The Iglesia Ni Cristo (hereafter, INC) is a religious cult in the Philippines founded and eventually registered by the late Mr. Felix Y. Manalo in 1914. In order to established his authority, he had to come up with a teaching that proclaims he was the “aggelos” or “messenger” in a country where the sun rises. In his perspective, since the Philippines is located in the “far east” and his country is located in the part of the world then surely he is the messenger being referred to. Obviously, this is a gross misinterpretation of the Scripture. The islands in the east referred to in the Scripture is not the Philippines but the ones near Israel because the map of the Bible is different from the modern day map. This is just one of the unbiblical teachings of the INC. The teachings of the INC seem palatable to the biblically uneducated since many wanted an easy answer to every challenging questions that seems confusing. The Christian teachings they attack are the ones that many pastors and Christian leaders are weak in explaining like the Trinity, role of works, and eschatology. In fact, the INC teachings are not that hard to refute especially if you are knowledgeable in the biblical languages, culture, practices, archaeology, and manner of interpreting the Scripture. In fact, you will easily know and understand that the INC’s seeming strength in affirming Jesus’ humanity has become their waterloo because of their belief against His divinity.

The INC may be using Christian terms for Jesus like the Messiah, Lord, and Son of God. In fact, they also worship Jesus just like how they worship the Father. However, despite this claim and practice, they still believe Jesus Christ is a creature not the Creator equal with His Father.  This kind of belief is coming from a wrong interpretation of John 17:3 where Jesus said the Father the only true God. This is also how the Jehovah’s Witnesses reason as to why they reject Jesus as equal with the Father Himself placing the former as an inferior God. So how can we explain John 17:3? When Jesus Christ said, “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God” (John 17:3) this simply is coming from His role being a human. A case in point can be stated when He said, “the Father is greater than I” (Jn. 14:28) and “concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matt. 24:36) where He is speak according to His human nature not divine. Therefore, to say the Father is the “only true God” is not to deny the fact that Jesus is also true God Himself because of the following:

1. The Father and Jesus Christ both receives glory in heaven. (Jn. 17:5,24)
2. The Father and Jesus possess everything in common. (Jn. 17:7,10)
3. The Father and Jesus shared the same name making them one and same in nature. (Jn. 17:11)
4. The Father and Jesus sent the believers in the world. (Jn. 17:18)

Despite these glaring truth, the Iglesia Ni Cristo continues to believe Jesus Christ is a creature created by His Father. If that is the case then the Father is guilty of contradicting Himself since He just created a being (a creature) in addition to Himself which is also worthy of respect and honor just like Him. If the Iglesia Ni Cristo people accuses the Roman Catholic movement of worshiping Mary as “god” then they are also guilty of the same action if they continue to hold to a creature-Jesus rather than a Jesus who is the Creator who created the heavens and earth, and at par with His Father and the Holy Spirit. As Paul warned the creature worshippers,

Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

Romans 1:22-25, ESV

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Colossians 1:15-17, ESV

This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

John 5:18