Block, SkipCaptcha, Upload, Automoderated users, edit, move, protect
30,891
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Line 1:
Line 1: − + − *[http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-the-kingdom-of-the-cults/chapanal021.html#gsc.tab=0 The Kingdom of the Cults - The Worldwide Church of God—From Cult to Christianity Summary & Analysis, by Walter Martin (bookrags.com)]+ − *[https://www.gotquestions.org/Worldwide-Church-God-Armstrongism.html What is Armstrongism? Is the World Wide Church of God a Cult? (gotquestions.org)]</ref>. He opposed [[Trinity|Trinitarianism]] as an evil deception by Satan, asserting that God the Father and God the Son (Jesus) are two separate beings, essentially two Gods. At its height, the World Wide Church of God boasted 150,000 members scattered throughout the world. − + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Line 16:
Line 88: + + + + + +
some historical info from David C. Pack, who says he was trained by Herbert W. Armstrong and married his secretary - article needs further work and refinement - I'll get back to it as soon as I can manage.
'''Armstrongism''' is the common name of the particular doctrine identified with the preaching of Herbert W. Armstrong, a radio preacher in the 30's and 40's, and original founder of the ''World Wide Church of God'' and ''Plain Truth Magazine'' in 1950. It has been classified as a [[cult]]<ref>See the following:
'''Armstrongism''' is the common name of the particular doctrine identified with the preaching of Herbert W. Armstrong, a radio preacher in the 30's and 40's, and original founder of ''The World Wide Church of God'' and ''Plain Truth Magazine'' in 1950. It has been classified as a [[cult]]<ref>
[http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-the-kingdom-of-the-cults/chapanal021.html#gsc.tab=0 The Kingdom of the Cults - The Worldwide Church of God—From Cult to Christianity Summary & Analysis, by Walter Martin (bookrags.com)]
After his death, Herbert W. Armstrong was succeeded by his appointed heir-apparent, his son, the charismatically handsome and well-spoken televangelist Garner Ted Armstrong, who soon became embroiled in controversial charges of having deviated from the original doctrine of his father's church by a form of [[Syncretism|syncretistic]] compromise with aspects of mainstream Christianity. The church split into factions, one of them the ''Restored Church of God'' which claims to have faithfully retained all of the doctrines preached by Herbert W. Armstrong. Garner Ted Armstrong together with his supporters reorganized the church into the [[Corporation|corporate]] ''World Wide Church of God, International''.
[https://www.gotquestions.org/Worldwide-Church-God-Armstrongism.html What is Armstrongism? Is the World Wide Church of God a Cult? (gotquestions.org)]</ref>. He opposed [[Trinity|Trinitarianism]] as an evil deception by Satan, asserting from [[Cafeteria Christianity#Proof texts|proof texts]] in the [[Bible]] that God the Father and God the Son (Jesus) are two separate beings, essentially two Gods. At its height, The World Wide Church of God boasted 150,000 members scattered throughout the world.
After his death in January 1986, Herbert W. Armstrong was succeeded by his appointed heir-apparent, his son, the charismatically handsome and well-spoken televangelist Garner Ted Armstrong, who soon became embroiled in controversial charges of having deviated from the original doctrine of his father's church by a form of [[Syncretism|syncretistic]] compromise with aspects of mainstream Christianity. The church split into factions, one of them the ''Restored Church of God'', led by David C. Pack (personally trained by Armstrong himself), which claims to have faithfully retained all of the doctrines preached by Herbert W. Armstrong. Garner Ted Armstrong together with his supporters reorganized the church into the [[Corporation|corporate]] ''World Wide Church of God, International''.
==History==
==History==
Herbert W. Armstrong claimed to be called and sent by God to the nations to preach and restore the truth of the Kingdom of God, emphasizing the following points.
*Peter warned, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you” (II Pet. 2:1-3).
*Before his death, Paul explicitly warned of an event that would take place in our time, prior to Christ’s Return. Notice: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the Church of God…For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:28-30).
History records that this happened in '''[[Typology|type]]''' during (and after).
According to all non-Catholic and non-Orthodox groups and sects and churches, after the original apostles died, the false church did come in and largely destroy the visible Church. This is commonly called the Great Apostasy. Because of persecution, often including threats, imprisonment, torture and death, most people gave in and departed from the truth of God’s Way and therefore from the true Church. This period is sometimes called by anti-Catholic [[Apologetics|apologists]] “The Lost Century.” They all assert that, as Jesus promised, His True Church has always survived, even when forced by the [[Heresy|heretical]] and violently [[Persecution|persecuting]] [[Authoritarianism|authoritarian]] forces of [[Trinity|trinitarian]] [[orthodox]]y to go underground, that it has never completely disappeared or been destroyed—though it has certainly remained a “little flock” that has kept His Word, and the Church that has always been kept in God’s name.
Herbert W. Armstrong claimed that God called him in the fall of 1926. After he was ordained in 1931, he claimed that God began, in late 1933 early 1934, to use him in a special way to restore His full truth to His Church and to raise up and lead the New Testament Church. Using as a basis the doctrinal ''schema'' of [[Dispensationalism]] Armstrong preached that the Bible teaches, in Revelation 2 and 3, that God has worked with His Church through seven separate and successive eras. In these two chapters of Revelation, he asserted that Christ describes each era in some detail. The first five eras or dispensations (with the exception of the second) are seen by him as being described as having their own unique set of doctrinal and spiritual problems that eventually led to their downfall. Each time this happened, he says, God raised up a new leader to establish the next era. These seven eras are Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. Originally, these were seven cities that lay close together (in this order) on a mail route in Asia Minor (now western Turkey). According to Mr. Armstrong's [[exegesis]] each city reflected corresponding attitudes that would exist in the seven eras that it represented, and that Christ was able to use these cities to show a pattern that would span the history of His Church over the next 2,000 years, from AD 31 until His Return (the ''[[Parousia''). He preached that when God called him in the fall of 1926, the New Testament Church had arrived at the end of the fifth era (Sardis), and that God began, in late 1933, to use him in a special way to restore His full truth to His Church and to raise up and lead the sixth era—Philadelphia. His followers accepted the doctrine that God used Mr. Armstrong to restore truths that had been lost to His Church for centuries.
David C. Pack says that God called him into His truth in 1966. His relationship with Herbert W. Armstrong primarily began when he met and married Armstrong's secretary in 1971. He considered that he was "blessed to learn and to know God’s marvelous Plan and to be personally trained by Herbert W. Armstrong."
According to David C. Pack of the ''Restored Church of God'' a major defection within the true Church happened again at the end of the twentieth century, which he says requires explanation.
He explains that Mr. Armstrong’s death in January 1986, 52 years after his ordination in 1934, paved the way for false leaders to arise within the organization. He says that true Christians were forced to flee. Most of them formed or entered groups that do not fully hold fast to the truth and practices of God’s Church as preached by Herbert W. Armstrong. Collectively, it is these groups that Pack says form the bulk of the seventh and last—or Laodicean—era of the Church.
While Laodicea means “the people rule, judge, decide,” they are still God’s people, but in a weak and confused condition. However, they do not represent His true Church, and are outside His Body. They have formed their own organizations, and Christ cannot rule them! Soon, those who wished to fully hold fast (Philadelphians) without compromising any true doctrines or practices, slowly found themselves again having to flee their organizations in order to do this. This booklet would be incomplete without at least briefly explaining these events, because they ultimately led to the forming of ''The Restored Church of God''.
Attendance in the Church exceeded 150,000 shortly after the death of Herbert W. Armstrong in January 1986—when according to David C. Pack his successors did, in fact, “enter in” and “arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”
According to Mr. Pack, from the time of Mr. Armstrong’s death in January 1986, this process of destruction lasted approximately nine years. As seen by David Pack, according to this historical pattern, the vast majority (about two-thirds) completely departed from the truth, the true Church and the true God, and scattered back into the world or remained where they were, returning to and re-accepting hundreds of false doctrines and practices. (David C. Pack says the complete story has been told in his book ''There Came a Falling Away''.) He states that the other third, who did not accept the direction of the false teachers who captured the visible corporation, also scattered into a variety of organizations that held to varying amounts of the doctrine that they all had learned under Mr. Armstrong’s leadership. Who these groups represent in prophecy will be momentarily explained.
David C. Pack says that all he has described (above) was actually prophesied to occur. Paul was inspired to foretell and warn of this falling away just before the Return of Christ. Pack urges his readers to notice what Paul recorded: “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [the Return of Christ described two verses earlier] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” Paul explained that this falling away would affect all who “received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (II Thes. 2:3, 10). The Greek word for “falling away” is ''apostasia'', meaning literally “to defect from the truth.”
David Pack says that when God called him, this prophesied “falling away” had, of course, not yet occurred. He maintains that while all in the Church had been warned it was coming, most still became entangled in false teachings because they had not stayed close to God, as they should have, through fervent prayer, Bible study, meditation and regular fasting, and were caught unaware.
Pack has written what he calls "a very extensive and fascinating book" ''Where Is the True Church? – and Its Incredible History!''
David C. Pack claims that the ''Restored Church of God'' does not compromise on even one of God’s many, many doctrines. Just as Jesus foretold, it is a small, persecuted “little flock” that God has kept in His Name. It is powerfully continuing God’s Work—taking the true gospel of the kingdom of God to the world and the special warning to the modern descendants of ancient Israel, before this age ends. Its fruits are evidence of God’s blessings. It is growing rapidly and has members and ministers in scores of countries around the globe. The very fact that you are reading this booklet means that you have come in contact with it—just as I was privileged in 1966 to come into contact with the true Church and learn the truth of the Bible for the first time.
Christ also promised that when false leaders, whom He refers to in John 10 as “thieves and robbers,” have been able to get into the Church, “the sheep hear His [Christ’s] voice: and He calls His own sheep by name, and leads them out.” His voice is defined as “the truth” (John 18:37).
Jesus goes on to say, “He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him: for they know His voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers” (10:3-5). Christ continues by describing the behavior of certain ministers. Notice: “The hireling flees, because he is an hireling, and cares not for the sheep” (vs. 13). This remarkable promise shows that Christ will never abandon His sheep and will always protect those who hear His voice and willingly follow Him—when they are in danger—to where He has restored the truth, re-established the Work and placed His name!
According to Armstrongism, the Laodicean era of the Church is described by Christ as “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” He also says that this era is “lukewarm” and lacking in zeal (Revelation 3:14-22). ''The Restored Church of God'' teaches that this last era is now dominant, and is to remain so just prior to the soon-coming Return of Jesus Christ. In verse 20 of Revelation 3, Christ says to all those in this era, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him.”
This passage describes Christ’s offer to all who have held fast to part of the truth. (Philadelphians hold to all of it, because they are determined to “let no man take their crown” – Revelation 3:11) He will continue to call Laodiceans “by name” and knock on their doors until there is no time left in this age. (This knocking process is thoroughly addressed in their book ''“Anoint Your Eyes” – Christ’s Warning to His People.'')
David C. Pack asserts that {{cquote|"just as Mr. Armstrong strove to live peacefully alongside the Sardis era of the Church, and bore them no ill will, we are striving to live peacefully (Philadelphia means “brotherly love”) alongside these other groups and bear them no ill will. We hope and pray that many more will continue to awaken to Christ’s warning and come out of them, and we are striving to warn them of what lies ahead. (In fact, a great prophecy found throughout the Bible shows that all of God’s people will be regathered back into the true Church—one organization—at the end of the age.) However, this booklet is not written for or specifically directed to these weak brethren. It is to instruct new people that God is calling now (those hearing the truth for the first time)—but must include the above brief description of Church eras so that they are better able to understand recent events in the true Church, and to avoid the same pitfalls into which so many others fell!}}
''The Restored Church of God'' proclaims that the world is built on the foundation of Satan’s way. As “god of this world,” he has constructed his own governments, cultures, educational systems, and other institutions—and he has also built his own “churches” (II Cor. 11:13-15). All of these together are seen as forming a “building,” with a vast superstructure, but one that is founded upon “sand,” instead of the “rock” (I Corinthians 10:4) that is Jesus Christ! Christ is not trying to build or to rebuild—repair!—the governments, institutions or churches of Satan’s world. Soon these will all be swept away by the “rain, wind and floods,” that He described in Matthew 7:24-27.
But in a striking echo of the doctrine of the [[Catholic Church]] ''The Restored Church of God'' declares that Jesus also calls His Church “a building”—one that is “fitly framed together” (Eph. 2:21), and built with Himself as the foundation. He is literally “building a building” consisting of brethren whom He calls “lively [living] stones” (I Peter 2:5). Psalm 127:1 declares, “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.” Christ is continuing His building of the Church today, and you are seeing it.
Just as the Catholic Church dogmatically teaches, ''The Restored Church of God'' also declares that the true Church is depicted as a type of Jerusalem and as the Mother of all the brethren in the Church (Galatians 4:26; Hebrews 12:22-23). Like any Mother, she cares for and feeds her children. God’s Church is pictured as a bride prophesied to marry Jesus Christ (Rev. 19:7-9). She is described as having “made herself ready” for this wonderful and glorious event!
''The Restored Church of God'' explains that the actual meaning of the Greek word translated “Church” in the New Testament needs clarification. Most have supposed it means a building or an organization. It means neither. The word “church” is ekklesia, meaning “a calling out,” especially as a religious congregation. Christians are called out of this world—its ways—its customs—its practices—its traditions—its false knowledge and false doctrines—and into the true Church, and fellowship with God and Christ (I John 1:3). David C. Pack declares that God thunders this to all His people: “Wherefore come out from among them [the world], and be you separate…and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (II Corinthians 6:17-18).
This doctrine of ''ekkelsia'' is essentially the same Gospel announced by the Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, and every mainline Christian Church on earth, each claiming to have the "Full Gospel", the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
==Doctrines==
==Doctrines==
Armstrongism teaches that there is a great false religious system that masquerades as Christianity.
*This system has carefully counterfeited all of the doctrines of God and has continually tried to penetrate, capture and destroy the true Church of God.
*In this world, churches are named after men, or after the system men have devised, or the kind of church government men have thought out, contrary to God’s Word, or after a significant doctrine they emphasize, or what men hope to make it—all-encompassing, universal or catholic. But wherever that one true Church is, it will be named the Church of God.
*[[Trinity|Trinitarianism]] is an evil deception by Satan. God the Father and God the Son (Jesus) are two separate beings, each of them God.
*The Bible warns God’s people about being swept into the deadly deception perpetrated by this large false church, the [[Whore of Babylon]]. A study of true Church history shows that this false woman invariably finds a way to enter the true Church, causing those who are determined to hold fast to the full truth of God to have to flee her seductive intrusion and influence.
*The true Church of God teaches the truth about all of these doctrines and the many scriptures supporting them.
*The literal truth of the descriptions of the monstrous beasts seen and foretold by John in the visions of the Book of Revelation.
*Many have appropriated God’s name, but are not proclaiming the Kingdom of God, as the government of God. Men must unquestioningly ''obey'' the government of God, teaching obedience to God’s Law, the Ten Commandments, teaching repentance of rebellion and transgressing God’s Holy Law, especially the [[Sabbatarianism|law of the Sabbath. Keeping the Saturday Sabbath is the key test to [[Discernment|discern]] the True Church of God.
*The true church teaches the Kingdom of God as a Family, that we may be now begotten into the Kingdom (Family) of God, and may, by the resurrection, be born into the God Family!
*The true Church is preaching the imminency of the coming of Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords, to rule all nations for a thousand years on earth. Not up in heaven, but on this earth (Revelation 5:10; 20:4-6). The Church of God in its preaching urges people to come out of the Babylon of this world (Revelation 18:4), that whosoever will may qualify to rule with Christ in the wonderful, [[utopia]]n new world that lies ahead.
*Neither Jesus, nor Peter, nor Paul, nor any of the original true apostles ever approached people and personally urged conversion on them. God has made every human a free moral agent. God compels each to make his own decision, and the true God will never force you to be converted. The true messengers and missionaries of God never go from door to door and house to house, for Jesus said, "Do not go from house to house." (Luke 10:7)
*There is only one such Church doing the Work of God. It has the True Name of God as its name. It is ''the Church of God''. It is worldwide, with members in almost in every country, and nevertheless it is, as Jesus said it would be, a ‘little flock,’ persecuted, despised by the world, rejected by the mainline apostate Christian churches and atheists alike.
==See also==
==See also==
[[Great Apostasy]]
[[Great Apostasy]]
[[''The Two Babylons'']]
[[Anglo-Israelism]]
[[Anglo-Israelism]]
[[Millenarianism]]
[[Chiliasm]]
[[WASP (term)|WASP]]
[[WASP (term)|WASP]]