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.

Brother Eli and the Cult

Cult, for so long a time, has been confined to mean a pessimistic and underground religious movement. Thus this description, which has eventually turned into a semi-permanent belief, brought to mind a flood of ghastly images of unorthodox rituals: men veiled in black or white priest-like garbs, with heads covered by a pointy hat having only two small openings for the eyes; hair-raising voices muttering a mysterious language before an altar decked and draped with melting candles, skulls, bones, and blood of a sacrifice; and on the wall facing the altar, an emblem of the brotherhood – all these the typical iconic images of a cult’s ceremony in progress.

On the other hand, if a close examination of the term ‘cult’ will be made, a different perspective will be held. The true meaning of cult is not what many people believe and popularize it to be.

According to http://www.etymonline.com/, cult means any of the following: “worship” or “particular form of worship.” It is derived from the Latin cultus which means “care; labor; cultivation; culture; worship; reverence; to worship or give reference to a deity.”

In this regard, if being a cult is what most people think of Members Church of God International (MCGI) to be, and Presiding Minister Brother Eli Soriano a cult leader, the question is – which description of a cult fits MCGI?

This question is for you to answer. But let us help you make a decision by considering these circumstances.

MCGI is a non-profit, recognized organization duly registered in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the Philippines. It means that the Philippine Government acknowledges the presence of MCGI, and its registration records can be accessed and verified.

This privilege grants MCGI to conduct activities without getting apprehended by law. It is what makes MCGI work continuously on evangelization and charity activities in the Philippines and in other parts of the world. Visit http://www.mcgi.org/about/charities/ and http://www.mcgi.org/broadcasts/ to see and read more of the Organization’s documented charity and evangelism events.

As MCGI stretches evangelization efforts abroad, it seeks permit to operate on countries where local chapters are established. MCGI had been allowed by foreign governments to conduct charity missions, like blood donation, clean-up, and charity runs, to name a few. See again the Charities Section of www.mcgi.org for more details.

For these efforts, the Church and Bro. Eli Soriano as well, had received citations for its charitable activities and missions. Look here.

MCGI is on the Web. Internet surfers can freely visit the Church’s portal, www.mcgi.org, to find out their latest news and activities, including vital information they need to know more about the Organization.

MCGI lives within the legal norms of the society.  Members worldwide submit to the laws of their country of origin.  They are disciplined, law-abiding citizens, which is a part of their learning as Christians to be subject to the laws and ordinances of men, a doctrine written in I Peter 2:13 to 16 which says “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of men for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; (14) Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. (15) For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: (16) As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke [cloak] of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.” (KJV) Read here to find out more about the members of the Church.

MCGI abides by the teachings and doctrines of the Bible.  Brother Eli Soriano, Presiding Minister, teaches every member to faithfully heed God’s laws relevant to the time. He encourages members to think and do what is right before God. He invites them to converse on matters that involve their faith and continuance in God’s service, and listens to and accepts suggestions from members, especially if it will help the Congregation be more responsive Christians.

On a weekly basis, Bro. Eli shares biblical topics that teach, enlighten, and direct the MCGI congregation in dealing with life’s difficulties. Through it, the members become well-informed of their duties and obligations as Christians, dedicated to spiritual and social service.

In conducting religious gatherings, MCGI follows the practice of the first-century Christians. They follow what is written in I Corinthians 14:26 that says “How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.” (KJV) Read this section to find out more on church assemblies.

What about a cult’s supposed power to cure diseases?

MCGI believes primarily in the power of God to heal. The Church also appreciates the help of science in curing ailments.  Ailing members are advised to see licensed doctors.

Through Brother Eli’s biblically-based teaching that doing good must be done to all men, MCGI initiated free medical help throughout the Philippines, like rescue/ambulance services, a polyclinic with free pharmacy and on-call physicians, and a clinic-on-wheels to address the medical needs of indigent people. Both MCGI and non-MCGI members can benefit from these services. You can read this section for articles on such services.

In addition to the facts already stated, Brother Eli explained the biblical essence of a cult. In a recent Bible Exposition this year, he said that essentially a cult is good. He cited Romans 12:1 in both Spanish and Portuguese, and identified the word culto which means “reasonable or rightful worship.”

Originally in Greek, the same word was rendered “latreia” (pronounced la-tri-ah) which means “ministration of God, which means “worship, divine service.”

The Philippine language adopts and adapts culto from the Spanish and Portuguese as kulto, and the standard definition is surprisingly contradictory to what many people think of it. In the UP Diksyunaryong Filipino (UP Filipino Dictionary), kulto means “sistema ng ritwal at tuntuning panrelihiyon (a system of rituals and religious guidelines). This is the very essence of worship described in the Bible stated in Romans 12:1.

Another definition of cult in Filipino is “may natatangi o pinong pag-uugali, pag-iisip, o panlasa (having unique or refined demeanor, thinking, or taste).” Brother Eli says there is nothing wrong to be said of in this definition.

Brother Eli analyzes that the lack of understanding of many preachers, pastors, and religious ministers caused the misinterpretation of the meaning of cult for many people.

Now let’s go back to the question posed a while ago. If MCGI is a cult, which definition fits it right?