Fundamental beliefsWhat, 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 19th 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.”