Church of God a cult?

[wife]

Just make sure that they are not affiliated with "The Worldwide Church of God", originally started by Herbert Armstrong. It is a cult.

Here is a link about them: http://www.apologeticsindex.org/w01.html


No they have been around much longer than that...

[Galoutofdixie]

No they have been around much longer than that...


I understand, but many many of the splinter groups of WWCG also call themselves "Church of God". It pays to be careful. :) There is a more exhaustive list of splinter groups at the link above.

Splinter Groups -


Note: This section lists only some of the many splinter groups.
Church of God Splinter group (1998) of the United Church of God, which itself is a splinter group of the WCG.
Church of God - A Christian Fellowship Successor of WCG splinter group, Global Church of God.
Church of God International Splinter group of the WCG. Sponsors the ''Armor of God'' literature and TV shows.
Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association Splinter Groups of the WCG. (About Garner Ted Armstrong)
United Church of God Splinter group of the WCG

[wife]

I understand, but many many of the splinter groups of WWCG also call themselves "Church of God". It pays to be careful. :) There is a more exhaustive list of splinter groups at the link above.

nope.. this is the Church of God in Cleveland TN

[HeIsEnough]

The tounges point made by one of the other respondents would exclude Assembly of God as well (that's another debate - suffice it to say that tounges was a sign of baptism of the Holy Spirit at Pentacost - there are different interpretations on the ongoing, or non ongoing use of tounges today).

The key is whether this Church accepts the central creeds of salvation through faith and belief in Christ alone as our Lord and saviour;

:hat Brian.

Both valid points.

To the op, the problem could come when both these viewpoints are joined.

It is well known that some in the charismatic 'movement' construe salvation to also include speaking in tongues. The fallout from that type of belief can be pretty dramatic. It is a heresy. Whether this particular fellowship believes that or not, I do not know.

[Waiting...]

:hat Brian.

Both valid points.

To the op, the problem could come when both these viewpoints are joined.

It is well known that some in the charismatic 'movement' construe salvation to also include speaking in tongues. The fallout from that type of belief can be pretty dramatic. It is a heresy. Whether this particular fellowship believes that or not, I do not know.

Thank you. Very interesting. I grew up in an Assembly of God Church so I am very familiar with that point. I am OK with the speaking in tongues part. I agree with you that it should not be a prerequisite for salvation. I will check into this.

[kjlistrom]

Best of luck with the new Church. I'm not familiar with their specific doctirne. However, every church/denomination will have some attributes "unacceptable" to some members on this Board. That's why there are hundreds of denominations today (sadly). The tounges point made by one of the other respondents would exclude Assembly of God as well (that's another debate - suffice it to say that tounges was a sign of baptism of the Holy Spirit at Pentacost - there are different interpretations on the ongoing, or non ongoing use of tounges today).
I don't see it so much as an ongoing , or non ongoing use as much as if it's in alinement with what was practiced at the time of Penacost. Where one person spoke and all heard it as though it was spoken in their native tongue.
Do any of the charismatic churches today practice that tongues that was done on the day of Pentacost? If not than it is not Biblical, IMO. and I would not go to a church that practiced such things that didn't line it's self up with the bible.


The key is whether this Church accepts the central creeds of salvation through faith and belief in Christ alone as our Lord and saviour; the need to repent for our sins; belief in the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ and the inerrancy of God's Word. That is key, but when false teaching becomes part of the church than God clearly tells us that He will take away the lamp stand.

Differences among denominations over other issues (tounges, calvinism v. arminianism, pre-trib or post-trib rapture, infant v. adult baptism) while important to us as believers and for fellowship are not as significant (although you should try to find a Church whose views on these other issues is consistent with your reading and interepretation of scripture and we should all always be striving to find God's truth on all of these issues with the help of the Holy Sprit, recognizing that many sincere Chrisitians trying to do just that have come to different conclusions on these types of issues).
Agreed, many like their ears tickeled.

[run2Jesus]

My eldest brother's wife of 35 years has always been a member of the Church of God. She insists you must be "slain in the spirit" and have had the experience of speaking in tongues or you aren't saved. This was a great concern to my brother for many years since he had neither of those experiences. He attended the Church of God with her and even acted as one of the attendants who caught the members as they fell (slain in the spirit). My brother was raised Baptist as we all were and my folks tried to tell him he was saved since he had accepted Christ as a teenager. They tried not to get too controversial with my brother and his wife since they didn't want hard feelings to develop. Then one day, my brother came over all excited; he said he'd finally spoken in tongues and everything was okay. What I want to know is: are all the members in a congregation supposed to have the exact same gift?? Tongues was supposed to be the most minor of all gifts according to the apostle Paul. I have never read in the Bible it was a salvation requisite to speak in tongues. So any church which preaches the need to speak in tongues as evidence of salvation in my opinion is not preaching the true gospel of salvation by grace alone~~totally free gift apart from anything we can do or add to it. Ephesians 2:8.

[Robbinson]

My eldest brother's wife of 35 years has always been a member of the Church of God. She insists you must be "slain in the spirit" and have had the experience of speaking in tongues or you aren't saved. This was a great concern to my brother for many years since he had neither of those experiences. He attended the Church of God with her and even acted as one of the attendants who caught the members as they fell (slain in the spirit). My brother was raised Baptist as we all were and my folks tried to tell him he was saved since he had accepted Christ as a teenager. They tried not to get too controversial with my brother and his wife since they didn't want hard feelings to develop. Then one day, my brother came over all excited; he said he'd finally spoken in tongues and everything was okay. What I want to know is: are all the members in a congregation supposed to have the exact same gift?? Tongues was supposed to be the most minor of all gifts according to the apostle Paul. I have never read in the Bible it was a salvation requisite to speak in tongues. So any church which preaches the need to speak in tongues as evidence of salvation in my opinion is not preaching the true gospel of salvation by grace alone~~totally free gift apart from anything we can do or add to it. Ephesians 2:8.


I personally believe that the gift of tounges can be "a" sign, but not "the only" sign of baptism by the Holy Spirit. Now, there are many on this Board who believe that tounges is no longer a gift at all (that it was only a gift at pentacost) and it is certainly true that much behavior which is described as a gift of tounges by some/many today is not that at all - but an emotional response or desire to "be accepted". But that doesnt mean the gift is not real to some (any more than the fact that some people perverting the gospel doesnt mean that the gospel is itselft not real/truth). There are some who believe the gift is limited to those who speak in one tounge that is heard as native languages to all listeners with different native languages (this did happen at pentacost) and others who believe tounges can be a private prayer language (also described in scripture). For that matter, there are some who similarly believe the gifts of healing and prophecy are no longer applicable today, and others who think they are very much applicable today (I'd just point out that per Joel they will be active in the end times and I do hope Christ is returning soon!).

I should add that I do not speak in tounges but I believe there are or may be those who do.

[heybales219]

I used to attend a Church of God and very much agreed with the teachings. It was a solid Bible teaching assembly. As with any denomination, some churches may choose to embrace theologies that are not Scriptural but this does not condemn the denomination as a whole. Sometimes I felt the C of G as a whole could be too legalistic at times, but as a whole, I was quite happy there and grew in Christ.

[Waiting...]

I used to attend a Church of God and very much agreed with the teachings. It was a solid Bible teaching assembly. As with any denomination, some churches may choose to embrace theologies that are not Scriptural but this does not condemn the denomination as a whole. Sometimes I felt the C of G as a whole could be too legalistic at times, but as a whole, I was quite happy there and grew in Christ.

Thank you. As a long time member of an Assembly of God church, I can handle a little legalism. The church I am attending now is so anti legalistic that many of the LEADERS listen to secular music, attend yoga classes, and pretty much live no differently than unsaved people in the world. If I were to make a mistake in this life, I would rather be a little too legalistic than not when I meet Jesus.