1. Introduction
In recent years, the World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCG) has become a significant religious phenomenon, expanding rapidly from its founding in South Korea in 1964 by Ahn Sahng-hong to various countries, including Bolivia and other Latin American nations. Colloquially, its followers are known as “the god mothers” (due to the emphasis they give to the existence of a female deity when preaching their religion). Its accelerated growth has attracted a large number of followers, generating concern among Christian communities. Therefore, we will analyze their doctrines and refute their arguments from a biblical perspective.
The WMSCG holds two core beliefs: first, that Ahn Sahng-hong is the Christ of the Second Coming; and second, that God is Father and Mother, which implies the existence of two gods. These approaches are based on a series of arguments that attempt to justify their doctrines. Next, we will see their main claims and the biblical refutation.
2. WMSCG Arguments and Refutation
2.1. Ahn Sahng-hong as Christ
God has divided six thousand years into three times: the time of the Father, where the Savior is Jehovah (Is. 43:11); the time of the Son, where he is called Jesus (Acts 4:11-12); and the time of the Holy Spirit, where the Savior has a new name (Rev. 2:17): Ahn Sahng-hong. Although he has never called himself Christ directly, he has suggested so on several occasions through his writings. It was his followers who recognized him and openly declared him as such. They intend to prove this through three arguments:
1. The parable of the fig tree (Mt. 24:32-34): they believe that this refers to the independence of Israel as a State in 1948. They allege that Israel has always been treated by God like a fig tree (Jer. 24:5), so in this parable it should not be different. In this sense, the time of winter, during which the branch is dry and leaves do not sprout, represents the 1900 years – from the destruction of the Second Temple to the end of World War II – during which Israel was a wandering people without land. However, summer would come: the branches would become tender and the leaves would sprout, that is, Israel would return to its land as an independent State in 1948. In this sense, the Second Coming of Christ must have been 1948. Thus, Ahn Sahng-hong is Christ, since he was baptized in 1948 at the age of 30 and began his ministry.
2. The order of Melchizedek (Heb. 7:1-3): They argue that Ahn Sahng-hong meets the characteristics of the priest according to the order of Melchizedek, who is described as “without father or mother” and “without genealogy”, which they interpret as being born of unbelieving Gentiles. Ahn Sahng-hong, son of unbelieving (Buddhists) Koreans (Gentiles) , is the priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
3. The tree of life (Gen. 3:22): its fruit gives eternal life to whoever eats it, but access to it was forbidden to us by God. However, in his manifestation as the Son, God again allowed access to believers through his body and blood, represented in the bread and wine of the Passover. But Satan closed the way to the tree of life at the Council of Nicaea (325 AD), abolishing the truth of the Passover. Therefore, the appearance of a new Christ was necessary to restore access to eternal life, which they argue Ahn Sahng-hong achieved by reinstating Easter.
Refutation
First, we must note a fundamental and essential error: a misunderstanding of the Trinity. The WMSCG understands and explains the Trinity like this:
“Water, ice and steam have different names and different forms, but the essence is the same: H2O. It is similar to an actor in a play characterizing three characters, all with different voices. Although there are three voices and three different roles, there is only one actor. Thus, although God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit may appear different, they are one God.” (2010)
The WMSCG has an erroneous understanding of the Trinity, stating that God is a single person who acts alternately as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Instead, the Bible teaches that God is three persons coexisting in one essence. This is clearly seen in the Baptism of Jesus (Mt. 3:13-17), where the Father speaks from heaven, the Son is on earth and the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove. This passage demonstrates that it is not just one person playing different roles, but three different people in a single divine essence. Also in John 14:16-17 Jesus says that he will pray to the Father to send the Holy Spirit, who is the Comforter. Once again, three persons (Jesus who prays, the Father who is prayed to, and the Spirit who is the subject of that prayer) appear in a single essence, and not a single person acting in three roles.
The Apostle John confirms this by declaring: “Three bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one” (1 Jn. 5:7). The reference to “three” emphasizes that each person is different and bears their own testimony, while “they are one” reaffirms that they share the same divine essence. This is the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity: three persons eternally coexisting in a single divine essence.
The notion that God divided salvation history into epochs derives from that misinterpretation of the Trinity. Although in Isaiah the name of Jehovah is mentioned, while in Acts Jesus is referred to, this simply demonstrates that Jesus is one of the persons of the Trinity and does not imply that there were two distinct times in which the name of God will vary. Therefore, this temporal division has no biblical or historical support.
And regarding the three alleged biblical supports that they present, one can respond like this:
1. The parable of the fig tree should be interpreted for what it is: a parable illustrating eschatological truths in context and not as a detailed prophecy related to specific historical events. There is no solid evidence to support that the fig tree represents Israel, much less the State of Israel, founded in 1948 for geopolitical reasons. Those are assumptions rather than facts.
Jesus taught that, just as the signs of the fig tree (the softening of its branch and the sprouting of leaves) indicate that summer is near, the signs of the end times (wars, sin, and strife) also indicate that his Second Coming is approaching. But even if we grant that Israel is the fig tree, and that this parable refers to the State of Israel founded in 1948, it does not follow that Ahn Sahng-hong is Christ. How many people were baptized that year? That is the number of people who could call themselves Christ under this interpretation. A no small detail and quite curious about this is that, while the WMSCG holds that the baptism of their false Christ was in 1948, the baptism record book of the Seventh-day Aventist Church in Haeundae, South Korea, states that he was baptized on October 9, 1954 at the age of 36.
2. The order of Melchizedek is, in fact, another place where we see this false church misinterprets the Trinity. In fact, in the Psalm 110, one person (sender) speaks to another (receiver). God says to God: “sit at my right hand,” and later: “you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek”; showing that they are different people (but a single essence), not a single person speaking to themselves.
On the other hand, the claim that only believers are counted by fathers and mothers is unfounded. In Psalm 95:8-9, the Lord calls unbelievers parents. And regarding genealogy, in Hebrews the word ἀγενεαλόγητος (agenealogētos) is used, which simply means that the lineage of Melchizedek is unknown. Nowhere in the Bible is it interpreted that not having a genealogy is equivalent to being a son of Gentiles. But even, once again, granting that, what an absurd requirement! I, who write this, were born of unbelieving Gentiles, and surely many readers too! Is that why we should proclaim ourselves Christ? Not at all.
3. Here there is an obvious contradiction: First it is said that only God closes and opens the way to the tree of life, and then that Satan closed this way in the 4th century. They give the power of God to Satan, like most groups that want to control their followers out of fear. But further, I ask: If the tree of life was hidden throughout the Old Testament, does that mean that no one was saved at that time? Because, let us remember, it was Jesus – they say – who restored the way. What about Abraham, whose faith was credited to him as righteousness, as well as Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and David?
But this sect is not satisfied with saying that none of them were saved, but they also dare to say that, since 325 AD, they were saved. From then on, no one was saved either. This approach contradicts biblical promises such as “he who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” (Isa. 28:16) and “the just shall live by faith” (Heb. 2:4), wrongly implying that Satan has the power to override these divine truths. If Satan supposedly did it in the 4th century, what would stop him from repeating it in the present? According to this logic, nothing. However, the biblical reality is different: the path to eternal life remains open to all who believe in the true Jesus Christ, the son of Joseph and Mary. The Gospel remains the power of God for salvation and is preached by true pastors who confess the true God. Faith justifies the believer, and this is the only way established by God; and Satan has no power against this.
2.2. The Existence of “God the Mother”
This is one of the main doctrines for which this religion is known, and carries two arguments that are frequently preached during its evangelistic efforts:
1. In Genesis God is revealed as Elohim, which is translated “gods” (Eloah would be translated “God”). From here, WMSCG adepts argue that Elohim is composed of two essences: Father and Mother. Thus, he created the human race in his image and likeness (Gen. 1:26-27), that is, male and female. That is why he says “let us make man” and not “I will make man,” because they both created man.
2. In Galatians 4:26 we are told about a Mother of believers: the heavenly Jerusalem. In Revelation 21:2, 9-10 it is specified to us that this Jerusalem is the Wife of the Lamb, who is Christ. And in Revelation 22:17 we see that the Spirit and the Bride give the water of life to those who come to them. Therefore, Christ Ahn Sahng-hong and Heavenly Mother are God Elohim who saves.
Refutation
1. Although “Elohim” implies plurality, Scripture is clear that there is only one God (Dt 6:4). The use of the plural Elohim has at least three reasons. First, to emphasize the greatness of God, since he is so majestic that words are not enough to describe him, so they used the plural. Second, to highlight the absolute superiority of Jehovah over the pagan gods (elohim), since He by Himself is already Elohim, transcendent, immanent and infinite. Third, to indicate that God is one in essence, but plural in Persons, since the Hebrews understood it this way from stories such as Genesis 18:1-2, where Jehovah presents himself to Abraham as three men, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, where Jehovah from the earth rains down fire from Jehovah from heaven (Gen. 19:24).
The WMSCG teaches that human beings are the image of God because they consider that God is Father and Mother, and that man is male and female. However, this logic would imply that the man lacks the feminine image and the woman the masculine one, which would mean that each one lacks half of the image of God. On the contrary, the Bible teaches that every human being, whether man or woman, reflects the complete image of God (Stg. 3:9). Thus, for example, Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:7 says that man is the image and glory of God, demonstrating that at least the man has the complete image of God; but this does not exclude women. Rather, from this it is inferred that, if the man is in the image of God, so is the woman, because “God created man in his image; male and female he created them” (Gen. 1:27), that is, the male and the female, both are in the image of God without lacking anything. Furthermore, since God is a Spirit (John 4:24), his image is not related to physical or gender characteristics, but rather to spiritual attributes such as justice, love, intellect, and holiness. Obviously these characteristics have been reduced to vestiges due to sin, but even so the image of God remains something spiritual and common to each individual in a total and complete way.
2. The only way to sustain the WMSCG argument is to deliberately ignore other texts of Scripture that clarify the issue. The Word of God does teach that Christ (the true one and not Ahn Sahng-hong) has a Wife. But this Bride is the Church, as is clearly shown in passages such as Jeremiah 31:32, Hosea 2:16-20, 2 Corinthians 11:2 and Ephesians 5:22-33. From this, we can deduce that, if the Church is the Bride, and this Bride is the heavenly Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2, 9-10), then the Church is the heavenly Jerusalem and the Mother mentioned in Galatians 4:26. Furthermore, she is the true Bride of Revelation 22:17, who invites everyone through the preaching of the Gospel to receive the water of life that Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom, offers freely to those who seek Him.
3. Conclusion
From the above, we can reach the following conclusions:
1. The WMSCG attacks fundamental doctrinal pillars of the Church, such as the Trinity, the Person of Christ and his Second Coming, salvation by grace alone through justifying faith, etc. However, their beliefs are based on arguments that are weak and easily refuted in light of the Scriptures.
2. Although a group may adopt any name, if it “does not maintain the unquestionable universal Christian faith whole and inviolate” (Athanasian Creed), particularly in relation to the Trinity and the true Christ, it cannot be considered a true Church or its members true believers. Therefore, when we are approached by people who preach this false gospel, we must tell them of the Good News of the true Christ, and reconciliation with the Father through faith in his Son.
3. It is essential to avoid private interpretations of Scripture. We must remember that Scripture is perspicuous, meaning that it is clear in all matters of faith and practice, so much so that even what may seem obscure is interpreted in the light of what is clearer. And we must recognize that we are not wiser than the entire Church in all of history.
