This is the Philadelphia
Church of God
The Philadelphia Church of God is a dedicated family of called-out Christians striving to fulfill the commission of the Church as it is revealed in the Bible.
This commission is twofold. First, the PCG preaches the gospel of the Kingdom of God, including biblical prophecies that warn of end-time events prior to the return of Jesus Christ. Second, the PCG aims to spiritually nourish the members God has called now for future responsibilities under Christ when He returns to rule all nations.
The PCG’s many and varied endeavors all trace back to this clear, twofold commission.
Incorporated in 1989, the PCG started small, with just 12 members. It has since grown into a worldwide organization carrying out a worldwide work.
Under the leadership of Pastor General Gerald Flurry, the PCG continues the work and legacy of the late Herbert W. Armstrong, pastor general of the Worldwide Church of God. The PCG believes and teaches the biblical doctrines restored to the Church by God through Mr. Armstrong (Matthew 17:10-11).
The Apostle Paul wrote that Jesus Christ would purify for Himself a people “zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14). Those words aptly describe PCG members: a collection of individuals of every age, race, nationality and educational and socioeconomic background, from all around the world, all dedicated to living by every word of the Bible (Matthew 4:4).
Jesus Christ came that people “might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). The PCG believes that living God’s way of life produces fulfillment, happiness, peace and true success. Through biblical revelation and understanding, the PCG has the answers to the problems that plague society today. Through this website, The Key of David program, the Philadelphia Trumpet newsmagazine and other initiatives—and through the personal example of its members—the PCG aims to reach the largest audience possible with this message about God’s beautiful way of life.
To read more about the activities of the Philadelphia Church of God, click here.
What do we do?
From the moment Jesus established His Church in a.d. 31, God’s Work has had a vital twofold purpose.
First, Jesus said in Matthew 24:14 that we are to proclaim to the world the good news of the coming Kingdom of God. Because of mankind’s sins, this witness also includes publishing the Bible’s warning of the disasters that will precede Christ’s Second Coming (Revelation 10:11). Gerald Flurry and the PCG fulfill this commission through The Key of David program, the Trumpet Daily podcast, the Philadelphia Trumpet magazine and theTrumpet.com, By the Bible public campaigns and other activities.
Second, the Church is to spiritually nourish the people God has called and is preparing for future responsibilities under Christ when He returns to rule all nations in love. Gerald Flurry and the PCG fulfill this commission in several ways, including employing ordained ministers around the world to preach and counsel Church members, establishing and maintaining congregations and weekly church services, and publishing educational literature—including the Philadelphia Trumpet magazine, Royal Vision magazine, the Herbert W. Armstrong College Bible Correspondence Course, and more than 120 books and booklets.
The PCG is working humbly but diligently to hasten the day when, as the Prophet Isaiah said, “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9).
The PCG promotes strong families and healthy living physically, mentally and spiritually. Members endeavor to follow God’s law—love toward God and toward fellow man (Mark 12:30-31)—and to practice “pure religion,” looking after widows and fatherless, and remaining unspotted from the world (James 1:27).
The purpose of the Philadelphia Church of God is to preach, promote and advance the spiritual and prophetic teachings of the Bible. It is also the Church’s responsibility to support and maintain local congregations and ministers to serve its people.
In pursuit of this objective, the Philadelphia Church of God:
- Maintains and administers congregations to provide for the spiritual and educational needs of members and of the public who wish to study or practice the religious observances, tenets and doctrines associated with the faith
- Educates, ordains and hires ministers to care for and work with the congregations
- Broadcasts the Key of David television program and distributes educational reading material and audio recordings for the free educational benefit of the public
- Maintains and administers a central office to provide for the guidance, coordination and management of the Church, including recordkeeping relating to funds received, funds disbursed and other legal requirements
- Provides scholarships and other assistance, based on applicants’ financial needs and local pastors’ recommendations, for a summer educational program for youth and an annual religious retreat
- Provides for an evangelical and missionary support system in areas of the world to which the Church desires to bring a similar message by similar means as mentioned above
- Provides for humanitarian financial contributions or works of service, through the Armstrong International Cultural Foundation, to national and international charitable and humanitarian projects deemed worthy by the Church
Our beliefs
Jesus Christ said that His followers should live their lives in accordance with “every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). This is the guiding principle behind the beliefs of the Philadelphia Church of God. “Living by every word” means treating both the Old Testament and New Testament as the inspired Word of God, “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
For an in-depth study of what the Bible teaches and what we believe, you are welcome to enroll in our free Bible correspondence course. Here, though, is a summary of our general beliefs.
- The Philadelphia Church of God believes and teaches that the Bible is the complete Word of God, inspired by God, and thereby available for instruction (2 Timothy 3:16).
- Each doctrine maintained and taught by the Church is provable from the Holy Bible.
- Only God can cause a person to become a member of the Church; therefore, we do not proselytize for members (John 6:44).
- The Church’s responsibility is to teach the laws of God to whomever may desire to learn, at absolutely no cost.
- The Church does not actively seek financing from the public at large but depends solely on the tithes and freewill gifts of its members, co-workers and donors; therefore, we do not actively solicit funds from the public.
- The Church teaches its members that the integrity of the family is critical to the health of the nation.
- Ministers are to be true servants to the membership and must therefore avoid extremes in lifestyle and lavishness (1 Timothy 3:1-7).
- All members are to subject themselves to the laws and regulations of the government of the land while also obeying the laws of God and following the example and instructions of Jesus Christ.
- The Holy Spirit is a gift received from God, upon true repentance, which leads to salvation (Acts 2:38).
- Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, not any man (1 Corinthians 12; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23).
- All men will ultimately be resurrected, and those who turn to God will fellowship with God and Christ forever (1 Corinthians 15).
- Sin, unrepented of, separates an individual from God and Christ (Romans 6:23).
- Jesus Christ died to pay the penalty for our sins so that we may be given immortal life (Romans 5:8-10).
- We should rejoice in our trials because God is using them to build His character in us (James 1:2-4).
- The Church is responsible for informing the public of the soon-coming, glorious Kingdom of God (Matthew 24).
- We believe in one God, eternally existing, Creator of the heavens and Earth and all that is in them (Genesis 1:1). The Godhead is actually composed of two personages: the God who became the Father of Jesus Christ, and the Word who was made flesh and became God’s Son (John 1:1-14).
- We believe Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, the Christ, the divine Son of the living God, begotten of the Holy Spirit, born in the human flesh of the virgin Mary. Christ came to Earth the first time to qualify to replace Satan on the throne of the Earth (Matthew 4). He also came to establish and build His Church (Matthew 16:18) and to train those who would rule under Him in the Kingdom of God. He proclaimed the gospel: the good news of the future establishment of the Kingdom of God on Earth (Mark 1:14-15), which will be made up of the Family of God, administering the government of God, based upon God’s law of love. We believe the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God and of Christ Jesus—the power of God (Acts 1:8; Romans 15:19), by which all things were created and made.
- We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are God’s revelation and complete expressed will to man, inspired in thought and word, and infallible in the original writings; that they are of supreme and final authority, and the source of truth (2 Timothy 3:16). We believe all teachings contrary to the Holy Bible are false.
- We believe Satan is a spirit being and, as the devil, is the adversary of God and the children of God (1 Peter 5:8). God has allowed Satan dominion over the world for 6,000 years, and he has led the children of Adam into rejection of God’s law and rebellion against God. Satan’s power is merely to influence and lead, not to force humans arbitrarily against their will. He has ruled by deception (Revelation 12:9) with the aid of a host of demons, which are rebellious angels, spirit beings who have followed Satan in his rebellion.
- We believe man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and is wholly mortal, subject to corruption and decay, without eternal life inherent in himself, except as the gift of God under God’s terms and conditions as expressed in the Bible. Adam and Eve sinned, thereby incurring the death penalty without having received eternal life. God then allowed Satan to sway all their children, influencing mankind to sin, thus bringing upon ourselves the penalty of death (Romans 6:23).
- We believe sin is the transgression of God’s law (1 John 3:4); that the law is spiritual, perfect, holy, just and good (Romans 7:12), summed up in the word love (1 John 5:3); that it involves the two great principles of love to God and love to neighbor, and that the Ten Commandments compose the 10 points of that law (Matthew 22:37-40). We believe this fundamental spiritual law reveals to us the only right and true way to life—the only possible way of happiness, peace and joy; that it is immutable and binding throughout eternity; and that all unhappiness, misery, poverty, anguish and woe have come from its transgression.
- We believe God so loved this world of helpless sinners that He gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16), who, though in all points tempted as we are, lived without sin in the human flesh (Hebrews 4:15) and died for us as a substitutionary sacrifice (Hebrews 10:12). This made it legally possible for man’s sins to be forgiven and for God to release him from their penalty, since Jesus, whose life was of greater value than the sum total of all other human lives (because it was He who brought them into being), has paid the penalty in man’s stead.
- We believe Christ was raised from the dead after His body reposed three days and three nights in the grave (1 Corinthians 15:3-4), thus making immortality possible for mortal man; that He thereafter ascended into heaven where He now sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate (Hebrews 8:1; 1 John 2:1-2).
- We believe that all who truly repent of their sins in full surrender and willing obedience to God, faithfully accepting Jesus Christ as personal Savior, are forgiven their sins by an act of divine grace (Ephesians 1:7). They are justified, pardoned from the penalty of past sins, reconciled to God (Romans 5:9-10) and given the gift of the Holy Spirit upon baptism (Acts 2:38) into the body of Christ, which is the true Church of God. The Holy Spirit abides within such a person, effecting a true change in life and attitude, supplying the divine love which alone can fulfill the law and produce righteousness. At baptism, a Christian is begotten of God and will be born into the Family of God at the resurrection (John 3:6; 1 Corinthians 15:52). We believe God’s greatest purpose is to expand His Family.
- We believe that the seventh day of the week, from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, is God’s Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11). On this day, we must rest from our labors, following the commands and example of the Apostle Paul, the New Testament Church and Jesus. The Sabbath is a sign between God and His people (Exodus 31:13).
- We believe the seven annual holy days, as given to ancient Israel by God through Moses (Leviticus 23)—kept by Christ, the Apostle Paul and the New Testament Church—are to be kept today. These festivals picture God’s plan and purpose for mankind. The Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread occur every spring; Pentecost is observed in early summer. In the fall, we observe the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day. The sacrifices, which were added and later superseded by Christ’s sacrifice (Hebrews 9:22-10:10), are no longer to be kept on those days nor at any other time.
- We believe Christians are forbidden to kill (Exodus 20:13) or in any manner directly or indirectly take human life. We believe bearing arms is contrary to this doctrine; we therefore conscientiously refuse to bear arms or to come under military authority. Christians are, in fact, citizens of another government (John 18:36; Hebrews 11:13-16).
- We believe the promises were made to Abraham and his “seed,” Christ (Galatians 3:16), and that the covenants (including the New Covenant) and the promises pertain to Israel. The national phases of the promises—material blessings—have been given to the modern physical descendants of the Israelites (Genesis 22:15-18), but the spiritual phase of the promises—salvation—is through Christ alone, and is freely open to Gentiles also who, through Christ, become Abraham’s spiritual children and heirs according to the promises (Galatians 3:7-9, 29).
- We believe the Church is that body of believers who are being led by the Holy Spirit; that the true Church of God is not a denomination; that the inspired name for this spiritual organism is “the Church of God” (Acts 20:28); that the mission of the Church today is to preach the gospel of the coming Kingdom of God to all nations as a witness (Matthew 24:14), with emphasis on the warning to America and Britain and the other modern nations of Israel of the prophecies pertaining to them (Ezekiel 33:7); to reconcile to God, and to save, through Christ, such people as are now called (John 6:44); and to minister to the Church of God. Members of the Church are being specially trained in this life to rule with Christ in the Millennium (Revelation 20:6).
- We believe the only hope of eternal life for mortal man lies in the resurrection. At the end of the Millennium, all who have lived not knowing God will be raised to physical life and given the opportunity for salvation (1 Corinthians 15:22; Revelation 20:5). We believe that there shall be a resurrection of the just and unjust (Acts 24:15; Daniel 12:2)—the just to eternal life as spirit beings upon Earth, the unjust to the second death (not eternal torment) in hell (Gehenna) fire in which they shall perish in eternal punishment (Revelation 20:13-15).
- We believe in the imminent return of Jesus Christ to rule the Earth as King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16); that at that time He will sit upon the throne of David, restoring all things during a thousand-year reign upon Earth and establishing the Kingdom of God, forever to be headquartered on Earth.
- If you would like a thorough study of the doctrines of the Philadelphia Church of God, enroll in our Herbert W. Armstrong College Bible Correspondence Course.
