AboutSal Expertise I am privileged to be able to offer an alternative insight into the complicated world of Seventh-Day Adventists (SDA) theology. I will rely heavily on the Bible, but will also consider history and use logic in exposing deficiencies in SDA teachings. I would ask anyone who is considering becoming a SDA or if you are already in the SDA church, but are searching for the truth, to please allow me to offer a different explanation for the claims of the SDA. Remember : "The truth will set you free" (John 8:32). I can answer your questions pertaining to the beliefs and history of the SDA. I am not able to answer questions concerning spirituality or church discipline.
Experience I have extensively studied the theology of the Seventh-Day Adventists (SDA) for a number of years. I have many books and tape sets produced by experts in this field of study. I have debated current members of the SDA church. I have a great desire to help these people see the truth.
Education/Credentials M.S. degree in Food, Nutrition, and Dietetics
Question Concerning Matthew 5:17-19, you mentioned "which of the commandments
are the least?" i like the way the GOD'S WORD® Translation put it. "So
whoever sets aside any command that seems unimportant and teaches others
to do the same will be unimportant in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever
does and teaches what the commands say will be called great in the kingdom
of heaven." It wasnt about which commandment was the least, because sin is
equal. When i mean equal, i should clarify that. In severity? no. In penalty?
yes. in Forgiveness? yes. james 2:10-11 says
"2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point,
he is guilty of all.
2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if
thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of
the law"
Sin is sin. the penalty of sin is death, whether it be stealing or mass
murdering. In matthew 5, its not talking about sins that are greater. Its
talking about people who THINK that. like saying stealing isn't as bad as
killing. I love what marty said before, "Even the elect shall be decieved"
As for ezekiel 8, The day was important. People didnt worship the sun god in
ancient times every day, different gods had different days. The sun god, was
obviously worshiped on sunday. The sun worshiping was mentioned last,
remember. I dont quite believe the day is important, but think of where we
get sunday worship from, its origin - SUN Worship. hence, the day was of
significance it ezekiel 8.
AGAIN. God was not saying things were worse abominations than others, or
that "killing pre-born humans" is worse than sunday worship. Out of all the
abominations shown, sunday worship was the most SEVERE.
As for a guide, JESUS is our guide. Jesus followed the 10 commandments,
jesus went into the synagogues on the sabbath and preached. Even jesus kept
the Sabbath! Jesus never gave any "new" commandments to us.
“Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together.
One of them, an expert in the Law, tested him with this question: “Teacher,
which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
“Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself. All the Law and
the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 21: 34-39
Deuteronomy 6:5 The wording of Matthew 21:37 is found in this verse in
the Old Testament. In Deuteronomy Chapter 5, Moses reads The Law (Ten
Commandments) to the people of Israel. Then in Chapter six he summarises
the first four Commandments.
Leviticus 19:18 Again Moses does in the Old Testament what Jesus does
in the New Testament, He summarises the last six commandments.
Answer Dear Mike
Thank you for your questions and concerns. I don’t like the God’s Word Translation. The problem with that translation is that it makes God punish someone who thinks some command is unimportant. “So whoever sets aside any command that seems unimportant and teaches others to do the same will be unimportant in the kingdom of heaven.” Why would God punish someone because he, in all sincerity, thought something to be unimportant?
Jesus did not come to abolish the Law or the prophets. I don’t believe Jesus meant the Ten Commandments or the prophets. Remember brother that for the Jews the Law referred to all 613 commandments of the Mosaic Covenant. The commandments were all those found in the first five books of the Bible. The “least of these commandments” refers to the least of the 613 commandments not the least of the Ten Commandments.
Again I say that it’s not worshipping on Sunday that’s the abomination. It’s worshipping a false god that’s the sin. This passage in Ezekiel 8 cannot be made to apply to Christians worshipping the Trinity on Sunday.
You ask, “think of where we got Sunday worship from.” We got Sunday worship from Jesus. Most Christians worship on Sunday because Jesus rose from the dead on that day—Sunday. It was the greatest day of salvation history—Sunday. If Jesus rose on the Sabbath we would be worshipping on that day, but since he chose Sunday so do most Christians.
Jesus was a Jew; therefore, he kept all Jewish laws. It’s not good logic to say that non-Jews should, therefore, keep all the Jewish laws because Jesus, a Jew, did. Indeed SDAs do not even keep all the laws that Jesus did. They pick out the Sabbath and forget all the other Jewish feast days that he kept just as holy as the 7th day Sabbath.
Jesus absolutely disagrees with you when you claim Jesus never gave us a new commandment. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:34-35). Jesus specifically states that this is a new commandment.
I find it interesting that in Jesus’ answer to which of the commandments is the greatest he does not name any of the Ten Commandments, but two of the other 603 commandments of the Law.
