Errors in Our Two Doctrinal
Books
QUESTIONS ON
DOCTRINE – SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS BELIEVE
The most controversial book in the history of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church, Questions on Doctrine (hereafter
referred to as QD), has been reprinted. Its republication has brought the
entire Martin-Barnhouse conferences with our leaders in Washington, D.C.—and
our subsequent doctrinal sellout—back into focus.
Therefore, it is urgent that we once again turn our
attention to a dark day for our church, which began nearly fifty years ago
in the spring of 1955.
Advertisements for this new book reprint declare it to
be "a completely new typeset of the monumental 1957 classic . .
Originally produced by the Ministerial Association of the General
Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Questions on Doctrine was
widely acclaimed and distributed in the late 1950s and early 1960s as a
forthright answer to questions from Evangelicals about key elements of
Adventist doctrine."
The present writer was in attendance at the Adventist
Seminary, next door to the General Conference from June 1955 to July 1958.
Therefore he was very close to the scene of action throughout nearly all
of the 1955-1956 Evangelical Conferences, the release of the
"bombshell" Eternity articles, and the publication of Questions
on Doctrine. He personally observed changes in instruction at the
Seminary during that time.
In 1983, he wrote the most complete history of, what
become known as, the Evangelical Conferences and events which followed
them down to 1983.
Because of the re-release of Questions on Doctrine
(QD), a fresh, retypeset, and improved edition of that history is being
prepared. It will include new facts not previously known, along with
additional historical events which occurred after 1983. Watch for the
announcement date of its release.
Especially from the mid-1950s, onward, two separate
trends were at work. One was the growing apostasy in our colleges and
universities, caused by our slavish devotion to accredited schools,
which required our books, instruction, and teachers to conform to worldly
standards and doctoral degrees, which necessitated hiring men and women
trained in secular, Protestant, and Catholic universities. The entire
history of that downward trend is recorded in the present author’s book,
Broken Blueprint; you can obtain these low-cost copies in
boxful quantities for widespread distribution.
The other fatal trend began with the Evangelical
Conferences and the publication of Questions on Doctrine, which
emboldened the liberals in our church to more openly urge students and
church members to accept Evangelical concepts (errors which we today
collectively refer to as "the new theology").
If you want to understand the basics of the new
theology in our ranks, it is really quite simple: Twist various doctrinal
concepts to agree with the premise that it is all right to keep sinning
and still go to heaven.
It should be mentioned here that a spin-off from the
Evangelical Conferences was the involvement of our leaders in the
ecumenical movement. Although the release of QD did not achieve the
coveted goal of gaining our acceptance by the other denominations, many of
our leaders determined to use Vatican II, to help us penetrate the council
halls of other churches and enter into friendly theological agreements
with them
This began in the late 1950s with contacts with the
National Council of Churches in New York City, at the very time that QD
was first printed. But Pope John XXIII’s convening of Vatican II greatly
helped. We sent unofficial representatives to attend the meetings. In the
hallways of St. Peters and in the hotels of Rome, we made contacts with
leaders of other denominations and gradually worked ourselves into
position—so that, in 1966, two "special non-members" of the
World Council of Churches (WCC) began sending representatives to a special
doctrinal committee at their headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland: the
Roman Catholic Church and the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Our
participation at WCC headquarters in that doctrinal committee has
continued down to the present day. Indeed, Bert Beverly Beach, our
leading WCC representative (he fluently speaks many European languages)
from 1966 onward, was chairman of that committee for decades.
For more information on our ecumenical connections, we
recommend two of our books which summarize it up to 1999: Seventh-day
Adventist /Vatican Ecumenical Involvement, Book 1: History, 80 pp., 8½ x
11, $7.00 + $2.50; and Book 2: Documents, 140 pp., 8½ x 11, $11.00 +
$2.50.
Because of the continued, ongoing controversy over the
book, QD was permitted to go out of print. But, as will be related later
in detail, by 1983, Walter Martin was openly threatening our church
leaders that, if we did not republish QD or something similar, he would
publish a scathing doctrinal attack on our denomination—and, as he
said, denounce us as a fanatical cult "in 6,000 religious
bookstores" in America.
So, in 1988, a sequel to QD was released. Entitled Seventh-day
Adventists Believe (SDAB), it contained a rehash of most of the
doctrinal errors which had been in the previous book. Martin’s
threatened denunciation of us was never printed. We had acceded to his
demands.
As QD was written by Leroy Edwin Froom, a General
Conference researcher, so SDAB was penned by Norman Gulley, a Bible
teacher at, what is now called, Southern Adventist University, in
Collegedale, Tennessee (as explained on p. v, of Acknowledgement,
in SDAB).
Please understand that both books (QD and SDAB)
constitute the only official doctrinal books ever published by our
denomination! No other book ever published by our church, including Bible
Readings, ever received that accolade.
The publication of QD was delayed over a year, because
of repeated rejections of it by the Review and certain leaders. As SDAB
neared publication, over 75 pages were removed from the book! (More on
that later in this report.) Warnings were sounded that, if it was not
expurgated to some extent, a terrible uprising would occur in the church. As
a result, there is a mingling of truth with often subtly worded error in
both books. This only makes them more dangerous.
Here is a brief analysis of several doctrinal problems
in both books:
THE HUMAN NATURE OF CHRIST
When Christ came to earth, He took our fallen human
nature. This is the teaching of Hebrews 2:14-18. Christ took the
nature of Abraham’s descendants, not his ancestors (Heb 2:16). This is
also the teaching of the Spirit of Prophecy. In research of the Spirit of
Prophecy, which he conducted over a decade ago, Ralph Larson found over
2,000 passages clearly supporting this truth about the human nature of
Christ. It is a continual marvel to the present writer that the Spirit
of Prophecy would contain so many accurate statements on the human nature
of Christ; yet the controversy over this topic did not begin until decades
after her death.
Here are two sample quotations. They are
incontrovertible:
"It would have been an almost infinite
humiliation for the Son of God to take man’s nature, even when Adam
stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the
race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Like every
child of Adam He accepted the results of the working of the great law of
heredity. What these results were is shown in the history of His earthly
ancestors. He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and
temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life."—Desire
of Ages, 49.
"Satan had pointed to Adam’s sin as proof
that God’s law was unjust, and could not be obeyed. In our humanity,
Christ was to redeem Adam’s failure. But when Adam was assailed by
the tempter, none of the effects of sin were upon him. He stood in the
strength of perfect manhood, possessing the full vigor of mind and body.
He was surrounded with the glories of Eden, and was in daily communion
with heavenly beings. It was not thus with Jesus when He entered the
wilderness to cope with Satan. For four thousand years the race had
been decreasing in physical strength, in mental power, and in moral
worth; and Christ took upon Him the infirmities of degenerate humanity.
Only thus could He rescue man from the lowest depths of his degradation.
"Many claim that it was impossible for Christ
to be overcome by temptation. Then He could not have been placed in
Adam’s position; He could not have gained the victory that Adam failed
to gain. If we have in any sense a more trying conflict than had
Christ, then He would not be able to succor us. But our Saviour took
humanity, with all its liabilities. He took the nature of man, with the
possibility of yielding to temptation. We have nothing to bear which
He has not endured."—Desire of Ages, 117.
While retaining His divinity, Christ took for Himself
the same human nature we have; and in that nature, He relied on His Father
for help. He successfully resisted every temptation that Satan could hurl
at Him. He is our example; and, by faith in Him, we too are to overcome
on every point and be overcomers.
Although He fully took our fallen, sinful nature, not
once did He ever yield to temptation or entertain a sinful thought. He was
sinless.
For an in-depth study on this subject, we refer you to
our extensive compilation, The Nature of Christ, 8½ x 11, 84 pp.,
$7.00 + $2.50.
Why does the new theology—and the Evangelicals—seek
to deny this truth? Because they want to theologically excuse the fact
that they want to remain in their sins till they die.
As they do on several other doctrines, both truth and
error are to be found in QD and SDAB in regard to the human nature which
Christ took when He came to earth. Some are thankful that some truth
is included in both books; but we should not praise the fact that some
accurate statements are there. Instead, we should protest the inclusion
of any error amid truth in official Adventist doctrinal books.
Pages 50-65 (question 6) and 383 (part of question 33)
is where you will find the human nature of Christ discussed in the
original 1957 edition of QD. In the 2003 reprint, those pages are 49-60
and 304-305. Here is how QD said it:
"Although born in the flesh, He [Christ] was
nevertheless God, and was exempt from the inherited passions and
pollutions that corrupt the natural descendants of Adam. He was ‘without
sin,’ not only in His outward conduct, but in His very nature."—QD
(1957), 383:1.
"But though sinless in His life and in His
nature, He was nevertheless ‘in all points tempted like as we are,
yet without sin’ "—QD (1957), 383:1.
"He was the second Adam, coming in the ‘likeness’
of sinful human flesh."—QD (1957), 52:1 [quote marks theirs].
Only in the "likeness." QD declares that
Christ only bore our humanity "vicariously"! This is rank
heresy! Here, read it for yourself:
"It could hardly be construed, however, from the
record of either Isaiah [53:3-4] or Matthew [8:17], that Jesus was
diseased or that He experienced the frailties to which our fallen human
nature is heir. But He did bear all this. Could it not be that
He bore this vicariously also, just as He bore the
sins of the whole world?"—QD (1957), 59:3 [italics theirs].
"These weaknesses, frailties, infirmities,
failings are things which we, with our sinful, fallen natures, have
to bear. To us they are natural, inherent, but when He bore them, He
took them not as something innately His, but He bore them as our
substitute. He bore them in His perfect, sinless nature. Again we
remark, Christ bore all this vicariously, just as vicariously He
bore the iniquities of us all. It is in this sense that all should
understand the writings of Ellen G. White when she refers occasionally
to sinful, fallen, and deteriorated human nature [which Christ had while
on earth]."—QD (1957), 59:4-60:0.
QD then reverses itself and declares that Christ did
take our humanity, but only the sinless part.
"Whatever Jesus took was not His intrinsically
or innately. [He did not really take any part of human nature.] His
taking the burden of our inherited weakness and failings, even after
four thousand years of accumulated infirmities and degeneracy (The
Desire of Ages, pp. 49, 117), did not in the slightest degree taint
His human nature. [He did take the sinless part of human nature.]"—QD
(1957), 61:4.
QD then returns to the concept that Christ only bore
our humanity in a make-believe manner:
"All that Jesus took, all that He bore,
whether the burden and penalty of our iniquities, or the disease and
frailties of our human nature—all was taken and borne vicariously.
Just as bearing vicariously the sins of the whole world did not taint His
perfect, sinless soul, neither did bearing the diseases and
frailties of our fallen nature taint Him in the slightest degree with
the corrupting influences of sin."—QD (1957), 61:7-62:0.
Froom (the primary writer of this confusion) is begging
the question. Christ took our real nature; but, in that nature, He never
sinned nor did He become sick.
Let us next turn our attention to the sequel doctrinal
book, Seventh-day Adventists Believe. Here is how the human nature
of Christ is described in SDAB:
"Jesus Christ took upon Himself our nature with
all its liabilities, but He was free from hereditary corruption."—SDAB,
49/1:4 (Seventh day Adventists Believe, page 49, column 1, paragraph 4).
According to that statement, Jesus took our hereditary
physical weakness, but not our hereditary moral weaknesses. He did not
thus fully take our fallen nature.
Here is a two-positioned statement in SDAB:
"He took the nature of man in its fallen
state [that is, He took our fallen nature], bearing the consequences
of sin, not its sinfulness [that is, He did not take our fallen
nature]. He was one with the human race, except in sin."—SDAB,
49/1:2.
Such contradictory statements in a single sentence are
possible because of the highly doctored attention these books received
during the editing process. While some were attempting to crowd in
error to appease Martin and his Evangelicals, others were trying to push
the errors out.
THE ATONEMENT
"The atonement is finished at the cross" is
the teaching of those chapters in QD which deal with the atonement.
Keep in mind that when the atonement is finished, our salvation is
completed. All that comes after Calvary, according to the modern
Protestant view, is merely our acceptance of the salvation completed
there. "Only believe and you are saved," is their cry.
Clearly, the doctrine of a "finished atonement at the cross" is
diametrically opposed to the Bible teaching that mankind must obey the law
of God. The truth is that if we will not actively cooperate in
trustful, day-by-day reliance on Christ—with God in His work for our
salvation—we will not be saved.
Here is how QD presented the error:
"Most decidedly the all-sufficient atoning
sacrifice of Jesus our Lord was offered and completed on the
cross of Calvary. This was done for all mankind."—QD (1957),
350:2.
Originally, the word was "atonement," but
editors changed it to "atoning sacrifice." Nowhere in QD will
you find the word, "atonement," applied to anything done after
the cross. (The phrase, "day of atonement," is mentioned a
couple times; but it is repeatedly stated to mean judgment, not
atonement.)
"We believe that the atonement provides
an all-sufficient, perfect, substitutionary sacrifice for sin, which
completely satisfies the justice of God and fulfills every
requirement [for salvation]."—QD (1957), 352:4-353:0.
"When, therefore, one hears an Adventist say,
or reads in Adventist literature—even in the writings of Ellen G.
White—that Christ is making atonement now, it should be understood
that we mean simply that Christ is now making application of the
benefits of the sacrificial atonement He made on the cross."—QD
(1957), 354:8-355:0.
"This sacrifice [on Calvary] was completely
efficacious. It provided complete atonement for all mankind."—QD
(1957), 357:0
"Jesus our surety entered the ‘holy places’
and appeared in the presence of God for us. But it was not with the
hope of obtaining something for us at that time, or at some future time.
No! He had already obtained it for us on the cross."—QD
(1957), 381:1.
On pages 341-364, 369-390, in the original 1957 book (in
the sections on questions 29-31 and 33), and pages 271-290,
295-312 (in the new 2003 reprint), QD repeatedly uses the phrase,
"atoning sacrifice"; this is always in the sense that
Christ’s death on Calvary was the only atonement (often called the
"completed atonement") while its "benefits" were
merely applied thereafter to humanity from His ministry in the
Sanctuary in heaven.
Read through those sections. You will repeatedly find
the phrases, "sacrificial atonement" and "completed
atonement," as that which Christ did on Calvary; and "benefits
of the (finished) atonement" refers to what He does in heaven
thereafter. What are the "benefits"? Forgiveness alone.
More on this later.
Did you notice that, in QD 381 (quoted above), Froom
did not give the correct translation of hagia? His QD footnote on
p. 381 says this:
"The Greek word here translated ‘holy place’
is hagia, and is in the plural form. A correct translation
would be ‘the holies,’ or ‘holy places,’ as in Hebrews
9:24."—QD (1957), 381, footnote. [A similar footnote is on p.
385.]
Those who have read the present author’s book, Biblical
Defense, pp. 251-263, know that Hebrews 9:1-3 explains the correct
translation of hagia. At His ascension, Jesus entered the first
apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary.
If you will read pages 381 and 385 in QD, you will
sense that Froom was trying to mollify the Evangelicals, who believe
that Christ entered the Most Holy Place in A.D. 31, not its first
apartment.
QD (1957) 341:2 also mistranslates the Hebrew word
for atonement, kaphar (kippur), as meaning "to cover."
But this interpretation means that the atonement only covers over our
sins instead of getting rid of them. The correct Hebrew meaning of kaphar
is "to wipe." See Genesis 6:14. Thus the atonement wipes
away our sins. (See my book, Biblical Defense, pp. 129-130.)
Knight, in his notes, overlooked this flaw, which favors the new theology.
The 1988 doctrinal sequel, SDAB, presents the same
fundamental error: The atonement was finished at the cross:
"Christ’s serving as the surety meant that if
the human race would fall into sin He would bear their punishment; He
would make the atonement for their sin . . At the cross Jesus fulfilled
His pledge to be humanity’s surety in the covenant. His cry ‘It is
finished’ marked the completion of His mission."—SDAB,
94/1:3, 94/2:2.
"The atonement, or reconciliation, was
completed on the cross as foreshadowed by the sacrifices, and the
penitent believer can trust in this finished work of our
Lord."—SDAB, 315/2:1.
The reader is encouraged to believe that forgiveness of
our past sins and a "clothing in the righteousness of Christ,"
by His heavenly mediation—without reference to any need on our part to
obey God—is all that is necessary to insure that Christ’s finished
atonement on the cross will open heaven’s gates to us.
"The mediatorial ministry of the resurrected
Christ has the twofold objective of forgiving and clothing—the
application of His death and life to our life and our standing before
God. Calvary’s ‘It is finished’ marked the completion of a
perfect life and a perfect sacrifice. Sinners need both."—SDAB,
114/2:2.
In SDAB, the phrases, "atoning death" and
"atoning sacrifice," are repeatedly used. For example, it is
found 20 times in just five portions of the new book: 53/2:1, 110/2:4,
111/1:1, 111/1:2, 111/1:3-111/2:0, 111/2:1, 112/1:4, 115/2:1, 115/2:2,
116/1:1, 116/1:1, 157/2:3, 160/1:1, 242/1:1, 243/1:4, 243/2:0, 315/1:3,
315/2:4, 315/2:1, 315/2:3.
In contrast, there are only six places in SDAB where
the atonement is also applied to the work within the tabernacle or the
heavenly Sanctuary (SDAB, 110/1:3, 110/2:1-2, 315/2:1-3-316/1:0, 318/1:2,
317/2:1-3, 327/2:2). Some editors slipped them in.
Some may say that everything is all right if both
positions are in the book. But the fact remains that, in this official
Adventist doctrinal book, the error is there and predominantly so. The
Spirit of Prophecy tells us that Satan works most effectively when he can
mingle truth with error.
The sleeping giant in both doctrinal books is the lack
of any necessity for active obedience on the part of the Christian. In
the late 1950s, M.L. Andreasen (a godly soul who will be in heaven) was
deeply concerned, and rightly so, about the fact that QD ended the
atonement process at the cross. According to QD, no atonement was made in
heaven; and even the day of atonement of Leviticus 16 was said to only be
concerned with judgment, not atonement.
In contrast, George Knight, in his notes in the
reprinted QD, repeatedly declares that QD teaches our correct position on
the atonement. He says that QD says the "benefits" of the
atonement made on Calvary were applied later; therefore, the entirety of
our atonement message is properly stated in that book.
But the time bomb in the atonement chapters involves
the lack of required obedience. If you will very carefully read pages
341-364, 369-390 in the original 1957 book (dealing with questions 29-31,
and 33) and 271-290, 295-311 (in the new 2003 reprint), you
will come upon an astounding fact: Nearly every fact about the heavenly
Sanctuary, as given in chapters 23-24, and 28 of Great
Controversy (pp 409-432, 479-491) is totally missing from QD! That is
because those details directly lead to enabled obedience on our part.
Read those QD sections on the atonement and Sanctuary
again; and the Evangelical / new theology will begin to dawn on you: There
is nothing in QD about power to obey being provided by Jesus to His
followers! It is all forgiveness, forgiveness, forgiveness! This is
the heart of our current new theology crisis.
The Evangelical Conferences and the resultant book, QD,
was one of the two primary channels where our present doctrinal apostasy
originated. QD emboldened liberals in our denomination to begin
preaching salvation regardless of conduct. The other primary channel is
explained in my book, Broken Blueprint: the control of the
books, teachers, and curricula of our colleges and universities, by
worldly accreditating agencies, and the accreditation requirement that our
teachers obtain doctorates. They got "doctorates" all right!
They receive indoctrination. Thoroughly indoctrinated into atheistic
sentiments, Roman Catholic concepts, and / or modern Protestant errors (in
accordance with the university they attended), they were hired by our
schools of "higher education" to teach sophisticated error to
the young of our church.
In the midst of more than two dozen passages in QD
which speak about forgiveness, I found only one which gave the right
message. Some editor must have slipped it in at the last minute:
"And in His capacity as High Priest, He gives
His people power to overcome sin."—QD (1957), 382:3.
For the most accurate and complete research study on
the atonement and the heavenly Sanctuary, which you can find anywhere,
we refer you to the writings of one who knows the most about the subject:
Read Great Controversy, chapters 23, 24, and 28 (pp. 409-432, 479-491).
THE TWO-APARTMENT SANCTUARY
The concept of an actual two-apartment Sanctuary in
heaven is one which is especially disliked by the new theology. They
prefer to view Christ as entering a single place, the Most Holy Place
(which they consider to be heaven itself), and doing nothing thereafter.
However, chapters 23-24, and 28 of Great
Controversy are very clear on this point.
But, in order to please the Evangelicals, QD was very
careful to avoid discussing the matter. There is little or no mention
of the two apartments in QD; and there is almost nothing about a structure
in heaven that is called the Sanctuary.
"It is better to see and study the great
realities of the sacrifice and priestly ministry of Christ than to dwell
too much upon the details of the typical service, which gave but an
inadequate portrayal of the sacrifice and ministry of Christ. Far
better to interpret the earthly tabernacle in the light of the heavenly,
rather than to circumscribe the antitypical realities by the limitations
of too close an application of the type."—QD (1957), 379:1.
In the above passage, Froom is telling us to not study
the meaning of the furnishings or apartments of the heavenly Sanctuary. In
the next one, he makes no mention of a structure in heaven.
"When our Lord ascended into the heavens He
appeared before the Father, in the presence of the angels, at which
time He was installed as our High Priest . . He is also the
King-Priest of the Melchizedek order, upon His Father’s throne."—QD
(1957), 378:2.
Nowhere in Scripture or the Spirit of Prophecy is
Christ a "King-Priest" before the end of time.
"Jesus our surety entered the ‘holy places,’
and appeared in the presence of God for us . . And now as our High
Priest He ministers the virtues of His atoning sacrifice to us."—QD
(1957), 381:1.
We are not told what those "holy places"
consist of. But one passage does speak of it as a Sanctuary in heaven:
"Now where and how does our Lord officiate? The
Scripture leaves no room for speculation. He ministers in the
heavenly sanctuary (Heb. 8:1-2). So long as the ancient ritual
continued, ‘the way into the holiest of all [holy places] was not . .
made manifest’ (Heb. 9:8)."—QD (1957), 384:3-385:0 [bracket
in the original].
In the sequel doctrinal book, SDAB, the emphasis is
also on forgiveness.
"The sanctuary could be characterized as a
ministry of intercession, forgiveness, reconciliation, and
restoration . . the repentant sinner has immediate and constant
access to God through Christ’s priestly ministry as intercessor and
mediator."—SDAB, 316/1:4-2/:0.
"The penitent offered a sin offering, confessing
his errors. He went away forgiven, assured of God’s acceptance.
So in the antitypical experience, when a sinner is drawn in penitence by
the Holy Spirit to accept Christ as his Saviour and Lord, Christ
assumes his sins and accountability. He is freely forgiven.
Christ is the believer’s Surety as well as his Substitute."—SDAB,
316/2:3-317/1:0 [Italics are Gulley’s].
"Christ’s priestly ministry provides for the
sinner’s forgiveness and reconciliation to God."—SDAB,
317/1:1.
Not one word about overcoming power to resist and
conquer sin in this book.
According to SDAB, this "sanctuary" is the
place where God dwells. So it must consist of the inner part of heaven.
"The heavenly sanctuary is the primary dwelling
place of God."—SDAB, 314/2:2.
In one extended passage, SDAB mentions that Christ
entered the most holy place when He ascended to heaven (SDAB,
319/2:3-320/1:0).
INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT
QD contains no reference to any atoning work in this
investigative judgment. The following quotation mentions judgment
alone as the last work of Christ’s heavenly ministry; it also mentions
the fact that the two "apartments" of the earthly tabernacle
only refer to two "phases" of Christ’s work in heaven, not to
two apartments:
"This priestly ministry of our Lord, we
believe, climaxes in a work of judgment. And this takes place just
before He returns in glory. While He does not minister in ‘places
made with hands’ (Heb. 9:24), seeing He is sovereign Lord, yet the two
types of ministry carried out in the ancient sanctuary—first, that
of reconciliation in the holy place, and second, that of judgment in the
most holy—illustrate very graphically the two phases of our Lord’s
ministry as High Priest. And then, that ministry finished, He comes in
glory."—QD (1957), 389:3.
". . Christ’s ministry in the sanctuary above,
and especially to the concluding phase of that ministry, which we
understand to be a work of judgment."—QD (1957), 370:3.
"The work of this special day [the day of
atonement] was a type, or illustration, of the last aspect of the great
work of God for man. In ancient Israel, it was a day of judgment."—QD
(1957), 362:7.
". . the concluding phase of that ministry, which
we understand to be a work of judgment."—QD (1957),
370:3.
We fully agree that the investigative judgment is
concerned with a work of judgment—but it is also a time for the
people of God on earth to put away their sins, so they can pass that
judgment! See Great Controversy, chapter 28 (pp. 479-491). This
concept is totally ignored in QD.
As far as Froom was concerned, Calvary did it all;
nothing was to follow except forgiveness. As he explained it,
improperly translating hagia, Jesus entered both holy places in
A.D. 31, and everything afterward was mercy and forgiveness.
"Jesus our surety entered the ‘holy places,’
and appeared in the presence of God for us. But it was not with the hope
of obtaining something for us at that time [after He entered the
Sanctuary], or at some future time. No! He had already obtained it for
us on the cross. And now as our High Priest He ministers the
virtues of His atoning sacrifice to us."—QD (1957), 381:1
[italics Froom’s].
"We believe that the atonement [on Calvary]
provides an all-sufficient, perfect, substitutionary sacrifice for sin,
which completely satisfies the justice of God and fulfills every
requirement, so that mercy, grace, and forgiveness can be freely extended
to the repentant sinner, without compromising the holiness of God or
jeopardizing the equity of His rule."—QD (1957),
352:4-353:0.
That is a daring statement! According to it, God can
take sinners to heaven, without jeopardizing His government! All that is
needed is repentance and forgiveness.
"In order to be saved, there must be individual
repentance and turning to God."—QD (1957), 352:1.
Did you know that not even the Israelites needed to
repent of their sins? They were automatically forgiven each day,
without even asking for forgiveness!
"By means of the daily morning and evening
sacrifices, they could know their sins were forgiven each
day."—QD (1957), 359:1.
"With the provision of the morning and evening
sacrifices the individual sinner had absolutely nothing to do. They
were offered on his behalf, whether he sought their benefits or not."—QD
(1957), 360:2.
QD did teach that the sins of God’s people were
blotted out of the books of record during the investigative judgment. But not
one word was mentioned about the fact that God’s people needed to put
away those sins from their lives so they could be blotted out! As
Froom presents it, the sins eliminated from the universe will be
forgiven sins, but not put away sins.
"The Day of Atonement was a special day when
the confessed sins were also blotted out. On this day God gave
to Israel a graphic illustration, we believe, of His purpose to
eliminate sin forever from His universe."—CD (1957), 430:0.
"In Scripture, a difference is to be noted between
the forgiveness of sin and the blotting out of sin. The forgiveness of
our sins is very real, and is something that can be known and
experienced by living faith in our Lord. In the divine act of
forgiveness our sins are removed from us, and we are freed, delivered,
saved. But the final destruction of sin awaits the day of God’s
reckoning, when sin will be blotted out forever from the universe
of God."—QD (1957), 439:2.
The new theology teaches that the investigative
judgment of Daniel 8:14 is only concerned with judging the little horn,
not anyone else!
Although this error was not in QD, George Knight
inserts it into his notes in the newly reprinted edition, where he
laments the fact that it was not included in QD’s analysis of that
verse:
"One aspect of the investigative or pre-advent
judgment not adequately dealt with in this section or anywhere else in Questions
on Doctrine is the fact that the ‘cleansing’ or judgment of
Daniel 8:14 is contextually related to the little horn rather than to
God’s people."—George Knight’s note, in the reprinted
QD (2003), 213.
As far as the new theology is concerned, the investigative
judgment is only some "pre-advent judgment" that concerns the
little horn power, and is not an investigation into the lives or
obedience of the people of God. This is logical enough; for since
modern Protestantism does not believe anyone needs to obey God—why
should anyone be judged for not having done so?
The new theology teaches that there will be an
"end-time judgment" which will only apply to the little horn
power.
We find the same definition of the investigative
judgment as providing no atonement, but solely a work of judgment on the
little horn (in the sequel book, SDAB).
"Daniel’s visions point to a pre-Advent judgment
in which God will secure a verdict of condemnation upon the little horn,
and thus upon Satan himself."—SDAB, 325/1:3.
Where in the chapter on the Investigative Judgment, in Great
Controversy (chapter 28, pp. 479-491), do you find that the
investigative judgment is a condemnation of Satan?
The following quotation presents another pleasing fable
of the new theology: The final "pre-advent judgment" will only
bring favor to God’s professed people.
"While the judgment brings condemnation upon
the apostate little horn power, it is ‘made in favor of the saints of
the Most High.’ "—SDAB, 325/1:4-2:0.
We fully agree that the "saints" are
vindicated by the investigative judgment; but those saints will all be
overcomers.
As mentioned earlier, both truth and error will be
found in this book. The original author slipped in new theology while
later editors tried to insert some truth. The last sentence in SDAB,
326/2:0, is excellent; it declares that the disobedient will not be saved
while the subsequent, lengthy paragraph condemns those who dare to do good
works.
The following quotation teaches that the Day of
Atonement in antitype does not end until after the millennium!
"The events on the Day of Atonement illustrate the
three phases of God’s final judgment. They are (1) the ‘premillennial
judgment’ (or ‘the investigative judgment’) which is also called the
‘pre-Advent judgment’; (2) the ‘millennial judgment’; and
(3) the ‘executive judgment’ which takes place at the end of
the millennium."—SDAB, 317/2:2.
That is an incorrect concept, and is found nowhere in
the Bible or Spirit of Prophecy. At the end of the Leviticus 16 sequence
of events, the scapegoat is consigned to the wilderness—which, in
antitype, occurs at the beginning of the millennium (GC 658).
SANCTIFICATION
Many of the statements in the new doctrinal book appear
quite acceptable in relation to the topic of sanctification, but not as
they relate to obedience. Yet, frankly, that is what sanctification is
about! It is obedience to the law of God through the enabling grace of
Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. But, according to a number of
statements in the new book, sanctification is wrought out in us by the
"grace" of Christ, apart from any obedience on our part.
(But do remember that, on this point as well as on others we discuss, some
statements in this book will teach new theology views while others will
teach our historic teaching on this point. This makes the entire picture
somewhat confusing. Yet it is a confusion caused by what is written in the
book.)
"Many wrongly believe that their standing
before God depends upon their good or bad deeds."—SDAB,
121/2:3.
"Neither justification nor sanctification is
the result of meritorious works. Both are solely due to Christ’s
grace and righteousness."—SDAB, 123/1:3-123/2:0.
On page 123 a peculiar passage is to be found; here the
reader is taught that, when the sinner first comes to Christ, he is
instantly sanctified and redeemed (saved). After that, there follows two
additional "sanctifications" In his life:
"The three phases of sanctification the
Bible presents are: (1) an accomplished act in the believer’s past;
(2) a process in the believer’s present experience; (3) and the
final result that the believer experiences at Christ’s return. As
to the believer’s past, at the moment of justification the believer
is also sanctified ‘in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the
Spirit of our God.’ He or she becomes a ‘saint.’ At that point
the new believer is redeemed [‘redeemed’ means ‘saved’
throughout Scripture], and belongs fully to God."—SDAB,
123/2:1-2.
There is enough error in that paragraph to fill a book
of refutation.
That is the kind of teaching we would expect from
Martin or Barnhouse, not from an Adventist or from an Adventist doctrinal
book. (1) This "accomplished act"of sanctification in the
believer’s past is declared to be instantaneous and accompanies
redemption at the moment when, years before, he first came to God.
But such a concept of instantaneous, completed sanctification in
our past experience is foreign to our Bible-Spirit of Prophecy teachings.
(2) We are then told that a second species of sanctification also occurs
in our life, right now. Now, we know that, in reality, this is the only
true sanctification there is. But, elsewhere in this book, the reader is
told that this present sanctification is really something that Christ does
quite apart from any effort on our part. —But that would make this
second type an untrue sanctification also. (3) The third type of
sanctification is as imaginary as was the first: Gulley tells us that we
receive some new infilling of "sanctification" when Jesus
returns. The truth is that, at the Second Advent of Christ, the faithful
are translated; they are not sanctified! Please note that the basic
error here is that we were saved at conversion and afterward we just
cruise along in present "sanctification," awaiting heaven to
come.
The new theology teaches that our sins are miraculously
removed from us when Jesus returns. That is probably what Gulley has in
mind when he says that we receive a mysterious third sanctification at the
Second Advent.
"Our sinful past has been cared for; through
the indwelling Spirit we can enjoy the blessings of salvation."—SDAB,
124/1:4.
OBEDIENCE
Modern apostate Protestant theology teaches that we are
not supposed to obey God’s law (because Christ obeys it for us), we
cannot obey God’s law (because we are bound in Original Sin), and He
does not want us to try to obey His law (because the law has been done
away with). Obedience is simply "fruit" that will grow by itself
on the Christian tree, quite apart from any effort on our part. Here are
some sample passages in QD:
"Seventh-day Adventists do not rely upon their
Sabbathkeeping as a means of salvation or of winning merit before God. We
are saved by grace alone."—QD (1957), 153:3.
"Our Lord’s sacrifice on Calvary is mankind’s
only hope. But having been saved, we rejoice that the righteous
requirements of the law are fulfilled in the experience of the
Christian."—QD (1957), 190:0.
"Doing right, complying with God’s
commandments, meeting any or all of the conditions we have
mentioned, has never saved a soul—nor can it ever preserve a
saint."—QD (1957), 417:0.
The evildoers are as preserved as the conscientious
overcomers through Christ’s grace.
Not one word in QD about striving against temptation
and putting away sin. The new theology is armchair salvation. Not
trust and obey, but profess and already saved.
The sequel doctrinal book (SDAB) also downgrades the
importance of the soul’s personal battles against temptations without
and sins within. We can agree with much that is said here; but, when
only half is said, it becomes a half-truth:
"Salvation is a gift that comes by grace
through faith, not by works of the law."—SDAB, 241/2:2.
"People cannot earn salvation by their good
works. Obedience is the fruitage of salvation in Christ. Through His
amazing grace, especially displayed at the cross, God has liberated
His people from the penalty and curse of sin."—SDAB,
244/2:4.
From time to time, the new theology will dare to teach
that efforts to put away sin will only intensify the sinfulness. That is a
diabolical teaching. It produces terrible results, when taught to young,
inexperienced college students.
"Christians do not keep the law to obtain
salvation—those who try to do so will only find a deeper
enslavement to sin."—SDAB, 244/1:3.
The new theology only considers obedience to be a
result of salvation already received, with no causal relationship. But
this is not the teaching of the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy. The
new theology always places salvation first in point of time (at the
moment of conversion) and good works, if they occur at all, as something
incidental which might follow. But do not concern yourself whether it
occurs or not.
PERFECTION
Perfection of character is perfect obedience to the law
of God. That is the goal we are continually to strive for. Through the
enabling grace of Christ—and that alone—it can be achieved. Yet the
definition of perfection which you will find among the modernists is
merely maturity of personality. No mention is made about the necessity
of obedience to the law of God.
"What is Biblical perfection? How can it be
received? . . In the New Testament perfect often describes
mature persons who have lived up to the best available light and
attained the potential of their spiritual, mental, and physical
powers."—SDAB, 127/2:1, 4.
"Full perfection in Christ. How can we become
perfect? The Holy Spirit brings to us the perfection of Christ. By
faith Christ’s perfect character becomes ours. People can never
claim that perfection independently, as if it were their innate
possession, or theirs by right. Perfection is a gift of God."—SDAB,
127/2:5-128/1:0.
We quite agree that none can have perfection apart from
Christ; but perfection is not something that is handed to us
as a gift, apart from any effort on our own other than acceptance.
SALVATION
We have already noted that the new theology teaches
that salvation comes automatically at conversion; and obedience may
happen to come as a gift afterward. In the following passage in the sequel
doctrinal book, the reader is instructed that salvation has two phases:
first, salvation at the cross; and, second, salvation when Jesus returns
in the clouds of heaven. This would mean that, all the time between
those two events, professed Christians would be fully saved.
Read the following quotation carefully. The context indicates that the
"heavenly ministry" phase apparently applies only to our
conversion; at which point we accepted what Christ did by His death and
resurrection. As it says below, it was all done "once and for
all."
The author is trying to explain away the Scriptural
truth that our salvation is yet future.
"The scriptural view that in one sense adoption
and redemption—or salvation—have ‘already’ been accomplished
and that in another sense they have not yet been accomplished has confused
some. A study of the full scope of Christ’s work as Saviour provides the
answer. [An Adventist Seminary teacher is now quoted:] ‘Paul
related our present salvation to the first coming of Christ. In the
historic cross, resurrection, and heavenly ministry of Christ our
justification and sanctification are secured once and for all. Our
future salvation, the glorification of our bodies, Paul related,
however, to the second coming of Christ.
"For this reason Paul can say simultaneously:
‘We are saved,’ in view of the cross and resurrection of Christ in the
past; and ‘we are not saved,’ in view of the future return of Christ
to redeem our bodies."—SDAB, 130/1:2-3.
Have you ever noticed that "theologians" and
their "theology" are generally very confusing; whereas God’s
inspired books—the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy—are consistently clear
and obvious in their meaning?
The above paragraph is what they are teaching our
future ministers, all of whom are required to take their final year or two
of training at the Adventist Seminary! The author of the new doctrinal
book then adds this emphasis regarding the "future salvation" at
Christ’s second advent:
"To emphasize our present salvation
[received at the cross] to the exclusion of our future salvation
[received at the Second Advent] creates an incorrect, unfortunate
understanding of Christ’s complete salvation."—SDAB,
130/1:4-134/2:0.
Preterism and Futurism applies all Bible prophecies to
Christ’s first advent or to His second. The new theology teaches a kind
of preterism and futurism applied to the salvation of mankind: They
teach that your soul was saved at Calvary and your body will be at the
second advent.
According to statements in this doctrinal book, all
we need do now is to let the Holy Spirit automatically work in our lives,
with no effort or resistance of sin on our part. Our salvation is thus
solely based on our acceptance of Christ’s "finished work"—a
finished atonement at Calvary.
"The Holy Spirit brings the ‘It is finished’
of Calvary within, applying the only experience of God’s acceptance of
humanity to us. This ‘It is finished’ of the cross calls in
question all other human attempts to gain acceptance. In bringing
the Crucified within, the Spirit brings the only ground of our
acceptance with God, providing the only genuine title to and fitness for
salvation available to us."—SDAB, 131/2:2.
According to the above paragraph, man need not seek,
through faith in Christ, to obey any of God’s commandments. Any efforts
to do so are totally unnecessary in Heaven’s plan for our salvation.
WHAT WAS IN THE MISSING 75 PAGES?
As Leroy Edwin Froom was the basic author of Questions
on Doctrine, so Norman Gulley was the original and principal author of
Seventh-day Adventists Believe.
In the summer of 1988, when SDAB was released, we
noticed an odd discovery: Nowhere in the Third Quarter Sabbath
School Quarterly was the new doctrinal book advertised as the
accompanying study book for that and the next quarter, even though
each lesson in the third and fourth quarter exactly matched the 27
successive chapters in the new doctrinal book.
Because Quarterly scheduling begins three years
beforehand, it was obvious that something very unusual had taken place
within a few months prior to publication—something so serious that, by
the spring of 1982, it appeared quite likely that the new doctrinal book
might not be published in time—or at all.
Later the present writer learned what took place. The
information came from a worker at the Review plant:
After the covers for the new doctrinal book had been
printed—havoc descended upon the book’s scheduling. Word came to
the printing house that the equivalent of 75 pages were being removed from
the new doctrinal book!
Now, there are only 392 pages of text in the new
doctrinal book, Seventh-day Adventists Believe. Each page is a
large 7 x 9 inches in size and has two columns, heavy with printed
material. So the amount of text suddenly removed from here and there
in the book—amounted to one-fifth of its entire content!
This sudden change is nothing short of astounding. Just
before the book printing date—and after the covers for the larger-size
book had already been printed—an equivalent of one page in every five
was removed from the new doctrinal book!
What was in the missing 75 pages? We may never know. It
must truly have been wild.
Gulley, the Bible teacher at Southern Adventist
University who wrote the basic manuscript which became the 1988 doctrinal
book—had six years earlier written the notorious 1982 Senior
Quarterly and the accompanying book, Christ Our Substitute;
both of these contained serious error about the atonement and the nature
of Christ. This had marked him as a decided theological liberal. —Yet
he had been the one selected to write the later doctrinal book.
Reviewing some of the statements in his earlier
publications may provide a glimpse of part of what may have been omitted
from SDAB.
The theme of his earlier book, Christ Our Substitute
(COS), was that Christ was our substitute in all things, including
providing the obedience that God required in order to save us. In
order to arrive at that conclusion, he had to especially twist our
doctrines on Christ’s human nature and the atonement.
GULLEY ON THE NATURE OF CHRIST
This is how Gulley described the human nature of Christ
in COS:
"By contrast, Seventh-day Adventists believe
that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. But we can look at the
phrase ‘fully man’ in two ways. Jesus had either (1) unfallen human
nature, such as Adam possessed prior to the Fall or (2) fallen human
nature. Which is correct? He took both. For Christ took the spiritual
nature of man before the Fall, and the physical nature of man after
the Fall."—COS, 33.2 [Christ Our Substitute, page 33,
paragraph 2].
The following statement is just as illogical. (New
theology errors always are.)
"Any idea that He became exactly like us in
birth, including fallen human nature, receiving the results of heredity—calls
in question His substitution and often leads us to consider Him only
as an example to copy."—COS, 38:0-39:0.
In the following paragraph, Gulley is saying that Christ
saved us by His divine nature alone, which perfected His human nature!
"Thus He came as the Second Adam, lived a human
life, died as a human—for divinity cannot die—and offered man a
perfect humanity to replace his. Jesus didn’t come because He needed a
perfect humanity. His divinity was enough."—COS. 44:9-45:0.
So, according to the above statements, Christ took
two types of human natures and saved us because of His divinity quite
apart from His humanity. That surely is new theology! And, on top of
that, he tacks on Original Sin as our lot in life:
"Both Adam and Jesus were sinless before their
temptations. We are not. In fact, we do not have to do anything wrong
to become sinners. We are born that way. But Jesus was born
sinless."—COS. 53:1.
It is one thing to be born with a carnal nature, which
we all have; it is quite another to be born sinners.
GULLEY ON THE ATONEMENT
Norman Gulley, whose manuscript formed the basis for
this sequel doctrinal book (according to page v of its Acknowledgement),
described the atonement in these words:
" ‘It is finished’ blazes across the
heavens, reaching both backward and forward in history . . Just as
surely as man’s creation was completed on creation Friday, so his
salvation was finished on crucifixion Friday."—COS, 101:0,
4-102:0.
Here is how Gulley explains the "finished
atonement on the cross" to his students at Southern Adventist
University, in Collegedale, Tennessee. (Parents, do not send your children
to Southern!) Near the back of COS, he describes a hypothetical
conversation between a questioning student and "Bob" who
replies:
"[Questions] ‘Was His [Christ’s] mission on
earth not sufficient? Does He need now to add to what He accomplished
there? Is the ‘it is finished’ of Calvary only a qualified
[inaccurate] fact after all? . . How can we harmonize a completed work
at the cross with a continuing work in heaven?’ . . [Reply] ‘Christ’s
death shut Satan’s mouth and opened up the gates back into Eden for man.
‘It is finished’ really means the end of both the [great]
controversy and man’s salvation’ . . [Question] ‘So Christ’s
post-resurrection ministry doesn’t add anything to the cross, as if it
were insufficient?’ Bob smiled, ‘No.’ "—COS, 113:4,
114:1-4.
So, according to Gulley, Christ’s work in the
heavenly Sanctuary is useless. In fact, as we will see below, he teaches
his students that the entire Sanctuary truth is only "imagery."
GULLEY ON
THE TWO-APARTMENT SANCTUARY
Gulley puts these words into the mouth of his Southern
Adventist University student. (I wonder how many other words he, and his
associate teachers, are putting in his mouth each day in class.)
" ‘Yes, I see now, Bob, that the sanctuary
imagery is helpful . . I’m not worried about what a heavenly
sanctuary means. While I know that Ellen White makes some specific
statements that the sanctuary is a real place, I’m not sure that I
know exactly what it is like. But I’m willing to wait till I get to
heaven to understand exactly what the sanctuary there is—whether
heaven itself or something symbolized by the earthly pattern.’ "—COS,
118:0.
Although Ellen White provides a specific description,
the student is said to not be able to figure it out! Read Great
Controversy, chapter 23 (pp. 409-422). It could not be clearer. Gulley
tells this to his students, so they will not bother to open the book and
learn the truth. Horrors, they might even read pp. 423-425 and
learn their urgent "duties" at this time. —Perhaps they will
read pp. 482-491 and really wake up before it is too late!
And then Gulley immediately places this subtle doubt
about God in the mouth of the student:
"But what does bother me is the intercession of
Christ. Does He really need to intercede before God? The concept
reminds me of my mother trying to calm down my father when he was mad at
me."—COS, 118:0.
The really strange question is why the General
Conference would appoint one of the liberal theological writers in our
church, in the 1980s, to write the basic text for our current official
doctrinal book, Seventh-day Adventists Believe?
GULLEY ON OBEDIENCE
The Sabbath School Quarterly, written by Gulley
as a companion piece for the sequel doctrinal book, agrees with the
sentiments in SDAB that belittle the crucial importance of obedience to
God’s Word:
"The good news is that Christ has paid our
debt without any work or action on our part. He only asks that we reach
out by faith and accept it."—3SSQ, 70:1 [third Quarter,
1988, Sabbath School Quarterly, page 70, paragraph 1].
Gulley’s new theology: Nothing to do. Just sit
around and wait for heaven to arrive. You can’t lose out on salvation.
Live as you please. Neither gluttony nor sensuality is a problem. Christ
paid it all: He provided your obedience by substitution. He obeyed on
your behalf.
"Recognizing that He alone could pay the price
for our salvation, our part in obtaining it is to accept redemption
by reaching out the hand of faith."—3SSQ, 70:4.
"However good in themselves, works do not
make us righteous, nor do they earn merit in the sight of God. Righteousness
and salvation are Christ’s free gifts."—3SSQ, 75:1.
The Greek word for "righteousness" is
"right-doing." But, for Gulley, doing right and living right is
not what we need to be doing.
GULLEY ON THE INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT
Amid great fear, Gulley’s SAU student voices his
hatred of the investigative judgment:
"Then a pained expression crossed his face. ‘Then
what is the investigative judgment all about? I rebel when I think of
it.’ He kicked a stone forcefully. ‘Look at all these birds,
flowers, and trees He made for us. They show His love for us, His
creation. Most important, consider Christ’s life and death for us. Why
a judgment after all these evidences of love? [Regardless of my
actions, He should save me.] Seems contradictory to me. He’s either
for us or against us. And what if I sin the day my name comes up?’ He
wrung his hands nervously. ‘I hate this judgment idea! This dagger
forever hanging over us! Please, Bob,’ John pleaded, ‘please
help me understand, to make sense of it."—COS. 118:1.
Then Gulley’s "Bob" answers his question—by
telling him the investigative Judgment has nothing to do with obedience or
disobedience on his part; but it is just a love feast.
" ‘There’s another perspective that may also
help.’ ‘What’s that?’ John blurted out. After all, anything that
could throw light on the subject was just what he needed. [Bob says,]
‘I believe that we can also view this day of atonement as a ‘pre-Advent
wedding day’ . . [John says,] ‘Pre-Advent wedding day! that’s sure
a new idea to me. But I like it. Tell me more’ . . ‘The
pre-Advent inspection is to see whether those called have also accepted
the free gift of the bridegroom’s wedding garment. The way to stay
in the wedding and become the bride, married to Christ, is to accept His
perfect life, or wedding garment . . For it is not our works that get
us through the inspection, but His: His perfect human righteousness—that
robe, or wedding garment, covering us. This means the pre-Advent
judgment primarily concerns itself with our acceptance of Christ’s
substitutionary life (and death), rather than mainly with our life . .’
[John says,] ‘That’s neat.’ "—COS, 120:1-3.
Many more horrible quotations from Gulley’s 1982
book, Christ Our Substitute, could be included (horrible because
they either give a twisted truth or half a truth); but space is lacking.
Yet Gulley was the one assigned to write the 1988 sequel doctrinal book!
Little wonder that 75 pages were removed from it!
AN UNDERLYING PROBLEM
We are gradually setting aside the Spirit of Prophecy
for the opinions and prejudices of so-called "highly educated"
men.
The excuses offered for this course of action are
twofold:
One is that the Spirit of Prophecy is out-of-date; it
was only a worthwhile guidance for nineteenth-century Christians. (But
when asked which part is out-of-date, we receive only hems and haws, and a
change of subject.)
Another is that the Spirit of Prophecy was not given to
explain doctrine, interpret the Bible, or clarify the standards we are to
live by. It was only given, we are told by the liberals and modernists in
our church, to comfort us.
But what comfort is there in "comfort" alone,
when we are in danger of taking the wrong pathway? We need practical
instruction in what to believe, how to live, and how to avoid the pitfalls
of life.
If the Spirit of Prophecy was not given to explain
doctrine, interpret the Bible, and clarify the standards we are to live by—what
was it given for?
The Spirit of Prophecy was given in these last days to
guard, protect, instruct, and guide the remnant people of God through the
Final Crisis to the Second Coming.
"When the power of God testifies as to what is
truth, that truth is to stand forever as the truth. No after suppositions,
contrary to the light God has given are to be entertained. Men will
arise with interpretations of Scripture which are to them truth, but which
are not truth. The truth for this time, God has given us as a foundation
for our faith. He Himself has taught us what is truth. One will arise,
and still another, with new light which contradicts the light that God has
given under the demonstration of His Holy Spirit . .
"We are not to receive the words of those who
come with a message that contradicts the special points of our faith.
They gather together a mass of Scripture, and pile it as proof around
their asserted theories. This has been done over and over again during the
past fifty years. And while the Scriptures are God’s Word, and are to be
respected, the application of them, if such an application moves one
pillar from the foundation that God has sustained these fifty years, is a
great mistake. He who makes such an application knows not the wonderful
demonstration of the Holy Spirit that gave power and force to the past
messages that have come to the people of God."—1 Selected
Messages, 161 (Letter 329, 1905).