Fundamental beliefs What, why, how??? What does it mean to be a Seventh-day Adventist? Kai Arasola 2015
Adventist ethos How should SDAs view their church? Is it an open church where everyone is welcome? Or is it a strict church that limits the freedom of the believer? Are the doctrines well defined? Are they all equally important? How does our definition of faith differ from what other chuches do? Has the SDA way of defining the doctrines always been the same?
Adventist ethos Why do people join the Adventist church? What is at the heart ov being an Adventist? Why are people Seventh-day Adventists? Is it the truth, faith, our church structure, the second coming of Jesus, prophecies, health principles, the logic of SDA interpretation of the Bible, the love of God and the grace of Jesus? Is the whole truth embodied in our 28 fundamental beliefs? Or is the whole truth something more or something less? Why do we define our faith in such detail?
Where do SDA doctrines come from? People from diverse backgrounds formed the early Sabbath keeping Adventist group Millerites were: Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists... even an odd Lutheran But what is significant for Seventh-day Adventism, many came from Christian Connexion or Christian Church background Christian Connexion was a powerful restaurationist group in 19 th C North America Such diverse group shared eshatology
Where do SDA doctrines come from? After the disapointment only a dozen, or two dozen Sabbath keepers kept together by Faith in the basic prophetic interpretations of William Miller and also in the correctness of the 1844 time Shut door The Sabbath
Joseph Bates
Sabbath conferences 1848 - Defining eschatology Synchronizing beliefs Five meetings in 1848 and one in 1849 Keeping commandments essential in salvation The Sabbath Last day events, plagues, Second coming Millennium, last judgment Christ in heavenly sanctuary (shut door) Three angels message Conditional immortality
1850 s Adventism takes shape Shut door opened and forgotten Prophetic interpretation Uriah Smith shaped investigative judgment John N Andrews concluded that USA is the earth beast of Rev 13 Ethos legalistic & doctrine centered Arianism no trinity No health principles
Observations 1. E.G. White s role Common SDA view is that the brethren studied the Bible and when reaching conclusion EGW had a vision to confirm the result This is true but not true in the sense that the doctrines would have been dependent on EGW in any way Her actual imact was close to zero
2. Doctrines founded by young people With one exception all were youn in late 1840s and early 1850s Joseph Bates was the father figure 50+ James & Ellen White, JN Andrews, Uriah Smith, John Loughborough, Owen Crosier, Merritt Cornell, Daniel Bourdeau were all about 20 Young people had a leading role even later JH Kellogg was apointed manager of Western Health Reform insitute at 24 and EJ Waggoner & AT Jones were 35 38 in 1888 In particular Smith and Andrews were key doctrine makers
3. Present truth doctrines dynamic, must not be fixed The concept Present truth familiar but few know what it means It meant refusal to define what the church teaches! Free Adventism such a strong faith in the Bible that that they did not want to limit the Bible to found interpretations Idea based on continued reformation no fixed confessions to limit Bible study Bates & James White from Restaurationist background
Present truth! One of the most important features in early Adventism No confessions of faith faith has to be free to explore the Bible deeper Key doctrine of early Adventism = doctrine must not be defined, because people must be free to study the Bible and must be able to progress. grow as Christians and in Bible understanding = we or the church must not think it has arrived = reformation must go on...
This has worked George Knight Search of Identity pioneers would not be accepted as members today, so much has changed Fortunately much of the change has been for the better... Unfortunately the supremacy of the Bible is not held up to the same degree any more, and the idea of continuous reformation is not valued as then. Many Adventists think we have the truth rather than the Bible is the truth or that we need to grow in truth. We have forgotten that the Bible is the truth and it is bigger than our definition of the truth
1. Stage one Doctrines not defined James White wrote in 1853 series of articles Gospel Order He gives an overview of what the chuch teaches and confirms that we do not define doctrine because the Church of Christ holds the Bible as its only confession... we reject all human confessions or definitions of doctrines... and take the Bible which is a perfect inspired guide for faith and for life. This is our position, our confession and our order.
2. Stage two Limited, open doctrines In spite of opposition to doctrines James White began printing a short summary of the doctrines This appeared beneath the publishing information in August 1854
1854 The Review teaches... The Bible and Bible alone is the guide for faith and action God s law as presented in the Old and New testaments is unchanged Christ s return is literal and resurrection preceedes the Millennium Earth restored to Eden s beauty is the final inheritance of the saints Immortality is only through Christ at the time of the resurrection
James White s summary Excellent because short and broad no details Mentions salvation in Christ Mentions key doctrines like the Law, death, Second Advent, resurrection and New Earth Would be perfect if the Sabbath were mentioned
Church organiztion When Michigan pastors came together to decide on church registration in 1861 they defined their teachings: We undersigned organize ourselves as the Seventh-day Adventist Church and we promise to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus This was the favorite text of the chuch but even this was too much for some John Loughborough warned on steps of apostacy You define your confession of faith (doctrines) Demand all to believe alike Control their belief Condemn as heretics and disfellowship dissenters
1861 Church registration...and we promise to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Short and open definition of the truth describes earliest adventism. Their faith in many respects was like ours but they di not want it written out for them because of the Present Truth concept Even James White s 5 points weretoo much dramatic difference to our present position
3 Stage three: Carefully defined not binding doctrines for non- Adventists First detailed summary of SDA teachings appeared in a leaflet form Declaration of the Fundamental Prinsiples Taught and Practiced by Seventh-day Adventists Writer: Uriah Smith This collection of SDA teachings had 25 points and its later edited versions 22-28 points
Important introduction!!! While representing to people this summary of our faith we want to make it perfectly clear that we have no dogmas or confession of faith. This summary is not given to govern what people have to believe or with the intent of making all believe exactly the same. It simply describes what most Adventists agree on.
Uriah Smith s doctrines Published several times in different editions and slightly different content 1872, 1874, 1875, 1877-8, 1884 ja 1888 always with the introduction that assured that this was not a confession of faith There was an expanded 28 point version of these beliefs in the Yearbook of 1889 and 1905-1914
Significant variations James White published his own edition of the doctrines in 1874 in Signs of the Times He had edited about half of Smith s doctrines usually to the better as his version is more gospel and Christ centered Battle Creekin chuch made its own version in 1894 All included the introduction - Fundamental beliefs were a description of Adventism, not a definition
Best version of Smith s fundamentals - 1874 by James White God, eternal Creator Jesus, God s Son, Savior, Atoner (plus a fair bit on his service in the heavenly sanctuary) Bible, God s inerrant Word Babtism New Birth Prophecies are part of the Bible and important Prophecies are to be fulfilled in history No earthly millennium, Christ comes before millennium
1874 James White 1844 disappointment explained by Christ s work in heaven The sanctuary of the New Covenant is in heaven, day of atonement in heaven God s law unchangeable, the Sabbath valid The pope changed times and laws Natural man no subject to the law of God Holy Spirit is All have sinned salvation in Christ Three angels message No consciousness in the grave
1874 James White The resurrection is the only hope Those dead in Christ shall be resurrected at his coming Those saved are taken to heaven to the New Jerusalem for a millennium and they shall judge the dead At the end of the millennium the last judgment on this earth The final home of the saved is New Earth
Description of faith Smith s definition of faith was fairly long. In the amount of detail it Resembles the Shorter Cathecism of the Lutheran chuch and it is much longer than the basic summary of faith which many churches give. The key feature is, these summaries of faith were not intended to tell Adventists what to believe, but to tell other people what most Adventists believe There was an unwritten concept of key doctrines pillars of faith, something of the type that James White written in 1854 S doctrines: Salvation, Sabbath, Second Coming, State of the dead
Mikä tärkeä rakennus
We should remember That a most significant change in SDA history takes place during this time Culminated in 1888 Minneapolis but was a longer process Lots of revivals in Early 1890 s Waggoneer and Jones and at times also Ellen White (now in her 60 s) travel to SDA churches and schools
Do dogs fly? Only now the SDA church flies?
In 1931 total rewriting, but same concept for non believers In 1931 the fundamental beliefs were rewritten and now regularly added to the Chuch Manual GC president (CH Watson) took responsibility. FM Wilcox and FD Nichol (Review) did much of the writing. LE Froom and RA Andersson supported from the side. In 1946 GC session (in Washington DC) decided, that this collection of fundamental beliefs can only be changed by GC session For the first time fundamental beliefs were official doctrines of the SDA church
1931 important changes Including the trinity Making the point on salvation longest Removal of reference to the Catholic Church
1931 most points remained Bible, God, creation, prophecy, state of the dead stewardship, tithe Spiritual gifts, prophecy (but EGW not mentioned by name) The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, healthy living and temperance no reference to the texts on clean and unclean animals Daniel 8.14, 2300 evenings and mornings leads to 1844, sanctuary, and judgment (4 sections) Second advent, millennium, new earth (3 sections)
Froom - Andersson
4. Stage four Fundamental beliefs for SDAs 1980 Totally rewritten with great care by theologians Rearranged to match the order used in systematic theology Introduction The Bible God, Godhead, Christ, Holy Spirit Creation, man The Church, remnant, church unity, baptism, communion, spiritual gifts, spirit of prophecy Eschatology
1980 Fundamental beliefs Foundation for currant 28 fundamental beliefs has been edited and partially rewritten later The basic format still from Uriah Smith with more carefully chosen language and order and less repetition Papacy not mentioned and less of prophecy More on health principles and EGW mentioned by name
1980 Fundamental beliefs More details than before Christian life, law of God, the Sabbath, stewardship, health, temperance, marriage Eskatology, heavenly sanctuary, Jesus coming, death and resurrection, millennium, judgment, New Earth
Observations The church has come a long way from its early days of unwillingness to define doctrines Currant doctrines have lots of details including ones that are not doctrines Churches normally would not make a doctrine of their application of communion service they might make one concerning the theology of eucharist In what way is marriage a doctrine? In addition to shared Christian doctrines and unique SDA doctrines the Fundamentals include general Christian teachings
One may ask Why a doctrine of marriage? Should there not be a doctrine on how to bring up children? Why nothing on worship, songs we sing even if we find these in the Bible We have included some things like footwashing (unique) and added something like marriage (most Christians share) Very few churches make a doctrine on people needing rest [22]
Because of details Fundamental beliefs narrow our view of faith and readyness to explore the Bible On the other hand, details make life safe On the one hand the details bind us on the other they do not bind us, because even common sense tells us that we would not disfellowship one who gets too little rest even if that is against our doctrine Church manual schizophrenia on Fundamental beliefs vs. baptismal vow
The purpose of Fundamentals Becomes more clear if the introduction is read carefully, even though it is not as good as that of Smith a century earlier Fundamentals is like a visit card with which we introduce ourselves It is appropriate to inclue what we share as well as what is unique It would, however, be worthwhile to consider how we can do this most effectively
Final thoughts It is probably true that we need a set of doctrines, without this definition of teaching we would not be able to function as an international church It is worrysome to see the early pioneer spirit of reformation recline It is also worrying to see the fundamentals used like a confession of faith the Bible is our true confession of faith
James White In his day concuded that confessions of faith are a direct attack against the gifts of the Spirit Confessions define doctrines in a way the close the door for progess in one s Christian life Those who want a confession of faith in practice say that God must not do anything that does not fit into our confession We should not take even the first step towards Babylon
Final thoughts We may have different ideas on how our doctrines should be presented My favorite would be something like what James White wrote in 1854 because my understanding is that those basic doctrines best reflect true and original SDA faith My preference woud be for short and simple with max one Bible text per doctrine Someone else may want the very opposite But, most importantly, I would like to see the introduction carefully worded and read
Should we have more questions?
Reformation and revival It would be ideal to return to the spirit of reformation and revival that early adventism had Our view needs to be forward, not backword Let the young define the doctrines (like in the beginning) Radical faith in the Bible, trust in the Jesus as the Saviour, rejoicing in worship every Sabbath, expecting the Lord s soon coming if we share these, we are brothers in Christ
G. K. Chesterton It may be that He [God] has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.