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*THE GODHEAD OR TRINITY*
Some Christian critics of Adventism contend that Adventist did not believe in the GodHead or Trinity.
The 1872 Declaration of the Fundamental Principles taught and practiced by the Seventh-day Adventists declared the following on the Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
"That there is one God, a personal, spiritual being, the creator of all things, omnipotent, omniscient, and eternal, infinite in wisdom, holiness, justice, goodness, truth, and mercy; unchangeable, and everywhere present by his representative, the Holy Spirit.
That there is one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal Father, the one by whom God created all things, and by whom they do consist...
The 1931 the Fundamental Beliefs of Seventh-Day Adventists included the following statement:
That the Godhead, or Trinity, consists of the Eternal Father, a personal, spiritual Being, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, infinite in wisdom and love; the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal Father, through whom all things were created and through whom the salvation of the redeemed hosts will be accomplished; the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, the great regenerating power in the word of redemption.
The current official Adventist fundamental beliefs, adopted in 1980, include the following as statement number 2, "Trinity":
"There is one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, a unity of three co-eternal Persons.
*NATURE OF CHRIST*
It has been alleged by some critics including the Christian Research Institute that traditional Adventism teaches that Christ had a sinful nature.
Adventist doctrine is that He 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. 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 did not have our ungodly desires or sinful inclinations. 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 Gods 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."
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.
*INVESTIGATIVE JUDGEMENT*
On the Seventh-day Adventist doctrine of Investigative Judgment, some critics content that it contradicts Biblical teaching.
Adventist however, look at scripture and the Investigative Judgment doctrine or the 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, 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 Christs work for us: sacrifice, mediation, and judgment.
*SABBATH*
Some critics say the day of worship was changed or tradtion makes it a different day than what God set at Creation.
Seventh-day Adventists believe that the seventh day of the week, Saturday, is the biblical Sabbath which God set "apart for the lofty purpose of enriching the divine-human relationship".[26] It is noted that the Sabbath is a recurring message in the Bible, mentioned in the Creation account, at Sinai, in the ministry of Jesus Christ and in the ministries of the apostles. The Sabbath serves as a weekly memorial to Creation and is a symbol of redemption, from both Egypt and sin. By keeping the Sabbath, Adventists are reminded of the way that God can make them holy, like he did the Sabbath, and they show their loyalty to God by keeping the commandment in the Decalogue. The Sabbath is also a time for Adventists to spend with other people and with God.
Adventists believe that the Sabbath is not just a holiday but rather is intended as a rest for believers to grow spiritually. It should be noted, however, that although Seventh-day Adventists do not believe that they are saved by keeping Saturday as the Sabbath, they attach considerably greater significance to Saturday-Sabbath keeping than other denominations attach to worship on Sunday.
Adventists do not see the Sabbath as a works-based doctrine, but rather righteousness comes solely through faith in Christ alone. The Sabbath commandment is seen as an act of faith in God's ideal for the believer.
*GODS LAW*
Some critics say that Gods Law was done away with or abolished and no longer is applicable to Christians.
Adventist believe the law of God is the transcript of his character and is good, just and holy and still applies. God is holy. Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy (Psalm 99:9). God is just: just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints (Revelation 15:3). Jesus testifies that God is good (Mark 10:18). The Psalmist says, Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart (Psalm 73:1). God is good to Israel because he is good. Jesus, who is the express image of the Fathers character, is the the good shepherd (John 10:14). Just as God is holy, just, and good, his law is holy, just, and good: Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good (Romans 7:12).
*STATE OF THE DEAD*
Some critics contend that Adventist doctrine on what happens when you die is incorrect or not supported by the Bible.
Seventh-day Adventists believe that death is a state of unconscious sleep until the resurrection. They base this belief on biblical texts such as Ecclesiastes 9:5 which states "the dead know nothing", and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 which contains a description of the dead being raised from the grave at the second coming. These verses, it is argued, indicate that death is only a period or form of slumber.
Adventists teach that the resurrection of the righteous will take place at the second coming of Jesus, while the resurrection of the wicked will occur after the millennium of Revelation 20.
*NON-IMMORTALITY OF THE DEAD*
Adventist are criticized for not believing in tradition that people go straight to heaven when they die as 'spirit beings' and are inherently immortal. This belief in conditional immortality in Adventist beliefs, has been one of the doctrines used by critics (particularly in the past) to claim that the church is not a mainstream Christian denomination, however many other churches and Christians also hold to this view.
Adventist believe that only God is immortal and through Christs death we can be given eternal life, but the gift is attached to (conditional upon) belief in Jesus Christ. Adventists hold to the scriptural belief that the resurrection of the righteous will take place at the second coming of Jesus. The Scripture states: For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing. (Ecclesiastes 9:5) His [the dead persons] sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them. (Job 14:21) The teaching of the non-immortality of the wicked safeguards against one of the main forms of spiritualism that has crept into many churchs and is also a safeguard against the charge that God is a tyrant. It preserves the mercy of his character with his righteousness.The Scripture is plain that God is no such tyrant. The destruction of the wicked by God is called a strange act (Isaiah 28:21). On the surface the destruction of the wicked seems foreign to his character of love. God, in his mercy, will finally destroy all sin and the sinners who refuse to let go of their sin. They will not have immortality in an eternally burning hell. For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been. (Obadiah 1:16) And they [the wicked] went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. (Revelation 20:9)
Some Christian critics of Adventism contend that Adventist did not believe in the GodHead or Trinity.
The 1872 Declaration of the Fundamental Principles taught and practiced by the Seventh-day Adventists declared the following on the Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
"That there is one God, a personal, spiritual being, the creator of all things, omnipotent, omniscient, and eternal, infinite in wisdom, holiness, justice, goodness, truth, and mercy; unchangeable, and everywhere present by his representative, the Holy Spirit.
That there is one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal Father, the one by whom God created all things, and by whom they do consist...
The 1931 the Fundamental Beliefs of Seventh-Day Adventists included the following statement:
That the Godhead, or Trinity, consists of the Eternal Father, a personal, spiritual Being, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, infinite in wisdom and love; the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal Father, through whom all things were created and through whom the salvation of the redeemed hosts will be accomplished; the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, the great regenerating power in the word of redemption.
The current official Adventist fundamental beliefs, adopted in 1980, include the following as statement number 2, "Trinity":
"There is one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, a unity of three co-eternal Persons.
*NATURE OF CHRIST*
It has been alleged by some critics including the Christian Research Institute that traditional Adventism teaches that Christ had a sinful nature.
Adventist doctrine is that He 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. 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 did not have our ungodly desires or sinful inclinations. 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 Gods 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."
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.
*INVESTIGATIVE JUDGEMENT*
On the Seventh-day Adventist doctrine of Investigative Judgment, some critics content that it contradicts Biblical teaching.
Adventist however, look at scripture and the Investigative Judgment doctrine or the 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, 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 Christs work for us: sacrifice, mediation, and judgment.
*SABBATH*
Some critics say the day of worship was changed or tradtion makes it a different day than what God set at Creation.
Seventh-day Adventists believe that the seventh day of the week, Saturday, is the biblical Sabbath which God set "apart for the lofty purpose of enriching the divine-human relationship".[26] It is noted that the Sabbath is a recurring message in the Bible, mentioned in the Creation account, at Sinai, in the ministry of Jesus Christ and in the ministries of the apostles. The Sabbath serves as a weekly memorial to Creation and is a symbol of redemption, from both Egypt and sin. By keeping the Sabbath, Adventists are reminded of the way that God can make them holy, like he did the Sabbath, and they show their loyalty to God by keeping the commandment in the Decalogue. The Sabbath is also a time for Adventists to spend with other people and with God.
Adventists believe that the Sabbath is not just a holiday but rather is intended as a rest for believers to grow spiritually. It should be noted, however, that although Seventh-day Adventists do not believe that they are saved by keeping Saturday as the Sabbath, they attach considerably greater significance to Saturday-Sabbath keeping than other denominations attach to worship on Sunday.
Adventists do not see the Sabbath as a works-based doctrine, but rather righteousness comes solely through faith in Christ alone. The Sabbath commandment is seen as an act of faith in God's ideal for the believer.
*GODS LAW*
Some critics say that Gods Law was done away with or abolished and no longer is applicable to Christians.
Adventist believe the law of God is the transcript of his character and is good, just and holy and still applies. God is holy. Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy (Psalm 99:9). God is just: just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints (Revelation 15:3). Jesus testifies that God is good (Mark 10:18). The Psalmist says, Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart (Psalm 73:1). God is good to Israel because he is good. Jesus, who is the express image of the Fathers character, is the the good shepherd (John 10:14). Just as God is holy, just, and good, his law is holy, just, and good: Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good (Romans 7:12).
*STATE OF THE DEAD*
Some critics contend that Adventist doctrine on what happens when you die is incorrect or not supported by the Bible.
Seventh-day Adventists believe that death is a state of unconscious sleep until the resurrection. They base this belief on biblical texts such as Ecclesiastes 9:5 which states "the dead know nothing", and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 which contains a description of the dead being raised from the grave at the second coming. These verses, it is argued, indicate that death is only a period or form of slumber.
Adventists teach that the resurrection of the righteous will take place at the second coming of Jesus, while the resurrection of the wicked will occur after the millennium of Revelation 20.
*NON-IMMORTALITY OF THE DEAD*
Adventist are criticized for not believing in tradition that people go straight to heaven when they die as 'spirit beings' and are inherently immortal. This belief in conditional immortality in Adventist beliefs, has been one of the doctrines used by critics (particularly in the past) to claim that the church is not a mainstream Christian denomination, however many other churches and Christians also hold to this view.
Adventist believe that only God is immortal and through Christs death we can be given eternal life, but the gift is attached to (conditional upon) belief in Jesus Christ. Adventists hold to the scriptural belief that the resurrection of the righteous will take place at the second coming of Jesus. The Scripture states: For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing. (Ecclesiastes 9:5) His [the dead persons] sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them. (Job 14:21) The teaching of the non-immortality of the wicked safeguards against one of the main forms of spiritualism that has crept into many churchs and is also a safeguard against the charge that God is a tyrant. It preserves the mercy of his character with his righteousness.The Scripture is plain that God is no such tyrant. The destruction of the wicked by God is called a strange act (Isaiah 28:21). On the surface the destruction of the wicked seems foreign to his character of love. God, in his mercy, will finally destroy all sin and the sinners who refuse to let go of their sin. They will not have immortality in an eternally burning hell. For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been. (Obadiah 1:16) And they [the wicked] went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. (Revelation 20:9)
