REFUTING AN IGLESIA NI MANALO ON THE HOLY TRINITY

The Holy Spirit descending from on High

One God, the Father

We believe that the one and only true God is the Father, the Creator. We hold this belief because it is the doctrine taught by our Lord Jesus Christ and His Apostles (John 17:3, 1: I Corinthians 8:6). God is a Spirit (John 4:24), and, therefore, He has no flesh and bones (Luke 24:39).

There is no trinity of persons in God. Though the Bible speaks of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, never does it refer to all of them as gods nor as three persons in one God; rather, it points to the Father alone as the true God. The Son Himself emphasized that only the Father is the true God (John 17:3, 1) and that He himself is a man telling the truth which He received from God (John 8:40). The prophets also teach that we have only one Father who created us (Malachi 2:10); Isaiah 64:4, 8). He alone is God, there is no other God and no one is like Him (Isaiah 46:9)

God is from everlasting to everlasting, with no beginning or end (Psalms 90:2), immortal (I Timothy 1:17), and does not tire or become weary (Isaiah 40:28).

He alone is the creator of heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all things therein, and the seas and all that is in them (Nehemiah 9:6)

The Lord Jesus Christ

The Iglesia ni Cristo believes that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Matthew 3:17), is the one and only Savior given by God (Acts 13:23). Christ is the sole mediator between God and men (I Timothy 2:5) and the only way to God (John 14:6).

But we do not subscribe to the belief that Christ is God-Man. He is man in nature according to His own testimony (John 8:40) and the teachings of His Apostles (I Timothy 2:5; Matthew 1:18).

The attributes of a human being were found in Christ. He hungered (Matthew 4:2), thirsted (John 19:28), became weary or tired (John 4:6), slept (Matthew 8:24), and died (Matthew 27:50; I Corinthians 15:3). However, Christ as distinct from all men, is the only one who did not sin (I Peter 2:21-22; Hebrews 4:15).

He has been exalted by God and given a name above all other names, that at the name of Christ every knee should bow, those in heaven, and those on earth (Philippians 2:9-11). He has been placed by God far above all principality, power, might and dominion, and every name that is named, and all things have been put under His feet (Ephesians 1:21-22). Christ will eventually subject all His power and authority to the true God (I Corinthians 15:27-28). He had in so many instances introduced Himself as the Son of God but never did He appropriate the title “God” nor “God the Son” for Himself because He is not God but man.

The Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the power (Acts 1:8) sent by the Father in the name of Christ, to teach and remind His messengers of all the things that Christ said (John 14:26).

Christ also sends the Holy Spirit to help us in our weaknesses and infirmities (John 15:26; Romans 8:26). The Holy Spirit strengthens, edifies, and comforts the Church of Christ (Ephesians 3:16-17); John 14:26). And although the Holy Spirit is a spirit, never do the Scriptures refer to Him as “God the Holy Spirit” because He is not God but one of the spirits being sent by God.

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One God, the Father

One God, the Father... but before that ONE SPIRIT... ONE LORD... [cf. Eph 4:4-6].

We believe that the one and only true God is the Father, the Creator.

We also believe that there is only one God and that is the Father, the Creator. However, Jesus is called 'God' too in the Bible. In Hebrew 1:8 the Father called The Son 'God':

Hebrews 1:8 (King James Version) "But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom."

Since the Father does not tell a lie it means that Jesus is God. Don't tell me that God is lying when He stated that? Because if you will claim that Jesus is a false God then you are destroying the credibility of the Father and the Bible. Besides, JESUS IS ALSO CALLED CREATOR:

Hebrews 1:10 [KJV] "And, thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundations of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands."

So, the one who put the foundations of the earth is Jesus and the heavens are the works of His hands. He is a Creator then. John the Evangelist declares that the Word [Jesus] is already together with God... and Himself God in the beginning [John 1:1]. And this Word is the Life and Light of the world [John 1:4-5]. Much more: "All things were made by Him, and without him was not any thing made that was made" [John 1:2]. What is that? It means that Creation was made by Christ and without Him Creation is not possible. He, he, he... that is God.

Jesus is the Reason for Creation. He is Necessary for Creation and He is the very Reason and Goal of Creation.

Concerning Jesus being the TRUE GOD, here is the verse from the INC's favorite Bible:

The Revised Tagalog Popular Version of MAGANDANG BALITA BIBLIA ( The favorite bible version of Iglesia ni Manalo) states,

"Nawa'y magkaroon kayo ng kaisipan ng tulad ng kay CRISTO HESUS, na kahit siya'y likas at TUNAY NA DIYOS" (Filipos 2:5-6)

That verse is shared to me by a very young Catholic Apologist named Bro. Beltran, O.P. He, he, he... It is stated there word for word, categorical, explicit that JESUS IS TRUE GOD. Now, WHERE CAN YOU READ IN THE SACRED SCRIPTURES THAT JESUS 'IS NOT A TRUE GOD'? OR THAT JESUS IS 'A FAKE GOD'? Where? Chapter and verse please.

Jesus is also referred to in the Bible as the Only God:

John 1:18 [NIV] "No one has ever seen God, but GOD THE ONE AND ONLY, who is at the Father's side, has made him known."

In Contemporay English Version the translation is even more devastating for your position:

John 1:18 [CEV] "No one has ever seen God. The only Son, WHO IS TRULY GOD and is closest to the Father, has shown us what God is like."

Right there you are: TRULY GOD!!! He, he, he... So, where can you find in the Bible that Jesus is NOT TRUE GOD? That is your burden.

We hold this belief because it is the doctrine taught by our Lord Jesus Christ and His Apostles (John 17:3, 1: I Corinthians 8:6).

The Lord Jesus and the Apostles didn't teach that 'HE IS MAN ONLY' which is really your doctrine. That is the Heresy of Arianism, the denial of Divinity of Jesus.

God is a Spirit (John 4:24), and, therefore, He has no flesh and bones (Luke 24:39).

The Bible also says that the Eternal Word who is God became Man and therefore from being pure Spirit He incarnated and has gotten enfleshed [John 1:1 and 14]. This is futher supported by St. Paul when he declared that the God Christ humbled Himself despite the fact that he is TRUE GOD:

Philippians 2:6 [Contemporay English Version] "CHRIST WAS TRULY GOD. But he did not try to remain equal with God. Instead he gave up everything and became a slave, when he became like one of us."

Obviously, Ramil is not only aware of the Spiritual nature of God but has not taken into consideration the Sublime HUMILITY of God.

There is no trinity of persons in God.

There IS a Trinity of Persons in God. The Bible teaches it:

Matthew 28:19 "Baptize them in the NAME of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

As you can see there is only One NAME which refers to the One Being of God but it has 3 Persons: The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. That is Trinity in God: One in Three and Three in One. There is unity of Being but there is distinctions of Persons.

Though the Bible speaks of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, never does it refer to all of them as gods

Neither do we refer to them as gods. O, no. Never. And will never be.

nor as three persons in one God;

The Bible is categorical in saying that there is only One God. But it also states that Jesus is God and that the Holy Spirit is God. Yet there are not three gods but they are One. That is why the Lord Jesus said: "The Father and I are one" [John 10:30]. What makes them One their having Unity of Being. Yet Jesus distinguishes Himself from the Father, so we say that they are distinct in Persons.

On the part of the Holy Spirit.

He is called the THE SPIRIT OF GOD [Gen 1:2/ 2 Chron 24:20/ Is 61:1/ Ez 11:24/ Mt 3:16/ 12:28/ Rom 8:9/ 15:19/ 2 Cor 3:3 'The Spirit of the Living God'/ 1 Jn 4:2] and

He is the THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST [Rom 8:9/ Gal 4:6/ Phil 1:9/ 1 Pt 1:11].

So, your spirit and you are one even though it can be distinguished. But in reality when I say 'your spirit' it means 'you'. The same thing for the Spirit, it is the Spirit of God it means it is God Himself. It is also the Spirit of Christ it means that Christ is God because he shares the same Spirit with God. That is why even though the three can be distinguished from each other they are truly ONE.

rather, it points to the Father alone as the true God.

The Bible disproves you. Jesus is TRULY GOD because Jesus and the Father are ONE. Then the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is THE SPIRIT OF GOD.

The Son Himself emphasized that only the Father is the true God (John 17:3, 1) and that He himself is a man telling the truth which He received from God (John 8:40).

Of course the Son calls the Father the true God but the Holy Spirit by whose inspiration the Bible is written refers to the Son as TRULY GOD [John 1:18, Phil 2:6 CEV]. So, the Father and the Son are united in Being One God.

Then, Jesus NEVER taught that HE IS NOT GOD. Instead, the Father called Jesus GOD [Heb 1:8]. And it is nowhere stated in the Bible that Jesus is ONLY HUMAN. That is invented by Arius a heresy swallowed by Felix Manalo. That is why both of them are heretics.

The prophets also teach that we have only one Father who created us (Malachi 2:10); Isaiah 64:4, 8).

He, he, he... I think you have failed to take into considerations these passages:

John 1:3 LNT "He created everything there is. Nothing exists that He did not create."

Colossians 1:16 NIV "For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him."

The Father, Himself, declared the Creating Power of the Son:

Hebrews 1:10 NIV "He also says, 'In the beginning, O Lord, You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands..."

So, the Father and the Son are both Creators! How about the Holy Spirit?

Job 33:4 KJV "The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life..."

That is very clear. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are both Creators because they are One.

He alone is God, there is no other God and no one is like Him (Isaiah 46:9)

There is only One God but the Bible presented that One God as having 3 Divine Persons: [1.] Father, [2.] Son and [3.] Holy Spirit. Where can you find in the Bible that the Son is not God? And when can you read in the Bible that the Holy Spirit is not God?

God is from everlasting to everlasting, with no beginning or end (Psalms 90:2), immortal (I Timothy 1:17), and does not tire or become weary (Isaiah 40:28).

Exactly. That is why Jesus and the Holy Spirit are One God with the Father because they are Eternal, Immortal and does not become weary:

Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever."

It means eternal. Actually if the Father is Alpha and Omega [The First and the Last] in Revelation 1: 8 so is the Son in Revelation 1:17-18 and 2:8. And the Holy Spirit is eternal as well:

Hebrews 1:14 The Eternal Spirit...

The Holy Spirit is co-equally Eternal with the Father and the Son. If God is Eternal then the Spirit of God must be Eternal. If the Spirit of God is Eternal then Christ whose Spirit is the same Spirit of God must be Eternal too.

In case of the Son, He is eternal and is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is the Living One says Rev 1:18 but He experienced death because according to St. Paul in Philippians 2 because He humbled Himself by His Incarnation. His death was an act of self-sacrifice of the Son through His becoming man yet He lives forever and ever and is God.

He alone is the creator of heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all things therein, and the seas and all that is in them (Nehemiah 9:6)

God alone is the Creator of Heven and Earth, that is also the Catholic Teaching but what is the meaning of that term God. It means The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit whom the Bible presented each as creator of the World. Genesis 1:2 speaks of the Spirit of God while John 1:1 speaks of the presence of the Word in Creation. And these verses are supported by Heb 1:10 and Job 33:4. The Bible explicitly and categorically referred to Jesus and the Holy Spirit as Lord and God.

The Lord Jesus Christ

The Iglesia ni Cristo believes that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Matthew 3:17), is the one and only Savior given by God (Acts 13:23). Christ is the sole mediator between God and men (I Timothy 2:5) and the only way to God (John 14:6).

Jesus is Lord and Savior because He is God. He can mediate between God and men because He is God. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life because He is God. If he is not God then he cannot be a Savior and Lord. And he cannot be the Way, the Truth and the Life.

But we do not subscribe to the belief that Christ is God-Man. He is man in nature according to His own testimony (John 8:40) and the teachings of His Apostles (I Timothy 2:5; Matthew 1:18).

The Bible says that Jesus is human BUT IT ALSO SAYS THAT JESUS IS GOD. That is why JESUS IS GOD-MAN. That is so simple.

Then Jesus referred to Himself as human but the Father called the Son God [Heb 1:8]. The human nature of Jesus is merely the effected by His Divine Power. He chose to be a man but His real nature is God. His real nature is Divine Nature:

Philippians 2:6-7 [New International Version] "Who, BEING in NATURE GOD did not deem equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being MADE in HUMAN LIKENESS. And being found in APPEARANCE AS A MAN, he humbled himself..."

There you are. Before His Incarnation His NATURE IS GOD which is supported by John 1:1. Then out of humility, by His own choice HE TOOK THE NATURE OF A SERVANT... HUMAN NATURE. Thus, He is God-Man. But the human nature in Christ is only an assumed nature... a taken or made nature. He made it by His Divine Power because He wanted to become a man. And He appeared on Earth as Man to die for our sins.

MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS: WHERE CAN YOU FIND IN THE BIBLE THAT JESUS IS MAN ALONE? OR THAT JESUS IS 'NOT GOD'? OR THAT JESUS ONLY HAS A HUMAN NATURE?

The attributes of a human being were found in Christ. He hungered (Matthew 4:2), thirsted (John 19:28), became weary or tired (John 4:6), slept (Matthew 8:24), and died (Matthew 27:50; I Corinthians 15:3). However, Christ as distinct from all men, is the only one who did not sin (I Peter 2:21-22; Hebrews 4:15).

As explained above Jesus became human because He wanted it but St. John the Evangelist and St. Paul are united in proclaiming that prior to His becoming man Jesus was and is God. Even the Father declared the Divinity of Jesus. The reason why He did not sin and cannot sin because of His Divinity. He has powers over Satan and over Sin and Death because He is God. Not even angels can remove sins and destroy the power of death. Only God can do so. That is why Jesus is Lord and God.

He has been exalted by God and given a name above all other names, that at the name of Christ every knee should bow, those in heaven, and those on earth (Philippians 2:9-11).

But prior to that in Phil 2:6 St. Paul explains that Jesus is of Divine Nature. He simply humbled Himself. Since He humbled Himself the Father honored Him that honor is not an honor proper for a man but an honor proper for God. Worship and Honor and Lordship belongs to God alone. The fact that the Father recognized the Lordship of Christ means that He is proclaiming the Divinity of the Son in Unity with Him and the Holy Spirit.

He has been placed by God far above all principality, power, might and dominion, and every name that is named, and all things have been put under His feet (Ephesians 1:21-22).

Correct. That is why JESUS IS GREATER THAN MANALO. And Jesus is the last messenger of God and not Manalo [Hebrews 1:1]. And these honors given to the Son proves all the more the Divinity of Jesus. Because no creature is worthy to own all these powers except God alone. Why are they handed on to Jesus because He is exactly like the Father in Divinity and that all these powers belong to Jesus by INHERITANCE... which means BY RIGHT.

Christ will eventually subject all His power and authority to the true God (I Corinthians 15:27-28).

Jesus is God before He came down to earth. And in coming down He humbled Himself because He appeared in the nature of Man even though He was of Divine Nature. Then by rising again the Father handed to Jesus all power that He abandoned out of Humility. It is an act of Divine Love that the Father handed every Power and Authority to the Son and the Son out of His great Love for the Father offers Him everything. Then who owns All Powers and Authorities, the Father or the Son? BOTH. Because they share the same Divinity and they are One. Their offering and giving to one another is simply a manifestation of their total love and unity with each other.

He had in so many instances introduced Himself as the Son of God but never did He appropriate the title “God” nor “God the Son” for Himself because He is not God but man.

Jesus never said that 'I am not God'. Neither did he say 'I am ONLY human' nor 'I am not equal with the Father'.

Of course Jesus decided not to say He is God because His intention is to proclaim the Father. Then it was the Father and the Holy Spirit and the Apostles who proclaimed the Divinity of Jesus. The Father in Hebrew 1:8 called Him God and the Holy Spirit inspired St. John to call Jesus God and the same Holy Spirit inspired St. Paul to call Jesus God. So, what is your problem? If Jesus proclaimed His own Divinity then it would appear as if He is proclaiming Himself. Jesus proclaims the Father and the Father proclaims the Son. That is the mutual love and honor between the Father and the Son.

The Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the power (Acts 1:8) sent by the Father in the name of Christ, to teach and remind His messengers of all the things that Christ said (John 14:26).

The Holy Spirit is not only a 'power' but a Person. That is why Jesus and the Bible uses the Pronoun 'HE' for the Holy Spirit. To show that He is a Person and not simply a force or power.

How can a power teach? He, he, he... That is absurd. Did your electric power teach you? Did your 'Kili-kili' power teach you lessons or truths? We can learn from powers but it was our own intelligence or the teaching abilities of our teachers that taught us those lessons not the power itself. The fact that you admitted that the Lord Jesus sent forth the Holy Spirit to teach us it means it is PERSON not simply a power.

In John 14:26 "...He shall teach you all things" St. Paul declares the non-human power and ability of the Holy Spirit. That power is not human or angelic but Divine. It means that the knowing capacity of the Holy Spirit is Infinite and Unbounded.

How can the Holy Spirit teach all things? Does he know all things? Is he omniscient? Yes, because He is the Spirit of God and therefore God Himself. That is why He can search the deepest things of God [1 Corinthians 2:10]. Only God can search, can scrutinize and can fathom the deepest things of God and the fact that the Holy Spirit can do so is due to the fact that He is The Spirit of God. He is God.

Christ also sends the Holy Spirit to help us in our weaknesses and infirmities (John 15:26; Romans 8:26).

The Holy Spirit also sent Christ too and has anointed Him for a mission [Luke 4:17-18 and Isaiah 61:1-2]. As Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit sent Jesus to earth. He, he, he... Who then is higher or who has greater authority? BOTH. They are One in Divinity. Because the Holy Spirit is also THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST:

Galatians 4:6 The Spirit of the Son

1 Peter 1:11 The Spirit of Christ

Thus, as Jesus is Life [John 1:4]... The Way, the Truth and the Life [John 14:6/ 5:21] in the same manner the Holy Spirit gives life [John 6:63/ Job 33:4]. They are co-equal in giving life and co-equal in being creator.

The Holy Spirit strengthens, edifies, and comforts the Church of Christ (Ephesians 3:16-17); John 14:26).

He can do that and He is doing that because He is the Spirit of Christ. Jesus established His Church and therefore it is His own Spirit that guides, strengthens, edifies and comforts His Church.

That is not the Iglesia of Manalo because that one is founded NOT BY CHRIST but by Felix Manalo and his cohorts way back July 27, 1914. MANALO IS NOT CHRIST AND CHRIST IS NOT MANALO. Therefore your church or sect is not guided by the Spirit of Christ.

The best proof of that is your Dogma that the Church founded by Jesus apostasized. Excuse me. If the Holy Spirit according to Eph 3:16-17 and John 14:26 is the one that strengthens, comforts and builds up the Church founded by Jesus why did it succumb to 'apostasy'. If that is the case THE HOLY SPIRIT OF THE INC IS NOT THE REAL HOLY SPIRIT BECAUSE IT IS VERY WEAK AND USELESS IN PRESERVING THE CHURCH. It only means that the spirit guiding the INC is the Devil and not the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ.

And although the Holy Spirit is a spirit, never do the Scriptures refer to Him as “God the Holy Spirit” because He is not God but one of the spirits being sent by God.

Your manner of reasoning is very strange. The Philippines is never mentioned in the Bible as Far East yet you insist on it.

The Bible does not mention Felix Y. Manalo as an Angel or The Bird of Prey yet you insist on both heretical claims.

The Bible doesn't mention that when God's messenger dies his biological son must replace him as Executive Minister and when the son dies he will be replaced by the grandson. You are doing that. How come? Very interesting isn't it? He, he, he...

Now, this is what the Bible says of the Holy Spirit:

John 4:24 GOD IS SPIRIT [Take note the 'Spirit' there is capitalized to show that it refers to the Person of the Holy Spirit]. And,

2 Corinthians 3:17 THE LORD IS THE SPIRIT.

The Contemporary English Version is more devastating for you in its translation:

1 corinthians 3:17 CEV "THE LORD AND THE SPIRIT ARE ONE AND THE SAME"

He, he, he... The great problem for you is that the Father declared these words solemnly in the Bible:

Deuteronomy 6:4 HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD.

How will you solve the problem then? JESUS IS LORD! THE LORD IS THE SPIRIT! THE FATHER IS ONE LORD. It means that these Three Persons are ONE BEING though distinct as Persons.