2000 Annual Council September 29 Devotional

Devotional Message

September 29, 2000, 8:00 a.m.

The devotional message entitled â€oeThe Word of God and Unity of Doctrine” was presented by Orville Woolford, Director of the Chaplaincy Ministries, Education, and Health and Temperance Departments of the Trans-European Division.

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This morning I thank God for the opportunity to join with you in an exploration of this very important issue of the role of the Word of God in keeping believers united in matters of doctrine. In doing so I am conscious of the fact that I am speaking with the leadership of the entire Seventh-day Adventist Church, this movement of destiny, standing as it were at the very portals of the Promised Land. What an awesome responsibility it isto be leading Godâ€^TMs people at this critical hour! Under God it must be that we can make a difference in the direction in which the Church moves. And I am delighted that we have chosen to revive the focus our people to a spiritually enlightened appreciation of the role of the Word in our corporate and individual daily life.Â

I would be somewhat pretentious if I believed that I could adequately answer all the questions that surround this topic. So at the outset I wish to state that I am regarding this as only an attempt at a partial exploration, and any significance of what I present will lie in the resources that I shall draw into the presentation and the suggestions I shall make for future consideration.

Now with regard to the word doctrine in the topic, I intend to understand its meaning to be â€oewhat a church teaches as truth.” The question that I wish to address immediately is, â€oeWhat indeed is the Church teaching as truth today, and what is the role of the Word in the teachings?” Now if by church we mean the Christian church at large, it is abundantly clear that there is no real unity of doctrine across the array of Christian churches. Christians in general are divided into various schools of thought on practically every doctrine of the Bible. The position of our Church is that even though practically all of our beliefs are held by one or more Christian groups, yet we do not accept certain doctrines they hold because we feel they are not based on the Word of God. And, inevitably, a few of our doctrines are decidedly distinctive to us. So even among Protestant churches, who all profess to derive their doctrines from the Bible, there is division into numerous groups on the basis of doctrine.

Ellen White, commenting on this, says: â€oeThe unity for which Christ prayed does not exist. Instead of one Lord, one faith, one baptism, there are numberless conflicting creeds and theories. Religious faith appears so confused and discordant that the world know not what to believe as truth. God is not in all this; it is the work of man,â€"the work of Satan.”â€"4SP 233

The World Council of Churches has been seeking for years to change this state of disarray. It has accepted a definition for the unity that it seeks. It speaks of â€oeone fully committed fellowship, holding the one apostolic faith, preaching the one gospel, breaking the one bread, and enjoying a corporate life of prayer, witness and service” (The New Delhi Report [SCM, 1962],

p 116).Â

On that basis their efforts have continued but, as of today, ecumenism still remains an elusive goal for Christianity at large. I venture to suggest that one of the greatest obstacles to the unity they seek has been failure of the churches to distinguish between Scripture and tradition. Jesus himself drew a clear distinction between written Scripture and tradition, and He went so far as to reject tradition as â€oethe words of men” in order that Scripture as the Word of God might have the supremacy (see Mark 7:5-13). So while there may be ways in which we may cooperate with them in their pursuit of unity, we need to be committed to upholding that very same distinction between Scripture and tradition, as well as being resolute in not sacrificing any word of truth upon the altar of ecumenism.

If next we take the word church to mean the Seventh-day Adventist Church, let us again confront the same question. â€oeWhat are we teaching as truth, and what is the role of the Word in what we teach?” Well, indeed, we do have the truth plainly stated in print as 27 fundamental doctrines. So some valid questions could be, â€oeHow deeply are we corporately committed to these 27 as representing our core beliefs?” and, â€oeHow strongly united are we in upholding and teaching them?” Or, equally important is another question, â€oeHow convinced are our members that these 27 are based on the Word and as such are binding on us all?” Others have even been known to ask some different questions; for instance, â€oeIs such doctrinal unity really necessary? And if it is, then how exactly is it to be pursued? To that last line of questions let me interject that if we accept the idea that doctrine is not important or necessary, and can therefore be dispensed with, then what would be the biblical specific means by which conduct may be measured and confidence may be derived for concluding â€oeI have kept the faith”?

I hasten to add, I emphatically do not mean that the emphasis of our Church should be on keeping doctrines; instead, I am proposing that the emphasis should shift to studying the Word. By this I mean the kind of study experience that makes connection with divine realities which empower the believer and lead him into clear doctrinal thinking.

With such in mind, it may be helpful to begin by looking at the position of our early Church as outlined by Ellen White: â€oeIf Godâ€^TMs professed people would receive the light as it shines upon them from His word, they would reach that unity for which Christ prayed”

(GC 379). She went on to say that we are one in faith in the fundamental truths of Godâ€^TMs word^[1] and that as we function as a church, harmony and cooperation must be maintained without compromising one principle of truth. Indeed, a further point made is that â€oeif hearts are teachable, there will be no divisions among us. Some are inclined to be disorderly, and are

drifting away from the great landmarks of the faith; but God is moving upon His ministers to be one in doctrine and in spirit.” (CET 203)

That was the status of things then, and I submit that it is the same now. We do have fundamental doctrines, and drifting from them remains always a possible danger. Indeed, given the recent rapid growth of our Churchâ€"its global spread, the increasing number of locations where theology is being studied and taught, and the growth of an increasingly educated laity with post modern thinking and attitudes to authorityâ€"the danger of drifting into â€oenew and conflicting opinions” is greatly increased. Hence, if the desired unity is to be a reality, the Church has an increasing responsibility to find appropriately persuasive ways to ensure that what corporately we wish to be taught as truth is transparently biblical and accessible to all members through the same process that generated the doctrines in the first place. There is no unifying power in merely seeking to preserve the teachings of the past by legislation. Rather it is more likely that through personal rediscovery of truth in the Word of God, believers will find the understandings needed to ground them doctrinally. To fail in this task is to run the risk of drifting into the fatal sequence of pluralism, then fragmentation, and ultimately disintegration.

Problems of Pluralism

Christ considered unity important and promoted it. The apostle Paul, in promoting it, urged the importance of unity of doctrines in his letters. The Spirit of Prophecy writings contain numerous statements on this matter. Yet, the doctrines of Christianity, as well as those that are emphasized in our Church, may at times appear to vary significantly from place to place. The book Whose Gospel? by Martin Weber^[2] is but one example which can be used to illustrate this point. Why is this the case? Is it that the Scriptures are vague and inconsistent? Is there any real foundation for the conflicting opinions and various sentiments and doctrines that find acceptance in our Church and in the religious world? If there is indeed any valid foundation, then it may be equally valid to entertain doubts as to the divine origin of Scripture; for it does not seem right that the inspiration of God would lead people to come to diverse opinions.Â

Ellen Whiteâ€^TMs explanation of this is that â€oeThose who undertake to interpret the Bible, have corrupted the word of God and wrested the Scripture from its true meaning, by seeking to harmonize the truth of God with the inventions and doctrines of men. The Scriptures are perverted and misapplied, and the gems of truth are set in the framework of error. These teachers are blinded, and cannot clearly discern what is the true meaning of the Scriptures.” â€"ST, June 4, 1894

If that is the case, then pluralism has to be rejected as a possible option for Adventist Christians. By that I am referring to pluralism that is â€oea situation where individuals differ on theological issues but maintain an interaction which complements each other and respects each otherâ€^TMs beliefs, as they all pursue a common goal.” Such a stance would cause us to pay too high a price. It would confuse our witness to the world and, with regard to our Church members, they would see that there are differences of opinion among the leading men, and they themselves would then enter into controversy regarding the subjects under dispute. So Christâ€^TMs call for unity must again be invoked here, and the pen of inspiration reinforces the call with the statement, â€oeI urge those who claim to believe the truth, to walk in unity with their brethren. Do not seek to give to the world occasion to say that we are extremists, that we are disunited, that one teaches one thing, and one another. Avoid dissension” (TM 57).ÂÂ

What then is to be done about the â€oedifferences in opinions”? I offer the inspired counsel again^[3], â€oeIf there is a point of truth that you do not understand, upon which you do not agree, investigate, compare scripture with scripture, sink the shaft of truth down deep into the mine of Godâ€^TMs Word. You must lay yourselves and your opinions on the altar of God, put away your preconceived ideas, and let the Spirit of Heaven guide into all truth” (TM 476).

Bridging the Scholarship Gap

Avoiding dissension however may still not be that easy for some, especially scholars, who would wish to be true to the dictates and conviction of their mind. The challenging question thus becomes, â€oeHow do we nurture thinking which is shaped by, and true to, the truths of historic, biblical Christianity, but, is also acquainted with the realities of the contemporary world and with the issues of scholarship? I must first freely confess that in affirming the inspiration and authority of Scripture, I am not denying that there are problems. Yes, Scripture is inspired and it is the authority to settle all matters. However, it is also well known that there are textual, literary, historical, scientific, philosophical, cultural, theological, and moral problems with the text. The observable phenomena of Scripture which we see inductively sometimes seem to conflict with our doctrine of Scripture which we hold deductively as we infer it from the attitude and teaching of Jesus. What should we do with problems like these? Can we handle them with integrity?

Also, I readily acknowledge that virtually every Christian doctrine raises problems. This includes even the central doctrines. For instance, the doctrine of God raises questions about His being, creation, sovereignty, providence, and justice. The doctrine of Jesus Christ gives rise to questions about His one person in two natures, His work of atonement, His bodily resurrection, present reign, and future return. And, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit poses questions about His activity in the Church and in the world. Or, to take another example, consider the love of God. It is a fundamental Christian doctrine. Every Christian without exception, would normally believe that God is love; yet the problems surrounding this belief are enormous: for example, the origin and spread of evil, the suffering of the innocent, the â€oesilences” of God and the so-called â€oeacts” of God.Â

The theologian, John Stott^[4] describes this difficulty and suggests that the way of intellectual integrity is to determine to retain our conviction about Godâ€^TMs love, in spite of the residual difficulties, because Jesus our Lord himself taught and exhibited Godâ€^TMs love. And he argues further that to believe a Christian doctrine in spite of its problems, because of the acknowledged lordship of Jesus Christ, is not preferring darkness to light. It is trusting in Him who said â€oeI am the light of the world.” In this way, we do not have to suspend our belief in the truth of the Scriptures until we have solved the problem; nor do we sweep the problem under the proverbial carpet. We continue in faith to struggle conscientiously with the problem in thought, discussion, fasting, and prayer. As we do so, ultimately, some difficulties will be either wholly or partly clarified. And then, in spite of difficulties which remain, we must continue to retain our belief in Scripture on the ground that Jesus himself taught and exemplified such belief.

The Role of The Word of God

What then is the role of the Word of God in the matter of unity of doctrine? Firstly, â€oeAll scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim 3:16, 17, KJV). And from inspiration we read, â€oeIn his Word, God has committed to men the knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy Scriptures are to be accepted as an authoritative, infallible revelation of his will. They are the standard of character, the revealer of doctrines, and the test of experience.”â€"GC vii

However, referring to those who are now living upon the earth, Paul declared: â€oeThe time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Tim 4:3, 4). In view of this, he gave some significant soul‑stirring advice to ministers, â€oeI charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom: Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long‑suffering and doctrine”

(2 Tim 4:1, 2).

The approach to unity thus begins with submission to the supremacy of the Word of God. Although our doctrines are based on the Word, we need to acknowledge that they were arrived at by a process^[5], and that they are thus human constructs based upon our understanding of the Word. I therefore reiterate that our call for submission should be to the primacy of the Word, and not to the interpretation of the Word. We must exalt the Word of God and allow it supremacy over all human constructs. Accordingly then, the Word must be allowed to reform and renew the Church. By preaching the Word and teaching the kind of study of the Word that empowers and leads to clear doctrinal thinking^[6], we would take an immense immediate leap forward in revitalizing the Church for our time. Consider this statement from the Spirit of Prophecy, â€oeWhen absolute homage is paid to the Word of God in matters of doctrine and principle, there will be no easy fellowship with the world. There will be no slipshod religion. When the Bible and the Bible alone is the rule of our faith and practice, the influence of our lives will have a telling power on the world.”â€"Ms 177, 1899, p 11.Â

Obviously the amazing potential for the manifestation of Godâ€^TMs power in this Church is yet to be seen; but it is not beyond our reach if we revive the true role of the Word in the life of believers. Our greatest need today, therefore, is for a deeper love for Godâ€^TMs Word, for deeper contemplation of the Word, woven into the core activities of spiritual lifeâ€"Bible study, meditation, prayer, and maintenance of a sense of the abiding presence of God.

Role of the Spirit of Prophecy

Let us consider next the role of the Spirit of Prophecy in the matter of our doctrines. A remark made by S N Haskell concerning the relation of the Spirit of Prophecy to the doctrines of the Church provides the insight we seek. In answering a question raised in one of his meetings, he referred to the Scripture argument and then read some extracts from the Spirit of Prophecy which threw light upon the subject. Alluding to the use of that which had been given to the Church by the Spirit of Prophecy, he said he never attempted to establish doctrine from the testimonies. â€oeThe testimonies have not been given to establish new doctrine. The doctrine is established by the Word of God, and the Spirit of Prophecy comes in to bring out the light, revealing new beauties in it, and bringing out here and there details which help in the understanding of the Word of God.”â€"4BIO 68Â

This position is confirmed repeatedly^[7] throughout the writings of Ellen White. First and foremost, doctrines must be rooted in the Word, then the Spirit of Prophecy writings may be used to play a helpful and supportive role.

Role of the Holy Spirit

In the case of the Holy Spirit, however, without the enlightenment that He gives, we shall not be able to discern truth from error and shall fall under the masterful temptations and deceptions of Satan^[8]. Jesus promised His disciples, â€oeThe Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26). â€oeWhen he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth . . . and he will shew you things to come” (John 16:13). Scripture plainly teaches, therefore, that these promises were not limited only to apostolic days, but that they extend to the Church of Christ today. Indeed, Paul affirms that the gifts and manifestations of the Spirit were given in the church â€oeFor the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:12, 13).Â

It is critical, therefore, that the Holy Spirit be allowed to fulfill His role in the spiritual life of believers. Ellen White repeatedly affirms this^[9], and it is so important that we see Paul praying for the believers at Ephesus, â€oeThat the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, . . . And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us‑ward who believe”

(Eph 1:17‑19).Â

Ellen Whiteâ€^TMs comment on this is that, â€oeThe ministry of the divine Spirit in enlightening the understanding and opening to the mind the deep things of Godâ€^TMs holy Word, was the blessing which Paul thus besought for the Ephesian church” (GC ix). This is our prayer for our members around the world Church. Holy Spirit enlightenment of the understanding that edifies the body of Christ so that no longer would we be like â€oechildren, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Eph 4:14).

So in conclusion, as much as doctrine is important, it is crucial to note that the apostle Paulâ€^TMs first words to Timothy are about unity and the issue was about â€oefables and endless genealogies.” There were obviously those who were placing emphasis on aspects of doctrine which in Paulâ€^TMs judgement, â€oeminister questions, rather than godly edifying.” Ellen White also raises a note of caution when she said that there is a danger in placing too much emphasis on doctrines rather than on practical godliness.Â

Accordingly, I present the example of Enoch to underline the need for this balance. Those who would think Godâ€^TMs thoughts after Him must draw near to Him, keeping the eyes of faith fixed on Him who is the way, the truth, and the life^[10]. â€oeWe need to hide in the cleft of the Rock, and view the character of God. Enoch walked with God 300 years. He reflected upon God, he contemplated his character, and his life was well‑pleasing in the sight of God. And on the part of His children today there should be just such a meditation upon the Word of God. It should not only be read, but carefully studied; for it furnishes the only safe standard and guide in the formation of moral character, and the only sure road to intellectual culture.”â€"4MR 411

The times require the people of God to be steadfast, anchored and united in the Word of God and in His doctrine. We must resist all pressuresâ€"intellectual and moralâ€"to conform to that which is not scriptural. We are not to allow ourselves to slip or slide into the mud of religious relativity, or be torn from our moorings. Let us be a people who are united by the Word and steadfast in preserving Biblical truths as a sacred body of doctrine.