SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS ARE CONFUSED ABOUT THE GODHEAD

The following article was found in one Adventist publication: 

THE MODERN ADVENTIST’S VERSION OF THE TRINITY:

Arthur S. Maxwell:  "Do Seventh-day Adventists believe in the Trinity? They do. Reverently they worship Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ‘three Persons in one God. And they do so because they believe this to be the teaching of the Bible concerning God in His relation to this world and the human race." A Guide to the Religions of America, by Leo Rosten, p.136. What is a Seventh-day Adventist? By Arthur S. Maxwell 

Gordon Jensen: "A plan of salvation was encompassed in the covenant made by the Three Persons of the Godhead, who possessed the attributes of Deity equally. In order to eradicate sin and rebellion from the universe and to restore harmony and peace, one of the divine Beings accepted, and entered into, the role of the Father, another the role of the Son. The remaining divine Being, the Holy Spirit, was also to participate in effecting the plan of salvation. All of this took place before sin and rebellion transpired in heaven. By accepting the roles that the plan entailed, the divine Beings lost none of the powers of Deity. With regard to their eternal existence and other attributes, they were one and equal. But with regard to the plan of salvation, there was, in a sense, a submission on the part of the Son to the Father." Adventist Review, October 31, 1996, p.12 (Week of Prayer readings) 

J. R. Spangler: To me this signifies the interchangeableness of the members of the Godhead since they are on in action and purpose." - Review & Herald, Oct. 21, 1971 

A special issue of the Adventist Review devoted to the “27 Fundamentals” yields the following declaration concerning the doctrine of the Trinity.

While no single scriptural passage states formally the doctrine of the Trinity, it is assumed as a fact by Bible writers and mentioned several times. Only by faith can we accept the existence of the Trinity. (Adventist Review, Vol. 158, No. 31, p. 4) 

THE SDA IS NOT TRULY TRINITARIAN 

Today the Modern SDA Church proclaims that it believes in the orthodox Trinity, but actually it teaches a form of Tritheism.

The Nicean Creed, which is the basis for the modern Trinity doctrine states: 
“We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, and born of the Father before all ages. Light of light, true God of true God. Begotten not made, consubstantial to the Father, by whom all things were made."
Concerning the Holy Spirit, the orthodox Trinity doctrine teaches: “The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, through the Son, and is shed upon the hearts of the redeemed”.

As can be seen by these quotes the Trinity doctrine teaches TRUE RELATIONSHIP, and Substantial union of the persons of the Godhead. Christ was begotten before creation from the Father, he is truly the Son. The Spirit flows like a river from the Father who is the source, through the Son, and to the people.

On the contrary the SDA teaches that before creation, there existed three divine beings. Unrelated, who because of the fall of man entered into three roles, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. They plainly deny the Filial and Ontological Son-ship of Christ. Here is a quote from their Bible Research Institute:

“The sonship of Jesus, however, is not ontological, but functional. In the plan of salvation each member of the trinity has accepted a particular role”. - The Trinity In Scripture by Gerhard Pfandl, Biblical Research Institute, Silver Spring, MD. June 1999. 

Truly this is a demonic doctrine which contradicts the Biblical and historic teaching of Christ being the Son of GOD since before creation; and it is anti-christ because it denies Christ's literal Sonship [1st John 2:22]. It is also Trithe-istic since it denies the union of Relationship and Substance of the Father, Son and Spirit.

FOR FIRST FIFTY YEARS THE ADVENTISTS REJECTED THE TRINITY AND TRITHEISM :

There has been a shift in the SDA's Godhead doctrine over the years.

To the Surprise of some Adventists, the pioneers of the SDA Church, including their prophetess Ellen White, rejected these views and upheld a more Biblical view of the Godhead. They taught that Christ was the Son of GOD, that by some Divine Act Christ was brought forth from the Father before creation. And they taught that the Spirit proceeded from the Father, through the Son, making them both every-where present. This teaching was upheld until after the year 1900, which is seen by the following publications from the SDA Church during that time period.

Ellen White clearly denied the Deomonic doctrine of role playing which is not promoted by the Modern Adventist Church, when she wrote that Christ was the eternal Son of GOD, begotten before he came to earth:

Ellen White: “ But while God's Word speaks of the humanity of Christ when upon this earth, it also speaks decidedly regarding his pre-existence. The Word existed as a divine being, even as the eternal Son of God, in union and oneness with his Father. From everlasting he was the Mediator of the covenant, the one in whom all nations of the earth, both Jews and Gentiles, if thy accepted him, were to be blessed..  {RH, April 5, 1906 par. 5}

Ellen White: “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”.  Signs of The Times of May 3, 1895,

Ellen White: "The Eternal Father, the unchangeable one, gave his only begotten Son, tore from his bosom Him who was made in the express image of his person, and sent him down to earth to reveal how greatly he loved mankind. Advent Review and Sabbath Herald - 07-09-95

ANTI- TRINITARIAN PUBLICATIONS OF THE SDA DENOMINATION.

For the first fifty years the SDA Church published numerous anti-trinitarian articles. All endorsed by Ellen White and/or her husband James.

JAMES WHITE WROTE: Jesus prayed that his disciples might be one as he was one with his Father. This prayer did not contemplate one disciple with twelve heads, but twelve disciples, made one in object and effort in the cause of their master. Neither are the Father and the Son parts of the “three-one God.” They are two distinct beings, yet one in the design and accomplishment of redemption. The redeemed, from the first who shares in the great redemption, to the last, all ascribe the honor, and glory, and praise, of their salvation, to both God and the Lamb. (James White, 1868, Life Incidents, page 343)

JAMES WHITE: The greatest fault we can find in the Reformation is, the Reformers stopped reforming. Had they gone on, and onward, till they had left the last vestige of Papacy behind, such as natural immortality, sprinkling, the trinity, and Sunday-keeping, the church would now be free from her unscriptural errors. (James White, February 7, 1856, Review & Herald, vol. 7, no. 19, page 148, par. 26)

James White was also the editor of the Signs of the Times in 1879.On May 22 of that year there appeared an article strongly opposing Trinitarianism written by A. J. Dennis.

Quote: “What a contradiction of terms is found in the language of a trinitarian creed: "In unity of this Godhead are three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." There are many things that are mysterious written in the word of God, but we may safely presume the Lord never calls upon us to believe impossibilities. But creeds often do.”

A.T. Robinson, in a thesis found in the James White Memorial Library at Andrews University, declares that James White was not a Trinitarian.

Uriah Smith in the following article sets forth the early Adventist’s belief about Christ up to 1898:

URIAH SMITH: God alone is without beginning. At the earliest epoch when a beginning could be,--a period so remote that to finite minds it is essentially eternity,--appeared the Word…This uncreated Word was the Being, who, in the fullness of time was made flesh, and dwelt among us. His beginning was not like that of any other being in the universe. . . . Thus it appears that by some divine impulse or process, not creation, known only to Omniscience, and possibly only to Omnipotence, the Son of God appeared. Uriah Smith, Looking Unto Jesus, (Battle Creek, Mich.: Review and Herald Publishing Company, 1898), p. 10. 

Speaking of this time period [1850-1906] Ellen White wrote: 

"The leading points of our faith as we hold them today were firmly established. Point after point was clearly defined, and all the brethren came into harmony. The whole company of believers were united in the truth. There were those who came in with strange doctrines, but we were never afraid to meet them. Our experience was wonderfully established by the revelation of the Holy Spirit".—MS 135, 1903. (Ellen G. White, The Early Years Volume 1 - 1827-1862, page 145)

For the Adventist this must put them in quite a position. Here Ellen White and the Pioneers of their Church deny the modern SDA’s Tritheistic teachings, and on top of that Ellen White tells us this group of Pioneers were UNITED IN TRUTH.  If the pioneer’s version of the Godhead is truth, then the modern SDA Church is in deep Apostasy. If the Pioneer’s teaching was WRONG, then Ellen White is a false prophet, and the current SDA Church is a Church born from Apostasy, that upholds a false prophet!

THE PIONEERS WOULD NOT JOIN THE SDA IF THEY WERE ALIVE TODAY 

Did you know that the SDA Church now admits that the Adventist Pioneers would NOT be able to join the church today? Here is a quote from their Ministry Magazine.

“Most of the founders of Seventh-day Adventism would not be able to join the church today if they had to subscribe to the denomination’s Fundamental Beliefs.

More specifically, most would not be able to agree to belief number 2, which deals with the doctrine of the Trinity. For Joseph Bates the Trinity was an unscriptural doctrine, for James White it was that “old Trinitarian absurdity,” and for M. E. Cornell it was a fruit of the great apostasy, along with such false doctrines as Sundaykeeping and the immortality of the soul.” (Ministry, October 1993, p. 10)

Implications Concerning the Three Angels’ Messages 

The first angel’s message carries “the everlasting gospel.” False concepts of God and Christ do not constitute the “everlasting gospel.” If the Modern Seventhday Adventists tritheistic doctrine of the Trinity is true, then the Advent pioneers presented what Paul called “another gospel” (Galatians 1:6) and must surely be disqualified as the remnant. The remnant must preach “the everlasting gospel”, not “another gospel.”

The second angel’s message states that “Babylon is fallen.” As noted earlier, if the pioneers understood God incorrectly, then they were deluded, and a part of Babylon. If they were correct, then the Modern SDA Church is Babylon. If the Pioneers were wrong, then they were Babylon, and the Modern Church is exalting a false movement and a false prophet!

The third angel’s message says that the saints “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” We break not only the first commandment, but according to James 2:10 the whole decalogue, worshiping a false god.

If the Adventists pioneers were wrong about the Godhead, then they were breaking the Commandment, and could not proclaim the message. If they were right, then the modern Church is WRONG and cannot proclaim the message. Either way, the Modern SDA Church cannot be the Remnant, since she was either born in Apostasy or has since went into Apostasy.

WHAT ARE YOUR CHOICES? 

You can now make two choices. 

A. You can ignore the Truth, and continue believing a deluded sect is truly God’s “Remnant”.

B. You can love the Truth, and hopefully find a Church that Keep the Commandments of GOD and has the Testimony of Jesus. Jesus testified that he was the SON OF GOD, which is something Modern Adventism denies!