Occasionally people ask my opinion on various personal or church issues. I recently received the following question which I have reprinted below, followed by my response.
QUESTION
I have been a Christian for eight years. The other day a man walked up to me at Starbucks and invited me to talk about the Bible. I happily accepted. What I listened to next really confused me, and I haven’t stopped thinking about since. He first began by saying that we not only have a God the Father but a God our mother. He showed me verses in Genesis 1:26-27, Romans 5:12 and Genesis 3:20.
He went on to tell me that the churches today don’t talk about God our mother because they are not teaching from the Bible. He also said that Revelation 21:9-10 and Revelation 19:7 show us that the bride of Christ is not the church but our godly mother who will be revealed at the second coming of Jesus.
He then started to talk about how churches practice the Sabbath day on Sunday which is incorrect. That Saturday is the seventh day of the week and the 7th day is the Lord’s day according to Genesis. He says that Christ died on a Sunday which the Bible refers to as the first day of the week. He said that if I go to a church that practices Sunday worship that according to the Bible this is a pagan church. I’m really confused. Can you help me unpack this?
MY ANSWER
Thanks for asking me about the visitor you encountered at Starbucks. The Bible repeatedly warns about false teachers who will introduce heresies and attempt to lead young believers astray. The most dangerous are those whom Jesus described as, “Wolves in sheep’s clothing.” They appear to be Christian, but in the end, they seek to kill, steal and destroy.
The Apostle Paul encouraged Christians to become, “mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:13-14).
This guy you met spoke of “God our mother”? Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me” (Matt. 28:18). That means His Word is absolute and He is our perfect example. Jesus, who is Lord over all, always addressed God as, “Father.” Never once did He say, “Father and Mother.”. He taught us to pray, “Our Father who art in heaven.” If I were you, I’d follow Christ’s example because He died for you and He conquered the grave. The guy you met at Starbucks did not.
This guy suggested the church is not the bride of Christ? Really??!!! Ephesians 5:25- 27 reads, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” Revelation compares the New Jerusalem as a bride prepared for her husband but nowhere does the Bible remotely suggest the bride is God’s wife. That’s foolish and dangerous heresy!
The analogy of the church being the bride of Christ is repeated throughout Scripture. John the Baptist referred to Jesus as the Bridegroom in John 3:29: “The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice.”
You state the guy suggested Jesus died on Sunday. He probably said that Jesus arose from the grave on the first day of the week since the Bible makes it clear that Jesus died the day before the Sabbath and He arose on the first day. The Jewish people were commanded to observe the Sabbath (Saturday). But the Old Testament law has been nailed to the cross, and we are told, “…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).
The Jewish people worshipped on the 7th day to remember a finished creation. New Testament Christians worshipped on the first day of the week to celebrate a finished redemption. In Acts 2 we read that the church began on the Day of Pentecost, which was Sunday. Acts 20:7 reads, “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people…” First Corinthians 16:2 commands, “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come, no collections will have to be made.” In Revelation 1:10 John wrote, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.” The Sabbath was made for man but since Jesus conquered the grave on Sunday morning, the first day of the week was His day.
Actually, this encounter with a false teacher could be the best thing that has happened to you as a Christian if it motivates you to study God’s Word more thoroughly. We are told in Scripture, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
You’ve been a Christian for eight years now. Soon you should be so well-grounded in God’s Word that false teaching doesn’t upset you or confuse you. I would suggest you enroll in a D.C. class that is offered at many churches. It is a challenging, 22 month, in-depth study that has been taken by hundreds of believers. When you’re finished, you will have the ability to stand firm in the faith without wavering.
The Apostle John wrote, “As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us — eternal life” (1 John 2:24). God bless you as you continue to study God’s holy Word!
– Bob Russell
HIS FOLLOW-UP REPLY
Thank you for taking the time to answer me. It means a lot because I felt in my heart of hearts that he was wrong, I just couldn’t pinpoint verses to dispute him. I ended up telling him that I felt he was cherry picking verses to back up his claim. The problem was that I was ashamed that I couldn’t defend Christ right there. It was a huge blessing in disguise and my wife, and I will definitely sign up for that class. My faith didn’t waiver but increased my appetite for learning about the God that I love and cherish. You have no idea how much of a blessing your email has been for me.
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