Interesting Questions-51
Was Brother Felix Manalo Baptized?
Letter to the Editor:
PASUGO,
November 2001, p.2
IN MATTHEW 28:19, the Lord Jesus Christ commanded
that all men be baptized. Christ Himself, the greatest messenger of
all, was baptized by John the Baptist. How about Felix Manalo,
was he baptized into your Church? If he was not, how can
he be a true messenger when he himself did not obey the commandment
of Christ to be baptized?
Jonathan Revilla
Valenzuela, Metro-Manila, Philippines
Editor's reply:
It is true that Brother Felix Y. Manalo was not
baptized into the Church of Christ because no one was there
immediately preceding his work to baptize him. Remember that
the Church of Christ fell in the way of apostasy and the
emergence of the Church of Christ led by Brother "Felix Y. Manalo is
its restoration. Hence, who will have to baptize him?
The same is true with John the Baptist who was
also called and sent by God for a specific work and who was not
baptized. Yet, John the Baptist is God's messenger.
Our Lord Jesus Christ received baptism
through a messenger sent by God, one who preceded Him and prepared
His way—John the Baptist (Mt. 3:3)
The baptism that our Lord Jesus Christ received is
different from the kind of "baptism He commanded to His apostles.
The baptism performed by the apostles was for the forgiveness
of sins, and for making disciples of those who receive it
(Acts2:38;Mt. 28:19). Christ, who is sinless and was made Lord (I
Pt. 2:21- 22; Acts 2:36), was baptized not for that purpose,
but to "fulfill all righteousness" (Mt. 3:13-15, King James
Version)-
On the other hand, it was God Himself who cleansed
Brother Felix Y Manalo so that he would be made worthy to preach his
message of salvation in these last days. The
Almighty declared:
“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions
for My own sake;
And I will not remember your sins.
(Is. 43:25, New King James Version)
The point that Brother Felix Y. Manalo was not
baptized into the Church of Christ does not in any way disqualify
him from being a true messenger of God. His commissioning as a true
preacher of the gospel in these last days has been attested by the
various prophecies written in Holy Scriptures, one of which is
Revelation 7:2-3:
Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of
the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to
whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea,
saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till
we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” (Rev.
7:2-3, NKJV)
There are many other prophecies in the Bible that
specifically pertain to the commissioning of Brother Felix Y. Manalo,
such as Isaiah 41:9-10,14-16; 43:5-6; 46:11; and Revelation 14:9-14.
Hence, although no one baptized him into the Church of Christ,
his commissioning is from God through the fulfillment of the
prophecies recorded in the Holy Scriptures. He is a true
messenger who was chosen to start God's work of salvation in these
last days.
___________________
Bible Study
Suggestion: If you have further questions, please feel free
to visit the
Iglesia ni Cristo congregation nearest you. A minister or
an evangelical worker would be happy to answer any biblical question
you have in mind.