led astray by false prophets:
"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to
death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many
will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many
false prophets will appear and deceive many people." (Matthew 24:9-11 NIV)
The first that persecuted
Christ’s disciples were the Jews. During the Jewish persecution, Apostle James
(the Great) and Stephen (the deacon) were put to death. Then, the imperial persecution
of the Church came. It was Emperor Nero who was the first Roman emperor to persecute
the Church. Then, after two decades, another emperor persecuted the Church,
Emperor Domitian. At the end of the first century, many disciples were killed
because of the imperial persecution of the Church.
However, the Lord Jesus also
warned that many will turn away from the faith because many false prophets will
appear and will deceive many. How the disciples were deceived by false teachers
is explained to us by Apostle Paul:
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times
some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and
doctrines of devils.
"Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats,
which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe
and know the truth." (I Timothy 4:1, 3
KJV)
Apostle Paul warned us that “some shall depart from the faith, giving
heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils…Forbidding to marry, and
commanding to abstain from meats…” The fulfillment of the departing
from faith or the apostasy that will take place is the Catholic Church. This
church forbids their priest to marry (they call this prohibition "clerical celibacy"):
"Although celibacy is not expressly enforced by our Savior, it
is, however, commended so strongly by Himself and His apostles, both by word
and example, that the Church felt it her duty to lay it down as a law.
"The discipline of the Church has been exerted from the
beginning in prohibiting Priesrs to marry after their ordination." (Gibbons,
James cardinal. The Faith of our Fathers. New York: P.J. Kennedy and Sons, 1917, p.
328)
The Catholic Church also commands
her members to abstain from meat in certain days of the year:
"What does the second commandment of the Church order us
to do?
"It orders us to fast and abstain from flesh meat on
certain days of the year." (A Seminary Professor. Manual of
Christian Doctrine: Comprising Dogma, Moral, and Worship. New York: Lassale
Bureau, 1949, p. 317)
When the Church of Christ
of the first century departed from the true faith and followed the erroneous
teachings (teachings not taught by the Lord Jesus and His apostles, and not
written in the Bible) like clerical celibacy and abstaining from meat, she
became the Catholic Church. This is the reason why it's the Catholic Church that
continued up to this day.
Thus, the Lord Jesus Himself
warned His disciples that apostasy will take place. Because the first century
Church of Christ will be apostatized, the Lord Jesus Christ promised, “And other sheep I have which are not of this
fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be
one flock and one shepherd.” Christ promised to re-establish the Church Of Christ or that the true Church will re-emerge for He has "other sheep."
CHRIST'S "OTHER SHEEP"
The other sheep the Lord Jesus
Christ mentioned in His prophecy is the third group of people that compose the
Church established by the Lord Jesus Christ. In Acts 2:39 this is what Apostle Peter mentioned:
"For the promise is
unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as
the LORD our God shall call." (Acts 2:39
KJV)
According to Apostle Peter, the
promise is: (1) “unto you”; (2) to your children”; and (3) “to all that are
afar off.” These are the three groups of people that compose the Church the
Lord Jesus Christ established.
The first and second groups were
already been called to the Church in the first century, and the third group
will still be called by God. The first group mentioned by Apostle Peter was composed of the
Jews who were called in the Church in the first century:
"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God
hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
"For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all
that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call." (Acts 2:36 and 39 KJV)
The second group of people mentioned
in Apostle Peter’s prophecy was composed of the Gentiles who were called in the Church also in the first century:
"For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ,
yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you
through the gospel." (I Corinthians 4:15 NKJV)
Although Apostle Peter mentioned
“to your children,” he is not referring to the literal “children” of the Jews,
because in verses 36 and 38 of Acts chapter 2 he said, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly…For the promise is
unto you…” Apostle Peter was referring to the Gentile members of the Church
who were “children” of the Jews “through the gospel.” Apostle Paul said that “I have begotten you (referring to the
Gentile members of the Church) through the gospel.
Indeed, the first century Church of Christ was composed of Jews and
Gentiles:
"Even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also
from the Gentiles?" (Roma 9:24 NIV)
Thus, those who were called and who
composed the first century Church
of Christ referred to by
Apostle Peter in Acts 2:39 are the Jews and the Gentles. However, according to Peter’s
prophecy, there are those from “afar off” that will still be called by God.
They are the one mentioned by the Lord Jesus Christ in John 10:16 as His other
sheep that “are not of this fold.”
Because apostasy will take place
at the first century Church of Christ, the Lord Jesus promised that He has
“other sheep” not of the fold already established in the first century (the
first century Church of Christ). He will bring them also and form them as one
flock (Church of Christ). Thus, when the Lord Jesus
Christ said that “…other sheep I have
which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My
voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd” He is referring to His
re-establishment of the Church
of Christ.
THE PLACE WHERE THE CHURCH OF CHRIST
WILL BE RE-ESTABLISHED
WILL BE RE-ESTABLISHED
According to Apostle Peter, the “other
sheep” of the Lord Jesus Christ will come from a “far away” place:
"This promise is for you. It is also for your children and
for the people that are far away. It is for every person that the Lord our God
calls to himself." (Acts 2:39 Easy To Read Bible)
Where is this “far away” place
mentioned in the prophecy of Apostle Peter which will be the origin of Christ’s
“other sheep”? In a related prophecy, this is what we could read:
"From the far east will I bring your offspring, and from the
far west I will gather you." (Isaiah 43:5 Moffatt)
The “far away” place” that
Christ’s “other sheep” will come from is the “far east” mentioned in Isaiah’s
prophecy. The fulfillment of this biblical prophecy was the emergence of the Church Of Christ
(Iglesia Ni Cristo) in the Philippines.
The region where the Philippines
is located is called “Far East”:
"The Philippines
were Spain’s share of the
first colonizing movement in the Far East." (Boak, Arthur E. R., Slosson, Preston, and Anderson, Howard R. World
History. Madison
United States Armed Forces Institute, 1942, p. 445)
Thus, Christ’s “other sheep” was prophesied
by the Bible to emerge in the Far East. The
fulfillment of the biblical prophecy was the emergence of the Iglesia Ni Cristo
(Church Of Christ)
in the Philippines.
THE TIME OF THE RE-EMERGENCE
OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST
OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST
The time of the emergence of
Christ’s “other sheep” in the Far East was
also mentioned in the prophecy of Prophet Isaiah:
"Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the
east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to
the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the
ends of the earth." (Isaiah 43:5-6 KJV)
Christ’s “other sheep” were
recognized by the Lord God as His “sons and daughters” from the Far East. The prophecy also mentioned the time of the
emergence of Christ’s “other sheep” in the Far East
– in the time called “ends of the earth.”
Let us not confused the time
called “end of the earth” with “ends of the earth.” The time called “end of the
earth” is the end of the world or the Day of Judgment:
"And as he sat upon the
mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when
shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end
of the world?" (Matthew 24:3 KJV)
The “end of the earth” is at the
“second coming” of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, the “ends of the earth” is
the time when the “second coming” of the Lord Jesus Christ is near:
"As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of
Olives, the disciples came to him privately. ‘Tell us,’ they said,
‘when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end
of the age?’
"Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is
near, right at the door." (Matthew 24:33 NIV)
There will be signs that when we
saw, the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ or the “end of the earth” is
near, “right at the door.” The “signs” are the following:
"You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that
you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be
famines and earthquakes in various places.
All these are the beginning of birth pains." (Matthew 24:6-8 NIV)
According to the Lord Jesus
Christ Himself, there will be “wars and rumors of wars,” and “nations will rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom,” and there will also be famines
and earthquakes in various places. Take note that according to Jesus, “when you see all these things, you know that
it is near.” Thus, these are the signs that indicate when the time is at
the “ends of the earth.”
The “war” mentioned here by the
Lord Jesus Christ is the First World War, also called the Great War because:
(1) these “war” is one of the signs when the second coming of the Lord Jesus is
near (thus it could not be the wars happened in the first century, second
century, third century, and so on); and (2) this “war” was followed by another
“war” that described by Jesus as “nation against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom.” The First World War started in
July 27, 1914:
"The first great campaign on the southeastern battle grounds
of the Great War began on July 27, 1914, when the Austrian troops undertook
their first invasion of Serbia."
(Miller, Francis, Ed. The Story of the Great War, History of the European
War from Official Sources, Volume II, p. 923.)
The Iglesia Ni Cristo was
registered in the Philippine government on July 27, 1914. This was the official
date of the establishment of the Church
Of Christ in the Philippines.
Thus, the emergence of the Iglesia
Ni Cristo in the Philippines
in July 27, 1914 was the fulfillment of the biblical prophecies regarding the
emergence of Christ’s “other sheep,” the re-emergence of the Church Of Christ.
HOW DID CHRIST ESTABLISH THE CHURCH
OF CHRIST IN THE PHILIPPINES IN 1914?
OF CHRIST IN THE PHILIPPINES IN 1914?
How did the Lord Jesus Christ
establish the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) in the Philippines in
1914 when during that time He was already in heaven? This was also explained by
the Lord Jesus in His prophecy in John 10:16:
"And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also
I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one
shepherd." (John 10:16 NKJV)
The Lord Jesus said, “them also I must bring, and they will hear
My voice, and there will be one flock…” Thus, “there will be one flock” when “they
will hear My voice.” How could Christ’s voice be heard in the Philippines in
1914 when He was already in heaven at that time? According to Christ Himself, “He who hears you hears me”:
"He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me,
and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me." (Luke 10:16 RSV)
The Lord Jesus Christ does not
need to go to the Philippines
in 1914 and personally preach the Gospel in order for people to hear His voice.
Christ said, “He who hears you hears me.”
The Lord is referring to His messengers:
"In very truth I tell you, he who receives any messenger of
mine receives me, receiving me, he receives the One who sent me." (John 13:20 NEB)
Thus, the people will hear the voice
of the Lord Jesus Christ through His messenger. Remember what Christ said in
John 10:16 that, “them also I must bring,
and they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock…” The “flock”
referring to is the “Church
of Christ” (cf. Acts 20:28 Lamsa). Therefore,
through the instrumentality of God’s messenger in the last days, Christ was
able to build His Church (the Church Of Christ) in 1914.
We believe that Brother Felix Y.
Manalo is the Messenger of God whom He sent to preach the pristine Gospel of
Christ in the Philippines.
He was the one used by the Lord Jesus Christ so His voice will be heard by His
“other sheep” and so He could bring them also and form into one flock (the Church Of Christ). Hence, Brother Felix Y. Manalo
was not the founder of the Iglesia Ni Cristo or the Church Of Christ, but the messenger of God
sent to preach the pristine Gospel of Christ, and the one used by the Lord
Jesus Christ in re-establishing the Church Of Christ.
THUS, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS
INDEED THE TRUE FOUNDER OF THE IGLESIA NI CRISTO (CHURCH
OF CHRIST) IN THE PHILIPPINES, AND THE EMERGENCE OF THE IGLESIA NI
CRISTO IN THE PHILIPPINES IN
1914 WAS THE FULFILLMENT OF CHRIST’S PROMISE OF RE-ESTABLISHING HIS CHURCH
BECAUSE APOSTASY TOOK PLACE IN THE FIRST
CENTURY CHURCH
OF CHRIST.
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I am Proud to be a member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ)
for this Church is the one establish by the Lord Jesus Christ.
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