Posted on 04/27/2012 7:54:51 PM PDT by Salvation
Seventh Day Adventists
by Sebastian R. Fama
The main difference between Seventh Day Adventists and other Protestants is their adherence to Sabbath worship. They reason that since Exodus 20:19 establishes Saturday as the Jewish Sabbath, Christians ought to worship on Saturday. They rightfully claim that the Catholic Church changed the day of worship from the Sabbath (Saturday) to the Lord’s Day (Sunday). However, they wrongfully claim that such an act was illicit.
Scripture speaks of an Old Covenant and a New Covenant. The Old Covenant was in effect until the coming of the Messiah [Jesus]. Once Jesus came He established a New Covenant. In Matthew 16:19 Jesus gives Peter the power to legislate in Church matters: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Under the New Covenant many things would change. For example, baptism would replace circumcision (Colossians 2:11-12), divorce would no longer be permitted (Mark 10:2-12), and animals would no longer need to be sacrificed (Hebrews 9:1-14). The day of worship would also change.
At first, the main day of worship for Christians was on Saturday. That’s because the first Christians were Jews. At some point the Christians were expelled from the temple because they were seen as being divisive. Consequently, they began to meet in their homes. Eventually Church leaders decided that Sunday would be the Christian day of worship in honor of our Lord’s resurrection.
While the New Testament doesn’t explicitly command Christians to worship on Sunday, it seems to indicate that such was the practice. For instance, in Acts 20:7 we see that the early Christians gathered together to break bread on Sunday. "On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them…"The term "to break bread" refers to the Eucharistic celebration. In 1 Corinthians 16:2 we read: "On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that contributions need not be made when I come."
One thing the New Testament is clear on is that Christians are not to be judged for not observing the Jewish Sabbaths and feast days. "…having canceled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands; this he set aside, nailing it to the cross… Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath." (Colossians 2:14-16).
Paul actually considers adherence to the Jewish days of observance as possible evidence that the Galatians have strayed from the faith. He writes: "but now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days, and months, and seasons, and years! I am afraid I have labored over you in vain" (Galatians 4:9-11). Paul says this because Christians are no longer bound by the Jewish ceremonial law (Romans 6:14).
There are many early Church writings that confirm Sunday as the Christian day of worship. Two are notable because of their early date. The first quote comes from "The Didache." It reads in part: "But every Lord's day . . . gather yourselves together and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. But let no one that is at variance with his fellow come together with you until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned" (Didache 14 [A.D. 70]).
The second was written by Ignatius of Antioch who was a contemporary of the apostles. He wrote: "[T]hose who were brought up in the ancient order of things [i.e., Jews] have come to the possession of a new hope, no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord's day…" (Letter to the Magnesians 8 [A.D. 110]).
Another belief that separates Seventh Day Adventists from other Protestants is their view of the afterlife. They believe that upon death we go into an unconscious sleep. At the final judgment we will all be resurrected. The just will go off to eternal life with God. Those consigned to hell will burn until they die. At this point they will cease to exist. Adventists believe that the fires of hell are eternal. However, they don’t believe that the punishments received there are eternal. To support their claims they will appeal to various Old Testament verses. For instance:
I said in my heart with regard to the sons of men that God is testing them to show them that they are but beasts. For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts; for all is vanity. All go to one place; all are from the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down to the earth (Ecclesiastes 3:18-21)?
For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward; but the memory of them is lost… Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10).
All of the ideas expressed in Ecclesiastes are not necessarily God’s. Even the verse used in chapter three to promote the Adventist view begins with the author saying: "I said in my heart." Elsewhere in Ecclesiastes, Solomon acknowledges that God has a plan but that he doesn’t know what it is. Consider the following:
He has made everything beautiful in its time; also he has put eternity into man's mind, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
The purpose of the book of Ecclesiastes is not to reveal the mind of God but to show us that human or earthly solutions are inadequate. For Solomon the obvious answer to all of our perplexing problems is God. The book of Ecclesiastes anticipates the coming of the Messiah. The lesson for Christians is that one should rely on Christ rather than self.
Many of the things that were not so clear in the Old Testament become clear in the New. The Bible itself tells us this: "…and now has manifested through the appearing of our savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel" (2 Timothy 1:10). And what does the Gospel say about the nature of hell? Matthew 25:46 says: "And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." If the damned cease to exist the punishment wouldn’t be eternal. Incidentally, if the occupants of hell are not eternal why would the fires of hell be? Once everyone who was destined to go there went off into non existence the flames would no longer be needed. The fact that the fires of hell are eternal indicates that the punishments received there are eternal.
That there might be no doubt as to the true nature of hell; Peter borrows a word from Greek mythology to describe it. In 2 Peter 2:4 the word rendered as hell is Tartarus (Τάrτarος). Tartarus, by definition, is a place of eternal torment.
The early Church had no problem understanding the nature of hell. Justin Martyr wrote: "No more is it possible for the evildoer, the avaricious, and the treacherous to hide from God than it is for the virtuous. Every man will receive the eternal punishment or reward which his actions deserve. Indeed, if all men recognized this, no one would choose evil even for a short time, knowing that he would incur the eternal sentence of fire." (First Apology 12 [A.D. 151]).
Luke 16:19-31 addresses the Adventist claim that the dead are unconscious in the grave until the second coming. In verse 22 both men die. In verse 23 we see that Lazarus is conscious and in heaven. We also see that the rich man is conscious and in hell.
A close examination of all the evidence concerning these two issues shows that the Church has been right all along.
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Oh, THAT's a very good question.
How it worked for me is like this: I could not find ANY way to accept any of the Christian tradition (not just yours, but Protestant too) without having to declare Jesus a false prophet and teacher. Try to prove your savior upon the Old Covenant - The Apostles did. Paul did. You cannot, nor could I. I can now.
Not so. Please refer to Matthew 16. When Jesus established His Church He first established His desired method of Church governance and then He identified His first Pope.
Jesus created a visible Church, a Catholic, Holy, and Apostolic Church. An Ekklesia is a convocation, not a loose invisible assembly.
Jesus introduced three forms of Church governance and specifically rejected two of them. He first considered the democratic (Sola Scriptura) method when He asked; "Who do the people say that I am?". He received several different answers, John the Baptist, Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." None of them right.
He then introduced and rejected an oligarchical form similar to the Pharisees or Sanhedrin when He asked His Apostles collectively; "Who do you say that I am?" They did not answer.
He then revealed His desired method, a theocracy under one chosen man as God had done since He chose Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, David, and Solomon when Peter stepped forward, without consulting the other and said; "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
"Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father."
And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the hell shall not prevail against it."
"I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Thanks Johnindisgrace, hang your head and follow the 99%. Follow your churchs traditions. Follow your pope. You are a follower. I tell you Jesus kept the Sabbath and the Bible declares His law will stand forever. One of His laws starts with “Remember” and there is a reason for that. Go your way.
and upon this Rock I will build my church, and the gates of the hell shall not prevail against it." The contrast is between Peter (the little stone) and Jesus The Rock of Ages. Also note the gates of hell prevailed against Peter when he denied His Savior, not once, not twice but three times. Let's go farther in the chapter to v.23 "Get thee behind me Satan; thou art an offense unto me, for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men". The empowerment of Peter (and the other eleven)will come in Heaven when the binding and loosening takes place.
I commend you for looking beyond the contrived or forced interpretation to the context of Scripture. Because He is the Word (Logos) made flesh every word of Scripture is as important and precious as every crumb of the Eucharist.
Following the feeding of the 5,000 near Capernaum Jesus took Peter and along with the other Apostles and Disciples up to Caesarea Philippi to reveal his papacy to him. The selection of the location is far from a coincidence. Caesarea Philippi is a 25 mile, two day hike from Capernaum through some pretty rough country.
At the site of the revelation is a massive exposed rock cliff. Atop the rock stood the city of Caesarea Philippi. It was a very important location militarily, and had been a place of temples and worship dating back thousands of years before the first century. At the base of the cliff is a massive grotto that at the time was a natural cistern that the Greeks and their predecessors believed was an a gate to the underworld. Physically, that rock stood between an city of temples and the gates of hell.
Jesus then told Peter that he was a smaller rock, and that upon it, like the larger rock upon which was built the city before them, He would build His Church and that it would stand forever against the gates of hell. A side note is that all of this arguing about the relevance of Petros versus Petra is foolish in the context of that location. Jesus often used wordplay and humor to convey His message.
Bobby now! Let’s be respectful. Get the name right. No degoratory please. Johngrace is the name.
Do you know of any modern pics that show this as true to form of years ago. Amazing facts! That would make it more tangible in the eyes of the apostles at the time. Thanks!
I just looked that up. There is info on exactly what you stated and more. Interesting. We always learn a new thing everyday!! Lol!!! Bless you! Praise Jesus!!
Johngrace it is. May God forgive you for the trampling of His Law. The Law is holy, perfect and eternal. The law does not save us, it can only condemn. It is the mirror to show us our imperfections. Without it we cannot know sin. If we cannot know sin we know not to repent. Without repentance there can be no mercy. To change a jot or tittle of Gods Law distorts the mirror. It cannot then give a true reflection of our sins. To break one Commandment is to break them all. The first four are our obligation to God and the last six are our obligation to our fellow man. I am done with this thread.
At the location today there is an artist's reconstruction of the site in ancient times. You can see them if you yahoo or google search images for Caesarea Philippi and the Gates of Hell.
An interesting side story is that the Greek era temples atop the rock were dedicated to Panis, the Greek god Pan who was the sudden fear, mischief and confusion (it is where we get the word panic). Pan is the Greek God of shepherds and flocks and depicted in mythology as being half man and half goat.
Also of interest is the fact that although the cave is filled with rock due to earthquake activity in Jesus' day it was full of water and no one had ever measured the depth. The deepest sounding line tried in ancient times put the depth of the water at over 800 ft. The ancients would throw their sacrifices in and believe the gods were answering positively if the blood was seen in the springs nearby which form the source of the Jordan River.
As Blessed John Cardinal Newman once wrote, to know history is to be Catholic.
As Blessed John Cardinal Newman once wrote, to know history is to be Catholic.
It took me months to get those students back, and last Sunday 2 of the Adventists came back! We had moved from the study of Revelation to the Biblical Basis of Israel Independence Day... They started an argument defending the Palestinians, as children of Ishmael, and their right to the land of Israel! I don't know if they are that ignorant or if they just love to start an argument.
Aren’t you lucky.
Why are they coming to your Baptist Sunday School Class? Do they want to be converted?
Otherwise, I think I would get the Sunday School supervisor to escort them out.
I have tried to witness to them, argue with them... now I'm having a hard time being polite to them!!!
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