New
Covenant Christian Proto-Trinitarians are pretty well in complete agreement with
classical Trinitarians from the Protestant, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches
when it comes to the biblical doctrine of the Father and the Son. Where we differ
a little is in the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. The Protestants and Catholics
differ with the Eastern Orthodox Church over the Holy Spirit too (e.g. the 'Filioque
Controversy') and we are closer to the Eastern Orthodox in this regard than the
Western Churches. Nevertheless there is, in reality, very little difference between
us as we all accept the Deity of the Holy Spirit.
To
lie to the Holy Spirit is to lie to God (Acts 5:3-4). The linking of the Spirit
with the Lord Yahshua (Jesus) and the Father in such places as 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
and 2 Corinthians 13:14 would be near blasphemy if 'He' were not 'Himself' God.
The Holy Spirit is also personal. Thus 'He' wills (Acts 13:2; 1 Corinthians 12:11);
'He' understands (Romans 8:27); 'He' may be grieved (Ephesians 4:30). Such terms
would be meaningless if applied solely to an impersonal influence or power.
We
do not have nearly as much data on the Holy Spirit's personality as we do of Christ,
as we would expect of an invisible Being. There are two problems with the classical
Trinitarian formulation on the Holy Spirit:
a.
The Holy Spirit is described in both Testaments as both personal and impersonal;
b. The
Holy Spirit is predominantly described in masculine terms in the New Testament,
in feminine terms in the Old Testament, and in neutral terms throughout both.
Classical
Trinitarianism acknowledges only that the Holy Spirit is personal and masculine
which, in the view of the New Covenant Church of God, is an inadequate representation
of the Bible witness. We therefore consider classical Trinitarianism to be defective
in its doctrine of the Holy Spirit.
Since
the Bible does not give a precise formulation of the Holy Spirit, neither do we.
And since the term 'Holy Spirit' is often used interchangeably with both the Father
and the Son, it is not possible to arrive at any definite formulation based on
the biblical data alone. As the data stands, it is possible to arrive at several
conclusions.
It
is here that further revelation is needed. Part of the problem we have with the
New Testament was that it was written in Greek, a language evolved within a pagan
context as opposed to the Hebrew of the Old Testament which was, we believe, the
original divine language and which evolved within the context of a divine theocracy
(Israel). This means, in our opinion, that Hebrew is more precise and inspired
than Greek.
Moreover,
we have good reason to believe that most, if not all, the New Testament was originally
written in Hebrew and subsequently translated into Greek. Therefore in terms of
defining the gender of the Holy Spirit, New Covenant Christians are more disposed
to the Old Testament witness of the Bible which overwhelmingly reveals the Holy
Spirit to be feminine.
The
New Covenant Church of God/Guds Nye Pakts Kirke
In response to my letter requesting information from the New Covenant Church of
God, i received a letter from Christopher C. Warren, Presiding Patriarch of the
church, from which i quote relevant portions below, as well as several pamphlets
(not quoted due to space constraints) and a couple of other official documents
which are quoted on this page. Please note that the letter quoted below is copyright
©1996 Christopher C. Warren, and the other documents herein quoted are ©New Covenant
Church of God/Guds Nye Pakts Kirke. I have received written permission to quote
these materials for non-commercial use on the internet, but i have not been given
permission to transfer that right to anyone else.
Quoting from a letter on New Covenant Church of God stationery from Christopher
C. Warren, Presiding Patriarch, dated 21 January 1996:
We are...in the process of editing and making a public selection of the Church's
1,000 or so revelations received since the mid 1980's but this is unlikely to
be available for many months. A few of these revelations are already available
in printed format and I am enclosing a sample, including: (a) The Inspired Translation
and Prophetic Expansion of the Gospel of Thomas (Logions 1-12); (b) The Highest
Love: The New Olive Leaf Revelations; (c) The Ten Virgins; and (d) The Two Birds...
The Church
does not publish membership statistics. There are four congregations in Norway,
one in the Ukraine, and one in Bulgaria. There used to be small congregations
in the USA, England, and Denmark but these no longer exist. There are investigators
in several countries...
The current leadership of the Church consists of Christopher C. Warren (Presiding
Patriarch/Apostle), Aslaug Hagen Mjölsvik (Presiding Matriarch), Gunnar Mjölsvik
(Second Patriarch/Apostle) and Trond Standnes (Third Patriarch/Apostle--to be
ordained in April [1996]).
The official magazine of the Church is the monthly New Covenant Witness.
I hope this information has been useful. If anybody requires an English-speaking
contact, they should write or phone:
Christopher C. Warren, M.A. PO Box 48 N-1591 Sperrebotn NORWAY Tel. 69-28-74-06
(Weekdays 18:30-21:30, Norwegian time & weekends)
The following is an official statement from the New Covenant Church of God regarding
its relationship with the Latter Day Saint Movement religions.
Official Statement No. 2 of the Patriarchate of the New Covenant Church of God
THE LATTER-DAY
SCRIPTURES
Inasmuch as some of the scriptures of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints (Mormon/LDS), the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
(Saints' Church/RLDS), Sons Ahman Israel (New Age Mormonism/SAI), and the Evangelical
Church of Christ (Patriarchal Church of Christ) were at one time accepted by the
former Independent Church of Jesus Christ (of Latter Day Saints) (dissolved in
1992), the Patriarchate of the New Covenant Church of God, speaking on behalf
of all its constituent organisations (the Holy Order, the New Covenant Church
of Jesus Christ, and the NPKF/NCCF--New Covenant Christian Fellowships), organised
on 12 April 1992 and reorganised on 15 October 1995 in Bergen, Norway, wish to
state for the public record that the New Covenant Church of God:
1. Is not a break-off of any Latter-day Saint Church or a part of that ecclesiastical
and theological stream called the "Restoration Movement," but is a wholly new
Christian synthesis or tradition established in our day to prepare for the Millennial
Kingdom;
2. Does not trace its origin to Joseph Smith, Jr., or any of his successors in
the LDS, RLDS, or other Restoration churches (Brigham Young, Joseph Smith III,
Davied Israel, etc.), but: (a) to the first Church established by Christ and His
apostles in New Testament times, and (b) to the new covenant and revelation received
through Lev-Zion commencing 27 June 1984 and continuing to be unfolded by the
Patriarchate of the New Covenant Church to the present day;
3. Regards Latter-day Saintism as a whole, and its various forms, as a deviation
from Biblical Christianity;
4.
Rejects as canonical scripture the Book of Mormon (LDS/RLDS), the Doctrine & Covenants
(LDS/RLDS), the Pearl of Great Price (LDS), the Oracles of Mohonri (SAI), the
Writings of Abraham (ECC), the Book of Zadok (SAI), the Writings of Moroni (ECC/SAI),
the Writings of Mary (ECC), the Hypocephalus of Abraham (SAI), and the Inspired
Version of the Holy Scriptures (RLDS) and considers many of these to contain pernicious
heresies likely to lead souls astray;
5.
Does not accept Latter-day Saint claims to priesthood authority, and rejects the
claim that the resurrected/translated apostles Peter, James, and John bestowed
such authority upon Joseph Smith, Jr. by the laying-on of hands;
6. Rejects the story of the "First Vision" canonised by the LDS church as a fabrication
of Joseph Smith, Jr. after the supposed event;
7.
Does not believe that the Book of Mormon or any of its supposed "sealed portions"
(the Oracles of Mohonri and Writings of Moroni) to be historical documents, but
rather inspired (and often uninspired) fiction;
8. Believes the (unsealed portion of the) Book of Mormon to be the purest of the
Latter-day Saints scriptures, of profit to the discerning, Bible-centred Christian
as an example of refined Presbyterian doctrine, but having no basis in historical
reality nor having any connection with the ancient inhabitants of the American
continent;
9.
Rejects all forms of freemasonry and the occult which have had varying degrees
of influence on the Latter-day Saint Movement;
10.
Rejects the Mormon doctrines that God was once a man, that men and women faithful
to the Mormon system will become "gods" and "godesses," that being eternally married
is a condition of salvation, or that vicarious baptism is necessary for the salvation
of the dead;
11. Acknowledges its debt to, and holds in common with, Latter-day Saints a belief
in the doctrines of pre-mortal existence, marriage beyond the grave (eternal marriage),
the importance of gaining spiritual knowledge in this life, an open canon of scripture
(but with the caveat that the Bible is accepted as the primary book of scripture),
and the millennial theocracy;
12. Rejects the claim of any church, Latter-day Saint or otherwise, to be the
only true, God-commissioned church in the world, but maintains that God works
through different churches, denominations and individuals in proportion to their
willingness to be obedient to the Gospel;
13. Encourages its members to prayerfully study all scriptures, revelations, visions
and prophecies claiming to be from God for their private edification as time permits,
and occasionally produces studies of these works for the more spiritually mature
in the Holy Order and New Covenant Church of Jesus Christ;
14. Has extracted, or restated, those principles found in Mormonism which are
true in its own revelations and publications, thus making the need for Latter-day
Saint scriptures in and by the Church superfluous;
15. Whilst considering all Latter-day Saints who have come to a saving relationship
with the resurrected Christ to be Christians in the truest sense of the word,
believes that the great majority of LDS do not know the biblical Jesus and are
therefore in desperate need of salvation.
