# What is Armstrongism?
Armstrongism is a set of religious beliefs and teachings originating from the interpretations of the Bible by Herbert W. Armstrong, founder of the Worldwide Church of God. Armstrong rejected the traditional Christian doctrines of the Trinity and hell and instead taught Sabbatarianism, observance of certain Old Testament holy days, and British Israelism. The term “Armstrongism” refers to the teachings of Armstrong and denominations that continued his teachings after his death.
## Basic Beliefs of Armstrongism
Some of the key beliefs of Armstrongism include:
– God is a family into which humans can be born. God is a singular entity consisting of God the Father and the Word who became Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is seen as an impersonal power from God, not a distinct being. This is a rejection of the traditional Christian doctrine of the Trinity.
– Humans do not have an immortal soul. Instead, upon death, humans cease to exist until a future resurrection to physical life. There is no ethereal heaven or hell where people go immediately after death.
– The weekly Sabbath should be observed from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. Armstrong taught that this commandment was still required for Christians today.
– God’s annual holy days given in the Old Testament, such as the Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles, must also be observed today. These days portray God’s plan of salvation.
– The modern day descendants of the lost ten tribes of Israel are the British and American peoples. This belief is known as British Israelism.
– God is not trying to save everyone now. Only a limited number are being called to be part of God’s church and receive salvation.
– The Great Tribulation will come soon and be followed by Christ’s return. At that time, God’s kingdom will be established on earth and humans will have the opportunity to then be born into God’s divine family.
## Origins and Herbert W. Armstrong
The origins of Armstrongism begin with Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986). Armstrong did not begin his career in religion, but rather in business and advertising. In 1927, his wife, Loma, began keeping the seventh-day Sabbath after reading an article about it. Though he initially resisted, Armstrong soon started keeping the Sabbath as well. He began researching various doctrines and sought to determine which church aligned most closely with the Bible. Unable to find such a church, Armstrong started his own Radio Church of God in 1934 to preach his teachings over the radio.
Armstrong differed from mainstream Christianity in his refusal to accept the doctrine of the Trinity and the immortality of the soul. He also diverged from most Sabbatarian groups, like the Seventh Day Adventists, in his emphasis on keeping the annual holy days described in the Old Testament. Armstrong claimed God had revealed these distinctive doctrines to him directly. His teachings incorporated principles from the Church of God movement as well as ideas found in the writings of G. G. Rupert, though Armstrong said the Bible alone was the source for all his core doctrines.
In 1947, Armstrong founded Ambassador College to train ministers for his growing church. He began publishing The Plain Truth magazine to teach his beliefs. In 1968, the church was renamed the Worldwide Church of God. Armstrong continued to be the leader of the church until his death in 1986.
## Spread and Development of Armstrongism
During the middle decades of the 20th century, the Worldwide Church of God spread Armstrong’s teachings around the world, especially through The Plain Truth which had 7 million subscribers by the time of Armstrong’s death. The church also drew significant members through its television program, The World Tomorrow. At its height, over 100,000 members attended services of the Worldwide Church of God.
Armstrong’s unique set of doctrines became known as Armstrongism within Christianity. Armstrong considered his teachings to be revealed by God and the one true faith. He claimed all other Christian denominations were part of a counterfeit Christianity that had apostatized from the true teachings brought by the apostles. The differences between Armstrongism and mainstream Christianity led many evangelical Christians to view the Worldwide Church of God as a cult.
After Armstrong’s death in 1986, the Worldwide Church of God began changing many of its core doctrines under new leadership. This included accepting the Trinity and ditching British Israelism and the required observance of the Sabbath and holy days. Many conservative members broke off from the Worldwide Church of God in response, desiring to continue following Armstrong’s teachings unchanged.
Today, there are a number of small offshoot groups and churches that promote Armstrongism, though they have only a fraction of the membership that the Worldwide Church once had. These groups, which are often referred to collectively as the Armstrongite or Armstrongist churches, include the United Church of God, the Living Church of God, and the Restored Church of God. Herbert Armstrong’s writings are considered authoritative in these churches. The Philadelphia Church of God even went so far as to claim Armstrong’s writings are on a par with Scripture.
While doctrinal details between the Armstrongite groups vary, they remain united in upholding the core teachings established by Herbert Armstrong. The exceptions are the Seventh Day Church of God and Church of God, a Worldwide Association which both allow belief in the Trinity, showing the gradual doctrinal shift away from Armstrong’s strict teachings.
## Distinctive Armstrongist Doctrines
Beyond rejecting the Trinity and immortality of the soul, some key doctrines that characterize Armstrongite churches today include:
### God’s Plan for Humanity
Humanity’s ultimate destiny is to be born into the God family and become divine members of the kingdom of God. God is in the process of reproducing Himself through human beings. Salvation is viewed not just as receiving forgiveness from sin, but as the reward of inherent immortality and eternal life in God’s family.
### Sabbath and Holy Days
The Sabbath should be kept from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. Annual holy days like the Passover, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles must also be observed. These days foreshadow God’s plan for humanity. Armstrong rejected holidays with pagan origins like Christmas and Easter.
### Three Resurrections
Only those called into the church now are part of the first resurrection to eternal life at Christ’s return. The second resurrection will occur after the Millennium when all those not previously called will be resurrected to physical life and get their first chance for salvation. The third resurrection is of the incorrigibly wicked to a judgment of eternal death.
### Identity of Israel
The US and Britain are the descendants of the ancient lost ten tribes of Israel. This belief is used to explain prophecies about Israel’s future blessings and curses.
### Church Government
Armstrong instituted a top-down, hierarchical form of church government where members must obey ministers. He taught this was the biblical form of church leadership.
## Critical Analysis of Armstrongist Teachings
Critics of Armstrongism identify a number of problems and inaccuracies with its theology:
– British Israelism has been soundly disproved and shown to be pseudohistory. Genetics confirm the Anglo-Saxon people originate in Northern Europe, not ancient Israel.
– The belief that some are predestined for salvation now while others must wait contradicts the Bible’s teaching that God desires all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
– Armstrong’s teaching that humans can become God clashes with Scripture upholding God as eternally supreme and rejecting humans becoming “gods” (Isaiah 43:10).
– The identification of the US and Britain as blessed Birthright nations blessed by God seems racially influenced. It leads to the troubling belief these nations have an elevated status in God’s plan.
– The Scriptures and earliest Christians did not observe a Friday sunset to Saturday sunset Sabbath. Armstrong imposed Old Testament laws inconsistently while rejecting aspects of Moses’ law Christians are freed from (Galatians 3-5).
In addition to doctrinal inaccuracies, Armstrong has been accused of authoritarian, abusive leadership. His church was focused on loyalty to his teachings and abusive towards any who questioned. Armstrong also faced allegations of financial impropriety.
Overall, historians and theologians classify Armstrongism as an idiosyncratic, pseudohistorical new religious movement at odds with orthodox Christianity. The selective picking and choosing of Old Testament laws, along with many of Armstrong’s distinctive prophecies and teachings, do not withstand scrutiny from Scripture and biblical scholarship. Nevertheless, Armstrongism retains a small but devout following among those attracted to its claims of revealing lost biblical truths.
