Did the SDA Pioneers Deny the Divinity of Christ?

Did the Seventh day Adventist Pioneers deny the Divinity of Christ?

Some Trinitarians today claim the Biblical non-Trinitarian view held by the Seventh day Adventist Church pioneers denies the Divinity of Christ. But this is simply not true and typically a ploy to scare people from the truth.

If you see a Trinitarian stating this lie, then know he is in fact a liar and cannot be trusted and move on!

Since this false claim goes hand in hand with claiming the pioneers taught Jesus was created, we will cover that first. And as for the writings of the pioneers, this is what God instructed Ellen White to say about what they wrote.

And not forgetting, “God has given me light regarding our periodicals. What is it? -- He has said that the dead are to speak. How? -- Their works shall follow them. We are to repeat the words of the pioneers in our work, who knew what it cost to search for the truth as for hidden treasure, and who labored to lay the foundation of our work. They moved forward step by step under the influence of the Spirit of God. One by one these pioneers are passing away. The word given me is, Let that which these men have written in the past be reproduced.” — (E.G. White, Review and Herald, May 25, 1905, 'The work for this time', address at the 1905 General Conference, May 16)

So did the pioneers teach that Jesus was created as claimed by some dishonest people trying to prove a lie and discredit those teaching truth?

This is what our pioneers taught and they never said Jesus was created as this Adventist publication claims.

“You are mistaken in supposing that S. D. Adventists teach that Christ was ever created. They believe, on the contrary, that he was “begotten” of the Father, and that he can properly be called God and worshiped as such. They believe, also, that the worlds, and everything which is, was created by Christ in conjunction with the Father. They believe, however, that somewhere in the eternal ages of the past there was a point at which Christ came into existence. They think that it is necessary that God should have antedated Christ in his being, in order that Christ could have been begotten of him, and sustain to him the relation of son. They hold to the distinct personality of the Father and Son, rejecting as absurd that feature of Trinitarianism which insists that God, and Christ, and the Holy Spirit are three persons, and yet but one person. S. D. Adventists hold that God and Christ are one in the sense that Christ prayed that his disciples might be one; i. e., one in spirit, purpose, and labor. See “Fundamental Principles of S. D. Adventists,” published at this Office.” — (W. H. Littlejohn, Commentary-Scripture Questions, Review & Herald, April 17, 1883, pg. 250)

Note what Ellen White had say about Uriah Smith and his book that I am going to quote from next. “God used the author of this book as a channel through which to communicate light to direct minds to the truth.” — (E.G. White, 1MR 63.1, Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation, 1899)

She also wrote, “In Desire of Ages, Patriarchs and Prophets, The Great Controversy, and in Daniel and the Revelation, there is precious instruction. These books must be regarded as of special importance, and every effort should be made to get them before the people.” — (E.G. White, 21MR 440.4 and Letter 229, 1903)

Notice also that being begotten does not mean created.

“The Scriptures nowhere speak of Christ as a created being, but on the contrary plainly state that he was begotten of the Father. (See remarks on Rev. 3:14, where it is shown that Christ is not a created being.) But while as the Son he does not possess a co-eternity of past existence with the Father, the beginning of his existence, as the begotten of the Father, antedates the entire work of creation, in relation to which he stands as joint creator with God. John 1:3; Heb. 1:2.” — (Uriah Smith, Daniel And The Revelation, p. 430, 1882)

And of course no different to what Ellen White taught.

“A complete offering has been made; for “God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son,”--not a son by creation, as were the angels, nor a son by adoption, as is the forgiven sinner, but a Son begotten in the express image of the Father's person, and in all the brightness of his majesty and glory, one equal with God in authority, dignity, and divine perfection. In him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” — (Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, May 30, 1895)

Did the pioneers deny the Divinity of Christ as is also claimed by those opposing the truth? Start with this quote from the SDA Church when it was still non-Trinitarian in 1868. The SDA Church back then says that people who claim the non-Trinitarian view denies the Divinity of Christ are guilty of speaking evil.

“You are correct in saying we do not deny the divinity of Christ. If those who assert such a thing are acquainted with our faith they know better; if they do not know they are guilty of speaking evil of the things they know not.” — (Review and Herald, July 14th 1868)

In 1878, a reader of the Review and Herald asked if Seventh-day Adventists were Unitarians or Trinitarians. The SDA Church replied:

“Neither. We do not believe in the three-one God of the Trinitarians nor in the low views of Jesus Christ held by unitarians. We believe that Christ was a divine being, not merely in his mission, but in his person also.” — (Review and Herald, June 27, 1878 To correspondents)

Here is part of a letter from brother Johnston to Uriah Smith stating what the Adventist Church believes, which was published in the Review and Herald..

“I now thought it was my turn to join in; so I replied, “Why, yes sir. We believe that Christ is all divine; that in him dwell ‘the fullness of the God-head bodily;’ That 'he is the brightness of the Father's glory', 'the express image of his person', 'upholding all things by the word of his power'.” — (Review and Herald, June 25, 1867 brother Johnston, letter to Uriah Smith)

The quote below is from James White! He also states the SDA Church does not deny the Divinity of Christ.

“This missionary seemed very liberal in his feelings toward all Christians. But after catechizing us [James and Ellen White] upon the trinity, and finding that we were not sound upon the subject of his triune God, he became earnest in denouncing unitarianism, which takes from Christ his divinity, and leaves him but a man. Here, as far as our views were concerned, he was combating a man of straw. WE DO NOT DENY THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST. WE DELIGHT IN GIVING FULL CREDIT TO ALL THOSE STRONG EXPRESSIONS OF SCRIPTURE WHICH EXALT THE SON OF GOD. We believe him to be the divine person addressed by Jehovah in the words, "Let us make man." He was with the Father before the world was. He came from God, and he says, "I go to him that sent me." The apostle speaks of Christ as he now is, our mediator, having laid aside our nature. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” — (James White, Review and Herald, June 6, 1871)

This final quote is from J.H. Waggoner! He says Trinitarians are wrong, and that the SDA Church did not deny the Divinity of Christ as a non-Trinitarian Church!

“Many theologians really think that the Atonement, in respect to its dignity and efficacy, rests upon the doctrine of a trinity. But we fail to see any connection between the two. To the contrary, the advocates of that doctrine really fall into the difficulty which they seem anxious to avoid. Their difficulty consists in this: They take the denial of a trinity to be equivalent to a denial of the divinity of Christ. Were that the case we should cling to the doctrine of a trinity as tenaciously as any can; but it is not the case. They who have read our remarks on the death of the Son of God know that we firmly believe in the divinity of Christ; But we cannot accept the idea of a trinity, as it is held by Trinitarians without giving up our claim on the dignity of the Sacrifice made for our redemption.” — (J.H. Waggoner “The Atonement in light of Nature and Revelation”, 1884 Edition, Chapter ”Doctrine of a Trinity Subversive of the Atonement”)

One more quote from someone outside the Adventist Church writing a paper on the rejection and acceptance of the Trinity doctrine in the SDA Church. Dr Mervyn Maxwell also says the Adventist Church upheld the Divinity of Christ.

“A survey of other Adventist writers during these years (up to 1881) reveals, that to a man, they rejected the trinity, yet, with equal unanimity they upheld the divinity of Christ. To reject the trinity is not necessarily to strip the Saviour of His divinity. Indeed, certain Adventist writers felt that it was the trinitarians who filled the role of degrading Christs divine nature.” {Russell Holt “The doctrine of the Trinity in the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, its rejection and acceptance”, A term paper for Dr. Mervyn Maxwell 1969}

So there can be no doubt that the non-Trinitarian SDA pioneers upheld the Divinity of Christ despite the lies from some Trinitarians. People who make such accusations are calling our pioneers liars and are attacking the truth the SDA Church was founded on.

How could the SDA Church be God's remnant if it was founded on error?

It could not be if that were the case. Ellen White tells us that is not true and that the truth God gave them in the first three years was still the same in every particular even in 1906.

“And now, after half a century of clear light from the Word as to what is truth, there are arising many false theories, to unsettle minds. But the evidence given in our early experience has the same force that it had then. The truth is the same as it ever has been, and not a pin or a pillar can be moved from the structure of truth. That which was sought for out of the Word in 1844, 1845, and 1846 remains the truth today in every particular.” — (E.G. White, Letter 38, 1906)

Some Seventh day Adventists resort to trying to insult those with the non-Trinitarian truth by calling them offshoots. You are an offshoot they cry! Since the SDA pioneers were non-Trinitarian, then such people are also claiming that the SDA Church was founded on a lie, which mocks and insults God. And if you call non-Trinitarians offshoots, then you are also calling the pioneers of the SDA Church offshoots!

And how can you call the founders of the SDA Church offshoots? Offshoots are those teaching something different to what the founders of a Church taught. So it is an impossibility for non-Trinitarians to be offshoots as they follow the truth that the Church was founded on and God given.

SO NON-TRINITARIANS ARE IN FACT THE TRUE SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS!

So who are the OFFSHOOTS? If you have gone away from the truth God gave the founders of the SDA Church, then I am sorry to say that you are the offshoot. And not only the offshoot, but destined for the lake of fire unless you return to the truth God gave His Church! And I pray you do. I do not want to see one person perish.

The video below proves the Divinity of Christ with the non-Trinitarian view and it also proves that it is the Trinitarian view that denies the Divinity of Christ. This is one of the best videos you will watch on this topic. So this is one NOT to miss!