Lies and Heresies of Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ)

      The Iglesia ni Cristo always claim to be the Church Christ instituted. However, if we use history. The Iglesia ni Cristo is known for being the largest indigenous Protestant church in the Philippines. Meaning it could not have been instituted by Christ, who lived in Israel in the 1st Century. The Iglesia ni Cristo was started by Felix Y. Manalo. The Iglesia ni Cristo was started on July 27, 1914. If we calculate this, 1914-33= 1,881. This means, 1,881 years after Jesus' Ascension a man named Felix Manalo started a church. How can this be the Church Christ instituted? If we just use History, right away the Iglesia ni Cristo is exposed.

Beliefs of the INC:
Heresy Number 1: The Denial of the Holy Trinity

"Christ and the Apostles are united in teaching how many and who is the real God. Similar to other true Christians, according to Apostle Paul, there is only one God, the Father—not the Son and more so not the Holy Spirit. The Apostles also did not teach that there is one God who has three personas who are also Gods. ... It [Trinity] is not found in the Holy Scriptures or the Bible, and if [Catholic] priests ever use the Bible to prove this teaching of theirs, all are based only on suppositions and presumptions." - Pasugo November 1968

Heresy Number 2: The Denial of Christ's Divinity 

"The church sees Jesus as God's highest creation, and denies His divinity."

 "Similar to other true Christians, according to Apostle Paul, there is only one God, the Father—not the Son and more so not the Holy Spirit." -Pasugo November 1968

"The Lord Jesus Christ is not God"-Bruce Santos

What the Bible Says:

1. John 1:1 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
   1. John 1:14 - "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."
2. John 5:18 - "For this cause therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God."
3. John 8:24 - "I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins."
   1. Note: In the Greek, "He" is not there.
4. John 8:58 - "Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.'"
   1. Exodus 3:14 - "And God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM'; and He said, Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’"
5. John 10:30-33 - "I and the Father are one."  31 The Jews took up stones again to stone Him.  32 Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?"  33 The Jews answered Him, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God."
6. John 20:28 - "Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"
7. Col. 2:9 - "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form."
8. Phil. 2:5-8 - "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  9 Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
9. Heb. 1:8 - "But of the Son He says, "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom."
1. Quoted from Psalm 45:6, "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Thy kingdom."
10. 2 Peter 1:1-"Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:" 
11. ^{John 14:9-11-"}Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves."
12. Titus 2:13-"while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,"
13. 1 Timothy 1:1- "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,"
14. 2 Timothy 1:10- "but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."
15. Luke 1:47- "and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior," 
16. 1 Timothy 2:3- "This is good, and pleases God our Savior,"
17. Acts 20:28- "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood."

Heresy Number 3: Felix Y. Manalo as "God's Last Messenger" and an Angel

"The INC says that Manalo is the "angel from the east", mentioned in Revelation 7:1–3 who started the INC at the same time that World War I broke out. This period of time according to INC is referred to as the ends of the earth (cf Is 41:9-10; 43:5-6) the time when the end of the world is near, even at the doors (cf. Mt. 24:3, 33), which began with the outbreak of a war of global proportions (cf. Mt. 24:6-7) Felix Manalo is from the Philippines, which they say is in the ‘center’ of the Far East. The ‘four winds’ in Revelation 7:1-3, they say refers to World War I and the four angels are the four leaders known as the big four(Woodrow Wilson, Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau, and Vittorio Orlando) who they say worked on the prevention of the war."- The Milwaukee Journal (June 20, 1959)

"Then it is claimed, he got a "message" from God...Even Manalo is titled merely "Executive Minister."- The Milwaukee Journal (June 20, 1959)

Which one is it?

A Church minister says that Manalo’s ‘commission’ was in accordance with biblical prophecies pertaining to God’s calling a ‘messenger from the Far East’ (Rev. 7:2-3), who would preach to God’s sons and daughters (Isaiah 43:5-6; 46:11; 41:9-11). His task would involve stamping the seal of the living God on the foreheads of God’s servants, and the bringing of the ‘other sheep’ which were not within the Church during the time of Christ into the fold so that ‘there shall be one flock, one shepherd’-Pasugo (May/June 1986)

What the Bible says:

^"3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴ They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." -2 Timothy 4:3-4

"Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" -Hebrews 1:14

"...for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have."-Luke 24:39

"And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:

 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men." -Matthew 28:2-4

Heresy Number 4: The Iglesia ni Cristo as the Church Christ Instituted 

"Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you "-Pasugo (November 1973)

"The prophecy stated that God’s children shall come from the far east" -Pasugo (March 1975) 

"Adherents hold that Iglesia ni Cristo is the only true church of Jesus Christ as restored by Felix Manalo. The church recognizes Jesus Christ as the founder of the Church. Meanwhile, its reestablishment is seen as the signal for the end of days. For example, its founding in July 27, 1914 coincides with the beginning of World War I. They believe that the church was apostatized by the 1st or 4th century due to false teachings. The INC says that this apostate church is the Roman Catholic Church."- Wikipedia (Iglesia ni Cristo)

 "The INC teaches that its members constitute the "elect of God" and there is no salvation outside the Iglesia ni Cristo." - Wikipedia (Iglesia ni Cristo)

 What History and the Bible says:

^"13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

 ¹⁴ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

   ¹⁵ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

 ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

 ¹⁷ Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." -Matthew 16:13-18

"built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone." -Ephesians 2:20

"Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings." -Romans 16:16

"Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood." -Acts 20:28

HISTORY 

"In 1904, he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, entered the Methodist seminary, and became a pastor for a while. Manalo left the Methodist church in 1913, and associated himself with atheist and agnostic peers."- 122nd Birth Anniversary of Ka Felix Manalo (National Historical Commission of the Philippines)

"He later registered his new-found religion as the Iglesia ni Cristo (Tagalog for Church of Christ) on July 27, 1914 at the Bureau of Commerce as a corporation sole with himself as the first executive minister." -Wikipedia 

"Felix Y. Manalo officially registered the church with the Philippine Government on July 27, 1914 and because of this, most publications refer to him as the founder of the church." -Wikipedia

 Wikipedia recognizes Felix Y. Manalo as the founder of INC.