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"The WORLD TOMORROW"
A WORLDWIDE BROADCAST
HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG
Proclaims to the World the
GOOD NEWS OF THE WORLD TOMORROW
BOX 111, Pasadena, California
Publishing:
The PLAIN TRUTH
a Magazine of UNDERSTANDING
January 8, 1958
Dear Co-Worker with Christ:
This is a very SPECIAL letter about you, personally. There
is one point on which some of our Co-Workers may not be clear.
As you know, this great WORK OF GOD is non-denominational.
We are not a sect or denomination in the generally accepted sense.
Nor are we backed or sponsored by any, or connected with any.
There were several religious sects in Palestine in Jesus'
day. You read of "the sect of the Sadducees," in Acts 5:17; "the
sect of the Pharisees," in Acts 15:5. There were also the Essenes,
the Samaritans, the Herodians and the Zealots.
But Jesus joined none of them! What is the meaning of the
word "sect"? According to the Cruden's Concordance, "this word is
generally used to mean a party in religion, differing in belief
from the main body. In our old version it is frequently translated
heresy, which the religions change to sect." Webster defines it:
"In religion: a party dissenting from an established or parent
church."
Jesus Christ joined no "sect"---but He did found and build
the ONE TRUE CHURCH OF GOD. If you will examine the teachings and
practices of the sects and denominations of today, and compare them
to the teachings and practices of Jesus as recorded in Matthew,
Mark, Luke, and John---and those taught by the Apostle Paul in the
New Testament---you will see that the popular denominations and
sects of today do "differ in belief" and that they are very largely
"dissenting from the established parent church" as it was
established by JESUS CHRIST! Hard to believe---but IT'S TRUE!
The true CHURCH OF GOD, founded and built by Jesus Christ
---the Church of which HE is the active, living, directing HEAD---
is not a sect or denomination!
I want to make this absolutely clear--so I hope you will
find it very simply explained in my autobiography, now running
serially in The PLAIN TRUTH: that while this true work of God is
non-denominational and non-sectarian, nevertheless God most
decidedly does not carry on His great work thru me as an
individual, but thru ALL OF US CO-WORKERS WITH CHRIST who today
form the collective BODY led and empowered by the Holy Spirit, as