World Council of Churches and the pushing of a ‘different truth’
Official logo of the World Council of Churches from its website
The World Council of Churches continues to push its worldly objectives:
The head of the World Council of Churches is visiting the Holy Land …
The Geneva-based WCC said in a statement that its member churches, religious leaders, and local Christian groups in Palestine and Israel were meeting with the council’s general secretary, Rev. Jerry Pillay.
The visit began on Feb. 16, and Pillay will also meet Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli head of state Isaac Herzog during his visit. …
The agenda in the Holy Land opens with a meeting with the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem.
Pillay attended a Sunday service at a local church.
He met with various religious, social, and political leaders and visited the WCC Jerusalem Liaison Office.
The WCC head met with the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem on Feb. 17.
He was received with gratitude “at this difficult and complicated time for all the peoples of this region, and especially for the Christian community of the Holy Land,” said Theophilos III, Patriarch of Jerusalem, in a welcome address.
‘DIFFERENT TRUTH’
The church proclaims a different truth, the patriarch said.
“In theological terms, we affirm that hatred and darkness have no hypostasis; it is only light and life that have a true and enduring existence,” he said. “Death is not our mission.”
The patriarch called for unity, peace, and reconciliation. “This is our common human vocation and our common human destiny,” he said. https://www.ecumenicalnews.com/article/world-churches-group-leader-visits-holy-land-to-strengthen-call-for-just-peace/61069.htm
While supporting peace should be a good thing, the leaders in the World Council of Churches (WCC) have long wanted to get the world to accept their ideas and what the WCC considers to be truth.
The WCC wants ecumenical and interfaith unity as it believes it, and not the returning Jesus and the coming Kingdom of God as the solutions to what plagues humankind.
The Vatican is not officially a member of the WCC. This gives the impression that the World Council of Churches is not a puppet organization of the Church of Rome. And while it is not quite a puppet organization, the World Council of Churches will essentially end up as one. The World Council of Churches has, and will, advocate for ecumenical unity with Rome. This is something that the Vatican has wanted for centuries.
Consider that the Bible warns of the following:
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:7-12)
I believe that the WCC supports the “mystery of lawlessness” (see also Mystery of Iniquity). The WCC does NOT have a love of the truth. The WCC will encourage people to accept more lies in the future–especially when we see more of the prophesied signs and lying wonders.
As far as the mystery of lawlessness already being at work centuries ago, notice a quote from Serapion of Antioch in the late second/early third century:
That ye may see also that the proceedings of this lying confederacy, to which is given the name of New Prophecy, is abominated among the whole brotherhood throughout the world, I have sent you letters of the most blessed Claudius Apollinarius, who was made bishop of Hierapolis in Asia. (Serapion. From the epistle to Caricus and Ponticus. The Ante-Nicene Fathers: Translations of the Writings of the Fathers Down to A.D. 325. Roberts & Donaldson).
This is a reference from Serapion to the workings of Montanus. At the time he wrote this, the Church of Rome and those in Alexandria had not yet denounced Montanus, but tended to support him. Thus, Serapion was warning against the rise of the Greco-Roman confederation that was forming. Serapion called them a “lying confederacy.” Serapion is one of many to recognize that in the second/third centuries there were two groups that claimed Christianity–and while Montanus was eventually denounced by that confederacy, they ended up accepting “Gregory the Wonderworker” in the third century and accepting more false doctrines and more of their ecumenical unity (see also Early Church History: Who Were the Two Major Groups Professed Christ in the Second and Third Centuries?). The WCC and its cooperation with the Vatican reminds me of the confederacy that Serapion had problems with as well.
While some in the 21st century see ecumenical unity as a solution to problems for churches of this world, the Bible is clear that a group of churches, led by one from the city of seven hills, is to be avoided and will end in disaster:
1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”
3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. 5 And on her forehead a name was written:
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.
7 But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9 “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. …
18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth. (Revelation 17:1-9,18)
Note: Even Roman Catholic scholars realize that Rome is the city mentioned in Revelation 17 (see also What Do Roman Catholic Scholars Actually Teach About Early Church History?).
The WCC is part of what Revelation 17 warns against.
Many in the 21st century are falling for ecumenical unity as a means for peace, though it will not be quite as the WCC hopes for. The United Nations itself has stated that it supports the idea of trying to pursue peace through ecumenical and inter-faith means with religious leaders, and that it supports the Vatican’s agenda (see United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order?, here is a link to a related video: United Nations and Vatican Are Planning the New World Order).
The Bible does not teach that Christians will have the type of unity that the WCC, UN, and Vatican claim to want UNTIL AFTER THE FALL OF BABYLON. Notice that in Zechariah (a Catholic translation is shown below), the Bible warns against a coming ‘daughter of Babylon’ and shows that proper unity will not happen until after Jesus returns:
10 Look out! Look out! Flee from the land of the north — Yahweh declares- for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven — Yahweh declares. 11 Look out! Make your escape, Zion, now living with the daughter of Babylon!
12 For Yahweh Sabaoth says this, since the Glory commissioned me, about the nations who plundered you, ‘Whoever touches you touches the apple of my eye. 13 Now look, I shall wave my hand over them and they will be plundered by those whom they have enslaved.’ Then you will know that Yahweh Sabaoth has sent me! 14 Sing, rejoice, daughter of Zion, for now I am coming to live among you -Yahweh declares! 15 And on that day many nations will be converted to Yahweh. Yes, they will become his people, and they will live among you. Then you will know that Yahweh Sabaoth has sent me to you! 16 Yahweh will take possession of Judah, his portion in the Holy Land, and again make Jerusalem his choice. (Zechariah 2:12-16, New Jerusalem Bible-NJB)
(NOTE: The NJB verses for Zechariah 2:10-16 are shown as Zechariah 2:6-13 in the NKJV/KJV.)
The Bible tells that the ecumenical/inter-faith movement will also end in destruction (Revelation 18 & 19). This is not something that Catholics, Protestants, or the Eastern Orthodox should want (see also Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox?). The ecumenical and inter-faith plans that the Vatican, WCC, and the UN are promoting are clearly condemned by the Bible and should not be encouraged.
The Apostle Paul also taught that true unity of faith would not happen until after Jesus returns:
13 until we all reach unity in faith and knowledge of the Son of God and form the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself. (Ephesians 4:13, NJB)
Those who believe this unity comes prior to Jesus’ return are in error.
That said, it is not just some in the WCC who wish to push for a different truth.
Since the death of Herbert W. Armstrong, most leaders who were once part of the old Worldwide Church of God have pushed a “different truth” when it comes to church government.
Some claimed that hierarchical government led to the Tkach apostasy and that they had a better idea–a different truth about church government.
In a sermon titled Mission of the Philadelphia Church Era that was given on December 17, 1983, the Herbert W. Armstrong started off by saying:
“Greetings, everybody! This afternoon I want to speak on the mission of the Philadelphia Era of the Church, this Church today in comparison to the first era of the Church, the Ephesus Era of the Church. It’s been seeming more and more to me, as the years go by, that the Bible was written primarily for the Philadelphia Era of the Church … Today’s mission of the Church you will find in Matthew 24:14. And this gospel of the kingdom…that is the same gospel that Jesus preached…shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”
Thus, Herbert W. Armstrong begins the sermon by comparing the Church at Ephesus (the apostolic and early post-apostolic Church of God) to the Philadelphia era of the Church of God. He then states that the mission of the Philadelphia era of the Church is to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom to the world and then the end shall come. The end still has not come and that mission is the one that the Philadelphia remnant of the Church of God believes is its top priority. Many now have a different priority–a different truth.
Also in that sermon, Herbert W. Armstrong stated:
But to go on with the things that have been restored … The government of God has been restored to the Church, and the government of God has been placed in the Church. You read that in Ephesians 4 and I Corinthians 12. Christ is the head of the Church and under Christ in the administration of the government are an apostle or apostles, then evangelists, then pastors, then all are called elders, all ministers all the way up clear down to the lowest. So then there are teachers and elders both speaking elders and preaching elders, deacons and deaconesses. And the Church is restored in that form of government. The Sardis Church even didn’t have the right form of government.
Herbert W. Armstrong also wrote “The government of God is of necessity government from the top down. It cannot be ‘government by the consent of the governed’ ” (Mystery of the Ages. p.49).
The Apostle Paul wrote:
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ — 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16)
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way. (1 Corinthians 12:27-31)
While many who have some association with the Church of God believe that the true Church can be traced through the Apostle John’s disciple Polycarp, many do not seem to normally understand the following that Polycarp wrote:
Knowing, then, that “God is not mocked,” we ought to walk worthy of His commandment and glory. In like manner should the deacons be blameless before the face of His righteousness, as being the servants of God and Christ, and not of men. They must not be slanderers, double-tongued, or lovers of money, but temperate in all things, compassionate, industrious, walking according to the truth of the Lord, who was the servant of all. If we please Him in this present world, we shall receive also the future world, according as He has promised to us that He will raise us again from the dead, and that if we live worthily of Him, “we shall also reign together with Him,” provided only we believe. In like manner, let the young men also be blameless in all things, being especially careful to preserve purity, and keeping themselves in, as with a bridle, from every kind of evil. For it is well that they should be cut off from the lusts that are in the world, since “every lust warreth against the spirit; ” and “neither fornicators, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, shall inherit the kingdom of God,” nor those who do things inconsistent and unbecoming. Wherefore, it is needful to abstain from all these things, being subject to the presbyters and deacons, as unto God and Christ (Polycarp’s Letter to the Philippians, Chapter V).
Hence, Polycarp advocated hierarchical church governance and that Christians not be independent and that they be subject to those true church leaders as they would be to God and Christ:
And let the presbyters be compassionate and merciful to all, bringing back those that wander, visiting all the sick, and not neglecting the widow, the orphan, or the poor, but always “providing for that which is becoming in the sight of God and man ; ” abstaining from all wrath, respect of persons, and unjust judgment; keeping far off from . all covetousness, not quickly crediting [an evil report] against any one, not severe in judgment, as knowing that we are all under a debt of sin. If then we entreat the Lord to forgive us, we ought also ourselves to forgive; for we are before the eyes of our Lord and God, and “we must all appear at the judgment-seat of Christ, and must every one give an account of himself.” Let us then serve Him in fear, and with all reverence (Hebrews 12:28), even as He Himself has commanded us, and as the apostles who preached the Gospel unto us, and the prophets who proclaimed beforehand the coming of the Lord [have alike taught us]. Let us be zealous in the pursuit of that which is good, keeping ourselves from causes of offence, from false brethren, and from those who in hypocrisy bear the name of the Lord, and draw away vain men into error (Polycarp’s Letter to the Philippians, Chapter VI).
And part of the reason for the presbyters is to protect against “false brethren” and doctrinal “error” (the Apostle Paul taught the same thing in Ephesians 4:11-14).
Many in the COGs have accepted a “different truth” about government and the priority of proclaiming the good news of the coming Kingdom of God. Plus have embraced many prophetic doctrinal errors (see also Do You Hold to Any of These Laodicean Prophetic Errors?).
Related to gospel proclamation and church governance. notice the following from the CCOG Letter to the Brethren: February 1, 2024:
Greetings from the Five Cities region of California.
We received another 25 translations of our English booklet titled The Gospel of the Kingdom of God this week. This is helpful to support the fulfillment of Matthew 24:14, Romans 11:25 (see What About Romans 11:25 and the Full Number of the Gentiles?), the Ezekiel warning (see What is the Ezekiel Warning?), as well as the short work of Romans 9:28 (see also Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word). …
Jesus said the following:
7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,
‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: 8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 9 Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie — indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. (Revelation 3:7-11)
Brethren, the truths restored to the Philadelphian portion of the Church of God included hierarchical governance (see Continuing Church of God, Elijah, and Restoring All Things). Although simply accepting hierarchical governance does not, of itself, make one Philadelphian, rejecting Philadelphian governance does demonstrate that one is not Philadelphian.
Be a Philadelphian Christian, hold fast to the truths that have been restored to the Philadelphian era and its most faithful remnant, seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33), and support the Philadelphian work (Matthew 24:14, 28:19-20; Revelation 3:7-8).
Do not let others “deceive you by any means” (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:3)–true Philadelphians believe in and support Philadelphian hierarchical governance.
In a sermon titled Rely on God, the late Herbert W. Armstrong said:
KEY ISSUE IS GOVERNMENT …
THE WHOLE THING WAS GOVERNMENT! THE THING THAT SATAN TOOK AWAY WAS GOVERNMENT. THE THING THAT CHRIST IS COMING TO RESTORE IS GOVERNMENT. AND WHAT HE RAISED ME UP FOR WAS TO RESTORE GOVERNMENT IN HIS CHURCH. And the whole test, the challenge in the first place …, was a point of government. (Armstrong HW. Rely on God. Sermon, April 6, 1985)
Notice that Herbert Armstrong said God raised him up to restore church government in His church. And he did, though most end time Christians do not truly accept that.
The Philadelphia era, according to Herbert W. Armstrong, was to have a hierarchical governance:
The Church is organized under theocratic government, hierarchical in form (Mystery of the Ages, p. 246).
Since most end-time Christians are not Philadelphian, it is little surprise that most do not fully accept the type of governance that God had Herbert Armstrong restore. …
As Jesus said to the Philadelphians, “Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”
Brethren, do not reject the truths restored by and to the Philadelphians because of critics or other accusers of the brethren.
Since as we see from the sequence of churches in the Book of Revelation, most end time Christians are Laodicean (which literally means “people decide” or “people govern”) it is of little surprise that most real Christians have accepted some other than the truth about governance that Herbert W. Armstrong said Jesus raised him to restore.
And while most real Christians will not fall for the “different truths” that those in groups like the World Council of Churches push, many have fallen for a wrong and different form of governance.
If you have, heed Jesus’ words to the Laodiceans in Revelation 3:14-18 and repent.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction! What is going on in the Protestant world? Are Protestants turning back to their ‘mother church’ in Rome? Does the Bible warn about this? What are Catholic plans and prophecies related to this? Is Protestantism doomed? See also World Council of Churches Peace Plan.
The ‘Unpardonable Sin’ and ‘Climate Change’? On September 7, 2016, Olav Fykse Tveit, Church of Norway Pastor, and the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, essentially declared that those who ignore ‘climate change’ are committing the ‘unpardonable sin’ and the Holy Spirit. Are those two even related? In this video, Dr. Thiel answers that and explains from the Bible what the ‘unpardonable sin’ is and how you can avoid it. He also discusses aspects of Christianity and the environment. This is a video.
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against? A video sermon of related interest is: Will the Interfaith Movement lead to World War III? and a video sermon is also available: Do You Know That Babylon is Forming?
The Bible, Peter, Paul, John, Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, Roderick C. Meredith, and Bob Thiel on Church Government What form of governance did the early church have? Was it hierarchical? Which form of governance would one expect to have in the Philadelphia remnant? The people decide and/or committee forms, odd dictatorships, or the same type that the Philadelphia era itself had? What are some of the scriptural limits on ecclesiastical authority? Do some commit organizational idolatry? Here is a Spanish language version La Biblia, Policarpo, Herbert W. Armstrong, y Roderick C. Meredith sobre el gobierno de la Iglesia. Here is a link to a sermon titled Church Governance.
The Philadelphia Remnant: It’s All About Love This is what CCOG teaches. It is important to remember.Two elated videos are available: Nairobi Conference: All About Love and CCOG: It’s All About Love.
What is a True Philadelphian? What is one? Should you be a true Philadelphian? Here are links to two related videos: Be a Real Philadelphian Christian and Be a Philadephian Witness.
What is a Philadelphian? Many claim to be part of the Philadelphia era of the Church, but is claiming enough? This article has biblical and historical evidence about who really are the Philadelphians.
Are the Laodiceans the Modern Sadducees and Pharisees? Discusses similarities of the Sadducees and Pharisees to various COGs in this end-time.
Spiritual Samaritans: Old and New Who were the Samaritans? Do the represent true Christianity or something else? Here is a link to a related sermon: USA in Prophecy: Samaria.
Herbert W. Armstrong, the Philadelphia Church, & the Mantle Herbert Armstrong claims God had him raise the Philadelphia up. Are there reasons to believe that the Philadelphia mantle in now within the CCOG? Here is a link to a related sermon: Herbert W. Armstrong and the Philadelphia Mantle.
Should the Church Still Try to Place its Top Priority on Proclaiming the Gospel or Did Herbert W. Armstrong Change that Priority for the Work? Some say the Church should mainly feed the flock now as that is what Herbert W. Armstrong reportedly said. Is that what he said? Is that what the Bible says? What did Paul and Herbert W. Armstrong expect from lower level leaders? Two related sermons are available The Work per HWA and the Bible and Priority of the Philadelphia Work.
The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. The Laodiceans are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG or its offshoots. They do not properly understand the work or biblical prophecies and will face the Great Tribulation if they do not repent. One video of related interest is 50+ Laodicean Prophetic Errors. See also Do You Hold to Any of These Laodicean Prophetic Errors?
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