From Righteousness to Holy Flesh

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From Righteousness to Holy Flesh 1--Preface [Draft] FROM RIGHTEOUSNESS TO HOLY FLESH: JUDGMENT AT MINNEAPOLIS PREFACE When God lets man have his own way, it is the darkest hour of his life. For a willful, disobedient child to be left to have his own way, to follow the bent of his own mind, and gather the dark clouds of God's judgment about him, is a terrible thing.--Ellen White, "The True Standard of Righteousness," Sermon at Worcester, Mass, July 31, 1885 in RH, Aug 25, 1885. In late 1899, Stephen Haskell returned to the United States after an absence of nearly four years. He was horrified by the content and pervasiveness of theology that he considered fanatical. As he traveled throughout the United States, Haskell concluded that "a perversion of the doctrine of righteousness by faith has taken possession of many minds." [Haskell to W C White, May, 1900] The following brief statements outline the theology to which Haskell was exposed. It would be useful to consider the question of what central theological premise bound each of the following 1898-1900 statements together: [1]John Harvey Kellogg, leader of SDA medical work, to Ellen White, June 23, 1898: "It is the life of God and the intelligence of God that rules everything in the body of the righteous man and if the will is completely surrendered to God and the individual is absolutely consecrated, the power of God which is in the man must restore all the faculties and functions to their divine perfection." [2] A T Jones, "Saving Health," RH, Nov 22, 1898: "Perfect holiness embraces the flesh as well as the spirit; it includes the body as well as the soul. Do you not see by all this that in the principles of health for the body, and righteousness for the soul, both inwrought by the Holy Spirit of God, the Lord is preparing a people unto perfect holiness, so that they can meet the Lord in peace, and see Him in holiness?" [3] E J Waggoner at 1899 GC Session: "[God] says that the life of Jesus should be manifested in our mortal flesh; and when that life is dwelling in our mortal flesh, mortality does not have any hold on it. Voice: Do you ever expect to be sick? E J Waggoner: No; I expect to live forever." [4] R S Donnell, president of the Indiana Conference, leader of "Holy Flesh" movement, 1900: "Men can continually do righteous acts only as God is 2--Preface [Draft] incarnate in them; and it was God's purpose from the beginning to dwell in every created being, so that good works, or He himself, might always appear in them. I teach that those who fully appropriate the power of the gospel of Christ need not to die."--"What I Taught in Indiana," pp 5, 25. Each of the preceding statements represents a theological perspective that has subjectivized its understanding of justification by faith. Its premise has consciously or unconsciously excluded an objective, outside—of—the—individual view of justification. The results of such exclusion are apparent from the statements themselves. The research and writing of the author has been guided completely by the perspective that justification by faith was the central issue of the Minneapolis experience and from that conclusion all else flows. Because "Minneapolis" and "1888" were about justification by faith and not primarily about a "bad spirit" possessed by Uriah Smith or others and because the basic issue was theological and not emotional, this study has centered upon the theological systems under which the participants operated. That is not to say that the "Minneapolis spirit" did not influence the situation, but the primary focus of this study has constantly been kept uppermost by the author. One result from a consistent centering upon justification was that the author thus came to the surprising conclusion that there were at least three varying understandings of that subject during the period. The author intends to show how diversionary movements prevented justification by faith from being perceived as the central issue. This study is not conceived as a polemic for a particular view of justification (although certainly the author's interpretation will be revealed), but is rather an attempt to analyze the varying views of justification held within the church during the period. The nature of this study does not call for an intense analysis of the interrelationship between justification and sanctification or the question of whether sanctifying righteousness is to be considered as embraced within the justification 3--Preface [Draft] umbrella. What is vital to this study is to perceive three distinct views of justification held within the church and to notice those differences. The work has its limitations. Space and time constraints dictated limiting the time span to sources primarily from the 1884 to 1889 period, although some subjects extended the research somewhat. Additionally, the theological positions are analyzed from a layman's perspective and in layman's language. While the author was trained as an historian, he must deal with theological issues, for the central meaning of 1888 was theological. That analysis cannot be relegated to the background. Fortunately, Ellen White herself, did not write as a trained theologian and her analysis from both a theological and historical perspective is what the author has taken very seriously. The author presents this interpretation with the deepest conviction and sincerest hope that it has merit in helping understand and further the cause he sincerely loves and in which he firmly believes. Because Ellen White was of such surpassing importance to understanding the issues of 1888 and because the flavor of her analysis can not be fully given in the usual textual treatment, the author has included an appendix that is more documentary in nature and which will enable a more detailed analysis of Ellen White's evaluations concerning the "pharisaism" of the pre-1888 period. Acknowledgements. [To be written] 1--Chapt 1--Centrality of Justification [Draft] Chapter 1 The Centrality of Justification Ellen White provided the key to SDA history when she defined the significance of the 1888 General Conference session. "The present message-- justification by faith--is a message from God," she proclaimed to those assembled at the campmeeting held in Rome, New York, in June of 1889.1 The next year she informed the church that "one interest will prevail, one subject will swallow up every other,--Christ our righteousness."2 Mrs White frequently identified justification as the issue relevant to the 26 eventful days of the 1888 General Conference session and institute held at Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 10 to November 4, 1888. Did SDAs understand justification by faith prior to 1888? Ellen White responded to that question. "I tell you in the fear of God," Mrs White wrote to the SDA ministry in 1889, "that up to this time, the Bible truths connected with the great plan of redemption are but feebly understood."3 Concerning the future, Ellen White expressed both apprehension and hope. She greatly feared the results that the disunity surrounding 1888 would bring and moaned: "What kind of a future is before us, if we shall fail to come into the unity of the faith."4 On the hopeful side, reflect on the statement noticed in the initial paragraph. When Mrs White looked toward the SDA church of the future, she observed that "one interest will prevail," justification by faith will swallow up every other subject SDAs interest themselves in. In addition to Ellen White, other sources such as the Willie White notes taken at the conference, Review and Herald and Signs of the Times accounts of the conference, the General Conference Bulletin, and even the local newspapers of Minneapolis, all confirm that justification by faith was prominently discussed at the momentous Minneapolis meeting. 2--Chapt 1--Centrality of Justification [Draft] It is significant that the SDA church had such a unique opportunity on the very day that marked the 44th anniversary of the disappointment of 1844. On that day Adventists could have advanced, in the public view, as vigorous proponents of this truth: Christ's life and death are the sole basis for justification. How fitting that both the Minneapolis Journal and Tribune, reported on the meetings of that Monday, October 22, 1888 and how fitting that on that day SDAs should discuss the central theme of the Bible and the theme that Martin Luther considered the test of all religious systems. Minneapolis did indeed offer to SDAs a new analysis of its central message and Ellen White observed that at Minneapolis, "Elder E J Waggoner had the privilege granted him of speaking plainly and presenting his views upon justification by faith and the righteousness of Christ in relation to the law."5 As Ellen White prophetically perceived, a close look at justification by faith and its advancement to the center of Adventism, would overwhelmingly challenge the pioneer's entire ecclesiastical system. Placing justification at the center brought into question the past system of ministry, leadership and organization, theology and even personal behaviour. The pioneers clearly perceived their system to be under attack, but didn't recognize that it was the message of justification by faith that was posing the challenge. Personalities. Personalities are important only in a very limited way to this study. Because there were three varying perspectives about justification, there were essentially three views of the kind of church those holding their views wanted to belong to. The pioneer system was well represented by George Butler, General Conference president, just prior to the 1888 session, and Uriah Smith, editor of the church paper. Alonzo T Jones and Ellet J Waggoner, came to represent Adventism's new time of opportunity that would result from a close 3--Chapt 1--Centrality of Justification [Draft] focus upon justification by faith.
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