Discovering the Plain Truth: How the Worldwide Church of God Embraced the Gospel of Grace [Paperback]

George Mather (Author), Larry Nichols (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1997

In this account of recent developments in the Worldwide Church of God, the authors tell the nearly unprecedented story of a religious body turning away from its unorthodox beliefs and toward historic Christianity.

Product Details

• Paperback: 141 pages
• Publisher: InterVarsity Press (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 083081969X
• ISBN-13: 978-0830819690
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,784,493 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Larry A. Nichols is the pastor of Our Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church in Greenville, Rhode Island. He is coauthor of "Masonic Lodge" in the Zondervan Guide to Cults and Religious Movements.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A general overiew of a cult coming to Christ, January 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Discovering the Plain Truth: How the Worldwide Church of God Embraced the Gospel of Grace (Paperback)

This book provides a good look at the history and teachings of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) and how it was transformed from a cult to a Christian Evangelical Church. However, it is aimed at an audience not familiar with the WCG and does not get into much detail at all.

The book was disappointingly brief and somewhat academic in its approach. What could have been made to be an exciting narrative on events that lead to the dramatic turn around in the WCG is instead a short look at main points. Further, the book hinted a problems and concerns within the church but never explored them in any detail or gave any indication of sources.

Outline: 1) Present Situation (pg 15-17) 2) History of Herbert Armstrong (pg 19-40) -- drew heavily on Armstrong's autobiography and did not really go beyond the surface 3) Teachings (pg 41-59) -- good examination of WCG teachings 4) 1986 to now (pg 61-71) -- only ten pages are actually dedicated to the title of the book -- a disappointingly short, cursory explanation of what happened. 5) Reaction (pg 72-83) -- once again, too brief -- only six paragraphs are dedicated to "the dissenters." 6) Future (pg 83-89) -- offers only a number of "we hopes" but no informed expectations. Appendix (pg 90-132) is an examination of the new WCG teachings and transcripts of interview with WCG leadership.

Overall, I found the book accurate but a disappointing effort and not worth the price.

11 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Straw Man, September 2, 2001

By 

William Heym (Long Island, New York United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Discovering the Plain Truth: How the Worldwide Church of God Embraced the Gospel of Grace (Paperback)

The best part of the book is Chapter Two, "How it all Began," an interesting summary of the history of the WCG under Herbert Armstrong. The rest of the book is filled with errors and confused theological arguments. The authors claim that Herbert Armstrong "denied that Jesus was human"(p.13) and that he taught that Jesus possessed "only a single divine nature"(p.47). This is false-the WCG always taught that Jesus was fully human as well as God. Indeed, in "Mystery of the Ages"(p.211), Armstrong writes "We need to bear in mind that though Jesus was God in the human flesh, he was also human even as you and I." In fact, one of the Tkach doctrinal changes was the reversal of Armstrong's teaching that Jesus could have sinned (although He never did) since He was fully human. When this change was made, Armstrong's teaching was called "the great gamble" theory-the authors refer to this on page 92 but apparently do not realize it refutes their claim that Armstrong taught that Jesus was not human.
With respect to law and grace, Herbert Armstrong never taught that we are saved by works. The current WCG leaders even admit in their interview on page 123 that "HWA knew that salvation was by grace, not by works" and that HWA "meant that lawkeeping was a consequence of faith, not a cause of salvation." Armstrong wrote thousands of pages of books and articles and no one has ever produced a quote where he taught salvation by works. The teaching was quite plain and clear-works are what we owe to God, but they do not save us. The authors, as well as Greg Albrecht (who says on p.109 "Christians want to read about Martin Luther") are fond of Luther's theology. This is the same Martin Luther who was so confused about works and grace that he called the epistle of James "an epistle of straw" which he claimed did not belong in the Bible. Luther's 'soundness' of mind is shown in his work "Concerning the Jews and Their Lies"(1543), where he "not only repeated all medieval libels against Jews but went further than his predecessors in explicitly preaching violence: 'We are at fault in not slaying them,' Luther wrote"(The Holocaust Encyclopedia-p.18).
Then there is the circular reasoning (p.42); one cannot use councils and creeds of one's own church as proofs against those who claim to be the spiritual heirs of the early dissidents. Also, on page 50, the authors cite 1Corin15:42-44,51-52 as 'proof' of the immortal soul, but ignore verse 53 which says that "this mortal must put on immortality". By the way, was Jesus teaching salvation by works when he said in John14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments"? How about in Matt19:17 when He said "But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments"? Was Peter teaching salvation by works in Acts2:38 when he said "Repent"? How about Paul in 1Corin7:19 where he says "Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters"?
The point the authors (and Luther) miss is that Paul in his writings is addressing those who thought they could be justified by keeping the law (see Gal2:16,21), not those who kept the law out of obedience and love toward God (see 1Jn2:4 and 1Jn5:2-3). James, on the other hand, was addressing those who thought they could be saved by faith without any accompanying works. We should always take the clear, unambiguous Scriptures and use them to interpret the confusing ones. The authors write (p.59) "The church is described in a number of ways in the Bible. ...None of these designations for the church alludes to the keeping of the sabbath, or to any law categories whatsoever." Well, none of the 13 verses they cite does, but Rev12:17 and Rev14:12 CLEARLY describe the Church as those who "keep the commandments of God." How is it then legalism for Armstrong to say that we must obey the commandments? If Jesus, knowing this controversy would arise, had wanted to settle the matter in advance, He could not have taught more clearly than He did in Matt5:17-19 when He said "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets". Likewise Paul when he said in Rom3:31 "Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not!" And those who claim to be New Covenant Christians would do well to read Heb8:8-10 to see what that covenant is.
And finally, the Global Church of God was started near the end of 1992, not in 1990 as the authors claim on page 74.

6 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Usurping The Kingdom!, September 19, 2002

By 

William K Cox (South Daytona, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Discovering the Plain Truth: How the Worldwide Church of God Embraced the Gospel of Grace (Paperback)

Discovering the Plain Truth is a testimony of unbelievers coming into a system of faith with a premeditated plan for the destruction of that faith.
The disrespect for Mr Armstrong is evident from the outset.
In the 'real' Worldwide Church of God no one would be called 'Smith', 'Johnson', or 'Armstrong' !
The attempted disintegration step by step of every major belief of the 'real' WCG merely shows that these authors never believed those precepts to begin with. The authors present a 132

page account of guerilla warfare, a foray,if you will,of unbelievers into a territory strange to them with the sole intent of destroying the government of that territory!
To the Protestant world, those faithful folks who use the name of Christ to their own advantage, Mr Tkach is a hero! If a person
who has heard the truth (faith comes by hearing) has a shred of doubt and needs a club of cohorts to assure him that obedience (to the ten commandments) is not relevant, this is the source of comfort they need!
Mr Herbert W Armstrong was just a man, tempted just as we are!
Yes! He sinned! Just as we do! Jesus Christ was tempted just as we are! Yet without sin.... therein lies our only hope of salvation! Mr Armstrong was a man of faith, charachter assassination is only to his credit! It shows he was more correct in his understanding of the word of God than his detractors! He did not acheive his goals by trickery. He did not 'lie in wait' for someone to die then grasp an opportunity build his own ideals in the middle of someone elses' work then knock down the walls and present some bright shiny new thing to be accepted by a deceived world.