Why is it Iglesia ni Cristo not Iglesia ni Manalo?
I'm Catholic. I was raised in the faith and studied in a Catholic school. One of the core teachings I learned is that Jesus is fully divine: the Son of the Father, the second Person of the Holy Trinity. The Bible also describes Him in ways that Christians understand as affirming His divinity. For example, John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God," and Colossians 2:9 says, "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form." Jesus also walked on water (Matthew 14:25–33), which demonstrates His divine authority.
So I have a few genuine questions:
If INC believes Jesus is not God, why is depicting Him as God considered blasphemous from your perspective?
Also, why is the church called Iglesia ni Cristo if you don't believe Christ is God? What does "of Christ" mean in your theology?
Do you use the same Bible as Catholics and most other Christians, or do you have a different canon of Scripture like the Latter-day Saints have with the Book of Mormon?
Lastly, I've seen claims that Felix Manalo was the "angel" or "messenger" mentioned in biblical prophecy. Is that actually an official INC doctrine, or is it a misunderstanding?
I'm asking these in good faith because I'd like to understand your beliefs better. I know this is an exINC subreddit, but I'm sure some of you are still knowledgeable about INC doctrine and can explain these from your own experiences.
Posted Jul 9, 2026, 7:49 PM UTC