Arius
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ARIANISM: WHO IS JESUS?<br />
PROF. M. M. NINAN<br />
Felix Y. Manalo (1886 - 1963) is said to be the restorer of the church of Christ, and "God's last<br />
messenger" (sugo in Tagalog). INC says that Manalo is the "angel from the east", mentioned in<br />
Revelation 7:1–3<br />
They believe that the Iglesia ni Cristo is the fulfillment of the Bible verse, Isaiah 43:5, where "east"<br />
refers to the Philippines where the Church of Christ would be founde<br />
The Iglesia ni Cristo believes that God the Father is the creator deity and the only true God. INC<br />
rejects the traditional Christian belief in the Trinity as heresy, adopting a version of unitarianism.<br />
They believe that this position is attested by Jesus Christ and the Apostles.<br />
Christ and the Apostles are united in teaching how many and who is the real God.<br />
Similar to other true Christians, according to Apostle Paul, there is only one God, the<br />
Father—not the Son and more so not the Holy Spirit. The Apostles also did not teach<br />
that there is one God who has three personas who are also Gods. ... It [Trinity] is not<br />
found in the Holy Scriptures or the Bible, and if [Catholic] priests ever use the Bible<br />
to prove this teaching of theirs, all are based only on suppositions and presumptions.<br />
—trans. from Pasugo (November 1968)<br />
The church believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the mediator between God the<br />
Father and humanity, and was created by God the Father. God sanctified him to be without sin,<br />
and bestowed upon him the titles "Lord" and "Son of God". The church sees Jesus as God's<br />
highest creation, and denies the deity of Jesus. Adherents profess Jesus' substitutionary role in<br />
the redemption of humankind. He is believed to have been "foreordained before the foundation of<br />
the world" and sent by God "to deal with sin". Members "are saved by Christ's blood" who died<br />
because of his "self-sacrificing love". INC believes that the Holy Spirit is the power of God and also<br />
not a deity, being sent by God the Father and Jesus Christ to guide God's people<br />
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