One of the doctrines taught by the “Assembly of the Body of Christ”, to maintain control of people, is "The Body of Christ" is our "mother" and therefore we must obey it. This they prove by quoting from the book of Matthew in the New Testament:
While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him. One said to him, "Behold, your mother and your brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to you." But he answered him who spoke to him, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" He stretched out his hand towards his disciples, and said, "Behold, my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother." Matthew 12:46-50
If we read this for what it says, Christ was stating his true family are those who do His will and follow His path. He was not showing who was His spiritual mother and we can easily prove this.
With this doctrine the ABC tries to prove one must heed the opinions of the leaders, a delegate of the leaders, or an assembly of local members. Each dictate what the person must do based on their own opinions and perceptions of what the mind of God is. The individual, or family, is expected to obey these "commands of God" and may even suffer "discipline" or ex-communication if they do not follow the advice. I have seen this happen many times.
The ABC has established what they term "body counsels" and these "body counsels" are fraught with personal opinion. In the early days of the ABC this even included things like "which kitchen table should I buy". In these “body counsels”, groups of individuals come together to pray, read passages from the Bible, then offer up their opinion on what they feel "the mind of God" is. They dictate these opinions not with suggestion, but with force. It is portended God himself has spoken when the advice is given. There is no allowance for human error and the advice must be obeyed.
In the past I have made some very poor life decisions when I assumed, wrongly, "body counsel" was "the voice of God", irrefutable, and not merely the opinions of a few mere men that should be looked at closely. I followed the advice blindly,without judging its validity or verifying if it was even prudent. I suffered the consequences.
Not long before I was ambushed then ex-communicated for the final time an individual came to me quite confused. This person was confronted with a huge life decision and did not know what to do. Having traveled to another meeting in another state, she asked for "body counsel". There was much talk, prayer, some reading of passages from the Bible then God "told" this individual through body counsel to make a particular decision.
When this person returned to their hometown meeting, they mentioned the need to make this major decision to the group they normally fellowshipped with. Once again there was much speaking, prayer, reading of Bible passages and this time there was also a “prophesy”. As God "spoke” this time, through this body counsel, God "told" this individual to do exactly the opposite as what had been related in that meeting out of state. This confused individual asked me; "How do I know which "God" to believe?
My answer was, if God was speaking, he would speak to them directly, not through another person. While it is fine, and perhaps wise, to obtain opinions from others, it must still be regarded as just that...opinion. If it were God speaking it would not be in a manner made frail by the presence of personal opinion. Even if the opinion “manifests through prophecy" all opinions rendered, especially through prophecy, must be weighed for validity. Many false prophets exist in this world and there is only one who is wise...God.
Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. 1 Corinthians 14:29
The largest flaw in this "mother" teaching is that it is impossible for Christ to be his own mother and give birth to Himself. If Christ's own body is his mother, does that not then mean Christ and the mother are the same? This is confusion. If we are to believe Paul to the Corinthian's "God is not the author of confusion...1 Corinthians 14:3.
This doctrine is disproved in the bible, as I will show below. Galatians chapter 4, verse 26 offers the most clear explanation of who our spiritual mother is:
Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. (26) But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.Galatians 4:21-31
By this account, if we have been born of God, "Jerusalem above" is our mother and we are a child of the "freewoman". To determine who exactly "Jerusalem above" is, we need only look at a few other places in the Bible.
We have seen in Galatians, those born after the flesh are a child of the bondwoman, but one can be a child of the freewoman if we are born of the Spirit. If we look at John 3, verse 6-8 we see that:
That which is born of the flesh is flesh. [but] That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Don't marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born anew.' The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don't know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
This shows a juxtaposition between those born of the flesh and those born of the Spirit. The New Testament scripture show Christ was born both in the flesh by Mary but he was also born of the Spirit, after his death, at his resurrection. Thus if we follow him in the likeness of His death and resurrection we too can be born of the Spirit.
And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: Romans 1:4
If we are to believe the Old and New Testament, there are many examples of God being our father. There is little doubt this truth can be proven using the Bible. When Christ made his way to earth, He told us He came in the likeness of his Father (God).
Believe you not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwells in me, he does the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. John 14:10-11
So the Bible states that Christ came to earth and dwelt among us in the image of His Father (God). When Christ left the earth it meant we, mankind, would once again be without a representation of a spiritual parent on earth and would be as orphans. Look at John 14: 15-21:
If you love me, keep my commandments. I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, that he may be with you forever,-- the Spirit of truth, whom the world can't receive; for it doesn't see him, neither knows him. You know him, for he lives with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more; but you will see me. Because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. One who has my commandments, and keeps them, that person is one who loves me. One who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will reveal myself to him." John 14:15-21
Some translations use the word "comfortless" but this is actually the Greek word "orphanos" or "orphans". Jesus assured his followers, when He left the earth, and they no longer had an image of the Father (God) dwelling among them, he would send back another image, another Counselor--the Holy Spirit--to be with them. Jesus, the image of God the father is replaced by the Spirit, the image of the mother. This is the only way it would not leave us orphans.
To encapsulate this story, prior to Jesus' birth as a man on earth, mankind was orphaned on the earth, without the image of a father or mother for comfort. When Christ came in the image of His Father (God), we were no longer orphans because of his presence on earth in the image of the Father. However, he knew he could not remain on earth forever in this image of the Father (God) so He assured his followers, once He left, He would send back the image of the other parent; the Holy Spirit, and mankind would no longer be orphaned (without father or mother). Jesus, in the father's image, left us then sent back the image of the mother; Holy Spirit; to comfort us and counsel.
Note what he spoke just after these statements.
I have said these things to you, while still living with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I to you. Don't let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful. John 14:25-27
The true Counselor, our true mother, is the Holy Spirit, not "The Body of Christ" as the ABC would have you believe. Christ was born of the Spirit at his resurrection and He was, I assure you, not born of Himself.
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loves us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood...Revelation 1:5
God has fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he has raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, You are my Son, this day have I begotten you.Acts 13:33
I will declare the decree: the LORD has said unto me, You are my Son; this day have I begotten you. Psalms 2:7
The bible states when Christ died, and was resurrected, he was born of the Spirit, born again of God, became the begotten of God, was born out of Zion (Jerusalem above) and it is He who established her womb as He became the firstborn of God, allowing us the same privilege of being born of the Spirit.
And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her. Psalms 87:5
If God is our father, we must also be born of the Spirit; our mother. When this happens, we have forever within us the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father sends in Christ's name, and he will teach you all things. John 14:15 [paraphrased]. If we are born of God and born of the Spirit we have identified who our true parents are. The body of Christ cannot be its own mother. If counsel is to be given it must come directly from the Holy Spirit within us. The rest is simply opinion and must be weighed.
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