Not Perfect

Next Part Having His Picture Published

This is not to say that Mr. Armstrong was perfect. The authenticity of an apostle—or any minister—does not turn on whether he is or has been absolutely flawless in all his ways. Since no one is perfect—that is, without sin (Rom. 3:23; John 8:7)—this could never be the standard by which that person’s fruits are assessed. And God knows this.

Over the years, many have felt Mr. Armstrong could not have been an apostle because of what “people reported” about him. While he did make mistakes, and certainly committed sins—but nothing remotely close to what is reported—none of these could alter the office he held.

Consider some of God’s greatest servants. The apostle Peter was guilty of blatant racism, which caused Paul to address this with him face-to-face in Galatians 2 ALL. The Bible records this for us to see that even the chief apostle, whom Jesus had personally trained, was not perfect—in fact, far from it. And never mind the things that Peter did during his training, before receiving God’s Spirit.

Then there is Paul, who had doggedly and brutally persecuted the Church before he was converted (Phil. 3:6; I Tim. 1:15).

How many today would follow Noah if they knew he got drunk and, in his vulnerable drunken state, was abused by his grandson? Yet Noah is listed with Job and Daniel as “righteous men” of extraordinary spiritual stature (Ezek. 14:14, 20).

Then there is the terrible self-righteousness attitude of Job, reflected throughout the book bearing his name. Yet Job was loyal to God, faithful in observing His Law.

How many today would follow Abraham, called “the father of the faithful,” if they knew that he had lied twice out of fear regarding his wife Sarah—and offered her to a foreign king for sexual favors in order to save his own skin? Most would think Abraham not to be faithful at all, let alone the father of all who would have faith (Rom. 4:16) for the 7,000-year duration of God’s Plan.

Moses had a severe anger problem—and it kept him from entering the Promised Land. He also lacked faith in God’s ability to use him before Pharaoh. At times Moses wished to die because continuing to carry the tremendous burden of leading millions of accusative and constantly complaining Israelites seemed too difficult. In addition, he was a stutterer and previously killed an Egyptian in a violent encounter.

Stubbornly rebelling against God using him to warn Nineveh, Jonah wished to die. So did Elijah and Job. So did Mr. Armstrong, who chronicled this in his autobiography. Of course, all repented and kept going forward.

Certainly Samuel, Aaron and Eli were not renowned for their child-rearing skills—look at the lives of their sons.

Finally, there was King David. Where do we start with him? He was guilty of adultery with the wife of one his most faithful servants, whom David then murdered—even requiring the complicity of other servants to pull it off. In another moment of weakness, David, lacking faith in God to protect his kingdom, numbered the army of Israel. He also fell far short of exercising good childrearing training. And yet, upon his resurrection and being born into the kingdom of God, David will lead all the tribes of Israel, with the 12 original apostles reporting to him.

No, Mr. Armstrong was not perfect, and neither is any apostle. His fruits were discerned by the things he accomplished in serving God—not by someone’s list of real or perceived sins. If Jesus Christ is truly using a man—placing him to the high office of apostle, and charging him with great responsibility—his validity does not depend on whether people think he “passes muster.”

Here is something else to consider: What would be the point of Christ appointing a man to an office or responsibility—any office or responsibility—and then not reveal to His Church how to know that He had done so—and how to distinguish that man from imposters? What if the office were so broad in scope and authority that it affected every possible aspect and element concerning the functioning of the Church around the world—what it believed, including doctrines and traditions, its commissions, who held offices at every level within it, including who became ministers and who did not, who made various levels of decisions and when, as well as who had final authority over God’s tithes, among others? How is the Church to know to follow him? How would other ministers know to defer to one with such extraordinary and all-encompassing authority?

Obviously, Christ would never leave in doubt the means for knowing. He would have to establish the criteria in a way that none who truly knew where and how He was at work could be confused or mistake this. And the means Christ presented would have to be above debate, crystal clear. He has done that: “Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them” (>Matt. 7:20).

Mr. Armstrong wrote, “If you’ve watched the growth and development of this work for any length of time—the rich and abundant harvest of precious souls being reaped by it—the miracles of healing and changed lives God is performing with and thru it, then you’ll recognize, and you’ll know—and exult in joy and great rejoicing in the recognition—that this is indeed the very work of God!

“You’ll know it by its fruits—rich, abundant, continuous.”

“And Now...ON TO EUROPE!”, GN, April 1952

From the time he understood the true nature of his office, hundreds of thousands believed Mr. Armstrong was an apostle of Jesus Christ—and the meteoric growth and international expansion of the Church and Work served as testimony to this.

“And This Gospel Shall Be Preached”

With the ranks and offices of the New Testament ministry restored, the Church and the Work began to expand and flourish.

Staffed with trained writers and editors to help him, Mr. Armstrong began to offer The Plain Truthover the air once again. This began with the June 1953 issue.
There was even more exciting news in the Work: God had opened the door for broadcasting The World Tomorrow program on the most powerful station on the planet—Radio Luxembourg! Finally, Mr. Armstrong’s voice was being heard in Europe!

However, Mr. Armstrong had faced an interesting challenge as the door opened for Radio Luxembourg:

“In the fall of that year [1952], time did finally open to us on Radio Luxembourg. But it was altogether different from broadcasting to an American audience. Luxembourg is a small country sandwiched in between Germany, Belgium, and France—and its powerful signal heard in several other countries. Their very commercial life depends on being careful in what not to allow to be said over their powerful facilities. They allow no political propaganda not even any allusions to anything political. And, in accepting religious broadcasts, the station obviously enforces strict rules that no offense is given to any religion or religious belief.

“In speaking on biblical prophecy, dealing with today’s world events, we soon learned we had to become very familiar with their policies, lest our analysis of today’s world news be construed as an allusion to things political.

“November 22, 1952, was a historic day for us!

“On that day I recorded the first broadcast for Radio Luxembourg!

“I have written many times about how Christ opened the giant door of Radio Luxembourg to proclaim His gospel to Europe precisely nineteen years—one time-cycle—after the beginning of the work in 1934. The door of radio first opened on the first Sunday in 1934. Our first broadcast to Europe occurred the first Thursday in 1953—the first week in January both times!

“but we did not plan it that way! GOD DID!

“My November 22 recording was rejected by the station. A second try was rejected. The third time I had finally come to comprehend clearly the station policies—and it was accepted! It went on the air the first week in January, 1953!”

Along with the magazine, this, with other stations blanketing the United States and parts of Canada, meant that Christ’s true gospel was being preached to humanity at large for the first time in 1,900 years! The last time this gospel message had been widely proclaimed was in A.D. 53, by Paul. This gospel OF Christ had been suppressed and counterfeited by a false gospel ABOUT Christ. Now mankind was beginning to hear that true message of hope once again.

Speaking of the impediments to going on the air in Britain, Mr. Armstrong described the miraculous events that allowed the preaching of the gospel to continue in that country:

“The British government would not allow any broadcasting facilities within its jurisdiction that might be used by God’s servants to proclaim God’s message of this hour to the British peoples!

“But God was determined to get His message to the British!

“So, the first week in 1953, God’s message started getting into Britain from Europe—when The World Tomorrow program began going out on the superpowered voice of Radio Luxembourg!

“When Radio Luxembourg was no longer effective for this message, God raised up broadcasting stations on ships, anchored just outside Britain’s jurisdiction. ‘The World Tomorrow’ was then thundered over all of Britain daily, from seven of these ships” (The United States and Britain in Prophecy).

Late 1953 saw another big leap in doing the Work: The radio program was broadcast over the ABCnational radio network. This meant an instant audience of millions of listeners to 90 radio stations throughout the U.S.—including 50,000-watt stations in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and other metropolitan areas.

God’s Work could now truly take off as never before!

Next Part Having His Picture Published

Back to Herbert W. Armstrong