In 1931, Jesus Christ began to restore His true gospel through the prophesied end-time Elijah, Herbert W. Armstrong. The true gospel of the Kingdom of God, originally brought by Jesus himself, had been lost, and it had been replaced by “another gospel” (Gal. 1:6-7). The message of Christ was furtively changed to a message about Christ. But the time came, after 1900 years, for the revealed truth of the Kingdom of God to be proclaimed once again to the entire world, “for a witness to all nations” (Mat. 24:14).
Our Lord built His Church, and it has continued as a small and persecuted Church down through the centuries. By the time Herbert Armstrong (HWA) was brought on the scene, the Sardis era of the true Church was practically dead (Rev. 3:1-2). This servant of God recognized truth and began to preach and publish the gospel of the Kingdom of God. The Church of God grew in numbers, yet it was still very small in comparison to the world’s churches. Through the fifty-five years of Mr. Armstrong’s ministry, the Worldwide Church of God completed the work of declaring the true gospel to all nations.
Then Herbert Armstrong died, and Satan attacked the Worldwide Church of God (WCG).
Only a few of the nearly 100,000 former members of the WCG have remained faithful to the doctrines taught by Mr. Armstrong (Mat. 17:11). Then there are others who hold fast to the Elijah’s teachings, but refuse to grow in new truth.
Did Mr. Armstrong restore all things?
Can new truth be received at this present time?
Was Herbert Armstrong right in every doctrine he taught?
Mr. Armstrong often stated, “Don’t believe me. Believe your Bible!” Which will you believe?
The Bible tells us to “grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2Pet. 3:18). Growth in the knowledge of Christ is new truth. Can you grow in knowledge of Christ (learn new truth), and still hold fast (Rev. 3:3,11) to that which Herbert Armstrong taught years ago?
You can…if you are holding fast God’s way. This booklet will show, from the Bible, how this must be done. And it will answer the questions above.
Excerpt from Holding Fast GOD’S WAY!
Introduction
Some very sincere former members of the WCG believe that a true Philadelphian must hold fast to all things taught by Herbert W. Armstrong. They quickly quote Revelation 3:11, which declares: “Behold I come quickly: hold that fast which you have, that no man take your crown.” These well-intended begotten brethren presume that holding fast to all things presented by Mr. Armstrong will assure a person of retaining his crown—or salvation. That appears to be right and good, but is it true? Or is it possible to quench the Spirit of God within you by just holding fast to what has been taught, while refusing to accept new truth? This is a very important question!
The Bible admonishes a true Christian to “prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1Thes. 5:21), and to “grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ” (2Pet. 3:18).
Our Lord tells us in Matthew 24:4, “Take heed that no man deceive you.” Has someone deceived you? Has your belief about holding fast deceived you? How can you hold fast and still grow in grace and knowledge? What does growing in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ really mean? If you think you are not deceived, are you basing your beliefs on your own interpretation of the Scriptures, or are you sure of what the Scriptures actually say? These are serious questions that need to be addressed.
No one wants to be deceived, but if you are deceived, you would not know it unless you examined your beliefs in the light of God’s Word. So, I would like to present a few more questions, and some answers, concerning “holding fast” that I hope you will prayerfully examine. Are you willing to open your Bible and prove all things, not just some things, in regard to holding fast? For, honestly, not until you are willing to prove all things—only then—can you hold fast to all good things…God’s way!
Chapter One:
The Great Falling Away Has Occurred!
Let us keep in mind as we begin this study that there are hundreds, maybe even several thousand, of our begotten brethren who, as individuals, groups or churches, are holding fast to the teachings of Mr. Armstrong—as perhaps you are doing. They are sincerely trying to do what they think is right in God’s sight. They keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, there is only one true Church of which Jesus Christ is the Head. The Word of God commands us in 1Corinthians 1:10,
Now I beseech you brethren, by the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
But what is found in the Church of God today? We see division, strife, contention and confusion. Why? Why do these attitudes exist among the people of God today?
Some of you may have been affiliated with Gerald Flurry and his Philadelphia Church of God (PCG). You may have heard of Mr. Flurry but never examined any of his teachings. I mention this because, after Mr. Armstrong died, Gerald Flurry and the PCG were the only church crying aloud about the cause of the breakup of the Worldwide Church of God. He proclaimed the truth about the man of sin way back in 1990, when most of the ministry compromised their beliefs to maintain their paychecks from the WCG. He sternly warned that there was a controlling figure, a man of sin, sitting in the Temple—in the Church of God. That man of sin caused the falling away from truth, as seen in the WCG and as prophesied in 2Thessalonians 2:3-4:
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that Day [the Day of the Lord] shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the Temple of God showing himself that he is God.
Without a doubt, after Mr. Armstrong’s death, Satan attacked the Church of God through the man of sin who changed the doctrines of God and practically destroyed the Church. “And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman that brought forth the man child” (Rev. 12:13). God had restored the truth through the Elijah, but after his death, the great falling away of God’s people happened. Approximately 100,000 baptized members of God’s Church have fallen away from truth in one degree or another. This may include you. And it cannot happen again on this side of the Tribulation. There cannot be another falling away by God’s people. They have already fallen away!
The PCG is the Laodicean work of Jesus Christ. Mr. Flurry tried to warn all of God’s people about what was occurring in the WCG right before our eyes. Now it has happened, and God’s people have been scattered, divided and confused. Do you see this? Do you recognize the plain truth of recent Church history? The great falling away has occurred!
In Time Order
Look at the way this happened in time order.
- By 1931, the Sardis Church was a “dead” church: “And unto the church in Sardis write… I know your works, that you have a name that you live, and you are dead” (Rev. 3:1). The fifth candlestick had nearly burned out.
- God raised up Herbert W. Armstrong, and began the Philadelphia era in 1931. (See Mystery of the Ages [MOA], Worldwide Church of God, Pasadena, 1985, p. 289.) The Philadelphia candlestick was lit. The true gospel of the Kingdom of God was to be taught again after 1900 long years: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then the end shall come” (Mat. 24:14). This good news that had been lost was restored.
- HWA was the end-time Elijah who was to “restore all things”: “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elijah shall truly come and restore all things…” (Mat. 17:11 and 24:14).
- HWA was the end-time messenger to prepare the way for Christ’s second coming. Malachi 3:1 states, “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me.”
- HWA was a type of Zerubbabel, through whom the spiritual Temple would be finished: “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it” (Zech. 4:9). The Temple could now be “measured.” “Rise and measure the Temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein” (Rev. 11:1).
- HWA was the withholding force that restrained the mystery of iniquity, until he was taken away by his death.
And now you know what withholds [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, #2722] that he [the man of sin] might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity does already work: only he [HWA] who now lets [#2722, same word as “withholds”] will let [#2272] until he be taken out of the way (2Thes. 2:6-7).
- HWA died thirty-two years ago, and the “falling away” happened. The facts of recent history cannot be denied. Now, the 100,000 members of the Church are split and splintered. They are in division, strife, contention and confusion, similar to the Roman Catholic Church and her Protestant daughters. The Journal newspaper, with which some of you are familiar, is subtitled News of the Churches of God. More correctly labeled, it should be News of the churches of god (little “c” and little “g”). Not only has Satan deceived the world, but now he has deceived 100,000 begotten children of God. The many churches out there made up of these brethren claim to be Churches of God, but they are not God’s churches. He has only one Church! The other churches are either Mr. Flurry and his Laodiceans, called the PCG, or the old mother church, the WCG, and her split and splintered daughter churches identified as the synagogue of Satan (Rev. 3:9). The devil has done a job!
- Although HWA is dead, Jesus Christ is dynamically alive and is actively leading His one true Church. He is here in the Day of the Lord as our High Priest, our Apostle, and our Lord and Savior (see Heb. 3:1 and 2Pet. 3:18).
But how do you recognize God’s one true Church today?
