1. The WMSCOG’s Claim — Misreading of Galatians 4
The World Mission Society Church of God cites Paul’s words in Galatians 4 to claim that “Mother God exists in heaven.” In particular, they interpret literally the phrase “the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother,” asserting a divine being called Heavenly Mother, whom they associate with Jang Gil-ja.

2. Paul’s Original Intention — The ‘Covenant’ Allegory in Abraham’s Family Story
In Galatians 4, Paul does not establish a doctrinal statement that there is a mother in heaven, but rather uses the real family history of Abraham to explain the theological relationship between Old and New Testaments, law and gospel, old covenant and new covenant. Abraham had two wives: Hagar, a slave woman, and Sarah, the legitimate wife. Hagar bore Ishmael to Abraham, symbolizing human effort and fleshly means—that is, the law. Sarah miraculously bore Isaac, representing God’s promise, grace, and the new life through the Spirit. Paul calls these two women “two covenants” (Galatians 4:24–26), explaining that Hagar represents Mount Sinai, earthly Jerusalem, and those under the law, while Sarah symbolizes the heavenly Jerusalem and the New Testament believers who enjoy freedom under the new covenant. In other words, Hagar typifies faith under the old covenant and law, and Sarah foreshadows the faith community of the new covenant born through promise and Spirit.

3. The Core — Who Are the ‘Children of the Promise’?
The essence of this allegory is about who the “children of the promise” are—that is, who participates in God’s promise of salvation. Ishmael, born of Hagar, represents those “born according to the flesh,” the people of the old covenant living under law and lineage. Isaac, born of Sarah, represents those “born according to the promise,” the new covenant people born by God’s grace and the Spirit—namely, the New Testament church. Paul emphasizes in Galatians 4:28–31, “You are children of promise, like Isaac… But as then he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now.” True children of God belong not by bloodline or law but through the promise received by Spirit and gospel.

4. Confusion of Allegory and Reality — The Logical Error of WMSCOG
Importantly, Paul’s reference to Hagar and Sarah as “mothers” is not to assert that an actual divine “Mother God” exists in heaven. Taking this literally would require deifying Hagar as “mother of the earth” and Sarah as “mother of heaven,” which is logically incoherent—especially since all Jews trace their lineage to Sarah, making it impossible for Hagar to be the mother of the Jewish people. Moreover, in Hebrews 12, Paul calls the entire community of early Christians “the heavenly Jerusalem,” a spiritual new community enjoying freedom and new life. Thus, the “mother” concept in Hagar and Sarah is metaphorical, referring to spiritual belonging and covenant succession, not literal persons. WMSCOG’s distortion of this allegory into a doctrine of a literal Mother God contradicts Paul’s intention and the essence of the New Testament.

5. Conclusion — Discerning the Allegory’s Essence According to Biblical Truth
Ultimately, the “mother” in Galatians 4 is a metaphor emphasizing that only the “children of promise” (those born of the gospel) enjoy true freedom and salvation. The WMSCOG’s literal interpretation that “Mother God exists in heaven” is a logical leap misunderstanding the biblical essence. True faith begins with accurately grasping the Bible’s core context and Paul’s intent, requiring critical discernment to avoid misreading allegory and symbols as literal realities.