FAQ: How do CGG's beliefs and practices differ from what Herbert Armstrong taught and practiced?
Very little, although we have made a few refinements, which are listed below:
- We place a greater emphasis on "feeding the flock," that is, instructing our members in "the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27). We proclaim the same gospel of the Kingdom of God that Jesus did (Mark 1:14-15), primarily through our various Internet sites.
- Though we employ a similar organizational structure, we seek more input from the membership than was the practice of the WCG in times past.
- We count Pentecost differently one year in nine, on average, when Passover falls on a weekly Sabbath.
- We acknowledge that having faith in God for healing does not preclude the use of medical expertise to return to health.
- On the issue of divorce, we define porneia broadly, as "sexual immorality" of all kinds, that is, fornication as well as adultery and other sex sins.
- We have clarified the metaphor Jesus uses in John 3 regarding "born again." This clarification in no way changes the church's understanding of salvation, only showing that we become a new, spiritual creation when we receive God's Spirit. Christians do not inherit the Kingdom of God until the resurrection at Christ's return.
- We teach that a Christian should note the passage of the new moons, as they are key in determining God's holy days on the Hebrew calendar. The Bible outlines no specific, commanded service for this festival.
- Our Perception of prophecy, though based on the model given to us by Herbert Armstrong, is slowly changing as events add to what we know. The details and types will come clear in ways we cannot expect him to have imagined due to the passage of time.
Additional Reading:
The New Moons
The Beast and Babylon (Part One)
What Is the Work of God Now? (Part 1)
Pentecost, Consistency, and Honesty
Government (Part 1)
Maintaining Good Health (Part 1)
Born Again or Begotten? (Part One)
Divorce and Remarriage
Prophecy's Place