FAP Q&A: "Pastor Ronald, what biblical basis or prophecy supports your claim to start a new church and call it 'the true church of God'?"

 

QUESTION:

"Pastor Ronald, what biblical basis or prophecy supports your claim to start a new church and call it 'the true church of God'?"

ANSWER: 

Magandang tanong ito, kapatid. Sagutin natin ng pastoral clarity, with biblical grounding at konting analogy para mas malinaw.

Una sa lahat, hindi natin pwedeng basta-basta magtayo ng “sariling church” na parang franchise. Ang church ay hindi produkto ng tao kundi gawa ng Diyos.

Matthew 16:18 — “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”4

Si Cristo ang builder, hindi tayo. Ang role natin ay sumunod at magtanim kung saan Siya nagbubukas ng pinto. Hindi sa pangalan, hindi sa registration sa SEC, at hindi rin sa pagiging bago o matagal.

A true church is marked by:

* Right preaching of the Word (2 Tim. 4:2)

* Right administration of baptism and the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:23–26)

* Right practice of discipline and discipleship (Matt. 18:15–20)

Kung wala ito, kahit pa tawagin mong “Iglesia ni Cristo” o “Ang Tunay na Iglesia ng Diyos,” hindi pa rin legit. Pero kung meron ito, kahit maliit na group lang, that’s already a true church of God.

Is There a Prophecy About Planting Churches?

Yes, hindi lang prophecy, kundi direct command!

Matthew 28:19-20 — “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.”

Acts 1:8 — “You will be my witnesses… to the ends of the earth.”

Every time a local church is planted, prophecy is being fulfilled:

Isaiah 49:6 — “I will make you a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

So ang church planting ay hindi kapritso, kundi obedience sa Great Commission at part ng fulfillment ng prophecies about the gospel spreading to the nations.

Kung sa isang lugar walang church na nagpi-preach ng full gospel, planting a church is like lighting a lamp. Hindi ibig sabihin na yung ibang ilaw ay “false,” pero yung bagong sindi ay dagdag na ilaw para sa mas maraming tao na makita si Cristo.

So paano tayo makakasiguro? Hindi sa tawag na “true church of God,” kundi sa pagsunod sa Salita Niya. Kung ang pundasyon ay Ebanghelyo ni Cristo, kung ang authority ay Scripture, kung ang mission ay Great Commission, then we are not building “our church” we are simply joining Christ in building His Church.

1 Corinthians 3:6–7 — “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth… neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”

Kaya kapatid, ang tanong dapat: “Am I faithfully planting where Christ leads?” not “Am I starting the true church?” Because the “true” belongs to Christ alone.

Q&A on Church Planting and the “True Church”

Q1: Paano ka makakasigurado na ang sinisimulan mong church ay “true church of God”?

A1: Ang “true church” ay hindi nakabase sa pangalan o sa sino ang nagtayo, kundi kung nakaugat ba ito kay Cristo at sa Kanyang Salita.

Matthew 16:18 — “I will build My church.”

Ang tanong: Preaching ba nito ang tamang Ebanghelyo? Tama ba ang mga ordinances? May disiplina at discipleship ba? Kung oo, then it is a true church of God.

Q2: Hindi ba parang bagong religion ang church planting?

A2: Hindi. Ang church planting ay extension lang ng mission ni Cristo. Hindi ito “new religion,” kundi continuation ng Great Commission.

Matthew 28:19–20 — “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”

Every church plant is part of Christ’s ongoing work of making disciples worldwide.

Q3: Meron bang Bible prophecy na nagsasabing dapat magtayo ng bagong church?

A3: Oo, maraming prophecies at commands na nagtuturo na ang Ebanghelyo ay lalaganap sa lahat ng dako.

*Isaiah 49:6 — Salvation will reach the ends of the earth.

*Acts 1:8 — “You will be my witnesses… to the ends of the earth.”

Tuwing may itinatayong local church, prophecy is fulfilled kasi gospel light is spreading.

Q4: Bakit hindi na lang sumama sa existing churches, bakit kailangan pang magtayo ng bago?

A4: Kung may faithful church na nagpi-preach ng full gospel, dapat makiisa. Pero kung wala, o kung ang umiiral ay nagbabaluktot ng ebanghelyo (Gal. 1:6–9), then planting is necessary.

Romans 15:20 — “I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named.”

Q5: So ano ang tunay na basehan ng pagiging ‘true church’?

A5: Hindi sa label, hindi sa founder, kundi kay Cristo at sa Kanyang Salita.

1 Corinthians 3:11 — “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

Ang church planting ay parang pagtatanim ng puno sa lupang tigang. Hindi ibig sabihin walang ibang puno sa mundo, pero yung bagong tanim ay tutubo para magbigay lilim at bunga doon sa lugar na dati ay wala.

Summary:

We don’t establish “the true church” in competition; we plant churches in obedience. The “true” belongs to Christ, and every faithful gathering under His Word and Spirit is already part of His one true Church.

For more inquiries, contact us:

Email: formeradventist.ph@gmail.com

Website: formeradventistph.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/formeradventistph

Phone: 09695143944