Criticism of the Seventh-day Adventist Church - Wikipedia Criticism of the Seventh-day Adventist Church From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigation Jump to search This article is about criticism of the movement. For the main article, see Seventh-day Adventist Church. Part of a series on Seventh-day Adventist Church History Christianity Protestantism Anabaptist Restorationism Wesleyan/Arminian Pietism Millerites Great Disappointment 1888 General Conference Theology 28 Fundamental Beliefs Pillars Sabbath Conditional immortality Historicism Premillennialism Investigative judgment Remnant Three Angels' Messages Eschatology Organization General Conference Divisions East-Central Africa Division Euro-Asia Division Inter-American Division Inter-European Division North American Division Northern Asia-Pacific Division Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division South American Division South Pacific Division Southern Asia Division Southern Asia-Pacific Division Trans-European Division West-Central Africa Division Periodicals Adventist Review El Centinela Signs of the Times List of Ellen White writings Service Adventist Development and Relief Agency Maranatha Volunteers International Pathfinders Adventurers Medical Cadet Corps Seventh-day Adventist education Secondary schools Colleges and universities Hospitals Media ministries Hope Channel Loma Linda Broadcasting Network It Is Written Voice of Prophecy Three Angels Broadcasting Network Esperanza TV Amazing Facts People Ellen G. White James White Joseph Bates J. N. Andrews Uriah Smith J. H. Kellogg F. D. Nichol M. L. Andreasen George Vandeman H. M. S. Richards Edward Heppenstall Herbert E. Douglass Morris Venden Samuele Bacchiocchi E. E. Cleveland Walter Veith Mark Finley James Caleb Jackson Adventism v t e Criticism of the Seventh-day Adventist Church includes observations made about its teachings, structure, and practices or theological disagreements from various individuals and groups. Contents 1 Major critics 2 Church doctrine 2.1 Trinitarian views 2.2 Christology 2.3 Investigative judgment and salvation 2.4 Catholicism In Eschatology 3 See also 4 References 5 External links Major critics[edit] One of the most prominent early critics of the church was D. M. Canright, an early leader of the movement in the late 19th century who apostatized and recanted but later left and became a Baptist pastor. In the middle of the 20th century, evangelical Walter Martin and the Christian Research Institute concluded that the Seventh-day Adventist church is a legitimate Christian body with some heterodox doctrines and stated, "They are sound on the great New Testament doctrines including grace and redemption through the vicarious offering of Jesus Christ 'once for all'.[1][2] However, other scholars such as Calvinist theologian Anthony A. Hoekema, who did not agree with the Adventist view that Jacobus Arminius's theology was in line with Adventism, believed that Adventism was based on a Wesleyan/Arminian stream of theology, and grouped Seventh-day Adventism with Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses and Christian Science in his book The Four Major Cults.[3] In debates regarding the inspiration of Ellen White during the 1970s, Adventists Walter T. Rea[4] and Ronald Numbers[5] wrote material that some felt was critical of Ellen White. Church doctrine[edit] Trinitarian views[edit] Some Christian critics of Adventism contend that the current Adventist view of the Trinity is not orthodox and/or constitutes Tritheism.[6][7][8][9] Several Seventh-day Adventist scholars have acknowledged that the Adventist view of the Trinity tends to differ in some aspects from the inherited traditional Christian view of the doctrine. According to Dr. Jerry Moon, emeritus professor at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, Ellen White, the co-founder of the church, taught that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct beings yet are united as one in the Godhead.[10] Moon explains that Ellen White was raised trinitarian but adopted a different view from the traditional one and contends that White's later writings on the Trinity is not the same as the view rejected by the early Adventists.[11] Critic A. Leroy Moore contends Adventists reject the orthodox view, and contends that the view probably would have been branded as Arian by the orthodox.[12] "What James [SDA co-founder James White, husband of Ellen White] and the other men were opposed to, we are just as opposed to as they were. Now, their solution to that, at that time, they didn't see any solution by retaining the Trinity concept, and getting rid of its distortions. But, in reality, we have been faithful to their commitment, and I know of nothing that they were objecting to, in objecting to Trinitarianism, that we have not also objected to."[13] In 1876, James White discussed the differences between Seventh Day Baptists and Seventh-day Adventists, he observed, "The S. D. Adventists hold the divinity of Christ so nearly with the trinitarian, that we apprehend no trial here." [14] "A major development [in Adventism] since 1972 has been the quest to articulate biblical presuppositions grounding a biblical doctrine of the Trinity, clearly differentiated from the dualistic presuppositions that undergird the traditional creedal statements."[15] "In many ways the philosophical assumptions and presuppositions of our worldview are different from traditional Christianity and bring different perspectives on some of these old issues. We do not accept the traditional Platonic dualistic worldview and metaphysics that were foundational to the church fathers' theology of the Trinity, one of these being the concept of the immortality of the soul."[16] Christology[edit] It has been alleged by the Christian Research Institute that Adventism teaches that Christ had a sinful nature.[17][18] Adventists hold that Christ came as fully man and yet still fully divine, and covering the nature of Christ state that Jesus Christ inherited Adam's fallen nature that has been passed on to all of humanity but did not sin.[19] Such a belief is based on the following texts: "For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh" (Romans 8:3 NKJV) "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15 NKJV) "...concerning his Son (Jesus), who was descended from David according to the flesh..." (Romans 1:3 ESV) "Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people." (Hebrews 2:17 NKJV) Adventist doctrine is that God took "man's nature in its fallen condition," but yet "Christ did not in the least participate in its sin", which shows Christ with post fall humanity but a sinlessness of Adam before the fall[20] Mainstream Adventists believe that Jesus was beset with all of the moral weaknesses and frailties that ordinary humans experience. However, he did not have the propensity to sin. Christ could be tested by temptation, but like Adam before the fall, did not have the ungodly desires or sinful inclinations of humanity.[20][21] Ellen White states "The Lord Jesus came to our world, not to reveal what a God could do, but what a man could do, through faith in God’s power to help in every emergency. Man is, through faith, to be a partaker in the divine nature, and to overcome every temptation wherewith he is beset."[22] Despite this, he managed to resist temptation both from within and without, and lived a perfectly obedient life. Jesus is therefore set forth as the supreme Example in whose footsteps Christians must follow. The fact that he overcame sin completely, despite having no advantage over other human beings, demonstrates that we too can live a life of complete obedience by trusting in him. Ellen White states "The Lord Jesus came to our world, not to reveal what a God could do, but what a man could do, through faith in God’s power to help in every emergency. Man is, through faith, to be a partaker in the divine nature, and to overcome every temptation wherewith he is beset."[22] Adventists are firm believers that people are saved by faith and not through works, however works are the necessary fruits that are proof of God truly being given a place in our lives. And: "Notwithstanding that the sins of a guilty world were laid upon Christ, notwithstanding the humiliation of taking upon Himself our fallen nature, the voice from heaven declared Him to be the Son of the Eternal" — Ellen White, The Desire of Ages, p. 112. Investigative judgment and salvation[edit] The Investigative Judgment doctrine is defined in the Church's list of fundamental beliefs.[23] In reviewing this uniquely Seventh-day Adventist doctrine, non-Adventist critics contend that it is not Biblical teaching. Adventists answer that the Investigative Judgment doctrine is not about celestial geography, that a judgment of works is compatible with the gospel, and that Scriptures like 1 Peter 4:17 and Matthew 25 teach an end-time judgment of the Church. They believe that the "end time gospel" of Revelation 14:6–12 did not sound in the first century but applies to our time. Also, many Adventist scholars interpret the references in Hebrews as to do with inauguration of the heavenly sanctuary, taking Hebrews 6:19-20 as parallel to Hebrews 10:19-20, a view shared with certain biblical scholars of other faiths,[24] instead of the Day of Atonement event as interpreted by critics. The essence of Old Testament sanctuary typology that Adventists rely on for their eschatology may be summarized as follows: The sanctuary services emphasized three aspects of Christ’s work for us: sacrifice, mediation, and judgment. As to the 1844 date, Walter Martin wrote: Lest anyone reading the various accounts of the rise of "Millerism" in the United States come to the conclusion that Miller and his followers were "crackpots" or "uneducated tools of Satan," the following facts should be known: The Great Advent Awakening movement that spanned the Atlantic from Europe was bolstered by a tremendous wave of contemporary biblical scholarship. Although Miller himself lacked academic theological training, actually scores of prophetic scholars in Europe and the United States had espoused Miller's views before he himself announced them. In reality, his was only one more voice proclaiming the 1843/1844 fulfilment of Daniel 8:14, or the 2300-year period allegedly dating from 457 B.C. and ending in A.D. 1843-1844.[25] Catholicism In Eschatology[edit] See also: Antichrist (historicism) and Seventh-day Adventist eschatology Like the Protestant Reformers, some writings of Ellen White speak against the Catholic Church in preparation for a nefarious eschatological role as the antagonist against God's remnant church (the Seventh-day Adventist Church) and that the papacy is the beast that emerges from the sea (Ap 13). Many Protestant reformers such as Martin Luther, John Knox, William Tyndale and others held similar beliefs about the Catholic Church and the papacy when they broke away from the Catholic Church during the reformation.[26] Unlike most protestant denominations the Adventist Church opposes the ecumenical movement. See also[edit] Criticism of Ellen G. White References[edit] ^ http://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1993/June/adventists-and-evangelicals-another-viewpoint Archived October 8, 2010, at the Wayback Machine ^ Walter Martin (1960). The Truth About Seventh-Day Adventism. Zondervan. ^ Anthony A. Hoekema (1963). The Four Major Cults: Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Seventh-day Adventism. Eerdmans. ISBN 0-85364-094-7. ^ Rea 1983. ^ Numbers 1976. ^ Tinker, Colleen; Tinker, Richard (2010). Paul Carden (ed.). 10 Questions & Answers on Seventh-day Adventism. Rose Publishing. p. 4. ISBN 978-1-59636-422-6. ^ Ratzlaff, Dale (2007). Truth about Adventist "Truth". LAM Publications, LLC. p. 28. ISBN 0-9747679-4-8. ^ Wiebe, Elmer (2006). Who Is the Adventist Jesus?. Xulon Press. ISBN 1-59781-328-1. ^ Tinker, Colleen (March–April 2007). "Discovering the Adventist Jesus" (PDF). Proclamation!. Life Assurance Ministries, Inc. 8 (2): 10–17. Retrieved 2011-01-12. ^ From SDA Seminary professor Dr. Jerry Moon's presentation at the Adventist Theological Society’s 2006 "Trinity Symposium." http://atsjats.org/site/1/podcast/06_Trinity_Moon_Quest_Biblical_Trinity.mp3 Archived 2013-09-03 at the Wayback Machine ^ Moon, Dr. Jerry (Spring 2006). "The Quest for a Biblical Trinity: Ellen White's "Heavenly Trio" Compared to the Traditional Doctrine". Journal of the Adventist Theological Society. Adventist Theological Society. 17 (1): 140–159. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-06. Retrieved 2011-01-12. ^ SDA scholar and author A. LeRoy Moore, at the panel Q&A Session at the ATS 2006 "Trinity Symposium." http://atsjats.org/site/1/podcast/06_Trinity_Participants_Panel_Discussion.mp3 Archived 2016-02-09 at the Wayback Machine ^ From a Q&A session at the ATS 2006 "Trinity Symposium." http://atsjats.org/site/1/podcast/06_Trinity_Burt_Historical_Adventist_Views.mp3 Archived 2016-02-09 at the Wayback Machine ^ White, James (October 12, 1876). "The Two Bodies: the relation which the S. D. Baptists and the S. D. Adventists sustain to each other" (PDF). Review and Herald. Battle Creek, Michigan: Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association. 48 (15): 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 19, 2012. Retrieved 2011-11-29. ^ Whidden, Woodrow; Moon, Jerry; Reeve, John W. (2002). The Trinity: Understanding God's Love, His Plan of Salvation, and Christian Relationships. Review and Herald Publishing Association. p. 201. ISBN 0-8280-1684-4. ^ Fortin, Dr. Denis (Spring 2006). "God, the Trinity, and Adventism: An Introduction to the Issues". Journal of the Adventist Theological Society. Adventist Theological Society. 17 (1): 4–10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-10-10. Retrieved 2011-01-12. ^ (Christian Research Journal, Summer 1988, p. 13) ^ Half Adam? Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine a sermon by Larry Kirkpatrick ^ Christ's Human Nature by Joe Crews ^ a b The SDA Bible Commentary, vol.5, p.1131. ^ http://www.sdanet.org/atissue/books/wwhc/ ^ a b [Ellen G. White, 7BC p. 929 par. 6] ^ "Fundamental Beliefs". General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Retrieved 2006-06-06. ^ Paul Ellingworth (1993). The Epistle to the Hebrews (NIGTC). p. 518. ^ Walter Martin (1997). The Kingdom of the Cults (Revised ed.). p. 522. ISBN 0-87123-300-2. ^ The Antichrist and the Protestant Reformation Citations Numbers, Ronald L. (1976). Prophetess of health: a study of Ellen G. White. Harper & Row. ISBN 0-06-066325-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link) Rea, Walter T. (1983). The White Lie. Moore. ISBN 0-9607424-0-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link) External links[edit] Opposition to Adventism Life Assurance Ministries Cult or Christian: Does Seventh-day Adventism Teach the Trinity? EllenWhiteExposed.com exAdventist Outreach Let Us Reason Oliver, Timothy (1996) Seventh-day Adventist Church Profile, The Watchman Expositor, Vol. 13, No. 1, Watchman Fellowship ministry Catholic.com Addressing opposition claims Official Ellen G. White Estate site Biblical Research Institute v t e Criticism of religion By religion Bahá'í Faith Buddhism Christianity Catholic Jehovah's Witnesses Latter Day Saint movement Protestantism Seventh-day Adventist Unification movement Westboro Baptist Church Hinduism Swaminarayan sect Islam Islamism Twelver Shia Islam Wahhabism Jainism Judaism Monotheism New religious movement Scientology Sikhism Yazdânism Zoroastrianism Religious texts Bible Quran Hadith Mormon sacred texts Book of Mormon Talmud Religious figures Aisha Charles Taze Russell Ellen White Jesus Moses Muhammad Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Saul Religious violence Buddhism Christianity Mormonism Judaism Islam Terrorism Christian Hindu Islamic Jewish Persecution Christian thought on persecution and tolerance War In Islam In Judaism Sectarian violence By country India Anti-Christian violence In Odisha Nigeria Pakistan Books Atheist Manifesto Breaking the Spell Christianity Unveiled God in the Age of Science? God Is Not Great God: The Failed Hypothesis Letter to a Christian Nation The Age of Reason The Blind Watchmaker The Caged Virgin The End of Faith The God Delusion The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster Why I Am Not a Christian Why I Am Not a Muslim Books critical of Christianity Books critical of Islam Movements Agnosticism Antitheism Atheism Criticism Cārvāka New Atheism Nontheistic religions Parody religion Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Criticism_of_the_Seventh-day_Adventist_Church&oldid=995589550" Categories: Seventh-day Adventist Church Criticism of Christianity Criticism of religion Hidden categories: Webarchive template wayback links CS1: Julian–Gregorian uncertainty CS1 maint: ref=harv Navigation menu Personal tools Not logged in Talk Contributions Create account Log in Namespaces Article Talk Variants Views Read Edit View history More Search Navigation Main page Contents Current events Random article About Wikipedia Contact us Donate Contribute Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file Tools What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Permanent link Page information Cite this page Wikidata item Print/export Download as PDF Printable version Languages العربية فارسی Português Edit links This page was last edited on 21 December 2020, at 21:50 (UTC). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Contact Wikipedia Mobile view Developers Statistics Cookie statement