| Author | Message | ||
| Reb Registered user Username: Reb Post Number: 48 Registered: 5-2007 |
I have had a recurring thought about Pharisees and Sadducees of the days when Christ was on this earth. With the SDAs you get both groups together, the legalism of the Pharisees plus the Sadducees denial of the resurrection(which the SDA "soul sleep" doctrine actually is). It's like 2 for the price of one, double your misery! | ||
| Jeremy Registered user Username: Jeremy Post Number: 1804 Registered: 10-2004  |
You're right, Reb! "For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all." (Acts 23:8 NASB.) The Adventists also deny that there is such a thing as a spirit--they deny that humans have spirits, they deny that angels are spirits, and they even deny that God is a spirit (which makes it impossible for them to believe in the orthodox teaching of the Trinity). Jeremy | ||
| Grace_alone Registered user Username: Grace_alone Post Number: 541 Registered: 6-2006  |
It's interesting to note that in the Bible the Holy Spirit is referred to as "He" while at the same time the SDA church refers to him as just breath. Is it a "He" or is it just breath?? Do either of you refer to your breath as "he"? Also, is it possible for the Holy Spirit to cease to exist like the SDA church claims that we do?  Leigh Anne | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 5888 Registered: 12-2003  |
Leigh Anne, great questions! And Jeremy, you make such a good point. At the very foundational level, Adventism does not teach its members to understand the Biblical passages the way they are stated. They do deny the fact that heavenly beings are spirits--and hence, that we have spirits. Oh, they'll say the words...but they do teach that angels (and even God) have bodies--they just have "special" bodies that can appear or disappear and go through walls! They miss the point that spirits can assume visible form when God directs. That is very different from actually "having a body". They justify this distortion by focusing on the dangers of "spiritualism" and demonic manifestations. When we are in Christ, we have no need to fear spirits or demons. We are safe in the One who has already defeated the fallen spirit world! Colleen | ||
| Agapetos Registered user Username: Agapetos Post Number: 822 Registered: 10-2002  |
Pharisees and Sadduccees... the way I've thought of it was basically that Pharisees are sincere but legalistic and judgmental. Sadduccees are basically those who do not believe completely, but are zealous for preserving "the nation" (i.e., the institution). In Adventism, you indeed do have both groups! The higher-ups and progressives are zealous for the 'culture' and heritage of Adventism, but do not teach everything (and inside I think they don't believe in the reality of those things... they do believe strongly, however, in "The Adventist Church"). 'Pharisees' are those who are more honestly believing the party line of Adventism, what is written in its writings and publications, and who are trying earnestly to live by its rules (which results in a lot of judgment for those who fall short). It's also comparable to the three different social classes of George Orwell's "1984" -- the inner party, the outer party, and the proletariat (the common people, generally uneducated)... The higher-ups/Sadduccees are the "inner party" who control things. They don't believe everything they put out, and they hold the keys to the vaults and carefully guarded secrets of the whole shabang. They may know that a lot of it is lies, but they believe strongly in the institution, and believe things must be this way in order to preserve the institution at any cost (and also, condescendingly, "for everyone's good"). The Pharisees are "the outer party", who are zealous and who honestly absorb, defend and believe the propaganda machine. They are the loudest bunch. Some of them have sneaking doubts and suspicions (like Winston in "1984"), and some secretly rebel (like Julia, Winston's lover in "1984") and lead a secret life contrary to everything they hear and preach. The proletariat (common people) is the only group generally not analogous to Palestine in Christ's time. They could be the common people, who looked up to the Pharisees as being more "spiritual". They are the common people, those who go about their daily life and have no illusions of being something they are not. The higher-ups are basically not concerned with them. The higher-ups do want to keep them under control, but the higher-ups see the common people mostly as "sheep" to be directed (i.e., mostly mindless). The higher-ups focus more attention on the "outer party" (Pharisees), because it is their preaching and their "example" which will keep the common people looking up to them. Once you have the zealous legalistic preachers (Pharisees) in place looking all spiritually advanced, the common people are kept in check, always wanting to be "more spiritual" like the Pharisees, but basically never going anywhere, being stuck in everyday life. Okay, this is depressing to write. Better stop. God, I praise You because You disrupted this entire system! You disrupted it and continue to and will continue even more to disrupt it with Your presence! You're awesome, God! Disrupt it more and more, and use all Your servants to do it, too! In Jesus' name, AMEN! (Message edited by agapetos on May 24, 2007) | ||
| Reb Registered user Username: Reb Post Number: 53 Registered: 5-2007 |
Amen, Ramone! | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 3659 Registered: 3-2004  |
Ramone, I add my AMEN to what you wrote. Diana | ||
| Reb Registered user Username: Reb Post Number: 57 Registered: 5-2007 |
Ramone, I also want to add I just read your article in the new issue of Proclamation. Praise God! It was great. I had actually thought at one point I could stay in Adventism as a progressive or liberal Adventist but I realised there is still EGW and this other stuff there and I realised I just can't be ANY KIND of Adventist. In fact there is a Progressive Adventist website called "Reinventing the Adventist Wheel" where even though they don't come right out and call EGW a prophet their stance is she was "inspired" to start a "radical" movement in the Church so they still endorse EGW. No matter how much lipstick you put on the pig, you're not gonna get a beauty queen! | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 5891 Registered: 12-2003 |
Amen, Ramone! The "common people", I believe, are not only seen as sheep by the "higher-ups" (although they DO see them that way), but they also see them as essential for financial support. Without them, the business would ultimately fail. Colleen |
