Iglesia Ni Cristo

See Let us reason website for a full detail concerning this group.

To get further "proof" of its name, Iglesia also cites from the Lamsa translation; (cited in Pasugo, April 1978) Acts 20:28: "Take heed therefore . . . to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood". The Lamsa translation is not based on the original language of Greek, the language in which the book of Acts and the NT were written, the phrase is "the Church of God" (ten ekklesian tou Theou) not "Church of Christ" (ten ekklesian tou Christou). 

Iglesia knows this, yet they purposely ignore this to mislead their members and others they proselytize.

The Lamsa Bible is a spurious translation anyone using this translation no matter how few or more verse/s are is misled already. This translation is from the Peshhita (Syriac pšīṭtā "the simple one). The oldest biblical manuscript known today is not the Pesh~tta (as Lamsa holds), but a Hebrew copy of Isaiah written about 100 B.C.

Where as the Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and some Aramaic. The New Testament was written in Greek Koine.

From Let us Reason Website

His Bible translation though tainted in areas is for the most part agreeable with other translations. But where Lamsa actually interprets the Scripture is found in his Idioms in the Bible explained and the key to the original gospels written by Lamsa in 1971 published by Harper Collins. 

 He has a allegorical interpretation ignoring the plain literal translation. The back cover states that this book goes far in correcting such error that have crept into biblical scholarship. 

 In this book he explains his interpretation of the scripture of his Bible --he believes these are figures of speech and not literal. Here are just a few examples.

Bible= Gen.1:3 "Let there be light"
Lamsa's interpretation ="Let there be enlightenment

Bible=Gen.2:9 "Tree of life in the midst of the Garden"
Lamsa interpretation = Sex , posterity

Bible= Gen.5:24 God took Enoch (Heb.11:5 States expressly he did not see death)
Lamsa interpretation= He died painlessly, he had a heart attack

Bible=Gen.3:24 wrestling with the angel of the Lord
Lamsa interpretation = Being suspicious of a pious person

Bible=Ex.3:2 the burning bush not consumed
Lamsa interpretation = difficulties ahead difficulties will be overcome

Bible= Ex.3:5 Take off your shoes for you are on Holy ground.
Lamsa interpretation =Disregard pagan teachings, cleanse your heart

Bible= John 1 the word was God
Lamsa interpretation = the word is - a utterance, a command

Bible= John 1:18 the only begotten son
Lamsa interpretation= The first one who recognized the fatherhood of God. The only God-like man; hence, a spiritual son of God.

Bible= John 3:3 Born again
Lamsa interpretation= to become like a child, to start all over.

Bible=Jn.10:36 I and my father are one

Lamsa interpretation = the father and I agree.

Bible= 1 Thess. 4:17 to meet him in the air
Lamsa interpretation = to hasten to greet him

Bible= Rev.1:18 was dead and behold I am Alive forevermore.
Lamsa interpretation= I was unknown and now I am well and successful

for more on the Bible in the Greek Language

Its obvious with only these few examples that the Lamsa's interpretation of the Bible is tainted by a certain view, of anti-supernaturalism. There are many other scriptures that can be cited on this, while not everything he says is wrong because he believes it all relates to Aramaic language and not Hebrew or Greek it becomes a wrong understanding in areas. This would show up in certain places of his Bible translation that is from the Aramaic.

Sources used- George Lamsa Christian Scholar or cultic torchbearer by John p. Juedes

Lamsa’s Bible translation is tainted, and in this alone it is not a reliable source of truth. They are also using the Good News Bible, Moffat’s New Translation, New King James and The Message, all of these versions are paraphrase bible, also unreliable.

Another Research

The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) Hides the Truth About Creature-Worship

Thousands of Iglesia ni Cristo people do not know that when they worship their own “Jesus” along with the Father, they are in fact worshipping a creature along with the Creator rather than worshipping the Creator alone. 

Yes, they may ascribe to their "Jesus" his being the Son of God,Messiah, Saviour, Redeemer, Lord, Mediator, and Man (above ordinary humans) but the fact still remains, to them he is still a creature and the Father alone is the Creator. 

A certain INC writer named Tomas Catangay refutes one of the critics in their Pasugo magazine,

"The author [Mr. Alvior] was erroneously informed regarding our objections to the belief that Christ is only the agent of creation, not even the agent of creation. 

Why? Because it is God, the Eternal, Who alone made everything without anyone aiding or assisting Him..." (PA1980, 21)

For them, the Father alone is the Creator while the Son was created by the former. Surprisingly, you will wonder why they have not bothered to label him as a "creature" in their write-ups even in their very own Statement of Faith in the Pasugo magazine that says,


Ang Panginoong Jesucristo

Sumasampalataya ang Iglesia ni Cristo na ang Pangi noong Jesucristo ay Anak ng Diyos (Mat.3:17), Siya lamang ang Tagapagligtas na ipinagkaloob ng Diyos (Gawa 13:23).Si Cristo ang Siyang iisang Tagapamagitan sa Diyos at sa mga tao (1 Tim. 2:5) at tanging daan patungo sa Diyos (Juan 14:6).

Hindi kami sumasang-ayon sa paniniwala na si Cristo ang tunay na Diyos. Siya ay tao sa kalikasan ayon sa Kaniya mismong pagpapatunay(Juan 8:40)at sa pagtutu ro ng Kaniyang mga Apostol (1 Tim. 2:5; Mat. 1:18).

Ang mga katangian ng karaniwang tao ay makikita rin kay Cristo.Siya ay nagutom(Mat.4:2),nauhaw (Juan19:28), napagod(Juan4:6),natulog(Mat.8:24),namatay (Mat.27:50; 1Cor.15:3).Subalit ang ikinaiiba ni Cristo sa lahat ng mga tao ay Siya lamang ang tao na hindi nagkasala (1Ped. 2:21-22; Heb. 4:15)

Siya ay pinadakila ng Diyos at binigyan ng pangalang lalo sa lahat ng pangalan upang sa pangalan Niya ay iluhod ang lahat ng mga tuhod ng nangasa langit, at ng nangasa ibabaw ng lupa, at ng nangasa ilalim ng lupa (Fil. 2:9-11). 

Siya ay inilagay ng Diyos sa kaibaibabawan ng lahat ng pamunuan, at kapamahalaan, at kapangyarihan, at pagkasakop, at ang lahat ng mga bagay ay pinasuko Niya sa ilalim ng Kaniyang mga paa (Efe. 1:21-22). 

At kung ang lahat ng mga bagay ay mapasuko na sa Kaniya, Siya naman ay pasusukuin sa nagpasuko ng lahat ng bagay sa Kaniya upang ang Diyos ay maging lahat sa lahat (1 Cor. 15:27-28). Sa maraming mga
pagkakataon ay ipinakilala Niya ang Kaniyang sarili na Anak ng Diyos subalit hindi Niya kailanman inangkin ang katawagang "Diyos" o "Diyos Anak" sapagkat Siya ay tao at hindi Diyos." (PA1990, 21)


In the above Iglesia ni Cristo's Statement of Faith written by one of their high-ranking ministers,they have not even bothered to inform the reading public about their Unitarian belief that to them Jesus was a creature and not the Creator. I believe the reason behind this is the fact that it grates their ears to hear that along with the Father who is the Creator, the Iglesia ni Cristo movement
also worship, serve, honor, and love a creature which is very much contrary to what the apostle Paul was saying in Roman 1:25,

"Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."

The book of Jeremiah also reminds us, "Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from theLord." (Jer. 17:5) 

Unless they acknowledge that Jesus is also the Creator/ God in equal essence with the Father and continue to hold on to their Unitarian belief that Jesus is "man and not God" then they will continue to be guilty of creature-worship and idolatry. 

As a matter of fact, the Iglesia ni Cristo ministers get their arguments from Victor Paul Wierwille who also believes in Jesus Christ being a creature. They even quoted from his book entitled, Jesus Christ Is Not God, to defend their Unitarian belief.

Yes, Christians believe Jesus to be man since He voluntarily became flesh and dwelt (lit. "tabernacled") among us. (John 1:14). He is also God, not in the
sense that He is the Father for that would be resorting to Modalism (Oneness) heresy, or having a separate "God" along with the Father for that would obviously be polytheism. But rather Jesus has the same nature or essence as the Father and the Holy Spirit being divine/deity/God. After all, Jesus declared I and the Father are one (Gk. hen) referring to His essence (not
function). (John 10:30)

References:
ARL - Written by Guanzon, Ma. Angeles C., "An Analysis of Religious Leadership in the
Iglesia ni Kristo." An article adapted from "Filipino Religious Psychology" edited by Leonardo N.
Mercado (Tacloban City, Philippines: Divine Word University Publications, 1977).
CRI, DL10 - Juedes, John P., "George M. Lamsa: Christian Scholar or Cultic Torchbearer?,"
(San Juan, CA: Christian Research Institute).
PA2004 - Jose Ventilacion, "Who Is the True God According to 1 John 5:20? The Father or
the Son?," Pasugo, Aug. 2004, Vol. 56, No. 8, (Quezon City, Manila: Iglesia ni Cristo, 2004).
PA1984 - Pasugo, May/June 1984 (Quezon City, Manila: Iglesia ni Cristo, 1984).
TOTC - Robert Elliff, Iglesia ni Cristo: The Only True Church?, (Self-Publication,

About History-INC

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