We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum. A.W. Tozer
Therefore let God-inspired Scripture decide between us; and on whichever side be found doctrines in harmony with the word of God, in favor of that side will be cast the vote of truth. --Basil of Caesarea
Once you learn to discern, there's no going back. You will begin to spot the lie everywhere it appears.

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service. 1 Timothy 1:12

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Seventh-day Adventists: Cult or Cultic?

There is much debate over whether Seventh-day Adventists are a cult or just cultic. Clete Hux tells us, “Official teachings of the SDA denomination are expressed in its 28 Fundamental Beliefs which were originally adopted by the General Conference in 1980, with another belief (number 11) being added in 2005. Their teachings seem to be typical of Trinitarian Protestant theology, with Premillenialism and Arminianism…. They hold to the infallibility of Scripture, the substitutionary atonement, the resurrection of the dead, and justification by faith. However, there are certain distinctive SDA doctrines that would set them apart from the rest of the Christian world.” (Areopagus Journal, Vol. 9, No. 5, Seventh-day Adventism, p.21)  To be sure, someone can come to know the true gospel in spite of SDA teachings, but that doesn’t negate the heterodoxy and heresy of some of their doctrine. I personally consider the SDA to be a cult. Some individual assemblies have become more orthodox in their teaching and that can cause some confusion. That being said, let's look at some of the doctrine of the SDA and let you decide for yourself how to categorize them.

Ellen G. White as a prophet: Without the teachings of Ellen G. White, the SDA as a unique church would cease to exist. The SDA claim Ellen G. White was a true prophet of God (as did she). Here are some examples of this claim:

“Seventh-day Adventists hold that Ellen G. White performed the work of a true prophet during the seventy years of her public ministry. As Samuel was a prophet, as Jeremiah was a prophet, as John the Baptist was a prophet, so we believe that Mrs. White was a prophet to the church of Christ today.” (Review and Herald, 10/4/28, p.11, cited by Wallace D. Slattery, Are Seventh-day Adventists False Prophets? p.23)

“We do not believe that the quality or degree of inspiration in the writings of Ellen White is different from that of scripture.” (Dallas General Conference of 1980, cited by Slattery, p.23)

So how does Ellen White stand up to the biblical test of a prophet? Firstly, White participated in necromancy (communication with the dead), saying she conversed several times with her dead husband. This is forbidden by Lev. 20:27 and Deut. 18:10-12. Some of White’s false prophecies and teachings are as follows:

1. People alive in 1856 would be translated at the 2nd coming of Jesus. (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, p. 131, 132, cited in MacGregor Ministries’ booklet Facts Seventh-day Adventists Won’t Tell You )

2. The U.S. “would be ‘humbled into the dust’ by England during the Civil War” (Testimonies for the Church, Vol.1, p.259, cited in Facts Seventh-day Adventists Won’t Tell You)

3. Ellen taught that people and animals interbred: “Since the flood there has been amalgamation of man and beast as may be seen in the almost endless varieties of species of animals, and in certain races of men.” White‘s friend Uriah Smith in 1868 explained what White meant - that the resulting “amalgamation” were “wild bushmen of Africa, Patagonians, and Hottentots.” (Slattery, p. 26-28)

4. White taught that “wigs overheat the brain and needlessly excite the system,” and that women who wear them would go insane. (“Words to Christian Mothers,” The Health Reformer, 6,4:121, cited by Slattery, p.28)

5. Ellen taught in 1884 that Adventists should remain unmarried and celibate because Christ’s return was imminent (Slattery, p. 28-29).

6. A teaching about the “shut door” doctrine was supposedly given to White in a vision, yet she reversed her teaching on this years later. While details of this doctrine are too lengthy to go into here, the point is that she claimed a revelation that had to be corrected several years later.

7. White often contradicted the Bible. For example, she stated that Christ was Michael the archangel, that God had to devise a plan of salvation after the Fall, that Christ’s blood did not cancel sin, that the atonement was not complete at the Cross, that Jesus did not die to bring salvation, that man can attain sinlessness in this life, etc (Slattery, p.32-34) J. Mark Martin also cites her teachings that the tower of Babel was built before the Flood (Seventh-day Adventism and the Writings of E.G. White, p.15)

8. Ellen taught that old Jerusalem would never be built up, but after 1948 the old city has been continuously built up. (Early Writings, p.75, cited by Martin, p.11)

9. Ellen prophesied that she would be alive when Jesus returned (Early Writings, p. 15-16, cited by Martin, p.12)

10. Ellen claimed she had visions of people, including Enoch, living on Saturn and Jupiter. (Martin, p.13-14)

11. Even after the Civil War was over, Ellen continued to prophesy that slavery would be reinstituted in the South (Dirk Anderson, White Out, p.91)

12. My favorite White teachings are on the subject of masturbation. According to this prophet of God, masturbation causes death, insanity, epilepsy, bad eyesight, bleeding in the lungs, spasms of the heart and lungs, diabetes, rheumatism, tuberculosis, asthma, and a dozen other afflictions.

Christian response: While many more false prophecies and teachings can be cited, only one false prophecy proves a prophet to be not of God (Deut. 18:22). Therefore E.G. White is a false prophet whose teachings should not be followed.  White claimed angels gave her the Investigative Judgment, Saturday Sabbath, and that Sunday worship is the mark of the beast. Paul said that even if an angel gives a different gospel he is to be condemned, and that Satan and his demons can appear as angels. Gal. 1:8-9; 2 Cor. 11:14-15.

Biblical Authority
While the SDA claim they believe in the infallibility of Scripture, they have their own version of the Bible titled, The Clear Word. Claiming it to be a paraphrase, the author, Jack J. Blanco, adds much of E.G. White’s teachings to the book of Daniel to support the doctrine of the Investigative Judgment (see below), as well as many other changes. Although this is not an official SDA Bible, it is published by the SDA and sold through them.

Another Bible published and sold by SDA is their official “Study Bible.” According to Gary Mayo of the SDA-EGW Historical Society, “This is a large King James Bible with the writings of Ellen white below the Bible text. It also has many references to the writings of Ellen White which would be too numerous to print. The real concern, however, is what is said in the preface. We quote:
"…The need for the Word today is even more urgent. Every wind of doctrine blows (Eph 4:14). Satan is working 'with all power and signs and lying wonders' (1 Thess 2:10). Deceptions are so great, that 'if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect' (Matt 24:24). But God in his goodness has once again caused 'the testimony of Christ' to be confirmed in his church, so that we 'come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ' (1 Cor. 1:6-7). His last day remnant people have had restored through the ministry of Ellen G. White, 'the testimony of Jesus' which is 'the spirit of prophecy' (Rev. 12:17, 19:10). To combine this inspired commentary [my emphasis] with the Scriptures themselves is the purpose of this present volume…"

Additionally, Lori MacGregor of MacGregor Ministries writes in her booklet, Facts Seventh-day Adventists Won’t Tell You, “They revere their prophetess Ellen G. White, and made this statement in their ‘Ministry Magazine’ of Oct. 1981 and have never retracted it: ‘We believe the revelation and inspiration of both the Bible and Ellen White’s writings to be of equal quality. The superintendence of the Holy Spirit was just as careful and thorough in one case as in the other.’”

The Fundamental Beliefs of Seventh Day Adventists, No. 17, states the following: “…As the Lord’s messenger, her [E.G. White] writings are a continuing and authoritative source of truth which provide for the church comfort, guidance, instruction, and correction.”

You can see plainly that, although claiming to believe in the infallibility of Scripture, they hold E.G. White’s teachings as essential additions to the Bible.

The Trinity: In the early days of the SDA they denied the Trinity. “…White wrote in Patriarchs and Prophets, page 761, ‘…He (Jesus) was revealed to them as the Angel of Jehovah, the Captain of the Lord’s Host, Michael the Archangel.’” (MacGregor Ministries’ booklet Facts Seventh-day Adventists Won’t Tell You)

The official position stated by the Church on their site appears to be orthodox: “There is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of three co-eternal Persons. God is immortal, all-powerful, all-knowing, above all, and ever present. He is infinite and beyond human comprehension, yet known through His self-revelation. He is forever worthy of worship, adoration, and service by the whole creation.”  However, even to this day there is confusion as to their idea of the Godhead. The Apologia Report, 7/30/09, has the following information:

“SDA author and seminary professor Dr. Norman Gulley writes: ‘We noted that there are several OT texts indicating a plurality in God, as one God addresses another God.’ From ‘Trinity in the Old Testament ,’ Journal of the Adventist Theological Society, Spring 2006, n.p.
“The official North American Division curriculum standards for SDA schools makes brief reference to the ‘Godhead as creators’ and also summarizes: ‘Understand that the God family - “God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit” - work in perfect unity, yet are separate and unique beings.’ www.tinyurl.com/lzt9yn
“The introduction to the Oct-Dec 1998 Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, the official SDA lesson quarterly, tells us that: ‘The Godhead consists of three divine Beings, unified in action but distinct in personality.’ www.tinyurl.com/mog2pc
“In his book The Marriage Covenant: A Biblical Study on Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage, the late Samuele Bacchiocchi, former Professor of Theology and Church History at Andrews University (SDA), writes: ‘The God of Biblical revelation is not a solitary single Being who lives in eternal aloofness but is a fellowship of Three Beings so intimately and mysteriously united that we worship them as one God.’ www.tinyurl.com/lv9an7

Investigative Judgment:  This is one of the heretical doctrines that sets the SDA apart from orthodoxy. Ellen White claimed she got this doctrine from an angel (but see Gal. 1:8-9, 2 Cor. 11:14-15). You can find this doctrine described in the Fundamental Beliefs of SDAs, No. 24 as follows:
“There is a sanctuary in heaven, the true tabernacle which the Lord set up and not man. In it Christ ministers on our behalf, making available to believers the benefits of His atoning sacrifice offered once for all on the cross. He was inaugurated as our great High Priest and began His intercessory ministry at the time of His ascension. In 1844, at the end of the prophetic record of 2300 days, He entered the second and last phase of His atoning ministry. It is a work of investigative judgment which is part of the ultimate disposition of all sin, typified by the cleansing of the ancient Hebrew sanctuary on the Day of Atonement. In that typical service the sanctuary was cleansed with the blood of animal sacrifices, but the heavenly things are purified with the perfect sacrifice of the blood of Jesus. The investigative judgment reveals to heavenly intelligences who among the dead are asleep in Christ and therefore, in Him, are deemed worthy to have part in the first resurrection. It also makes manifest who among the living are abiding in Christ, keeping the commandment of God and the faith of Jesus, and in Him, therefore are ready for translation into His everlasting kingdom…. It declares that those who have remained loyal to God shall receive the Kingdom.”

Okay, so what does this mean in layman’s terms?  Ex-SDA pastor Dale Ratzlaff explains this doctrine this way:  “The…doctrine of the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary and the investigative judgment teaches that at the ascension Christ entered the outer apartment of the heavenly sanctuary.  From that time until 1844, he performed a ministry of intercession and forgiveness analogous to that of the earthly sanctuary’s outer apartment.  In 1844 Christ entered into the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary for the first time to begin a work of investigative judgment.  This judgment deals only with those who have professed to believe in God.  The wicked…will be investigated during the 1000 years and executed shortly after the close of the 1000 years of Revelation 20.  The investigative judgment starts with the cases of the dead, reaching clear back to Adam and reviews the life records of every person who has professed faith in God.  Every deed is closely examined.  Each succeeding generation is investigated and judged.  At some time, none know when, the cases of the dead are completed and God then moves to the cases of the living.  SDAs believe they will not know when their name comes up in judgment.  Therefore, it is extremely important that they engage in no frivolous activity or sin.  Every sin must be confessed.  Sins which have been  forgotten and unconfused will stand against them in the judgment.  Their characters must demonstrate perfect obedience to the Ten Commandment law, especially the Sabbath…. Some names in this list of professed believers will be accepted, others will be rejected.  When every person confessing faith in God has come up in review, Jesus then pleads his blood before the Father on behalf of those who are found worthy, and blots out the record of their sins from the books of heaven.  Then, not knowing if, or when, the work of investigative judgment has been completed, the righteous, still in their human state, before the second coming of Christ, will have to live in the sight of a holy God without an intercessor.  This, then, completes the atonement.  Jesus then takes the sins of God’s people and transfers them to Satan, who is represented by the Day of Atonement scapegoat in Leviticus 16.  Satan then bears the ultimate responsibility for all the sins he has caused the righteous to commit.  He will suffer for those sins in the lake of fire and then be blotted from existence.  The investigative judgment is conducted before all the intelligences of the universe [and] vindicates the character of God before all the unfallen beings.” (Cultic Doctrine of Seventh-day Adventist, p.157-162)

This doctrine has had many changes since 1844, as the “door of mercy“ was taught as being shut, then as being open and then as being shut again before it was again taught as being open; a study of just this doctrine is enough to demonstrate that Ellen G. White was a false prophet.

Christian response: Firstly, Jesus will not come in the inner rooms or invisibly, but will appear known to all: Matt. 24:26-27; Acts 1:11. Secondly, Christ always lives to intercede for us: Heb. 7:25. Finally, Jesus “paid it all,” that works are useless: Isaiah 53:6; Isaiah 64:6; John 1:29; John 17:4; John 19:30; Rom. 8:1; Eph. 2:8-9. Jesus paid for our sins entirely, not just partially.

Seventh-Day Sabbath:  SDA teaching is that “Sunday-keeping” is part of the “great apostasy” and churches that do so are “daughters of Babylon.” They claim the true remnant church keeps the Jewish Sabbath as the “seal of God,” and that it would be the “final test” which will separate God’s saved people and the unsaved who “receive the mark of the beast.”

“Adventists believe that from Friday sundown until Saturday sundown they must do nothing more than is absolutely necessary to carry on life, with exception of religious observances. Disallowed activities include TV watching, secular radio listening, sports, one’s vocation (with exception of medical services and the ministry), and school study.” (Slattery, p.18)

The official statement on the SDA web-site says: “The beneficent Creator, after the six days of Creation, rested on the seventh day and instituted the Sabbath for all people as a memorial of Creation. The fourth commandment of God's unchangeable law requires the observance of this seventh-day Sabbath as the day of rest, worship, and ministry in harmony with the teaching and practice of Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a day of delightful communion with God and one another. It is a symbol of our redemption in Christ, a sign of our sanctification, a token of our allegiance, and a foretaste of our eternal future in God's kingdom. The Sabbath is God's perpetual sign of His eternal covenant between Him and His people. Joyful observance of this holy time from evening to evening, sunset to sunset, is a celebration of God's creative and redemptive acts.”

Christian Response:  First, it is good to look at what the early church taught about the Sabbath.  Justin Martyr, in his Dialogue with Trypho, spoke about the issue more than once.  Contrary to the teaching of the SDA, Justin pointed out that those patriarchs prior to Moses never had the Sabbath:  “Moreover, all those righteous men already mentioned [Adam, Abel, Enoch, Lot, Noah, Melchizedek], though they kept no Sabbaths, were pleasing to God; and after them Abraham with all his descendants until Moses.” (Chapter 19)  “But if we do not admit this, we shall be liable to fall into foolish opinions, as if it were not the same God who existed in the times of Enoch and all the rest, who neither were circumcised after the flesh, nor observed Sabbaths, nor any other rites…. For if there was no need of circumcision before Abraham, or of the observance of Sabbaths, of feasts and sacrifices, before Moses; no more need is there of them now, after that, according to the will of God, Jesus Christ the Son of God has been born without sin, of a virgin sprung from the stock of Abraham” (Chapter 23).  “But the Gentiles, who have believed on Him, and have repented of the sins which they have committed, they shall receive the inheritance along with the patriarchs and the prophets, and the just men who are descended from Jacob, even although they neither keep the Sabbath, nor are circumcised, nor observe the feasts. …  Or why did He not teach those—who are called righteous and pleasing to Him, who lived before Moses and Abraham, who were not circumcised in their foreskin, and observed no Sabbaths—to keep these institutions?” (Chapter 26) (all bold emphasis are mine).

As you can see, Justin, who was born about 114 AD, reflected the teachings of the early 2nd century church that prior to Moses there was no Sabbath law, and after Christ there is also no Sabbath law. This refutes the claim of the SDA which says the Sabbath law was from creation and that the early church practiced Sabbath-keeping.  A second response would be looking at the Scripture, which I examined in my 5/19/10 post “Are Christians Required to Keep the Sabbath?” and to which I refer you.  Finally, Paul said in Colossians 2:16-17 to not let anyone judge the Christian in respect to the observance of a Sabbath day, pointing out that it was a shadow of Christ’s coming.

Remnant Church: As with other churches in the “restoration movement” (e.g., LDS, Church of Christ), the SDA considers themselves to be the one true remnant church. “Their prophetess, Ellen G. White…has told them that ‘…Satan has taken full possession of the Churches.’ (Spiritual Gifts, V.1, P.189-90).’ “They also believe our prayers are an ‘abomination’ to God (Spiritual Gifts, V.1, p.190) (Facts Seventh-day Adventists Won’t Tell You)

Christian response: In order to be the “remnant,” the true church would have had to totally apostatize. This is impossible in light of Matthew 16:18 and 24:5, and Ephesians 3:21.

Soul Sleep and Annihilation: Because the Bible says in many places that the dead “sleep,” SDA say that that soul does not go to be with the Lord (or kept for judgment) at death, rather the soul is in an unconscious sleep until the resurrection. Those who are not saved are then destroyed and no longer exist - there is no eternal hell.

Christian response: “Sleep” is figurative because the body separates from the spirit at death to be reunited at the resurrection. The spirit of the believer goes immediately to be with the Lord: Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23-24.

Other
1. “Adventism teaches that the Old Testament dietary laws of Leviticus 11 still apply to everyone. Thus pork, scaleless fish, shellfish, birds other than fowl, reptiles, and most mammals are forbidden foods. Adventism also emphasizes vegetarianism, believing that meat is becoming more unacceptable for food as time progresses. Any intake of alcohol is forbidden….” (Slattery, p.18)

Christian response: Besides the fact that the Levitical dietary laws were only for Israel and no one else, Christ declared all foods to be clean in Mark 7:17-23. And Christ turned the water into wine at Cana, and Paul suggest Timothy drink wine, so alcohol is certainly not forbidden in Scripture. Scripture does condemn drunkenness, but not the drinking of alcohol.

2. SDA prohibits the wearing of earrings, bracelets, and rings - including wedding rings - citing Paul’s teachings about modesty in 1 Tim. 2:9-10. (Slattery, p.48)

Christian response: There is no biblical prohibition for these items. Paul taught the modest use of any article, not the prohibition thereof.

There is your brief overview of some of the SDA doctrines and teachings. These are all unbiblical teachings by a false prophet. So, are the Seventh-day Adventist a cult or just cultic?

17 comments:

deceived no more said...

Good article! I've never studied the teachings of SDA and had no idea it was such an apostate group.

Keep up the good work

Free From Wolves

Jay said...

You wrote a lot, so I guess that we would have to begin with your first point. You stated that Ellen White practiced communication with the dead. Please explain to me where you learned this information from and what are your sources?

Glenn E. Chatfield said...

Jay,

In one of the several books I have on my shelf I read of how Ellen claimed to have talked with her dead husband. I couldn't find the reference right now, so I did a quick internet search and came up with this:
http://www.ellenwhiteexposed.com/egw61.htm

Anonymous said...

You people need to make sure that what others write about EG White that you search and find out for yourself. This is Mrs. White first vision and nothing has been stated that she would still be alive when Jesus returns. Alot of people, especially ex-pastors and others who left the SDA church are bitter and are tiring to get others to see their point of view, but leave out the correct stuff. People you need to search the Bible, EG White always stated to read the Bible as she is a messenger and pointing us to the greater light which is Jesus. Read Exodus 20 and you will see about the Sabbath day. Look up Sabbath in the dictionary and you will see that the seventh day is Saturday. Need I say more? Do not let the blind lead the blind, find out for yourself. This is taken from Early Writings: The 144,000 were all sealed and perfectly united. On their foreheads was written, God, New Jerusalem, and a glorious star containing Jesus’ new name. At our happy, holy state the wicked were enraged, and would rush violently up to lay hands on us to thrust us into prison, when we would stretch forth the hand in the name of the Lord, and they would fall helpless to the ground. Then it was that the synagogue of Satan knew that God had loved us who could wash one another’s feet and salute the brethren with a holy kiss, and they worshiped at our feet. {EW 15.1}
Soon our eyes were drawn to the east, for a small black cloud had appeared, about half as large as a man’s hand, which we all knew was the sign of the Son of man. We all in solemn silence gazed on the cloud as it drew nearer and became lighter, glorious, and still more glorious, till it was a great white cloud. The bottom appeared like fire; a rainbow was over the cloud, while around it were ten thousand angels, singing a most lovely song; and upon it sat the Son of man. His hair was white and curly and lay on His shoulders; and upon His head were many crowns. His feet had the appearance of fire; in His right hand was a sharp sickle; in His left, a silver trumpet. His eyes were as a flame of fire, which searched His children through and through. Then all faces gathered paleness, and those that God had rejected gathered blackness. Then we all cried out, “Who shall be able to stand? Is my robe spotless?” Then the angels ceased to sing, and there was some time of awful silence, when Jesus spoke: “Those who have clean hands and pure hearts shall be able to stand; My grace is sufficient for you.” At this our faces lighted up, and joy filled every heart. And the angels struck a note higher and sang again, while the cloud drew still nearer the earth. {EW 15.2}
Then Jesus’ silver trumpet sounded, as He descended on the cloud, wrapped in flames of fire. He gazed on the graves of the sleeping saints, then raised His eyes and hands to heaven, and cried, “Awake! awake! awake! ye that sleep in the dust, and arise.” Then there was a mighty earthquake. The graves opened, and the dead came up clothed with immortality. The 144,000 shouted, “Alleluia!” as they recognized their friends who had been torn from them by death, and in the same moment we were changed and caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. {EW 16.1}
We all entered the cloud together, and were seven days ascending to the sea of glass, when Jesus brought the crowns, and with His own right hand placed them on our heads. He gave us harps of gold and palms of victory. Here on the sea of glass the 144,000 stood in a perfect square. Some of them had very bright crowns, others not so bright. Some crowns appeared heavy with stars, while others had but few. All were perfectly satisfied with their crowns. And they were all clothed with a glorious white mantle from their shoulders to their feet.

Glenn E. Chatfield said...

Anonymous 2/7/12

Everything I have written here is factual. The fact that E.G. White was a false prophet has been proven, therefore all her teachings are fraud and false - her entire theology is unbiblical.

As for the Sabbath, I suggest you read my article at:
http://watchmansbagpipes.blogspot.com/2010/05/are-christians-required-to-keep-sabbath.html

The Sabbath was never meant for anyone other than the Jew - the nation of Israel. It was a sign of a covenant between them and God. Teaching otherwise is a false and unbiblical teaching.

The rest of your comments are all unbiblical SDA preaching, which is unbiblical. I would suggest you spend more time in the Word of God and throw away all the SDA material so as to learn the truth.

Anonymous said...

I do spend time in the word of God and I let the Holy Spirit lead and convict me of things that are wrong. But the Seventh Day Sabbath is not wrong as God blest and sanctified it. Gensis 2:3. You can say all you want about EGW as she was not the first person that God conmissioned to be a prophet, it was a man. Oh, brother I will be praying for you!!!!

Glenn E. Chatfield said...

Anonymous,

If you spend more time in the Word you'd learn that all E.G. White's teachings were false, including the idea of a Sabbath. Did you bother reading my article explaining the Sabbath? Gen. 2:3 does not call it a "Sabbath"

E.G. White was NOT a prophet of God. I have proven that in this article by demonstrating false prophecies. A prophet of God will never have a false prophecy.

As long as you are following a false prophet's teachings, you will not mature in the Word of God.

Anonymous said...

I will never read your article. You are bashing someone who WAS a prophet and who has passed on. You should not be judging people; either dead or alive. My goodness, I can not believe that you think that you know everything. You read in one of your books that E. White communicated with her dead husband, but you can not remember which book it was? How unlikely is that. Then you had to go to the internet to pull up a website. Hmm I really do not believe that you found that in one of your books because if you did, you would remember which book it was in. EGW was a prophet and I can wait to meet her when I get to heaven. I will not be leaving anymore comments as what you write back is nothing but garbage.

Glenn E. Chatfield said...

Anonymous,

You say you will not read my article - Are you afraid to learn the truth?

We are indeed to judge those who claim to be prophets, and the Bible tells us how to judge them - whether or not what they say comes true and aligns with the Word of God. E.G. White FAILS every test of a prophet.

I never claimed to know everything - I have no idea where you found that in anything I have written. As for not remembering in which book I read about E.G. White talking to her dead husband, I have over 1000 volumes in my personal library - how do you expect me to remember every detail of every book!?! I have about 20 just on the SDA, including those by White herself.

You will not meet White in heaven because she was not a Christian - she was a false prophet. And if you continue to believe in the Christ she taught, you will die in your sins.

You claim what I write is garbage, yet you have not demonstrated anything that I wrote to be in error. If you can demonstrate where I erred, then do so.

Angela said...

Where in the Bible does it say that the 7th Day Sabbath was only for the Jews and that the day of worship was changed to the first day of the week? Are the 10 Commandments only for the Jewish nation?

Glenn E. Chatfield said...

Angela,
You asked where it says in the Bible that the Sabbath was only for the Jews and about a day of worship changing, and about the 10 Commandments.

As to the day of worship, there has never been any one day of worship set aside - we are to worship God every day.

As to the Sabbath and the 10 Cs, in this very article on which you comment, I cited what the early church fathers taught about the subject and why Christians don’t observe the Sabbath, I also pointed to - as well as linked to - my article “Are Christians Required to Keep the Sabbath?” I would suggest you read that article for the evidence that the Sabbath was only for Israel and no one else. That would be my response to you.

Anonymous said...

I dont think SDA's are a cult:

http://everlasting-gospel.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-seventh-day-adventist.html

http://www.pickle-publishing.com/papers/jeremiah-films/video-1.htm#toc

The criticisms against Ellen White is also poorely researched.
http://www.truthorfables.net/criticisms.htm

Glenn E. Chatfield said...

Anonymous,
You are a member of the SDA so you won’t consider them a cult any more than a Mormon would consider the LDS a cult. No surprise there.

Walter Martin was deceived, and later stated as much.

Your links remind me of the various apologetic sites the Mormons have, but they are not based in reality.

My research into the SDA is reading material by previous members, including one who was also a pastor. I also have SDA literature on my personal library shelf, including my favorite one, “Seventh-day Adventists Believe...: A Biblical Exposition of 27 Fundamental Doctrines.”

Have you bothered to read all my other short articles under the label “Seventh-day Adventists” where I quote E.G. White?

If you want to dispute my claims, I suggest you first visit the sites below, especially the first one:

http://www.www.lifeassuranceministries.org/index.html
http://ellenwhiteexposed.com/
http://exadventist.com/
http://www.formeradventist.com/
http://www.truthorfables.com/
http://sendingthelight.com/
http://www.gentlybroken.com/
http://www.biblestudiesforadventists.com/
http://www.sabbatismos.com/adventism-101-for-evangelicals/great-controversy-book-by-egw/
http://video.adventist.org/previews/2dVSw9Up-vr3AaBXD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_194170&v=GSLppxyv-ik&src_vid=NIvZ0GnWj_4&feature=iv
http://www.spirituallysmart.com/SDA%20Church.html
http://www.jesusisfreedom.net/the-masonic-beginning-of-the-seventh-day-adventists.html

As long as the SDA teaches that White is a prophet and hold her teachings above the Bible, the SDA is a cult. As long as they continue to add her teachings INTO the Bible (as in the Clear Word Bible), they are a cult. As as long as they teach works are required for salvation, they are a cult. As long as they teach the requirement to honor the Sabbath, they are a cult. As long as they teach the investigative judgement, they are a cult. And so forth. All this stuff is unbiblical, and the investigative judgement is heretical.

Anonymous said...

Dear brother,

I am subscribed to LAM and I have read quite extensively as to what the former SDA's write. If I go by what the formers have to say about White and the Bible, I will have to throw the Bible and wonder if God has abandoned earth after nearly 2000 years since Christ finished is complete sacrificial atonement.

1) SDA's do not believe White is above the Bible. The Bible is the Final authority. If White is right in her claims of inspiration, SDA's simply accept that claim upon testing. Folks will say she is a false prophet. If one goes by the evidence put forward by critics to show she is false, if they are consisten they better throw out the Bible as well, for the same arguements the atheist and Muslims bring against the Bible. This is happening! Walter Rea, Dirk Anderson - they really dont believe certain accounts of the Bible as true already.

2) The Clear word arguement is one of the childish ones I have seen. Its a paraphrase. I can produce my Bible and get it published by a SDA publication.

SDA's do not teach works are required to Salvation any more than Jesus who said If you love me keep my commandments. This is also non sense. Every church has its share of legalists! SDA position is through grace which also empowers a Christian live obediently!

4) The Sabbath was MADE for man (Mark 2:27) and was only GIVEN for the Jews at Exodus. Biblically no arguement should be made against the Sabbath.

5) If the Sanctuary is a guide in how God deals with sin, then SDA's have a point in explaining a judgmenet before the second coming. See: http://everlasting-gospel.blogspot.com/2013/01/bible-truth-about-the-sanctuary.html
All aspects of IJ has been taught by non-SDA's. If SDA's are cult they too must be!
http://everlasting-gospel.blogspot.com/2011/09/non-adventist-sources-457bc1844.html


Glenn E. Chatfield said...

Anonymous 5/3/13,

I have no idea what you mean by your first paragraph; perhaps I’m lack comprehension or perhaps it was worded badly.

1) SDA teaching is that White’s prophecies and teachings are the same “quality and degree” as the Bible in authority - as I noted in my citation. “Folks” say she is a false prophet because she has false prophesied many things. I challenge you to demonstrate where Biblical prophets failed. I’m not interested in what some people believe or don’t believe in the Bible - the Bible is the standard by which we measure all other teachings. I gave twelve examples in my article above, all shown to be false prophecies - how do YOU account for them? A true prophet of God will not have false prophecies.

Did you even read what I wrote in the article about how White’s teachings are to be held?!!?
‘We believe the revelation and inspiration of both the Bible and Ellen White’s writings to be of equal quality. The superintendence of the Holy Spirit was just as careful and thorough in one case as in the other.’
How can the Bible be the “final authority” if White’s teachings are considered EQUAL to it?

If you would select the label for “Seventh-day Adventists” on the right side of my blog, you will see many citations by White in individual entries titled, “Did They Really Say That?!?” These conclusively demonstrate that White was a false teacher.

2) So, the fact that “The Clear Word” is a paraphrase makes it okay to add passages into Daniel, as well as other teachings of White? It is “childish” to demonstrate that the paraphrase is a false version of the Bible which is recommended and promoted by the SDA?

3) The SDA does indeed require works for salvation, but I’m not going to spend the time now demonstrating that from SDA teachings. That is just a small part of the overall problem with SDA doctrines, which is why I didn’t mention it in the article, and only noted it in one comment.

4) Your understanding of your cited passages about the Sabbath demonstrates you have bought into SDA teaching vs. the Bible. Did you actually READ what I wrote about the Sabbath above? Did you read the article about the Sabbath to which I linked? I prove conclusively from Scripture that the Sabbath was ONLY for Israel. You have NO biblical argument to refute that.

5) If there are non-SDA who teach the IJ as the SDA, then they are just as much in error. I’m really wondering how much of my article you actually read, since I refute the IJ with the Bible. The links you provided demonstrate nothing other than that the blogger is believing the same fairy tale about IJ as White taught, and it is heresy.

Richard said...

Why don’t you honour the seventh day as our Lord asked you to do?

Glenn E. Chatfield said...

Richard, why don't you read the article for the proof that the SABBATH was ONLY for the. From the very beginning of Christianity, they met "on the first day of the week" (i.e. our Sunday), as well as my article on just the Sabbath (linked to in this article) again proving that the Sabbath was for the Jew only. Jesus never told his followers to obey the Sabbath if they weren't Jews.
http://watchmansbagpipes.blogspot.com/2010/05/are-christians-required-to-keep-sabbath.html