Introduction

Among the many distinctive features of Herbert W. Armstrong’s ministry was his recurring exhortation to audiences: “Don’t believe me—believe the Bible.” This phrase, or variations of it, appeared throughout Armstrong’s sermons, radio broadcasts, magazine articles, and books. For many who encountered his ministry through The World Tomorrow program or The Plain Truth magazine, the phrase became emblematic of Armstrong’s approach to religious authority, biblical interpretation, and personal accountability.

This essay examines the origins, function, and rhetorical force of this phrase within Armstrong’s broader theological project. It argues that Armstrong deployed this phrase to engage three specific audiences—religiously disaffected Christians, curious secular seekers, and already-committed but insecure followers—while simultaneously reinforcing his distinctive claims to biblical truth. Through this phrase, Armstrong invoked Protestant ideals of sola scriptura, American anti-clericalism, and personal responsibility, yet always within the interpretive framework he himself provided.

Armstrong’s Context and Theology

Herbert W. Armstrong (1892–1986) was the founder of what became the Worldwide Church of God, and one of the most prominent religious broadcasters of the mid-20th century. His ministry was rooted in an eclectic mix of Seventh-day Adventist Sabbatarianism, British Israelism, and premillennial prophetic interpretation. Rejecting both Catholic tradition and what he saw as Protestant compromise with paganism, Armstrong portrayed himself as a modern-day Elijah restoring “the true gospel of the Kingdom of God.”

Central to Armstrong’s appeal was his insistence that mainstream Christianity had systematically suppressed or distorted the plain meaning of Scripture. He argued that most clergy taught “traditions of men” rather than the Word of God, and that their followers blindly accepted these errors without examining the Bible for themselves. As he wrote in Which Day is the Christian Sabbath?: “You have probably been taught that the Christian Sabbath is Sunday. But have you ever wondered why? Have you ever looked into your Bible to see what it really says? Don’t believe me—believe what you read in your own Bible!”¹

This stance was not entirely original. Since the Reformation, preachers in the Protestant tradition had called hearers back to the Bible as the supreme authority, urging them to test all teaching against Scripture. What made Armstrong’s use distinctive was his dual position as both iconoclast and dogmatist: while disavowing reliance on his own authority, he insisted that his interpretation of Scripture was correct, and that others, though sincere, were in error.

The Phrase and Its Theological Roots

The phrase “Don’t believe me, believe the Bible” encapsulated several theological and cultural currents.

First, it reflected the Reformation principle of sola scriptura. Armstrong often cited biblical texts such as Acts 17:11, which praises the Bereans for “searching the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so,” as evidence that true faith required independent verification.²

Second, it resonated with an American ethos of anti-clericalism and religious populism.³ Armstrong framed himself not as a learned theologian speaking from institutional authority, but as a layman who had discovered the truth by diligent study and who invited others to do the same. In The Plain Truth, he often depicted mainstream ministers as either dishonest or deceived by Satan, claiming that even they had not “read their own Bibles carefully.”⁴

Third, the phrase embodied Armstrong’s view of human responsibility. It suggested that failure to examine the Scriptures personally was not merely an intellectual mistake, but a moral failure that would leave one unprepared for the imminent return of Christ. Armstrong linked biblical illiteracy to spiritual deception and ultimate condemnation.

Thus, the phrase served as both an invitation and a warning: hearers were urged to open their Bibles, and if they failed to do so, they bore the guilt of rejecting God’s truth.

Audiences Addressed by the Phrase

Armstrong’s consistent use of this phrase reflected his acute awareness of his audiences’ predispositions and needs. His rhetoric targeted three overlapping but distinct groups.

The Religiously Disaffected

One primary audience comprised those who had grown up within Christianity but become disillusioned with the perceived hypocrisy, worldliness, or doctrinal confusion of mainstream churches. For such listeners, the phrase validated their distrust of religious institutions and reassured them that the Bible itself—not the churches—was the standard. Armstrong portrayed mainstream Christianity as hopelessly compromised by paganism, pointing to practices such as Sunday observance and Christmas celebrations as evidence of apostasy.⁵ In this context, “Don’t believe me, believe the Bible” positioned Armstrong not as another false teacher, but as a fellow truth-seeker exposing institutional deception.

The Curious but Skeptical

A second audience included those who, while not particularly religious, were intrigued by Armstrong’s claims about prophecy, world events, and the meaning of life. Mid-20th-century America was marked by widespread biblical literacy and cultural respect for Scripture, even among the unchurched.⁶ Armstrong leveraged this latent respect by framing his message as a challenge: if listeners truly valued the Bible, they would check it for themselves. This appeal disarmed suspicion by suggesting that nothing was being imposed—one merely needed to read and decide.

Strengthening Internal Audiences

Perhaps most significant was how the phrase functioned for internal audiences—members of the Worldwide Church of God who were already committed but often insecure in their faith and knowledge. Within the church, the phrase was institutionalized as a pedagogical and spiritual discipline, reminding members that their faith must continually be tested and confirmed by Scripture. Armstrong repeatedly warned against complacency or blind reliance on even his own authority.

In The Plain Truth, he admonished: “Don’t take what I say for granted! You must prove all things, as your Bible commands (I Thessalonians 5:21). You must check up on me, see whether what I say agrees with God’s Word. Don’t believe any man—believe your Bible!”⁷ His Autobiography recounts how he personally came to accept the Sabbath only after months of independent study, presenting his story as a model for all believers.⁸

The Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course framed its lessons as an interactive investigation rather than indoctrination, urging: “Don’t take our word for anything. Open your Bible. See for yourself what it really says. Prove all things. Your Bible will come alive!”⁹ The Good News magazine likewise exhorted members: “We urge you—don’t accept blindly what you hear from us, or from anyone else! Open your own Bible. Read what God says. Believe Him—not man!”¹⁰

This ethos of personal verification was part of the church’s culture. Ambassador College students were expected to challenge instructors if they could support their position with Scripture.¹¹ Members prided themselves on their biblical literacy, which they attributed to Armstrong’s teaching that no doctrine should be accepted without rigorous proof.¹² Joseph Tkach Sr. reflected that members were “challenged to study, to prove for themselves everything they heard, and to make the Bible their own authority.”¹³

However, this ethos was not without its limits. Armstrong insisted that once a teaching had been shown to align with Scripture, it should be accepted and obeyed. In Why the Church?, he wrote: “Don’t believe me. Believe your Bible. But once you see the plain truth in your Bible, you are responsible before God for how you act on it. You must not let human opinions sway you once you have proved the truth of God’s Word.”¹⁴

Critical Assessment

The phrase was rhetorically effective. It capitalized on cultural respect for the Bible, reduced resistance to Armstrong’s challenging claims, and fostered active engagement. It also allowed Armstrong to appear humble, disclaiming personal authority even while asserting the correctness of his interpretations.

Yet critics have argued that the phrase was also misleading. While Armstrong invited personal verification, he controlled the interpretive framework within which readers understood the Bible. His teachings about “hidden” prophetic truths, for example, depended on his own peculiar hermeneutics, which were not self-evident from the text. Sociologist David Barrett observed that WCG members often “believed the Bible—so long as it was explained in Armstrong’s way.”¹⁵

Conclusion

Herbert W. Armstrong’s use of the phrase “Don’t believe me, believe the Bible” exemplified his genius as a communicator and his understanding of the spiritual and cultural moment in which he ministered. The phrase embodied his rejection of clericalism, his appeal to personal responsibility, and his rhetorical humility, while reinforcing his own doctrinal authority through Scripture.

For his audiences, the phrase served as a call to action, a reassurance, and a challenge. For members, it became a way of life—encouraging vigilance, integrity, and a deep sense of accountability to God’s Word. For analysts and critics, it remains a case study in how appeals to scriptural authority can be both liberating and constraining—freeing listeners from institutional dogma while subtly binding them to an alternative interpretive regime.

Future scholarship may continue to explore how Armstrong’s rhetorical strategies reflected and shaped the religious consciousness of his era, and how similar appeals function in contemporary religious movements.

Notes

Herbert W. Armstrong, Which Day is the Christian Sabbath? (Pasadena: Worldwide Church of God, 1952), 3. Acts 17:11 (KJV). Nathan O. Hatch, The Democratization of American Christianity (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989), 68–92. Herbert W. Armstrong, The Plain Truth, October 1962, 5. Armstrong, Which Day is the Christian Sabbath?, 7–8. George Gallup Jr. and Jim Castelli, The People’s Religion: American Faith in the 90s (New York: Macmillan, 1989), 21–22. Herbert W. Armstrong, The Plain Truth, January 1963, 2. Herbert W. Armstrong, The Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong (Pasadena: Worldwide Church of God, 1973), 148–49. The Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course, Lesson 1 (Pasadena: Worldwide Church of God, 1965), 1. The Good News, July 1967, 3. Michael D. Feazell, The Liberation of the Worldwide Church of God (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 39. David V. Barrett, The New Believers: Sects, Cults and Alternative Religions (London: Cassell, 2001), 128. Joseph W. Tkach Sr., Transformed by Truth (Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 1997), 24–25. Herbert W. Armstrong, Why the Church? (Pasadena: Worldwide Church of God, 1973), 8. Barrett, New Believers, 128.

Bibliography

Armstrong, Herbert W. Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong. Pasadena: Worldwide Church of God, 1973.

———. The Plain Truth. Pasadena: Worldwide Church of God, various issues.

———. The United States and Britain in Prophecy. Pasadena: Worldwide Church of God, 1954.

———. Which Day is the Christian Sabbath? Pasadena: Worldwide Church of God, 1952.

———. Why the Church? Pasadena: Worldwide Church of God, 1973.

Barrett, David V. The New Believers: Sects, Cults and Alternative Religions. London: Cassell, 2001.

Feazell, Michael D. The Liberation of the Worldwide Church of God. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001.

Gallup, George Jr., and Jim Castelli. The People’s Religion: American Faith in the 90s. New York: Macmillan, 1989.

Hatch, Nathan O. The Democratization of American Christianity. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989.

Tkach, Joseph W. Sr. Transformed by Truth. Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 1997.