Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Various Man-made Churches and the Bible Verses they used to justify their Doctrines

Legitimate Church is the Ancient Church.

BELOW IS THE PARTIAL LIST OF MAN-MADE CHURCHES AND THEIR FOUNDER(S): 


✅ 1. LUTHERAN

Founder: Martin Luther
Founded: 1517
Place: Wittenberg, Germany

Common Bible Verses Used

  • Romans 1:17 – “The just shall live by faith.”

  • Ephesians 2:8–9 – Salvation by grace through faith.

  • Romans 3:28 – “Justified by faith apart from works.”

Context:

Used to oppose the indulgences and authority of the Pope, so he left the Catholic Church.

 

Standard References

  • Encyclopaedia Britannica – “Lutheranism”

  • Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church


✅ 2. CALVINIST / REFORMED

Founder: John Calvin
Founded: 1536
Place: Geneva, Switzerland

Common Verses

  • Romans 9 – predestination

  • Ephesians 1:4–5 – “chosen before the foundation of the world”

  • John 6:44 – God draws people to salvation

Context:

They will use it to support the doctrine of predestination and total depravity.

 

References

  • The Institutes of the Christian Religion (John Calvin)

  • Britannica – “Calvinism”

✅ 3. EVANGELICAL

(A movement, not one denomination)
Founder: No single founder
Started: 18th century (Great Awakening)
Place: England & America

Common Verses

  • John 3:3 – born again

  • Matthew 28:19–20 – evangelism

  • Ephesians 2:8–9 – faith alone

Context:

Focus on personal conversion and Bible-only preaching.

 

References

  • Britannica – “Evangelicalism”

  • Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion

✅ 4. SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST (SDA)

Founder: Ellen G. White, James White, Joseph Bates
Founded: 1863
Place: Battle Creek, Michigan, USA

Common Verses

  • Exodus 20:8–11 – Sabbath

  • Revelation 14:6–12 – Three Angels' Messages

  • 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 – soul sleep & resurrection

  • Daniel 8:14 – 1844 “investigative judgment”

Context:

Originated from the Millerite movement that made a mistake in the prediction of the Second Coming (1844).

 

References

  • Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia

  • Britannica – “Seventh-day Adventist Church”

✅ 5. JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

Founder: Charles Taze Russell
Founded: 1870
Place: Pennsylvania, USA

Common Verses

  • Psalm 83:18 – God’s name “Jehovah”

  • John 1:1 – their translation “the Word was a god”

  • Acts 15:29 – abstain from blood

  • Ecclesiastes 9:5 – no conscious afterlife

Context:

Their doctrine is very much opposed to early Christianity.

 

References

  • Britannica – “Jehovah’s Witnesses”

  • The Watchtower publications

✅ 6. IGLESIA NI CRISTO (INC)

Founder: Felix Manalo
Founded: 1914
Place: Punta, Sta. Ana, Manila, Philippines

Common Verses

  • Isaiah 43:5–6 – interpreted as prophecy about Philippines

  • Romans 16:16 – churches of Christ

  • Acts 20:28 – “Church purchased with Christ’s blood” (their translation)

  • John 10:16 – “other sheep” as INC

Context:

They use it to claim that they are the restored Church.

 

References

  • INC Official Website

  • Religions of the World – Gale Encyclopedia

✅ 7. BORN AGAIN / NON-DENOMINATIONAL / PENTECOSTAL

Founder: No single founder
Started: 1900s
Place: USA (Azusa Street Revival, 1906)

Common Verses

  • John 3:3 – born again

  • Romans 10:9–10 – confess Jesus

  • Acts 2:4 – speaking in tongues

  • Ephesians 2:8–9 – faith alone

Context:

Focus on emotional conversion, altar call, and personal relationship.

 

References

  • Britannica – “Pentecostalism”

  • Harvey Cox, Fire from Heaven

✅ 8. BAPTIST

Founder: John Smyth
Founded: 1609
Place: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Common Verses

  • Acts 2:41 – believer’s baptism

  • Romans 6:4 – baptism by immersion

  • 2 Timothy 3:16 – Bible is sufficient

Context:

Known for believer's baptism and congregational autonomy.

 

References

  • Britannica – “Baptist”

  • Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church

✅ 9. KINGDOM OF JESUS CHRIST (KJC)

Founder: Apollo Quiboloy
Founded: 1985
Place: Davao City, Philippines

Common Verses

  • Revelation 21:7 – “He who overcomes… I will be his God” (applied to himself)

  • Luke 4:18 – “anointed one”

  • John 10:30 – unity with God

  • Revelation 22:16 – “bright morning star” (applied to founder)

 

References

  • Rappler Investigative Reports

  • Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)

✅ 10. JESUS IS LORD CHURCH (JIL)

Founder: Bro. Eddie Villanueva
Founded: 1978
Place: Bocaue, Bulacan, Philippines

Common Verses

  • John 14:6 – Jesus is Lord

  • Romans 10:9 – confess Jesus as Lord

  • Acts 1:8 – empowerment of the Spirit

References

  • JIL Official Website

  • Encyclopedia of Global Religion

✅ 11. CHURCH OF GOD (COG – Philippines or Worldwide?)

(Many churches worldwide use “Church of God.”
I will use the most common international Pentecostal group: Church of God Cleveland, Tennessee.)

Founder: Assemblies from the Holiness Movement
Founded: 1886
Place: Tennessee, USA

Common Verses

  • Hebrews 12:14 – holiness

  • Acts 2:1–4 – baptism of the Holy Spirit

  • 1 Corinthians 12 – spiritual gifts

References

  • Britannica – “Church of God (Cleveland)”

  • Dictionary of Pentecostal & Charismatic Movements

✅ 12. MCGI – MEMBERS CHURCH OF GOD INTERNATIONAL (ANG DATING DAAN)

Founder: Eliseo Soriano
Founded: 1977
Place: Pampanga, Philippines

Common Verses

  • Daniel 12:4 – increase of knowledge

  • John 18:20 – “I spoke openly to the world” (basis for TV program)

  • Matthew 7:21 – “not everyone… but he who does the will of the Father”

  • Isaiah 43:5–6 – spreading abroad

References

  • MCGI Official Publications

  • Encyclopedia of Philippine Religions

 

✅ 13. ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Founder: Jesus Christ
Founded: 33 AD (Pentecost)
Place: Jerusalem

Common Verses Used to Support Apostolic Church

  • Matthew 16:18–19 – “You are Peter… I give you the keys.”

  • John 21:15–17 – Jesus instructs Peter to shepherd the flock

  • Acts 2:42 – “apostles’ teaching, breaking of bread”

  • 1 Timothy 3:15 – Church as “pillar and foundation of truth”

  • Matthew 28:20 – Christ with the Church always

References

  • Catechism of the Catholic Church

  • Eusebius, Church History (4th century)

  • Britannica – “Roman Catholicism”

 

Hereunder is a clean, organized, and accurate comparison with Early Christianity (1st–3rd century) so you can clearly see which groups align and which contradict the original apostolic faith. 


📌 A. Comparison With EARLY CHRISTIANITY (1st–3rd Century)

Based on:

  • Didache (c. 70 AD)

  • Writings of Church Fathers (Ignatius, Clement, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr)

  • Earliest liturgies

  • Eusebius – Church History (4th century)

Let’s check which doctrines agree or contradict the early Church.

🟩 DOCTRINES FOUND in Early Christianity (1st–3rd Century)

These are historically verified:

  1. Apostolic hierarchy (bishops → priests → deacons)

  2. The Eucharist as the literal Body and Blood of Christ

  3. Baptismal regeneration (salvation begins at baptism)

  4. Sunday worship (not Sabbath)

  5. Confession of sins to Church authorities

  6. Salvation = faith + obedience + works of love

  7. Use of sacred tradition

  8. Veneration of martyrs and saints

  9. One universal Church

  10. No teaching that the Church will apostatize

🟥 DOCTRINES NOT FOUND in Early Christianity

  1. Faith alone

  2. Bible alone (Sola Scriptura)

  3. Saturday worship for Christians

  4. Once saved always saved

  5. Denominations / “choose your own church”

  6. Founder other than Apostles

  7. Non-Trinitarian theology

  8. Soul sleep doctrine

  9. Rejection of sacraments

  10. Born-again formula (sinner’s prayer)

📌 B. MATCH or CONTRADICT? (Side-by-side evaluation)

1. Lutheran

❌ Contradict early Church: faith alone, scripture alone
❌ Rejects hierarchy & sacraments
❌ Eucharist not same as early Church belief
⚠️ Keeps baptism
➡️ Mostly contradicts

2. Calvinist

❌ predestination (not taught by early Church)
❌ no sacraments
❌ no bishops
❌ no real presence in Eucharist
➡️ Contradicts

3. Evangelical/Born Again

❌ born-again by sinner’s prayer only
❌ no sacraments
❌ no hierarchy
❌ Bible alone
➡️ Contradicts

4. Baptist

❌ no infant baptism
❌ baptism only symbolic
❌ Bible alone
❌ no hierarchy
➡️ Contradicts

5. SDA

❌ Saturday Sabbath (early Christians worshipped Sunday)
❌ soul sleep
❌ investigative judgment
➡️ Contradicts

6. Jehovah’s Witnesses

❌ denies Trinity
❌ denies divinity of Christ
❌ soul sleep
➡️ Completely contradicts

7. INC

❌ denies Trinity
❌ claims apostasy of early Church
❌ founder is 1914
➡️ Completely contradicts

8. KJC (Quiboloy)

❌ human founder claims to be “appointed son”
❌ new revelations
❌ no apostolic link
➡️ Contradicts

9. JIL

❌ no sacraments
❌ no apostolic succession
➡️ Contradicts

10. Church of God (Pentecostal)

❌ tongues required
❌ no sacraments
➡️ Contradicts

11. MCGI

❌ no hierarchy
❌ denies Trinity or redefines it
❌ rejects Church Fathers
➡️ Contradicts

12. Roman Catholic

✔️ Apostolic succession
✔️ Eucharist as real Body and Blood
✔️ Baptismal regeneration
✔️ Confession
✔️ Bishops, priests, deacons (same structure as 1st–3rd century)
✔️ Sunday worship
✔️ No founder except Christ
➡️ Matches Early Christianity fully

(Orthodox Churches also match early Christianity, except for later schism.)

⭐ C. SIMPLE VERDICT

If the question is:

“Which group truly matches the beliefs and practices of the early Christians (1st–3rd century)?”

The answer of history, scholarship, and early Church writings is:

👉 Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox

(the only churches with
• apostolic succession
• unbroken history
• preserved sacraments
• same doctrine as early Church)

All Protestant and modern Filipino groups are 15th–20th century creations and do not match early Christianity.

 

IF YOU COMPARE TO THE EARLY CHURCH

All groups on the list are new compared to 1st–3rd century Christianity. None of them existed at the time of the Apostles. 

Only the Catholic and Orthodox Churches have historical continuity from the Apostles.

 

READ MORE:

 

 

 

 

 

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