Dear Brethren and Friends,

Greetings! As I reported to you in the recent co-worker letter, four hundred faithful, zealous brethren—who are the backbone and muscles of God's Church—and a score of ministers and elders have come with the Global Church of God over the last two months. Our total church attendance is now well over 4000. Our community of faith is growing!

As you know, Evangelist Colin Adair and his wife, Margaret, have joined us and are already serving God's people in the south Florida area. The "mystery" Evangelist I referred to in the co-worker letter is Mr. Dibar Apartian—who for many years nurtured God's Work in the French-speaking nations as the voice of The World Tomorrow in French! Mr. Apartian, who is in his mid-70s, was offered a retirement package by our former affiliation because he had for months refused to publicly preach at services their unscriptural doctrines. Dibar and Shirley Apartian understood that they finally had to take a stand when they realized that things had gone beyond "the point of no return." I hope all of you will pray for the Apartians, the Adairs and all the other dedicated, new brethren that God is adding to the Global Church. Please remember to give these new members in our community of faith a word of encouragement.

Dear brethren, some have expressed concern that we publicly note these leading ministers who have joined us in this Work. We do not want to exalt personalities. God is not a respecter of persons. “And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear" (1 Pet. 1:17): But I feel that it is important and encouraging for .many of our new brethren and others that we appreciate and are thankful for what God is doing in the lives of the men and their wives who have been trained to serve the brethren.

God tells us in Hebrews 13:7, "Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering, the outcome of their conduct:" Note the phrases, "who have spoken" and "considering the outcome of their conduct." In this passage, God is obviously telling Christians to remember and follow the example of faithful ministers who preach the Word of God who preach the Word and who have set a good example for perhaps decades:

Herbert W. Armstrong was such a man; but now he and virtually everything he stood for is being denigrated and ridiculed. Raymond McNair and I are two of the three original evangelists ordained by Mr. Armstrong who had faithfully remained in our former association until the current apostasy became fully apparent to us and we had to leave—were forced by conscience to leave and to continue teaching—the full TRUTH through the Global Church of God.

Mr. Dibar Apartian is a man who taught the Truth for decades. In the 1950s, Mr. Apartian translated booklets into the French language. By 1960, he was broadcasting the Gospel in the French language, and by 1963, he was editing La PURE VERITE. He served as the Regional Director of the French Work from 1958 to 1990, except for the worst years of the liberal 1970s when he was removed from that office. Mr. and Mrs. Apartian were both very close friends with Mr. Armstrong who also appointed him to the Council of Elders.

For years, Mr. Apartian was known and respected worldwide as a dedicated man of God. So Paul's admonition to "remember" and to "follow the faith" of such servants of God can apply to Mr. Dibar Apartian's life.

Paul's admonition would likewise apply to the Adairs. Mr. Adair has served faithfully as a Regional Director in the International Work longer than anyone else except Mr. Apartian. He and his wife have served God's people in Britain, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, Canada and most recently in the Caribbean.

Brethren, as dedicated, "re-enlisted" ministers continue to join the servant-leadership ranks of the Global Church of God, this should encourage the wavering souls who wonder "where God is working." We really understand that no man is perfect and this includes ministers (Rom. 3:23). So let us receive our new brethren to our Christian fellowship with graciousness. "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you" (Eph. 4:31-32).

Let us all be glad and REJOICE that God is blessing is Church and is allowing us to "revive" the Work in these latter days!

Speaking of the "Work," what is the WORK that we are supposed to be doing? More and more groups are splitting off from our former association and each one, it seems, has a different idea or approach to doing "the Work.” Recently some brethren have received letters advocating the idea that everyone should just be "independent" or else affiliated with this or that little group—each of whom has its own pet doctrines and ideas. The emphasis seems to be to meet wherever you are "comfortable" and to "independently" study technical points of doctrine. As many of you know, there are scores if not hundreds of little "groups" who keep the Sabbath and have little bits and pieces of the Truth. One of the traps of the "American Way"—our cultural heritage—is the self-willed, independent spirit, the "I'll do it MY way" approach to life. These groups are NOT learning to work together as a team; they are NOT learning the correct, balanced lessons of Church government and unity; and they are certainly NEVER going to be able to do a significant WORK in reaching this entire world with the true Gospel! How could they? We need to be building a community of faith to do God's Work—and any harmonious, fruitful community is organized, NOT disorganized.

Jesus told His apostles, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19).

Again, Jesus said, "And this Gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come" (Matt. 24:14). Is this mighty Work of carrying the Gospel to, and "witnessing" to, all the nations of the earth to be done by little, independent groups all arguing over technical aspects of doctrinal questions? Think about it.

Remember the Apostle Paul's statement, "But on the contrary, when they [Peter, James and John] saw that the Gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, AS the Gospel for the circumcised to Peter...they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised" (Gal. 2:7, 9).

Please note, brethren, the very clear indication of organization and UNITY that this inspired statement demonstrates. It shows the unquestioned leadership in preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles "had been committed [by God] to me [Paul]" just AS a similar responsibility had been committed by God to Peter in preaching to the Jews! The inspired Scriptures show clearly that these men were given these specific responsibilities by God. Every Tom, Dick and Harry could NOT come along and start some "independent group" and claim to be "equally" chosen by God to do His Work!

"God is NOT the author of confusion" (1 Cor. 14:33). That is why it is important to note that many of the men called, trained and ordained by God's servant, Herbert W. Armstrong, are now reviving the "Work" through the Global Church of God.

Since this Work is being built on the same foundation, with the same basic doctrines and approach, shouldn't we expect that God will bless us with similar "good fruit" to what was borne by the Church during Herbert Armstrong's lifetime?

God is now putting all true Christians through a period of preparation and training to be kings and priests over this entire earth under Jesus Christ! (Rev. 5:10). We must learn, now, how to "judge"—administer matters in an organized church body— the body of Christ. Paul writes, "Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?" (1 Cor. 6:2-3).

We must all be willing to humble ourselves, to submit to one another, to take correction, to look in FAITH to the Living Christ. Let's pray that He will guide those who show BY THEIR FRUITS that they are doing His Work. We must work together as an organized "team"—all this is absolutely necessary to carry out the Great Commission, reaching all nations in this age, and also to prepare a people to help Christ rule the entire human race in the World Ahead!

If we are united in the Truth, doing the Work, we will be like that three-fold cord that is not easily broken, but is strong to do the Work. Scattered threads will prove ineffective (Eccl. 4:12).

Dear brethren, let us so yield ourselves to God—and to SERVE one another—that hundreds and even thousands of our brethren may perceive that this is truly where God's Holy Spirit is working. Then it will be obvious to all deeply converted Christians where they should be in order to have a real part in "doing the Work"!

Don't carelessly ASSUME that the "Work is over" and that all we have left to do is to sit around and encourage one another. In his last co-worker letter written just days before his death, Mr. Armstrong wrote, "This is my first letter to you in 1986, and could very well be my last.... It may be that the Work God has given me to do is complete, but not the Work of God's Church, which will be faithfully doing God's Work till Christ, the True Head of this Church, returns.... Remember brethren, this is not the work of Herbert W. Armstrong...or any man. It is the Work of the Living Creator, God.... The greatest work lies yet ahead:'

Jesus Christ admonishes us all, "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing" (Matt. 24:45-46).

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Following Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong's example we have established a Council of Elders in the Global Church of God. As this is a very important step forward, I want to tell all of you about this Council because it certainly represents spiritual growth and maturity in the Global Church.

Many times in the Bible, God tells us the importance of receiving wise counsel. In Proverbs 11:14, God's Word tells us: "Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety:' Again, Proverbs 15:22, states, "Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established.”

Following this principle, Moses undoubtedly received advice from the "seventy elders of Israel" mentioned in Exodus 24:9. Even God Himself has "24 elders" sitting on thrones around His own throne (Rev. 4:4). Since God certainly does not have any ego problem, there must be some type of advisory, message-relaying or similar role for these great spirit beings to perform beside just "being there.”

So to ensure that a "multitude of counsel" is both available and listened to, and to protect the integrity of the Church in a number of other ways, a Council of Elders consisting of ten senior ministers is already in place. We have ALREADY MET TWICE during the recent Ministerial Conference and plan to do so again within the next several weeks. The names of the Council members are listed in the photo box accompanying this article. In appointing the members of this council, the senior members of the Board of Directors and I have tried to create a right balance between senior Evangelists, field Pastors and local Elders. Except for headquarters' personnel—who can much more easily and inexpensively attend all meetings, and who work together and counsel together anyway—the members of the Council are appointed to a two-year term. This will enable other fine, dedicated ministers and elders to be appointed two years from now and have this opportunity to serve and to give their special input on the Council during that time.

The overall functions and responsibilities of the Council of Elders are as follows:

l. To meet at least three times annually and to assess and guide the overall direction of the Work and all major projects of the Church.

2. To have final authority over ALL major doctrinal issues. This will prevent any one person, including myself, from changing the major doctrines of the Church! It would take a consensus of at least 75 percent of the members of the Council to change any major doctrine. Since the membership is totally composed of senior, dedicated ministers and elders who have already PROVED their loyalty to the Truth over many years and even decades, a major defection from biblical Truth would be EXTREMELY unlikely. We hope all of you brethren will appreciate the "safeguard" this represents so that Global does not slip into Protestantism or anything else as we recently have seen happening elsewhere.

3. The Council is to be charged with the responsibility to ensure that no illegal or criminal actions or gross immoral behavior is practiced by any of the ministry or executives of the Global Church of God. Even I, as Presiding Evangelist—or any successor to my office—could disqualify himself by illegal, immoral or scandalous behavior.

Brethren, I think all of you know that any minister—or any church member or human being—may sometimes "slip up" in some way, or break a traffic law, or perhaps say something he shouldn't. We are not talking about this kind of thing.

However, in order to safeguard the purity of God's Church, I am now publicly committing myself before all of you and the Council of Elders to the fact that if I should repeatedly engage in gross immorality or serious illegal behavior I now publicly promise to resign as Presiding Evangelist. I am willing to publicly accept the "accountability" that any and all ministers should have. I am formalizing my relationship with God and with all of you in relationship to this Church office and—in the event that I refused to resign under such circumstances—I am stating in advance that it would be expected and required of the Council of Elders to confront me or any successor and demand that I or he resign from this office!

4. Additionally, the Council of Elders is to be charged with the responsibility of choosing the next Presiding Evangelist in case I should die or become physically or mentally incapacitated. The only exception would be that if I felt absolutely certain that God was inspiring me to choose my successor myself, then I should nominate this individual and the Council of Elders would even then have the opportunity to override my nominee if by a consensus of 75 percent or more they felt someone else was more fit for this office.

Brethren, I hope all of you will REJOICE- at this declaration—and that you will pray fervently for all of the members of the Council and certainly for me personally that we may go forward in Christian love and wisdom in the responsibilities that have devolved upon us. We really want with all our hearts to honor God and to do His Work. We need your prayers. We have been working hard and the Global Church of God has been "clean" in every way that I know of thus far.

However, I know that many are concerned at times because of what we have seen happening in our former association. So I hope that these steps—now announced publicly—will prove to be wise SAFEGUARDS against any gross immorality from taking over the leadership or any major departure from the Truth occurring in the Global Church of God.

Most of you older brethren realize that God has ALWAYS worked through men whom he "appointed" through their superiors—or demonstrated by "fruits" or even miracles—that they were His servants. God is NOT the author of democracy. And in the next decade or two all of you will begin to "witness" the demise of democratic governments around the world. This is already beginning to happen in this nation and elsewhere. As the true saints of God, we are preparing to assist Christ in setting up GOD'S kind of government at His Second Coming. So we must learn to practice this kind of government within the Global Church of God. Again, because of the human situation of the moment we feel it is prudent to have these provisions and safeguards inserted within the constitution and bylaws of the Global Church of God regarding the responsibilities and AUTHORITY of the Council of Elders. This is now being done, and we hope all of you will give God thanks and get behind God's Work more enthusiastically than ever. Let us go forward as the true servants of Jesus Christ, following His approach and His government in all things. With God's help, let us all follow the inspired admonition of the Apostle Peter, "Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility" (1 Pet. 5:5).

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by Colin Adair

My wife and I have been set free from a great deal of stress and strain since making the decision to resign from our former affiliation and join the Global Church of God. We are very happy to once again be part of a Work which is upholding the Truth and endeavoring to preach the true Gospel, arid all its aspects, to the world.

The past two and a half years have been traumatic for us as it has been for many of you, and still is for those who are struggling to come to grips with the massive departure from the truths God placed in the Church so many years ago. We were not against changes that were clearly correct—changes that were built upon the foundation already laid. But when the very foundational truths themselves were torn asunder and shredded, we realized we could not continue to uphold and support what was now being preached as "new understanding.”

Basic truths do not change. From the beginning, God revealed to mankind the way he ought to live. God's law was given to point the way to happy, successful lives. But man rejected that way when he disobeyed his Creator and listened to Satan. However, God did not allow His Truth to die out in a Satan-controlled society. Men such as Seth, Enoch and Noah walked with God and reaped the benefits of living a free life—a life free from heartache and despair. Of course, they were not perfect. They made mistakes. But the Truth they lived enabled them to be free men, as opposed to the rest of society which lived in bondage to sin and suffering (Gen. 6:5).

As darkness closed in on the human race, the light of God's Truth continued to shine on the lives of the righteous men of God. It had always been God's plan from the sin of Adam and Eve, to keep the Truth alive—the gates of hell would never prevail against it (Matt. 16:18).

Called to Be Free

God chose Abraham to carry the torch and to be the ancestor of not just one or two righteous men, but a whole nation which God would use to show His way to all the nations. Abraham proved to God that he would obey Him (Gen. 26:5). God clearly saw this after testing Abraham by asking him to sacrifice Isaac.

Generations later, God called the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt and brought them to Mt. Sinai. There He made a covenant with them, promising them every physical blessing they could imagine if they would agree to obey His laws and commandments, as had their father Abraham (or curses and punishments to correct them if they disobeyed, cf. Deut. 28:15-68). Contrary to what some may believe, the laws God gave Israel were not some "interim code" to keep them in bondage to rules and regulations until such time that He could "free" them from this burden. The spiritual and moral laws God gave (including the Sabbath) were for all times. They had been there since man was created. All God was doing was selecting a nation to keep that light shining in a darkened, sin-laden world.

Israel agreed to obey God, and God told them how they could be a light to all the nations as long as t they followed His ways. "Therefore be careful to observe them [God's laws]; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, `Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'… And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law; which I set before you this day?" (Deut. 4:6, 8). The Truth was intended to make them free from war, poverty, famine, disease and captivity. The other nations were the ones in bondage to sin and walking in darkness.

Regrettably, Israel mostly received the curses promised in God's covenant due to their disobedience, because, as Moses knew, they needed God's Spirit in them, not just with them (cf. Num. 11:25, 29; Ex. 33:14). But God promised that He would eventually make a new covenant with them and, this time, change their hearts and give them His Spirit so they could obey (Ezek. 36:26-27; Heb. 8:8-10). But obey what? Why, the same spiritual laws and commandments He had given Israel to start with!

This time the darkness, the "Israel of God" was to be made up of people from all nations, called as a chosen and select group by the mercy of God (Gal. 3:28-29; 6:16). Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the new Israel would be freed from the slavery of sin and called to follow and obey the law of freedom and liberty (James 2:12). Jesus pointed this out: "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:36). And how would Jesus make them free? By dying for their transgressions and giving them the Truth concerning the purpose of life and their ultimate destiny. This is the message of the Kingdom or Family of God! "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (v. 32).

The Church Age

The physical nation of Israel had their national covenant inaugurated at Mt. Sinai and they "renewed" it in succeeding generations, generally, when a strong, faithful leader came to power (2 Kings 11:17; 23:2-3; 2 Chron. 15:12-13; 29:3-10; Neh. 10).

On the Day of Pentecost, A.D. 31, the new Israel of God, the Church, was raised up to carry that Truth to the world through the preaching of the Gospel. And, as the centuries passed, God added to the Church those individuals who would repent, be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit. A spiritual nation was being formed, individual by individual, over almost 2000 years. Whenever a strong leader appeared, the Church powerfully preached the Gospel and God called others to join the "Israel of God" (John 6:44).

Down through history, as the world continued in spiritual darkness, the Church of God kept the light of Truth shining. But Satan did not like it. He attacked from all sides and tried to extinguish the Truth. Sometimes it was through false ministers; oftentimes it was through compromise. But God made sure the Truth was never stamped out. He raised up faithful men to carry the torch and proclaim the Truth of salvation and God's love, which is the fulfilling of His holy and righteous law.

In this latter half of the twentieth century, God brought us to His Church and, through repentance and baptism, we entered into a covenant relationship with Him. Our minds were opened to understanding and we then proved what was true. We saw the plan, of salvation unfold as we observed God's Holy Days. For almost 33 years, my wife and I rejoiced in the Truth and gladly served God's people wherever we were assigned. But, over the past two or three years, we have seen the truths we held so dear being denied and ridiculed, and we could no longer, in good conscience, continue in an organization which was slowly but surely taking us back to the error and bondage to sin we came out of.

We are glad to once again be a part of the Work God has raised up and which is keeping the light of God's way shining in a confused and bewildered society. We should all pray that this light penetrates more and more of God's people who are still upset and confused and that it would lead them to where God is now working. Then they also can continue in the Truth, which makes those whom God calls truly free!

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by Raymond F. McNair

What has caused tens of thousands of brethren, during the past few years, to leave the corporate church body which Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong pastored until his death in 1986?

Multiple thousands of our separated brethren can't seem to recognize the monstrous doctrinal changes at our former affiliation for what they really are—yet, the world's religious commentators have no problem seeing, and sometimes understanding, the watershed nature of these massive doctrinal changes.

"The theological conflict began coming to a head in December [1994] when the Church's leader and Armstrong's successor—Pastor General Joseph Tkach Sr.—announced in Atlanta that tithing was no longer mandatory. At the same time, he also declared that it was no longer mandatory to observe the Sabbath on Saturday. A year earlier, the church moved closer to traditional Christian teaching about the Trinity as three distinct personalities—God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in one Godhead.... The changes in the church's teachings have been seen as bringing the church closer into the mainstream of Christianity" (Los Angeles Times, Feb. 9, 1995).

This same Los Angeles Times article says, "`I was as shocked as anyone else. I thought if they upheld anything it would be the Sabbath...and the tithing. When he [Tkach] ripped out all of those cornerstones I was as shocked as anyone else,' said Philip Arnn of the Arlington, Texas-based Watchman Fellowship, which keeps track of non-traditional faith groups.”

Also, the Pasadena Star-News ran an article, "A Church in Crisis" which said, "Followers and funds [are] swiftly eroding as the Worldwide Church of God shifts from rigid biblical teachings to mainstream Christianity.... Many of the doctrines including the Saturday Sabbath and tithing have been made less harsh or voluntary by Joseph Tkach, the pastor general who replaced Herbert Armstrong" (Feb. 12, 1995).

Yes, outside journalists now clearly see that the LEADERS of the corporate church body which Mr. Armstrong pastored until his death in 1986 have, in just a few short years, made virtually a complete flip-flop of that church's doctrines. In fact, U.S. church history provides no parallel of such massive doctrinal changes by any church in the 219 years of America's existence. Never in the history of God's Church have so many been deceived by so few, so quickly—thanks to instantaneous worldwide communication!

Thousands of brethren have become so turned off with the many massive, pernicious doctrinal changes—and the seeming acquiescence or compromise by many of that organization's ministry—that they have left that corporate church body, either out of discouragement or disgust! Sadly, many of these disillusioned brethren have become so discouraged that they have simply given up and gone back into the world. Others, an estimated 15,000-20,000 people, have joined other churches—mainly Sabbath-keeping churches.

Some Question: "Why Did You Leave God's Church?"

From time to time, members in our former association ask us ministers, "Why did you leave God's Church?" "Didn't you always teach us to be loyal to, and remain in, the Church?" The answer is simple: "We didn't leave God's Church!"

Obviously, those who ask such a question somehow fail to understand what really constitutes the true "Church of God." Is God's Church restricted to some specific corporate organization or corporate entity throughout all time?

Many have forgotten—or else never understood in the first place—that God's true Church is not a corporate organization; rather, it is a spiritual organism—the very "Body of Christ" (Rom. 12:5). One can't, of himself, join that spiritual body (John 15:16)! Only God the Father can draw us into His Church through the influence of the Holy Spirit (John 6:44). God has to grant one salvation before an individual can receive it (Acts 11:18). And the Father only gives salvation to those who truly repent of their sins, are baptized, and receive His Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).

The Bible declares there is only ONE BODY of Christ (Eph. 4:4; Rom. 12:4-5). That is, there is only ONE TRUE CHURCH—only ONE DIVINE SPIRITUAL ORGANISM.

When we ministers and brethren refused to continue following the deceived human leadership of our previous church affiliation—did we really leave the "Church of God"? Or did we leave a mere "corporate body.” organized and incorporated according. to the laws of a secular state? Didn't we remain, in fact, with a continuing body of faithful believers who remained true to the spiritual "BODY OF CHRIST" those who worship in spirit and in TRUTH (John 4:24)? We didn't leave the "church"; the "corporate church" left us!

We were constrained by conscience to take a strong stand for the Truth because, in recent years, certain deceived ministers came to power in Pasadena and unceremoniously cast aside crucially important biblical doctrines! Those heretical leaders, by their own admission, no longer believe many of the major doctrines taught directly from the Bible by Mr. Herbert Armstrong—doctrines which were taught diligently by that church for many decades! Who moved?

Yet, in August 1986—only seven months after Mr. Armstrong's death—The Worldwide News published an article entitled "God Restored These 18 Truths: How Thankful Are You For Them?" Sadly, most of those "18 Truths" are no longer official doctrine of our former affiliation. Yet that same article asked, less than nine years ago, "Where would we [the Worldwide Church of God] be without these truths? Without them—without Herbert W. Armstrong's legacy of these 18 restored truths—there isn't much left!" How true! How prophetic (2 Tim. 3:13)! How pathetic! These Pasadena leaders have rejected the doctrines which they once professed to be vital truths.

In principle, we did precisely what Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong did in 1933 when he left the "Oregon Conference of the Church of God" so he could be "free" to preach the Truth after that church organization's leadership refused to do so.

In order to better understand what we really did when we refused to go along with the MONSTROUS FALSE DOCTRINES now being carefully spoon-fed to many of the people of our former affiliation, we should take a good look at what Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong actually did in 1933 when he left the "Oregon Conference of the Church of God."

Did Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong ever leave the true "Church of God"? Or did he merely leave one corporate organization so that he could establish another corporate organization, the "Radio Church of God," in order to do the Work of the Church—preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, warning the descendants of Israel of their covenant obligations, and raising up congregations in order to obey Christ's commission to "Feed My lambs" (John 21:15)?

Fellowshipping with the "Sardis" Churches

When God began to call him, Mr. Armstrong immediately started looking into numerous Bible truths—proving them one by one! After coming to understand about repentance and baptism, he looked around to find someone to baptize him. Mr. Armstrong says he "became acquainted with a small group of `Church of God people' in Salem and near Jefferson, Oregon. One day when we were in Salem we learned that a preacher of the Church of God had just arrived...an Elder Unzicker.... Mrs. Armstrong and I walked across the street to this neighbor's house to see him. I wanted to ask him questions about water baptism" (The Autobiography of H. W. Armstrong, 1973 ed., Vol. 1, p. 281).

Mr. Armstrong then checked with "a Baptist minister in Portland," "went to see a Seventh-Day Adventist minister," and also "went to see a minister of the Friends Church" (Auto., p. 282). Eventually, he decided to have the Baptist minister in Portland baptize him. "Finally the study of the subject of baptism was completed. There was no longer doubt.... And so I was baptized forthwith and without delay" (Auto., pp. 284-285).

"My intensive study had revealed one thing plainly: `the commandments of God' mean `Sabbath keeping' to most traditional denominations. They say, `The commandments are done away!' They reject `the commandments of God.' That automatically ruled out all churches observing SUNDAY. [Note. Mr. Armstrong never believed it was immaterial whether one keeps the Sabbath or Sunday!] So far as I could learn, it reduced the search [for God's true Church] to three groups—the Seventh-Day Adventists, the Seventh-Day Baptists, and a little, almost unheard-of church called the CHURCH OF GOD, which maintained a small publishing-house headquarters at Stanberry, Missouri" (Auto., p. 310). "But," says Mr. Armstrong, "of these three churches to which the search had been narrowed, only one had the right NAME for the true Church" (Auto., p. 311 ).

Mr. Armstrong concluded that the Stanberry, Missouri, Church of God appeared to be God's Church. "Small and impotent though it appeared, it had more Bible TRUTH than any church I could find!" (Auto., p. 313).

But Mr. Armstrong was still diligently searching for God's true Church. At this point he did not yet understand that the then-existing corporate body performing the Work of God's Church had problems: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.... For I have not found your works perfect before God" (Rev. 3:1-2). At the time, of course, Mr. Armstrong could not have known that God was going to commission him to raise up a new church era and revive His Work. Understanding of the situation would come into focus later, by hindsight. At the time, Mr. Armstrong just knew something wasn't right with the Church.

Mr. Armstrong noted his dilemma, "Meanwhile, what was I to do? I was not at all convinced this was the one and only true Church. Yet, if it was not, which one was? This one came closer to the Bible qualifications than any I knew. Therefore I began to fellowship with their scattered and few members in Oregon [perhaps 50 or 60 members, p. 320], while at the same time refraining from acknowledging membership.... And so it was, in this detached fellowship, that Mrs. Armstrong and I continued the first three and a half years of my ceaseless night-and-day study of the Bible" (Auto., p. 314).

It was a peculiar, special situation. Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong along with the rest of the Oregon Conference members, were part of the Church of God; but God was in the process of rekindling a zeal among His people to grow in grace and KNOWLEDGE, raising up a new era of expanding brotherly love from a fading, lifeless branch of the Church. A new corporate structure to accomplish this would soon be needed.

Church Leaders Rejected Vital Truth

Mr. Armstrong's involvement in the Stanberry, Missouri, "Church of God" included writing articles which were published in The Bible Advocate, the church paper. He was regularly preaching sermons to the Oregon brethren and was consequently ordained to the church's ministry in 1931. However, a parting of the ways was brewing.

Finally, he sent a 16-page exposition to Stanberry, proving that the Church was wrong in one of its minor doctrines. But, even though the President of the General Conference of the church "was forced to admit, in plain words, that their teaching on this point was false and in error," nonetheless, that church's corporate leadership said they would not correct the error for fear of losing members and their financial support (Auto., pp. 315-316).

Shortly afterward, Mr. Armstrong sent "the editor and leader of this church [in Stanberry, Missouri] a lengthy manuscript of close to 300 typed pages." His paper "proved that the so-called `Lost Ten Tribes' of Israel had migrated to western Europe, the British Isles, and later the United States—that the British were the descendants of Ephraim...and the United States [was] modern-day Manasseh.... The church leader stated in his letter...that I was most certainly right.... However, he stated he did not know what use, if any, he could make of it at that time, but was sure I would hear more of it later" (Auto., pp. 316-317).

Mr. Armstrong asked the question, "Did this Church accept and proclaim this vital new truth—the KEY that unlocks the doors to all prophecy?" (Auto., pp. 316-317). No, they never did! And, like the "Sardis" Church of God leaders, the present leaders of our former affiliation now reject Mr. Armstrong's eye-opening book, The United States and Britain in Prophecy!

Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong had come to realize that even though, spiritually, they were members of the Church of God (the "BODY OF CHRIST"), they still did not feel they should stay with a corporate body of the "Church of God" which refused to correct a doctrine they acknowledged to be in error and rejected a teaching that was acknowledged to be "certainly right." Mr. Armstrong also became disillusioned at seeing the dishonesty and jealousy of the ministers of that Church.

The "Sardis" Church split in 1933 when Andrew Dugger withdrew from Stanberry's General Conference Church of God, taking about half of the ministry to form a new Church of God based in Salem, West Virginia. Most of the Oregon brethren including Mr. Armstrong switched to Salem's organization.

Mr. Armstrong did accept their ministerial credentials and submitted monthly ministerial reports. He diligently strove to "work with and cooperate with, the ministers of that church." But the doctrinal differences on baptism, the Holy Days and the identity of the Ten Lost Tribes, compounded by some of the petty jealousies that some of the "Sardis" ministers displayed toward Mr. Armstrong's ministerial fruits, drove a wedge between the "Sardis" corporate body and Mr. Armstrong.

A blow-by-blow account of the Armstrongs' painful separation from the "Sardis" Church organization can be read in Mr. Armstrong's Autobiography. The leaders of the Oregon Conference were adamant that Mr. Armstrong preach and teach their way, which he saw was clearly in error. The bottom line was: teach error or be forced out of the ministry of the "Oregon Conference of the Church of God." But Mr. Armstrong was equally determined to teach and preach the Truth, and to follow the Bible in all regards, even if it meant he would be fired! The Church of God (Seventh Day), headquartered in Salem, WA, revoked Mr. Armstrong's ministerial credentials in 1938.

Was Mr. Armstrong wrong? "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them" (Matt. 7:18-20). Thirty-one years after they revoked Mr. Armstrong's ministerial credentials, the Church of God (Seventh Day)'s primary publication, The Bible Advocate, reached a circulation of just over 2,000 subscribers in 1969. The corporate body Mr. Armstrong established to do God's Work was circulating 1,000,000 Plain Truth magazines by 1967! This magazine taught the truths God restored to His Church about the nature of the Family of God, God's plan of salvation illustrated through the Holy Days, the Kingdom of God and the identity and responsibilities of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. At the time of Mr. Armstrong's death in January 1986, over 7,000,000 Plain Truths were being sent around the world each month!

Severing Ties

Today Messrs. Roderick Meredith, Carl McNair, Larry Salyer, Jean Carion, Colin Adair, Dibar Apartian and I, along with over 80 other ministers and 7000 faithful brethren, have severed our ties with our former association. It is important to realize that we are following the example which Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong set back in the 1930s. But more importantly, we are obeying God's Word not to follow blind leaders who are now corrupting the doctrines of our former church organization! Mr. Armstrong's dispute with the "Sardis" leadership was blandly mild in comparison to the doctrinal horrors foisted upon God's Church today! Christ said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind. both will fall into the ditch" (Matt. 15:13-14).

The message in this article is not directed to those who are "blind leaders of the blind" (Rev. 3: 17-18); they will not heed its message. This article is intended to give God's people the facts showing exactly why many thousands of God's people refuse to continue submitting to those errant church leaders who, in recent years, have most assuredly rejected many of the basic truths of the Bible!

Not long ago, a top official of our former association said, "We are not slowly turning Protestant. We're already there!" On numerous occasions officials of our former affiliation have expressed their desire that their church organization be accepted by "mainstream Protestantism," or words to that effect. But Christ said, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you" (Luke 6:26).

In December 1992 Mr. Meredith spoke to the leadership at Pasadena and in April 1993 I also spoke to those church leaders regarding the massive doctrinal errors into which their corporate body was sliding. On two separate occasions, we were assured by them that they had no intention of maintaining the long-held doctrines (as set in God's Church through Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong); this made it imperative that a separate corporation be formed. We had made it very plain to the Pasadena leaders that we did not intend to teach false doctrines (the Trinity, a spurious gospel, anti-law doctrines, etc.). By then we had clearly seen that the leaders of our former association were determined to continue teaching gross doctrinal errors. This left us with no other alternative. God made it crystal clear that the commandment-keeping people of God would have to form a separate Work—a separate corporate organization—in order to be free to continue teaching the same doctrines which all of us had believed and taught during the life and pastorship of Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong.

Remember, Mr. Armstrong was forced out of the Church of God (Seventh Day) organization and had to incorporate a separate Work in order to continue preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Why? Simply because he insisted on teaching the Truth! In like manner, we too were forced out of our former affiliation because of false doctrines, in order to continue believing, teaching and preaching the Truth of God!

Speaking of the separation from his previous affiliation, Mr. Armstrong says, "This was a crucial turning point in the history of the Church of God. My wife and I did not leave the Church [of God]. This was God's Church. Of that I was not, then, completely sure [because of the ministers' connivings and "double cross"]. They came closer to biblical truth than any other [church]...." (Auto., p. 448).

Mr. Armstrong must have felt quite a sense of relief after being forced out. He said, "I was now free.... Never was a more important decision made than that decision to cut loose entirely from being paid by an ORGANIZATION OF MEN [who rejected Truth], and instead, relying solely on God...." (Auto., pp. 450-451).

Mr. Armstrong describes that momentous event—the founding of a new corporate entity, the "Radio Church of God": "Then, October 2lst [1933], at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Smith, just across the road from the Jeans school, 4 miles west of Firbutte, a new CHURCH OF GOD was organized, with Mr. E. E. Fisher as deacon, and myself as Pastor.... Attendance was averaging 22. A first action of the NEW CHURCH ["Radio Church of God"] was the decision of whether to go ahead with the [radio] broadcast. These new members and the lay brethren of the Oregon Conference all approved it joyfully as an effective evangelistic activity of the Church" (Auto., p. 454). According to Mr. Armstrong, half of this "new Church" (the "Radio Church of God") came from the membership of the "Oregon Conference of the Church of God."

Stark Contrast Between 1933 and Today!

But there was quite a difference between the way Mr. Armstrong was treated by the ministers and brethren of the Oregon Conference after leaving and the way many ministers and brethren now serving the Global Church of God have been treated after severing ties from our former church affiliation. Mr. Armstrong was not disfellowshipped (as were Mr. Meredith, myself and others) when he utterly refused to continue to serve under the authority of those backsliding church leaders who demonstrated that they would not permit him to teach and preach the Truth. Mr. Armstrong was still permitted to fellowship with the brethren of the Oregon Conference—and they even asked him to speak in their churches. But neither Mr. Meredith nor I, were permitted to have similar contacts with our former church.

When I told the Pasadena leaders in April 1993 that I would not teach the new, false doctrines but, instead, would only teach the Truth of God, I was not even permitted to return to the two churches in South Florida, which I then pastored, in order to bid the brethren farewell. Mr. Meredith and many others were disfellowshipped by Pasadena because we insisted on teaching the same truths which Mr. Armstrong had taught—truths which these leaders also had been taught, and had themselves taught for many years!

Prior to Mr. Armstrong's forced separation from the ministry of the Oregon Conference of the Church of God, he had raised up a small church of about 20 members who composed the nucleus of the "new Work" which began to grow under his leadership.

Mr. Armstrong says, "The six weeks' meetings in the one-room Firbutte schoolhouse came to a close on Sunday night, August 20, 1933. A total of more than 20 had come with us—but apparently included the ten members of the Fisher and Ellis families, members of the [Oregon Conference] Church before the meetings started" (Auto., p. 451).

On December 17, 1992, God used Mr. Roderick C. Meredith and several other brethren to organize the new corporate organization, the "Global Church of God." Like Mr. Armstrong, Mr. Meredith and the ministers of Global fully intend to maintain the true teachings of the Bible and preach the true Gospel to the world as a witness before Christ's Second Coming.

Brethren, there are many parallels between what Mr. Armstrong did in 1933 (when he was asked to preach unscriptural doctrines) and what Mr. Roderick C. Meredith and over 80 other supporting ministers have done in recent times—to maintain and proclaim those same truths of the Bible to the world.

Each Person Must Choose Which Way He Will Go!

God has greatly blessed the Global Church of God since its inception, and He will continue to do so as long as we faithfully, loyally serve Him, doing His Work. We know that we have but "little strength" (Rev. 3:8). Yet God loves those who count His Truth as a "pearl of great price"—treasuring it more than life itself! If we continue to love and serve Him with all our "heart...soul...and mind" (Matt. 22:37), then He will surely continue to use us in completing His Work (Rom. 9:28)!

Was Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong wrong when, in 1933, he left an errant corporate organization in order to establish a new corporate entity, the "Radio Church of God"-later renamed "Worldwide Church of God"?

Have thousands of God's people sinned by refusing to continue to follow a deceived church leadership? Have these commandment-keeping brethren sinned by establishing the "Global Church of God" for the purpose of proclaiming the Truth of God? Did we really leave God's Church—the spiritual "Body of Christ"? Absolutely not!

You need to realize that Mr. Armstrong didn't leave God's Church—didn't leave the "Body of Christ." Neither have the brethren of the Global Church of God left the spiritual "Body of Christ"—the true Church of God. We have merely followed Mr. Armstrong's example in establishing a new corporate body in order to preach the "whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27).

Should God's people ever leave the Church of God? No! No one should ever leave the spiritual "BODY OF CHRIST"! Those who refuse to follow and support Pasadena's heresy—leaving that corporate body in order to join a biblically based, dynamic organization—are really those who are staying with the spiritual “Body of Christ " You should follow the example of God's faithful ministers (1 Cor. 11:1) who got up and departed in order to keep the faith. A faithful minister is one who utterly refuses to accept the RANK HERESY now being injected, insidiously, into the minds of God's people by the deceived Pasadena leadership. This is a strong statement, but utterly true. "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?" (1 Pet. 4:17).

You, and you alone, must decide whether or not you will obey God by clinging to the precious Truths of God's Word, or allow yourself to be "led away with the error of the wicked" (2 Pet. 3:17), and be led back into the utter confusion extant in "mainstream Protestantism"!

Today, God's people are at the crossroads! May God Almighty inspire each of His children to heed the warning given by His faithful servant, Joshua, nearly 3500 years ago: "Choose for yourselves this day WHOM you will serve..." (Josh. 24:15)—the true God of the universe, or a lawless, Trinitarian god whom neither Christ nor His apostles knew anything about!

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by Carl E. McNair

Some people don't like the term "law.” Perhaps "discipline"—in the sense of maintaining proper conduct—would be more palatable to them. It is apparent, in reviewing literature currently being published in the world, that, to many "Christian" writers and teachers, the concept of grace without law is problematical. As one of them has written, "For some Christians the grace of God and the pursuit of holiness may mean legalism and man-made rules.”

Others wrongly believe that the grace of God opens the door to irresponsibility. However, there are those who hit closer to the mark when they state that grace and discipline are wed, as another writer noted: "Through discipline, we preach the gospel to ourselves, allowing us to be taught by the same grace through which we are saved."

In Winning the Values War, author Leith Anderson accepts the fact that "Christians are fitting in...too well! In the midst of a national decline of values, statistics indicate that the Christian community looks, and lives, like the rest of society." He maintains that the only way Christians can hope to impact this nation and generation is to "LIVE LIKE JESUS CHRIST.” He explores 13 values essential to Christian discipleship that should never be surrendered and challenges his readers to "be not conformed to the world, but be transformed..."

In his book, Celebration of Discipline, John F. McArthur writes, "Far too many Christians have abandoned the safety restraints of reason and doctrine, basing truth and error on their feelings. " In such "emotion-based" beliefs, believers are losing their ability "To discern the truth and are headed toward a fatal crash with false teaching." He calls on Christians to "put on the breaks and turn back to using their hearts along with their heads and the UNCHANGING WORD OF GOD." Amazing! It sounds like his eyes are open to the reality that exists in today's world of nominal "Christianity."

Israel's Example of Faithless Works

Unfortunately, the same problems are affecting God's Church today. To understand this, we need to reflect on the historical background of the Church of God as defined by Stephen in his defense of Christianity, a sermon for which he suffered martyrdom (Acts 7). Stephen pointed all the way back to the beginning of the Church of God established in the wilderness. The Church of God in the Old Testament was the nation of Israel. Some have felt that the Hebrew Scriptures were viewed by Christ and the apostles in a negative light. But, as most scholars readily admit, they accepted the OT as the Word of God—Holy Scripture (2 Tim. 3:15)—to instruct them and those who would come after them.

The nation of Israel had a constitution, laws, a territory and rulers or overseers., The first overseer of that nation, Moses, was inspired to write a prophetic song in Deuteronomy 32. This "Song of Moses," as it is called, begins by proclaiming the greatness and perfection of God: "He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He" (Deut. 32:4).

Next, the song turns to the people: "They have corrupted themselves; they are not His children, because of their blemish: a perverse and crooked generation" (v. 5). This was after 40 years of wandering in which the Israelites incessantly moaned and complained about God, testing Him repeatedly, until that entire generation passed away except for a few faithful.

In succeeding verses, Moses explains how God, from the beginning, determined to greatly bless Israel, and he prophesies about some of the material blessings that would come. But after receiving great abundance and wealth from God, Israel "forsook God who made him, and scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation" (v. 15). Moses further prophesies how Israel would turn to worshipping pagan deities. The people would begin praying and sacrificing to these false gods and would forget the true God who fathered them as a nation (vv. 16-18).

Finally, God would be fed up with His people's conduct: "And He said: `I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end will be, for they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faith"' (v. 20; cf. Heb. 3-4). Then the song describes terrible punishments that would befall the Israelites. God even says that He would wipe them out completely were it not for the fact that enemy nations would mistakenly believe they had prevailed against Israel by their own might and had thwarted God's plan.

Why was all of this coming upon God's people? Because they rejected the laws of God and God Himself. Israel didn't see this: "For they are a nation void of counsel nor is there any understanding in them. Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!" (vv. 28-29). God wanted them, as He does us, to consider life as they lived it. He wished that Israel, before running after this or that idol or pagan practice, would consider the consequences of her actions. But she wouldn't do it.

For her disobedience; Israel will be almost annihilated. It is only at the last minute that God will intervene to save Israel: "For the LORD will judge His people and have compassion on His servants, when He sees that their power is gone, and there is no one remaining, bond or free" (Deut. 32:36). That time will be a period of great rejoicing, peace, prosperity, happiness and justice for all nations. The Song of Moses concludes, "Rejoice, O Gentiles [it is shocking to some that this would appear in a national hymn], with His people [Israel]; for He will avenge the blood of his servants, and render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people" (v. 43).

After Moses read the entire song to the people, notice what he told them: "Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe—ALL THE WORDS OF THIS LAW “ (v. 46). Why did he tell them this? "For it is not a futile thing for you, because IT IS YOUR LIFE, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess" (v. 47).

We see, then, that the people of God, from its beginning in the Old Testament, had a major responsibility to DO something—namely, to KEEP GOD'S LAW for their good.

Were Works Required by the Prophets?

Israel was warned, in advance, of the dire consequences of turning away from God and His law. But history sadly reveals—in such books as Judges, Samuel, Kings and Chronicles—how generation after generation of Israelites failed to abide by their agreement, or covenant; they failed to adhere to the constitution and laws God had given them. Instead, they eagerly followed apostate leaders in rebellion against God's ways. When a wicked king came to power, they immediately went along with him. However, when a righteous leader rose up, they resisted him, dragged their feet, until he forcibly pulled them in God's direction. Then, after he was dead and gone, they would immediately relapse into their old rebellious, sinful ways.

God sent many prophets to warn them of the future outcome of their behavior. Jeremiah wrote, "And the LORD has sent to you ALL His servants the prophets...but you have not listened.... They said, `Repent now everyone of his evil way and his evil doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD has given to you and your fathers forever and ever. Do not go after other gods...and do not provoke Me to anger with the WORKS of your hands; and I will not harm you'” (Jer. 25:4-6). The prophets all had a consistent message. "`Yet you have not listened to Me,' says the LORD, `that you might provoke Me to anger with the WORKS of your hands to your own hurt'” (v. 7).

The point is simply this: God was not nit-picking these people about little mistakes, small violations or aberrations from righteousness. He was directing His prophets to point out to Israel their BIG sins, which would lead to personal and national calamity—their individual and collective WORKS! Works do exist, either good or evil. We continually DO some kind of works—unless we are comatose!

So the Law and the Prophets give admonitions to maintain GOOD WORKS of lawkeeping and to avoid EVIL WORKS of lawbreaking. What about the Writings? Proverbs, often called "Wisdom literature," has this to say: "Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter" (24:11). Clearly, we have a duty to DO SOMETHING here! "If you say, `Surely we did not know this,' does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will he not render to each man ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS?" (v. 12). God has given us a responsibility in such matters. If we deny that responsibility—if we remain silent and sit still instead of CRYING OUT and ACTING in the face of impending disaster—then God says He will weigh what we've done. And our denial is NOT going to absolve us of our guilt for failing in our duty! (Is. 58:1).

That is why a warning is necessary. Whether we know it or not, many of God's people today are in dire need of being rescued. Many are being snared by the idea that works play no part in justification. To such a mind-set, works are meaningless. Those tripped up in this fashion invariably move toward the edge of the cliff, over which grace becomes a license to sin. Without question, they are "stumbling to the slaughter." It is our duty to do all in our power to pull them back from the precipice.

Misunderstanding Justification and "Works"

Contemporary "Christian" authors, such as those already mentioned; have done a fair job of pointing out the problem of immorality in the "Christian community." What they fail to grasp, however, is that "Christian" thinkers such as themselves have engendered the problem. They cannot come to grips with what is wrong with traditional "Christianity." They fundamentally err in what constitutes justification. They are unable to comprehend that we are justified through the sacrifice of Christ; and in the future we are justified only if we repent anew. Therefore, they deny the requirement for works.

Notice what the International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia has to say in its article on "Work, Works":

"To work" in the OT is usually the translation of asah, of pa'al (of the works both of God and of man), and "work" (noun) is most frequently the translation of ma'aseh, or melakhah; in the NT of energeo, ergazomai (and compound), with ergon (noun). The word "works" (erga) is a favorite designation in John for the wonderful works of Jesus (5:36; 10:38; 15:24; etc.; "miracles" to us,. "works" to Him). "Works" is used by Paul and James in a special sense, as denoting (with Paul) those legal performances by means of which men sought to be accepted of God, in contradistinction to that faith in Christ through which the sinner is justified apart from all legal works [lawkeeping] (Rom. 3:27; 4:2, 6; etc.; Gal. 2:16; 3:2, 5, 10), "working through love" (Gal. 5:6; 1 Thess. 1:3), and is fruitful in all truly "good works," in which Christian believers are expected [but] NOT required, that writer is really saying!] to abound (2 Cor. 9:8; Eph. 2:10; Col. 1:10; 2 Thess. 2:17; etc.)

Mainstream "Christian" theologians use very confusing doublespeak about works. When it comes right down to it, they will say that works are really NOT needed. They assert that Christians have absolutely NO part in whatever works they do anyway. These thinkers may say that some works should probably be evident if Jesus has "come into someone's heart," but, as the works are totally beyond that person's control, it is possible that NONE may be evident.

Many Bible scholars will at least admit that they perceive differences between what the Apostle Paul actually wrote and what typical Christian theology today purports that Paul taught. These scholars; however, have a problem with the expressions of Paul because—as they understand it—he wrote contradictions concerning law and justification or law and grace. For instance, they see Paul telling people that "the doers of the law shall be justified (Rom. 2:13). However, they then see him, in other verses, saying that we justified by faith and do not need the "works of the law" at all.

A major part of the problem here is the understanding of the phrase "works of the law.” It comes from the Greek, ergon nomou. Scholars and mainstream Christians have long taught that this has to refer to keeping the commandments, the spiritual law of God. If that is true, then Paul certainly was contradicting himself. But, in fact, he preached a consistent message.

The Church of God under the leadership of Herbert W. Armstrong traditionally taught that, after putting all the verses together, those trying to do the "works of the law" could only refer to people who were trying to be justified by performing all the "works" of the Torah i.e., in this context, the entire Levitical system with the physical work of the sacrifices and rituals. The problem has been that scholars have derided such an idea, claiming that this phrase, found nowhere else, could not possibly refer to people trying to be justified by all these works since the Jews, according to them, never thought this way. Notice this quote from Daniel J. Harrington to illustrate their argument:

Was Paul arguing against a situation in which Jews generally were seeking a right relationship with God through Torah observance? There is not much evidence for legalism within first century Judaism. Most Jewish writings from the period place Torah observance in the theological context of God's election of Israel, the gift of the law and the ongoing relationship of covenant. Torah observance was typically the proper response to God's initiatives, not the means of securing and meriting God's favor. If some Jews thought they could bring about a right relation with God through Torah observance, it was quite rare....

Why Paul ignored the theological framework in which Jews customarily placed the Law (as the proper response to God's election of Israel, not the means of securing God's favor) and why Paul so elevated the status of the Law (as a rival to Christ, although in a negative way) remain puzzling.... It is clear, however, that on the matter of the Law, Paul's letters contain statements that appear inconsistent....

Raisanen [another writer] represents still another approach. Paul, according to Raisanen, was simply confused and ambiguous about the Law. According to him, it is a fruitless task (1) to systematize what Paul said about the Law, (2) to plot the development of his thought on the Law, or (3) even to reconstruct the pastoral situations that Paul is ["Paul and Judaism: 5 Puzzles," Bible Review, Apr. 93, pp. 23-25].

Just two years ago, such a case might have had a leg to stand on. Today, however, it is an idea which has been totally debunked with the public release of some of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The same magazine just quoted and others have received photocopies of those fragments which disclose that the leadership of the Essene community of Qumran defined, in writing, their understanding that justification came through observing every precept, washing, sacrifice, uncleanness ritual, etc., of the Torah—which they referred to as the “works of the law." Paul was not confused—but was making a logical argument to counter false Essene doctrine.

Doubtless, many Jews of the Essene persuasion came into the early New Testament Church. They were in total opposition to the Pharisaism of their day. And it is clear from their writings that they were expecting the immediate arrival of the Messiah. Many of the Essenes must have been attracted to the work of John the Baptist and, later, Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, some think that John the Baptist came out of one of those Essene communities. To say that there is no evidence of legalism that Paul would have needed to address is no longer a valid argument. The teaching on this matter long proclaimed by Mr. H. W. Armstrong and the Church of God in the modern age is now undeniable!

Of course, many still manage to deny it anyway. They are reduced to trying to explain away Paul's apparent contradictions in some rather odd fashions. One theological interpretation holds that God has a separate way of salvation for the Jews—fidelity to the Torah apart from Christ. Of course, that's inconsistent with Scripture which says that only through acceptance of the name of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice, followed by His indwelling Spirit, are all men saved.

Jesus Christ and Works

Let's look at what Jesus Christ says concerning "works." Christ came to be our Savior, knowing He was going to give His life as a sacrifice for us so that we might be justified. So His teaching about justification and works ought to be the most significant of all. Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that: they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16). Good works should be done in such a way that people will look through the doer and on to the real author and source of those works—who is God! This is what Christ Jesus constantly taught concerning His OWN works—He pointed people beyond Himself to the Father in every case! (cf. John 5:36; 10:25, 32, 37-38; 14:10).

Christ issued a warning about "false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves" (Matt. 7:15). How does one detect such a wolf'? "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit" (vv. 16-18). I am a direct eyewitness, from about 1949 to 1986, of a lot of good fruit borne by one man through whom God built and developed the Church of God as we have known it.

"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire [so that it doesn't encumber the ground]. Therefore by their fruits you shall know them. Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (vv. 19-21). In other words, profession is simply that—profession! If the fruit follows the profession, then you can judge and say, "GOOD FRUIT = GOOD TREE." Otherwise, you would say, "BAD FRUTT = BAD TREE."

Christ explained, "Many will say to Me in that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice LAWLESSNESS!'” (vv. 22-23). The test is the good fruit of Truth and lawfulness on the one hand versus the bad fruit of error and lawlessness on the other.

Jesus said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Matt. 16:24). This does not say that one passively states, "Oh, I accept you, Jesus," and then does nothing. Christ is showing that ACTION—work—must follow: "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it" (v. 25). This ought to be a profound warning to us today. Many think they are saving their skins by sitting still while abominable heresy is practiced by their religious association.

Christ continued, "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS" (v. 27). There it is, right out of the mouth of Jesus Christ! Who would be so arrogant as to deny Jesus Christ's statement? The lawless ones!

Jesus said to the Jews, "If you were Abraham's children [they were in the physical sense but not in the spiritual sense], you would DO THE WORKS of Abraham" (John 8:39; cf. Gen. 26:5). How can such a statement of Christ be reconciled to the idea that Abraham was justified by faith without works following? (cf. James 2:14-16).

Jesus said, in John 10:25, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me. " You can't get away from it! The works are the fruits or EVIDENCE of either righteousness or unrighteousness—conversion or non-conversion. You cannot deny that—if you believe the Scriptures.

Christ said, in John 14:12, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and GREATER WORKS than these he will do, because I go to my Father." It is only because Christ is at the side of His Father, actively involved in our lives, that we CAN DO WHAT HE DID! And to say that we CANNOT live a Godly life with Him living in us is to DENY THE POWER OF GOD THE FATHER AND JESUS CHRIST!

Apostolic Arguments for Works

In the writings of the Apostle Paul—as criticized as he has been—it is clear that he understood and taught that individuals will be judged according to their works. "Therefore it is no great thing if his [Satan's] ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS" (2 Cor. 11:15).

In Galatians 5:19, Paul lists some of the WORKS of the flesh. He never had a problem with the fact that works had to be done. Justification of past guilt, which is by repentance and faith in God's mercy through Christ's sacrifice, does not absolve us of personal responsibility and the need for godly, law-abiding conduct from that point on.

Paul, in 2 Timothy 3:17, explains that the Bible has been given to us "that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for EVERY GOOD WORK." In Titus 1:16, he speaks of some who "profess to know God, but IN WORKS THEY DENY HIM, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for EVERY GOOD WORK."

Paul's writings are replete with a right understanding of justification, as are the writings of James, John and Revelation. Every single one of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation are judged by their works. Speaking of the Second Resurrection: "And I saw the dead, small and great, standing. before God; and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were JUDGED ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS, by the things which were written in the books" (Rev. 20:12).

Summary

In conclusion, let's briefly summarize the matter of works and justification:

1. No man can be justified by his own works apart from Christ—but by the works of Jesus Christ, that is, specifically, by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His life lived in us.

2. Justification comes as a free gift, albeit a conditional one. Once justified, though, we are new creatures. As Paul said in Romans 6, we then come up to walk in newness of life.

3. By Jesus Christ living in us, through the Spirit of God, we do good works—in contrast to the works of the flesh which we did before.

4. If we sin willfully after we have been justified, there is no more forgiveness of sins but only eternal death ahead of us.

5. Works are important because Christ will judge us by our works.

6. Rewards—opportunities for service in the Kingdom of God—will be according to works. That is how God is going to know where to place us in His Kingdom.

7. Works affect attitude and attitude affects works. Service reflects one's spirit and attitude. A grudging demeanor reflects what's in the heart.

Everyone has works—either good or bad. And we are judged by our works. Do YOU want to gamble on that not being true? I think NOT!

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by John H. Ogwyn

The twentieth is clearly the time of the most rapid change in human history. The century opened with the horse and buggy as the primary means of transportation, yet within the first seventy years, men had traveled to the moon and back.

This incredible multiplication of knowledge coupled with the rapid increase of travel was prophesied by the Prophet Daniel as a characteristic of the end time (Dan. 12:4). This century has seen two great world wars and the introduction of weapons of mass destruction. Now, for the first time in human history, it is possible to annihilate life from off this planet, just as Jesus Christ foretold (Matt. 24:22).

There is one other prophecy which uniquely characterizes this end time. This is the prophecy that the true Gospel of the Kingdom of God will be preached in all the world for a witness, and then the end will come (v: 14).

Let's examine the story of the people of God in this end time and seek for lessons we might learn. Satan's tactics of seeking to scatter, confuse and discourage God's people aren't unique to our day. God's people have always had to contend with false teachers within, and the pressures of the world without, in order to maintain their faithfulness to the Truth.

The First Quarter of the Twentieth Century

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Church of God was small and scattered with less than 1000 members, who lived mostly in the American Midwest. The General Conference of the Church of God legally incorporated in 1900 in the state of Missouri: The Church's newspaper underwent a name change that same year to become known as The Bible Advocate.

In 1903, Gilbert Cranmer, a minister since the 1850s and one of the chief builders of the Church in the aftermath of the Church of God-Seventh-Day Adventist split in the 1860s, died at age 89. In 1910, Alexander Dugger, who had served as a leader of the General Conference since its inception as well as having served as editor of The Bible Advocate, also died. A third faithful pioneer, Jacob Brinkerhoff, died in 1916. He had served as editor of the Advocate on and off from 1871 to 1914. Mr. Brinkerhoff was considered by many to be the most outstanding leader of the Church in his time. "Jacob Brinkerhoff had served the Church of God for over 40 years…. Instead of buying a home in 1874, Brinkerhoff used the money instead to buy the press equipment for the Advent and Sabbath Advocate... Single-handedly, it seems, he had prevented the total collapse of the Work" (Richard Nichols, History of the Seventh Day Church of God, p. 85).

.In 1905, the Church underwent a serious rupture. William Long was dismissed by the Church as Business Manager (and later from the ministry as well) because of allegations of mismanaging of funds. This event, as well as "...a drive to enforce tithing and make the General Conference stronger...appear to be the key issues which precipitated the 1905 division" (Nichols, p. 75). The results were that the General Conference in Stanberry retained a little more than half of the membership while the rest withdrew as "independent Churches of God." These independents seem to have either come back into the General Conference or just drifted apart by 1916.

"In this period of tumult, Andrew N. Dugger [son of Alexander Dugger] began his ministry with the Church of God in 1906. When Jacob Brinkerhoff retired from the editorship of The Bible Advocate in 1914, Dugger became both president of the General Conference and editor. During his tenure as president and editor, Dugger exerted much influence upon the Church. Throughout the early period of Dugger's leadership, the Church of God experienced some of its most rapid and greatest growth" (Robert Coulter, The Story of the Church of God (Seventh Day), pp. 41-42). Andrew Dugger retained leadership from June of 1914 until 1932.

Shortly after Andrew Dugger took over the editorship of The Bible Advocate in 1914, World War I erupted on the world scene. The way was soon opened for the Jews to return to part of the Promised Land of Israel in accordance with prophecies taught by the Church of God since the 1860s. "This seems to have been an impetus for the year 1914 marking `a decided awakening in the Church.' It marked the beginning of an explosion `of missionary work' performed by the Church of God in the years after the Great War and in the Roaring Twenties" (Nichols, p. 88).

The issue of organization and government had long been a source of controversy within the Church of God. Recognizing that no Work of any consequence could be done with the meager amount of monies coming into the headquarters in Stanberry, Missouri (less than $ 1000 in 1917), Andrew Dugger took steps to correct the situation. He sent a survey to the membership in 1922 to find out how much tithe they had paid over the previous year and to whom it was paid. It became apparent that most of the tithes were being collected by individual ministers and that one particular minister who "worked little" had collected the lion's share. Soon, a policy was enacted that all tithes were to be paid into the State Conferences and that a tithe of that tithe was to be sent to the General Conference. In 1923 the income of the General Conference in Stanberry jumped to over $18,000.

In about 1904 a remarkable man, G. G. Rupert, entered the ministry of the Church of God. Mr. Rupert had previously been in the ministry of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and had raised up congregations for them in South America. After several years of growing doctrinal disagreement, he left the Adventists in 1902. Among other things, Mr. Rupert had come to understand that both the Sabbath and the annual Holy Days were binding upon the New Testament Church. In 1913, Jacob Brinkerhoff published a series of articles by G. G. Rupert in The Bible Advocate discussing the subject of the law of God and arguing that the Holy Days of Leviticus 23 were binding for the New Testament Church. Though the Church in the United States paid little heed to this teaching, many of the South American congregations Mr. Rupert had established not only followed his example in leaving the fellowship of the Adventists, but also accepted the Holy Days. Because of disagreement between Mr. Dugger and Mr. Rupert over some issues of doctrine, and particularly over the issue of church organization and government, Mr. Rupert continued as an "independent" Church of God minister, publishing his own magazine, The Remnant of Israel, until his death in 1922.

The 1930s and 1940s Schism, Splits, and a New Beginning

The late twenties and early thirties saw the Church of God become virtually paralyzed by political infighting as well as doctrinal strife. The Church's Conference in 1929 was marked by considerable confusion and dissension. Issues of controversy revolved around "born again," clean and unclean meats, the use of tobacco, the date of the Passover (Nisan 14 or 15), and the work of the Holy Spirit (Pentecostalism). The number of conversions became minimal and the Work of the Church was virtually at a standstill.

It was at this point, in the autumn of 1926, that the life of Herbert W. Armstrong became intertwined with the story of the Church of God. Recognized even by those outside the Church of God as one of the most influential and noteworthy religious figures of the twentieth century, Herbert Armstrong's ministry very likely had greater impact on more people than any Church of God minister since the first century. Challenged by his wife over which day 'was the Christian Sabbath as well as by a sister-in-law over the question of evolution, Mr. Armstrong began a six-month period of intensive study. By the spring of 1927 he had come to understand that much of what he had grown up believing wasn't biblical truth. He learned that both the seventh-day Sabbath as well as the annual Holy Days are to be kept by Christians today!

In the aftermath of this intensive study, Mr. Armstrong struggled with the question of "Where is the true Church?" He eventually entered the fellowship of Church of God brethren in the Willamette Valley of Oregon because he saw them as retaining more Truth than any other group.

By 1928 Mr. Armstrong began submitting articles for publication in The Bible Advocate. As there was no minister in Oregon at that time, the brethren in Eugene frequently asked him to speak to the congregation. In June of 1931, Mr. Armstrong was ordained to the ministry by the Oregon Conference of the Church of God, thus beginning a ministry that lasted almost 55 years!

In the meantime, trouble was building for the Church of God as a whole. At the General Conference, held in August 1933, Andrew Dugger, the primary church leader for the past twenty years lost his position by one vote. This precipitated a crisis that split the Church down the middle. "On the one side, Andrew N. Dugger and others held to `reorganization' of church government, clean meats, no tobacco, and Passover on Nisan 14. On the other hand, Burt F. Marrs led a group of `independents' who were pro-pork and tobacco, and felt Passover should be on Nisan 15. The issue of when to observe the Passover was debated for three days during the time of the division" (Nichols, p. 1 51 ). Andrew Dugger withdrew from the General Conference of the Church of God with headquarters at Stanberry and held a meeting to reorganize the Church in Salem, West Virginia, in November 1933. A new organizational structure was instituted with "Twelve Apostles," "Seventy Elders" and "Seven" set over the finances.

Offices were chosen by lot rather than by vote. Herbert Armstrong of Oregon was chosen as one of "The Seventy." He and most of the Oregon brethren switched their affiliation from the Stanberry organization to the new organization headquartered in Salem. Though Mr. Armstrong didn't receive salary from Salem, he accepted their ministerial credentials and submitted monthly ministerial reports.

"The division of the Church of God (Seventh Day) caused the membership and leadership

much grief. Many members and prospects were discouraged by the frequent attacks one church launched on the other. In some instances, ministers switched organizations, bewildering their membership. In other cases, the membership became pawns in the struggle between ministers who were vying for their loyalty and support. The membership growth of the 1920s was not realized or even approached in the decades of the 1930s and 1940s" (Coulter, p. 55). Actually membership decreased during this period.

At the time all of this was occurring, the foundation was being laid for a Work of God that would have unprecedented worldwide impact. Herbert Armstrong had begun a regular weekly radio broadcast entitled "Radio Church of God" on KORE, a 100-watt station in Eugene, on the first Sunday in January 1934. In February he began publication of a mimeographed "magazine" entitled The Plain Truth which was sent to about 200 people.

In addition to the weekly radio broadcast, Mr. Armstrong conducted evangelistic campaigns throughout the area. Though several churches were raised up as a result of his efforts, these new congregations usually fell apart or went astray because of a lack of faithful, dedicated ministers to shepherd the flock. During this period, Mr. Armstrong came into increasing conflict with the Church headquarters in Salem because of his teachings about the identity of Israel and the annual Sabbath days. Although Mr. Dugger had admitted in a private letter to Mr. Armstrong that he was correct in his teachings on the "lost Ten Tribes," he refused to publish an article on the subject in The Bible Advocate.

Finally, the issue of the Holy Days came to a head in 1937. The following is quoted from the minutes of the business meeting held in Detroit, Michigan May 5-10, 1937, by the Board of Twelve Apostles of the Church of God (Seventh Day), Salem, WV, Headquarters: "May 7, at 1:00 p.m. Reading of Elder Armstrong's letter to the Twelve. Reading in periods of 20 minutes each of Elder Armstrong’s articles on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Passover, Pentecost, Feast of Tabernacles, etc., followed each time by discussion pro and con by the Elders.... A decision was made as given in the following resolution: `Inasmuch as some have troubled the Churches, teaching them they should observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread and yearly Sabbaths...we reaffirm the teachings of the Church of God on this point...that we observe no such custom" (John Kiesz, History of the Church of God, p. 180). According to the official records provided by Virginia Royer, bookkeeper of the Church of God Publishing House in Salem, "It was in 1938 that he [Mr. Armstrong] was asked to turn in his credentials for continuing to preach contrary to Church doctrine" (Kiesz, p. 180).

Although Mr. Armstrong no longer carried ministerial credentials from the Church of God (Seventh Day) after 1938, he continued to teach and preach more forcefully than ever. As reported in the April 1939 Good News, the weekly Radio Church of God broadcast was reaching 100,000 listeners in the Pacific Northwest. That also was the year that the first, fully eight-day Feast of Tabernacles was held in Eugene, attended by 42 people. From 1933 to 1938 services were held only on the Holy Days. In addition to Mr. Armstrong, other Church of God elders such as John Kiesz were guest speakers at the Feast

By mid-1942 the name of the radio program changed from "Radio Church of God" to The World Tomorrow and there was an experimental period of daily broadcasts begun in the Los Angeles area. In the late summer of 1942 over 1700 people attended an evangelistic campaign

Mr. Armstrong held at the Biltmore Theater in Los Angeles. The Work that God was accomplishing through Herbert W. Armstrong was growing and bearing fruit. In August 1942 The World Tomorrow went nationwide, with a Sunday broadcast from WHO in Des Moines, and in 1943, WOAI in San Antonio was added. By 1944, The Plain Truth's circulation reached 35,000.

As the impact of the Work God was doing through Herbert W. Armstrong grew, the Church of God (Seventh Day) continued to split and splinter with more and more independent churches and ministers. There were efforts toward unity that resulted in the merger of the Salem and the Stanberry groups in 1949. However, the merger itself spawned additional splits, and twenty years later in 1969, that Church's primary publication, The Bible Advocate, had a circulation of only slightly over 2000. The Church of God (Seventh Day) represented the final phase of what is described in Revelation 3 as the Church at Sardis. It is described as being spiritually dead, though there were a few who walked with Christ in white.

Open Doors and Dramatic Growth

In 1946, God started positioning the Work being done through Herbert Armstrong and the Radio Church of God for dramatic growth. Faced with the pressures of daily radio broadcasting (for which Hollywood was well-equipped to provide technical support) and the need for a college to train an educated and faithful ministry, Mr. Armstrong looked into moving to Southern California. He located an appropriate property in Pasadena and entered into negotiations to purchase it.

At this time, Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong took a trip to Europe to see about also creating a European branch of the college to prepare ministers for a worldwide Work. No one can accuse Herbert Armstrong of thinking small! Yet, most people would have viewed that idea as totally unrealistic. After all, only 50 people attended the Feast of Tabernacles in Belknap Springs in 1946! There wasn't even an American college up and running—only great dreams and a rundown estate with two buildings that Mr. Armstrong was trying to purchase. Others, both within and without the Church of God, were talking about "when this thing folds up." However, the possession of vision and the ability to think big were qualities Herbert Armstrong had in far greater measure than any other Church of God leader of whom we have record. Ambassador College opened its doors in the fall of 1947 with four students and eight instructors. Expansion with a European branch college would have to wait—for a little while.

In 1949, the first nationwide baptismal tour was conducted by Raymond Cole and Raymond McNair, both young Ambassador College students. Much of the fruit of those early, student-led baptismal tours was reflected in the jump in Feast attendance from 150 in 1951 to 450 in 1952. In December of 1952, the first evangelists of this phase of the Church of God were ordained by Mr. Armstrong: Richard Armstrong, Raymond Cole, Herman Hoeh, C. Paul Meredith and Roderick Meredith. In February 1953, two more evangelists were ordained, Raymond and Marion McNair, bringing the total to seven. This began a period of rapid growth and development in the Work.

After the first two classes of Ambassador College students were graduated, a Graduate School of Theology was established. Mr. Armstrong used this as a springboard to delve more deeply into a number of subjects, the most important of which involved the nature of God and the destiny of man.

The Church of God has throughout its history been non-Trinitarian, never accepting the formulations of the early Catholic councils as a valid guide for Christians. However in modern times, it wasn't until the spring of 1953 that Mr. Armstrong and the other ministers began to develop a clear understanding of the biblical teaching that God is a divine Family into which converted human beings may be born at the resurrection. They attempted, at first, to prove it false from the Bible, but instead, found it reaffirmed throughout God's Word. Though this understanding was the clear implication of much that had been taught previously, it was hard for Mr. Armstrong and the others to accept this simple yet profoundly important and overwhelming truth. The clear understanding of the Family of God is perhaps the single greatest truth that God used Mr. Armstrong to restore to the doctrine of the Church of God.

Two giant leaps forward in the preaching of the Gospel happened in 1953. Mr. Armstrong obtained time for a daily broadcast carried over the entire ABC Radio Network. The year began, however, with the opening of one of the greatest single doors in the history of the Work. It was on January 1 that the most powerful radio station on earth, Radio Luxembourg, began broadcasting The World Tomorrow to Europe.

In February 1953, Dick Armstrong (Herbert Armstrong's oldest son who died in an automobile accident in 1958) opened a mailing office in London. And in 1954 Mr. Armstrong, accompanied by his wife, Dick Armstrong and Roderick Meredith, conducted evangelistic campaigns in Britain. In 1957, Mr. Meredith returned for more campaigns and, in 1958, Raymond McNair arrived to take charge of the Work in Britain. That summer Mr. McNair and Mr. George Meeker conducted a baptizing tour throughout the British Isles.

The June 1960 Plain Truth magazine carried a special announcement from Mr. Armstrong to the British readership, announcing a series of campaigns by Mr. Rod Meredith in Britain. Mr. Armstrong wrote, "Mr. Meredith is fully consecrated, utterly sincere.... He is going to tell you things you can't hear from any other source...you'll be shocked, surprised—you'll hear more real truth in one night of these meetings than most people learn in years of the preaching of our day!" (Ivor Fletcher, The Incredible History of God's True Church, Giving and Sharing Publishing, Neck City, MO, p. 256). By October 1960, the second Ambassador College opened its doors in Brickett Wood, England with Raymond McNair as deputy chancellor.

As the number of ministers available to conduct baptizing tours and pastor churches increased, so did the harvest that was being reaped from the Work. Feast attendance skyrocketed from 750 in 1953 to over 2000 in 1957. By 1961 the numbers were almost 10,000 and by 1967 over 40,000. The Plain Truth's circulation topped the half-million mark in 1964 and hit one million by 1967. By the late 1960s The World Tomorrow was broadcast daily and heard by tens of millions of people around the world.

Throughout the soaring 1960s Garner Ted Armstrong (Herbert Armstrong's youngest son) served as the main speaker on The World Tomorrow and as vice president of the Church while Roderick Meredith was second vice president and director of the ministry. In 1967 Mrs. Loma Armstrong died at age 75 and, by the end of the 1960s, signs of future problems for the Work were already surfacing. Inevitably, it seems that when the sons of God are gathered together, the devil always seeks to come among them (cf. Job 1 ).

In January 1972, the Church was shaken by the removal of Garner Ted Armstrong from his responsibilities. Six months later he was reinstated. The 1970s saw in the Church, as in America as a whole, the emergence of an increasingly liberal, permissive spirit. A number of ministers and members left the Church in 1974, and increasing doctrinal confusion coupled with accusations of scandal assaulted the Work. After beginning recovery from massive heart failure in 1977, Herbert Armstrong finally removed Garner Ted from his responsibilities in the spring of 1978 and disfellowshipped him from the Church in June.

In January 1979, the Church was temporarily hit by a receivership imposed by the State of California. Herbert Armstrong, still recovering from heart trouble in Tucson, Arizona, named Roderick Meredith to his old job as director of the ministry, and he, along with Raymond McNair, who was named by Mr. Armstrong to be over the College, sought to restore stability to the Church and the ministry during this troubled time. At the same time, Mr. Armstrong set about trying to "set the Church back on the track" doctrinally from the liberal, watered-down 1970s.

In the midst of a church atmosphere that was highly charged and politicized, Joseph Tkach was named to replace Roderick Meredith in late 1979. Nevertheless, by the final two or three years of Mr. Armstrong's life, stability and growth seemed to be restored to the Church. By the time of his death in January 1986, The Plain Truth had a circulation of over 8 million copies printed in 7 languages. Attendance at the Feast of Tabernacles approached 140,000 worldwide. When Joseph Tkach took the helm of the Worldwide Church of God upon the death of Mr. Armstrong in January 1986, the Church was a seemingly unified body. It appeared focused on the Work of God that lay ahead and committed to the Truth. There were problems beneath the surface, however. They became increasingly obvious, at first faintly and then more clearly.

The Final Phase of Church History

In Revelation 3, we read of the two final phases of the history of the Church of God. The Church of Philadelphia was to be characterized by a zeal to do the Work. God promised to set before them an "open door" as well as to protect them from the future Great Tribulation. However, there is a final seventh stage of the Church described, the Church at Laodicea. This church was to be characterized by spiritual lukewarmness and lethargy. It is described as a worldly church, and certainly one which fit in with the spirit of these permissive, modern times. Though Mr. Armstrong put things "back on track" during the last seven years of his life, it became increasingly apparent from the very early 1970s on, that two different "spirits" were coexisting within one organization. The personality of a very dominant and powerful leader served as the glue to hold things together (for the most part) until his death.

Starting about a year after Mr. Armstrong's death, there began a gradual trend back toward the permissive, liberal approach of the 1970s. Within a few years, however, changes moved far beyond the 1970s into total apostasy from the Truth, even to the point of teaching the Trinity and teaching that obedience to God's law (including the Sabbath) was unnecessary. In December 1992, forty years after his original ordination, Evangelist Roderick Meredith was forced out of the Worldwide Church of God organization because of his refusal to compromise with the prevailing forces of apostasy. This marked the beginning of the Global Church of God. Soon joined by thousands of faithful brethren and scores of faithful ministers, Mr. Meredith and those with him have moved forward to revive the Work of God.

Once again the people of God find themselves at a crossroads. Satan seeks to sow confusion and discouragement. Some of God's people have been overwhelmed by the cares of this life or by personal problems and have dropped by the wayside. Others have been deceived by false prophets and have gone into apostasy. Still others have become so lethargic and softened by comfort that they have lost their vision and merely wish to maintain local churches, no longer caring about doing the Work.

However, there is an ever-growing band that is zealous for the full Truth and zealous to finish God's Work. They are being regatbered as a part of this end-time Work. Just as God's people have had to do from the first century onward, so His people today must "...contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). God states clearly in Romans 9:28 that "He will finish the Work and cut it short in righteousness." Who will He use to do it? According to Daniel 11:32 it is "...the people who know their God [that] shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.”

Will you be one whom God uses to finish His end-time Work? Do you have the true Philadelphian spirit that reaches out to the whole world in genuine love and concern to share God's message of Truth and hope? Do you consider it important that the House of Israel be warned of the impending time of Jacob's trouble? Is the Work of God more important to you than your own personal comfort? Satan seeks today, as he has sought again and again, to scatter the power of the holy people. Will you focus on personalities rather than principles and allow yourself to be scattered? Will you turn inward and become self-focused? Or, will you unite with those who are going forward to finish the Work? Truly, we must work the works of Him that has sent us while it is yet day, for the night indeed comes when no man can work! (cf. John 9:4).

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By Kenneth L. Frank

Many of God's people are emotionally hurting. They may be wondering if they have done something to deserve the treatment they are receiving from the separated brethren they love. How should we understand this situation? Is it unique to our time?

Right now, many of God's faithful brethren are experiencing something with which they are unfamiliar. They may or may not have experienced a similar thing when God first drew them into His Church years ago. But now they find themselves rejected and ostracized by those with whom they used to fellowship.

These brethren are feeling the pangs of being cut off and misunderstood—even falsely accused. And today, it comes from the very people who once shared this same precious faith. This time it cuts deeply. Many brethren have experienced sleepless nights, upset stomachs, high blood pressure, pacing the floor and tears as they've gone through this emotional wringer.

To remain faithful to what they knew to be true, many have been forced to leave. Others realized there was no good reason to remain where the Truth was not valued. As a result, many were treated as divisive heretics—shunned, banned, cut off, disfellowshipped or ostracized by members and ministry alike.

In Jesus' Olivet prophecy, He said that in the end time His disciples would be delivered up to tribulation and martyrdom—hated by all nations for His name's sake. He added that many would be offended, betraying one another. This has happened to a certain degree, though no one has been physically beaten or killed yet and the problems have only come from "former brethren." Nevertheless, what has happened to many brethren can rightly be called "persecution.”

Jesus also said false prophets would arise and deceive many, often "from among you"—inside the Church itself! And because lawlessness would abound, the love of many (Williams translation: "most") would grow cold. But Christ admonished that he who endures to the end will be saved (Matt. 24:9-13).

What creates this growing lack of love is abounding lawlessness. Our world is increasingly lawless and people's love and respect for each other is greatly diminishing. Love is keeping the commandments (1 John 5:3).

It is no surprise that the world in general makes no effort to obey God. But what is astonishing is the turning away of a multitude of God's own people from His holy commandments. When this happens, the love of the brethren for each other grows cold. Spiritual ostracism of God's law-abiding brethren is one consequence. "I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; a people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face...which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; which say [to other brethren], Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day" (Is. 65:2-5 KJV).

Outside the Camp

In the first century, when the Romans crucified Jews at Jerusalem, the executions were conducted outside the city walls (John 19:17; Luke 23:26). Dead bodies on crucifixion stakes were considered ceremonially defiling by the city's inhabitants.

Hebrew 13:12-13 explains this in regard to Jesus' own crucifixion. He suffered outside the city gate in order to sanctify His people with His blood. Paul admonishes us to "go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach." What does this mean for Christ's followers today?

One way to understand the Christian's "bearing His reproach" concerns Christ's becoming a curse for us at His death (Gal. 3:13). He was considered a defiling influence by the public. And anyone who associated with Him would also bear this stigma. This association brought about exclusion, ostracism, rejection and even persecution from those who scorned His sacrifice.

Many followers of Christ, during His ministry, feared being put out of the synagogue because the religious leaders had previously agreed that anyone who confessed that Jesus was the Messiah would be excommunicated (John 9:22). In Second Temple Judaism (a religious milieu with widely varying approaches to understanding the Hebrew Bible) excommunication could be temporary (30 days) or permanent. Jews who accepted Christ's sacrifice would bear His reproach outside the popular religious establishments of that day.

Today's counterpart is to be put out of a church organization, which formerly taught the Truth, merely for doing what God said to do: to sincerely love and adhere to His Truth—expecting His promises to literally come true.

The Golden Calf Incident

There is yet another way to understand this saying about going forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. It relates to an OT story of apostasy in Exodus 32 and 33.

While Moses was up on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments, the nation of Israel broke the first and second commandments by making and worshipping a golden calf, shortly after they had covenanted with God to obey all that He had said, including having no other gods besides Him.

Moses called the faithful remnant to come over to the LORD's side (Ex. 32:26). The Levites followed Moses' lead and executed, on God's behalf, about 3000 men for their idolatry.

As a consequence of the golden calf sin, the nation had become defiled. Moses moved the tabernacle outside the camp, calling it the tabernacle of meeting. Everyone who sought the LORD went to the tabernacle outside the camp (Ex. 33:7). As Moses entered this tabernacle, God's pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door. There God talked with Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend. When this occurred, the people worshipped, each man at his tent door (vv. 7-11).

Please note: idolatrous worship of a false god defiles a camp. Back then, if anyone wished to properly worship God, they had to leave the defiled precincts of the camp and move to a purer environment where God was present. They could not worship God where they were, under that condition.

E. W: Bullinger in his Companion Bible commented on Exodus 33:7, "In presence of corporate failure God withdraws Himself. Typical of our own day. Those who seek Him must `go forth to Him.'”

In the first century, the religious leadership of Jerusalem turned its back on their own Messiah. Christ's sacrifice was offered outside the city walls. Those who sought forgiveness of their sins by Jesus' sacrifice had to leave behind the rejecters to "go OUT to Him," so to speak, bearing His reproach. A separation was inevitable between those who believed and those who scoffed.

There is a time when one must get up and move away from prevailing apostasy. One cannot safely dwell in a spiritual environment which has departed from God's ways. Moses realized the apostasy was so widespread throughout the nation that there needed to be a separation between those who served God and those who did not. Only by this means could the contamination be contained.

The Reproach

The Church is not to run off and hide in some desolate place on earth. It has a commission to take the Gospel into all the world. But Jesus warns that as they go they will be as vulnerable as sheep in the midst of wolves. So we need to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves (Matt. 10:16).

He warns that some may even be scourged in the congregational assembly. Today some of God's own are verbally "scourged." What irony this is that those who continue to believe what the Church taught them for decades are now called "confused," "deceived," "unwilling to grow" or even "Satanic." The Devil has done a masterful job of creating a confusing environment where the faithful of God are considered dangerous heretics to be spiritually ostracized.

Jesus cautions, "Beware of men...brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death" (Matt. 10:17, 21). He predicted that family members would betray one another over religious matters. Jesus said He had not come to bring peace, but a sword that would divide family members. A man's foes will be those of his own household (vv. 34-36). This has happened throughout the centuries in the spiritual family—God's Church.

Jesus warned us to prepare for vilification and slander. He said if they would call Him Beelzebub, a Philistine deity consider the ruler of the demons (Matt. 12:24), they would call us even worse things (Matt. 10:25).

But Jesus encouraged us by saying; "Do not fear them" (Matt. 10:26). The Truth will prevail and God's people will find justice at Christ's coming. Though we fear God, we need not fear men!

The Reward

Jesus admonished His followers to take up their cross and follow Him. Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for His sake will find it. When He comes in His Father's glory with His angels, He will reward these faithful according to their works (Matt. 16:24-27). The sacrifice God's people now offer will be richly rewarded in the future.

Jesus explained, "Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets" (Luke 6:22-23). This puts the faithful brethren in good company. The prophets were ridiculed, ignored, ostracized and persecuted. James said they took it patiently (James 5:10). Preaching the Truth of God does not make one popular with the world. But it does make one stand out from the complacent crowd!

Wealth and prosperity are unreliable measures of righteousness. False teachers are often well-off and esteemed by the world. Worldly organizations pay great salaries to spiritual mercenaries who will teach and counsel according to the party line. But any person who stands up for what God says will have trouble from these false teachers. You can take the measure of a man by noting his enemies as well as his friends.

Acts 5 tells the inspiring story of the earliest apostles preaching in Jerusalem. They were arrested and put into prison by the opposing religious authorities. God's apostles were beaten and warned not to teach the unpopular Truth. Yet those men of .God "departed 'from the presence of the council [Sanhedrin], rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name" (v: 41). God's apostles were not intimidated They paid more attention to God's commission than to the threats of powerful men in their community.

These bold apostles considered it an honor to suffer for Jesus' sake. Suffering caused by deceived unbelievers did not turn them from their mission, but rather encouraged their enthusiasm all the more!

The Politically Correct Church

The Corinthians, unlike the apostles, were concerned with what the world thought of them. Corinth was a wealthy and licentious commercial center with a cosmopolitan culture famous in the Roman world. It prized worldly knowledge and oratorical skills. As a result, Paul, who had been so torturously treated by enemies, was an embarrassment to their refined tastes.

Paul's standards were very different. He rebuked that self-satisfied Church with sarcasm, "You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us—and: indeed I could wish you did .reign, that we also might reign with you!... We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! Even to the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless! And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure it; being defamed, we entreat. We have been