Statement of Beliefs Compared

The following differences can be found in the Fundamental Principles in the SDA Church Yearbooks from 1874 through 1914 as compared to the 1980 Statements of Beliefs in the SDA Church Manual.

(1874 - 1914) Fundamental Principles	1980 Church Manual	Comments
THE BIBLE - That the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, contain a full revelation of His will to man, and are the only infallible rule of faith and practice.	THE BIBLE - The Holy Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, are the written Word of God, given by divine inspiration through holy men of God who spoke and wrote by the Holy Spirit. In this Word, God has committed to man the knowledge necessary to salvation. The Holy Scriptures are the in-fallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, and the test of experience, the authoritative revealer of doctrines, and the trustworthy record of God's acts in history.	Notice that the word "only" is omitted from the new statement of 1980.
SPIRIT OF PROPHECY - That the Spirit of God was promised to manifest itself in the church through certain gifts, enumerated in I Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4; that these gifts are not designated to supersede, or to take the place of the Bible, which is sufficient to make us wise unto salvation, any more than the Bible can take the place of the Holy Spirit; that in specifying the various channels of its operation, that Spirit has simply make provision for its own existence and presence with the people of God to the end of time, to lead to an understanding of that word which it had inspired, to convince of sin, and work a transformation in the heart and life; and that those who deny to the Spirit its place and operation do plainly deny that part of the Bible which assigns to it this work and position.	SPIRIT OF PROPHECY - One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is prophecy. This gift is an identifying mark of the remnant church and was manifested in the ministry of Ellen G. White. As the Lord's messenger, her writings are a continuing and authoritative source of truth and provide of the church comfort, guidance, instruction, and correction. They also make clear that the Bible is the standard by which all teaching and experience must be tested.	With this new statement in 1980 the church has now put the gift of prophecy into a person. The writings of Ellen G. White are now "a continuing and authoritative source of truth." In other words, we now have another Scripture source.
THE FATHER - 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. THE SON - That there is one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal Father, the One by whom He created all things, and by whom they do consist. . .	THE TRINITY - 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. THE FATHER - God the eternal Father is the Creator, Source, Sustainer, and Sovereign of all creation. He is just and holy, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. The qualities and power exhibited in the Son and the Holy Spirit are also revelations of the Father. THE SON - God the eternal Son became incarnate in Jesus Christ. Through Him all things were created, the character of God revealed, the salvation of humanity is accomplished, and the world is judged . . . THE HOLY SPIRIT - God the eternal Spirit was active with the Father and the Son in creation, incarnation, and redemption. He inspired the writers of Scripture. He filled Christ's life with power. He draws and convicts human beings; and those who respond He renews and transforms into the image of God . . .	There is no statement on the Trinity in the 1874-1914 Yearbooks. The Doctrine of the Trinity was inserted in the 1931 Statement. This Statement on the Trinity is worded exactly as required for membership in the World Council of Churches.
THE SON - That there is one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal Father . . . that He took on Him the nature of the seed of Abraham for the redemption of our fallen race; that He dwelt among men, full of grace and truth, lived our example.	THE SON - God the sternal Son became incarnate in Jesus Christ. . .. Forever truly God, He became also truly man, Jesus the Christ. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived and experienced temptation as a human being, but perfectly exemplified the righteousness and love of God. Led by the Holy Spirit we sense our need, acknowledge our sinfulness, repent of our transgressions, and exercise faith in Jesus as Lord and Christ, as Substitute and Example.	The 1980 statement now emphasizes the Substitution of Christ's atoning sacrifice. The statement that Christ took on him "the nature of the seed of Abraham" in the old statement is deleted, de-emphasizing the fallen human nature of Christ. Also the Catholic view of emphasizing the roll of the virgin Mary in the incarnation is added. The pioneers believed that Christ took on the nature of the seed of Abraham. In contrast, the new SDA belief is that Christ was like Adam before the fall (see Leroy Froom, Movement of Destiny, 1971, p. 428).
THE ATONEMENT - That there is one Lord Jesus Christ . . . that He . . . died our sacrifice, was raised for our justification, ascended on high to be our only Mediator in the sanctuary in heaven, where, with His own blood, He makes the atonement for our sins; which atonement, so far from being made on the cross, which was but the offering of the sacrifice, is the very last portion of His work as priest, according to the example of the Levitical priesthood, which foreshadowed and prefigured the ministry of our Lord in heaven.	THE ATONEMENT - In Christ's life of perfect obedience to God's will, His suffering, death and resurrection, God provided the only means of atonement for human sin, so that those who by faith accept this atonement may have eternal life, and the whole creation may better understand the infinite and holy love of the Creator. This perfect atonement vindicates the righteousness of God's law and the graciousness of His character, for it both condemns our sins and provides for our forgiveness . . .. The resurrection of Christ proclaims God's triumph over the forces of evil, and for those who accept the atonement assures their final victory over sin and death . . .	Notice that the pioneers state that "the sanctuary in heaven, (is) where, with His own blood, He makes the atonement for our sins . . ." The new 1980 statement states that we should "accept this atonement," on the cross, and, "this perfect atonement," again, "accept the atonement." Notice that the pioneers state that the cross was, "the offering of the sacrifice."
OUR HIGH PRIEST - That the sanctuary of the new covenant is the tabernacle of God in heaven, of which Paul speaks in Hebrews 8 and onward, and of which our Lord, as great High Priest, is minister; that this sanctuary is the anti-type of the Mosaic tabernacle, and that the priestly work of our Lord, connected therewith, is the anti-type of the work of the Jewish priests of the former dispensation; that this is the sanctuary to be cleansed at the end of the 2300 days; what is termed its cleansing being in this case, as in the type, simply the entrance of the high priest into the most holy place, to finish the round of service connected therewith, by blotting out and removing from the sanctuary the sins which have been transferred to it by means of the ministration in the first apartment; and that this work, in the anti-type, commencing in 1844, occupies a brief but indefinite space, at the conclusion of which the work of mercy for the world is finished.	OUR HIGH PRIEST - There is a sanctuary in heaven, the true tabernacle which the Lord set up and not man. In it Christ ministers in our behalf, making available to believers the benefits of His atoning sacrifice offered once for all on the cross . . .. In 1844, at the end of the prophetic period of 2300 days, He entered the second and last phase of His atoning ministry.	The pioneers state that Christ's ministry in the most holy place is "to finish the round of service connected therewith, by blotting out and removing from the sanctuary the sins which have been transferred to it by means of the ministration in the first apartment . . ." However, the 1980 statement suggests that the atonement was completed and finished on the cross, and that Christ has now entered the second and last phase of His atoning ministry. The church now teaches that this last phase of Christ's ministry in heaven is judgmental only.
PROPHECY - That prophecy is a part of God's revelation to man; that it is included in that Scripture which is profitable for instruction; that it is designed for us and our children; that so far from being enshrouded in impenetrable mystery, it is that which especially constitutes the word of God a lamp to our feet and a light to our path; that a blessing is pronounced upon those who study it; and that, consequently, it is to be understood by the people of God sufficiently to show them their position in the world's history and the special duties required at their hands.	PROPHECY - No statement on prophecy since 1914.
THE MAN OF SIN - That as the man of sin, the papacy has thought to change times and laws (the law of God, Daniel 7:25), and has misled almost all Christendom in regard to the fourth commandment; we find a prophecy of a reform in this respect to be wrought among believers just before the second coming of Christ.	THE MAN OF SIN - No statement on the man of sin (the papacy) since 1914.	The main body of the SDA Church has moved away from an anti-Catholic position. The new position of co-operation with the Catholic Church was exemplified by the invitation from the Seventh-day Adventists to the Vatican to send an official observer to its conference. Rev. Thomas J. Murphy, director of the Indianapolis archdiocesan office of ecumenism, acted as the Vatican observer. He addressed the conference July 10 [1990]. Herbert Ford, news director for the denomination, told the Indianapolis Star that Adventists who want to cling to the church's historic anti-Catholic beliefs represent only about 1,000 of the church's 750,000 North American members. --ARKANSAS CATHOLIC, July 29, 1990 (Page 8).