Brother Eli and the Catholic Mass Part I

Brother Eli Soriano, renowned international televangelist, was criticized in Fiat Volvntas Tua (translated Thy Will Be Done), a Catholic-based blog. It was about Brother Eli’s attack on the veracity of the Catholic Mass, which he wrote in esoriano.wordpress.com

For the sake of truth, we offer these answers in defense of Brother Eli. Please note that the issues answered here were directly lifted from the blog, including whatever errors are found.

Issue: Brother Eli Soriano is the founder of the Arian sect called the Church of God International that is primarily located in the Philippines. It is a schismatic sect of the Jehovah Witnesses and has similar teachings adopting the same evil heresies.

Answer: Brother Eli Soriano is not a founder of any sect. The word “founder” means originator or creator. In his 50 years of preaching, Brother Eli never claimed founding any church or religious organization. His present designation in the Members Church of God International or MCGI is Presiding Minister, NOT Founding Minister. Presiding means leading or directing.

MCGI is not an Arian sect. What is an Arian sect? An Arian sect is a religious organization that upholds the teachings of Arius, a presbyter (minister) of Alexandria considered a heretic during his time. Arianism, the religion founded in his name, believes: (1) The Father alone is God, only unbegotten, eternal, wise, good, unchangeable, separated by an infinite gap from man, and cannot communicate His essence. (2) The Son of God is pre-existent, "before time and before the world," and "before all creatures." He is a middle being between God and the world, the perfect image of the Father, the executor of His thoughts, even the Creator of the world. In a secondary or metaphorical sense he may be called "God." But, on the other hand, Christ is himself a "creature," the first creature of God, through whom the Father called other creatures into existence. He is "made," not of "the essence" of the Father, but "out of nothing," by "the will" of the Father, before all conceivable time, yet in time. He is not eternal, and there "was a time when he was not." Arians also assert that (3) the Son does not perfectly know the Father, and therefore cannot perfectly reveal Him. He is essentially different from the Father (heteroousios, in contrast to the Trinitarian orthodox belief, homoousios, "coequal," and the semi-Asian homoiousios, "similar in essence"). Later, the difference was more strongly expressed, calling the Son unlike the Father (anomoios). Some considered him as a human body with an animal soul, not a rational soul.

Brother Eli is not a disciple of Arianism. He says that the persons of the Father and the Son are distinct. But unlike the Arians, Brother Eli teaches through the Bible that Christ is God and has the same nature as the Father, knows the Father, and he is the only begotten of the Father, existing before the creation of the world but not a created being. Watch these videos of Brother Eli discussing the divinity of Christ, his relationship with the Father, and the trinity.

The words Arian or Arianism are not in the Bible. A quick computer search will reveal the truth.

Brother Eli teaches only the sayings of the Lord Jesus Christ, the apostles, and the prophets that are applicable to the present. In so doing, he uses the Bible to argue with the teachings of others. An example of this is during Bible Expositions. Brother Eli answers questions of people from all walks of life and faith. They ask, he answers through the Bible in real time. Everybody is welcome, even agnostics, skeptics, or atheists.

Majority of the questions in the Bible Exposition are on differences of the doctrines of MCGI from those of this church or that church. Brother Eli is used to responding to questions like those. If someone asks him about the difference of MCGI’s teachings with, say, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Brother Eli answers, a proof that he follows what I Peter 3:15 says: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”

MCGI is not a schismatic sect of the Jehovah’s Witnesses or JW. This claim has no historical or doctrinal proof. MCGI must have retained much of JW’s religious identity if it was a splinter group. Here are some of the many differences of MCGI and JW:

1. MCGI acknowledges the government. It was registered in the Securities and Exchange Commission of the Philippines in 2004. Why? Biblically, Christians were taught to obey the ordinances of men, and this was written in Romans 13:1, Peter 2:13, and Titus 3:1. Under Philippine Law, every corporation or organization is required to be registered to the Securities On the other hand, the JW’s do not recognize human governments. Their argument is that human governments are evil. They now claim that they have changed this teaching since 1966, but they only did so because they have encountered problems, particularly with the US Federal Government. Their founder, Charles Taze Russell, was involved in a series of lawsuits regarding his violation of US state laws.

2. MCGI allows blood donation and transfusion. A proof is the regular blood donation it conducts with the Philippine National Red Cross and other Red Cross families abroad. What does the Bible say? Watch this video of Brother Eli explaining the biblical basis of blood transfusion. In contrast, JW’s do not allow it. Know why the JW does not approve of blood donation or transfusion. Judge for yourself if what the JW's say is biblically acceptable.

3. MCGI believes in a new heaven and a new earth. It is written in Revelation 21:1 – “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” JW’s say that this earth shall be inherited by those who will be saved, as written in Matthew 5:5 – “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” But Brother Eli believes it is a misinterpretation, as he does in this video.

The Jehovah's Witnesses made seven predictions
of the world's end, published in their official gazette,
The Watch Tower. Unfortunately, none of those
predictions came true, even if all forecasts were
computed using biblical and historical dates and figures.

4. MCGI never made any end-of-the-world prophecies. Since 1934 in the time of the late Brother Nicolas Perez until today that Brother Eli leads MCGI, the Church believes that the exact day and time of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the world’s end is not specified in the Bible. Only the signs were given, indicated in Matthew 24:4-51; Matthew 25:1-13; Mark 13:32; Luke 12:40-56; and Revelation 3:3. On the other hand, JW’s had made several doomsday predictions, all fallen to failure.

5. MCGI does not share any historical link with the JW’s. A quick look into the histories of both groups will lay waste to a claim that MCGI was a part of the JW's before. There is not truth to it.

There are many other differences between MCGI and JW’s. What have been mentioned are just a few.

This is only the beginning of the answers to criticisms by some who, for lack of respect towards research and reading of facts, have abandoned logical reasoning and biblical viewpoint. God willing, there will be more replies on the next article.

Dear readers, remember that it pays good rewards to be attentive of the truth and not philosophical talk. Save yourselves from the ignorance advertised by pretentious religious teachers.