Armstrongism is NOT Christian!
While I continue to maintain that God has people in all of the manmade organizations which claim to be God's ekklesia (including the various Armstrong Churches of God), the actual theology of the organizations which comprise Armstrongism is NOT Christian. In other words, the majority of their doctrines and practices do NOT reflect what is revealed in Scripture, or what most Christians understand about their faith. Individual people can and do place their faith in Jesus of Nazareth, repent, be baptized, and receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and still be a member of a group that is wholly or partially heretical or carnal. For those who have been convinced that the majority of the people who claim Christ are not really part of the ekklesia, the statements which I just made will appear jarring, unsettling, or even blasphemous. Thinking themselves rich in truth and obedience toward God, they do not realize just how devoid of truth and rebellious their groups really are!
First, they do NOT understand the nature of God. They fundamentally reject the manifestation of God in three entities as revealed in the Bible. Instead of one God in three, they teach that God and Jesus Christ represent two personages of the God Family, that the Holy Spirit is simply an amorphous power that both of their Gods exude, and that humans can become God in the future. Moreover, they think of God as a spirit in the form and shape of a human, and attribute human qualities and their own reasoning to the Deity.
Second, they do NOT understand salvation through Jesus Christ. Instead of absolute faith in the efficacy of Christ's obedience and sacrifice for us, they believe and teach that each person has a part to play in their own salvation. They believe and teach that Christians are rewarded according to their individual works, and they define righteousness for Christians as obedience to the "moral" parts of the Torah. This stands in stark contrast to the belief of most Christians that we are justified by faith in Christ and saved by the grace of God. Likewise, they do NOT understand that Christians are manifested to the world and each other by the way that LOVE motivates their behavior.
Third, they do NOT understand the nature of the Gospel message. Instead of proclaiming a message about salvation through Jesus of Nazareth, they preach about a literal future government imposed on the world in which they will participate in ruling/governing. Indeed, they believe and teach that most Christians place too much emphasis on Jesus and the nature of what he has done for humankind! In fact, they even ridicule the compassionate, kind, empathetic, and "effeminate" Jesus which most Christians revere. Instead of teaching the world about Jesus, his message, and making disciples of all nations, the ACOGs proclaim a "warning" message of impending doom focused on the English-speaking nations of the world (which is also based on other mistaken beliefs about the identity of the people of Israel).
Fourth, as referenced earlier, they completely misunderstand the nature and role of the Law of Moses relative to Christians. They fail to understand that Christ came to this earth to FULFILL that Law and the prophecies and other writings of the Hebrew Scriptures. They do NOT understand that the sacrifices and rituals of Torah ALL pointed to Jesus of Nazareth and must be understood within that context. Likewise, they do NOT understand that Christ perfectly obeyed the tenets of the Old Covenant, and that he is the ONLY person ever to have done so. Moreover, having fulfilled Torah (the requirements of God's Covenant with Israel), he instituted a NEW Covenant with better terms than the one which he made obsolete! They do NOT understand that the Two Great Commandments of God's Law have been written on the hearts of his disciples, and that they completely define and fulfill God's Law.
Fifth, they do NOT understand that a Christian is defined as anyone who has accepted Jesus as Savior and who has the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. In other words, a Christian is NOT defined by how much or how little they understand Scripture! Likewise, the ekklesia is composed of all of those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior and who have received the Holy Spirit. The Church is NOT defined by ANY human organization, its membership rolls, its doctrines, or its practices! The Church is a spiritual organism that belongs to God, and ONLY "He" knows who is a part of it. Finally, Christ said that his disciples would be recognized by their love for each other. Moreover, Christ did NOT expect his followers to withdraw from the wider world. "He" expected them to refrain from participating in the wickedness around them, but he wanted them to minister to the needs of others and help sinners to know "Him."
Sixth, they ignore many Christian traditions and celebrations and falsely label them as "pagan" or "satanic." Although two of the four Gospels contain detailed narratives of the events surrounding the birth of Christ, they reject the Christian community's celebration of that event (Christmas). Likewise, contrary to all four Gospels of the New Testament canon, they reject that Christ's resurrection happened on the first day of the week and refuse any celebrations associated with that event (Sunday and Easter). In similar fashion, they reject any regular celebration of the Eucharist and insist that it be celebrated once each year at the time of the Jewish Passover.
Seventh, like the Law, they completely misunderstand the nature, focus, and interpretation of prophecy. This stems from their failure to appreciate that just as Christ represented the fulfillment of the Law, he also was the focus of the Hebrew prophets and represented the fulfillment of their texts. Their misinterpretation of prophecy is also influenced by their extrabiblical belief that the English-speaking peoples of the earth are properly identified as the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh (the "birthright" tribes of Israel). This leads them to believe that the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc. were really intended for the modern nations of Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Although there are certainly other beliefs of the Armstrong Churches of God that some of us would consider misguided or faulty, I believe these represent the major areas of their theology that divorces them from Christianity. In short, this post represents a summary of the errors which these groups have adopted, and the most important ways that their theology differs from the majority of the Christian Church. To be sure, there exists a wide range of beliefs within the Christian faith, but I believe that these seven points represent those teachings which exclude the Armstrong Churches of God from being considered part of the wider Christian community. What do you think?
Miller Jones/Lonnie C Hendrix
