Every Wind Of Doctrine

Please reflect back a little over 20 years ago to the condition of the Church of God. God’s apostle, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, was still alive. The Church was together under one administration, unified, doing God’s work. That work consisted of preaching the gospel and warning message to the world. It also included feeding the flock, those called during this age for a special purpose.

What was that purpose? What did Mr. Armstrong really stress to us in the Church during those last few years of his life? When the Church got off track in the 1970’s, we had turmoil in the Church. We had disunity. Mr. Armstrong became quite ill and died for a minute or so, but God did not allow him to remain dead.

Had he remained dead and not recovered, it would have been disastrous for the whole Church at that time. God had other plans for Mr. Armstrong. After recovering from his complete heart failure he said God brought him back to life for a major purpose. He said he was the only person qualified, at that time, for God to use to set the Church back on track and give it new vitality and proper direction for the future.

During the next few years after his heart failure, Mr. Armstrong was used by God to “clean house”. He set the Church back “on track” in doctrine, in procedures and purpose. God blessed the Church with tremendous growth during that time period. That growth continued for a few years after he died in 1986 because of the momentum and direction it had taken. Do we realize the real significance of those years when the Church was put back on the track doctrinally and spiritually?

God gave to His Church some “new truths” through His apostle which were not really new truths but a deeper understanding of already existing truths. One of those was an expanded purpose of why the Church.

What is this deeper understanding we received? It was this; those who are called in the Church age were called to qualify for a position in the Kingdom of God. He said the Church is God’s college for teachers, for our training to be kings and priests, preparing us to teach and rule with Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of God.

He also taught that we are supposed to be in training to become a team, learning teamwork and applying God’s law in our everyday lives and submitting to His government.

Now, realize that up until those latter years of Mr. Armstrong’s life, it was taught that we were in the church for one reason only; to back up God’s apostle in reaching the world with the gospel and warning message. We believed that was the main reason we had been called into the Church during that time period.

Prior to the 1980’s, it was believed the only reason for our calling was to get behind God’s apostle and support the Work of God of preaching the gospel with our tithes and offerings along with our prayers.

This concept is still held today by some ministers and members, not having fully understood what Mr. Armstrong was trying to get across to us. That’s why he said many times: “Brethren, I don’t think you get it!” He included the ministry in his statements.

This “new truth” Mr. Armstrong stressed over and over to us in the last few years of his life gave us a whole new dimension of understanding and importance for our calling during this Church age. It gave the Church a renewed vitality and sense of urgency to prepare to be the bride of Christ. Those in disagreement were put out of the Church. We had unity for several years.

With all this in mind, let’s compare the Church then with how it is today. Are we achieving our purpose today? Or have we become a bit lax, being somewhat lukewarm in our views and purpose of the Church?

It should be obvious that since the Church is split into so many factions we certainly aren’t becoming a team as we should. In Revelation 3:14-20, Jesus Christ makes it clear He is not pleased with what He observes in this era of the church. That should make each one of us shudder, especially the ministers. They are the main cause and ones responsible for this division today.

Ministers do not speak the same things even within the same groups, therefore we continue to faction causing even more confusion among the brethren. To bring and keep unity, we must speak doctrine the same as the apostles, the same as given to us through Mr. Armstrong.

We should not worship Mr. Armstrong, but we must understand the importance of his office and have respect for it. If we don’t understand that concept, we haven’t even gotten to first base in understanding God’s government.

Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong was an apostle of God. The Church could be united again IF we all got fully back to the same doctrines as given to us by Jesus Christ through His apostle, it’s that simple.

If you are one who does not believe Mr. Armstrong was God’s apostle, then you may need to question your own ordination if you are a minister, or your baptism if you are a lay member of the Church. It was through him the ministry received it’s authority in these latter years.

Please read again what God’s apostle stated in an article:

“The word apostle means “one sent forth.”

The meaning here is unmistakable --- as Peter was the chief apostle to Israel and Judah, so Paul was chief apostle to the gentiles.

Nevertheless, when ALL of the scriptures on this subject are put together, it becomes certain that Peter, in fact, was the overall chief apostle.

The New Testament Church of God received all its teaching, practices, customs, FROM THE APOSTLES, with Peter chief over all the others.

Yet the apostles were the teachers who instilled in the Church the BELIEFS, TEACHINGS, PRACTICES AND CUSTOMS of the Church. And all members of the Church were required by God to BELIEVE and SPEAK THE SAME THING!

In all these successive instances, I have shown you, step by step, that Peter was LEADER of the apostles --- and that the Church received its teachings and doctrines FROM THE APOSTLES!

There has been much discussion at Pasadena between certain ministers of lower than apostle rank as to the CHURCH binding and loosing.

So now let it be MADE OFFICIAL --- by Christ’s present-day apostle --- that this binding and loosing PLAINLY, CLEARLY, was given to Christ’s chief APOSTLE --- not to lower-rank ministers ordained by his authority --- not by the CHURCH as a body --- but by the APOSTLE!

When men who held office under the apostle, and by his appointment or approval, took it into their own hands, in his absence --- stealthily KEEPING IT FROM HIM --- to water down God’s TRUTH, alter His doctrines, assume unauthorized authority, then the living CHRIST moves His apostle to ACT SWIFTLY, to PUT OUT the prime mover in this conspiracy, and, under Christ, set God’s Church and Work BACK ON GOD’S TRACK!” (Excerpts from: HOW CHRIST GIVES THE CHURCH ITS BELIEFS, The Good News, NOVEMBER 20, 1978)

To receive a more complete description of these things, please write for our booklet on The Work of God. It will open your eyes.

In Christ’s name, Arlen Berkey