Holy Communion and Water Baptism
- The Church of Almighty God claims to be Christianity with a protestant house church background. The Lord’s Supper and Water Baptism are the two recognized Sacraments within Protestantism. CAG does not observe Holy Communion and Water Baptism.
The Church of Almighty God has abolished the two Sacraments instituted by Jesus during the last supper and with the proclamation of the Great Commission. After the Age of Grace, now in the Age of Kingdom, “these rules have been abolished.”[1] In fact, “The Word Appears in the Flesh” describes the new ministries of Almighty God as follows: “He has not come to heal the sick, or to cast out demons, or to perform miracles, and He has not come to spread the gospel of repentance, or to grant man redemption. That is because Jesus has already done this work, and God does not repeat the same work. Today, God has come to bring an end to the Age of Grace and cast out all the practices of the Age of Grace.”[2]
[1] The Church of Almighty God, The Word Appears in the Flesh, “The Mystery of the Incarnation (4),” Google e-book, accessed January 24, 2022, 1970; pdf version, 1190 & 1961.
[2] The Church of Almighty God, The Word Appears in the Flesh, “Knowing God’s Work Today”, Google e-book, accessed January 24, 2022, 1348; pdf version, 804 & 1343.
Clearly, with this statement directly from “The Word Appears in the Flesh”, the CAG has abolished not just the sacraments instituted by Jesus, but all other ministry practices directly or indirectly sourced from the Bible. The earlier Chinese version of “The Word Appears in the Flesh” give us glimpse of the reasons why CAG has changed its practices. Almighty God says, “there is no need to take the sacrament and be baptized, because the door of grace has long been closed, and no matter how well you practice, no matter how much you practice. If you can’t meet the requirements of God in the last days, you should know that God’s requirements for people are constantly changing with the times…” (“The Word Appears in the Flesh”: 793, footnote 61)[3]
[3] Baiyun, “Analysis of Religious Cults – A Case Study: Church of Almighty God”, accessed January 24, 2022.
- Jesus established two Sacraments in His earthly ministry for us to observe while we are carrying out the Great Commission and church ministries. Abolishing these sacraments means abandoning the mission of making Jesus’ disciples of all nations and remembering Jesus no more without the Holy Communion. Does this mean that CAG is severing its new ministries from Jesus’ work of redemption? CAG often claims that Almighty God’s plan of Salvation is to complete the work Jesus that He did not finish. Abolishing the two sacraments means disavowing Jesus’ work of redemption, then Almighty God’s salvation plan is no longer completing Jesus’ work of redemption but in substance severing all ties with what Jesus did on the cross, i.e., there is no need for repentance and confession before Jesus but be obedient to the words of Almighty God instead.
For the CAG followers, the following Bible verses are no longer valid:
“18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28: 18-20, ESV)
“23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11: 23-26, ESV)
Clear Thinking Exercises
- Even though observing the two protestant Sacraments, the Lord’s Supper and Water Baptism, are not Essential for salvation, does abolishing them means disavowing what Jesus had already done rather than completing what Jesus did not finish?
- If God is always new, never old as CAG claims, today’s beliefs and practices will become old tomorrow.
- CAG asserts that the Bible is outdated for the current age, will “The Word Appears in the Flesh” be outdated tomorrow?
- Does God’s Truth change overtime in different ages?
- God does not changed! If God’s Truth has changed, does it mean the identity of God has changed?
- Since none of the essential Christian beliefs are present in CAG’s faith and practices, why do they call themselves Christians? (See Essential and Non-Essential Doctrines)