Tracing the True Church from Christ to Today: Why the Iglesia ni Cristo Does Not Meet the Historical and Biblical Standard

A historical and biblical examination of the Iglesia ni Cristo’s claim to be the true Church founded by Jesus Christ. This article uses scripture, early Church Fathers, apostolic succession, and historical evidence to evaluate continuity from the 1st century Church to the present.

If we trace back the leadership of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) from the present going backward, the line does not reach the Apostles, the early Church, or the 1st century. Instead, it clearly ends in the early 20th century with its founder.

Here is the historical traceback:

Current to past INC leadership

• Eduardo V. Manalo – Current Executive Minister

• Eraño G. Manalo – Executive Minister (1977–2009)

• Felix Y. Manalo – Founder of Iglesia ni Cristo (1914)

When traced further back before Felix Y. Manalo, there is no prior INC leadership, no apostolic figure, no bishop, no early Christian community, and no historical church structure connected to the first-century Church founded by Christ.

Where does the trace stop?
It stops in 1914, in the Philippines, with Felix Y. Manalo.

Key historical observation

• Felix Manalo was not ordained by any apostle or apostolic successor

• He did not receive authority from an existing historic Church

• INC has no documented apostolic succession

• There is a historical gap of about 1,900 years between Christ and the founding of INC

Implication
If leadership continuity is a test of being the Church founded by Christ (cf. Matthew 16:18; Acts 1:20–26; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 2:2), then INC fails the historical and biblical test of continuity. A church that truly comes from Christ must be traceable through an unbroken line of teaching and authority, not suddenly appear in the 20th century.

Remarks:
When traced backward, INC leadership does not reach Christ or the Apostles.
It terminates with Felix Y. Manalo in 1914, making INC a modern restoration movement, not the original Church established by Jesus Christ.

Many religious groups claim to be the true Church founded by Jesus Christ. One of the most prominent among them in the Philippines and the Filipino diaspora is the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC). But does the INC actually trace its roots back to Jesus and the Apostles? In this article, we examine historical evidence, biblical texts, teachings from early Christians and Church Fathers, and the standard criteria for what constitutes continuity with the Church Jesus founded.

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1. What Does It Mean to Be the “True Church”?

Key Criteria Based on Scripture and Tradition

1. Apostolic Foundation
   Jesus promised that His Church would be built on the Apostles (Matt 16:18) and would continue until the end (Matt 28:20).

2. Apostolic Succession
   The early Church passed authority from the Apostles to bishops and leaders through laying on of hands (e.g., Acts 6:6; 1 Tim 4:14; 2 Tim 2:2).

3. Continuity of Teaching
   The Church must preserve the apostolic teaching (Acts 2:42; Jude 3; 2 Thess 2:15).

4. Historical Continuity
   There must be an unbroken historical lineage from the Apostles to the present.

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2. Short Timeline of Church History (1st–21st Century)

Infographic Suggested: Timeline graphic showing major periods: Apostolic Era → Patristic Era → Medieval Church → Reformation → Modern Era → INC Founding (1914)

Period	Key Events	Transmission
33–100 AD	Apostles preaching	Direct apostolic authority
100–313 AD	Early Church & Church Fathers	Bishops, Apostolic Fathers
313–600 AD	Legalization and growth	Ecumenical councils
600–1517 AD	Medieval Church	Papacy, sacraments, councils
1517–1900 AD	Reformation & Counter-Reformation	Reform movements
1914 AD	INC Founded by Felix Y. Manalo	No prior apostolic lineage

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3. Who Founded the Iglesia ni Cristo?

INC Founded: 1914 in the Philippines
Founder: Felix Y. Manalo

Manalo claimed that religious organizations before INC had strayed from true Christianity. However, there is no historical evidence that he was ordained by any apostolic successor, bishop, or existing Christian group with historical continuity.

INC Leadership Lineage

• Eduardo V. Manalo (Current Executive Minister)

• Eraño G. Manalo (1977–2009)

• Felix Y. Manalo (Founder, 1914–1963)

This lineage begins in the 20th century — not the 1st century.

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4. Biblical Evidence for Continuity

Bible Text	What It Shows
Matthew 16:18	Christ builds His Church on the Apostle Peter
Acts 2:42	Early Christians continued in apostolic teaching
1 Timothy 4:14	Laying on of hands for leadership continuity
2 Timothy 2:2	Teachings passed to faithful men
Jude 3	Preservation of apostolic teaching

These texts point to a continuity of leadership and teaching from the Apostles onward — a criterion unmet by INC’s founding in the 20th century.

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5. What Early Christians and Church Fathers Say

Key Quotes from Church Fathers

Clement of Rome (c. 96 AD):
“Our Apostles knew through our Lord Jesus Christ that there would be strife… and thus appointed the above-mentioned persons.”1

Ignatius of Antioch (c. 110 AD):
“Be eager to do all things in the name of Jesus Christ, who was of the race of David; be ye subject to the bishop and the presbytery and the deacons.”2

Irenaeus (c. 180 AD):
“Where the Church is, there is the Spirit of God; and where the Spirit of God is, there is the Church.”3

These writings show that:

• Leadership succession (bishops, presbyters) mattered very early.

• True Church authority was understood as beginning with the Apostles and continuing through recognized leaders.

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6. Comparison Table: INC vs Historic Christianity

Feature	Historic Church (e.g., Catholic)	Iglesia ni Cristo
Founded	By Christ through the Apostles	1914 by Felix Manalo
Apostolic Succession	Continuous from the Apostles	No documented apostolic ordination
Early Church Acceptance	Recognized in early ecumenical councils	Not part of early Christian history
Teaching Continuity	Rooted in apostolic teaching & councils	Independent theological development
Historical Records	Extensive historical documentation	Begins in 20th century

7. Standard Historical References (Church History)

Church history is well documented across many reliable sources:

• Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History (c. 325 AD)

• Socrates Scholasticus, Church History

• The Oxford History of Christianity

• Jaroslav Pelikan, The Christian Tradition

These sources continuously document Christian leadership from the first century, especially in the Catholic and Orthodox traditions — not in INC.

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8. What About INC’s Claim of Restoration?

INC teaches that existing churches were corrupt and that they alone restored true Christianity in 1914.

Problem with this theology:

• There is no historical evidence of a total disappearance of the Church that apostolic succession could not be traced.

• Historical records show continuous Christians communities throughout history.

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9. Does INC’s Theology Match Scripture?

Some key theological differences:

• Nature of Christ

• Sacraments / Ordinances

• Understanding of salvation

These doctrinal differences are debated among scholars. The more crucial issue is historical continuity, which INC cannot demonstrate from the Apostles to Felix Manalo.

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Conclusion

When evaluated against biblical standards and historical evidence:
✔️ The true Church founded by Christ must have apostolic roots.
❌ The Iglesia ni Cristo does not have an unbroken line to the Apostles.
❌ Its leadership begins in 1914, not the 1st century.
❌ There is no documented apostolic succession ordained from the early Church.

Therefore, the claim that INC is the true Church founded by Jesus Christ is not supported by historical and biblical evidence.

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Footnotes (Chicago Style)

1. Clement of Rome, First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians (c. 96 AD), ch. 42.

2. Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Smyrnaeans (c. 110 AD), ch. 8.

3. Irenaeus, Against Heresies (c. 180 AD), Book III, ch. 3.

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