Adventist Views on Inspiration Alberto R
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Perspective Digest Volume 14 Article 4 Issue 1 Winter 2009 Adventist Views on Inspiration Alberto R. Timm Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pd Part of the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Timm, Alberto R. (2009) "Adventist Views on Inspiration," Perspective Digest: Vol. 14 : Iss. 1 , Article 4. Available at: http://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pd/vol14/iss1/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Adventist Theological Society at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Perspective Digest by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Timm: Adventist Views on Inspiration BY ALBERTO R. TIMM* dations found special space in his partial reading of the Bible and of “casebook” (as opposed to “code- the writings of Ellen White. Frank book”) approach to Scripture. Holbrook and Leo Van Dolson even For Thompson, “the one great law alleged in the preface that Thomp- of love,” the two commandments to son’s study illustrated “the fruits of love God and to love humanity, and the historical-critical method,” ADVENTIST VIEWS the Ten Commandments “form a which had been regarded by the pyramid of law that embodies the 1986 Annual Council as “unaccept- eternal principles of God’s kingdom,” able” for Adventists.5 which are normative “to all mankind While the previous developments ON INSPIRATION at all times everywhere.” “All other of the Seventh-day Adventist doc- biblical laws are applications of those trine of inspiration have been largely principles in time and place.”2 confined to the phenomena of His casebook approach to Scrip- Scripture and the writings of Ellen Conflicting views of inspiration among Seventh-day ture also provided for a high position White, Fernando Canale, professor for human reason. According to him, of systematic theology at Andrews Adventist scholars indicate that they are still divided in their “the casebook approach allows us—in- University, in the summer of 1993 personal understanding of this important topic. deed, forces us—to recognize that reve- began a five-part series in the An- lation and reason must work together. drews University Seminary Studies, uring the period of 1991-2000, suggested that “the most crucial Revelation always deals with specific proposing a “new approach” to the Alden Thompson’s Inspiration: point” of his book was perhaps the cases. Reason, in dialogue with the doctrine of revelation and inspira- Hard Questions, Honest Answers idea that “the Bible does not say that Spirit, determines which of those cases tion. Canale suggested that “a new (1991) brought the debate on all Scripture was given by revelation.”1 are most helpful in informing the deci- theological model about the origin D 3 inspiration down from the Thompson evidently intended to sions we make day by day.” of Scripture” could be developed on scholarly realm into the church level. come up with a model of inspiration Thompson’s book was controver- the basis of an understanding of The author, a professor of biblical that could provide enough room for sial from the very beginning. While God and of human nature derived studies at Walla Walla College, re- both difficulties and cultural accom- some endorsed the book, others from Scripture rather than from garded revelation in this book as modations. Room for errors, mis- strongly opposed it. The most signif- Greek philosophical concepts. “some kind of special input from takes, and “fatal contradictions” in icant response to it was the Adventist Canale criticized conventional God, a message from Him to His the Bible (although Thompson tried Theological Society’s Issues in Reve- Rom an Catholic and Protestant mod- creatures on earth” and as “a visible or to avoid such words) was provided lation and Inspiration (1992),4 with els of revelation-inspiration for their audible intervention by God.” He de- by the human side of his “incarna- articles by Raoul Dederen (two), indebtedness to a timeless view of fined inspiration as “the Spirit’s spe- tional model.” Cultural accommo- Samuel Koranteng-Pipim, Norman God and to an immortalist concept of cial urging of a messenger to speak or Gulley, Richard Davidson, Gerhard the human soul. He explained, in re- write” and “a means to indicate that *Alberto R. Timm, Ph.D., is rector of Hasel, Randall Younker, Frank Hasel, gard to the concept of God, that the Holy Spirit has been active in a the Latin-American Adventist Theo- and Miroslav Kis. “when God is conceived to act within special way.” While acknowledging logical Seminary (LATS), South- The basic consensus of those au- a timeless realm, the theological con- that “all Scripture is given by inspira- American Division of SDAs, Brasilia, thors was that Alden Thompson’s tent of Scripture (which is brought tion” (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16), Thompson DF, Brazil. model of inspiration was based on a into being by God) will also pertain Published by Digital Commons @ Andrews University,44 2009 1 45 Perspective Digest, Vol. 14 [2009], Iss. 1, Art. 4 BY ALBERTO R. TIMM* dations found special space in his partial reading of the Bible and of “casebook” (as opposed to “code- the writings of Ellen White. Frank book”) approach to Scripture. Holbrook and Leo Van Dolson even For Thompson, “the one great law alleged in the preface that Thomp- of love,” the two commandments to son’s study illustrated “the fruits of love God and to love humanity, and the historical-critical method,” ADVENTIST VIEWS the Ten Commandments “form a which had been regarded by the pyramid of law that embodies the 1986 Annual Council as “unaccept- eternal principles of God’s kingdom,” able” for Adventists.5 which are normative “to all mankind While the previous developments ON INSPIRATION at all times everywhere.” “All other of the Seventh-day Adventist doc- biblical laws are applications of those trine of inspiration have been largely principles in time and place.”2 confined to the phenomena of His casebook approach to Scrip- Scripture and the writings of Ellen Conflicting views of inspiration among Seventh-day ture also provided for a high position White, Fernando Canale, professor for human reason. According to him, of systematic theology at Andrews Adventist scholars indicate that they are still divided in their “the casebook approach allows us—in- University, in the summer of 1993 personal understanding of this important topic. deed, forces us—to recognize that reve- began a five-part series in the An- lation and reason must work together. drews University Seminary Studies, uring the period of 1991-2000, suggested that “the most crucial Revelation always deals with specific proposing a “new approach” to the Alden Thompson’s Inspiration: point” of his book was perhaps the cases. Reason, in dialogue with the doctrine of revelation and inspira- Hard Questions, Honest Answers idea that “the Bible does not say that Spirit, determines which of those cases tion. Canale suggested that “a new (1991) brought the debate on all Scripture was given by revelation.”1 are most helpful in informing the deci- theological model about the origin D 3 inspiration down from the Thompson evidently intended to sions we make day by day.” of Scripture” could be developed on scholarly realm into the church level. come up with a model of inspiration Thompson’s book was controver- the basis of an understanding of The author, a professor of biblical that could provide enough room for sial from the very beginning. While God and of human nature derived studies at Walla Walla College, re- both difficulties and cultural accom- some endorsed the book, others from Scripture rather than from garded revelation in this book as modations. Room for errors, mis- strongly opposed it. The most signif- Greek philosophical concepts. “some kind of special input from takes, and “fatal contradictions” in icant response to it was the Adventist Canale criticized conventional God, a message from Him to His the Bible (although Thompson tried Theological Society’s Issues in Reve- Rom an Catholic and Protestant mod- creatures on earth” and as “a visible or to avoid such words) was provided lation and Inspiration (1992),4 with els of revelation-inspiration for their audible intervention by God.” He de- by the human side of his “incarna- articles by Raoul Dederen (two), indebtedness to a timeless view of fined inspiration as “the Spirit’s spe- tional model.” Cultural accommo- Samuel Koranteng-Pipim, Norman God and to an immortalist concept of cial urging of a messenger to speak or Gulley, Richard Davidson, Gerhard the human soul. He explained, in re- write” and “a means to indicate that *Alberto R. Timm, Ph.D., is rector of Hasel, Randall Younker, Frank Hasel, gard to the concept of God, that the Holy Spirit has been active in a the Latin-American Adventist Theo- and Miroslav Kis. “when God is conceived to act within special way.” While acknowledging logical Seminary (LATS), South- The basic consensus of those au- a timeless realm, the theological con- that “all Scripture is given by inspira- American Division of SDAs, Brasilia, thors was that Alden Thompson’s tent of Scripture (which is brought tion” (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16), Thompson DF, Brazil. model of inspiration was based on a into being by God) will also pertain 44 http://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pd/vol14/iss1/445 2 Timm: Adventist Views on Inspiration to the timeless realm. In this case, the grammatical method and the liberal In 1995, Robert S. Folkenberg, then president of the historical side of Scripture is consid- historical-critical method). Canale ered to belong, not to its divine cause, dealt with this new methodology in General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, stated in the but rather to the human condition some later publications.