1. THE GOSPEL
The Kingdom of God or Jesus Christ?
OLD TEACHING:
“Soon after Christ’s ascension to heaven and the founding of the church in A.D. 31, a violent controversy arose, according to church history, as to whether the gospel to be proclaimed was the gospel OF Christ, or a gospel ABOUT Christ. The latter won out. False prophets did arise in the first century, saying Jesus was the Christ, but omitting altogether Jesus’ gospel which was the message of the coming world ruling kingdom of God to rule all nations after Christ’s Second Coming.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Are We In The Last Days? (1985), p. 8
“Jesus Christ said it is necessary to BELIEVE THE GOSPEL to be saved!
Yet the many – the hundreds of millions – today, do not know what the Gospel is!”
“But, one may ask, don’t we need to believe on Jesus? Of course. Other scriptures teach that. But at this particular time Jesus said we must believe Him – believe what He said – believe the Gospel of the Kingdom of God!”
“We hear a great deal today of the gospel of MEN about the PERSON of Jesus Christ – confining the message solely to the things ABOUT Jesus. As a result, millions believe on Christ, who do not BELIEVE CHRIST!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, What Is the True Gospel? (1972), pp. 4, 6, 7
NEW TEACHING:
“I am occasionally criticized by certain ones who think we are not preaching the gospel…But, much to their chagrin, I don’t listen.”
“I listen to the true gospel, the real good news…Jesus Christ and him crucified…which is the gospel of the kingdom of God!”
“But what about the gospel of the kingdom of God?…For the sake of answering our scripturally confused, dissident friends, let me digress a moment.”
“It is sheer nonsense to say that one of these is the gospel and the other is a false gospel.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Aug. 11, 1989
“…I was particularly happy with the powerful focus of these issues on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ – in other words, the true gospel and its true meaning for humanity.”
Joseph W. Tkach, letter to the ministry, PGR, Apr. 20, 1993
“The letter-writer stated his concerns in these words: ‘A new gospel, about the person of Christ, is being substituted for the glorious truth about the kingdom of God.”’
“The message about the person of Christ is…assumed to be different from, or a ‘substitute’ for, the message about the kingdom of God.”
“He was both the messenger and the message.”
“I hope the letter-writer I quoted above is the only one who has been laboring under those false assumptions. If not, I hope this has been helpful in refocusing our attention on the true gospel.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach: Understanding the True Gospel,” WN, May 25, 1993
“Why has the Church been preaching so much about Jesus Christ? Because Jesus Christ is what the gospel is all about.”
“That is why the Church is preaching about Jesus Christ so much! And that is precisely what the Church is going to continue to do.”
Joseph W. Tkach, letter to the ministry, PGR, Aug. 4, 1992
“During his lecture tour of the United States in 1962, Swiss theologian and author Karl Barth…was asked what his most important theological discovery was.”
“In this oft-told account, Dr. Barth is reputed to have said: ‘Jesus loves me this I know/For the Bible tells me so.’”
“How right he was.”
“The gospel is the good news that the long-awaited Messiah has come.”
Neil Earle, “Amnesty for Sinners,” PT, Nov.-Dec. 1994
Author’s note: Much was being said about Christ. Great focus and attention were given to His Person as though this was coming to more spiritual maturity. The WCG commonly quoted the New International Version (NIV) in their new, revised literature. The NIV translates Hebrews 6:1 as follows: “Let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity…”
The NKJV also adds helpful insight into this verse’s true meaning: “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection…”
Notice what Mr. Tkach wrote: “God is right now calling many of the people in this church to Jesus Christ for the first time, and the sad part is, some of them do not want to go. They didn’t have Christ where they came from, they don’t have Christ right now, and they are still refusing to listen to the voice of the One who is right now calling them to Christ.”
“God still demands one thing of you: believe in Jesus Christ. Nothing of any value at all has been taken away, and the focus has been placed on the one and only thing of eternal value: Jesus Christ.”
“That is what the Church is teaching today.”
Letter to member, Feb. 9, 1994
2. KINGDOM OF GOD
Future or Present?
OLD TEACHING:
“Haven’t you heard men speak of the Kingdom of God something like this: ‘By Christians every-where working together to bring about world peace, tolerance and brotherly love, the Kingdom of God may at last be established in the hearts of men.”
“Notice – read it in your own Bible: Jesus ‘added and spake a parable…because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear’ (Luke 19:11). WHY did Jesus speak this parable? Because some, even then, mistakenly thought the Kingdom should immediately appear – because some thought it would be THE CHURCH!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Just What Do You Mean…Kingdom of God? (1972), pp. 8, 20
“World leaders today are virtually unanimous in concluding that man’s only hope of being saved alive for even another generation lies in establishing an all-powerful super world government. Yet all confess that nations are utterly unable to bring it about.”
“But doesn’t it make you want to shout for joy, to realize what a civilization – what a world – is actually coming?”
“Doesn’t it make you want to really put your heart into your prayers, praying earnestly, ‘Oh God! Thy kingdom come’”
Herbert W. Armstrong, The Wonderful World Tomorrow, pp. 68, 73
“We must know whether the Kingdom of God is here NOW, or coming later…whether it is literal or figurative, real or unreal. And on many of these things, a great many people are ALL MIXED UP!”
“In Jesus’ prayer, so commonly called ‘The Lord’s Prayer,’ He prayed, ‘THY KINGDOM COME’ – then it wasn’t here yet, and it isn’t here yet, today – but He taught us to pray for it to COME, for His KINGDOM and that ALONE shall bring PEACE and HAPPINESS to this sin-sick, war-weary earth!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, What Is The True Gospel?, pp. 8, 11
NEW TEACHING:
“We have entered God’s Kingdom, and it absolutely changes our perspective.”
Ted Johnston, “From Birth to Inheritance: Entering the Kingdom of God,” WN, Dec. 29, 1992
“The kingdom is present…It exists right now.”
“Sermonette: When Is the Kingdom?”, Reviews You Can Use, Mar.-Apr. 1993
“The long-awaited rule of God was near. This message was called the gospel, the good news. Many thousands were eager to hear and respond to this message of John and Jesus.
“But consider for a moment what the response would have been like if they had preached, ‘The kingdom of God is 2,000 years away.’ The message would have been disappointing news…‘The kingdom is far away’ would have been considered neither news nor good.”
“John and Jesus preached a soon-coming kingdom, something that was near in time to their audiences.”
M. Morrison, “The Present and Future Kingdom of God,” Reviews You Can Use, Mar.-Apr. 1993
“Another overworked and misleading statement, ‘We can’t solve humanity’s problems,’ is, again, nothing more than an excuse by some to do nothing.”
“…we are called to participate in the kingdom of God! That means we, like Jesus, must get involved in relieving suffering.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Jan. 12, 1993
“God’s purpose was that Adam and Eve and their descendants expand the Garden of Eden until it filled the whole earth (Genesis 1:27-28). In the same manner, He means for Christians to expand what He has given us spiritually – the kingdom of God – until it fills the whole earth.”
Sheila Graham, “Stop Abusing God’s Creation,” PT, Mar. 1993
“Jesus was in the midst of the Pharisees but he lives within Christians. Jesus Christ brought the kingdom in his person.”
“In the same way, as he now lives in us, he inaugurates the kingdom of God.”
Norman L. Shoaf, “Jesus Christ Is Coming,” PT, Sep. 1993
“But we must submit our lives to the rule of Jesus Christ here and now if we are to enter his realm in the future. If we remain under the rule of the kingdom of God, our eternal future has already begun.”
Paul Kroll, “Your Place in the Kingdom of God,” PT, Oct. 1993
3. PROPHESIED ELIJAH
Herbert W. Armstrong a Type of or Only the Church
OLD TEACHING:
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.”
Malachi 4:5 (NKJV)
“Elijah truly shall first come, and restore all things.”
Matthew 17:11 (KJV)
“…John the Baptist was a man in the power and spirit of Elijah. John the Baptist came to prepare the way before the First Coming of Christ. He was a type of someone to prepare the way for the Second Coming of Christ.”
“So now prior to the Second Coming of Christ, there is someone…with a voice in the spiritual wilderness…crying out amid religious confusion…and preparing the way not for a physical Jesus, but a glorified Christ coming in all the supreme power and glory…”
“…the job God has called me to do is a prophesied job.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “Congress of Leading Ministers…,” WN, Mar. 6, 1981
Author’s note: While the Church’s former understanding is included here as a matter of historical record, this has been supplanted by the crystal-clear, irrefutable truth that Mr. Armstrong actually fulfilled a GREATER prophetic role—that of the end-time Moses, to be followed later by another who would be the final Elijah (Mal. 4:4-6).
NEW TEACHING:
“Just as Malachi prophesied of John the Baptist and just as the angel Gabriel expounded, a people would be prepared for God. From the Ephesian era until now, the Church of God fulfills that role of preparing a people for God.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Feb. 15, 1988
4. MATTHEW 24:14
Prophecy for Us or Wrong Focus?
OLD TEACHING:
“…there was a violent controversy over whether the gospel to be proclaimed was a gospel ABOUT Christ, or the gospel OF Christ. For nearly 1,900 years Christ’s Gospel of the Kingdom of God was thereafter NOT PROCLAIMED to the world. But Jesus had said, ‘THIS gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto ALL NATIONS, and then shall the end [of this world] come.’”
“It is now true that this Gospel has been proclaimed within EVERY NATION ON EARTH BY THE WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD. NO OTHER CHURCH has proclaimed THIS true Gospel at all!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Co-worker Letter, Jan. 1986
“Meanwhile, prophecy is being fulfilled by GOD’S Church. When Jesus was asked for the sign that His coming was near, He said, ‘This Gospel OF THE KINGDOM shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end [of this world] come’ (Matt. 24:14). While you have been backing me proclaiming that Gospel for the first time in 1,900 years into ALL THE WORLD, the weapons of mass destruction have been produced that could ERASE ALL LIFE FROM THE EARTH. That had to happen before the Great Tribulation. All prophecies leading to the END OF THIS WORLD are being rapidly fulfilled.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Co-worker Letter, June 22, 1983
NEW TEACHING:
“[Mr. Ronald Kelly] also noted that the Church was not always accurate in its understanding of prophecy.”
“The Church’s commission is based on Matthew 28:19, 20, which says to go into all the world, not Matthew 24:14, continued Mr. Kelly.”
“‘We’ve refocused on the main crux of Christianity, the message of Jesus Christ.’”
“Forum and Assembly,” The Portfolio, Mar. 4, 1993
“Mr. [Michael] Snyder’s letter to us, dated April 29, 1991, stated: ‘The Church no longer makes the claim that the gospel was not preached for eighteen and a half centuries.’”
McDowell and Stewart, The Deceivers: What Cults Believe (1992), p. 286
5. WARNING THE WORLD
Commanded Duty or Self-Righteous Stench?
OLD TEACHING:
“Through the years, The Plain Truth has continued to act as a ‘watchman’ of world events (Luke 21:36; Ezek. 33), to explain what certain trends mean in light of Bible prophecy and warn our readers of perilous times that lie just ahead.”
“Instead of retaining false hopes of human-devised world government, The Plain Truth has for 50 years pointed to the ultimate solution for solving mankind’s overwhelming problems. We announce the restoration of the government of God by justice and true mercy to a confused world.”
“Where We Have Been,” PT, Sep. 1985
“God Almighty has called and authorized me to ‘CRY ALOUD, AND SPARE NOT, AND SHOW OUR PEOPLE THEIR SINS! [Isaiah 58:1.]’”
“Personal from Herbert W. Armstrong,” PT, Sep. 1985
“Ezekiel’s message is NOT to the Jewish slaves among whom Ezekiel was living. It was to the HOUSE OF ISRAEL (Ezek. 2:3 and 3:1). The prophet Ezekiel was never able to break loose from Babylonish slavery and proclaim his message to the kingdom of Israel, by then dwelling in western Europe and Britain. THE MESSAGE OF THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL IS GOD’S MESSAGE TO US TODAY – FOR WE ARE THE PEOPLE of the ancient house of ISRAEL, of the tribe of Manasseh.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “Now God Speaks to You Ministers,” GN, Oct.-Nov. 1979
NEW TEACHING:
“When we cut down the religious beliefs of others we were a self-righteous stench in the nostrils of God! Isaiah 58:1 isn’t even talking about the world – it’s talking about the Church!”
Joseph W. Tkach, sermon preached at Detroit, Michigan, 1990
“[A disfellowshipped evangelist] clings to the error that Ezekiel 33:1-7 is a commission to the Church…”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Jan. 26, 1993
“The Plain Truth has been redesigned ‘cover to cover’ according to Pastor General Joseph W. Tkach, publisher of the magazine.”
“Mr. [Greg] Albrecht said the new design ‘firmly positions the magazine with our readers as a religious magazine with a dignified, thoughtful, friendly approach, while avoiding an overly dogmatic feel.’”
Sheila Graham, “Redesign of The Plain Truth…,” WN, Dec. 29, 1992
“Ezekiel’s timeless warning preceded Babylon’s final destruction of Jerusalem. The Jews did not respond to his call for repentance and active social involvement.”
“The same message applies to Christians today.”
“Groups such as the Salvation Army epitomize the Christian mission to participate by standing together against the forces that are eroding and destroying our societies and families.”
“Christians refuse to stand by and watch the world crumble.”
Greg Albrecht, “Making a Difference,” PT, Feb. 1994
6. UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN – IDENTITY
Revealed to Mr. Armstrong or Not?
OLD TEACHING:
“After exhaustive study and research, I had found it PROVED that the so called ‘lost Ten Tribes’ of Israel had migrated to Northwestern Europe, the British Isles, and later the United States – that the British were the descendants of Ephraim, younger son of Joseph, and the United States modern-day Manasseh, elder son of Joseph – and that we possessed the national wealth and resources of the Birthright which God had promised to Abraham through Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.”
“Did this Church accept and proclaim this vital new truth – the KEY that unlocks the doors to all PROPHECY? Here was the KEY to understanding one-third of the whole Bible. But this church refused to accept it to this day…”
Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong, Vol. 1 (1986), pp. 361-362
“Concerning your question about how I as a professional historian feel about attaching my name to any rewrite of The United States and Britain in Prophecy, I have no qualms about being included…The new publication will, of course, be more a theological statement than a historical one. As Dr. Hoeh has observed, ‘there is some fragmentary evidence in history, but the proof is in prophecy.’”
“Is there historical evidence to make the case? Absolutely! In fact, there is far more than we could ever use…”
“While our thesis may not be welcomed or accepted by every member of the scholarly community, no one has submitted any more plausible an argument. At the risk of repeating myself, history cannot prove our position wrong. Indeed, history provides us with a substantial body of evidence to build our case.”
Names withheld, Ambassador College interoffice memo, Dec. 5, 1991
NEW TEACHING:
“I would not preach on the topic of Israel in end-time prophecy…All it will do is generate more questions and possibly more confusion. To directly answer your question, I would not stick my neck out on it at all.”
“When you stop and consider the significance of Acts 4:12 (neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved) the teaching of US & BC has no significance. The national identity is of no consequence given Christ’s sacrifice.”
“In light of the New Testament, and the centrality of Christ in God’s plan of salvation (as mentioned above) much of the relevance of our teaching on US & BC is reduced to – so what!”
“All of our traditional proofs are based upon folklore, legend, myth, and superstition.”
“It is not possible to say that this was revealed to Mr. Armstrong…”
Joseph Tkach Jr., message to field minister, Aug. 10, 1992
7. NATIONAL IDENTITY OF ISRAEL
United States and Britain or Jesus Christ?
OLD TEACHING:
“Notice the twofold promise: 1) ‘I will make of thee A GREAT NATION’ – the national, material promise that his flesh-born children should become a great nation – a promise of RACE; 2) ‘…and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed’ – the spiritual promise of GRACE.”
“This is a pivotal point. This is the point where professing ‘Christians’ and their teachers jump the track of truth. This is the point where they switch off the track that would lead them to the missing master key to the prophecies. They miss the fact that God gave Abraham promises of physical RACE as well as spiritual GRACE.”
“The spiritual promises – the promise of the ‘one seed,’ Christ, and of salvation through Him – the Bible calls the sceptre. But the material and national promises relating to many nations, national wealth, prosperity and power, and possession of the Holy Land, the Bible calls the birthright.”
“‘The sceptre shall not depart from Judah…’ (Gen. 49:10).”
“‘…But the birthright was Joseph’s (I Chron. 5:2).”
“These material promises for this life, then, belonged to an altogether different tribe among the children of Israel than the sceptre promise of the kingly line culminating in Jesus Christ, which spiritual promise belonged in the tribe of Judah!”
“Of proof that our white, English-speaking peoples today – Britain and America – are actually and truly the birthright tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh of the ‘lost’ house of Israel there is so much we shall have space for but a small portion in this book.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, The U.S. and Britain in Prophecy, (1980), pp. 22, 23, 35, 36, 49, 119
NEW TEACHING:
“It is also interesting to study why these genealogies were included in the Gospels.”
“[Matthew] showed that the ultimate purpose of Israel’s history, including the lives of its most famous people, was to accomplish the birth of Christ. Jesus Christ fulfilled the major purpose of the national identity of Israel.”
“Q & A,” PT, Nov.-Dec. 1992
“We have removed The United States and Britain in Prophecy from circulation because of several problems. The Church has never addressed the fact that many of the covenants and promises in the Old Testament were fulfilled. Additionally, we have never addressed how these promises should be understood with respect to the sacrifice of Christ.”
David G. Hunsberger, WCG PCD Letter to Member, July 22, 1993
8. PURPOSE OF PROPHECY
Warning or Encouragement?
OLD TEACHING:
“God inspired His Prophet Amos to tell us, ‘The Lord Eternal never does anything without telling his servants the prophets’ (Amos 3:7, Moffat translation).”
“Before God intervenes in the affairs of a nation, or the world, He first sends His servants to warn those who will be directly affected by what He intends to do.”
“The purpose of prophecy, therefore, is threefold. First, it is given in love to encourage people to repent of their sins so they can escape punishment. Second, it is given for those who don’t repent at first, so that when their punishment comes, they will then acknowledge their sins and repent toward the God who will then deliver and rescue them! (Deut. 4:25-31) Third, it announces in advance the coming Kingdom of God, the wonderful world tomorrow – a time of the restoration of this earth to a condition of prosperity, peace and abundant well-being.”
How to Understand Prophecy (1972), pp. 5-6
NEW TEACHING:
“God has led us to see that the purpose of prophecy is to guide us to Him…to remind us that He is Judge…to assure us of His love, mercy, faithfulness and justice, as well as to encourage us and to reassure us that our faith is not in vain.”
“God promises to see us through hard times, not prevent them.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Aug. 19, 1991
“For some ministers and members, it can be as real an addiction as dependence on drugs. I know this is difficult for some of you to read. I know because I used to be somewhat of a prophecy addict also.”
“If you begin to think that this is ‘Armstrong bashing,’ then please realize that you may have a more serious case of prediction addiction. Please discontinue such misrepresentation of reality.”
“We need to assist people in breaking through the first stages of denial (of prediction addiction) and help them overcome it.”
Joseph Tkach Jr., “Church Administration,” PGR, Mar. 17, 1993
9. CHRIST’S RETURN
Imminent or Far Off?
OLD TEACHING:
“The KINGDOM of GOD is, simply the world-ruling GOVERNMENT of God. It is absolutely not a sentimental, ethereal, imaginary something ‘set up in the hearts of men.’ It is something REAL! It is SOON COMING!”
“And Jesus Christ was born to be the KING of the WORLD GOVERNMENT (Luke 1: 30-33; John 18:36-37; Revelation 11:15; 19:11-16). As Jesus so promised His disciples that He would return – so, now soon He will return to RULE THE WHOLE EARTH and bring us peace at last!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “What Is Now Prophesied!” PT, Mar. 1980
“World events are moving swiftly toward the grand-smash climax at the CLOSE of this world – THIS CIVILIZATION!…indications now are that God will allow Satan to SPEED UP his wrath, for he knows he has but a short time! The devil knows it because Jesus’ SIGN we are near the END OF THIS WORLD (Matt. 24:14), which YOU have backed me in proclaiming to the world – the Gospel of THE KINGDOM OF GOD – has been going to the world in great POWER!”
“Yes, we are running out of time! World events are moving now swiftly!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Co-worker Letter, Sep. 17, 1982
NEW TEACHING:
“We tended to look at all prophecy primarily in the light of the end time – the future.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Nov. 25, 1991
“As we look at today’s rapidly changing political world, we must not be deceived into believing that the end of the age is imminent.”
Joseph W. Tkach, Co-worker Letter, Apr. 22, 1992
“…we should have learned our lesson. But…we continued to proclaim…that worldwide calamity followed by Jesus’ return was unquestionably imminent.”
Joseph W. Tkach, “Prediction Addiction,” PT, Sep. 1993
Author’s note: Christ said, “But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 24:48-51, NKJV). The WCG began voicing the idea that “100 years and 3 more world wars” could precede Christ’s Return.
10. 7,000-YEAR PLAN
Reality or Unfounded Myth?
OLD TEACHING:
“[God’s] Master Plan involves a duration of 7,000 years. The seven literal days of creation were a type.”
“With God, ‘one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day’ (II Peter 3:8).”
“So, in other words, the first 6,000 years were allotted to allow Satan to labor at his work of deceiving the world, followed by 1,000 years (one millennial day) when Satan shall not be allowed to do any of his work of deception. Put another way, God marked out six millennial days to allow man to indulge in the spiritual labor of sin, followed by a millennium of spiritual rest, under the enforced Government of God.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, The Wonderful World Tomorrow (1979), pp. 47-48
NEW TEACHING:
“We will undoubtedly hear prophetic speculations about the end of the world as the year 2000 approaches.”
“According to this concept, the seven days of the week or the seven days of creation are considered types of this 7,000-year plan…interpreted by the ‘one day is as a thousand years’ statement of II Peter 3:8.”
“[Peter] used the thousand-years statement as a metaphor of God’s eternity, that human measurements of time mean nothing to God.”
“Personal Answers,” PT, July 1992
“Based on the seven-day week, and on the seven days of creation, some have reasoned that God has also set aside some 7000 years to work with man. Verse 8 in 2 Peter 3, which includes the words ‘one day is as a thousand years,’ is used to support this view.”
“It is not wise to use this reference to establish a set method for calculating biblical chronology that God has not clearly revealed.”
“God’s plan centers around his power, love, and saving grace, not chronologies and ‘endless genealogies, which cause disputes’ (I Timothy 1:4).”
WCG PCD Letter L057
11. TRINITY DOCTRINE
False or True?
OLD TEACHING:
“GOD IS NOW A FAMILY of Persons, composed so far of only the TWO – God the Father and Christ the Son…all being filled and led by God’s Spirit shall become BORN sons of God. The GOD FAMILY will then RULE ALL NATIONS with the GOVERNMENT OF GOD RESTORED!”
“The Trinity doctrine limits God to a supposed three Persons. It DESTROYS the very gospel of Jesus Christ! His gospel is the good news of the now soon-coming KINGDOM OF GOD – the only hope of this world and its mixed-up mankind!”
“The word trinity is not used anywhere in the Bible.”
“The counterfeit Christianity spawned by Simon the Sorcerer was promoting it vigorously along with the pagan Easter. But the true Church of God vigorously resisted it. The controversy became so violent it threatened the peace of the world.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Mystery of the Ages (1985), pp. 50-51, 54-55
“No one can possibly understand the ‘three in one.’ When pointedly questioned concerning the belief in a Triune or three-in-one God, the answer is in effect – WHO KNOWS? It is something we must accept in faith.”
“‘The mind of man cannot fully understand the mystery of the Trinity. He who would try to understand the mystery fully will lose his mind. But he who would deny the Trinity will lose his soul’ (Harold Lindsell and Charles J. Woodbridge, A Handbook of Christian Truth, pp. 51-52).”
“Why has Satan palmed off the doctrine of the Trinity on the world? Because he doesn’t want YOU to rule in his place.”
“If they can make you believe in the Trinity, you will be deceived into thinking that the Godhead consists of only three persons. You would then never in your wildest dreams ever imagine that YOU were created to be born into the GOD FAMILY and actually share in ruling the universe.”
The God Family and the Holy Spirit, pp. 7, 12, 13
NEW TEACHING:
“The Bible does reveal three entities within the one Godhead – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
“All Christians realize that any humanly worded formula cannot really describe God with complete clarity. Thus the Trinity doctrine has been accepted as a mystery – part of the ‘mystery of godliness’ (I Timothy 3:16). It is accepted on faith, with the admission that it cannot be perfectly understood.”
God Is…, pp. 41, 44
“The one true God – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – created all that is.”
Joseph W. Tkach, “The Greatest Scientist,” PT, July 1993
“We are teaching a form of the Trinity, though not the exact variations of the concept that have been commonly taught. We find flaws in most Trinitarian teachings that we are attempting to avoid. The word ‘trinity’ originally meant ‘three’ and we have always believed that the one God is somehow three – Father, Son and Holy Spirit as mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 28:19.”
David G. Hunsberger, Letter to Member, WCG PCD, Sep. 23, 1993
“The Worldwide Church of God does teach a form of the Trinity since we believe there is One God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”
“Is [your second question] a restatement of number one? Or do you mean something else by the term ‘Trinitarian Church’?”
“Since we do teach a form of the Trinity, this question is negated.”
David G. Hunsberger, WCG PCD letter, Jan. 11, 1994
“God, by the testimony of Scripture, is one divine Being in three eternal, coessential, yet distinct hypostases, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”
“God,” Statement of Beliefs (1993)
“Yes, the Worldwide Church of God believes in a form of the Trinity. This is explained in our latest edition of the booklet God Is…”
“The Church has been reviewing this doctrine for several years and formally announced it to the membership last summer.”
David G. Hunsberger, WCG PCD Letter, Mar. 1, 1994
“Another heresy is the idea that…the one God is sometimes the Father, sometimes the Son, and sometimes the Holy Spirit, but not all three all the time.”
Joseph W. Tkach, PGR, July 27, 1993
Author’s note: Carried to the end of this thinking, that God is “all three all the time,” where was the Father when Christ was on the earth? And if God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit were sort of “Siamese triplets,” how could one-third of one being die? By this definition, mankind has no Savior. We have a Christ who stayed alive, inextricably bound into a three-in-one godhead, with what must only have been a “discarded body” when He died. (See change 18, where this concept is clearly developed.) The term “Siamese triplets” is not meant to be irreverent or disrespectful. It is merely used to explain the classic trinitarian concept of three-in-oneness. A trinitarian believes there are three distinct God “hypostases” within one indistinct spirit that permeates all things all the time. Hence, the term “Siamese triplets”—where one is the other two all the time.
“In this letter I want to focus on why we have chosen the word hypostases over the word persons…When we express the biblical truth that God is one and at the same time three, we need to use words that do not imply three Gods, or three separate God beings.”
Joseph W. Tkach, PGR, Aug. 27, 1993
Author’s note: “The Worldwide Church of God’s term of choice for God is hypostases. Following are the Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary definitions of the word. Certain of the definitions have to do with medical terminology…pertaining to the blood, are not relevant, and have not been included: ‘hypostases 2a. in the original Nicene use: the essence or the substance of the triune Godhead—called also ousia; b. in later use (1): one of the persons the Godhead or Trinity (2): the individual as subject or substance; c. the whole personality of Christ as distinguished from his human and divine nature… 4. philos a. plotinism [as taught by Plotinos, 205-265 A.D.]: any of the three aspects or essential principles constituting the Godhead (1): the transcendent one (2): nous, or spirit (3): Logos, world soul; b. Thomism: the substance or rational nature of an individual or person; also: personal, individual; c. substance as an ontological entity or category: a self subsistent reality or mode of being; d. a hypothetical or conceptual entity: a reified abstraction.’”
“The Church puts all questions about the nature of God in perspective by recognizing that their importance is primarily historical…”
“…the Worldwide Church of God has made a clear distinction between issues that are strictly biblical, and issues that are essentially theological or philosophical.”
K.J. Stavrinides, Reviews You Can Use, Jan.-Feb. 1991 (Doctrinal Statements…within the WCG, 1991 Tanner Lectures, Trinity Evangelical School, pp. 7, 8)
“We need to keep this subject [the nature of God] in its proper place. The Church [K.J. Stavrinides] has stated that understanding ‘the nature of God’ is not necessary for salvation. It has been admitted to be a peripheral issue.”
K. Williams, Letter from pastor to member, Rochester, New York, Sept. 1, 1993
Author’s note: This entire new teaching amounted to the absolute disfellowshipping of the true God from the Worldwide Church of God.
“I was first challenged on this point when I put a ‘Personal’ in The Plain Truth, in which I set forth the traditional arguments against the Trinity. In response, I received a letter from a priest, who said he had respected The Plain Truth, but now realized we had no idea of what we were talking about.”
“I put several men to work on it, and what we began to find, after a short time, was that most of what we had written on the development and history of the Trinity doctrine was at best superficial and based on misunderstanding, and at worst, just plain false.”
“Mr. Armstrong, as I said, was simply never formally challenged on this point, or I’m confident he would have changed it himself.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Aug. 3, 1993
“In the centuries following the apostolic age, reflections on the nature of God…became ‘Trinitarian’ in order to combat heresies…not to foster ‘pagan’ beliefs.”
Joseph Tkach Jr., “Church Administration,” PGR, Jan. 11, 1994
“In February of 1991, two authorities of the Worldwide Church of God were invited to Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Deerfield, Illinois) to speak about their doctrinal changes at the Tanner Lecture Series. Dr. Ruth A. Tucker, along with several noted theologians and apologists, listened and responded with questions to the speakers. The Worldwide Church of God was changing positions on doctrines and was asking for the input of Christian leaders.”
“The Worldwide Church of God representatives were Michael A. Snyder, David Hulme (Director of Communications and Public Affairs), and J. Michael Feazell (Executive Assistant to Joseph Tkach, Pastor General).”
“There will be ongoing dialogue with the leadership of the Worldwide Church of God. Since their doctrines are in a stage of transition, we have placed them in this special section of our book.”
“When we got to the rejection of the Trinity, we found that there were some unsettled questions among the authorities. We were assured that they are still studying on it and it is not a closed subject with them.”
“On the subject of the Holy Spirit we saw that one of the authorities was willing to call Him by the personal pronouns found in John 14, 15, and 16 – He, Him, His. The gentleman said he cannot deny what John has written and promised more study in the future.”
McDowell and Stewart, The Deceivers: What Cults Believe, p. 286
“The Worldwide Church of God teaches the full divinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and affirms the oneness of God.”
“The Worldwide Church of God teaches the full divinity of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit – the biblical foundation for all Trinitarian discussions.”
“The doctrine of grace…is as fundamental to Christianity as the doctrine of the nature of God.”
“Even though the Worldwide Church of God considers some positions of the Trinity to be heretical (for example, all forms of Arianism), it sees the Eastern, Western, Protestant, and modernist views of the nature of God as genuine attempts to reach a deeper understanding of God’s nature.”
K.J. Stavrinides, Reviews You Can Use, Jan.-Feb. 1991(Quoted in Summary of Doctrinal Statements…within the WCG, 1991 Tanner Lectures, Trinity Evangelical School, pp. intro, 7, 8)
Author’s note: The above quotes reveal an astonishing sequence of events. They were written and prepared in 1991 as the official public position of the Worldwide Church of God on the doctrine of the trinity. This was a full two and a half years before it was admitted to the brethren for the first time. The incredible truth this picture represents is that Church leadership had carefully and deliberately planned years before to make this change while denying it over and over to the Church. Anyone who tried to say the new teaching defining God as three hypostases in one being was the trinity was deemed a rumormonger and liar. Incredible! (See change 174 for one such denial that preceded the coming reality of what was denied.)
“With regard to the current issue of your publication…the headlines on the lower front cover, ‘Insiders Report: Worldwide poised to adopt Doctrine of the Trinity,’ and on page 3, ‘Worldwide Church of God Accepts Trinity Doctrine,’ do not reflect the vital distinctions and definitions that have been made.”
“It is no secret that Mr. Tkach wants to improve the doctrines of the Church wherever this is necessary. Neither is it a secret that some splinter groups have been formed…There is a sensitive way of presenting this material to the members so as not to encourage them into the arms of splinter groups.”
“You are torpedoing the efforts of the Church to represent the truth in the right way.”
D. Hulme, Letter to James Walker of the Watchman Fellowship, Aug. 3, 1993
“Thank you, Dr. Tucker, and good afternoon to you all.”
“Allow me to take you through some of the present thinking then of the Worldwide Church of God. We had a pretty vigorous discussion yesterday with a number of senior members of the Trinity faculty and we were appreciative of their views. What I did was to take them through some of the same material that you’ll find in the handout.”
Author’s note: The handout referred to above was the Summary of Doctrinal Statements and Recent Changes within the Worldwide Church of God, which was quoted from under change 11.
“What I will do is try to take you through some of the more important changes that have occurred in the last four to five years. I think sitting down and exploring some of these things in an open environment, which I certainly had the feeling yesterday we were in, is a very encouraging development. So we’re here for two reasons: to open a dialogue with other major religious groups, and to hopefully clear up some of the misconceptions that exist.”
“…the publication of Herbert Armstrong’s work Mystery of the Ages, which was his last book, was an attempt on his part to catalog the major beliefs of the Church, drawing mostly on previously published material. He himself considered that work to be in need of revision almost as soon as it had been published and said so on videotape which we have. But then he died and we were left with the quandary then what we’d do with this book that he himself had said needed revising. We were already in the process of making a number of changes so we decided to pull that book from circulation. That book is no longer circulated in the Worldwide Church of God.”
“Shortly after Herbert Armstrong’s death, Joseph Tkach organized a senior group of Worldwide Church of God ministers into a doctrinal review team. I sit on that panel along with a number of others. and we’ve been extensively examining all of the major beliefs of the Church. That’s a process that will go on for many months to come.”
“Most of you probably haven’t realized the degree of influence that theologians and religious scholars have played over the years within in the Church of God. I’m talking about scholars external to the Worldwide Church of God.”
“We recently issued a new paper on the subject of the Trinity. which was drafted by a senior Church minister who is a graduate of the University of London, studied under Christopher Evans, [unintelligible word] New Testament, at King’s College. We consider yesterday’s discussion here on that subject to be very helpful. Michael Snyder and I went home last night and thought a great deal and talked a great deal about what we heard yesterday from a number of scholars here.”
“Let me come to our Statement of Beliefs then. I think it’s profitable to review some of the items from the latest Statement.”
“Now. I should also mention at this stage that we published a fairly scholarly paper on the Trinity, which has been sent to some theologians. I invited the gentlemen yesterday to write a critique of that paper. Not to indicate anybody here, but so far I have had – we have received – no critique of that paper. Now, if we’re to have an honest exchange, then someone has to give us something in response to what we give, and we’d be happy to consider it.”
“[Reading from the Statement of Beliefs:] ‘The Worldwide Church of God teaches the full divinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and affirms the oneness of God.”’
Author’s note: The above statement is the trinity by all definitions.
“[Reading from Dr. Stavrinides’ paper on the Trinity:] ‘The Worldwide Church of God teaches the full divinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – the biblical foundation for all Trinitarian discussions. It accepts every facet of God’s self-disclosure as found in the Holy Scriptures. It does not teach an eastern or a western formula, and it does not endorse a particular philosophical or theological position as preferable.
“‘The Church puts all questions about the nature of God in perspective by recognizing that their importance is primarily historical. Had the early churches not been plagued with this problem, the nature of God would not need to be isolated above other doctrines, Of course, the nature of God should be but one of many doctrines that need to be constantly searched for a better understanding and better formulation, and a greater refinement.
“‘Speaking from the perspective of God’s Word, there is no reason for the Church today to hold the doctrine of God’s nature in isolation as a criterion of orthodoxy or heresy. What the Church needs to see is its own role in a broader light to confront modern issues and to overcome obstacles that affect its worldwide mission. In order to facilitate this goal, the Worldwide Church of God has made a clear distinction between issues that are strictly biblical and issues that are essentially theological or philosophical.’ (And a missing statement) – ‘The former are easily accessible through the Bible in any translation, while the latter requires special training or expertise.
“‘The Worldwide Church of God has made all biblical truths an indispensable part of its teaching including the teaching that God is one but not the specific way in which God is one, which is entirely a philosophical matter. It teaches the full divinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but it does not argue whether God is an essential, a personal, or a super-personal being in the way these terms are used by theologians.
“‘The Church highly respects the need for deeper theological work. It believes that a full and accurate statement on the nature of God would be a major achievement in the history of dogmatic, but, in the meantime, it defers to experts whose task is to dissect, analyze, and define what normally lies beyond the resources of the vast majority of believers.
“‘Even though the Worldwide Church of God considers some positions on the Trinity to be heretical – for example: all forms of arianism – it sees the eastern, western, Protestant, and modernist views of the nature of God as genuine attempts to reach a deeper understanding of God’s nature. The impact of each view on the other issues is colossal. After all, the interrelationships we ascribe to the godhead are bound to be reflected in the daily life of the Church.’ (An issue that came up yesterday.) ‘Furthermore, all truth is precious, and only through a continuing sincere and healthy dialogue can some truths be firmly established.’ Written by a Greek scholar, K.J. Stavrinides, January-February 1991.
“Mike Snyder is going to take a session in a few minutes. Well, thank you for your attention.”
D. Hulme, WCG Director, “Recent Trendy,” Tanner Lecture Series, Trinity Evangelical Divinity Seminary, Feb. 1991
“The Triune nature of God is an essential part of Worldwide Church of God doctrine. Many people find the doctrine of the Trinity mystifying. But it need not be a barrier to faith. We publish a booklet entitled God Is…to help readers understand the three-fold nature of God.”
We’re Often Asked (1994), p. 4
“Concerning the nature of God, for example, we used to teach what amounted to a polytheistic view: two God beings.”
“Therefore, we now teach what the Bible teaches – one God and only one God. He exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…Three distinct (but not separate) hypostases, or three divine Persons…but one and only one God, who is always Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…We have also produced a new, revised edition of the booklet, God Is…, which goes into detail explaining that this doctrine is essential to the Bible’s revelation of God.”
“Unless the official Church doctrine on the nature of God is biblically correct, the door is left open to all kinds of damaging heresies.”
Joseph W. Tkach, Letter to Ministry, PGR, June 8, 1994
Author’s note: This last statement is true. This is because when you open the heresy of the trinity, one must necessarily drag with it many other damaging heresies into official teaching.
“The Bible tells us there is one and only one God, and then presents us with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, all eternal, and all doing things only God can do.”
“At first glance, the concept of ‘one in three’ and ‘three in one’ appears illogical to human reason. Yet we believe it, even though it is not simple or easy to explain, because the Bible reveals it.”
“In trying to express the oneness and threeness of God, Greek-speaking Christians used a special word…”
“Hypostasis or, in plural form, hypostases, is appropriate to use of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
“Mainstream Christianity adopted belief in the Trinity, which describes God as one divine Being existing in three, co-essential hypostases, or persons, at the Council of Constantinople (A.D. 381).”
“This article is excerpted from the booklet God Is…”
“God Is…”, PT, July 1994
“You asked if the Worldwide Church of God is a Trinitarian church. The Church believes, and has publicly stated, that there is one God (Romans 3:30) who is revealed in the Bible to be Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). This is considered to be a Trinitarian teaching. The word trinity means ‘three’ and the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three in one sense and one in another sense. This is explained in our booklet God Is…”
D. Hunsberger, Letter to Member, PCD, Apr. 24, 1994
“The Worldwide Church of God believes in one God (Deut. 6:4). In this context, it teaches the full divinity of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit – the biblical foundation for all Trinitarian discussions.”
WCG PCD Letter L308
“You mentioned that it has not yet been made clear to you whether our teaching about the nature of God is Trinitarian. Yes, our teaching is Trinitarian.”
“If someone asks you if we are Trinitarian, you can simply say ‘yes’ and this will be correct.”
David G. Hunsberger, Letter to Member, Jan. 14, 1994
Author’s note: As shown above, the WCG began at that time plainly admitting to its membership that it was a trinitarian church. As pointed out in change 11 of this book, the administration was in the process of accepting the doctrine of the trinity years before it confessed such a belief to the membership. Change 174 proves that the leadership was denying it believed the trinity as late as August of 1993, in spite of the fact that it was being taught in the God Is… booklet in 1992. Phillip Arnn of the Watchman Expositor explains why a full admission took so long.
“In our opinion, the leadership of the WCG is caught between a rock and a hard place.”
“Many of their top ministers are attending bible schools outside of the church and are being exposed to orthodox theology. They are bringing these doctrines, these new doctrinal understandings, back into the church and actually changing church doctrine – the doctrine of who God is, the doctrine of ‘born again’ – these have all been changed to conform more with orthodox Christian thinking.”
“So we applaud them for their research and their understanding. But at the same time, to make such a drastic change, they are concerned that they’re going to lose a lot of members, ‘cause these are 180 degrees opposite of what they have always taught. So they are actually telling the members that they are not making any changes whatsoever, but that they’re just explaining the old doctrines in a different way.”
“The new scholarship that’s coming into the church, into the leadership, is moving towards and really is indistinguishable from the Trinitarian view of God.”
“Talking about the Holy Spirit, they said that the Holy Spirit is Divine the Holy Spirit is Divinity. Now when you say that you paint yourself into a corner. There is no way of saying that the Holy Spirit is Deity without saying at the same time that the Holy Spirit is everything that the Father is and everything that the Son is. So they have accepted the Trinity doctrine, even though for the sake of their membership they will not actually use the term trinity. So it’s a major doctrinal shift.”
“We understand the position that the church is in. We really don’t have a problem if they don’t use the term trinity as long as they teach the Trinity. They have a problem with their membership perceiving that they’ve accepted a doctrine that historically they have taught was pagan. The membership had been taught for 59 years that the trinity was a pagan doctrine, and now all of a sudden the church is teaching that. So they have to use a different language with the membership, than they are with the orthodox Christian community. And we can understand their position.”
Dr. D. Kennedy, interview with Phillip Arnn, “Truths That Transform,” 1993
Author’s note: How revealing—a “Christian” man condoning what the WCG has done in lying to and deceiving its membership! Let’s not forget that while the WCG leadership was admitting to the world in FEBRUARY OF 1991 that it was coming to accept the doctrine of the trinity as legitimate it was still telling its membership the following in July of 1991.
“‘How are we any different from the Protestant churches?’ one person asked. ‘What makes us unique anymore?’”
“At the risk of sounding silly, let me remind you of just a few ways in which we differ.”
“We do not believe the doctrine of the Trinity.”
Joseph W. Tkach, “Personal,” WN, July 22, 1991
Author’s note: The next quote illustrates the point that Philip Arnn was making.
“The newly printed Statement of Beliefs of the Worldwide Church of God will be mailed to you soon.”
“In the statement about God, you will notice that the final sentence reads:
“The Church affirms the oneness of God and the full divinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
“Someone may ask. ‘Does this mean we now accent the doctrine of the Trinity?’ No. It does not.”
“Someone may ask, ‘Why does the statement use the word divinity in reference to the Holy Spirit?”’
“We need to understand that the Holy Spirit is divine and eternal.”
“We affirm what the Bible reveals: the oneness of God and the divinity and unity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Dec. 23, 1991
12. FAMILY OF GOD
God is One or Has One?
OLD TEACHING:
“The fourth word in all the Bible is ‘God’ (Gen. 1:1). And the original Hebrew word is Elohim, a uni-plural [collective] noun like the word family, church or group. The family is God. There is one God – the one Family, but more than one Person.”
“God…purposed to reproduce Himself, through humans, made in His image and likeness, but made first from material flesh and blood, subject to death if there is sin unrepented of – yet with the possibility of being born into the Divine Family begotten by God the Father.”
“And that is why God put man on the earth.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, The Incredible Human Potential, p. 54
“How ridiculous – how nonsensical – for professing Christians to claim they are ‘children of God’ – to call one another ‘brethren in the Lord’ and to call God ‘Father,’ and then to deny that God is a FAMILY, and that we may actually be BORN INTO His very divine FAMILY – becoming Spirit as He is – becoming DIVINE as He is divine!”
“And how BLIND to deny this plain and simple BIBLE TEACHING and follow with the deceived Christian-professing crowd the false teachings of the false prophets! When the blind lead the blind, they all fall into the ditch of ignorance, superstition and deception!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Why Marriage Soon Obsolete?, p. 38
NEW TEACHING:
“The Bible tells us that, upon conversion, the Christian is ‘born again’ into the kingdom of God as one of the ‘children of God’ (John 3:3, I John 3:2). Thus we learn that God has a family.”
“It is not biblically accurate, however, to say that God is a family. For lack of clearer language – and human language falls short when we try to describe God – some Bible students have explained that the Hebrew term Elohim translated ‘God’…describes a family group of more than one Being. Most scholarship contradicts this interpretation of the word Elohim.”
“Thus, while God has a family, the word Elohim does not define God as being a family.”
God Is…, pp. 49, 50
“Yes, the Church once believed that God is a Family and that the saved would enter that Family upon being glorified. This belief is no longer held and was repudiated in our member newspaper, The Worldwide News, in 1991.”
D. Hunsberger, WCG PCD, Mar. 1, 1994
13. GOD AND CHRIST
Persons or Entities?
OLD TEACHING:
“So back to our question, ‘WHO and WHAT is God?’ Before anything else came into existence there was God and the Word, composed of spirit, not of matter, but nevertheless very real. TWO Persons – not three.”
“…God’s Word reveals that God and the Word – two supreme Personages – coexisted ALWAYS…”
“Is God, then limited to only two Persons? The false Trinity teaching does limit God to three Persons. But God is not limited. As God repeatedly reveals, His purpose is to reproduce Himself into what well may become billions of God persons. It is the false Trinity teaching that limits God, denies God’s purpose and has palpably deceived the whole Christian world.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Mystery of the Ages, pp. 43, 44, 45
NEW TEACHING:
“The Bible does reveal three entities within the one Godhead – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
“…the word person is not exact enough.”
“…in recent years the word person has come under attack. Some prefer to speak of three ‘modes of existence’…The English word person (as well as any other word, for that matter) is at best a weak metaphor.”
“God is infinitely more than any human word can convey.”
God Is…, pp. 41, 44, 45
Question: “Michael…Herbert W. Armstrong…called the doctrine of the Trinity a heresy…In the current state of theological reflection of the WCG, what is the present status of the doctrine of the Trinity?”
Snyder: “we don’t use language any more as [you] previously described…”
Question: “OK, then let’s talk about the concept of ‘person.’ Would you describe the Godhead as one God subsisting as three persons?”
Snyder: “No…We talk about the fact that it is not even really an appropriate label to call God a person…We don’t believe in the Holy Spirit as a separate person, but I don’t think – and you may correct me if I am wrong – that many theologians would use that sort of language either.”
Interview with Michael Snyder, WMUZ radio, Detroit, Michigan, Dec. 13, 1991
“We do not believe that the Bible teaches that the Father and the Son are persons.”
Letter to the Editor, PT, Jan. 1993
Author’s note: Of course, they came to believe all three are persons. They first reduced the Father and Son to “not persons” in order to make them “equal” with the Holy Spirit. Then they said the Father and Son are persons and, since all three are “equal,” this also made the Holy Spirit a person. (See change 174.)
14. GOD’S BODY
Literal and Actual or Metaphoric and Formless?
OLD TEACHING:
“In various parts of the Bible, it is revealed that God has a face, eyes, a nose, mouth and ears. He has hair on His head. It is revealed God has arms and legs. And God has hands and fingers.”
“God has feet and toes and a body. God has a mind.”
“If you know what a man looks like, you know what is the form and shape of GOD, for He made man in His image, after His very likeness!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Mystery of the Ages, pp. 46-47
NEW TEACHING:
“Human language describing God – even the language of God’s inspired Word, the Bible – must be based on analogy.”
“The Bible says God has a body…a head and hair…a nose and nostrils…a mouth…lips…a voice…a tongue and breath…arms, hands, and fingers…a chest…a back…a waist…and feet…”
“As all of these references demonstrate, much of the Bible is written in poetry, analogy, simile, metaphor and symbol. Therefore, we should not always interpret every Bible statement literally.”
God Is…, pp. 19, 22
“God does not have or need a body…”
“If we cling to a belief that God has a body (a male body, many will attest)…then we have inadvertently reduced God to an ‘image made to look like mortal man.’”
Joseph W. Tkach, PGR, July 27, 1993
15. IMAGE OF GOD
Man Looks Like God or Not?
OLD TEACHING:
“In Genesis 1:26, ‘God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’ We know the form and shape of man. That is the image, likeness, form and shape of God.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Mystery of the Ages, p. 46
NEW TEACHING:
“Scholars have long debated the meaning of the expression ‘image of God’…”
“One view is…the ability of humans to think, to reason and to make decisions.”
“A second suggestion is…our capacity to have a relationship with God.”
“A third perspective is…the responsibility of dominion that God has given humans over the earth.”
“Perhaps the best understanding of the image of God is a combination of these three perspectives.”
Bill Palmer, “Three Historic Views,” PT, May-June 1994
16. WORLD’S RELIGIONS
Source of False Knowledge or Knowledge of True God?
OLD TEACHING:
“How did the whole world become so BLINDED – so mixed up – in such religious CONFUSION?…Satan has deceived the WHOLE WORLD (Rev. 12:9).
“That’s why in religions, religious leaders, deceived by Satan, blinded to GOD’S TRUTH, have started this world’s religions – Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shintoism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Judaism.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “Billions Not Being Judged?”, GN, Jan. 1981
NEW TEACHING:
“When we cut down the religious beliefs of others, we were a self-righteous stench in the nostrils of God.”
Joseph W. Tkach, sermon preached at Detroit, Michigan, 1990
“The major religions have contributed to the search for who and what God is…”
“From the primal polytheistic religions comes a deep sense of the unity of all life.”
“Judaism emphasizes that God is One and Supreme…”
“Islam presents us with the concept of surrender to the immortal source and ruler of life.”
“Hinduism focuses on life’s hidden mysteries.”
“Buddhism points to the need for discipline in seeking answers.”
“Judaism. Christianity. Islam. These three great faiths all look to Abraham as their father.”
God Is…, pp. 4, 24
“Biblical scholar Philip Comfort answers the question of which translation is best with his own thought-provoking questions. He asks: ‘…best for whom? For young people? For adults? For Protestants? For Catholics? For Jews?’”
Paul Kroll, “Choosing a Bible?”, PT, May-June 1993
17. SONS OF GOD
Real or Adopted?
OLD TEACHING:
“[Genesis 1] says plainly God made whales after the whale kind – birds after the bird kind; cattle after the cattle kind, chimps after the chimp kind – but God made MAN after the GOD kind.”
“…the truly converted Christian, having God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within, being led by God’s Spirit, is a SON of God. In prayer he addresses God as ‘Father.’”
“The purpose of life is that in us God is really recreating His own kind – reproducing Himself after His own kind – for we are, upon real conversion, actually begotten as sons (yet unborn) of God.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Why Were You Born?, pp. 6, 28, 29
“In the KJV the word adoption is wrongly translated and should be rendered ‘sonship’ in the English, for it is speaking of becoming begotten and born sons of God, not adopted sons. Real sons!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “The True Meaning of Predestination,” PT, 1976
NEW TEACHING:
“We should note that we become the children of God through a birth experience (John 3:3). Paul also uses the metaphor of adoption. We become God’s children through adoption when we are given the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:15-17).”
“The Greek word translated as ‘sonship’ in verse 15 is huiothesia. The word can also be translated as ‘adoption.’”
Gene H. Hogberg, “The One Who Loves You,” PT, Sep. 1993
“…the teaching we once held – that the destiny of human beings is to become gods – [is] not one that we [can] support theologically.”
Joseph W. Tkach, PGR, July 27, 1993
“One of our old catchphrases (which we have not used for many years), ‘we are to become God as God is God,’ is an example of a statement that went beyond the biblical revelation.”
Joseph W. Tkach, “How Do You React to Change?”, WN, July 22, 1991
18. CHRIST’S DEATH
He Really Did Die or He Really Didn’t Die?
OLD TEACHING:
“‘For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living’ (Romans 14:9).”
“The expression ‘He was revived’ indicates Christ had been unconscious – that he was dead – not that he rose from a state of mental activity.”
“Yes, Jesus Christ died and was dead! But God the Father RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD.”
“Some seem to believe…a BODY Christ lived in died, but CHRIST HIMSELF never died. Christ was God, and, they argue, God could not die!”
“They do not realize that Christ had given up his immortal life…for the purpose of DEATH.”
“If Christ did not die for their sins – if it was only a mortal body that died – then we have no Savior…”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “Why Christ Died and Rose Again,” PT, Mar. 1982
NEW TEACHING:
Author’s note: In a sermon sent to all ministers in 1991, Greg Albrecht stated that Christ resurrected Himself. If Christ resurrected Himself, then he never actually died (apparently because God can’t die). We can therefore have no real Savior.
“While [Christ] was on earth, he had two natures, human and divine. Now that he had been glorified…the limitations that define human nature…were taken away. This is what made it possible for Christ simply to materialize in the upper room.
“This is not to be confused with the eternal status of the Son hypostasis, which continued to exist, unchanged, throughout infinity and eternity.”
Joseph Tkach Jr., “Questions and Answers,” PGR, Oct. 1993
“The Son of God died in his human form, but he as a person couldn’t die.”
“The Son – hypostases – became flesh, but not the totality of the hypostases.”
“He [i.e. Christ] is in heaven and on earth at the same time.”
“Only the person died, not the Son hypostases.”
K.J. Stavrinides, Discussions on the nature of God sent to WCG churches, tape 12
19. FATHER AND SON
Literal Relationship or Metaphor?
OLD TEACHING:
“God gave you the precious gift of His Holy Spirit – He is now your FATHER! Not figuratively, but actually – REALLY!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “An Open Letter to Our Newly Begotten Brethren,” GN, Mar. 1981
“Humans, by repentance, surrender to God and acceptance of Christ, may be in mind and attitude converted – may receive God’s Holy Spirit. Thus, they are actually begotten as God’s children. They may have direct contact with God and call him FATHER! They are brought into a FATHER-AND-SON relationship with God!”
“Humans are, if converted through Jesus Christ, the heirs of the GOD FAMILY. They are to enter the divine FAMILY. They are, even now, the begotten children of God.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “The Family – God’s Plan for Mankind,” PT, February 1985
NEW TEACHING:
“…much of the Bible is written in poetry, analogy, simile, metaphor and symbol. Therefore, we should not always interpret every Bible statement literally.”
“The Bible also describes how God wants us to relate to him, often using familial language. Jesus taught us to pray to ‘Our Father in heaven’ (Matthew 6:9).”
“Yes, what Christians enjoy with God is a family relationship – but in analogy.”
God Is…, p. 22
20. ANTICHRIST
One Who Denies Christ Could Sin or Anyone Against Christ?
OLD TEACHING:
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.”
I John 4:1-3 (NKJV)
“The Satan-inspired doctrine that Jesus…did not really come ‘in the flesh’ as a normal human being – this is the doctrine of antichrist.”
“…the idea of sinning entered Jesus’ mind.”
“But from birth, Jesus would always reject these wrong ideas, these temptations…He went to God the Father for POWER to always do right.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Millions Do Not Know What Christ Really Was!, pp. 3, 4
“…the growing child Jesus, filled with God’s Spirit, resisted from infancy this magnetic ‘pull’ we call human nature.”
“Jesus never had a carnal mind, hostile against God. His mind, from earliest childhood, was subject to the law of God. Thus He was constantly and continually overcoming Satan, in a manner no other human had experienced.”
“After forty days and forty nights without a morsel of food or a drop of water, Jesus was physically weak but spiritually strong. Then ensued the most titanic battle ever fought – for the highest stakes of all time in the universe.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, The Incredible Human Potential, p. 112
NEW TEACHING:
“The word antichrist simply means one who is ‘in place of’ or one who is ‘against’ Christ. A political or religious leader could be an ‘antichrist,’ but so could any number of quite ordinary people.”
“Questions & Answers,” GN, Aug. 1987
“…there was no possibility that Christ might sin, even while he was on the earth.”
“…Jesus rejected Satan’s suggestions immediately. There is no suggestion that Christ entertained even the thought that Satan’s ideas might be attractive.”
“Questions & Answers,” PGR, Jan. 22, 1991
“I think this idea of Jesus taking a gamble or risk got started in our honest zeal to show how great Christ’s sacrifice was.”
“We tried to show that he was putting his very Godhead on the line for us, willing to take the great gamble that he might sin and therefore fail as Savior and remain dead forever.”
“He was fully God and he was fully man, but the idea that his humanity was separate from his divinity is an old Gnostic idea.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Oct. 28, 1991
21. IMITATING CHRIST’S EXAMPLE
Way to Eternal Life or False Hope?
OLD TEACHING:
“This is love, that we walk according to His commandments…For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.”
II John 6-8 (NKJV)
“The underlying PURPOSE of Satan…in formulating the doctrine of an antichrist is…to deny the fact that a normal man…could, with the help of God’s Holy Spirit…live in perfect obedience to the LAW OF GOD as Jesus Christ did.”
“…His obedience was our EXAMPLE!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Millions Do Not Know What Christ Really Was!, p. 3
NEW TEACHING:
“Did Christ come so that we can imitate his sinless life and thereby make it into God’s Kingdom?”
“No. Christ was God clothed in human flesh; we are not. Christ came to destroy the works of Satan; we cannot do that. Christ was sinless; we are not.”
“Trying to earn salvation by attempting to be sinless as Christ was sinless is make-believe, and the Christian who attempts such a course has a false hope – a hope that is nowhere echoed in the teachings of the New Testament.”
Joseph Tkach Jr., “Questions and Answers,” PGR, Jan. 22, 1991
Author’s note: The term “earn salvation” was cleverly substituted for “strive to imitate,” because the Church always taught that one could never earn salvation. The net effect was to prejudice people against continuing to do what we have always taught.
22. CRUCIFIXION INSTRUMENT
Stake or Cross?
OLD TEACHING:
“The New Testament does not specifically describe the instrument upon which Christ died, though Acts 5:30, 10:39 and 13:29 refer to it as a ‘tree.’”
“There is absolutely no evidence that God’s true Church ever used the cross symbol in any shape or form.”
“Questions and Answers,” GN, Feb. 1981
NEW TEACHING:
“Stauros refers to a pole with or without a crosspiece. Acts 5:30 and 10:39 tell us that Jesus was put to death on a tree (xulon in Greek). This word can mean a tree, club, stick or other wooden article. Though information is limited, historical and archaeological evidence shows that the Romans generally used a cross bar, not a vertical post alone, when crucifying individuals.”
WCG PCD letter, WN, Feb. 9, 1993
“To summarize, though information is limited, it appears the Romans generally did use a crossbar along with a vertical post when crucifying individuals.”
“It does describe the probable crucifixion device in the case of Jesus. At least, there is no justification for saying it was simply an upright stake.”
Paul Kroll, “Should We Use The Word Cross?”, WN, Feb. 9, 1993
Author’s note: Christ may or may not have been crucified on a cross. The point is that it cannot be conclusively proven one way or the other—yet, the WCG wanted to make the cross its symbol and battle cry, wanted to wear it, display it, look to it for forgiveness and atonement, and ignore the fact that pagans have always used it (see change 23). God has nowhere commanded Christians to use crosses.
23. THE CROSS
Utterly Pagan Symbol or Symbol for WCG?
OLD TEACHING:
“The cross, in many shapes and forms, was used centuries before Christ by abject pagans!”
“There is absolutely no evidence that God’s true Church ever used the cross symbol in any shape or form. Nowhere does the Bible command such a use, which it surely would if God intended this of Christians.”
“Only after three centuries…do we find professing Christians using the symbol – and they adopted it from pagan worship.”
“Questions and Answers,” GN, Feb. 1981
NEW TEACHING:
“…why and how Christians began to use the symbol of the cross in their worship is somewhat obscure.”
“But we cannot establish conclusively at this time whether or not the Christian cross came out of paganism.”
Paul Kroll, “Should We Use The Word Cross?”, WN, Feb. 9, 1993
“What about those who have not yet accepted the cross of Christ as an atonement?…We need the forgiveness…that the cross makes possible.”
“God is willing to apply the cross to us, and make us one with him…”
Paul Kroll, “To Know Christ and Him Crucified,” PT, Apr. 1993
“For the Christian ‘army,’ however, there is only one battle cry, one fundamental reference point providing the courage, strength and morale to endure to the end in the good fight of faith. That battle cry is: Remember the cross!”
Joseph W. Tkach, “The Christian Battle Cry,” PT, May-June 1993
“Others have asked whether it would be wrong to have a cross on a bracelet, a necklace, in a picture, on a key chain, etc. Again, unless the cross becomes an object of worship, it is not a sin to wear or display one…”
“If a person wears a cross as a reminder of all these things, how can anyone gainsay that? We must not allow the misuse of the cross by some churches to dictate how we should view it in light of the Bible teaching.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, May 11, 1993
24. INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE
Wrong or Right?
OLD TEACHING:
“‘You shall keep my statutes. You shall not let your livestock breed with another kind. You shall not sow your field with mixed seed. Nor shall a garment of mixed linen and wool come upon you.’”
Leviticus 19:19 (NKJV)
“For it is written in the Law of Moses, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.’ Is it oxen God is concerned about? Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt this was written…If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?”
I Corinthians 9:9-11 (NKJV)
“If you are a livestock breeder, planning to enter your prize animal in a livestock show…you will be sure to enter only thoroughbred or pedigreed stock! Mixing the breed alters the characteristics.”
“God originally set the bounds of national borders, intending nations to be SEPARATED to prevent interracial marriage.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Mystery of the Ages, pp. 148-149
NEW TEACHING:
“…in areas where society in general is tolerant of interracial marriage and both families accept the marriage, the Church would not refuse to perform the wedding ceremony on the basis of racial difference alone.”
“On the other hand, the absence of a ‘Thou shall not’ does not mean that interracial marriage is divinely and universally approved.”
“But the person who is looking for a ‘Thus saith the Lord’ in order to determine that interracial marriage is sin, will not find it in the Bible.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, July 30, 1990
25. MARRYING UNBELIEVERS
Means Those Outside Church or Can’t be Narrowly Defined?
OLD TEACHING:
“A religious difference between husband and wife is a serious handicap. The Bible forbids a converted person from marrying an unconverted.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Should You Try to “Convert” Others?, p. 2
“One in God’s Church should never marry outside the Church. There should be like-mindedness spiritually and secularly.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, The Missing Dimension in Sex, p. 229
NEW TEACHING:
“When someone dates and marries outside the Church, it is important to remember that our policy is to deal with each case on an individual basis.”
“Some people wonder how 2 Corinthians 6:14 applies to such a situation. ‘Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers…’”
“The Church has traditionally interpreted a believer…in an extremely narrow sense to mean only a baptized member of the Worldwide Church of God.”
“Christians…are those who claim to believe in God and Christ. We may not agree with their interpretation of Scripture…but [that does not make them] ‘false Christians’…”
“…some…such as the Sacred Names assemblies, the Church of God International, the Global Church of God, the Philadelphia Church of God…[we] would not consider…to be candidates from which we would choose a mate…”
Joseph Tkach Jr., “Church Administration,” PGR, Apr. 20, 1993
Author’s note: Though the apostates believed members should only marry true Christians, it was amazing that Worldwide brethren were told that they can essentially marry anyone of any professing Christian denomination except one who had gone to a “splinter” group. Is this not a remarkable indictment in that they are stating it would be an equal yoking for a Worldwide member to marry nearly any other professing Christian? Ironically, one must, in fact, conclude that a “splinter” member would be unequally yoked in marriage to a Worldwide member. Again, though they were right for the wrong reason, what a remarkable self-indictment.
26. “UNEQUALLY YOKED TOGETHER”
Many Applications or Needs Redefining?
OLD TEACHING:
“Many have asked: ‘Would it make any difference if a Christian were to become engaged in a business partnership or similar close relationship with a nonbeliever?’”
“Notice II Corinthians 6:14-15 where we read: ‘Be (become) ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:…for what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?’ This scripture has a direct application to any close relationship or partnership that one might enter.”
“Before concluding this letter it is important to ask the reader one question: Just what is a true Christian? Many think they are Christians, but are falling woefully short of living the type of life Christ lived.”
WCG PCD Letter L922
“SATAN, not God, built this house. Jesus did not come to REPAIR the improperly constructed building that is this world.”
“Instead, Jesus said: ‘Come out from among them [of this world], and be ye separate’ (II Cor. 6:17-18).”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Where Is the True Church?, p. 13
“Christians are called to separate from the world and all its affiliations, whether social, political, economic or religious (II Corinthians 6:17).”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “How Would Jesus Vote for President?”, GN, Oct.-Nov. 1984
NEW TEACHING:
“Some people wonder how 2 Corinthians 6:14 applies to such a situation. ‘Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?’ (King James Version).”
“In context, the verse is in a discussion of the problem of idolatry, not marriage. While we can extract a principle of not being tied to an idolatrous situation, it may be applied to marrying someone who is an atheist, agnostic, a witch or a pagan. But it would not be appropriate to apply the verse to everyone who does not understand scripture the way you do.”
“Christians, in the broad definition, are those who claim to believe in God and Christ.”
Joseph Tkach Jr., “Church Administration,” PGR, Apr. 20, 1993
Author’s note: By the definition of a Christian given in the last line of the quote above, demons are not only Christians, but they are better Christians than most because they believe and also tremble (James 2:19). Mr. Armstrong understood this—see change 212, end of his quote from The Plain Truth About Healing.
27. DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE
Few Exceptions or Many Acceptable Reasons?
OLD TEACHING:
“If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, and he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him…For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?”
I Corinthians 7:12-13, 16 (NKJV)
“Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.”
“Likewise you wives, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear.”
I Peter 2:18-19; 3:1-2 (NKJV)
“The believing member is not given grounds for breaking off the marriage. It is only IF the unbelieving one leaves – severs the marriage relationship – then and only then is the believer (Church member) no longer bound and free to obtain a divorce (I Cor. 7:15).”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “Official Doctrine of Divorce and Remarriage,” GN, Oct.-Nov. 1979
“Paul was also inspired to write that a converted person must not leave or divorce a mate who is pleased to continue the marriage (I Cor. 7:10-13). To divorce a faithful mate and marry another is adultery (Matt. 19:9).”
“Although the unconverted world cannot receive Christ’s teaching, all who are His ought to obey Him implicitly, not only in refraining from divorce but also in using all their resources to build a truly loving relationship…”
WCGPCD Letter L054
NEW TEACHING:
“‘If divorce occurs’ because of ‘habitual conduct like that of an unbeliever’ then ‘remarriage is permitted.’ The ‘variety of ways’ that now constitute grounds for divorce include ‘mental and physical abuse,’ ‘sexual abuse,’ ‘addictions,’ ‘emotional and spiritual abandonment of the relationship,’ ‘habitual immoral or criminal conduct,’ ‘involvement in spiritism,’ ‘impurity,’ ‘discord,’ ‘jealousy,’ ‘selfish ambition,’ ‘envy,’ ‘greed,’ and ‘slander.’”
Joseph W. Tkach, Official Divorce and Remarriage Policy, Apr. 20, 1993
28. MARRIAGE ANNULMENT
For Fraud or For Whim?
OLD TEACHING:
“But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality [fornication] causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.”
Matthew 5:32 (NKJV)
“First, just as we understood it in the Church before, Jesus gave fornication (prior to marriage) as the grounds for nullifying a marriage. This clearly was a form of fraud.”
“But the Church would not apply this annulment if the couple had continued living together for a period of time. There could be other types of fraud – such as marriage enforced at the point of a gun.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “Official Doctrine of Divorce and Remarriage,” GN, Oct.-Nov. 1979
NEW TEACHING:
“The Church will consider a marriage voidable…if either party informs the Church in the earliest months of the marriage that he or she regrets his or her decision to marry…or if a legal annulment is obtained.”
“In cases of annulment, it is as though the marriage never took place, and both parties are free to remarry.”
Joseph W. Tkach, Official Divorce and Remarriage Policy, Apr. 20, 1993
29. PLACE OF SAFETY
Real Hope or Selfish “Save Your Skin” Motivation?
OLD TEACHING:
“Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Luke 21:36 (NKJV)
“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write…Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”
Revelation 3:7, 10 (NKJV)
“[In] Luke 21:36, [Christ] was giving you and me a PROMISE of divine protection from these very things He had been describing – IF we do watch world events AS PROPHESIED, and remain obedient and continually in contact with God through prayer.”
“In [Rev. 3:10] is Christ’s PROMISE that because we have been faithful WITH HIS WORD [verse 8], He will also keep us from ‘the hour of temptation.’ But the marginal reading – the correct translation from the Greek original – is ‘trial’ or ‘Great Tribulation.’”
“Take heed and read the further promise of PROTECTION not only through the Great Tribulation, but also the PLAGUES of the Day of the Lord to follow, in the 91st psalm.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “There Is a Way of Escape,” PT, Dec. 1981
NEW TEACHING:
“Do any of our ministers or members believe Jesus promised that all the faithful at the end of time would be physically protected from harm in a place of safety?”
“The idea that only the weak in the faith will suffer persecution and that all the strong will be spared in a place of safety is simply not accurate.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Aug. 27, 1990
“Prophecy programs [on The World Tomorrow telecast] will not lose sight of the gospel message by trading the true gospel for a ‘10-nation/save-your-skin’ gospel (Galatians 1:6-10).”
“To preach that if you repent and obey God, you will not be killed in a war, taken captive, go hungry or get a disease, is to preach ‘another gospel,’ not the gospel of Jesus Christ (II Timothy 3:12).”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Nov. 19, 1990
30. CHURCH ERAS
Important Detailed Prophecy or Generalized Instruction?
OLD TEACHING:
“…the final generation of the Church shall be LUKEWARM – not less emotional, but more ‘liberal,’ more secular and less spiritual – less strictly biblical – yet half of them shall be SAVED at Christ’s coming, though half shall be spewed out of Christ’s mouth…”
“Speaking of the present ‘Philadelphia’ era, it says…because we have kept God’s Word faithfully, not liberalizing nor watering down, God will keep us from the ‘hour of temptation, which shall come upon all them that dwell on the earth’ to try and test them.”
“Personal from Herbert W. Armstrong,” PT, Aug. 1980
“But, the BAD NEWS, as it appears today, my dear brethren, is that we, undoubtedly of the Philadelphian era – my son’s ridicule notwithstanding – are in serious danger of BECOMING also the Laodicean era. I am personally much concerned about that. If YOU are NOT concerned, then indeed we are in mortal DANGER.”
“Personal from Herbert W. Armstrong,” GN, Aug. 1979
NEW TEACHING:
“Over the years, some have referred to the faithful in the Church as Philadelphians, and the unfaithful as Laodiceans.”
“It is simply not biblical to say that the best spiritual state is the state of being Philadelphian, and that we should strive to be Philadelphian above others.
“What the messages to the churches do tell us is that we should look carefully at our spiritual state, whatever it is, and repent whenever necessary, so that we will be ready when Jesus returns – no matter the century or the era.”
“The best spiritual state is that of being forgiven.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Jan. 9, 1989
31. CHURCH HISTORY
One Church or Many?
OLD TEACHING:
“We have a history of the true Church of God through every century from Christ until now.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Has Time Been Lost?, p. 20
“It is time you knew how to recognize the true Church which Jesus founded!
“Jesus Christ did not found many denominations! Christ said, ‘I will build my Church!’ He did build it! ONE Church…”
“But what do we find today? Hundreds of different and disagreeing sects, all founded by MEN…a modern religious babylon!”
“Nowhere is there any prophecy that the one true Church should become great and powerful…Jesus called it the ‘Little Flock’…despised, persecuted, scattered BY the world – separate from the world…”
“You have not read much of the history of THAT Church!”
Herman L. Hoeh, A True History of the True Church (1959), pp. 3, 4
“[The true Church] left few records. Occasionally they appear as a footnote of history, rejected as heretics, ridiculed, and hounded by their enemies.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Mystery of the Ages, p. 285
NEW TEACHING:
“…I would say that the current position of the Church is that we are not an exclusive body by any means…”
“We make no attempt to trace ourselves to the first century.”
Michael Snyder (Assistant Public Relations Director to David Hulme), interview on WMUZ radio, Detroit, Michigan, Dec. 13, 1991
“Throughout history, Christians, individually and collectively, have had to face the challenges of growth.”
“Many events have forced Christians to look at themselves and see where they have fallen short of Jesus Christ’s example.”
“The bloodletting unleashed during the Crusades…the maniacal execution of those labeled witches in medieval Europe and Colonial North America…are two examples.”
Dan C. Taylor, “Growth With Conviction,” PT, July 1993
Author’s note: The WCG stopped printing all “true Church history” literature very early.
32. TRUE CHURCH
Narrowly or Broadly Defined?
OLD TEACHING:
“WHERE IS the original true Church that Jesus Christ founded – the one the living Jesus Christ STILL HEADS today?”
“…as in Romans 8:16, God’s Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God – now begotten of God and to be born at the resurrection as spirit beings.”
“This tremendous TRUTH leads to understanding of WHY the Church, and WHICH IS the one true Church of God!”
“Many have appropriated God’s name, but are not proclaiming the KINGDOM OF GOD, as the GOVERNMENT of God, which we must OBEY – teaching obedience to God’s Law (Ten Commandments) – teaching REPENTANCE of rebellion and transgressing God’s Holy Law – teaching that we may be now BEGOTTEN into the KINGDOM (Family) of God, and may, by the resurrection, be BORN into the GOD FAMILY!”
“There is only ONE such Church [that teaches these things]!”
“It is doing THE WORK OF GOD. It is, as Jesus said it would be, a ‘little flock,’ persecuted, despised by the world.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Where Is the True Church?, pp. 1, 7, 8 26.
“The CHURCH is composed of those who are begotten CHILDREN OF GOD – of the FATHER of the divine Family. One becomes a begotten SON of God upon receiving within him the Holy Spirit of God.”
“…the true Church of God is a spiritual organism. It is NOT a human organization. This spiritual organism is the ‘Body of Christ’ existing for the PURPOSE of carrying on THE WORK OF GOD.”
“But it is a BIG, WORLDWIDE WORK. If every individual goes out alone, independently, trying to carry out the entire divine Commission in whatever way he sees fit, we shall have confusion, a house divided against itself.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “Just What Is the Church?”, WCG Article Reprint, 1970
“‘Joining’ a group that calls itself a church…does not make one in true fact a member of THE Church Jesus founded. Here is proof: ‘But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his’ (Romans 8:9).”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Where Is the True Church?, pp. 7, 8
“Can one who does not know of the true organized Body doing God’s Work and therefore is outside of it, be a member of the true Church which Christ built? The answer is yes – for it is possible for one to have truly repented, believed, and received God’s Spirit – and be following that Spirit as far as he sees and understands – who does not know of the organized Work Christ is using today. But surely God’s Spirit in him would lead one, in due time, into his part in the organized Body the living Christ is directing.”
“The answer is YES – I have known of a few. But in every case, either they came INTO the organized spiritual organism Christ is using in the real Work of God – or, when their eyes were opened to further light and truth, they rejected it and LOST the Spirit of God. And this was amply demonstrated by the fruits.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Where Is the True Church?, p. 10
NEW TEACHING:
“There are Christians in the Catholic Church, there are Christians in the Methodist Church, there are Christians in the Baptist Church, there are Christians all around this world!”
“‘Oh, how can there be, because the Sabbath is a sign between God and us, and that’s what sets us apart as Christians?’…The Jews have the Sabbath and the Holy Days as their sign. Are they Christians?”
“Someone will say, ‘Well, what about those people who are observing the Sabbath on Sunday?’ If God hasn’t revealed to them the importance of seeing the difference between Saturday and Sunday is that going to jeopardize their salvation if they have faith in Christ?”
Joseph W. Tkach, sermon given in Atlanta, Georgia, Dec. 17, 1994
“People who decide to leave the Church…should not be treated as enemies.”
“If their motivation is selfish, that is, they are seeking status and recognition, regardless of where they decide to attend they will still have to deal with that selfishness before they can have a positive relationship with God – before their increased level of service will be meaningful.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Nov. 17, 1992
Question: “That sounds very, very noble and everything, but [Herbert Armstrong] had a sense of divine call…I had the understanding that he understood the WCG…as a special organization in an exclusive way…”
Snyder: “Well, he certainly wrote along those lines. But I would say that the current position of the Church is that we are not an exclusive body by any means…”
Interview with Michael Snyder, WMUZ radio, Detroit, Michigan, Dec. 13, 1991
“Another thing that I’m being accused of, that I no longer believe this is the true Church of God. I believe it with all my heart. You are my witnesses. And I’ll add another factor in, too. We cannot limit where God chooses to work.”
Joseph W. Tkach, “A Point of Light,” sermon given at Columbus, Ohio, June 12, 1993, sent to be played in all churches Aug. 1993
Author’s note: As stated in previous editions of this book, there is a difference between believing that the Worldwide Church of God is “the” true Church and believing that it is “the ONLY” true Church. The current administration eventually became willing to admit this difference.
“There is no question that we are God’s true Church. The point I have made is that we are not all there is to God’s true Church. There is a monumental difference in those two statements.”
“There is only one Church of God, not many. That one Church is made up of every person who has the Holy Spirit, regardless of where they are, when they lived, or what organization they belong to.”
Joseph W. Tkach, Letter to WCG field minister, Spring 1994
“The Bible…does not support any believer’s attempts to become exclusive (Romans 12:18; Hebrews 12:14).”
Joseph Tkach Jr., “Church Administration,” PGR, Jan. 11, 1994
“I believe that Mr. Hulme stated in the letter you enclosed, that any person who has the Holy Spirit is a child of God and therefore part of the Body of Christ, including all converted persons in all denominations, and that the membership of the Worldwide Church of God does not comprise the entirety of the Body of Christ. On the other side of the coin, I believe there are people in the Worldwide Church of God, as well as in all other denominations, who are not, ‘born from above’ as evidenced by their obvious lack of commitment to Jesus Christ.”
D. Register, Field Pastor (currently Director of Education of the largest splinter, including its college) Letter to P. Arnn of The Watchman’s Expositor, Nov. 12, 1993
“We believe that the Church (the spiritual Body of Christ) includes all persons who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, regardless of what denomination they may fellowship with currently.”
“Faith in Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit makes a person a Christian, not the denomination he fellowships with. We have always acknowledged that there are truly converted Christians who do not recognize the Sabbath.”
David G. Hunsberger, WCG PCD, Mar. 1, 1994
“God has commissioned us to lead people to Jesus Christ, not to ourselves.”
Joseph W. Tkach, PGR, Jan. 11, 1994
“The point is, God is bringing his people to Jesus Christ, not to any particular human organization. The criterion for salvation is faith in Jesus Christ, not membership in a particular denomination.”
“What makes any church a valid church? Faith in Jesus Christ. God does not give us special favor for being different or for being unique. He saved us, just like everybody else, by his grace through faith in Jesus Christ.”
Joseph W. Tkach, Letter to Member, Feb. 9, 1994
“It is obvious, from the fruits, that some Sunday-keeping Christians have the Holy Spirit.”
Joseph W. Tkach, Letter to WCG field minister, Apr. 12, 1994
“As you know, in my speaking and writing I have often commented that we cannot limit where and with whom God works when it comes to other Christian churches.”
“…the true Church of God is not limited to any corporate entity nor any human organization.”
“The true Church of God consists of converted people, all people who have the Holy Spirit. That is a point Mr. Armstrong frequently stressed. As he explained, it is not…the incorporated organization that constitutes the Church of God. It is the people in whom God dwells by his Spirit that makes up the Church, the Body of Christ.”
“Therefore, we should understand that we do not form all there is of the true Church of God.”
“God has called us to lead people to him, not to ourselves.”
“We preach the gospel so people will come to Christ, not so they will come to us.”
“God works where he pleases, and all converted people everywhere make up the true Church of God.”
“It is not correct to say that any particular church organization, including ours, is, of and by itself, the true Church.”
Joseph W. Tkach, Letter to Ministry, PGR, Apr. 26, 1994
Author’s note: The point Mr. Armstrong stressed, referred to above, was that not all Worldwide Church of God members were converted. Only those who had truly received God’s Spirit were. This point was twisted to imply Mr. Armstrong was referring to members in all churches, as though he had always taught that God’s Spirit was dwelling in some members of every church. The splinter leaders bought their thinking wholesale.
“John wrote: ‘Everyone who believe that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well’ (I John 5:1). Accordingly, the Worldwide Church of God does not consider its membership to be all there is to the Body of Christ. Our position is that any person who has the Holy Spirit is a child of God, regardless of the church he or she belongs to, and we recognize that God works where he pleases. This is different from the position once held by the Church.”
David Hulme, letter to James Walker of the Watchman Fellowship, June 24 1993
“…we no longer condemn Christians who have chosen Sunday as their day of gathering together for their services to worship and praise God. Christianity is defined by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in the individual believer, not necessarily by outward customs or practices in group worship.”
David G. Hunsberger, WCG PCD, Nov. 18, 1994
“How sad that some among us were actually upset and angry to learn that there are true Christians in other churches besides ours. That in itself is an indicator of how far from Christ some of us have become – to the point that some of us actually find it unpleasant to know that God has called others besides us to salvation!”
“Isn’t that selfish, arrogant attitude one that pervades Christian churches? Many churches believe that they and they alone are the truly faithful and obedient fellowship of believers. And just like so many of the others, we have been guilty of the same sin.”
“There are Christian churches, congregations and Bible societies that are also, just as we are, doing God’s work in this dark world.”
“But as I have explained often, salvation is not in Sabbath and Holy Day keeping; salvation comes only by the generous grace of God and only through faith in Jesus Christ.”
“We should be able to exemplify the kingdom of God by extending the right hand of fellowship to believers who are different from ourselves.”
“But, true to human nature, some of us have allowed these blessings [the Sabbath and Holy Days] to become a snare by becoming arrogant and self-righteous about them…And, I’m sorry to say, it is one of the very things some among us have chosen not to repent of.”
“…we must not condemn and reject Christians God has called into other fellowships and given other tasks. I have explained before that the Sabbath was given as a sign of the special covenant relationship between God and his people, Israel. But the sign of God’s people in the New Testament is the Holy Spirit in them, expressing itself in love…”
“God will work with them as he sees fit.”
Joseph W. Tkach, Letter to the Ministry, PGR, Oct. 18, 1994
“Do [we] claim to be the one true Church?”
“The one ‘true’ Church is the Body of Christ, made up of all believers who are called by God and in whom the Holy Spirit abides. It is not limited to corporate entities or any single church organization. God works where he wills, and it is not the place of any church to limit God’s work to itself (Mark 9:38-40).”
We’re Often Asked (1994), p. 5
“More than a third of the world is Christian, making Christianity the religion with the largest number of adherents in the world.”
“One in Three Are Christian,” PT, Oct. 1994
“Africa not only has some of the world’s poorest countries, it also has some of the most Christian ones. An estimated 327 million Christians live in Africa…”
John Halford, “The Challenge of Africa,” PT, Nov.-Dec. 1994
“How can we say there are many Christians outside the Worldwide Church of God?”
“It might help to imagine yourself holding a 10-meter pole. You take the pole and cut off 1 meter. Now you have two poles. One is 9 meters long, the other 1 meter. Stand them on end beside each other in comparison to each other, which of the poles is little? The 1-meter pole, of course! That 1-meter pole represents 10 percent of the original pole. So 10 percent can be little.”
“Therefore, if 10 percent of the world’s population were converted, the Church would still be little and the world would still be deceived. With the world’s population soon to exceed 6 billion, 10 percent of that figure is 600 million. Yes, 600 million can still be little in a world of 6 billion.”
“This figure reminds me of John’s vision of an innumerable multitude of converted (Revelation 7:9). That multitude is still a little flock living in a deceived world.”
“Is 10 percent too big a figure? Then let’s choose 1 percent. One percent of 6 billion is 60 million, still a hefty sum.”
“…it seems evident from the Scriptures and from logic that Christ’s little flock is many times bigger than we thought.”
Ralph Orr, “How Little Is Jesus’ Flock?”, Reviews You Can Use, May-June 1995
“Concluding the conference, Mr. Tkach Jr. spoke about…why dissident groups are not biblically viable alternatives to the Body of Christ.”
Paul Monteith, “Mr. Tkach Outlines Vision,” WN, June 14, 1994
Author’s note: Although the WCG administration came to believe that there are hundreds of millions of Christians and hundreds of churches forming the “Body of Christ,” it continues to make an exception when referring to groups like The Restored Church of God (or the “splinter” groups—see change 103). The only Church today that still holds to all of the biblical truths taught by Mr. Armstrong, changing nothing, is Restored.
33. SALVATION
Saved Later or Saved Now?
OLD TEACHING:
“The popular denominations have taught, ‘Just BELIEVE – that’s all there is to it; believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you are that instant saved!’”
“The death of Christ did pay the penalty of sin in our stead – it wipes the slate clean of past sins – it saves us merely from the DEATH PENALTY – it removes that which separated us from God and reconciles us to God.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, All About Water Baptism, p. 6
“‘Justified’ does not refer to the future – it has to do only with your guilty past!”
“So, continue: ‘Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved by Him.’”
“Look at it! It says ‘we SHALL BE saved.’ Not that we already are saved. It says ‘being now justified’ but it does not say ‘being now saved.’ It says ‘we shall be’ – yes, in the future – saved…Don’t believe preachers who say you are already, now, saved!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, What Do You Mean—Salvation?, pp. 17-18
NEW TEACHING:
“Those whom God has justified, while still subject to physical death, are as good as alive forever.”
“Because we are saved by God’s grace, from his point of view, salvation is an accomplished fact.”
“When God saves us, we are his children forever.”
What Is Salvation? (1992), pp. 8, 12, 14
“We have entered God’s Kingdom, and it absolutely changes our perspective.”
Ted Johnston, “From Birth to Inheritance: Entering the Kingdom of God,” WN, Dec. 29, 1992
“Let us understand that entrance into the Kingdom of God is salvation. Being saved and entering the kingdom of God are the same thing!”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Aug. 11, 1992
“We call this renewal or rebirth being saved.”
Paul Kroll, “Grace Is Free…,” PT, Jan. 1994
“New birth. Eternal life. Salvation. The Kingdom of God. These terms all refer to the same transforming event of conversion.”
Paul Kroll, “Your Place in the Kingdom of God,” PT, Oct. 1993
34. THE WORLD
Cut Off From God or Not?
OLD TEACHING:
“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.”
“In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God…”
“Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.”
“And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”
“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us.”
“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”
“We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”
I John 3:1, 10, 13, 22; 4:4-6; 5:2-3, 19-20 (NKJV)
“Remember that in New Testament language the pronoun ‘we’ or ‘us’ refers to converted Christians. (The unconverted are referred to as ‘they’ or ‘them.’)”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Just What Do You Mean – Born Again?, p. 38
“God has called ONLY A COMPARATIVE FEW…”
“If…you have received and are being led by His Holy Spirit, you are NO LONGER LIKE, others around you, possibly your next-door neighbors.”
“THEY are confined to knowing and thinking ONLY about physical things.
“If YOU have received the HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD, that opens up your mind to comprehend SPIRITUAL things, to have SPIRITUAL knowledge…”
“But remember that before you received God’s Holy Spirit, you were just like your next-door neighbors, and you certainly should not feel any BETTER than they today – but you should be THANKFUL to the GOD OF GLORY that He has called you – made you PART of this CHOSEN GENERATION…”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “Now Christ Moves Swiftly to Make Church Ready!”, GN, June-July 1979
“We in GOD’S Church are not just one of all these churches. They are of this world…they are deceived.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “Why Did God Put You in His Church?”, GN, May 1974
“So REALIZE THIS! Pentecost is to remind us every year that we (the Church) are only the FIRST small harvest of God’s calling people for salvation OUT OF A WORLD THAT IS WHOLLY, except for us, CUT OFF FROM GOD, AND THAT HAS BEEN SINCE ADAM! The WORLD as a whole is still CUT OFF!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “Why Many Don’t Understand Pentecost,” GN, May 1981
NEW TEACHING:
“How should a true Christian view people of ‘the world’?”
“Have we ever thought of our relationships with others with a kind of ‘we and they’ attitude?
“For example: ‘We are righteous; they are unrighteous.’”
“‘We have spiritual knowledge; they are spiritually blind.’ ‘We have understanding; they have none.’ ‘God hears our prayers; they are cut off from God.’”
“‘We are children of God; they are children of the devil.’ ‘We have spiritual understanding; they cannot understand spiritual matters.’”
“Whom did Jesus call children of the devil? Those who thought they were the only ones who could have a relationship with God. Their attitude of pompous spiritual superiority made them partakers of the attitude of the devil.”
“If we are truly Christians, we will not take on a superior-inferior attitude toward other people.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Oct. 10, 1989
35. SOCIAL ACTIVISM
Christ’s Job at His Return or Duty for Christians Now?
OLD TEACHING:
“Did Christ become divided, taking part in the politics of this world, taking part in this world’s affairs, trying to clean up this world, and make it a better world…? Is that the Church that Jesus founded? Go back and look at the Church as it started out. You’ll find it in the book of Acts. Did they try to reform Caesar’s government and try to show him what was wrong? And to make it a better world? Or did they just try to pull people out of the world and make them better individuals without trying to make the world itself better?”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “True Church,” WT Radio Broadcast #9798
“A 22-page typed proposal has been submitted to me…by Mr. Stanley R. Rader.”
“Its purpose: to…provide a more workable solution to [the world’s] problems…”
“…we are forbidden to be OF the secular world. That precludes us from entering on such a project as outlined.”
“…we cannot…start a project ourselves in which WE…try to correct the world’s evils…That is going to require TWO THINGS: 1) Get rid of Satan the Devil, and 2) change human nature.”
“God has called me to…proclaim the coming soon…of Jesus Christ…Then with Satan gone, HE will do what we are NOT CALLED TO DO – change human nature.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “Proposal of an Armstrong Peace Foundation,” WN, 1980
NEW TEACHING:
“The old excuse, ‘People don’t need do-gooders, they need God’s government on earth,’ is nothing more than a cop-out to justify inaction.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Jan. 12, 1993
“If we don’t participate in our community we are self-centered and self-righteous. Good grief. We were told to come out of the world and let our light shine and we didn’t know how to do it. A bitter, Satanic mind doesn’t want to accept these new truths.”
Joseph W. Tkach, sermon taped on Nov. 21, 1992, sent to be played in all churches
36. PERSONAL EVANGELIZING
Not Member’s Role or Is Member’s Role?
OLD TEACHING:
“The GREAT COMMISSION was given to the APOSTLES…NOT the lay members of the Church.”
“Their part was to back up the apostles – stand behind them with their prayers, encouragement, tithes and offerings.”
“Why the Church?”, WCG Reprint Article, 1978
“The individual lay member HAS HIS VITAL ROLE in proclaiming the GOOD NEWS (gospel) to the world. How? Not by going out and himself proclaiming Christ’s message to the neighborhood or to the world. That is primarily done by the apostles, to some extent by evangelists, and to even a lesser extent in local areas by local pastors.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Mystery of the Ages, p. 266
“The Worldwide Church of God is completely non-proselytizing and always has been. We have no ministry program, have no program…for training missionaries.”
“It is emphatically contrary to our belief and practice for any minister or representative of this Church to directly or personally solicit any potential member or urge anyone to become a member.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “Update: AICF and WCG,” GN, Oct. 1975
“Now WHO added members to the Church? Not apostolic or evangelical salesmanship – but ‘the LORD added to the Church daily such as should be saved [were to be saved]’ (Acts 2:47).”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “7 Proofs of God’s True Church,” PT, Apr. 1979
“Jesus said none can come to Him (spiritually – religiously) except the Spirit of God draws him. We are humans. We cannot draw them. That is not our job – it is God’s.”
“Our No. 1 commission is to proclaim Jesus Christ’s GOOD NEWS as a witness – not to try to force conversion of any. Only God can convert.”
“Personal from Herbert W. Armstrong,” GN, Oct.-Nov. 1984
NEW TEACHING:
“We have always narrowly defined proselytizing as recruiting by inducement. Since we believe God must call, our approach has been not to solicit people for membership or money.”
“The [World Tomorrow] announcer will…explain that interested viewers can request [Church] addresses along with the literature being advertised.”
“I’ve already spoken with each pastor in the market areas affected by the test. These men will prepare members in their congregations for visits from viewers.”
Joseph W. Tkach, “Members Are Vital Part in Reaching Out to People,” WN, June 16, 1992
“…our message is not simply to warn people about God’s judgment and then ‘leave it in God’s hands.’ Our message is to be designed to lead people to Jesus Christ – to make disciples of them…”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, June 30, 1992
“Is spreading the gospel just for the headquarters of the Church to do? Or is it something every one of us as individual Christians needs to be involved in too?”
“Shouldn’t we be involved in the same kinds of works of service that our Lord and Master Jesus Christ was? Jesus proclaimed the gospel and demonstrated its meaning as he gave mercy to those in need.”
Joseph W. Tkach, Brothers and Sisters Letter, Aug. 27, 1992
“Likewise, when God’s people are involved as a group in a project that reflects the light of Jesus Christ, there are bound to be people who will begin to inquire about the reasons behind such a labor of love.”
“And that [reason] does not lie in ‘just wanting to do our part’ or in ‘trying to get a good reputation in the community.’
“Our hope lies in our personal and collective faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, who died for our sins, and that is the kind of answer we give to those who ask.”
“Personal by Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Dec. 29, 1992
“How easy it is to pass up a prime opportunity to share our faith with another person, simply because we are timid, afraid of what the person might think, or wondering if it is really the right thing to do.”
“God has called us out of the darkness of this world and into his kingdom, and has given us a job to do.”
Joseph W. Tkach, Brothers and Sisters Letter, Dec. 23, 1992
“…it is time that our local congregations begin taking an active role in the spreading of the gospel in their communities, supported by the collective work through headquarters.”
“We have too long seen evangelistic work as something that should primarily be done at headquarters by headquarters.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Feb. 23 1993
“God has provided the ministry…to help equip and prepare his people so that they will be wise and faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ…”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Mar. 9, 1993
“Now, God is opening up new avenues for us to be witnesses of his kingdom – reaching out in the love of Christ as his ambassadors in our own communities…”
“We have a lifetime of work to do. So few people know what it means to believe on Christ, and to devote one’s life to him.”
Joseph W. Tkach, Brothers and Sisters Letter, Mar. 25, 1993
Author’s note: Several dozen of the changes in this book have their roots in Methodist theology. In light of the change toward personal evangelism, remember the old saying: “Methodists are always looking for a mission.”
“Personal evangelism can be put into two categories: 1) confrontational; 2) relational. Relational evangelism…Maybe we have never known that this is the proper term for the kind of evangelizing that the Bible describes.”
Joseph Tkach Jr., “Church Administration,” PGR, Aug. 24, 1993
Author’s note: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, Peter (in Acts 8), Stephen, Paul and others (including Herbert W. Armstrong) all practiced “confrontational evangelism.” All were threatened, and some died, because of this approach.
“Discipling (personal evangelism or sharing your faith) centers on the good news about Jesus Christ. Strictly speaking, making disciples does not mean advancing the claims of a specific church or ideology.”
Jeff Zhorne, “Lighting the Way,” PT, Nov.-Dec. 1993
“In putting on Christ, a Christian has the responsibility of proclaiming the gospel to others. In the early church, even in times of persecution, individual lay members did not shirk that responsibility (Acts 8:4). One church has a unique method of reminding those newly baptized of their God-given duty.”
“A part of the act of baptism in the Church of India is for the candidate to place his own hand on his head and say, ‘Woe is me if I preach not the gospel.’ This is part of the baptismal service of new members, not the ordination of ministers!”
E. Paul Hovey, “Baptism into Jesus Christ,” Reviews You Can Use, Mar.-Apr. 1994
Author’s note: When did God’s Church ever go to the Church of India for doctrinal example?
37. EVANGELISM
Role of Evangelist or Gift for Lay Members?
OLD TEACHING:
“The Church members, as a whole, are not called to ‘GO FORTH’ with the gospel message, but to back up, help, support the apostle in carrying the message into all the world.”
“The twelfth chapter of I Corinthians reveals that there are various offices of administration within the Church – and that God gives various spiritual gifts for those various functions.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “7 Proofs of God’s True Church,” PT, Sep. 1979
“‘And his gifts were, that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers’ (Ephesians 4:11, RSV).”
“Why the Church?”, WCG Reprint Article, 1978
NEW TEACHING:
“A…way our local congregations can be involved in evangelism is by all members…feeling free to invite [people] to attend a Church function…”
“Not every member has the personality or the motivation to evangelize this way.”
“It just means that God has not given them the talent for knowing how to wisely invite someone to a Church function.”
“God gives each of us gifts as it pleases him…”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Mar. 9, 1993
38. CHURCH FUNCTIONS
Restricted to Members or “Open Door” Policy?
OLD TEACHING:
Author’s note: The long-standing WCG teaching was that for things to be done decently and in order, ministerial permission was needed to bring visitors to services or other Church functions.
NEW TEACHING:
“Since it is up to God to do the calling, we have tended to shy away from announcing that we have local congregations and from inviting interested listeners and readers to attend.”
“You should feel free to invite a truly interested friend or relative to attend with you as your guest.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, June 20, 1992
“Members should also be encouraged to introduce their guests to the pastor, who should make them feel welcome and appreciated.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Mar. 9, 1993
39. EKKLESIA
Ones “Called Out” or Ones “Called Together”?
OLD TEACHING:
“The English word church is translated from the original Greek word ekklesia. It means ‘called out ones’ – from ek (out), and klesia (called).”
“WHY call its members out from those of this world? That is answered by another question. What’s wrong with this world? It was founded on a faulty foundation. It is shot through and through with evils, causing human suffering, anguish, frustration and death.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Where Is the True Church?, pp. 9-10
NEW TEACHING:
“Many have broken down the word ekklesia to its two constituent parts and have defined the intended meaning by the etymology of the word. Approached from this perspective, the word means ‘call’ and ‘out of.’”
“On the basis of etymology, the word itself would be better translated ‘called together.’”
Greg R. Albrecht, “Why You Need the Church,” PT, May-June 1993
Author’s note: This article gave no explanation for this new definition of the word ekklesia. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance says ekklesia means a “calling out.”
40. WORLD’S SALVATION
Future or Now?
OLD TEACHING:
“BY FAR THE MOST universal error and misunderstanding in fundamental Christianity of this world is the belief that NOW is the ONLY day of salvation – that God is desperately TRYING to get everybody saved (spiritually) and Satan is cunningly trying to keep everybody ‘lost.’”
“Personal from Herbert W. Armstrong,” GN, Dec. 1979
“The principal purpose for which Christ is returning to earth is to spiritually develop in humanity Godly character, and to save the world. Most religious people, ministers, and evangelists (fundamentalists), have supposed that this time, now, is the only day of salvation. The verse of Scripture they rely on is a mistranslation (II Cor. 6:2). It should read ‘a day of salvation,’ not ‘the’ (quoted from Isaiah 49:8, where it is a not the). If Christ had been trying to ‘save’ the world, He would have saved the world. It hasn’t been ‘saved.’”
Herbert W. Armstrong, The Wonderful World Tomorrow, p. 67
“Some have construed the GREAT COMMISSION as being to the Church as a whole – to evangelize and ‘save’ the world – NOW. A large system of missionaries from traditional Christianity has resulted.”
“Why the Church?”, WCG Article Reprint, 1978
NEW TEACHING:
“Now is the time for the world’s salvation.”
David Hulme, WT Telecast, Mar. 29, 1992
“The commission Jesus gave his Church – to make disciples…involves nurturing and teaching people.”
“That is all part of active participation in his work, his work of reconciling the world to himself…”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Feb. 9, 1993
“Now, God is opening up new avenues for us to be witnesses of his kingdom – reaching out in the love of Christ as his ambassadors in our own communities…”
“We have a lifetime of work to do. So few people know what it means to believe on Christ…”
Joseph W. Tkach, Brothers and Sisters Letter, Mar. 25, 1993
41. PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS
Invited by Ministers or Invited by Members?
OLD TEACHING:
Author’s note: The WCG always taught that ministers should visit prospective members and determine if and when they should be invited to attend services.
NEW TEACHING:
“…we are currently exploring the feasibility of a visiting program in which member couples would be trained to call on Plain Truth subscribers…”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, May 19, 1992
“Once a co-worker or subscriber visits with a member couple, that couple can invite the individual to attend services. In those cases, the member couple will host the guest, introducing them to the minister as well as to other members.”
Joseph Tkach Jr., “Members Are Vital Part in Reaching Out to People,” WN, June 16, 1992
42. WORLDLY ORGANIZATIONS
Shouldn’t be Joined or Should be Joined?
OLD TEACHING:
“Christians are called to be separate from the world and all its affiliations, whether social, political, economic or religious (II Cor. 6:17). They are not to live by the philosophies, customs and ways of this world, but by EVERY WORD OF GOD (Luke 4:4).”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “How Would Jesus Vote for President?”, GN, Oct.-Nov. 1984
“We are called to take Christ’s message TO the unconverted secular world. Yet we are forbidden to be OF the secular world.”
“…we cannot…correct the world’s evils, solve its problems and bring in world peace…ONLY CHRIST CAN DO THAT.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “Proposal of an Armstrong Peace Foundation,” WN, 1980
NEW TEACHING:
“When I first broached the subject of spiritual immaturity in my satellite Feast sermon, I used the word dumb to describe the past mindset of some who had criticized me for joining the Chamber of Commerce years ago.”
“We cannot be good neighbors to the community if we shun the community like the Pharisees of the New Testament.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Nov. 17, 1992
“The kind of social action we should be involved in would include such things as promotion of mutual understanding between cultures, promotion of education and skills-training for underprivileged people, and involvement in curriculum development and safety in schools.”
“For some social concerns, our members can get involved personally or in groups in volunteer programs that help bring about positive moral and environmental changes in their local communities.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Dec. 15, 1992
43. GRACE AND WORKS
Both or Grace Alone?
OLD TEACHING:
“A few persecutors have accused us of teaching ‘a salvation by works’…”
“[Let’s] get this point straight and plain right here – eternal life is not something you can earn, it is God’s gift through Christ!”
“True righteousness is keeping ‘all thy commandments’ (Psalm 119:172). It is performing God’s Spiritual law with the spiritual love which only GOD can supply.”
“Can you brag, or boast, then, about your righteousness? No – it is not your righteousness – it is God’s! If Christ, by His grace, erased your guilty past, gave you access to God, and now pours forth into and through you the spiritual love that keeps the Law, this is not your righteousness, but God’s.”
“Some religion teachers tell you Christ lived a righteous life FOR you over 1940 years ago, and since you ‘can’t keep the Law,’ as they claim, God ‘imputes’ Christ’s righteousness of 19 centuries ago to you – by sort of ‘kidding Himself’ that you are righteous…”
“It is ‘To him that overcometh’ that Christ will grant to sit with Him on HIS throne, when He returns to earth (Rev. 3:21). If you overcome – overcome your own carnal nature, the world and the devil – and keep Christ’s works (not your own works, but Christ’s – by His spirit in you) then you shall reign and rule all nations with Him, in the happy world tomorrow!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, What Do You Mean…Salvation?, pp. 7-8, 23, 24, 26
“A man may be naturally GOOD – but even the self-righteousness of a Job, God says, is like a filthy rag to Him! The only righteousness that is really good is the righteousness of GOD, imparted to us BY FAITH!”
“And the only goodness that is good is God’s own goodness, imparted, through God’s Holy Spirit, within us! All true righteousness comes from GOD.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Why Must Men Suffer? p. 4
“For the law was given through Moses, but grace AND TRUTH came through Jesus Christ.”
John 1:17 (NKJV)
NEW TEACHING:
“Some people, sad to say, are more loyal to traditional teachings and explanations than they are to the Word of God.”
“In their deep longing for personal prestige and power, they are willing to prey on those God has been calling to freedom in his Son, wanting to take them back into the bondage of an impossible salvation by works.”
“They try to convince those who follow them that their obedience will bring them to God’s salvation…boasting of their supposed spiritual superiority.”
“These are people who…cannot see their own ‘righteousness’ is as filthy rags before God. They believe they can somehow merit God’s favor by their ‘goodness,’ while they discredit us for proclaiming that salvation is by God’s grace…”
“Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, God has brought us back to his Word…”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Jan. 26, 1993
Author’s note: Accompanying the “Personal” quoted above was a photo of Mr. Armstrong’s grave decorated with flowers. The caption read: “RESPECTS—The Church marked the seventh year since the death of Herbert W. Armstrong, Jan. 16. Placed at the grave were flowers and two cards that read: ‘With all of our respect, Joseph W. Tkach and all of the Worldwide Church of God.’”
Christ said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets, therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the damnation of hell? Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth…” (Matt. 23:29-35, NKJV).
“Instead of using the expression ‘striving to overcome sin,’ all writers for Worldwide Church of God literature have been instructed to substitute it with the phrase ‘through repentance, God imputes his own righteousness to those who respond to his calling.’”
Michael J. Feazell, Speaking the Same Thing: Editorial Content and Philosophy Handbook, Aug. 25-27, 1992
Author’s note: In the words of Mr. Armstrong: “No wonder God found it necessary, through Jude, to warn us to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints by Jesus Christ – for, as you’ll read in Jude 3-4, there are certain men crept in unawares – deceiving people – turning grace into license! They are the ones who accuse us of teaching ‘salvation by works’” (What Do You Mean…Salvation?, p. 21).
“Yes, the church teaches that we are saved by grace alone and that good works are the fruit of salvation not the cause of salvation.”
David G. Hunsberger, WCG PCD, Mar. 1, 1994
“For Protestants, grace is based on faith alone; for Catholics, grace is based on faith and works.”
K.J. Stavrinides, Reviews You Can Use, Jan.-Feb. 1991
Author’s note: This last quote proved that the WCG position and the Protestant position of grace were identical by their own admission. (To see the WCG’s outright admission that they are a Protestant church, see change 213.) Mr. Armstrong’s position on grace was the same as James’—“faith without works is dead.” Because faith without works is dead, that does not mean we took the Catholic position of doing penance.
44. “NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY”
Old Testament Needed or New Testament Enough?
OLD TEACHING:
“Did you ever observe people going to Sunday school or church on a Sunday morning?”
“And did you ever notice what a large portion of them – if they carry any Scriptures with them at all – have merely a New Testament?”
“Many have gained the idea that Christians should never read the Old Testament at all. Many seem to believe THAT part of the Bible was DONE AWAY – that it was only for the Jewish people of long ago – that its message is DEAD today!”
“A very large portion of the New Testament is simply the Old Testament quoted. The New is BASED on the Old.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “Should We Use the Old Testament?”, PT, Sep.-Oct. 1982
NEW TEACHING:
“The Worldwide Church of God has committed itself to faithfully understanding and practicing the Christianity of the New Testament.”
Tithing and the Give Way (1993), p. 23
“The challenge to adhere to New Testament teaching and responsibility to make disciples apply to all whom God calls.”
Greg R. Albrecht, “Why You Need the Church,” PT, May-June 1993
Author’s note: Eventually, Old Testament verses were rarely quoted in WCG literature.
45. DEFINITION OF A CHRISTIAN
Based on True Doctrine or Love?
OLD TEACHING:
“I repeat: ‘A Christian (a truly converted person) is one who has received, and in whose mind dwells the Holy Spirit of God.’”
“The Holy Spirit will open one’s mind to UNDERSTAND God’s instruction on how to live…”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Just What Do You Mean…Conversion? (1972), pp. 12-13
“…WHY is it important that we all believe and speak the same DOCTRINES? Continue in I Corinthians 1:10: ‘that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.’”
“This is SO IMPORTANT TO GOD that He had the apostle John, in the 90s A.D., write…,‘If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine’ (as received through Christ’s apostles), ‘receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed’ (II John 10).”
“Personal by Herbert W. Armstrong,” GN, Apr. 1979
NEW TEACHING:
“Let’s understand something important. Titles, labels, lineage, or even a set of doctrines, are not what makes us God’s people.”
“What we become as a result of the grace of God working in us is the real issue – not whether we belong to the right organization.”
Joseph W. Tkach, Co-worker Letter, Feb. 25, 1992
“Christians…are those who claim to believe in God and Christ. We may not agree with their interpretation of Scripture…”
Joseph Tkach Jr., “Church Administration,” PGR, Apr. 20, 1993
“After all, Jesus did say, ‘By this we know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another’…”
“However, like so many others, we have tended to strive for uniqueness in wrong ways. It is not a special understanding of prophecy that makes Jesus’ disciples unique. (There is after all, hardly a single doctrine we teach that at least one other church organization someplace does not also teach.)”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Jan. 20, 1992
“…we like to be right on every single little point, and we don’t like to tolerate people who don’t agree.”
“But the Bible says that the real difference between true Christians and false Christians is whether they believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God…”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Nov. 17, 1992
“The important difference between true Christians and nominal Christians does not lie primarily in doctrinal explanations…”
“So, how are we to regard those in ‘other churches’? With love.”
“Those who did not agree with us on all doctrinal points were looked upon [in the past] as simply unconverted, regardless or whether they believed in and had devoted their lives to Jesus Christ.”
“Jesus told his disciples: ‘…By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another’ (John 13:34-35)…Even though we may disagree with other disciples about many things, we still need to obey this command.”
Joseph W. Tkach, Letter to Ministry, PGR, Apr. 26, 1994
Author’s note: Christ has always known we are His disciples if we continue in His Word (John 8:31-32). Love shows MEN we are His disciples (John 13:34-35). Christ looks first at doctrine. The world looks first for love. Doctrine leads to love (I John 2:5).
46. OBEDIENCE AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
Which Comes First?
OLD TEACHING:
“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 2:38 (NKJV)
“And we are witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit [which] God has given to those who obey Him.”
Acts 5:32 (NKJV)
“The two above-mentioned conditions to becoming a Christian – REPENTANCE and FAITH – we ourselves must perform.”
“Our repentance and faith do not earn the receiving of God’s Spirit. God does not give us His Holy Spirit because we repent and believe. He gives His Spirit because He wants to give it. He wants us to have His Spirit as His gift before we repent. He merely requires repentance and faith as conditions.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Just What Do You Mean…Conversion?, p. 13
“So now you forsake your way – you forsake sin or breaking His Law. You forsake breaking it by keeping it – obeying it. At least you try – you do it the very best you can.”
“Yet you cannot, alone of yourself, keep the Law spiritually! That is not a contradiction. You can keep the literal letter, but not the spirit.”
“Faith in Christ’s atonement for sin is commanded to be expressed by being baptized.”
“This, then, gains contact with God. That is as far as you can go, on your own. You have reached your extremity! So now GOD does something!”
“You SHALL RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT.”
“It is no longer just you, in your own power and strength ‘keeping the commandments’ – it is, spiritually speaking, the living Christ IN you, keeping His Father’s Commandments…”
Herbert W. Armstrong, What Do You Mean…Salvation?, pp. 15, 22, 24, 25
NEW TEACHING:
“They believe they obtained the Holy Spirit by their obedience, when Paul condemned such empty, self-righteous reasoning…”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Jan. 26, 1993
“The Holy Spirit produces an attitude of obedience in us. Thus, the conviction that we will obey God flows as a consequence of having the Holy Spirit, not as a requirement before we can receive the Spirit.”
Joseph Tkach Jr., Letter to Member, Apr. 14, 1992
47. BAPTISM
Required or Not?
OLD TEACHING:
“…God commands water baptism; and for one WHO IS ABLE to either defy the command and refuse, or neglect, or even put off obedience to this command until too late, certainly would be an act of disobedience which would impose the PENALTY of sin, and cause loss of salvation.”
“You need not worry about the thief on the cross – or one utterly UNABLE to be baptized. You need to be MUCH concerned, however – you who are able – about obedience to the command. It is essential to salvation inasmuch as God commands it, and noncompliance is disobedience which would mean loss of salvation.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, All About Water Baptism, p. 19
NEW TEACHING:
“In February of 1991, two authorities of the Worldwide Church of God were invited to Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Deerfield, Illinois) to speak about their doctrinal changes at the Tanner Lecture Series.”
“The Worldwide Church of God representatives were Michael A. Snyder, David Hulme (Director of Communications and Public Affairs), and Michael J. Feazell (Executive Assistant to Joseph Tkach, Pastor General).”
“We asked specifically if baptism is a prerequisite to salvation. They said it was not.”
McDowell and Stewart, The Deceivers: What Cults Believe, pp. 281, 282, 289
“No form of works, whether baptism or any other act of obedience, can produce nor be an essential prerequisite for salvation.”
“Salvation comes before baptism!” [Author’s note: See change 196]
E. Williams, “Are We Saved by Baptism?”, Reviews You Can Use, Nov.-Dec. 1993
48. LAYING ON OF HANDS
Fundamental Doctrine or Not?
OLD TEACHING:
“The Six Great Doctrines of Hebrews 6: ‘Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.”
“THE FUNDAMENTAL DOCTRINES: In the first grade a small child does not begin his study of mathematics by solving higher equations. He starts with 1 + 1 = 2.”
“In like manner one must commence his Christian life by learning the first principles of the oracles of God – the first principles of the doctrine of Christ (Hebrews 5:12; 6:1).”
“But what are the first principles of the doctrine of Christ?…What specific doctrines should you begin to understand even in ‘boot camp,’ that preliminary period just before you become a Christian (and during your early conversion period)? Where are they found in the Bible?”
“The following are listed in Hebrews 6:1-2. 1) Repentance from dead works. 2) Faith toward God. 3) The doctrine of baptisms. 4) Laying on of hands. 5) The resurrection of the dead. 6) Eternal judgment.”
The Six Great Doctrines of Hebrews 6, cover, p. 1
NEW TEACHING:
“[Some] have heard that we have done away with the laying on of hands because it is not listed in the Statement of Beliefs. The rumor is silly and unfounded. The Statement of Beliefs does not discuss marriage, but that does not mean we are doing away with marriage. It does not discuss smoking, but that does not mean that we can smoke now. Laying on of hands is still our belief and practice, but it did not seem necessary to include it in the Statement of Beliefs, which is designed to address fundamental teaching rather than every scripturally based practice of the Church.”
Joseph Tkach Jr., Message to the Ministry, Dec. 21, 1992
49. MEMBERS
Produced Through Baptism or Loosely Defined?
OLD TEACHING:
“The first place the word church is used following the inception of that Church (Pentecost, 31 A.D.) is Acts 2:47: ‘And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.’ This immediately gives insight into the means by which one enters the Church as a member. God adds each one. It is God who puts each one into the Church as a member.”
“Again, ‘For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body’ (I Cor. 12:13). The word baptized means immersed – put into. So, again, it is GOD who puts one into His Church. And HOW? By His Spirit! When God bestows within one His Holy Spirit, that puts the believer into the Church.”
“‘Joining’ a group that calls itself a church – having one’s name on the membership roll of some group calling itself a church – does not make one in true fact a member of THE Church Jesus founded. Here is positive proof: ‘But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his’ (Romans 8:9).”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Where Is the True Church?, pp. 7, 8
NEW TEACHING:
“In the Church we’ve tended to use ‘in house’ terminology.”
“For example, we used to call husbands and wives of members who were not baptized by the Church as ‘unconverted mates.’ This caused some mates, who were not members, to feel put-down or not respected by the Church. In actuality, we simply meant they were a ‘non-baptized member.’”
Mel Dahlgren, “Honest Answers to Difficult Questions,” Arrows, Mar. 1, 1993
“When we use the term member in the Worldwide Church of God, we’re simply differentiating between those who are baptized versus not baptized. In actuality, it’s not the best term to use because only God knows ‘those who are his’ or members of his family…”
“God continually looks on the heart and only he knows the ones who are truly trying to serve and obey him…If we are, then regardless of whether we have the status of being ‘baptized’ or not, we’re members or a part of God’s true Church and definitely accountable members of the body of Christ.”
Mel Dahlgren, “Honest Answers to Difficult Questions,” Arrows, Apr. 1, 1993
“As fellow members of the household of faith, let’s pray for one another every day.” [Author’s note: This was addressing all Plain Truth subscribers!]
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” PT, Apr. 1993
50. FOCUS OF LITERATURE
Overcoming Sin or Grace, etc.?
OLD TEACHING:
Author’s note: The next quote is typical of the teaching that used to be the focus of the WCG literature:
“Would a governor pardon a man convicted of murder so he could continue murdering more and more people? God’s merciful pardon – His grace – is bestowed on us because we have repented, with a sincere desire to turn from our wicked ways of lawlessness. If we are willing to live, from here on, righteously, happily as we should have from the beginning, the merciful and loving God has been willing to give His Son Jesus Christ, who, in turn, was willing to give His life, to square up our past law-breaking – to wipe the slate clean, and give us, by His merciful grace, a fresh, clean start.”
“So, from here on, we must obey – unto righteousness! (Romans 6:16).”
“Yet you cannot, of your own strength, keep the spiritual Law spiritually.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Just What Do You Mean…Salvation?, p. 21
NEW TEACHING:
Author’s note: These next quotes were typical of the direction all WCG literature was heading (with an ever-lessening emphasis on obedience):
“The crucifixion of Christ is God’s saving act in history. It atones. It justifies. It reconciles. It redeems.”
“God reconciles all things to himself ‘by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross’ (Col. 1:20).”
“The apostle Peter said we are redeemed by ‘the precious blood of Christ’ (I Peter 1:19).”
Paul Kroll, “To Know Christ and Him Crucified,” PT, Apr. 1993
“Instead of: ‘Striving to overcome sin’ – Use: ‘Growing in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.’”
Michael J. Feazell, Speaking the Same Thing: Editorial Content and Philosophy, presented at the WCG Regional Conference, Aug. 25-27, 1992, p. 17
51. CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT:
Necessity or Not?
OLD TEACHING:
“We must overcome these three: Satan, this world, and our own selves. We have to battle these three, in order to develop and strengthen right character within us. God says plainly it is the overcomers who shall be saved – who shall reign with Christ.”
“It is the way of a constant battle – a striving against sin – a seeking God in earnest prayer for help and spiritual power to overcome…”
Herbert W. Armstrong, The Incredible Human Potential, pp. 143-144, 146
NEW TEACHING:
“All writers for the current Worldwide Church of God literature have been instructed to no longer use phrases such as ‘development of holy, righteous character,’ ‘building holy, righteous character,’ ‘striving to overcome our weaknesses and faults,’ and ‘overcoming self and building character.’ These terms are to be substituted with words such as these: ‘growing in grace,’ ‘God imputes his own righteousness to those who respond to his calling,’ and ‘be complete.”
M.J. Feazell, Speaking the Same Thing: Editorial Content and Philosophy, p. 17
“While Christians grow spiritually, it is not in the sense of human ‘character development.’”
“By grace, the character of God is imparted to us.”
“…we already have the nature or ‘character’ of God upon conversion.”
Paul Kroll, “The Miracle of Rebirth,” PT, May-June 1994
“…those tough scriptures in Revelation cry out, ‘To him who overcomes…’ They were written, a cynic might argue, to taunt us, to frustrate us, because there is no hope that we will ever attain the goal.”
“We’ve unconsciously concluded that Christ’s sacrifice is not enough to guarantee our salvation, that we must be overcomers and conquer our carnal pulls and desires.”
“John, the apostle who wrote those troublesome verses in Revelation…[also wrote] I John 2:13. ‘I write to you young men,’ John says, ‘because you have overcome the evil one.”’
“They didn’t need to overcome. They already had overcome.”
“Yes, we are overcomers. We have overcome. The victory is ours.”
“Christ’s sacrifice and our faith in Christ, evident in our willingness to testify’ to others about it, makes us overcomers.”
Ralph Orr, “Can You Overcome Enough for God?”, WN, May 17, 1994
52. FALSE CHRISTIANITY:
Plain Historic Fact or Self-Righteous Accusation?
OLD TEACHING:
“The entire apostate family – mother, and more than 400 daughter denominations, all divided against each other and in confusion of doctrines, yet all united in the chief pagan doctrines and festivals – has a family name! They call themselves ‘Christian,’ but God calls them something else – ‘Mystery, Babylon the Great’!”
“And here are the identical ancient Babylon Mysteries now wrapped in the false cloak labeled ‘Christianity’ – but in fact it is the same old ‘Babylonian Mystery System.’”
Herbert W. Armstrong, The Plain Truth About Easter, p. 13
“There ensued ‘the lost century’ in the history of the true Church of God. There was a well-organized conspiracy to blot out all record of Church history during that period. A hundred years later, history reveals a ‘Christianity’ utterly unlike the Church Christ founded.”
“It had taken the NAME of Christ and applied it to the Babylonian mystery religion.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Your Awesome Future: How Religion Deceives You, p. 5
NEW TEACHING:
“We can only observe that certain people are bearing fruits of the Spirit, we cannot judge anyone’s heart. Therefore, it is perceived as arrogant (and rightly so) if we endeavor to classify people as ‘real Christians’ or ‘false Christians.’”
David G. Hunsberger, Letter to Member, Apr. 30, 1992
“The term pagan will be removed from the booklet Pagan Holidays or God’s Holy Days – Which? ‘That word needlessly incites people,’ said Mr. [Greg] Albrecht.”
J. Zhorne, “International Editors Meet, Updated on Church Lit.,” WN, Jan. 28, 1991
Author’s note: Actually, even the reference to the world’s holidays was removed, and the booklet was called God’s Festivals and Holy Days.
“All writers for current Worldwide Church of God literature have been instructed to no longer use terms such as ‘professing Christianity,’ ‘so-called Christians,’ ‘Christianity,’ and ‘Jesus’ disciples.’”
Greg Albrecht, The Plain Truth: Archetypes and Paradigms, Regional Conference, Philadelphia, Aug. 25-27, 1992, p. 9
53. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Foundation of Obedience or Just One Small Part?
OLD TEACHING:
“The Ten Commandments are a spiritual law. Though concerned with physical actions, their principle is spiritual. Committing adultery may be a physical act, but it violates a spiritual principle. It is defrauding, it is unfaithfulness to a mate, and that’s a spiritual principle. And it’s the same with coveting what is not yours, etc. It’s the attitude of Satan that really gets into you and makes you want to do it.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “What the Bible Says About Water Baptism,” sermon summary
“In Old Testament times, by the strictness of the letter, one had not committed adultery except in the physical act. But in the NEW Testament, the SPIRIT or obvious intent of the law is violated when a man even lusts after a woman in his mind by looking at her.”
“Under the strict, specific letter, one had not murdered until the victim was dead. But he violated the spirit of the law if he even hated his brother in his mind.”
“The law is summed up in one word, LOVE. It is expanded into the two great laws, love to God and love to neighbor. The same principle expands into the TEN Commandments. It is outflowing love.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “Historic New Laws to Guide Catholics,” GN, Apr. 1983
“Actually, God’s spiritual Law is expressed in just one simple four-letter word – LOVE. We apply that law to given circumstances.”
“Jesus, for example, ‘magnified the Law and made it honorable.’ At Mt. Sinai He, as YAHWEH, expanded it into 10 points – the first four defining the PRINCIPLE of love toward God, the last six love toward neighbor. From there it expands in principle to cover any and every question that may arise.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “How subtly Satan used MAKEUP to start the Church off the track,” WN, Nov. 16, 1981
“God’s law is spiritual and can be summed up in one simple but all-inclusive word – love. His law for the guidance of human conduct is subdivided into the two great commandments, love toward God and love toward neighbor. These, in turn, are subdivided into the 10 Commandments. Jesus magnified this law by showing how its principle expands to cover virtually every possible human infraction. The third chapter of II Corinthians shows that God’s law is to be applied in principle. It is summed up in one single word, love. Nevertheless, it is so perfect that, by applying its principle, it is a complete law.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Mystery of the Ages, pp. 49-50
“God’s Law is a law of love – love to God in reverence, worship and obedience – love to neighbor in service, kindness, sharing.”
“True righteousness…is performing God’s spiritual law with the spiritual love which only GOD can supply.”
“GOD’S LAW is that river bed which guides the flow – the expression – the direction in which the divine love flows. God’s Law is the way of perfect spiritual character – the very character of God.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, What Do You Mean…Salvation?, pp. 23-24
“No basic law of life, forming the basis of perfect character, could be a perfect law unless it contains, in perfect balance, both positive and negative.”
“Examine, now, the Ten Commandments, God’s basic code, upon which all his laws, social, economic, civil and religious, hang.”
“Here are the famous negatives, yet each implies the opposite positive: as, you shall have love and have charitable, tolerant patience toward your neighbor, be true to your wife and respect your neighbor’s property.”
“The entire Bible is…a magnification in specific detail of these basic principles.”
“This law is complete. It contains, in brief summation-principle, all the positive and negative obligations of the perfect, rightly balanced life.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “‘Thou Shalt Not!’,” PT, Jan. 1984
“There is one root CAUSE for all the troubles this world is suffering – transgression of our Maker’s right WAY OF LIFE – that WAY expressed in principle by the Ten Commandments.”
“Personal from Herbert W. Armstrong,” GN, Oct.-Nov. 1984
“What’s wrong with this earth? Absolutely nothing but SIN – rebellion against God and His eternal SPIRITUAL LAWS that govern peace and happiness and joy.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “What Is the Reward of the Saved…Heaven?”, TW, Nov. 1971
NEW TEACHING:
“[It] is a common mistake to assume, ‘If everybody would just keep the Ten Commandments, what a nice world we would have.’ Christians should consider that the Ten Commandments do not require kindness, mercy, compassion, generosity, sacrifice for others, impartiality, patience or love. Nor do the Ten Commandments specifically forbid conceit, envy, hatred, rage or selfish ambition.”
“The Ten Commandments are important, but they are not enough.”
Joseph W. Tkach, Co-worker Letter, May 27, 1992
“I recently received an anonymous letter that I want to share with you. It stated:”
“‘How can you say the Ten Commandments do not require love? Please put an answer to this in the world wide newspaper so many of the members of the Worldwide Church of GOD who are very angry at your careless and false statements can understand why you would write such things contrary to the Bible.’”
“The whole point of the co-worker letter was to emphasize the spiritual obligation of the Christian not only to keep the Ten Commandments, but to go beyond the mere letter of the law and also to keep the command that we love God and one another, as God has called us to do.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Sep. 22, 1992
“‘If Only The Nations Would Keep The Law’ This approach theorizes that ‘if only the nations were keeping the law, the world would be a perfect place.’”
“But Jesus did not just come so that everyone, including the nations, could keep the law more perfectly. He came to save the world from sin and to impute his righteousness to those he would call. No human, or nation, can keep the law perfectly. Paul even went so far as to say that the law was a curse to him, because he could not keep it.”
Greg Albrecht, The Plain Truth: Archetypes and Paradigms, Regional Conference, Philadelphia, Aug. 25-27, 1992
“We have always understood and taught that we should avoid hurting our neighbor, and that is certainly part of loving our neighbor.”
“But what we have not always focused on is that love involves more than just not hurting – it also involves helping.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Jan. 12, 1993
“Brethren, we need to understand that the Ten Commandments are like one straw, in one brick, in a great huge edifice of obedience before God.”
Michael J. Feazell, “Assurance,” Sermon, June 7, 1992
“In short, where the law may only require restraint, the Golden Rule compels action. The implication for the life of the Christian is clear: by itself, the law is not enough.”
Bill Palmer, “The Golden Rule,” PT, July 1993
Author’s note: We’ll let Mr. Armstrong have the last word:
“‘Why do you not OBEY the Commandments, as Jesus said, Mr. Belshaw?’
“‘I would, if I could see any LOVE in them,’ he replied.”
“‘Then you must be spiritually blind,’ I said. ‘The Ten Commandments are merely the ten points of the great Law of LOVE. The first four tell you how to love God; the last six how to love thy neighbor. The Bible says LOVE is the fulfilling of the Law. The Commandments came from God, and God is Love. He gave the Commandments. Do you think God ever did anything that was not done in LOVE?’”
“Mr. Belshaw had no answer.”
Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong, Vol. 1 (1986), pp. 510-511
54. LIBERALISM
Wrong or Right?
OLD TEACHING:
“This group of liberals…[wanted] unity in watered-down doctrines that older loyal ministers did not and never would accept! THAT WAS NOT UNITY – IT WAS DIVISION!”
“That is the WAY of the LIBERAL – who wants to water down the truth of God and go as far into this world – which means as far in Satan’s way – as possible and still get into God’s Kingdom.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “What Is a Liberal?”, GN, Mar. 1979
“The Church was…going as far as possible in the…beliefs of this world’s ‘Christianity’…”
“The HARM that was done…is INCALCULABLE!…It led to lukewarmness, a more careless attitude toward real or strict obedience to the ways of God. It led to wrong and false concepts on points of doctrine.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “Reports About Garner Ted False,” WN, Mar. 6, 1981
“Brethren, do we think we are so superior to those of the first, second and third centuries that Satan could not have tried to pervert God’s TRUTH today?”
“God has restored original TRUTH! HOW PRECIOUS IS IT TO YOU? – or do you trample it underfoot as swine would trample into the mud the most precious diamonds, rubies and precious stones, and go for the slop?”
“Yes, Satan has tried to WATER DOWN true doctrine – to turn God’s Church to false truths. Apparently it is unhappily true that some willingly fall by the wayside and shall not…enter…the KINGDOM OF GOD!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “How Satan Injects False Doctrines,” GN, Aug. 1979
NEW TEACHING:
Author’s note: In a personal appearance in Detroit, Michigan, 1990, Joseph W. Tkach stated that there was nothing wrong with being liberal.
“If a doctrine is changed, does that mean the doctrine has been watered down?”
“To set themselves up as ministers of God, the dissidents must seek ways to condemn the Church. Doctrinal changes provide their best ammunition, because the dissidents can then claim to be the preservers of the true faith once delivered.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, June 24, 1991
“I have been accused of ‘totally dismantling everything God gave the Church through Mr. Armstrong.’”
“Some people think they are being faithful to what Mr. Armstrong taught by tenaciously clinging to old doctrines the Church has now changed.”
“Resistance to necessary change is exactly why the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the Zealots could not see what God had done in Jesus Christ.”
“Likewise, it is why some today resist the change in our understanding…”
Joseph W. Tkach, “How Do You React to Change?”, WN, July 22, 1991
55. CO-WORKERS
Non-Members or Brothers and Sisters in Christ?
OLD TEACHING:
“Many who are not members may have noticed we often use the term coworker, and may wonder what we mean. Let me explain.”
“…one cannot ‘join’ this Church. One enters only by being baptized by the Holy Spirit into this, God’s Church.”
“But when one sends in contributions or tithes two or more times in two or three months, we send a letter explaining that we have assumed he or she wishes to become a regular contributor, whom we designate as a ‘co-worker,’ and co-workers receive a regular monthly letter from me personally, telling them of the progress of the Work…”
“The monthly ‘co-worker letters’ are sent alike to all members and co-workers.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “Just What Is a Co-Worker?”, GN, Aug. 1982
NEW TEACHING:
Author’s note: For six-and-a-half years, Mr. Tkach began his co-worker letters with “Dear Brethren and Co-Workers.” Beginning in the summer of 1992, he began addressing them “Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,” with the exception of the annual letter requesting donations for the Summer Educational Program for Church youth which began “Dear Brethren of God’s Church.”
56. POLITICS AND VOTING
Spiritual Harlotry or Personal Preference?
OLD TEACHING:
“Notice, Revelation 17:5, she [the Catholic Church] is a mother church! Her daughters are also churches who have come out of her, in protest, calling themselves Protestant…They, too, make themselves a part of this world, taking active part in its politics – the very act which made a ‘harlot’ out of their mother!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, The Plain Truth About Easter, pp. 12-13
“Christians are called to be separate from the world and all its affiliations, whether social, political, economic or religious (II Corinthians 6:17).”
“What, then, would Jesus do in this time of presidential election? He would WARN true Christians, ‘COME OUT of her [this world’s governments, this Babylonish system], my people, lest you share her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues’ (Revelation 18:4)!”
“The plagues of God are soon to fall upon this world and all who choose to remain part of it. JESUS CALLS YOU OUT!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “How Would Jesus Vote for President?”, GN, Oct.-Nov. 1984
“[The liberal] wants to be free to vote, at least in local elections.”
“The argument was made to me that our Church people actually outnumbered others living in Big Sandy, Texas, BUT (what a big word ‘BUT’) you see, if they did not vote, the minority would vote to incorporate the Ambassador College campus into the town of Big Sandy, and we’d have to pay big taxes. It never seemed to occur to the liberal mind that CHRIST will solve our problems, and we do not have to go contrary to HIS ATTITUDE!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “What Is a Liberal?”, GN, Mar. 1979
NEW TEACHING:
“While the Church has never published that voting is a sin, we have usually discouraged participation in the political process. This led to the commonly held idea, which was sometimes preached, that any participation in voting would be sinful.”
“If a Church member chooses to vote, it is his or her private and personal decision. The individual should not, however, introduce division into the congregation by campaigning or announcing a political platform within the congregation.”
“Questions and Answers from the PGR,” WN, May 25, 1993
57. THIRD TITHE
Every Third Year or Computed Annually?
OLD TEACHING:
“When you have finished laying aside all the tithe of your increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be filled, then you shall say before the Lord your God: I have removed the holy tithe from my house, and also have given them to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all Your commandments which you have commanded me; I have not transgressed Your commandments, nor have I forgotten them. I have not eaten any of it when in mourning, nor have I removed any of it for any unclean use, nor given any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the Lord my God, and have done according to all that You have commanded me. Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land which You have given us, just as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Deuteronomy 26:12-15 (NKJV)
“In both Deuteronomy 14:28-29 and Deuteronomy 26:12-15 a third tithe was commanded. It used to be set aside in every walled city, ‘within thy gates’ (Deut. 26:12), for the ‘widow, the fatherless, and the stranger’ – as a kind of insurance program. This special tithe was commanded to be saved only every three years in a cycle of seven. It is altogether different from the first tithe.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Ending Your Financial Worries, p. 14
NEW TEACHING:
“[If] circumstances are such that one is unable to budget payment of a full tithe (ten percent of his increase) for support of the poor each third and sixth year in the cycle of seven, we suggest that he try to carry out his responsibility to the poor by paying an appropriate percentage of his increase each year. For example, paying approximately 2.8 percent of one’s income each year would work out, over the course of seven years, to 20 percent, or two full third tithes during that seven-year period.”
WCG PCD Letter L152
Author’s note: To pay third tithe in this way abrogated the prayer of Deuteronomy 26:12-15. Of course, later the WCG completely threw out all aspects of tithing as a command.
58. TITHING
Command or Concept?
OLD TEACHING:
“The true Church of God is founded on the Apostles and the Prophets…(Eph. 2:20).”
“Listen to [Malachi’s] NEW TESTAMENT teaching! He quotes God, who is speaking to us today:
“I will come near to you in judgment…Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them…YE ARE CURSED WITH A CURSE: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation’ (Mal. 3:5-9).”
“‘But ye say,’ continues the Eternal’s Message to us, ‘Wherein have we robbed thee?’ And God replies, ‘IN TITHES AND OFFERINGS’!”
“Tithing is God’s law – His system for financing His great Work today; it’s commanded, now!”
“Some large corporations…send around representatives, collectors, to collect for them what you owe the company.”
“Of course you are expected to be sure the collector is the company’s approved representative – not a thieving impostor pretending to be the company collector. And you should be equally sure you are paying your tithe to a called and TRUE minister of Jesus Christ.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Ending Your Financial Worries, pp. 14-15, 21, 24
“Some ministers are called of God, used of God – many are not.”
“The tithe is HOLY. It is THE LORD’S – for HIS WORK. It should be placed where HE IS WORKING – where the Message is going out with REAL POWER…Ask God for WISDOM!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “Are You Being Tested on this Point?”, GN, Feb. 1939
NEW TEACHING:
“God verbally blistered the nation of Judah for stealing his tithes in the time of Malachi…”
“Clearly, tithing is a biblical concept.”
“God gave [post-captivity Judah] a scathing indictment through the prophet Malachi…”
Tithing and the Give Way, pp. 6, 10
Author’s note: The above quoted booklet is 19 pages long and nowhere states that tithing is commanded for today. Neither did the booklet stress the importance of placing tithes only where God is truly working. This was not surprising, since WCG now believed that other churches are preaching the gospel (see changes 1, 181, and 217). At the end of 1994, Joseph Tkach threw out tithing as a commanded obligation for Christians.
59. ABORTION:
Murder or Not Equated With Murder?
OLD TEACHING:
“From the instant of conception, a human life is in existence. To deliberately kill or destroy that human life, the GREAT LAWGIVER and SUPREME JUDGE says, is MURDER, punishable by eternal and final DEATH!”
“And those who commit it, and order it, or ‘legally’ by man’s law authorize it, will be held in contempt of this SUPREME COURT OF HEAVEN, and answerable to that great Supreme Judge!”
“God Almighty has called and authorized me to ‘CRY ALOUD, AND SPARE NOT, AND SHOW OUR PEOPLE THEIR SINS!’”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “A New Truth About Abortion,” PT, Sep. 1985
“The human spirit enters the human embryo at conception. It is this spirit that may, upon adult conversion, be united with the Holy Spirit from the great Creator God, impregnating that human with God-life as a child of the living God, in a state of gestation, though as yet unborn. To destroy an embryo or a fetus in a mother’s uterus is to MURDER a potential future God Being.”
“Therefore, abortion is murder.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Mystery of the Ages, p. 110
NEW TEACHING:
“It is our position that, once the zygote is implanted, life is present. From this point, the Church does not sanction abortion unless a situation arises in which the mother’s life is endangered. Such a case would be a decision to be made by the family. In the case of rape or incest, we recommend immediate medical precautions.”
“We do not sanction abortion in the case of a deformed or retarded fetus, however, we consider it the responsibility of the family to make their own decision. We do not teach that having an abortion equates with murder.”
“The use of an intrauterine device would also be a personal choice…”
David Hunsberger, WCG PCD Letter to Member, Oct. 2, 1992
“While Mr. Armstrong would generally say, ‘abortion is sin,’ his explanation and definition put him in the ‘pro choice’ camp. The reason is that Mr. Armstrong recommended the abortion procedure for 1) cases of rape, (and incest in certain cases), and 2) cases where the mother’s health was at risk and the doctor recommended termination of pregnancy.”
Joseph Tkach Jr., Letter to Minister, 1992
Author’s note: An intrauterine device is an instrument of constant abortion. After there has been a conception, it prevents the fertilized ovum from implanting on the uterine wall.
60. EARRINGS FOR MEN:
Inappropriate or Acceptable?
OLD TEACHING:
“The Bible does not speak directly about the matter of men wearing earrings. However, we find guidelines in God’s Word to follow in such matters.”
“Making a male look like a female or vice versa, or going to extremes – being motivated by personal vanity – is condemned.”
“In keeping with the culture and customs of this nation – and Western culture in general – men and boys who wear earrings on an everyday basis have been looked upon as unmanly, abnormal, or rebellious.”
WCG PCD Letter L182
NEW TEACHING:
“Although earrings are now popular among American teenage boys, we do not want to see this fad accepted within God’s Church. Of course, we realize that in time earrings may become a normal part of male dress, but they currently carry a connotation of rebellion or nonconformity to traditional values. Therefore, we do not allow earrings to be worn by men to Church services or Church-sponsored activities. This does not mean the Church has concluded that wearing earrings is itself a sin or presumes to forbid men to wear them at any time.”
Joseph Tkach Jr., “Church Administration,” PGR, Jan. 22, 1991
Author’s note: At the Regional Conference in August 1992, Joseph Tkach Jr. stated that the apostles probably wore earrings. Apparently it was believed that earrings had “become a normal part of male dress” in society, because they were allowed to be worn even at Church services and by Ambassador College students.
“Although we have made mistakes in attempting to become too specific on certain matters of prophetic fulfillment and outward personal appearance, our recent history shows us trying to maintain the big picture.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, May 21, 1990
61. PROPER HAIR LENGTH
Can or Can’t Be Determined?
OLD TEACHING:
“Short hair for men has been with us far longer than most realize. It was the dominant, accepted mode for men in the time of Jesus Christ.”
“I Corinthians 11:14 [says]: ‘Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?’”
“Those under a Nazarite vow let their hair grow long as a token of humiliation. It was a shame. Notice, too, that as soon as the time period of the Nazarite vow was over, the one who undertook the vow was to shave his head…”
“No, Jesus did not have long hair.”
Clayton Steep, “Did Jesus Have Long Hair?”, WCG Article Reprint, 1980
“There is a tendency today toward unisex. Frequently you cannot easily tell whether one you happen to see is male or female. Women wear shorter hair and males wear longer hair until they are about equal length.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “Uniting in Order to Divide,” PT, 1981
“(I Cor. 11:5) This scripture is not talking about hats or veils. The subject in question is hair. ‘But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her HAIR is given for a covering’ (vs. 15).”
“In verse 6, Paul discusses various lengths of hair. Four lengths are mentioned: (1) not covered, (2) shorn, (3) shaven, and (4) covered. Shaven designates a totally bald head. Shorn hair is very short-cropped hair as when a sheep is shorn. Hair that is not a ‘covering’ is short hair. Hair that is a covering is long hair…”
“…Paul is saying that if a woman is going to have short-cropped hair she might as well go all the way and shave herself bald.”
“Verse 10 shows…Long hair is a sign that a woman is willing to be in subjection to a man, and that she acknowledges the need for the protection of angels.”
Roderick C. Meredith, Difficult Scriptures, WCG
NEW TEACHING:
Author’s note: Many illustrations used in The Plain Truth depicted male personalities as having long hair. The February 1993 issue (p. 22) showed a longhaired prodigal son. The April 1993 issue showed a praying David with long hair (p. 22) and a Daniel in the lion’s den also with long hair (p. 24). The telecast used pictures of “Jesus” and the apostles with long hair. The November-December 1993 Plain Truth had illustrations of the Gospel writers—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—depicting them as having long hair (p. 11).
The approach to the issue of hair length was that proper hair lengths cannot really be determined, and the old guidelines of above the collar for men and below the ear for women were no longer being enforced.
“…Paul said women should have their heads covered (a cultural matter) when they prayed or prophesied (I Corinthians 11:5).”
Joseph W. Tkach, Letter to Ministry, PGR, July 13, 1993
62. SMOKING
Stay Home and Overcome It or Attend Services and Do the Best You Can?
OLD TEACHING:
“Jesus Christ through me put into God’s Church the teaching that smoking is wrong – mild or not, nevertheless, it is SIN!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “What Is a Liberal?”, GN, Mar. 1979
“In [a newspaper] interview with a former minister…he was quoted as saying ‘he also does not believe in expelling people from the church if they do not live up to its teachings.’ It also stated they believe ‘the church is where people belong to help them overcome their problems.’ In other words the liberal idea is to disobey God’s instruction to disfellowship and avoid those who are contentious and cause division and accept members who believe and live contrary to the teachings of Christ and the Bible.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “Recent History of the Philadelphia Era,” WN, June 24, 1985
NEW TEACHING:
Author’s note: Under the old Church teaching on smoking, members with this problem were not allowed to attend services until it had been overcome.
Under the current administration, members with this problem could attend services while they try (in some cases for years) to overcome it.
63. REPEATING THE “LORD’S PRAYER”
Vain Repetition or Not?
OLD TEACHING:
“And have you ever heard certain denominations repeat prayers over and over again? Christ said, ‘But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking’ (Matt. 6:7).
“Memorized prayers – including the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ – soon lose their meaning and sincerity.”
“Jesus gave it only as a pattern or example after which we could fashion our own prayers.”
“This world’s churches are in error when they practice repeating any prayer over and over again each week. Avoid this error.”
“Think about your blessings, your needs, and pray from the heart.”
Roderick C. Meredith, The Power of Prayer, WCG, 1970
NEW TEACHING:
“Is it proper to pray the Lord’s Prayer of Matthew 6:9-13? Is it ‘vain repetition’ as mentioned in verse 7?”
“Instead of condemning the use of a written or prepared prayer, Christ was condemning meaningless prayer. Pagans would often repeat the same word or phrase for hours to work themselves into a trance.”
“Thus, Christ was not prohibiting the formal reciting of the prayer he gave.”
“Questions & Answers,” PT, Jan. 1993
64. PRAYER ATTITUDE:
Godly Fear and Humility or Any Carnal Attitude?
OLD TEACHING:
“When we approach our Creator in [the] attitude [of] respecting His power and authority over our lives – then He will hear our prayers.
“When Christ was in the human flesh, even He feared God as we should. ‘Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared’ (Heb. 5:7). When we fully realize our own helplessness, then we will cry out to God as we should.”
“The attitude of humility and godly fear is vital in prayers, and at all times.”
Roderick C. Meredith, The Answer to Unanswered Prayer
NEW TEACHING:
“Surprisingly, God does not condemn Job for railing against him and accusing him.”
“Does this mean that even we might dare express our frustration, our anger – even call God to account in our ignorance and confusion – without being condemned by God? Shocking though it may be – yes, we can.”
“In Philip Yancey’s words: ‘One bold message in the Book of Job is that you can say anything to God. Throw at him your grief, your anger, your doubt, your bitterness, your betrayal, your disappointment – he can absorb them all.”
“God is much bigger than we are.”
Paul Kroll, “The Trial of Job,” PT, Oct. 1992
“I didn’t know how to pray…”
“I now wish to inform you that The Plain Truth changed all that and is constantly teaching me the correct way to respect and love God.”
Letter to the Editor, PT, Sep. 1993
65. PROPER SABBATH ATTIRE
Important or Not?
OLD TEACHING:
“TRUE culture is based on God’s great law: ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself’ (Matt. 22:39). That part of culture and good manners that expresses concern for one’s neighbor…is true culture.”
“Ambassador…students…dress up in whatever is their best – and if they cannot afford better than they have, that’s quite all right.”
“The Bible teaches the principle of proper attire according to the occasion. Bodily apparel is also used in the Bible to symbolize character. There is a kind of pride that is NOT vanity, but rather concern for others and respect toward God.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, “Is It Wrong to Be a Cultured Individual?” GN, Feb. 1981
“When God came down to speak to the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai, He gave Moses specific instructions about how the people should appear before Him.”
“God is still particular about how His people appear before Him – for instance at Sabbath services…It is time to put away ignorance, disrespect and filthiness.”
“The next time you appear before Jesus Christ in His services, show your respect, admiration and love for Him by dressing and preparing properly…”
Leroy Neff, “Does Your Appearance Count?”, GN, Mar. 1982
NEW TEACHING:
“While we do not have a written dress code, most men in our congregation will be wearing a suit or sport coat, and women usually wear a dress.”
Richard L. Leimbach, PCD Letter, PGR, Jan. 20, 1993
“Welcome to the New Age and its hottest movement—study groups…”
“In the basement: The study group gathers in a circle…”
“At one point…the teacher turned the discussion to judgment and criticism. She made a negative comment about a church she once attended. Many agreed with a knowing smile and nod.”
“From their comments, they heard judgments on hair lengths, clothing styles, musical tastes…”
“Such preaching and teaching overshadow the gospel of forgiveness…”
“Undoubtedly, some people will choose to follow the New Age movement…let it not be because we placed an unnecessary stumbling block before them.”
George Hague, “Subtle Seduction,” PT, Sep. 1993
“…it is acceptable for women to wear dressy slacks to services.”
Joseph Tkach Jr., “Church Administration,” PGR, Jan. 25, 1994
66. THE 144,000
True Church of God or Unknown Group?
OLD TEACHING:
“Who are the 144,000?”
“And what is sealed in the foreheads?…If you will turn to Revelation 14:1, you will see that it is the Father’s name that is written there. Jesus’ very last prayer for His Church was that they would be kept in the FATHER’S name…12 times in the New Testament His own Church is the CHURCH OF GOD – yes, GOD’S CHURCH.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, The Book of Revelation Unveiled at Last!, pp. 34-35
NEW TEACHING:
Author’s note: The 1988 Personal Correspondence Department letter L108 took no real position on the identity of the 144,000 of Revelation 7. The 1993 PCD Letter Series did not contain a letter regarding the 144,000.
“[World Tomorrow] Prophecy programs will present a balanced, overall perspective of the purpose and value of prophecy, instead of attempting to interpret specific prophecies.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Nov. 19, 1990
67. PROPHETIC CHARTS
Valuable or to be Avoided?
OLD TEACHING:
Author’s note: An excellent chart of prophecies concerning the reign of Gentile kingdoms can be found on pages 22 and 23 of Mr. Armstrong’s booklet Who or What Is the Prophetic Beast? (Our booklet Who or What Is the Beast of Revelation? also contains a similar chart, with further clarification.) The chart proves in specific detail that there is only one more resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire to occur before Christ returns.
NEW TEACHING:
“To think we possess some special, infallible, inside information about the precise timing of prophecies concerning yet future events can be very alluring and exciting. But such thoughts are also misleading and are definitely not what Jesus promised that his Church would know…”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Apr. 23, 1990
Author’s note: It was stated that all prophetic charts were to be avoided.
68. THE BEAST
Holy Roman Empire or Racism?
OLD TEACHING:
“And so, if we are willing to be guided solely by the description of this ‘beast’ and to let the Bible interpret symbols used to describe it, we come to the inevitable conclusion that the beast of Revelation 13 is the Roman Empire, of 31 B.C. to A.D. 476!”
“In Revelation 17 a later stage of this same wild beast is pictured, and there a ‘woman’ – a great CHURCH – sits astride it, guides it, rules over it…the Roman Catholic Church.”
“The 7th head with its 10 horns, in the 17th chapter, will be, as the 17th chapter explains, the revival of the beast, the Roman Empire, ‘out of the bottomless pit’ by a ‘United States of Europe,’ or federation of 10 European nations centered within the bounds of the old Roman Empire (Rev. 17:12-18). This is actually beginning today!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Who or What Is the Prophetic Beast?, pp. 8, 14, 31
NEW TEACHING:
Author’s note: Greg Albrecht (November 1992) and Michael Feazell both stated in taped sermons sent to all WCG ministry that the identity of the beast in Revelation is “racism in the hearts of men.” It was also stated at the Regional Conferences that the Church was not sure about the identity of the beast, and that there was never biblical evidence that it was 10 nations in Europe. It should not seem strange the WCG would believe that the beast is racism, since this was seen as the biggest obstacle to “spreading the kingdom” via the old Protestant pattern (see quotes below and change 170).
“Intolerance, that ugly monster, has been around throughout history. Sometimes, to be sure, the beast is content to lie deceptively still in the summer sun. To see it suckle its young and tend its own kind, you’d never guess its real disposition.
“But let strangers beware! This savage fiend sleeps with one eye open and one ear raised. It has a keen nose and a line in the sand that cannot be crossed. Cross that line, and you’ll meet the fury of claw and fang.
“Our world is a world of seemingly insurmountable barriers between people – walls of intolerance – erected by suspicion, prejudice and hatred.”
Joseph W. Tkach, “No Place for Intolerance,” PT, Mar. 1993
“The evil of racism stalks our streets…”
“‘In our modern age, nationalism is not resurgent; it never died. Neither did racism. They are the most powerful movements in the world today.’”
Greg Albrecht, “It’s Time to Speak Up,” PT, Jan. 1994
69. AMOUNT OF PROPHECY
Over 33% OR Less Than 22%?
OLD TEACHING:
“About one third of the Bible is prophecy, and most prophetic passages apply NOW – to our time – the world in which we live.”
How to Understand Prophecy (1972), p. 2
NEW TEACHING:
Author’s note: A taped sermon by Dean Blackwell was sent to be played in all churches in January, 1993. The subject was “prediction addiction,” and Mr. Blackwell stated that he had always taken it for granted that Mr. Armstrong was correct in saying that the Bible was one third prophecy, but that he had recently discovered it was, at the most, 22%.
70. “MANY WILL COME IN MY NAME”
False Christian Ministers or Political Leaders?
OLD TEACHING:
“And Jesus answered and said to them: Take heed that no one deceive you. For many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ, and will deceive many.”
Matthew 24:4-5 (KJV)
“False prophets did arise in the first century, saying Jesus was the Christ, but omitting altogether Jesus’ gospel which was the message of the coming world ruling kingdom of God to rule all nations after Christ’s Second Coming.”
“He was warning his own disciples about false prophets coming in his name saying he, Jesus, was the Christ, and deceiving the MANY – not the few, but the MANY. That started in the very first century soon after the church was founded and has continued to this very day. It is true almost universally in a professed Christianity to this minute.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Are We in the Last Days?, pp. 8, 11
NEW TEACHING:
“He continues, ‘For many will come in My name, saying, “I am the Christ,” and will deceive many’ (verse 5). Impostors would come claiming to be messiahs or saviors of mankind and would deceive many by their counterfeit activities.”
“Messianic examples in our own century might be Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong or Pol Pot.”
“Christ warned his followers that such leaders would inevitably come. Their desire for power would be so consuming that they would unwittingly put themselves in Christ’s ultimate role.”
David Hulme, Will Christ Return?, pp. 15, 16
71. WOMAN ASTRIDE BEAST
Catholic Church or Unknown System?
OLD TEACHING:
“In the 17th chapter of Revelation we find a beast, a woman – a great, wealthy woman called ‘a whore’ – who was riding the beast.”
“This woman is a fallen woman – an apostate church – and a great one, called ‘the great whore,’ pictured as ruling over many nations…”
“…this great false church is pictured sitting on a beast…A woman riding a horse guides, controls, the horse. It does her bidding. It is well known by ALL who understand Bible prophecy that this 17th chapter of Revelation pictures the Roman Catholic Church ruling over the so-called Holy Roman Empire.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Who Is the Beast?, pp. 15, 21
NEW TEACHING:
“John describes the woman riding on the beast…Who is she to wield such extraordinary power?”
“‘And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH…’”
“Babylon again! Not this time limited to a city. Babylon is personified as a harlot, a prostitute, who seduces and influences the destiny of the world.”
John Halford, Babylon: Past, Present…and Future, p. 15
Author’s note: This same non-committal description is given in Inside the Book of Revelation (1989), pp. 28-29.
72. BABYLON
Present or Future?
OLD TEACHING:
“Nimrod, grandson of Ham, son of Noah, was the real founder of the Babylonish system that has gripped the world ever since – the system of organized competition – of man-ruled governments and empires, based upon the competitive and profit-making economic system.”
“We have professed to be Christian nations, but we’re in Babylon, as Bible prophecy foretold, and we don’t know it! ‘Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues’ – now soon to fall – is the warning of Revelation 18:4.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, The Plain Truth About Christmas, pp. 12, 23
NEW TEACHING:
“Babylon the great, as described in the Apocalypse, will be alluring.”
“So, as the great harlot sits confidently astride her beast, edging the world ever closer to disaster, God pleads with his people, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of their plagues’ (Revelation 18:4).”
“This may not be easy for a people used to prosperity and comfort.”
“Spiritual muscles, like physical ones, cannot be built instantly. When Babylon the great is unleashed on this earth, it may be too late to begin building enduring faith.”
John Halford, Babylon: Past, Present…and Future, pp. 20, 21
Author’s note: The literature began to stress that Babylon is not a present society/system we must come out of now, it is merely something in the future. Being in this world was made much more comfortable.
73. GOD’S HOLY DAYS
Picture God’s Plan or Celebrate and Honor Jesus Christ?
OLD TEACHING:
“…God gave His Church seven annual Sabbaths…[which] picture the different epochs in the plan of spiritual creation – mark the dispensations, and picture their meaning.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Pagan Holidays—or God’s Holy Days—Which? (1974), p. 10
NEW TEACHING:
“As we observe the Feast, I again remind you that we are not keeping an Old Testament feast, but a New Testament feast in Jesus Christ.”
“These fall Holy Days should in every way focus our attention on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and the glorious salvation of God made possible through him!”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Oct. 6, 1992
“We need to see the Sabbath and Holy Days in the light of Christ, rather than seeing Christ in the light of the Sabbath and Holy Days.”
Greg Albrecht, The Plain Truth: Archetypes and Paradigms, Regional Conference, Philadelphia, Aug. 25-27, 1992, p. 7
“The Day of Atonement, like the other festivals, ultimately points to the work of Jesus Christ for salvation.”
“Do you, too, keep these New Testament Holy Days?”
God’s Festivals and Holy Days, pp. 28, 44
“A modest ‘paradigm shift’ in perspective – from emphasizing Old Testament symbolism to expanding new covenant promises – reinforces the relationship of the Holy Days to redemption in Christ.”
“We continue to grow in grace and knowledge as we seek more fitting contemporary expressions…that [relate] the festivals to God’s purpose of bringing the body of Christ to the fullness of Jesus Christ…”
Author’s note: Joseph Tkach Jr. called the Holy Days “nice window-dressing” at a Philippine ministerial conference. All literature pertaining to individual Holy Days developed increased emphasis on Jesus Christ and a lessened focus on the literal events they picture. The Holy Days were first done away, in effect, by changing their meanings to fraudulent new Protestant meanings. Later, they were thrown out entirely.
74. COLOSSIANS 2:16-17
Shadows of Things to Come or Shadows of No Value?
OLD TEACHING:
“Let no man, therefore, judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon. or of the Sabbath [days]: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body [is] of Christ.”
Colossians 2:16-17 (KJV)
“The word is in italics in Verse 17 and is not in the original. Therefore, this should read, ‘Let no man therefore judge you, – but the body of Christ.’
“The body of Christ is the Church of God (Col. 1:18) and it is the Church that is our pillar and grounding in the truth (I Tim. 3:15) and our standard, not the ideas of men.”
“The word judge in Vs. 16 is better rendered ‘call you in question.’ The Gentile Colossians previously knew nothing of God or of His Holy Days. God’s ministers taught them to observe the Sabbath and Holy Days, and outsiders called them in question for doing so. The ascetics in Colossae saw those in the Church eating and drinking, feasting on the Holy Days and despised them for it.”
“These Holy Days are shadows of things to come – they picture the major events in God’s master plan to bring all mankind to salvation.”
“Therefore, Paul is telling the Colossian converts to let no man call them in question for their observance of God’s Holy Days.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Pagan Holidays—or God’s Holy Days—Which?, pp. 32-33
“The Bible commands only one assembly for the Church on a new moon. That is on the Festival of Trumpets, the first day of the seventh month.”
“The Worldwide Church of God takes note of the new moon just as God intends (Col. 2:16) – as the beginning of the month in His solar-lunar calendar, so we can know when to keep His Holy Days.”
“Questions & Answers,” GN, Feb. 1982
NEW TEACHING:
“Paul’s list cannot have been given specifically as a reminder of what Christians should be observing, as is obvious from the mention of ‘new moons,’ for new moons are not among the days Christians are commanded to observe.”
“Therefore, the Christians at Colossae were not to let themselves be taken to task by heretical teachers concerning matters such as eating, drinking, Holy Days, new moons and Sabbaths.”
“After all, how could such matters transcend Christ? He is the body, the substance, the very center of God’s plan of salvation.”
“All else is a mere shadow that holds no value as a replacement for him (vs. 17).”
“Q & A from the PGR,” WN, Jan. 22, 1990
“The matters listed, despite the claims of the Colossian heretics, could not transcend Christ who is now the body, the substance, the very center of God’s plan of salvation. All else is a mere shadow that holds no value as a replacement for Christ.”
“The heretics, then, were ignorantly trying to push the church at Colossae out of the light and into shadows!”
K.J. Stavrinides, “The Colossian Heresy,” GN, July-Aug. 1989
“The need for animal sacrifices ceased at the death of Jesus. In addition, Jesus’ life, death and resurrection changed the meaning and significance of the Old Testament Holy Days. He fulfilled these, and all of the Old Testament sacrifices.”
Clayton D. Steep, “In Honor of Christ,” PT, Oct. 1993
“Why don’t we find the Sabbath commanded in the new covenant? The Sabbath foreshadowed the entering into the promise of God…the rest God gives from our sins through faith in Christ (Hebrews 4:8-16).”
“Colossians 2:16-17 tells us that the reality, or substance, is Christ, and now that he has come, now that we have the reality and have entered into it, there is no more requirement for the physical figure, just as there is no more need for the physical sacrifices.”
“Even if the Sabbath were a command from creation, which it isn’t, Colossians 2:16-17 tells us that the Sabbath is the shadow, and that Christ is the reality to which it pointed. Now that the reality, Christ, has come, the shadow, as a binding law, is no longer in force, regardless of when it began.”
“The new covenant, Jesus said, is in his blood. He is the reality, and the Sabbath and the Holy Days are the shadows.”
Joseph W. Tkach, Letter to Ministry, PGR, Dec. 5, 1995
“…the Colossian Christians were not observing festivals, and the heretics were claiming that they ought to, and Paul was telling the Christians to ignore the criticisms.”
Worldwide Church of God, “Festivals” Study Paper, Feb. 14, 1995
75. THE AZAZEL GOAT
Satan or Christ?
OLD TEACHING:
“The key to the whole explanation lies in a correct understanding of the meaning of Azazel. This word does not occur elsewhere in the Old Testament. The Comprehensive Commentary has: ‘Spencer, after the oldest opinions of the Hebrews and Christians, thinks Azazel is the name of the Devil…”
“Notice, now, this act of putting these already expiated and forgiven sins on the head of this live goat does not take place until after the high priest returns from the Holy of Holies within the veil – so this typified an act to take place after the second coming of Christ to this earth!”
“The devil is sent away – the symbol here used is the ‘bottomless pit’ symbol of an uninhabited desolate wilderness (Rev. 18:2) – and he is sent there by a FIT MAN – an ANGEL from heaven. Now the devil is not killed. He does not die. He is still alive a thousand years later – after the millennium (Rev. 20:7).”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Pagan Holidays—or God’s Holy Days—Which?, pp. 42, 47-48
NEW TEACHING:
“Some have seen this goat as a symbol of Christ…”
“Another explanation focuses on the scapegoat as a symbol of Satan…”
“These Day of Atonement rituals are explained in the book of Hebrews. But there’s not much there about Satan’s removal. Hebrews focuses on the priesthood of Christ.”
God’s Festivals and Holy Days, pp. 29-30
“In contrast to the concept of Azazel as a name for Satan, some scholars feel the azazel goat instead represents another aspect of Christ’s ministry: the removal of sin. Equating Azazel with a demon is thought to be based on Jewish mythology like that found in Enoch and other apocalyptic works.”
“Since the root-word meaning of azazel is the ‘goat of departure,’ any consideration that the goat might represent Satan is considered speculation and is not considered provable from the Bible.”
“The azazel controversy has continued for millennia. Strong arguments have been made that the goat represents Satan. The Church today leans toward this view but does not take a dogmatic stand on the issue. And strong arguments have been made that the goat represents Christ. It is a discussion that will likely continue.”
D. Jackson, “The Azazel Controversy,” Reviews You Can Use, Sep.-Oct. 1992
76. FOCUS OF THE BIBLE
God the Father or Jesus Christ?
OLD TEACHING:
“A cardinal point of the one true Church from the many professing sects and denominations is this: The deceived churches of this world put the focus on Christ, sometimes to the exclusion of God the Father. God becomes unreal – a mystic unreality. They do not teach that Jesus came to reveal the Father – that Jesus came to reconcile us to the Father – that it is the Father from whom our sins have cut us off…”
“The true Church has Christ in the right perspective – as mediator between us and God the Father – as personal Savior – as our present High Priest at the right hand of God the Father in heaven – as head of the Church – as coming King and ruler UNDER God the Father.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Where Is the True Church?, pp. 17-18
NEW TEACHING:
“Next Mr. Feazell asked the international editors and Pasadena publication staff members what they believed was the most important biblical truth. After listing several possible answers, he said that if we think the law, the Sabbath, the holy days, prophecy, or any other teaching of the Bible is more important than Jesus Christ, we miss the main point of the Bible. Furthermore, all these things point to Christ…The goal of the publication staff, he continued, is to pass on this gospel truth faithfully.”
“This is why the Church is preaching about Jesus Christ so much.”
Bernard Schnippert, “Media Operations,” PGR, Apr. 20, 1993
77. THE CHRISTMAS TREE
Condemned by God or Not?
OLD TEACHING:
“Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen…For the customs of the peoples are vain; for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.”
Jeremiah 10:2-4 (KJV)
“[Semiramis] claimed a full-grown evergreen tree sprang overnight from a dead tree stump, which symbolized the springing forth unto new life of the dead Nimrod. On each anniversary of his birth, she claimed, Nimrod would visit the evergreen tree and leave gifts upon it. December 25th was the birthday of Nimrod. This is the real origin of the Christmas tree.”
“[Jeremiah 10:2-6] is a perfect description of the Christmas tree, termed by the Eternal as ‘the way of the heathen – the customs of the people.’ We are commanded not to learn the way or follow it!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, The Plain Truth About Christmas (1974), pp. 12,18
NEW TEACHING:
“Jeremiah 10:2-5 reads as follows: ‘Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the Gentiles are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are futile; for one cuts a tree from the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax [‘craftsman shapes it with his chisel’ – N.I.V.]. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with nails and hammers so that it will not topple. They are upright, like a palm tree [‘like a scarecrow in a melon patch’ – N.I.V.]…”
“Reading those verses, especially without the alternate translations in brackets, it is easy to conclude that they describe the modern Christmas tree. This conclusion is even more believable if it is thought to have historical support. In reality, however, there is no historical basis for such a conclusion.”
“We cannot say Jeremiah was referring to a Christmas tree.”
“Though the modern Christmas tree can easily be traced back to seventeenth century Germany, it ‘may well be a descendant of some sacred tree carried about or set up at the beginning-of-winter festival…’ (Guinness Book of the Christmas, page 17.)”
“There is nothing wrong with beautiful music, with happy family gatherings, with feasting, rejoicing and even appropriate festive decorations and treats for children.”
Clayton Steep, Christmas: The Untold Story, pp. 4, 7, 19
78. CHURCH STEEPLES
Pagan Fertility Symbol or Acceptable Christian Architecture?
OLD TEACHING:
“Notice II Kings 23:6 speaks of the grove in the singular tense. It was something Josiah could pick up. And he hated it so vehemently that he burned it and ground it into bits.”
“The groves were posts, pillars, images or denuded and stripped trees dedicated to the worship of [the pagan goddess Astarte (Easter)].”
“That is why Josiah smashed the groves he brought out of the Temple. He knew it was an abomination to Almighty God in heaven.”
“It may surprise you to know that millions of people carry on this Satanic worship today!”
“[Groves] are simply obelisks, or upright towers, representing the male sex organ.”
“Today they are still used at places of worship in churches of the world, in the form of steeples perched on top of the church buildings themselves.”
“Q & A,” GN, Jan. 1987
NEW TEACHING:
Author’s note: The February 1992 Plain Truth magazine had a cover illustration of church buildings having a total of 21 steeples. The rest of the magazine was also illustrated with steeple-topped church buildings, making the total for the entire magazine 73 steeples. The following quote was a caption from one of these illustrations:
“Church architecture, a symbol of the civilizing power and influence of Christianity in a materialistic world.”
G. Albrecht, “Whatever Happened to New Testament Christianity?”, PT, Feb. 1992
Author’s note: The following quotes were taken from a Plain Truth article illustrated by a steeple-topped church building filled with people:
“A look inside reveals that the Church is not so much a building or institution as a community of believers linked together through Jesus Christ.”
“The Church was born in a dynamic display of power that was a dramatic witness to its divine origin.”
“Nearly 2,000 years later, Christians still band together as a community of believers.”
Greg R. Albrecht, “Why You Need the Church,” PT, May-June 1993
79. PASSOVER BREAD
Christ’s Body Only or Church Also?
OLD TEACHING:
“There is a very clear teaching in regard to Christ having paid the physical penalty, as well as the spiritual penalty of death, in connection with Passover service instructions.”
“It is the apostle Paul’s instruction to the Corinthians: ‘For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you. That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat; this is [represents] my body, which is broken for you; this do in remembrance of me [a memorial].’”
“‘Wherefore,’ the instruction continues, ‘whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily [that is, in an unworthy manner], shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep [that is, are dead]’ (I Corinthians 11:23-30).”
“The Revised Standard Version translates that last sentence: ‘That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died’ – not realizing Jesus Himself had paid the penalty for physical transgression of the laws of the human body, by allowing His body to be broken open by many stripes, and not relying on the living Christ for their HEALING!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, The Plain Truth About Healing, pp. 27-28
NEW TEACHING:
“The small piece of unleavened bread we eat symbolizes Jesus’ body broken for our sins, and our part or calling to let Him live in us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, making us part of the ONE BODY OF CHRIST – HIS CHURCH…Brethren, indeed, the profound meaning of the unleavened bread we partake of at the Passover service is far greater than mere physical healing.”
Joseph W. Tkach, “New…Meaning of Christ’s Broken Body,” WN, Mar. 23, 1987
“[Paul] goes on to show that Christ’s Passover includes our taking of the symbol of the bread, which Paul and others elsewhere shows pictures Christ’s body. But Paul later – in the very next chapter! – shows that Christ’s body is a symbol of the Church (I Corinthians 12:12-14).”
“Thus the ‘body’ of Christ they really did not discern was the Church.”
“The point is this: Why should God heal their bodies if they neglected – did not discern their duty towards – His Body (the Church)?”
“The Plain Truth About Healing,” WN, Feb. 29, 1988, p. 5
“The Passover Bread pictures the Body of Christ, the Church.”
Earl H. Williams, “But Why the Passover Bread?”, GN, Mar.-Apr. 1990
“The Passover Bread does not symbolize the Church.”
“Personal by Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Apr. 23, 1990
“When we eat and drink the Passover we are in effect saying Christ is not divided and that there is no division in the body of Christ…We need to recognize the ‘body of the Lord.’ Both literal and symbolic. Christ’s literal body was beaten, whipped, crucified, killed with the thrust of the sword. The symbolic body – the church should be ONE.”
WCG Passover Service Script, sent to all ministers in the spring of 1993
80. BODY OF CHRIST
Literal Spiritual Organism of Church or Mere Metaphor?
OLD TEACHING:
“The twelve disciples became the twelve original apostles. But HOW did they, with the other disciples, become ‘the BODY of Christ’?”
“While Jesus was starting the Work of God, He said, ‘I can of mine own self do nothing,’…and again, ‘…but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.’”
“On the day of Pentecost, 31 A.D., this [same] POWER of God did come and enter into the COLLECTIVE BODY – the Church – that now was to carry on the Work of God.”
“It is NOT a human organization. This spiritual organism is the ‘Body of Christ’ existing for the PURPOSE of carrying on THE WORK OF GOD.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Where Is the True Church?
NEW TEACHING:
“Paul provides a significant metaphor that explains the Church and its functions. He tells us that the Church is the Body of Christ.”
“This is a metaphor rich with meaning for Christians.”
“Paul emphasizes the worth of every Christian with the metaphor of the Body of Christ.”
Greg R. Albrecht, “Why You Need the Church,” PT, May-June 1993
81. SIGN OF JONAH
Three Days and Three Nights or The Resurrection?
OLD TEACHING:
“‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.’”
Matthew 12:39-40 (NKJV)
“These Christ-rejecting Pharisees demanded proof. Jesus offered but one evidence. That evidence was not the fact of the resurrection itself. It was the length of time He would repose in His grave, before being resurrected.”
“Think what this means! Jesus staked His claim to being your Saviour and mine upon remaining exactly three days and three nights in the tomb. If he remained just three days and three nights inside the earth, He would prove Himself the Saviour – if He failed in this sign, He must be rejected as an impostor!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, The Resurrection Was Not on Sunday, p. 4
NEW TEACHING:
“Jesus Christ’s reference to the sign of Jonah…was a reference to Jonah’s ministry, including his being swallowed by the great fish, his preaching to the Ninevites and their repenting.”
“Jonah was a sign to Ninevites because he came to them after being delivered from death. Applied to Jesus, the sign of Jonah was the resurrection, proof Jesus was the Christ.”
“Questions,” PT, Feb. 1993
82. THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS
Exactly or About?
OLD TEACHING:
“Jesus staked His claim to being your Saviour and mine upon remaining exactly three days and three nights in the tomb.”
“This one and only supernatural PROOF ever given by Jesus for His Messiahship has greatly bothered the commentators and the higher critics. Their attempts to explain away this sole proof for Christ’s divinity (deity) are ludicrous in the extreme. For explain this away they must, or their ‘Good-Friday-Easter’ tradition collapses.”
“Now which day of the week was the resurrection day?”
“When the women arrived, the tomb was already open! At that time Sunday morning while it was yet dark, Jesus was not there! Notice how the angel says, ‘He is not here, but is risen’ (see Mark 16:6; Luke 24:6; Matt. 28:5-6).”
“Jesus was already risen at sunrise Sunday morning! Of course, He was. He rose from the grave in the late afternoon, near sunset!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, The Resurrection Was Not on Sunday, p. 4
NEW TEACHING:
“But while the Roman contingent was on guard, an angel materialized in its midst (Matthew 28:2-4). The angel caused an earthquake and rolled back the stone from the entrance. It was now about three days after Jesus’ burial.”
“The Case of the Missing Body,” PT, May-June 1993
83. CHRIST’S RESURRECTED BODY
Spiritual or Physical?
OLD TEACHING:
“Jesus was, in the human flesh – His first birth – a descendant of David. But, by the resurrection from the dead (born again), Jesus became the born Son of God, now no longer human, but composed of Spirit – a Spirit Being. He thus became the first so born of many brethren who shall be born again at the time of the resurrection of those who are Christ’s.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, The Incredible Human Potential, p. 185
NEW TEACHING:
“In February of 1991, two authorities of the Worldwide Church of God were invited to Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Deerfield, Illinois) to speak about their doctrinal changes at the Tanner Lecture series.”
“The Worldwide Church of God representatives were Michael A. Snyder, David Hulme (Director of Communications and Public Affairs), and J. Michael Feazell (Executive Assistant to Joseph Tkach, Pastor General).”
“In our discussion with the Worldwide Church of God authorities, they consistently said that Jesus was raised bodily from the grave, glorified and immortal. Their proof that His raised body was real is Luke 24:39, where He calls His body ‘flesh and bones.’”
McDowell and Stewart, The Deceivers: What Cults Believe, p. 290
“…the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is of prime importance to Christians…”
“Questions,” PT, Apr. 1993
“Jesus Christ clearly showed to his disciples that after his resurrection, he still had the body he had before his death.”
“Jesus graphically proved to Thomas that his same body that died on the cross was raised from the dead.”
“Thus, Jesus’ resurrected body was still the body he had before his death, but it was no longer subject to physical limitations. The Bible calls the resurrected body a glorified body.”
“Questions,” PT, Apr. 1994
84. EATING UNLEAVENED BREAD
Symbol of Obedience or Symbol of Grace?
OLD TEACHING:
“The Israelites were not merely to expunge all leavening and leavened foods from their property. That would have only symbolized putting away sin. They were commanded to eat unleavened bread during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This act of eating unleavened bread symbolizes the opposite of sin – obedience to God.”
Richard H. Sedliacik, “The Feast of Unleavened Bread,” GN, Mar. 1983
“To observe the Passover alone, and then fail to observe the seven Days of Unleavened Bread, means, in the symbolism, to accept Christ’s blood, and then to continue in sin – to erroneously say the Law is done away, that we are under grace alone, meaning license, to continue sin!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Pagan Holidays—or God’s Holy Days—Which?, pp. 20-21
NEW TEACHING:
“As we assemble together on these deeply significant occasions to worship and glorify the God of our salvation, let’s remember that Jesus Christ is the substance, the essence, the real meaning behind them.”
“Along these lines, I hope we can see that it is of no consequence whether one eats unleavened bread every day during the Festival of Unleavened Bread, for example.”
“Eating unleavened bread is a symbol of our new ‘unleavened’ spiritual condition resulting from faith in Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 5:7).”
Joseph W. Tkach, Letter to the Ministry, PGR, Apr. 21, 1992
85. EASTER
Utterly Abominable Paganism or Venerated Christian Holiday?
OLD TEACHING:
“Easter is one of the pagan days Paul warned Gentile converts they must not return to observing (Galatians 4:9-10).”
“All Western nations have been deceived into dropping the festival God ordained forever to commemorate the death of the true Saviour for our sins, and substituting in its place the pagan festival in commemoration of the counterfeit ‘savior’ and mediator Baal, the sun god, named after the mythical Ishtar, his wife – actually none other than the ancient Semiramis, who palmed herself off as the wife of the sun god, the idolatrous ‘queen of heaven.’”
“This is not Christian! It is pagan to the core!”
“Yet scores of millions are deceived into observing this form of heathen idolatry, under the delusion they are honoring Jesus Christ the Son of the Creator God!”
“Why follow heathenism and try to convince yourself you are a Christian? God calls such things abomination!”
“Yes, deceived into believing this is Christian, millions practice every Easter the identical form of the ancient sun worship of the sun god Baal! Throughout the Bible this is revealed as the most abominable of all idolatry in the sight of the Eternal Creator!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, The Plain Truth About Easter, pp. 6, 8-11
NEW TEACHING:
“Traditionally, during this time of year Christians throughout the world celebrate Easter in remembrance of Jesus’ resurrection. The Christian Easter season continues to Pentecost, which commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and Jesus’ other followers.”
“These two religious days, venerated by the Christian world, picture miracles important to Christianity. More than that, the Bible shows that the resurrection and Pentecost are central to our salvation.”
Paul Kroll, “‘He Is Risen…’,” PT, May-June 1993
Author’s note: An advertisement in the May-June Plain Truth invited readers to request a booklet that explained the “fascinating story of Easter.” Webster’s gives the definition of fascinating as “extremely interesting or charming.” Others define it as “interesting due to its beauty.”
“The term pagan will be removed from the booklet Pagan Holidays or God’s Holy Days – Which? ‘That word needlessly incites people,’ said Mr. [Greg] Albrecht.”
J. Zhorne, “International Editors Meet, Updated on Church Lit.,” WN, Jan. 28, 1991
86. CRUCIFIXION DATE
31 A.D. (Wednesday Passover) or 30/33 A.D. (Friday Passover)?
OLD TEACHING:
“The crucifixion occurred upon a Wednesday, April 25, A.D. 31.”
“And the annual Sabbath was Thursday. This was the Sabbath that drew on as Joseph of Arimathea hastened to bury the body of Jesus late that Wednesday afternoon. There were two separate Sabbaths that week!”
“And since we know Christ was buried late Wednesday afternoon, and that the resurrection took place at the same time of day three days later, we now know the resurrection of Christ occurred late Saturday afternoon.”
“It is significant that in Daniel’s prophecy of the ‘seventy weeks’ (Dan. 9:24-27), Jesus was to be cut off ‘in the midst of the week.’”
Herbert W. Armstrong, The Resurrection Was Not on Sunday, pp. 10, 12, 18
“For 1600 years the Western world has been taught that Christ rose from the dead on Sunday morning. But that is merely one of the fables the Apostle Paul warned readers of the New Testament to expect. The resurrection did not occur on Sunday!”
Herbert W. Armstrong, The Plain Truth About Easter, p. 11
NEW TEACHING:
“Key Dates and Events from the Book of Acts”
“30/33 AD – Jesus crucified; Church begins on Pentecost (Dates vary according to perspectives of scholars.)”
Ronald Kelly, “Chronology Handout for Bible Study on Acts,” Reviews You Can Use, Nov.-Dec. 1992
Author’s note: Both A.D. 30 and A.D. 33 had Friday Passovers.
87. DAY OF PASSOVER
14th OR 15th of Nisan?
OLD TEACHING:
“On the tenth day of this first month the Israelites were instructed to take a lamb without blemish. They kept it until – not after – the 14th day of the same first month. At even, at dusk as the Jewish translation has it – between the two evenings, or between sunset and dark – the Passover lamb was killed.”
“This was in, not after, the 14th day.”
“There are some very important details it is vital that we notice at this point; perhaps we have not seen them before. It proves that the Passover should be observed the 14th, not the 15th.”
Herbert W. Armstrong, Pagan Holidays—or God’s Holy Days—Which? (1974), p. 12
NEW TEACHING:
“The lambs that first Passover were to be killed near the end of the 14th and on into the night – beginning the 15th.”
“Then as the 15th was beginning the lamb was prepared and roasted and then a little before midnight on the 15th eaten with your f