Church of Christ

[Postscript: Since the dialect they used in this debate is in Cebuano, I cannot move but to wait if someone can translate it in English. Now that I got it, I can freely make a comment on this.]

This is a portion of a recent debate between an INC-M Minister and a Catholic Faith Defender (Bro. Soc). Here the interpellator is the INC-M Minister. He put forward his case by arguing that the church founded by Christ has its ‘specific proper name’, this name upon following the argument that he is building can be found in Roman 16:16 – the Church of Christ! He moves further by establishing that this ‘church’ is the same church where he currently belong, therefore the Iglesia ni Cristo – Manalo is the true church. A ridiculous case based on the untenable ground.

Specific Proper Name and the Descriptive Term 

Let’s make first a distinction between Specific Proper Name and a Descriptive Term.

The following verses are referring to one person; one that explicitly designates a Proper name for specific person and one that describes who this specific person is.

[Y]ou (Mary) will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. – Luke 1:31

Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary – Mark 6:3a

The term ‘Jesus’ in Luke 1:31 is a good example of specific proper name, we know it because it is explicitly stated in the verse itself, that the son that Mary will conceive shall bear the name ‘Jesus’; but in the latter verse, instead of calling him on his designate specific proper name (Jesus), the speaker gave a descriptive term based on how they recognized him – the carpenter, the son of Mary.

The ‘Name’ Game

Did Christ gave a specific proper name for the Church he founded? The obvious answer is NONE. This Church is called not by ‘name’ but rather a ‘descriptive term’.

Scriptures speak of different descriptive term for the Church founded by Christ, such as (1) a terms describing the relationship between God and His people ‘church of God’ (1Cor.1:2); ‘church of the Lord’ (Acts 20:28); ‘church of the first-born’ (Heb.12:23) (2) a descriptive term based on geographical sense ‘church in Ephesus’; ‘church in Smyrna’; ‘church in Pergamos’ etc. indicating where the church was, and (3) based on the traits or facet of the church Ekklesia Kath’oles (the church throughout all – the universal church (Acts 9:31); Bulwark and pillar of truth (1Timothy 3:15); body of Christ; bride of Christ so on.

Roman 16:16, one of the common verses exploited by other religious sect – ‘churches of Christ’ is by a no less than but an ordinary descriptive term indicating the relationship of the church to Christ, same that we discuss in category (1). It is therefore clear to us that the true church founded by Christ has NO specific proper name, those who claim on the contrary is nothing but based on a conclusion without a biblical basis; in scriptures, though diverse but one, the church is no where called by one exclusive proper name for the entire church that spread in different regions during apostolic time.

The Church founded by Christ

We see that the church founded by Christ though addressed in different descriptive terms, all these are but ONE same Church, though spread from different localities, all these are but one community professing one same faith.

 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—  I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:20-23)

HOLY, because her founder is divine person- the source of all holiness;

CATHOLIC simply means universal, as Christ commissioned his Apostles to evangelize the world “Go therefore make disciples of all the nations" (Matthew 28:19), thus this Church in its totality and wholeness is not limited to a time, place, race or culture. And lastly

APOSTOLIC, an authority bestow by Christ to his Apostles and from Apostles all the way down 

to our present day, the unbroken line of continuity. “Do not neglect the gift you have, which was conferred on you through the prophetic word with the imposition of hands of the presbyterate.” (1 Tim 4:14).

"This is the sole Church of Christ, which in the Creed we profess to be one, holy, catholic and apostolic."256 These four characteristics, inseparably linked with each other,257 indicate essential features of the Church and her mission. The Church does not possess them of herself; it is Christ who, through the Holy Spirit, makes his Church one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, and it is he who calls her to realize each of these qualities. – CCC# 811

"Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them. (Luke 21:8)

One by one each, religious sect is in a hurry to register their group under the title ‘Church of Christ’ just to say and to personally claim that they are the one (true church) that Christ founded.

Why INC-M? We are not here to bash someone’s group. INC-M is a descriptive name assigned to a church founded by Mr. Felix Manalo which is currently manage by his grandson Mr. Eduardo Manalo whom he inherit it from his Father Mr. Erano Manalo; just to avoid confusion, INC-M meant to distinguish the Manalo's Church  (Felix own church) to a church founded by other leaders which bear same trademark ‘Church of Christ’, and to show how the INC-M Minister Parba is wrong when he says they are the Church founded by Christ.

PASUGO Agosto-Setyembre 1964, p. 5
“Kailan napatala sa Pamahalaan o narehistro ang INK sa Pilipinas? Noong Hulyo 27, 1914. Tunay nga na sinasabi sa rehistro na si Kapatid na F. Manalo ang nagtatag ng INK."

PASUGO Mayo 1952, p. 4
“Kung ang babalingan ng pag-uusapan ay ang nagtatag, dapat na siya ang may-ari ng itinatag, at sa kanya rin manggagaling ang mga aral at turo na ipinatutupad."

PASUGO May 1961, p.4

“At sino nga ba ang gumagawa ng mga leksiyong itinuturo ng mga ministro, maging sa mga pagsamba, mga doktrina o mga Propaganda?  Ang Kapatid na Felix Manalo.”

PASUGO Mayo 1963, p. 27:

“Kaya’t sa katuparan ng hula, ang lahat ng mga itinuturo ng mga Ministro ng INK sa mga pagsamba, sa mga doktrina, sa mga pamamahayag sa gitna ng baya, ay si Kapatid na Felix Manalo lamang ang bumabalangkas at nagtuturo sa kanila.”