Questions

 

Question: Can an apostle be deceived?

Answer: Yes, at least according to your Bible. Paul thought so and emphasized this twice in the first chapter of Galatians. HWA claimed to have been trained in the same manner as Paul did, but he most certainly did not go to Arabia and the mountain of God to be trained in person by Jesus Christ. If Paul thought he was susceptible, Mr. Armstrong most certainly was.

Galatians 1:

6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called

you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble

you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any

other gospel unto you than that which we have preached

unto you, let him be accursed.

9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach

any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let

him be accursed.

10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to

please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the

servant of Christ.

11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was

preached of me is not after man.

Question: Can an Apostle be a hypocrite?

Answer: Absolutely, and he can still keep his office. We are all subject to the attitudes broadcast by Satan. It is important to remember the church is corrupt in this age. Even Peter was not exempt from this problem and he is cast as the lead apostle. It should come as no surprise that Mr. Armstrong could be subject to the same errors as Peter. It is quite well documented that after his wife died, he did in fact compromise many things he once taught. Does that period of error cancel him as and apostle if he ever really was one? Not according to the Bible example of Peter.

Galatians 2:

11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to

the face, because he was to be blamed.

12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with

the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and

separated himself, fearing them which were of the

circumcision.

13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him;

insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their

dissimulation.

14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according

to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If

thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not

as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do

the Jews?

Question: Does the fact that Mr. Armstrong allowed certain doctrines to be changed make those changes valid and immutable.

Answer: Absolutely not! The only one who can set doctrine is God. Men cannot change scripture by misplaced application of church authority. By the way, the scriptures do not say evangelists, wanna-be leaders, ministers and others can change doctrine and make it binding. It does not matter how many of them there are; they have no such authority. Biblical teaching altered because of peer pressure by human ordained evangelists and ministers holds no value in God’s eyes where proper doctrine is concerned.

Galatians 2:

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners,

but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of

God;

20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and

prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth

unto an holy temple in the Lord:

22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of

God through the Spirit.

Galatians 3:

4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my

knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons

of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and

prophets by the Spirit;

6 That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same

body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

Please note apostles and prophets are through whom the foundation is laid, not evangelists. Also, please note in Galatians, chapter 3 that spiritual knowledge, the mystery of Christ is not revealed by holy evangelists or other scholars. The Mystery of Christ is revealed by the Holy Spirit through holy apostles and prophets. It goes without saying deceived prophets and apostles have no power to bind doctrine. It goes without saying that evangelists can take too much upon themselves and present a totally different Christ from what they should be presenting to the true church. Once these deceived leaders equate themselves, see themselves as equals with the apostles and prophets, then havoc will follow. These self-appointed leaders will deliberately manipulate truth, just like all of us have and will do given the right circumstances.

Question: Can a prophet be deceived?

Answer: Absolutely. In 1 Kings, chapter 13 is the well-known story of a prophet who was deceived. He bought into a lie. Mr. Armstrong was quite plain about having never received a vision. Chapter 13 in the book of 1Kings relates the deception of a prophet who actually received visions from the Lord.

I Kings 13:

10 And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give

me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat

bread nor drink water in this place:

9 For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying,

Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way

that thou camest.

10 So he went another way, and returned not by the way

that he came to Bethel.

11 Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons

came and told him all the works that the man of God had done

that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the

king, them they told also to their father.

12 And their father said unto them, What way went he? For

his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came

from Judah.

13 And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they

saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,

14 And went after the man of God, and found him sitting

under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God

that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.

15 Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat

bread.

16 And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with

thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this

place:

17 For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou

shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go

by the way that thou camest.

18 He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an

angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring

him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread

and drink water. But he lied unto him.

19 So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house,

and drank water.

20 And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the

word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him

back:

21 And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah,

saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast

disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the

commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee,

22 But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water

in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no

bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto

the sepulchre of thy fathers.

23 And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after

he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the

prophet whom he had brought back.

24 And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and

slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass

stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.

Please note that people will lie about visions and messages from God. Here is an example of a point of weakness in an established prophets life. He was willing to let his guard down and disobey God on the word of another claiming to be a prophet and giving a message which contained no truth. Earlier this same day, this same prophet had not succumbed to temptation through the mouth of King Jeroboam. He was open to being deceived from within, by one who pretended to be a servant of the true God.

Likewise, we can look back and see how Mr. Armstrong was deceived from within, the place he would least suspect by a lying spirit. This is especially evident when we get to the early 70s.