Adventism and the Reformation 1
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GEOFFREY J. PAXTON Part I—Introduction: Adventism and the Reformation 1 This is not a general book about Seventh-day Adventism. Rather it is an examination of the real heart of the movement—namely, its conviction that those within it constitute God's special last-day propagators of the gospel in such a way as to make them the only true heirs of the Reformers. From this perspective, the first section opens with an analysis of Seventh-day Adventists and their claim to be the special heirs of the Reformation. Then the heart of the Reformation itself is elucidated with the purpose of establishing the norm that will be used to judge the Adventist claim. The second section looks at the way the gospel was handled by Adventism prior to 1950. However, since the main focus of the book is on the modem period, the 1844-1950 era is not dealt with exhaustively Instead, the major trends and developments are presented as concisely as is consistent with accuracy. The third section, covering the years from 1950 to the present, is the main part of the book. The three decades included in this period furnish the reader with helpful divisions, since they conveniently coincide with the actual stages of development in Adventism. A primary object of this section is to let the historical facts speak for themselves. I have resisted a personal evaluation until the conclusion. The title, The Shaking of Adventism, will be highly significant to Seventh-day Adventists. They will think of the eschatological "shaking" through which they understand the church must pass before she finally accomplishes her mission. As the editors of the general church paper, the Review and Herald, have recently pointed out,1 this concept and expectation of shaking is deeply rooted in the Adventist consciousness. Further, it is also believed that the shaking will take place over the concept of righteousness by faith. 1 See Review and Herald, 16 June 1977, p. 11; 30 June 1977, p. 2; 7 July 1977, P. 2. WWW.LIONANDLAMBAPOLOGETICS.ORG © 2021, LION AND LAMB APOLOGETICS—PO BOX 1297—CLEBURNE, TX 76033-1297 The reader may wonder why I have not appraised the work of Ellen G. White on this subject.2 I have thought it best to confine myself to the way the general body of the movement in North America and Australia has handled the gospel of the Reformation. Besides that, it has become clear to me that Adventists are divided on how they ought to read Mrs. White on this topic. Why should I attempt to explain such a controverted area when they are not agreed on it themselves? For a non-Adventist Protestant, the facts 2 concerning the way Adventists treat the gospel today must speak for themselves. It is up to Adventists to decide whether the way they have spoken of the gospel is true to Mrs. White or not. Frequent footnotes have been included to enable the reader to check the foundations for the things I say. This book is a serious attempt to evaluate the heart of the movement rather than to deal with side issues, irrespective of how important they might be in a more general treatment. Chapter 1—Adventists: Heirs of the Reformation Seventh-day Adventists have been very misunderstood. The reasons for this are no doubt complex. But whatever the reasons, the fact remains that most critiques of Adventism have failed to reach the heart of the matter. Adventists have often had trouble recognizing themselves in such analyses. The impression that Seventh-day Adventism is little better than a non-Christian sect will not stand close examination. Adventists believe in the Holy Trinity, the deity of Christ, the virgin birth, the sinless life and atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross, and His bodily resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father. This is not the creed of a non- Christian sect. Furthermore, Seventh-day Adventists believe in salvation by grace through faith alone as fervently as do most evangelicals. They believe in sanctification by the indwelling Holy Spirit and in the soon return of Jesus Christ in great power and glory. No, whatever we think of this or that Adventist "distinctive," we have to recognize the movement as being Christian. It is sometimes said that Seventh-day Adventists claim salvation by Sabbath-keeping. But in my contact with them, I have never once heard this. Adventists do not believe they are accepted by God because they keep the Sabbath any more than they believe they are accepted by God because they practice monogamy! 2 Mrs. Ellen G. White (1827-1915) helped found the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the middle of the last century. As a charismatic leader, she is recognized by Seventh-day Adventists as "the Lord's messenger" who gave the Lord's counsel and guidance to the fledgling church. WWW.LIONANDLAMBAPOLOGETICS.ORG © 2021, LION AND LAMB APOLOGETICS—PO BOX 1297—CLEBURNE, TX 76033-1297 If Adventists are regarded as Christian, they are often thought of as those who "major on minors." But those Adventists who have given support to this accusation can hardly be seen as faithful to the heartthrob of the Adventist mission. In fact, when viewed in the light of the real Adventist claim, this accusation will be seen as wide of the mark. The Adventist Claim 3 What, then, is the real Adventist claim? How does he see his mission here on earth? What does he see as his reason for existence? The Adventist views himself as standing in the line of the Protestant Reformation. He regards himself as Protestant in the truest sense of the word. Where other Christians would not claim to stand in the line of the sixteenth-century Reformers, the Adventist is in no doubt about it. He is a son of Luther and Calvin. That, however, is not all. In fact, it is hardly the beginning. At this point some of us evangelical-Reformed Christians might be in for a shock. Yet the fact is that the Seventh- day Adventist sees himself as standing in a unique relation to the Reformation. He believes that God has called him to carry forward the message of the Reformation in such a way as no other Christian or Christian body is able to do. In his opinion the Seventh- day Adventist is God's special heir of the Reformers. Only through the Adventist Church can the work of the Reformation be carried to its God-designed end. Obviously, the existence of such a stupendous claim will require verification. As far as Adventists are concerned, we could hardly commence with a more prestigious testimony than that of Mrs. Ellen G. White. Mrs. White saw the Adventist movement as standing in the line of Luther and Calvin and, of course, Paul before them. In her sizeable work, The Great Controversy, Mrs. White views the great battle between Christ and Satan as stretching from the antecedents of the Reformation (in such men as Huss and Wycliffe), through the Reformers themselves and their battle against Rome, to the Puritans and Wesley, and finally to the Seventh-day Adventist movement itself. Mrs. White writes: Thus the Waldenses witnessed for God centuries before the birth of Luther. Scattered over many lands, they planted the seeds of the Reformation that began in the time of Wycliffe, grew broad and deep in the days of Luther, and is to be carried forward to the close of time by those who also are willing to suffer all things for "the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." Revelation 1:9.3 3 Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 78. WWW.LIONANDLAMBAPOLOGETICS.ORG © 2021, LION AND LAMB APOLOGETICS—PO BOX 1297—CLEBURNE, TX 76033-1297 A frequent theme in Adventist writing and speaking is that of forwarding the Reformation. Mrs. White speaks of this as follows: "The Reformation did not, as many suppose, end with Luther. It is to be continued to the close of this world's history Luther had a great work to do... "4 Indeed, the Reformation did not end with Luther. It will end with the Adventist movement, however—at least as far as the Seventh-day Adventist is 4 concerned. He believes that the challenge from God to be "willing to suffer all things for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ" has come to his movement with unique force. Mrs. White saw Luther as teaching the doctrine of justification by faith with brilliant clarity.5 Luther was no inventor or innovator: "Christ was a protestant. ... Luther and his followers did not invent the reformed religion. They simply accepted it as presented by Christ and the apostles."6 In such statements from Mrs. White it is clear that she saw neither herself nor Adventism in general as a "Johnny-come-lately" religious phenomenon. The movement was to receive and carry forward the torch of the everlasting gospel of the Reformation. W. W. Prescott reinforces this perspective of Mrs. White. In the early years of this century Prescott edited an Adventist publication called The Protestant Magazine. It makes it clear that Adventists are the guardians of the Protestant heritage in a climate of modernism and spiritual declension. The magazine laments: The departure of Protestantism from its original principles, and the acceptance of human philosophy in place of revealed truth, are giving to Romanism the opportunity to put forward with a greater show of plausibility the claim that the great Reformation was a delusion and that the only stability of truth is found in the Roman communion.7 No apology is offered for the magazine's being a Protestant publication.