Herbert W Armstrong

Jesus and the apostles observed the sabbath, the annual festivals, and other customs of the Mosaic Law because they lived within the Jewish world and Jesus was born under the Law (Gal 4:4). Some submit that believers today must do the same. Scripture certainly records how Jesus and the apostles did things on the weekly sabbath, as well as annual holydays.  These passages may reasonably be described as things Jesus and the apostles did as Jews living under the Mosaic system. But the real question is not what they did - it is what they commanded . Many discussions focus on whether sabbath‑keeping or festival observance occurred in the New Testament; my concern is whether Jesus ever required His followers to replicate those practices. In my view, the evidence shows that He did not. Please follow this link to my Post in Quora wherein I examine this subject. 

Certain groups, including the Armstrong churches (of which there are many), vehemently argue that birthdays should not be observed. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are among them. The arguments run along familiar lines: traditional Judaism did not emphasise birthdays; early Christians (mostly Jewish) did not mark them; birthday customs supposedly stem from pagan feasts; and Roman birthday celebrations were associated with astrology and household gods - the last being the most frequently repeated. These claims don’t in fact have merit. Some writers cite two Old Testament passages where pagan kings held birthday feasts, inferring that any birthday celebration is permanently tainted. Curiously, they do not mention other passages which undermine their argument. Following is a link to a Post I have in Quora that examined whether any of the claims truly carry merit. The reader may consider the evidence and reach their own conclusion. See the Quora link here . 

Armstrong, his Worldwide Church of God, and the many offshoots that exist today insist on a Wednesday crucifixion. The view often imagines a kind of conspiracy by those who hold to a Friday crucifixion, as though the traditional understanding were not only mistaken but deliberately deceptive. A Wednesday crucifixion is also held by some outside Armstrongism. It is not a commonly accepted view, but it is worth examining. Personally, I do not regard it as a matter of special importance; however, because the claim is made so forcefully - and because it accuses the Friday view of implied intentional error - it deserves careful comment. Central to the Wednesday theory is the counting method derived from Matthew 12:40, where Jesus refers to Jonah being “ three days and three nights in the whale’s belly .” Advocates insist this must mean a literal seventy‑two hours from crucifixion to resurrection. Matthew 12:40 is therefore the pivotal text for the Wednesday position, and in this study I exa...

  I have read through the Autobiography . It offers a narrative of Armstrong’s early life, but there are some unusual omissions - and as well several inaccurate claims - revealing a pattern of selective self‑presentation.   These omissions later resulted in faulty secondary genealogies being used by some to fill in the gaps incorrectly. That is why one encounters conflicting or inaccurate information online. The inaccuracies include his portrayal of his early beginnings , his account of the six‑month library study in Portland, and his later claim to have independently “discovered” radio .  In the case of the library study, the only contradictory evidence comes from Armstrong’s own later version of the Autobiography , where his description differs markedly from the earlier account.  All of these matters are documented in the following Post in Quora . The first Addendum of that Post shows the evidence for the inaccuracies. I have covered doctrinal issues separate...

Some groups - especially those influenced by Herbert W. Armstrong -claim that Colossians 2:16–17 actually commands Christians to keep the Sabbath and festivals. Most believers simply read the passage as written and see the opposite: Paul warns against being judged over these things because they were shadows pointing to Christ. To reach the Armstrong conclusion, the text must be turned 180 degrees - and that is exactly what happens. This is an illuminating example of the danger that arises when doctrine begins to drive exegesis rather than the other way around. Once a system feels free to reshape the meaning of Scripture to protect its teachings, the authority of the text is lost. In the full analysis I’ve written elsewhere, I set out the issue in detail and show why the Armstrong interpretation lacks any textual, historical, or grammatical support. For those who want the full analysis, I’ve set out the complete argument in a detailed note available here . This is a link to my posts i...

Herbert W Armstrong - Gospel preached. Herbert W. Armstrong claimed—repeatedly and with great emphasis—that only he preached the true gospel. He set out his gospel doctrine across decades of booklets, articles, broadcasts, and magazines, insisting that his Radio/Worldwide Church of God was the “one true church” tracing back to the original apostles. The identifying sign of this claim was said to be Sabbath‑keeping and alleged obedience to the Ten Commandments. Armstrong taught that all other churches proclaimed a false gospel because they were deceived by Satan. He stated this many times, and his publications make the point unmistakably. The link below takes you to my Quora post examining whether Armstrong’s gospel claims stand up to biblical scrutiny. Given that the gospel is one of the most important doctrines in the New Testament, it is essential to evaluate his assertions carefully. The post provides a detailed comparison between the Bible’s teaching on the gospel and Armstrong’s d...

There are some - including Armstrong’s Worldwide Church of God and its many offshoots - that make the claim their observation of such days, and of the ten commandments including sabbath, are important identifiers of their system being special. So special one also reads claims it is the one true church. There are booklets where they link themselves all the way back to the first century wherein the observation of such days be an important part of the aforementioned claim. There are others such as groups in the Jewish Messianic movements and various other who also argue festivals be required. In t his link to a Post in Quora I examine whether Armstrong's claims are supported in scriptures.   To be clear, people are of course free to observe any days they choose, and that choice deserves respect. The problem arises when the claim is made that such observance marks their system as the one true church. Many of the offshoots still publish booklets tracing their lineage back to the f...