Elohim Academy, Penang.
Beware of the heretical teachings of this group who is pushing their heresy of God the Mother!
"But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother." NIV
"But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all." KJV.
While I was quietly enjoying my packed dinner in the Tesco Extra food court, a group of three people (2 men and a woman) politely approached me, and introduced themselves as students conducting interviews. I invited them to sit down - two sat opposite before me, and a man to my right. The woman, who sat directly opposite, passed me a questionaire. I apologized that I can't see well because I weren't wearing my glasses. So I suggested she read the questions to me. She can't read English well (being Chinese educated), so she passed it to the man sitting to my right.
Each question is followed by four choices... can't remember the words exactly. (I don't remember the EXACT words used, but the gist conveyed below is most certainly truthful.)
Question 1: Do you have a religion?
I answered, 'I'm a Christian.'
Question 2: Do you believe in heaven and hell?
I answered, 'Yes, I do. In addition to them, I aslo believe in the lake of fire.' My answer somewhat threw them off a bit - from the look on their faces.
Question 3: Jesus taught the disciples to call God "our Father in heaven..." Matthew 6:9. What is your opinion about this?
I answered: 'They have been born of God, so God is their Father.' Their answer (a) "God is the giver of life" (can't remember the exact words).
Question 4: (Here is the deadly POISON) If the disciples have a Father in heaven, don't you think they have a Mother in heaven too? Gal 4:26.
I answered: 'Please show me that passage in your Bible,' I said to the woman who carried a thick bi-lingual (Chinese-English) edition. 'Please read that passage to me.' She read with some excitement in halting English - and pointed to the pronoun "she" - exclaiming that "she" refers to God the Mother in heaven. [It is probably from the NIV, which reads, "But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother."
So I suggested the man to my right to read it to me. I asked him where is God the Mother in the passage. He also pointed to the pronoun "she" and also confidently declared that "she" can only refer to the Mother God in heaven. "Our Father God is matched with Mother God."
Interestingly, in the NIperVersion, from which they were reading, there is a heading "Hagar and Sarah" for the section of Gal 4:21-31. I pointed out that heading to them, 'Do you see this? This passage speaks of Hagar and Sarah.'
I patiently tried to explain to them that Paul was contrasting the old covenant and the new covenant to the Galatian believers, who were deceived, and brought into bondage by the lies pedalled by the Jews, using Hagar and Sarah to illustrate the momentous issue, to bring home the truth to them, along with the example of Jerusalem on earth and the Jerusalem above, about slavery to the old covenant laws and freedom in Christ in the new covenant.
I really don't know how much they understand what I explained to them.
Then they started saying that I don't believe what the Bible is plainly teaching on God the Mother. I told them I believe what the Bible teaches, but I reject their fable, and that they have been indoctrinated, and are not even capable of reading the Bible, and drawing out its PLAIN meaning!
Beware of these sincere but indoctrinated folks... they are actively prowling about seeking whom they may devour.
(A few months ago I met another group of three, also two men and a woman - a Korean woman. I was manning a booth then. The spokesman was aggressive and rude, and banged his Bible on the table before me, charging me for my ignorance of and unbelief in the Scriptures. I was so annoyed by his unruly conduct, that I literally grasped his bible and threw it way, about 20ft from me, and said, "if that bible teaches you that horrid lie, then it should be destroyed." Lesson - there is no need to mess around with me. That's a confession from a sinner saved by grace. I did not conduct peaceably towards them heretics. I was wrong, and I probably deserve hell for that folly!)
We didn't get to go beyond Q4. May be there is a 3rd round to come... they are prowling. I hope to conduct myself better still.
Do you see the pattern how a heresy develop?
- first invent an idea, i.e God the Father must need have God the Mother.
- then find a passage that gives the slightest sound-byte to that idea,
- and bingo, the Bible teaches what they have imagined!!!
"But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother." NIV
"But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all." KJV.
By one simple act of MAGIC the Jerusalem that is above is transformed into God the mother!
It is not too different from Roman Catholic's magic of turning simple bread and wine into the real body and blood of Jesus Christ!
