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Beliefs - Faith and Reason

Executive summary.

Bible and reason

Basis of truth. The word of God (i.e. the logos or the memra) is the basis of truth. As Jesus himself declared it to be, "your word is truth" (John 17:17). Jesus came to speak the words of God (John 14:24); he came to bear witness to the truth (John 18:37). Moreover, this is the basis of eternal life, to know the Father and Son. "And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (John 17:3). The knowledge of the Father and Son comes through the study of the word of God guided by the spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14). The written "word of God" is what we have in the Old and New Testament writings, the 66 books of the Bible.

Sola Scriptura. The Bible is the only authority on the truth about the Father and His Son. This is the Christian confession and foundational doctrine of Protestantism. In the words of Martin Luther:

  • "Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason - I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils, for they have frequently erred and contradicted each other - my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other: may God help me. Amen." —Martin Luther, Imperial Diet of Worms, 1521.

Faith and Reason. It is rational to believe in the God of the Bible and its claims. One does not need to take "leaps of faith" into irrationality in order to believe. Unfortunately, when it comes to the nature of God, many Christian denominations *do* make irrational claims and require their followers to take (irrational) leaps of faith.

Biblicist. A person who takes the Bible literally, holding to the doctrine of sola scriptura. He uses the Bible—and only the Bible—for his authority and source of faith. Biblicism does not automatically reject the creeds and confessions of the church. Rather, Biblicism tests the creeds, whatever their origin, against God’s Word, the Bible. The importance of basing one's faith on Scripture is admonished by EGW as follows:

  • GC 593.1: “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8:20. The people of God are directed to the Scriptures as their safeguard against the influence of false teachers and the delusive power of spirits of darkness. Satan employs every possible device to prevent men from obtaining a knowledge of the Bible; for its plain utterances reveal his deceptions. At every revival of God's work the prince of evil is aroused to more intense activity; he is now putting forth his utmost efforts for a final struggle against Christ and His followers. The last great delusion is soon to open before us. Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works in our sight. So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures. By their testimony every statement and every miracle must be tested.

Systematic Theology. A discipline that formulates an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the doctrines of the Christian faith. It's focus is on revealed theology ("God's search for man") which investigates the nature of God based on revelation, as opposed by natural theology ("Man's search for God") which uses natural experience and human reason alone to answer questions about the nature of God.

Personal experience. Christian faith has to be true experientially for the individual, otherwise the mind will not embrace what the heart has not validated. However, this does not imply that personal experience may unilaterally judge and dismiss Scripture. Scripture is received, understood, and validated through personal experience, but not judged or arbitrated or censored by it.

Varieties of theism. There are a variety of beliefs in God, some of which are listed below. Our interest is chiefly on trinitarianism/tritheism over and against monotheism and on Adventist theology with respect to the nature of God.

  1. Monotheism: single God. Judaism and Islam are classically monotheistic.
  2. Polytheism: there are many gods.
  3. Pantheism: all is God, God is in everything, everything is holy, divine.
  4. Trinitarianism: three Gods (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) who are one in "substance" (homoousios).
  5. Tritheism: three Gods (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) who are one in purpose.

Five solas

The Protestant Reformation formulated five essential points of doctrine which separate Protestantism from Roman Catholicism. In one sentence, Protestantism believe Christians are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, as revealed by Scripture alone, to the glory of God alone.

  1. Sola gratia ("grace alone"). However, Catholics believe in a merit system.
  2. Sola fide ("faith alone"). However, Catholics believe in faith (in the Church) plus works.
  3. Sola Christus ("Christ alone"). However, Catholics believe in the mediatory work of a ministerial priesthood.
  4. Sola Scriptura ("Scripture alone"). However, Catholics believe in two other authorities that have equal if not greater authority over the Bible—namely, the Magisterium and Sacred Tradition.
  5. Sola Deo Gloria ("Glory to God alone"). However, Catholics believe in the veneration of the saints.

Plus one. One additional doctrine prominent in the Protestant Reformation is the priesthood of all believers which is in contrast to the Catholic institution of the ministerial priesthood (holy orders) and the Magisterium.

Plus more. Seventh-day Adventists add the following:

  1. Monotheism. The original SDA Church had a monotheistic view of God (1 Corinthians 8:6). This was officially changed in 1980 to a trinitarian viewpoint. However, there is a debate as to whether they are trinitarian or in reality tritheists, given that much of the literature has a tritheist leaning.
  2. Sabbath. The seventh-day is the Biblical Sabbath.
  3. State of the dead. The non-immortality of the soul.
  4. Second coming. The literal return of Christ in the clouds and the resurrection of the righteous out of soul sleep.
  5. Sanctuary. The belief that many aspects of the Hebrew tabernacle or sanctuary are representative of heavenly realities.
  6. Spirit of prophecy. Basically, that Ellen G. White was a prophet and that one of the identifying marks of the remnant church is the spirit of prophecy.
  7. Sanctification. Not entirely embraced by today's SDA Church, but very much a part of the early church. It suggests that the end time generation will need to fully reflect the character of God—i.e. fully keeping the commandmends of God and the faith of Jesus.
  8. Sonship. That Christ is begotten, not unbegotten.

Trinitarianism

Trinity doctrine. The Christian doctrine of the Trinity is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, three distinct persons sharing one homoousios (i.e. Substance or Essence). This doctrine requires the three divine persons to be only one God in nature (a single homoousios) in order to maintain a monotheistic stance; otherwise, it could justly be called tritheism or polytheism. The term homoousios was first used by the Gnostics and predates trinitarian thought by about a century (see Gnosticism).

Self-contradictory. This trinitarian belief in one God in three persons is self-contradictory given that a being cannot be both three and one. However, trinitarians claim the doctrine is not contradictory by virtue of the following two statements:

  • What. God is one in essence (God is one what or one in being)
  • Who. God is three in person (God is three whos – Father, Son and Holy Spirit).

Not sure the "one Divine Essence, three Divine Persons," clarifies anything, but that is the usual answer. Effectively, trinitarians are forced to make God a what, not a who; technically an "it" rather than a "He". If you take this to mean that God is not a person, you are correct. Tertullian says: “God is the name for the substance” (see J.N.D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, p.114).

Unexplainable mystery and irrational. Trinitarians further claim that the Trinity doctrine is a "mystery" that should be believed by faith, but that it cannot be proven by natural reason. In other words, the doctrine is unexplainable and irrational humanly speaking.

Unteachable. A doctrine is a teaching that is taught. However, a doctrine that is unintelligible cannot be taught. Imagine a teacher teaching a topic in mathematics that he says he does not understand nor expects his students to understand. Why bother teaching it? A teacher who is teaching what he does not understand should not be teaching it.

  • CE 142.2: Those Jewish teachers spoke in monotonous tones, and the plainest and most precious scriptures were made uninteresting and unintelligible, buried under such a mass of tradition and learned lore that after the Rabbis had spoken, the people knew less of the meaning of the Scriptures than before they listened.

Extra-biblical. Moreover, and more importantly, the Trinity doctrine is not a copy of any biblical text, not even a sum of any number of texts. Its very concept is not found in any single text or multiple texts of the Bible. Attempts by the SDA Church to defend the doctrine through Scripture while providing NO PROOF are examined below.

See also

Tritheism

Tritheism. The belief that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three distinct divine persons having one purpose. It denies monotheism (one God) and denies trinitarianism (one Substance). Catholics believe tritheists are heretics.

Mormons, in particular, are tritheists although they do not necessarily identify themselves as such. In their own words:

It should be noted that Mormons are considered a cult not just because they are tritheist but also because of their many other non-Biblical beliefs regarding God (see Is Mormonism a cult?). They include:

  • God used to be a man on another planet.
  • God resides near a star called Kolob.
  • God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man.
  • After you become a good Mormon, you have the potential of becoming a god.
  • There is a mother goddess.
  • God is married to his goddess wife and has spirit children.

Seventh-day Adventists. Some accuse Seventh-day Adventists of being tritheists in that they regard the three separate beings as a single group/trio with unity in "nature, character, and purpose" yet do not fully subscribe to the Catholic homoousios concept. See the following references on the issue of tritheism in Adventism.

Unitarian

Unitarianism in Wikipedia. The belief that the Christian God is one singular entity. "Unitarian Christians believe that Jesus was inspired by God in his moral teachings, and he is a savior, but he was not a deity or God incarnate." Arians are often wrongly classified as Unitarian.

James White (1821-1881): “The inexplicable Trinity that makes the Godhead three in one and one in three, is bad enough; but that ultra Unitarianism that makes Christ inferior to the Father is worse. Did God say to an inferior, “Let us make man in our image?” (James White, RH, 29 November 1877).

See also

Catholic Teachings

Third century significance. Along with Sunday worship, the basic trinitarian doctrine was established in the 3rd century via the first two ecumenical councils in church history. Note that these two ecumenical councils were convened by orders of civil authorities (i.e. emperors Constantine and Theodosius I).

[321 A.D.] Sunday worship. In March 7, A.D. 321, the Roman emperor Constantine issued the first civil law forbidding labor on Sunday. However, it should be noted that Sunday observance among Christians was taking place long before this time as a result of anti-Jewish and anti-Sabbath legislation promulgated in 135 A.D. by the emperor Hadrian (see "In 135 Hadrian Outlawed Sabbathkeeping").

[325 A.D.] Nicea I: Eternal Son. A council of bishops was called by the emperor Constantine to convene and settle the dispute between the views of Alexander and Arius on the subject of the Sonship of Christ. The Arian view was that the Son was literally begotten and had a beginning, whereas the Alexandrian view was that the Son was eternal (i.e. without a beginning). The council ultimately decided in favor of Alexander with the declaration that the Son is consubstantial (homoousia, of one substance) with the Father and, therefore, eternal. The losing side, namely the Arian position, was rejected and declared heretical. Several "anathemas" were issued which condemned Arian and even non-Arian beliefs concerning the Son, as well as those who held such beliefs. The anathemas read as follows:

  • "But those who say: 'There was a time when he was not;' and 'He was not before he was made;' and 'He was made out of nothing,' or 'He is of another substance' or 'essence,' or 'The Son of God is created,' or 'changeable,' or 'alterable'— they are condemned by the holy catholic and apostolic Church." —Council of Nicaea, 325 A.D.

The anathemas were later deleted at the Council of Constantinople in 381 A.D., probably because by that time, Arianism was no longer a major issue. The council at Constantinople (381 A.D.) also altered and extended the other parts of the creed.

[381 A.D.] Constantinople I: Holy Spirit. This council was convened by the emperor Theodosius I. Two articles were added to the Nicene Creed. The most important was the article on the Holy Spirit. The two additional articles read as follows:

  • "And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spake by the prophets."
  • "In one holy catholic and apostolic Church; we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen."

Topics

Ecumenism

Miscellaneous

Notes
  • 6 reasons why I no longer believe in a Trinity. Audio podcast: Line of Truth Podcast Episode #2: The Other Half of The Story (Duration 40:01).
  • 4LtMs, Lt 6, 1886, par. 10: He who made man, He who understands the working of the human heart, He who can see beneath the surface has said, “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life.” Every position of truth taken by our people will bear the criticism of the greatest minds; the highest of the world's great men will be brought in contact with truth, and therefore every position we take should be critically examined and tested by the Scriptures. Now we seem to be unnoticed, but this will not always be. Movements are at work to bring us to the front, and if our theories of truth can be picked to pieces by historians or the world's greatest men, it will be done.
  • The Future of Unity & the Trail of the Serpent. Duration 1:33:49.
  • GC 520.3: The vague and fanciful interpretations of Scripture, and the many conflicting theories concerning religious faith, that are found in the Christian world are the work of our great adversary to confuse minds so that they shall not discern the truth. And the discord and division which exist among the churches of Christendom are in a great measure due to the prevailing custom of wresting the Scriptures to support a favorite theory. Instead of carefully studying God's word with humility of heart to obtain a knowledge of His will, many seek only to discover something odd or original.
  • 12 LtMs, Lt 141, 1897, par. 37: God’s Spirit has illuminated every page of Holy Writ, but there are those upon whom it makes little impression, because it is imperfectly understood. When the shaking comes, by the introduction of false theories, these surface readers, anchored no where, are like shifting sand. They slide into any position to suit the tenor of their feelings of bitterness. . . . [par. 38] I am so grateful that the Word of God is plain and clear when our hearts are in harmony with it. Without the Word, what a starving people we would be in this world, which is as desolate as a wilderness to the soul. But now springs of water break out in the desert. We may drink of the living streams which proceed from the throne of God.
  • DA 459.1: Many are deceived today in the same way as were the Jews. Religious teachers read the Bible in the light of their own understanding and traditions; and the people do not search the Scriptures for themselves, and judge for themselves as to what is truth; but they yield up their judgment, and commit their souls to their leaders. The preaching and teaching of His word is one of the means that God has ordained for diffusing light; but we must bring every man's teaching to the test of Scripture.

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