Fundamental Doctrines of the Members of the Church of God, International (MCGI)

Hi Everyone!

I would like to discuss about the fundamental doctrines of the Members of the Church of God, International. These are the prerequisite things a member must know before they can be an official member of this group. These topics are discussed in detail by Bro. Eli Soriano during our indoctrination sessions. I would recommend that you must attend the Indoctrination yourselves since I may not be able to deliver everything he mentions, but to give you a sneak-peek of what can you expect in this group, I would like to post discourses derived from what Bro. Eli had preached. I would try my best to make it simple but educational, friendly for internet surfers.

For citation purposes, I would like to apologize in advance that I will be constantly revising the contents of this page as our group, through Bro. Eli Soriano, discovers new and interesting points in the Bible as God reveals these things for the benefit of the members of the congregation, and also to the nonbelievers as well. If you want to use these resources, you might be placing the link to this page rather than the exact quotations written hereafter. By the way, I will be using the King James Version of the Bible, but I will state in case I used another Bible translation.

Should you wish to decide to join our congregation, we are willing to give assistance on how can you be indoctrinated by our church workers and finally to receive the baptism, a requisite for those who desire to be members of this organization.

Disclaimer: This article is based from the former indoctrination topic prepared by the MCGI presiding minister Bro. Eliseo F. Soriano, as presented orally by him and other appointed ministers to the members, usually in Tagalog dialect, though sometimes other languages are used. As they deliver the topic, I do note taking, writing the details, then reconstruct my words, hence I make this kind of written discourse. Though the words used to construct the texts (except Bible verses and quoted statements) are my composition, the ideas presented here are not mine, which I believe came from Bro. Eli (in the same manner, he will say that these ideas are not his own but from the Spirit teaching him).

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Before we learn the principles and lessons that a Christian must know, we must learn first who has the authority to teach the doctrines of Christianity. Teaching is a two-way process: if there is a teacher, then there must be a recipient of the teaching. Having a self-study of the teachings from the Bible (as if you are figuring it out using your own understanding) is being discouraged, for the reason that the Scriptures is of no private interpretation. Let's read 2 Peter 1:20, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation." There is really a necessity for a teacher.

In the Bible, you can find many verses that has the word "teacher" or other homologues like "Rabbi", but since we are now living in a Christian dispensation, who shall we recognize as "teacher" of Christian doctrines? Is it the priests, pastors, ministers, or even apostles? Is it the messenger (sugo) of God? When you have read your Bible, it is Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, must be the one whom we shall listen to. Let's read Matthew 17:1-8, "And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only." When Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a high mountain, Moses and Elias appeared unto them talking to him. But what would that voice from God mean when it overshadowed them? Peter intended to make tabernacles for the three, though not stated word-by-word, to let them (Moses and Elias) stay longer. Peter, James, and John might listen to what Moses and Elias are saying that is not according to what is Christ's. The interference of that bright cloud signifies that they must not listen to what the former prophets might be saying but rather from Christ's. So, there must be only one that teaches, the Lord Jesus Christ, not Moses, Elias, even the messenger (sugo) of God. The messenger should only say what is instructed to him to teach, but he (the messenger) neither have the right to add his own nor to diminish from what he should preach. Let's read Deuteronomy 12:32, "What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." Jeremiah 26:2, "Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD'S house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD'S house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word: " Revelation 22:18-19, "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."

Bro. Eli Soriano even said that he himself doesn't have the right to be listened to (attend the Mass Indoctrination to verify this). Listening to others is putting your own soul to danger. Let's read Jude 1:4, "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." One must be your master, Jesus Christ, who is appointed heir of all things. Let's read Matthew 23:8-9, "But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven." Hebrews 1:1-2, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;" We can rely to Jesus Christ's teachings because he is the author and finisher of our faith. Let's read Hebrews 12:2, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Does it mean that if we recognize Christ as the teacher, we could no longer consider God as a teacher? If you listened to Jesus Christ, you had already listened to God the Father, for Christ is not simply speaking of himself. Let's read John 8:28, "Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things." John 12:49, "For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak." John 14:10, "Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." He (Christ) is just speaking the things what His Father had taught him. Jesus and the Father are one, though they are not a single entity, but what you did to the Son is the same thing done to the Father. Let's read John 10:30, "I and my Father are one. John 15:23, "He that hateth me hateth my Father also." John 17:21, "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me."

You may ask why are we still reading the Old Testament wherein Christ began his teaching in the New Testament (common belief). Though the New Testament times are different from the Old Testament times (this includes mosaic and patriarchal era), there are teachings of Christ in the Old Testament. When he (Jesus Christ) had not yet made manifest into flesh, he is already giving instruction to the prophets. Let's read 1 Peter 1:10-11, "Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow."

Then, how can Christ still teach unto these times wherein he already died on the cross and ascended into the heaven? He instructed the apostles to teach all nations, but still, they must only teach only what is being commanded to them to teach. Let's read Matthew 28:19-20, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." They may be called teachers for the act of teaching, but still they are not recognized as teachers for you are just only saying what the teacher have said. Let's read Joh 1:3-4, "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men." What is being delivered by those who were appointed to preach must be the commandments of the Lord. Let's read 1 Corinthians 14:37, "If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord."

Whatever you want to know, if you want a complete answer, ask. That's why the apostles said that we should learn to them not to ought to think more than what is written. Let's read 1 Corinthians 4:6, "And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another." That's why you must be aware that there are preachers who are inventing their own teachings either because they had not endured the sound doctrine and turned their ears to fables or because they haven't understood it clearly and then they'll interpret it by their own. Let's read 1 Timothy 4:3-4, "Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:" 2 Peter 3:16, "As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction."