The Iglesia Ni Cristo is a religious cult movement in the Philippines that teaches the Arian heresy about Jesus not being the God-Man but man alone. They have tried to pose themselves as knowledgeable in the Scripture even utilizing biblical languages but only a keen believer can surely detect where they err. The Iglesia Ni Cristo will do their best to avoid the truth of what the Scripture truly says about Jesus Christ being God who became human. A number of obvious verses that proves the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ seem to be of non-effect to any members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo cult group. Well, they have develop ways to “counter” the emphatic and direct high Christology verses by quoting a number of book references which either misrepresents and misquotes the Bible scholars themselves, while seeking help from other literatures written by non-Christians and cult writers as well. Let me give you some ways on how to converse with the Iglesia Ni Cristo using Isaiah 9:6 where it shows the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ but due to their resourceful researchers manage to water-down the truth of the passage. Let me explain and debunk their arguments through a conversation between Christian, a believer and Ignacio, an Iglesia Ni Cristo member.  

Christian: Hi Ignacio. Are you a member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo group?  

Ignacio: Yes. 

Christian: Do you believe Jesus is God?

Ignacio: No. I believe he is man not God for there is only one God, the Father.

Christian: But what about in Isaiah 9:6? It says in that passage, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” It’s pretty much clear that the child Jesus is the Mighty God. 

Ignacio: Well, if you say Jesus is the Mighty God then you will have to admit that He is also the Everlasting Father. Do you believe He is also called the Father? If yes, then you will have two fathers who is Jesus Christ. 

Christian: The English translation “Everlasting Father” came from the Hebrew word abiad which literally means “father of eternity” not in the sense of relational but descriptive because He is from eternity to eternity. The Hebrew term abiad describes and explains to us the nature or the state of being of the Son who admits He is “the alpha and the omega, the first and the last, and the beginning and the end” which explains why He is the Everlasting Father (see Rev. 22:13).   

Ignacio: It’s my first time to learn about that explanation. But how about the Iglesia Ni Cristo minister’s explanation that the name in Isaiah 9:6 is actually a long name for the child to be born? They even quote from the writings of the Jewish Publication Society of America. It explains, 

“For a child is born unto us. A son is given unto us; And the government is upon his shoulder; and his name is called Pele-joez-el-gibborabi-ad-sar-shalom.” (The Holy Scriptures According to the Masoretic Text, 1917 edition)

So notice, it’s a long name given only to the child as the Hebrew scholars say. 

Christian: Well, whether the name is long or short, the fact of the matter remains that the son owns and embodies the name. Are you willing to call Jesus “Wonderful Counsellor Mighty God Everlasting Father Prince of Peace” at the same time? Where in the Pasugo magazine did any Iglesia Ni Cristo writer addressed Jesus in this way?

Ignacio: Well, I can’t remember any of the Iglesia Ni Cristo writer or minister addressing Jesus in this way. I think you have a point because if we believe this is truly a name only then why not address Jesus in this way also? 

Christian: I think you are getting my point. And besides, the Jewish people who wrote the Jewish Publication Society of America do not believe Jesus should be worship. But I do believe you worship Jesus. Right? 

Ignacio: Yes. I worship Jesus. 

Christian: So, if this Jewish publication cannot be fully trusted in this aspect of their interpretation, then why would the Iglesia Ni Cristo ministers trust their interpretation in Isaiah 9:6?     

Ignacio: Yes, I think I’m getting your point. Why use a publication that cannot be fully trusted in the aspect of explaining and interpreting things about Jesus Christ? In other words, why pick and choose certain authors and publications that does not support our belief as Iglesia Ni Cristo? 

Christian: You are right! Why does the Iglesia Ni Cristo authorities use the references of some religious groups who are against their teaching about Jesus Christ? I will not use the Jehovah’s Witness nor Mormon publications to prove my point because I know they are not to be trusted in the aspect of biblical interpretation. This also goes with the Jewish Publication Society of America which I will not use because I don’t agree with their major biblical exegesis.

Ignacio: I think I also read some writings in the Pasugo where the writer quotes from the articles of the Jehovah’s Witnesses to prove their point. I don’t think this is right. But what can you say about the translation in James Moffatt on Isaiah 9:6 that says, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us; the royal dignity he wears, and this the title that he bears – ‘A wonder of counselor, a divine hero, A father for all time, a peaceful prince.’”

Christian: Well, the translation “divine hero” is not very accurate because that is not what the Hebrew words actually says. No reputable Hebrew scholar will agree with that rendering. 

Ignacio: Okay. But what about the Iglesia Ni Cristo explanation that says we should not be literal over names because the name Peter means “rock” but it’s not right to think that he is actually a rock. Right? And how about Daniel which means “God is my Judge?” Or Elijah which means “Yah Is God?” Are we also going to say that they are God? 

Christian: Obviously, we cannot compare Peter, Daniel, and Elijah with the Lord Jesus Christ because the Lord Himself is far more greater than them. Besides, in terms of embodying the name, who do you think among them embodies the name in its fullness and reality? 

Ignacio: The Lord Jesus Christ?

Christian: Yes. You are right! Applying the name “Mighty God” in Isaiah 9:6 on Jesus Christ is but proper because the text says “a son is given to us.” And since the name of this Son will be called Mighty God, this easily unites with a number of passages that says “they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us)” ¹ and “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” ²

Ignacio: If you believe Jesus is God and the Father is God, and the Holy Spirit is God then that would be three separate Gods.   

Christian: Well, when the Bible says the Father is God, the Son Jesus is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, it doesn’t mean it promotes tritheism or polytheism. You need to understand that the word “God” refer to the divine Yahweh. And it is not impossible for three Persons to own one divine name just like how three persons can also own one name like Henry I, Henry II, and Henry III. However, please do not try to make a literal parallel of their individualities because that is not my point. I’m sure they will be absurd to you. But when we Christians say we believe in one God, what we are actually saying is we believe in one Yahweh, the Self-Existent Creator who is the Father, the Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. After all, the term “one” in the Hebrew word does not always mean absolute unity but composite unity as well which is what the “one” in Deuteronomy 6:4 conveys.      

Ignacio: I think I am getting what you are saying here. After all, a married male and female are called “one flesh” yet they are two distinct persons.

Christian: By the way, does the Iglesia Ni Cristo doctrine about Jesus Christ change?

Ignacio: What do you mean?  

Christian: I mean, did they teach that Jesus is God in their early teachings?

Ignacio: No. They are consistent in their teaching and have not change a bit concerning Jesus Christ.

Christian: Are you aware that in their Pasugo 1939 issue of their magazine page 16-17, they taught Jesus is God? But as the years go by they change their teaching to Unitarianism that says Jesus us man not God. Their official publication writes, 

“Is our Lord Jesus Christ also called God? Let us read the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah in 9:6: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” … The boy who shall be born whom Isaiah refers to is our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

Ignacio: Oh, I am not aware of that! 

Christian: So you see, there are many things that the Iglesia Ni Cristo authorities are not telling you regarding this passage. I hope this information will help you. 

Ignacio: Yes. It made me think. Thank you for sharing this truth.  

Christian: You are welcome!

Footnotes:

¹ Matthew 1:23

² John 1:1,14