Editor’s note:God the Mother and a restored passover are part of the teaching of the WMSOG, a group that has a reputation for being litigious. There are not, therefore, any images from or of the group in this piece from Tony Brown. There are helpful links, however, to let you see for yourself what the WMSCOG teaches. The featured image at the head of the piece is meant to convey the fact their logo looks like lemon segments. Picture Sydney Opera House and you pretty much get the idea. (Last time it was oranges. I know, we do our best in the circumstances)
“The Church of God is also the only Christian church that believes in God the Mother, as testified in the Bible.”
Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ established the Church of God under one teaching and one truth: the gospel of the New Covenant. Two thousand years later, there are more than 850 different denominations of Christianity, each holding to its own doctrines and teachings, leading to much confusion about the correct way to follow Christ. The Bible says Christ would come a second time (Hebrews 9:28) to restore the teachings of the Early Church, doing so under a new name (Revelation 3:12).
Christ Ahnsahnghong established the World Mission Society Church of God in 1964. Since then, it has become a beacon of light to those searching for the original teachings of Christ. The World Mission Society Church of God keeps the Sabbath day, the Passover and the seven feasts of God. The Church of God is also the only Christian church that believes in God the Mother, as testified in the Bible.[1]
In this second part looking at the World Missionary Society Church of God (hereafter referred to as WMSCOG), I consider a couple of the group’s unique teachings. God the Mother and the Restoration of the New Covenant Passover.
Who is God the Mother?
It appears popular today, particularly amongst so called progressive Christians, to use the feminine pronoun ‘She’ when speaking about God. They reason that this is okay as God is neither male nor female, He is Spirit (John 4:24), but what does the Bible teach us? In Scripture we find the activity of God is sometimes referred to in the feminine but, God is never addressed in name or title in the feminine; He is always spoken of in the masculine.
Now when the WMSCOG speak about ‘God the Mother’ we may think that they also are just referring to God in the feminine, but we would be grossly mistaken.
The WMSCOG does not believe that God the Father can occasionally be addressed as God the Mother, they believe that both God the Father and God the Mother exist as separate beings.
Since the beginning of Christianity, we have been familiar with God our Father. We even call ourselves children of God. But why does the Bible say we are children of God? And why did Jesus Christ teach us to pray to God our Father? The existence of a father naturally indicates there are children. Children can only have life if there is also a mother because it is the mother who gives birth. Christ showed us to pray to our Father in heaven because, as children of God, we also have God our Mother. And She is testified in the Bible from the beginning to the end.[2]
This teaching is akin to abductive reasoning. They are saying that because the Bible teaches us that God is a Father and we are called children of God, it follows that there must be a Mother. Now that may appear a plausible conclusion, but is it true? Is it Biblical? If the doctrine of God the Mother is in the Scriptures, as claimed by the WMSCOG, we can rightly ask why the Christian Church has never taught it.
Let us consider a few of their ‘proof-texts’ and their reasoning for a belief in God the Mother.
Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. …So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:26-27 (NLT)
God used the plural pronouns “us” and “our” when creating humankind. This means more than one God was involved in the creation. The first people God created in God’s plural image were Adam and Eve. Adam was created in the male image of God. Eve was created in the female image of God. Because Adam and Eve were made in God’s image, biblically, they represent God the Father and God the Mother. [3]
As we can see from this quote, rather than sound biblical exegesis, the WMSCOG engage in eisegesis. That is, rather than drawing out of the text the writer’s meaning, they read an interpretation into the text.
Historically, the Church has understood that the ‘us’ of Genesis 1:26 may be an implicit reference to the Trinity, never has it been taught that it refers to two Gods – God the Father and God the Mother. To claim the Bible here teaches polytheism contradicts the rest of Scripture (see: Deut.6:4; Isaiah 43;10; 44:6-8; Gal.3:20; 1 Timothy 2:5; James 2:19).
They continue to try and prove the existence of God the Mother through further conjecture:
The man Adam named his wife Eve because she would become the mother of all who live. Genesis 3:20 (CEV)
In the book of Genesis, we see God give Adam the power to do everything. However, the one thing Adam could not do was give life. This is why he named his wife Eve, which means “life,” and called her “the mother all who live” since life only comes from a mother. Prophetically, God lets us know that even though God the Father exists, God the Mother is necessary for spiritual life—eternal life.[4]
After claiming that God the Mother ‘is testified in the Bible from the beginning to the end.’; they cite only two verses in the Old Testament, both from Genesis. Claiming that in Genesis 3:20 Eve (the mother of all who lives) points prophetically of God the Mother (the mother of spiritual/eternal life), they go on to the astounding claim that Jesus also prophesied about God the Mother. The question again needs to be asked how did all the great biblical scholars of history miss that one?
Strap yourself in and let us consider how Jesus seemingly spoke of God the Mother.
Two thousand years ago, Jesus performed many miracles before the people of Israel. He turned water into wine at a wedding; He gave sight to the blind and even raised Lazarus from the dead. Nothing was too difficult for Christ. Yet, why did He delay giving eternal life until the last days? [5]
Why did Jesus delay in giving eternal life until the last days? Well according to the WMSCOG it was Jesus’ way of letting us know that God the Mother, the giver of spiritual life, needed to appear. They quote John 6:39,40,44,54 all of which have Jesus speaking about raising people on the last day and conclude that this cannot happen without the presence of God the Mother.
Now known to the members of the WMSCOG, and unbeknown to the rest of us, God the Mother is now present. She is a seventy-six-year-old South Korean woman named Jang Gil-ja and, according to their teaching: “God grants us the promised eternal life only after we know and believe in God the Mother.” [6]
A couple of other verses they use to ‘prove’ the existence of God the Father and God the Mother are Matthew 6:9 Our Father who art in heaven and Galatians 4:26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free and she is our mother.
Much more could be said about this, but now let us turn our attention to another one of their distinctive doctrines.
Restoring the Passover
For over 2,000 years, the truth of the New Covenant Passover has been hidden. Through the power of God, we are now able to realize that the Passover, which gives eternal life to those who keep it, has been restored. The Light of the Passover of the New Covenant is now shining to every corner of the world. And we have the opportunity to keep the promise God gave to us by shedding His own blood. Watch the history of the Passover and understand its importance to Christians today. [7]
Like most new religious movements, the WMSCOG makes the claim that it has restored to the Christian Church something that had been lost. In this case, it claims to have restored something necessary to eternal life, namely the New Covenant Passover.
Going to the story of the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3, they tell how Adam and Eve were seduced into eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When they did death, as God had promised, came into the world. But there was also a Tree of Life in the Garden and they were forbidden from eating from that so they could not have eternal life. All good so far, but here is the twist. In WMSCOG theology the story of the Garden of Eden is parabolic not literal. They point to Jesus who said:
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.” Matthew 13:35
They then build a link between the Tree of Life spoken of in Genesis 3 and Jesus’ words in John 6:54:
‘Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life…’
In Genesis it says that we must eat from the tree of life to live forever, in John’s gospel Jesus says we must eat his flesh and drink his blood to inherit eternal life. They reason then that the:
TREE OF LIFE = JESUS’ FLESH AND BLOOD
How do people partake of the flesh and blood of Jesus? Through the NEW COVENANT PASSOVER.
So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?” Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “You have said so.” While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” Matthew 26:19-29
THE NEW COVENANT PASSOVER = JESUS FLESH & BLOOD = TREE OF LIFE = ETERNAL LIFE
After setting up the claim that the New Covenant Passover is essential to eternal life, the WMSCOG points out that they alone are the only church teaching, believing, and practicing this. Therefore, one must come to this church to receive eternal life.
Are They Right?
Does the Bible teach that the New Covenant Passover needs to be kept in order to receive eternal life? The answer is an unequivocal no.
The Bible teaches that receiving Jesus himself, not keeping a Jewish festival, is the way to eternal life.
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:14-16
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Acts 16:31
“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,” John 11:25
What about New Covenant Passover, should Christians keep it? This is an interesting question, as it is not only the WMSCOG who claim Christians should observe it. It is kept by certain Messianic groups and it has become a popular amongst other Christians.
The WMSCOG contend that the New Covenant Passover was kept by the early Christian Church, and it was abolished (or rather replaced by Easter) at the Council of Nicaea in 325AD. It appears that every New Religious Movement blames Nicaea for something. To consider what happened regarding the discussion of Passover at Nicaea see (https://www.christian-history.org/sabbath-to-sunday.html).
Regardless of what was happening at Nicaea, what does the Bible teach?
For a Christian to celebrate the Passover is not a salvific issue, but rather a matter of conscience, as Paul makes clear:
One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Romans 14:5
Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Colossians 2:16,17
Here Paul points out that the Jewish festivals are purely a shadow – they point to one who is greater – Christ. Christians are therefore under no obligation to keep feasts as the Old Testament Jews were.
Like all New Religious Movements, the WMSCOG make claims which lead people away from Christ. All the usual contentions are there. They have restored the ‘true gospel’; they alone have the truth and they alone are the true church. Sadly, this group is not Christian but rather just another one of those of which Jesus warned:
Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. Luke 21:8
