Dear Friends,

The Sabbath message of 28 April 2007 dealt with Roman Catholic dogma regarding infants entering a state of “Limbo” if they die while unbaptized. This message also delved into the RC Church’s teachings on Heaven and Hell that contradicts the biblical position of the resurrection.

These doctrines, along with the Trinity and its precursors Binitarianism and Ditheism, stem from Hellenism and Gnosticism that were extant throughout the Greco-Roman world prior to and after the incarnation of Messiah. The early apostolic Church faced an onslaught of its adherents who came among the Church as sheep, but were ravenous wolves. (See Matthew 7:15 and Jude vv. 3-4.) In his masterful work, Against the Heresies, Irenaeus of Lyons records this onslaught of pagan philosophies infiltrating the apostolic Church.

Down through the ages from the time of Messiah and the Apostles, it is a matter of history that the Sabbath-keeping Churches of God have not adhered to doctrinal positions stemming from the Hellenistic and Gnostic philosophies that were the catalyst for several Church Councils, beginning at Nicea in 325 CE.

Severe persecution and an untold number of deaths resulted from the refusal of the Sabbatarian Church of God to replace their teachings with the false doctrines these Councils have given birth to, most notably the Trinity which was finalized by the Greco-Roman church system at the Council of Constantinople in 381 CE. Down through the centuries, the Sabbath-keeping Churches of God have maintained the Faith once delivered unto the saints (Jude: 3) thus rejecting Trinitarian theology. An excellent book for reference is, The Sabbatarians in Transylvania, by Dr. Samuel Kohn, Budapest (1894); Editor’s forward written by Wade Cox.

For information and detail on obtaining a copy of this valuable historical work, see paper # A_B2 on the web at www.logon.org or www.ccg.org. Also see the paper The Role of the Fourth Commandment in the Historical Sabbath-keeping Churches of God (No. 170).

In the 20th century that stalwart refusal by Sabbatarian Churches of God to adhere to dogma stemming from these Councils has dramatically changed with disastrous results. Most of the Churches of God have now accepted into their psyche the pagan beliefs and tenets that these Councils have historically enforced through terrible persecution and even death. Today, many Sabbath-keeping congregations have succumbed to Greco-Roman philosophies, specifically, belief in the triune nature of God. Historically, the Churches of God were subordinationist Unitarian until the 20th century. That has now changed and many Sabbath-keeping Churches of God have succumbed to belief in either the Trinity or its related pagan cousins, Binitarianism and Ditheism.

One of the most notable cases in the 20th century is that of the Seventh-Day Adventists (SDAs). The SDAs were Unitarian but have denigrated their belief system with their acceptance of the Trinity. Another classic example is the more recent Worldwide Church of God (WCOG). Its roots stem from the Church of God - 7th Day, that was historically subordinationist Unitarian, but it too has now changed to a Binitarian belief in the nature of God. The WCOG itself became Trinitarian in 1994.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s under the leadership of Herbert Armstrong, the Radio Church of God, which was renamed the Worldwide Church of God, strayed from our historical Unitarian roots. Its ministry began to teach a mixture of Binitarian and Ditheist belief in the nature of God and Jesus Christ. The result was, and still is, disastrous and of major consequence for the off-shoots of Worldwide today.

Brethren accepted the false idea that was postulated by Herbert Armstrong and preached on world tours by leading Evangelist Gerald Waterhouse that “two separate co-eternal God-Beings had a discussion at some point in time, and one of these God-Beings agreed to become the son of the other through a physical birth in order to be sacrificed”. This blasphemous idea is found nowhere in Scripture, but was accepted by the WCOG ministry and members alike. In his book, The Incredible Human Potential, Herbert Armstrong states on page 38 that before anything else existed there were “only these two, equal in mind and powers, except that God was supreme in authority, and the Word in perfect harmony under that authority. They were of one mind, in absolute agreement”.

This non-biblical teaching stems from Greco-Roman philosophies prevalent at the Council of Nicea, which gave acceptance to Binitarian theology within the developing pseudo-Christian Greco-Roman church system. From this false concept, Herbert Armstrong develops a Ditheist interpretation of “Logos” in John 1:1, and a false interpretation of the word “Elohim” in Genesis 1:1. He states in his book on page 37 that “John 1:1 occurred pre-historically long before Genesis 1:1”, and of Christ, “He was not the Son of God in the beginning” (referring to John 1:1).

On page 68 he continues: “To have been the Son of God at that prehistoric time, God would of necessity have existed prior to the Son’s birth. The Son, had that been the case, would have come into existence at the time of such birth. But the “Logos” –the Word– had like God, eternally self-existed.”

God’s existence prior to Christ’s existence prehistorically is a biblical truth that Herbert Armstrong would not accept. His mind could not or would not grasp the plain truth of Scripture that Christ was one of the many sons of God, a created subordinate god-being, prior to his incarnation as a man. He had a beginning and was not co-eternal with His Father just as a human son is not co-existent with his father before his birth. From the very beginning of his existence as spirit being, Christ was a son of God by His Father’s creative power. In Hebrews 12:9 we read:

9: Besides this, we have had earthly fathers to discipline us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? (RSV)

The apostle Paul states in Romans 1:20:

20: Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse; (RSV)

The invisible nature and deity of the One True God can be perceived by the physical creation, according to the apostle Paul. Does not a father exist before his son’s birth in the physical realm, in the physical family? Does reference to the One True God being the “Father of spirits” in Hebrews 12:9 have any meaning if it does not draw the comparison between fatherhood in the physical creation and the Fatherhood in the spiritual creation as Paul states in the above Scripture? Words have meaning, otherwise, the reference to “Father of spirits” would have no meaning if God was not “Father.” This matter has been examined also in the paper The Pre-existence of Jesus Christ (No. 243).

The Philips translation of Ephesians 3:14-15 is correct in its translation of verse 15 when it reads:

14: As I think of this great plan I fall on my knees before the Father,
15: (from whom all fatherhood, earthly or heavenly, derives its name),

This is precisely the crux of the matter in understanding the true nature of the creator God, Eloah (SHD #433), and the nature of His Son, Jesus Christ, including the rest of the sons of God that form the God-family known as “Elohim”.

Paul reveals to us exactly what Herbert Armstrong denied by his Ditheist teachings. We have to face the fact that Hebert Armstrong would have been (and will be, as will his ministry) chastised by the Apostles for the introduction of this Ditheist heresy to the Church (see also the paper Early Theology of the Godhead (No. 127)).

God the Father did pre-historically bring into existence many spirit-created sons that are mentioned in Job 1:6, 2:1, 38:7 and elsewhere in Scriptures. These sons are the first of Father Eloah’s family creation. He ordained that one of His spirit-sons would vacate completely his spirit-state of being and become a born human to live a sinless life in the flesh and to be sacrificed. This was foreordained BEFORE the foundation of this world was laid.

The apostle Peter states in 1Peter 1:18-20:

18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, (KJV)

This Son of God, who was foreordained to be born human and die on the stake, was not a matter of discussion between two separate co-eternal god-beings as to who would become the son of the other. To intimate such balderdash ever occurred impugns the sovereignty, omniscience, and omnipotence of the Almighty God, Eloah. Such nonsense brings shame upon those ministers who preached it.

Messiah sacrificed his entire human life in obedience to his Father, and when he died on the stake or stauros, his blood reconciled ALL of creation to His God and Father. This reconciliation to God by the blood of Messiah includes both creations, the spirit-creation in Heaven who sinned, and the entire sinning human population on Earth. Both creations will be granted forgiveness upon their acknowledgment and acceptance of Messiah’s sacrifice for their sins, and their repentance from sinning. This will occur in the Second Resurrection (see the papers Resurrection of the Dead (No. 143) and Judgment of the Demons (No. 80)). Satan will be reduced to human life-form as we see in Isaiah 14:15-16 and Ezekiel 28:15-19. He and the fallen Host will be reduced to a physical existence to face judgment just as the physical creation will be resurrected back to physical life to face their judgment. This judgment will be a period of time that will require both creations to repent or perish forever. Our reward is to become as elohim (see the paper Elect as Elohim (No. 001)).

We read in Colossians 1:18-20:

18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. (NRSV)

These verses written in the Complete Jewish Bible read:

18 Also he is head of the Body, the Messianic Community––he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might hold first place in everything. 19 For it pleased God to have his full being live in his Son 20 and through his Son to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace through him, through having his Son shed his blood by being executed on a stake. (CJB)

Worldwide Church of God off-shoots utterly fail to grasp the understanding and implication of Psalm 45:7 and Hebrews 1:9. They fail to grasp that it was Christ who was anointed with the oil of gladness above his spirit-companions, the other spirit-created sons of God such as Gabriel etc., after he was resurrected from the dead by his God and Father. In John 20:17 Christ states that he has a God who is His Father. It is a matter of logic that he who has a God is not absolute God. Only the Father, Eloah, is absolute God who does not appeal to a higher Power. He is the source of all life, whether spirit life or physical life. Life originates from this One True God, Eloah, who is Christ’s Father, and ours (Jn. 5:26). No man is capable of seeing God or able to hear His voice (1Tim. 6:16), but He is revealed to us through Christ His Son (Mat.11:25-27; Lk. 10:21-22).

The glory of Christ’s relationship to God the Father as Son is obscured by the teachings of Trinitarianism, Binitarianism, and Ditheism. The glory of the heavenly Father’s relationship to His created family is distorted by these Greco-Roman philosophies. False doctrines on the nature of God and Jesus Christ are perpetrated by the fallen Host to destroy understanding of the true relationship between the Father and His family. These false doctrines are in reality an attack on God our Father Himself, the Author and Creator of family.

The fallen Host are actively destroying relationships in the family unit. Within the spirit-family, Satan began his attack on the family when he attempted to place himself above the stars (sons) of God and attempted to become co-equal with his Father (Isa. 14:13-14). He corrupted approximately one third of his brothers and brought them down with him (Rev. 12:4). From the beginning of the physical creation, these fallen sons have attacked the human family structure and fatherhood just as they did in Heaven. They desire to destroy the family unit and the God-given role of the father and mother by their insidious attacks in the form of such things as the feminist movement, abortion, divorce, variety of sexual sins, misuse of drugs and alcohol, disobedience to parents, etc. (2Tim. 3:1-6).

It is evident from Scripture that there is only one (singular) absolute God (Deut. 6:4; Isa. 48:8-10; 1Cor. 8:4,6; Jn. 17:3-5, 1Tim. 2:5; Mk. 12:29,32; Rom. 3:30; Jas. 2:19). There are not three-in-one co-equal, co-eternal God-beings (Trinitarianism), there are not two-in-one co-equal, co-eternal God-beings (Binitarianism), and there are not two separate co-equal, co-eternal God-beings (polytheistic Ditheism) as taught by Herbert Armstrong and his ministers.

James 2:19 states: You believe that there is one God; you do well: the devils also believe, and tremble. (KJV)

The fallen spirit-sons of God know that there is One True God, who is their Father, and they tremble. It is what awaits them for their rebellious and lawless behaviour that makes them tremble. See the papers The God We Worship (No. 2), How God Became a Family (No. 187), The Pre-Existence of Jesus Christ (No. 243), The Judgment of the Demons (No. 80), The Doctrine of Original Sin, Part 1 (No. 246) and The Doctrine of Original Sin Part 2 (No. 248). Christ went from the tomb and preached to the fallen Host confined in Tartaros. That which is preached to is logically and necessarily the object of salvation. Thus the demons can be saved as they were (and are) subject to the ministry of Jesus Christ (1Pet. 3:19).

Now, continuing on page 37 of his book, and speaking of Christ, Herbert Armstrong states, “Yet the Scriptures reveal that He has always existed, and always will – “from eternity to eternity. He was without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life…(Heb. 7:3).” Here he erroneously identifies Christ as being Melchisedek, which creates enormous theological problems for the ministry in WCOG. He has grasped at straws in order to support his Ditheist view in the nature of Christ.

For a full treatise on Melchisedek, see paper Melchisedek (No. 128), which explains why Christ was not and could not have been the physical High Priest, Melchisedek, living on Earth at the time of Abraham. This paper also contains valuable research detailing historical background explaining differing ideas relating to who was Melchisedek. The paper Isaiah 9:6 (No. 224) also explains the place of Christ in the Host as does Micah 5:2-3 (No. 121).

From his convoluted development of a Ditheist view in the nature of Christ based on his interpretation of Christ being Melchisedek, and the false assumption that John 1:1 was the real beginning in order of time sequence before Genesis 1:1, Herbert Armstrong then comes to an erroneous conclusion that “Elohim” in Genesis 1:1 consists of two co-eternal god-beings. This is pagan polytheism that led WCOG on its self-destructive course away from Unitarianism into false Ditheism, and then eventually into Trinitarianism. It took about a 40-year period before WCOG began to break apart into several off-shoots that mainly continue to teach the false doctrines of Ditheism and Binitarianism.

According to Herbert Armstrong’s autobiography, volume 2, chapter 50 titled, “A Momentous Year”, on pages 123 and 124, he records that 1946 was the year of BEGINNINGS of an organized major national and worldwide work for WCOG. He draws our attention to the following:

• Page 123: “Actually, 1946 was the year of BEGINNINGS, as an organized major national and worldwide work.”
• “This was the year in which our own printing department was started.”
• “This was the first year in which the full impact was felt of three superpower radio stations, blanketing the entire United States and reaching even Canada and Alaska.”
• “This was the first year in which we had the impact of six-nights-a-week broadcasting, at an early prime listening hour, coast to coast.”
• “This was the year in which the first baptizing tour was taken. It covered the four corners of the United States, and much of the middle section of the country besides.”
• Page 124: “And this was the year in which the founding of Ambassador College was conceived, planned, and the first block of property for the new campus acquired in Pasadena. This college was to be the means of training of the growing personnel for the fast-expanding organized work.
• “Now notice the startling significance in the fact this all happened in this particular year!”

He continues on page 124 of his autobiography, “Looking back in retrospect, it is truly amazing to recall how many things, lifting this almost obscure minor effort to the dynamic worldwide FORCE God’s work is becoming today, had their beginnings in 1946.”

This 40-year period is highly significant, as we shall see. In E.W. Bullinger’s book, Number in Scripture, the number “40” represents probation, trial, and chastisement, and he gives 15 examples which appear in Scripture. One example stands out: from the time of Christ’s death to the destruction of the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem was forty years.

1946 was the beginning of the worldwide work according to Herbert Armstrong. He states that we are to take note of the “startling significance” of what occurred in that year. No truer words were spoken regarding the events of 1946! The year 1946 began the 40-year probation, trial, and chastisement period of the worldwide work under Mr. Armstrong. Every work, whether of an individual or collective effort, must be tried and tested for its worth to God – no exceptions.

In 1986, exactly 40 years from its beginnings in 1946, Herbert Armstrong died and all that was built as a worldwide work under his direction and leadership virtually died with him. God literally destroyed the works of WCOG and its ministry as it slithered into Trinitarianism.

We see confusion in understanding of the true nature of the One True God and His Son Jesus Christ. It is now systemic throughout the off-shoots of the former Worldwide COG system. Ministers and brethren alike in these off-shoots are unable to sort this matter out. Their publications and public statements on the Internet reveal the same shallow weakness in understanding Scripture as their predecessor.

Because of lack of knowledge of the One True God, many in WCOG off-shoots do not realize the impact it has in other areas of biblical understanding. For example, continuing in his book, The Incredible Human Potential, Herbert Armstrong states on page 64, “Could not God have known, in advance, what Lucifer would do?” The answer was no. But assuredly God did know Lucifer’s rebellion and the sin of the angels on earth was a possibility.”

The omniscience and omnipotence of the one true God is now denied. Did not any in the ministry question or challenge Herbert Armstrong on such statements contained in this book?

Following in his footsteps is a former minister of the Worldwide COG system who posts articles on the Internet often using quotes and teachings from this book by Herbert Armstrong. In an article titled, God’s Plan for Mankind & Christ’s Return, this former minister, who also is Ditheist in belief, blatantly denies the omniscience and omnipotence of God. Quoting from his paper, he states that: “God was taking an inherent risk when He gave freewill to angels and man at their creation”. He further states, “The whole process of testing the free minds of angels had been something new for God the Father and Jesus Christ. They had allowed a long period of time for the process, and at the end of that time They had achieved a success rate of two-thirds. Put another way, the testing process had revealed a one-third failure rate…..”.

The thinking of this minister reduces God the Father to being an experimenter and risk-taker with His family. He propagates the same errors as his predecessor and teacher. This is the fruit of being spiritually blinded as the idol shepherd that is mentioned in Zechariah 11:17. It reads: “Woe to the idol shepherd that leaves the flock! The sword shall be on his arm, and on his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.” (KJV) The right eye being utterly darkened or blinded symbolizes spiritual blindness. Teaching Ditheism is the fruit of being spiritually blinded to the knowledge and understanding of the One True God, Eloah, and His spirit-family – including His Son, Jesus Christ, now seated by His side – and being blinded to the teachings of the Bible itself.

The Almighty God Eloah states through the prophet Isaiah in 46:8-10:

8 "Remember this and consider, recall it to mind, you transgressors,
9 remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me,
10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ (RSV).

Jesus Christ faithfully fulfilled the mission His Father gave him to serve as High Priest and Messiah. He left us an example that we should follow in his footsteps and have the same close relationship with his Father as Christ himself continues to have. Those who are now called and placed into the ecclesia, according to His Father’s purpose, Christ is not ashamed to call his brothers and sisters. Hebrews 2:10-17 reads:

10 It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
11 For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,
12 saying, "I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you."
13 And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again, "Here am I and the children whom God has given me."
14 Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death.
16 For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham.
17 Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. (NRSV)

Let us continue to contend for the Faith once delivered unto the saints as Jude, our brother, admonishes us in verse 3 of his letter. Let us keep ourselves unspotted from the Greco-Roman church system and any system that would take us away from our understanding and love for the Father, Eloah, the Originator and Source of family. Work to strengthen our families by being faithful to the teachings of our Father and our elder brother, Yahoshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Tom Schardt
Assistant Coordinator of California