Work out your own salvation. We are all on different levels of growth, yet we are one spiritual organism.

Facebook groups are a fascinating place to discover Armstrongism. There are many COG groups on there; many are private, so you have to be screened before they let you in, and others are public. Many are innocuous, but others are at times batshit crazy. Some of those peopel are positive proof that Armstrongism is NOT normal.

The quote below is not one of the extreme posts, like those in the PCG post, but rather highlights how many in the church see themselves as a spiritual organism, a united body knit together as one, despite being in separate splinter groups.

This split had to happen, each having their own administrations, its easier to prevent corruption, as the churches of Asia Minor did, there were 7 churches in the beginning, they were separate, still many members, but one body, same what we have today. each church had its own name, "and to the church of Ephesus" ... we are still many members but one body. Each member is responsible for their own salvation, each having a separate relationship with God the Father asking him to direct each of us,what he allows.. God knows what we are dealing with. . Each on different levels of growth as we learn Gods ways, " there will be no divisions among you" as he tells us.

This statement is a masterpiece of biblical gymnastics — the kind where you twist Scripture into a pretzel, call it "truth,” and use it to paper over why Armstrongite groups keep fracturing like cheap drywall.   

"The split had to happen." This whole argument is the standard post-1986 Armstrongite coping mechanism. It’s a convenient way to avoid admitting that the heavy centralized model they inherited produced exactly the power struggles and fractures they now defend as “biblical.” Even Herbert Armstrong himself wrote against the idea of the Church having competing “branches.” Funny how that part gets memory-holed when it’s useful.

The 7 churches in Asia Minor weren’t the result of some noble “split that had to happen to prevent corruption.” There were seven literal congregations in different cities (Ephesus, Smyrna, etc.) that John wrote to in one single book. Same region, same basic faith, same apostolic oversight from John. They weren’t competing organizations with rival headquarters, different doctrines on British-Israelism, or separate tithe streams. They were local assemblies, not a biblical endorsement for modern schism factories. They are nowhere near today’s Armstrongite alphabet soup: UCG, LCG, RCG, CCOG, PCG, COGWA, etc.

“Each having their own administrations, it’s easier to prevent corruption” — ah yes, the classic “our little pope is less corrupt than their little pope” defense. The New Covenant church had structure (apostles, elders, deacons), but the head was always Christ, not a chain of command that keeps fracturing every time someone disagrees with the current guy in charge. History shows that when groups split to “avoid corruption,” they usually just create brand-new opportunities for it — plus endless arguments over who’s the real remnant this week.

"Each member is responsible for their own salvation," Armstrongism heavily promotes Philippians 2:12 to support its distinctive view that:

• Salvation is not a completed reality at conversion or justification. It is a process of “overcoming,” character development, and obedience (especially to Old Covenant laws like the Sabbath, holy days, tithing, and clean/unclean meats).

• Christians must “qualify” for the Kingdom through works and endurance. Most people are not being called/saved now; the Church is only the “firstfruits.” The vast majority will get their chance in the Millennium or the Great White Throne judgment later.

• They present “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” as proof that you are not already saved and must strive hard (with the implication that failure can disqualify you). This creates a legalistic, performance-based framework where grace is acknowledged in theory but human effort and law-keeping become central to “qualifying.” This directly contradicts the New Covenant emphasis on the finished work of Christ and the believer’s secure position in Him.

Armstrongism uses Philippians 2:12 and the flexibility of “aion” to shift the focus from Christ’s completed work and present grace (New Covenant) to human striving, law-keeping, and a future-oriented, staged salvation plan. This turns the New Testament’s call to live out salvation by the power of the indwelling Spirit into a works-based qualification process and redefines judgment language to fit their unique eschatology and denial of eternal conscious punishment.

The New Covenant reading keeps both the assurance of grace and the serious call to obedient living — without turning salvation into something we must earn or “qualify” for through performance.

Today's COG groups are not "spiritual organisms". They are all independent groups doing whatever they want.