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.

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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.