Book - Questions on Doctrine, Annotated Edition

Adventist Classic Library

• Edited by George R. Knight
• A series by Andrews University Press
• Original edition 1957: Seventh-day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine: An explanation of Certain Major Aspects of Seventh-day Adventist Belief
• Annotated Editio 2003
• Library of Congress card number 2003106339

Contents

• Preface to Annotated Edition
• Introduction to the Annotated Edition
• Introduction p. 1
• Fundamental Beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists p. 5

• I. PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS
• 1. Doctrines We Share With Other Christians. (old 21)
• What doctrines do Seventh-day Adventists hold in common with Christians in general, and in what aspects of Christian thought do they differ?
• 2. The Bible Only Rule of Faith and Practice (old 26)
• Regarding the inspiration of the Bible, do Seventh-day Adventists teach that the Bible is the very word of God, the only infallible rule for faith and practice?
• 3. Seventh-day Adventist Relationship to Past Positions (old 29)
• Have Seventh-day Adventists changed from some of the positions advocated by certain adherents of earlier years, from whom citations are still currently circulated? Do such citations misrepresent the present teachings of Adventist leadership?

• II. QUESTIONS ABOUT CHRIST
• 4. Deity and Eternal Pre-existence of Christ (old 35)
• It is frequently charged that Seventh-day Adventists deny the actual deity and eternal pre-existence of Christ, the Eternal Word. Is this contention true? Do you believe in the Trinity? Please give the Biblical basis for your beliefs.
• 5. Deity of Christ and Church Membership (old 42)
• If a Unitarian or an Arian (rejecting the trinity of the Godhead, and denying the deity of Christ) should seek admission into your church, would a Seventh-day Adventist minister baptize and receive such into membership?
• Is it possible for an individual to remain in good and regular standing if he consistently refuses to submit to church authority regarding the historic doctrine of the deity of Jesus Christ?
• 6. The Incarnation and the "Son of Man" (old 50)
• What do Adventists understand by Christ's use of the title "Son of man"? And what do you consider to have been the basic purpose of the incarnation?
• 7. The Bodily Resurrection of Christ (old 66)
• What is the Seventh-day Adventist position regarding the physical, or bodily, resurrection of Christ?
• 8. Christ, and Michael the Archangel (old 71)
• It has been charged that Seventh-day Adventists hold the same belief as do the Jehovah's Witnesses concerning Michael—that Michael the archangel was Jesus Christ prior to His incantation, and that he was a created being. Is this accusation valid? If Michael is Christ, how do you explain Jude 9?

• III. QUESTIONS ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF ELLEN G. WHITE'S WRITINGS TO THE BIBLE
• 9. Ellen G. White's writings and Their Relation to the Bible (old 89)
• Do Seventh-day Adventists regard the writings of Ellen G. White as on an equal plane with the writings of the Bible? Do you place her in the prophetic class with such men as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel? Are her interpretations of Bible prophecy regarded as final authority, and is belief in these writings made a test of fellowship in the Seventh-day Adventist Church?

• IV. QUESTIONS ON THE LAW AND LEGALISM
• 10. Christ the Heart of the Advent Message (old 101)
• Are not the spiritual content and evangelical emphasis of your "Voice of Prophecy" radio program and "Faith for Today" telecast a rather far cry from the doctrinal and legal core of Adventism? Are they not rather a bid for good will, and a subtle attempt to draw those who enroll in your proffered Bible courses to gradually accept the doctrinal and legal heart of Adventism? Is this doctrinal and legalistic emphasis a reflection of the counsels of Ellen G. White?
• 11. The Basis and Fruitage of Christian Experience (old 105)
• Can one who holds Seventh-day Adventist views have the assurance in his soul of present salvation, of sins forgiven, and of full acceptance with the Lord? Or does he have to live in uncertainty, pending whatever decision might be rendered in the investigative judgment? And is not this uncertainty reflected in the writings of Ellen G. White?
• 12. The Ten Commandments, God's Standard of Conduct (old 121)
• Many Christians have gained the impression that Seventh-day Adventists are legalists?that they teach that it is necessary to keep the law in order to be saved. Just what is the Adventist attitude toward the law? And how does your belief compare with the historic Protestant position?
• 13. Distinction Between the Decalogue and the Ceremonial Law (old 129)
• On what grounds do Seventh-day Adventists consider as separate the "moral law" and the "ceremonial law," in view of what our Lord accomplished on Calvary's cross?
• 14. The Relationship of Grace to Law and Works (old 135)
• It is generally understood that Adventists teach that salvation is by the grace of God?but plus the works of the law. What is the actual Adventist concept of the relation of grace to law and to human works? Is not the emphasis of Mrs. White on the necessity of works and obedience, rather than on the abounding saving grace of God?

• V. QUESTIONS ON THE SABBATH, SUNDAY, AND THE MARK OF THE BEAST
• 15. The Foundation of Sabbath Observance (old 149)
• Just what is the basis of Seventh-day Adventist observance of Saturday as the Sabbath, instead of Sunday, commonly called the Lord's day or the Christian Sabbath?
• 16. The Sabbath and The Moral Law (old 154)
• The Christian world generally holds (1) that the moral law is eternal and has not been abolished; (2) that the Sabbath principle, anchored to the creation week, especially in the distinction between the six-and-one days—marking them off by divine authority for different purposes—is likewise permanent and eternal; (3) that the specific seventh-day time element is but ceremonial and typical, and therefore temporary—being fulfilled and abrogated by Christ at the cross; and (4) that there is a clear continuity between the Sabbath of Old Testament times, based on creation, and the Lord's day of the New Testament, based on redemption, with the redemption rest greater than the creation rest. What is the position of Seventh-day Adventists on these four points?
• 17. Saturday Observance a Valid Criterion (old 177)
• Do Seventh-day Adventists believe that Saturday is the only valid criterion for determining full obedience to the law of God, or can one worship sincerely on Sunday, but fail to keep the Sabbath, and still be counted a faithful and obedient Christian?
• 18. Historic Concept of the Mark of the Beast (old 179)
• Why do Adventists differ from other Christians in connecting the mark of the beast with the Sabbath issue? And why do you put so much emphasis on this question?
• 19. When the Mark Will Be Received (old 183)
• Do Seventh-day Adventists teach in their authorized literature that those who worship on Sunday and repudiate in its entirety the Seventh-day Adventist teaching as a consequence have the mark of apostasy, or "the mark of the beast"? Does not Mrs. White teach that those who now keep Sunday already have the mark of the beast?
• 20. Who Constitute the "Remnant Church"? (old 186)
• It is alleged that Seventh-day Adventists teach that they alone constitute the finally completed "remnant church" mentioned in the book of Revelation. Is this true, or do Seventh-day Adventists recognize by the "remnant" those in every denomination who remain faithful to the Scriptures and the faith once delivered unto the saints? Do Adventists maintain that they alone are the only true witnesses of the living God in our age and that their observance of the seventh-day Sabbath is one of the major marks that identify them as God's remnant church?
• 21. What Constitutes "Babylon"? (old 197)
• Do Seventh-day Adventists teach or believe, as a body, that the members of the various Protestant denominations, as well as the Catholic, Greek, and Russian Orthodox churches, are to be identified with Babylon, the symbol of apostasy?

• VI. QUESTIONS ON PROPHECY, DANIEL 8 AND 9. AND THE 2300 DAYS
• 22. Basic Principles of Prophetic Interpretation (old 205)
• What are the basic teachings of Seventh-day Adventists in regard to the inspired prophecies of the Bible? And wherein and why do you differ from the postmillennialists and futurists? What about the "kingdom" prophecies, and the restoration of the Jews? Why do you differ from the postmillennialists and the futurists on their interpretation? Please be specific.
• 23. Christ Pre-eminent in Daniel 8 and 9 (old 244)
• Why do Seventh-day Adventists place so much stress upon the prophecies, especially of Daniel 8 and 9? Should we not rather center our emphasis and affection on Jesus Christ and on salvation through faith in Him? Are not the disappointed hopes of 1844 a rather shaky foundation upon which to base your expectation of the imminent coming of our Lord?
• 24. Problems Pertaining to Daniel 8 (old 252)
• What scriptural and historical basis do Seventh-day Adventists have for teaching (1) that the 2300 days ("evenings-mornings") of Daniel 8:14 symbolize years; (2) that the little horn coming out of one of the four horns of the he-goat (verse 9) stands for Rome; and (3) that the sanctuary of verses 11-14, which was to be trodden underfoot and then be "cleansed," or "justified," is the heavenly sanctuary? Are you not practically alone in holding such a concept?
• 25. Relation of Seventy Weeks of Daniel 9 to 2300 Days of Daniel 8. (old 268)
• Seventh-day Adventists seek to tie Daniel 9 to Daniel 8. On what basis do you hold (1) that the 2300 days (evenings-mornings) of Daniel begin at the same time as the seventy weeks of years of Daniel 9; and (2) that the seventieth week is already entirely fulfilled? (3) Since you so hold, what then is your interpretation of Daniel 9:27?
• 26. The Seventieth Week of Daniel 9 and the Gap Theory (old 296)
• Why do Adventists hold that the seventieth week of years of Daniel 9 follows immediately upon the close of the sixty-ninth week of years? Did not Hippolytus and Apollinaris, back in the third and fourth centuries, introduce a break, or gap? On what basis do you differ with those present-day fundamentalists who hold that the seventieth week is separated by a vast gap of over nineteen centuries and will not be fulfilled until the end of the age, and that it pertains to the acts of antichrist rather than to those of Christ? Are you not practically alone in your view?
• 27. Scholarly Precedents for 1844 Ending of 2300 Year-Days (old 309)
• What scholarly support can Seventh-day Adventists cite for holding, not only that the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14 are symbolic and therefore stand for 2300 actual years in fulfillment, but especially that they end in 1844? Does not your position differ from both fundamentalists and modernists, as well as from Jews and Roman Catholics? Was not your variant concept an innovation first devised by a layman, William Miller? What reputable scholars, if any, have ever supported such a conclusion?
• 28. Antiochus Epiphanes and the Prophetic Specification of Daniel (old 317)
• Why do Adventists reject the position, so widely held, that Antiochus Epiphanes fulfills the prophecy of the "little horn" of Daniel 7 or 8, both, with his suppression of the Jewish sacrifices between 167 and 164 B.C., as the fulfillment of the predicted exploits and time period of the "little horn"?

• VII. QUESTIONS ON CHRIST AND HIS MINISTRY IN THE SANCTUARY
• 29. A Wider Concept of the Atonement (old 341)
• Seventh-day Adventists have frequently been charged with teaching that the atonement was not completed on the cross. Is this charge true?
• 30. Sacrificial Atonement Provided: Sacrificial Atonement Applied (old 349)
• Seventh-day Adventists are frequently charged with minimizing the atoning sacrifice completed on the cross, reducing it to an incomplete or partial atonement that must be supplemented by Christ's priestly ministry; perhaps it might be called a dual atonement. Is this charge true? Does not Mrs. White state that Christ is now making atonement for us in the heavenly sanctuary? Please explain your position, and state wherein you differ from others on the atonement.
• 31. Salvation Prefigured in the Sanctuary Service (old 356)
• Does your teaching of the sanctuary service mean that the work of Christ on Calvary was not an all-sufficient, complete, once-for-all sacrifice?a sacrifice that obtained for us eternal redemption? Or was something subsequently necessary to make the sacrificial work of Christ effective for the salvation of man?
• 32. The Heavenly Sanctuary-Figurative or Literal Concepts (old 365)
• Relevant to the doctrine of the atonement, do Seventh-day Adventists believe that the sanctuary in heaven is literal, or figurative?
• 33. The High-Priestly Ministry of Christ (old 369)
• Since Adventists hold that complete sacrificial atonement was made on the cross, what do you teach concerning the ministry of our Lord as High Priest in heaven? When did Christ assume His responsibilities as priest? What do you understand by the expression "he ever liveth to make intercession"? How can Christ officiate as priest in a sanctuary, and at the same time occupy His Father's throne?
• 34. The Meaning of Azazel (old 391)
• Are not Seventh-day Adventists alone in teaching that the scapegoat, or Azazel, represents Satan?
• 35. The Transaction With The Scapegoat (old 396)
• What is the actual teaching of Seventh-day Adventists regarding the "scapegoat" in the sanctuary service? Do you hold that the sins of the righteous are rolled back on Satan, so that in the end he becomes your sin bearer?
• 36. The Investigative Judgment in The Setting of the Arminian Concept (old 402)
• Since Seventh-day Adventists hold largely to the principles of the Arminian, rather than the Calvinist, position concerning the human will, in what way does this affect your understanding of the judgment?

• VIII. QUESTIONS ON THE SECOND ADVENT AND THE MILLENNIUM
• 37. The Second Coming of Christ (old 449)
• What is the teaching of Adventists regarding the second coming of our Lord? We are given to understand that you do not accept the positions held by many Christians today relative to the secret rapture, the tribulation, and antichrist. Why do you not accept these views?
• 38. Varied Concepts of The Millennium (old 465)
• Many varied and conflicting teachings are current on the millennium. How, and when, did these conflicting views arise?
• 39. Adventist Understanding of the Millennium (old 489)
• What do Adventists understand to be the chronological timing of the millennium in relation to the end of the age, the nature of its two resurrections, the sequence of its major events, and the outcome and sequel of the millennial period? Please outline your view.

• IX. QUESTIONS ON IMMORTALITY
• 40. Innate or Conditional Immortality (old 511)
• What is the Adventist teaching regarding the immortality of the soul? What do you understand by the terms "soul" and "spirit," and what is the relationship between the two? Are they synonymous and interchangeable terms?
• 41. The Condition of Man in Death (old 520)
• Why do you not accept the commonly held belief that at death man goes either to heaven or to hell? This is so widely held by Christians of most denominations that it has become one of the doctrines of orthodoxy in the minds of most church leaders today?
• 42. The Punishment of The Wicked (old 533)
• What Biblical reasons have you for teaching that the wicked will not suffer conscious punishment throughout eternity? As you know, the majority of Christian bodies today, believing that the soul of man is immortal, teach that the punishment of the ungodly will be conscious torment in hell throughout all eternity. Kindly state the reasons for your belief.
• 43. The Rich Man and Lazarus (old 544)
• Believing, as Adventists do, in the unconsciousness of man in death, how do you explain our Lord's statement concerning the rich man and Lazarus? If this does not teach that men enter into their rewards at death, then what does it teach? What is the purpose of the story? Please state your position.
• 44. Champions of Conditional Immortality Span The Centuries (old 567)
• You allude to others who, through the centuries, have held that immortality is not received until the resurrection, that the righteous dead sleep during the interim of death until awakened by the Life-giver at the resurrection, also that the wicked will ultimately be destroyed. Who are these "conditionalists"? Are they not obscure heretics, for practically all orthodox scholars have held to innate immortality? Kindly name some of the advocates to whom you allude, and cite some of their writings.

• X. MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS
• 45. Intent of the Term "Everlasting Gospel" (old 613)
• What do Adventists mean by their constant emphasis on the "everlasting gospel" of Revelation 14:6? Is this a special gospel you are seeking to preach, which differs from the gospel emphasized by Protestants generally? Please clarify.
• 46. Satan, Demons, and Angels (old 618)
• What do Adventists believe regarding angels and demons? Do you consider them to be the departed spirits of the dead? And what about the devil?is he a personality, or simply an evil influence; a reality, or a myth?
• 47. The Question of Unclean Foods (old 622)
• Do Seventh-day Adventists believe that foods such as lobsters, crabs, pork, et cetera, all forbidden under the Mosaic law, are still for bidden, binding upon the Christian, and hence not to be eaten under penalty of sin?
• 48. Adventist Relationship to World Missions Program (old 625)
• What is your attitude as Christians toward the general missionary program for the evangelization of the non-Christian world? Do you accept responsibility for assigned areas, leaving the rest for other Christian bodies?

• Representative Adventist Doctrinal Literature (old 629)
• Representative Adventist Doctrinal Literature

• XI. APPENDIXES AND INDEXES
• A. Christ's Place in the Godhead (old 641)
• B. Christ's Nature During the Incarnation (old 647)
• C. The Atonement (old 661)
• Scripture Index 559
• General Index 573 (old 710)

Other sites refering to this book:

• http://www.sdanet.org/atissue/books/qod/ - Old version
• http://www.sdanet.org/atissue/books/qod/q01.htm