Enlightenment & the Seventh-day Adventist Church

Germany, trekearth.com: More colour than previous version. I like the contrast!

Enlightenment & the Seventh-day Adventist Church

An educational video and brief, non-exhaustive notes.

About the author from You Tube

'Bruce W. Gore, M.A., J.D., has offered educational materials for those interested in the Christian faith for about 40 years. He served on the adjunct faculty of Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington for over 30 years, while maintaining a private practice in trial law. His informal and relaxed style, combined with rich content, have made Bruce a popular lecturer, teacher, and preacher, for many years. Bruce offers educational materials in Bible, history, and theology from the perspective of the Reformed Tradition, but his even-handed approach to his topics have made him popular with many from a variety of other traditions as well.

Bruce is now retired, but continues to develop and upload material of help to many, and it is his firm hope that you will find these presentations a blessing and encouragement!'



Enlightenment

Mr. Gore opines that within Western society there were new ways of thinking in the 19th century.

I would add that this is the Enlightenment era:

Colin Brown described the Enlightenment as follows:

The Age of Enlightenment (German Die Aufklarung) covers roughly the eighteenth century. It is sometimes identified with the Age of Reason, but the latter term covers both the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Although the Enlightenment had some of its roots in seventeenth century rationalism, the ideas which characterize the Enlightenment went far beyond the rationalism of Descartes, Spinoza, and the thinkers of their time. Brown (1996: 355).

My former and brief academic adviser at the University of Manchester:

David A. Pailin, of Manchester University, stated (paraphrased):

The Enlightenment’s criticism of the authority of tradition led to increasing secularization in attitudes and ideas. Nature is seen as an ordered whole rather than as a stage for divine interventions and supernatural happenings. So far as religious beliefs are concerned, claims to revelation are acceptable only when they are rationally justified and their contents subject to reason’s judgement. Biblical stories and accepted doctrines are not immune from criticism.

Works like Bayle’s Historical and Critical Dictionary and Voltaire’s Philosophical Dictionary highlight the faults of revered figures and the questionability of standard doctrines. Historical and literary investigations into the Bible develop. Reports about miracles, especially that of the resurrection, give rise to considerable discussion. There is great hostility to priestcraft and suspicion of ecclesiastical pretensions to guide human understanding. Pailin (1999: 180).

Liberalism

Mr. Gore reasons that this was a response within Enlightenment thinking. This embraced naturalistic ways of looking at Christianity, which was in contrast, traditionally and biblically, supernatural.

He mentions concepts of Deism that developed in this era.

Mysticism

As well concepts of mysticism and new thought such as Unity (Unity Church) and Christian Science came into being.

I would add that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also came into existence in the 19 century.

The Second Great Awakening

Mr. Gore states that Christian Millennialism arises.

Ellen G. White (1827-1915)

Mr. Gore explains that White was influenced by Finney (1792-1875) in regard to prophetic, post-millennial, social concerns and Miller (1782-1848) in regard to prophetic, pre-millennial and social concerns. White's views became prophetic, pre-millennial, with social concerns.

Mr. Gore reasons that White became more famous for her social concerns than for her being one of the founders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

He discusses that as a youth, Ellen G. White (Harmon at the time) had a serious head injury. Soon afterwards as life went on she would have visions, that she interpreted as being a Christian, spiritual experiences. In her youth, Ellen and her family were part of the Millerite movement, which was an Adventist movement.

Joseph Bates wrote a pamphlet written by an Adventist that connected Christian Sunday worship with the mark of beast from Revelation. This influenced White.

Some Theology Points

White focused on an histortist approach to Revelation.

Annihilation is held to and not hell and everlasting punishment within SDA theology.

It holds to Sabbatarianism, dogmatically.
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In contrast, I would note, the Apostle Paul writes against the Judaizers (In Galatians in particular). Hebrews 8: forward discusses that there is a new covenant.

Sabbatarians will disagree with the dismal of this core doctrine of theirs, but the Apostle Paul appears to support Christian Liberty on the matter: 

Colossians 2:16-17

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

16 Therefore no one is to [a]act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath [b]day— 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the [c]substance [d]belongs to Christ.

Footnotes: Colossians 2:16 Lit judge you Colossians 2:16 Or days Colossians 2:17 Lit body Colossians 2:17 Lit of Christ

The Sabbatarian argument that it is not the Hebrew Bible 'Sabbath' being discussed here seems a desperate one. I do not think that in light of Judaizers, Paul would make such a comment unless it had a clear meaning of Sabbath day. Based on Wright's commentary I would reason that the Hebrew Bible literal Sabbath day was an aspect of the shadow of the things to come in Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 13: 10). Wright (118-119).

Romans 14: 5 is also not helpful for a Sabbatarian position:

5 One person [c]regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, [d]does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. 7 For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; 8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

For balance, a professor of mine, in my mind, correctly criticized me for working seven days a week while working on my Bachelor's degree. By taking the written Mosaic Law and applying in it Jesus Christ, spiritually, I do now take a day of rest, but within liberty, not legalism. It is usually Sunday, as long as employment will allow and I do strongly push for this to occur.

In principal, I do reason that a day of rest, set aside for the Lord (Church and related, often) is a very good thing for the Christian believer.

So, for clarity, I do not have an 'axe to grind' with a biblical concept of a day of rest. I follow it, but within a new covenant and not old covenant, context.
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Mr. Gore explains that Seventh-day Adventism uses hyper-speculation with eschatological theology although he stated that they were Christian believers. This would be debated within the Church. A major concern I have with this movement is the elevation of what should be a secondary issue, the Sabbath, to the level of a primary issue. According to Mr. Gore, orthodox SDA views would exclude non-Sabbatarians from the Kingdom of God. This is serious error and cultic theology.

Please excuse my satirical side, but I do attempt to attend Northview Community Church (megachurch) service Saturday nights and then the TriCity Church (church plant), Sunday mornings.

BROWN, C. (1996) The Enlightenment, in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.

PAILIN, D.A. (1999) Enlightenment, in Alan Richardson and John Bowden (eds.), A New Dictionary of Christian Theology, Kent, SCM Press Limited.

WRIGHT, N. T. (1986)(1989) Colossians and Philemon, Grand Rapids, IVP/Eerdmans.