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28 Fundamental Beliefs

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The 28 fundamental beliefs are the core beliefs of Seventh-day Adventist theology.[citation needed] Adventists are opposed to the formulation of creeds,[citation needed] so the 28 fundamental beliefs are considered descriptors, not prescriptors; that is, that they describe the official position of the church but are not criteria for membership. These beliefs were originally known as the 27 fundamental beliefs when adopted by the church's General Conference in 1980. An additional belief (number 11) was added in 2005.[1] The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary is a significant expression of Adventist theological thought.[citation needed]

They are grouped into the doctrines of God, humanity, salvation, the church, Christian life, and the restoration.[2]

History

File:SDAs believe.jpg
Seventh-day Adventists Believe (2nd edition 2005), official publication explaining the fundamental beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist church.

Adventists have historically been reluctant to formalize a creed. In the October 8, 1861 Review and Herald, J. N. Loughborough wrote:

"The first step of apostasy is to get up a creed, telling us what we shall believe. The second is, to make that creed a test of fellowship. The third is to try members by that creed. The fourth to denounce as heretics those who do not believe that creed. And fifth, to commence persecution against such."[3]

Several summaries of Adventist theology have been presented at various times.

  • In 1872 a pamphlet was produced presenting twenty-five Fundamental Principles[4] not to "secure uniformity" but "to meet inquiries" and "to correct false statements."[5]
  • In 1931 a list of 22 Fundamental Beliefs[6] was produced and published in the Adventist Yearbook, and subsequently in the Adventist Church Manual.
  • In 1980, the 27 Fundamentals were instituted by the denomination's General Conference. Fritz Guy was the secretary of the original committee which produced the 27 Fundamentals. They were discussed and adopted at the 1980 General Conference Session. Ron Graybill wrote the preamble.[7] They are expanded upon in the book Seventh-day Adventists Believe: A Biblical Exposition of 27 Fundamental Doctrines.[8] This elaboration does not constitute the "official" position of the church.[citation needed]
  • In 2005 another belief was inserted, fundamental belief number 11 "Growing in Christ", in response to the requests of Adventists in developing nations for a statement on spiritual warfare. It was voted in at the 2005 Adventist General Conference Session held in St. Louis, Missouri, yielding the current total of 28.

Preamble

The preamble to the 28 Fundamentals states that Adventists accept the Bible as their only creed, and that revision of the statements may be expected during the church General Conference Session:

Seventh-day Adventists accept the Bible as their only creed and hold certain fundamental beliefs to be the teaching of the Holy Scriptures. These beliefs, as set forth here, constitute the church's understanding and expression of the teaching of Scripture. Revision of these statements may be expected at a General Conference Session when the church is led by the Holy Spirit to a fuller understanding of Bible truth or finds better language in which to express the teachings of God's Holy Word."[9]

Theological beliefs

Doctrines of God

1. The Holy Scriptures

Seventh-day Adventists believes that the whole scripture, Old and New Testaments, are written by God, by divine inspiration. Every single word in the Holy Scripture was written by authors with divine inspiration by God, moved with Holy Spirit. Seventh-day Adventists believe and prioritize God’s Words above all.

2. The Trinity

They believe in one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Trinity is the belief of union of three coeternal Persons. Added to the belief of Trinity, God is all-power, eternal, beginning, end and everything, He is beyond human comprehension.

3. The Father

Eternal Father is the Creator, Source, Sustainer and Sovereign for all living beings. His is filled with just, holy, mercy, kind, grace, patience, eternal love and faith. Eternal Father’s characters are resembled by The Son and The Holy Spirit.

4. The Son

Eternal Son is incarnated in Jesus Christ; through Him God the Father can be seen. He is the way for salvation of Humankind. It is believed that Eternal Son was incarnated as a fetus (by Holy Spirit) in virgin Mary’s womb. He lived in earth in form of human and set an example for every mankind in overcoming the temptations.

5. The Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit is an active member of every divine actions that was done in the past and doing in the present. He worked with the author of Bible books by inspiring them. He assented on Jesus Christ on his baptism along with God the Father. He filled the human Jesus Christ with divinity (cause no sins). It is believed that the hidden out treasures in Holy Scriptures were revealed only by the guidance of Holy Spirit.

The doctrines of humanity

6. Creation

In the Book of Genesis it is given the whole facts and happening of the six-day creation work “…the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them…”, along with God’s rest on Seventh-day. The belief of: creation of heaven, earth and everything in it for the six days and Sabbath in the Seventh-day at the beginning of everything makes the Seventh-day Adventists belief more peculiar.

7. The Nature of Humanity

Humans were made in the image of God by The God himself. He has given them freedom to think, do and inherit the earth filled with goods – on the day of creation. The disobedience or misuse of freedom by our first parents Adam and Eve introduced sin in earth and marred the image of God in them and changed as mortal being. Now after sin, humans are marred form of God’s image, more prone to sin. Key to eternal life is believe in Jesus Christ and follow his teaching.

The doctrines of salvation

8. The Great Controversy

It denotes that the great battle between Christ and Satan is reflected in the life of all sinful humans on earth. The conflict started from heaven which becomes the root cause of sin and all sorrows. The down fall of one third of angels from heaven, and the fall of out earth to Satan and his angels were the core maters of the great controversy. It is said in the Holy Bible “…the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour…” which says the controversy is on its peak.

9. The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Christ

It is said that Christ life is the perfect sample for every human to follow and overcome their sin. Belief in Christ’s life: ministry, healing, teaching, miracles, etc. Belief in Christ’s death: wages of sin is death; the Holy Lamb accepted the wages for every individual sin on earth. Belief in Christ’s Resurrection: bodily resurrection of Christ resembles the victory over evil and sins.

10. The Experience of Salvation

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 6:16 is the core of the tenth belief. Jesus is the way for salvation; with the help of Holy Spirit. The act of salvation: accepting Jesus Christ as savior; led by Holy Spirit to accept sin and repent; exercise faith in Jesus; beholding the Words of Holy Scripture and God’s grace; Justified by Jesus and born again of Spirit. Assurance of sanctification is not given for everyone who enters to Seventh-day Adventist church.

11. Growing in Christ

Church is the gathering of a group of people who has accepted Jesus Christ. It is a place of worship, fellowship, instructions, celebrating Lord’s Supper, service to human, majorly proclamation of gospel. According to Seventh-day Adventists Christ is the supreme authority of Church. Christ died for the church (i.e. every single soul accepted Christ is literally termed as a Church of God).

The doctrines of the church

12. The Church

13. The Remnant and Its Mission

14. Unity in the Body of Christ

15. Baptism

16. The Lord's Supper

17. Spiritual Gifts and Ministries

18. The Gift of Prophecy

The doctrines of Christian living

19. The Law of God

20. The Sabbath

21. Stewardship

22. Christian Behavior

23. Marriage and the Family

The doctrines of the restoration

24. Christ's Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary

25. The Second Coming of Christ

26. Death and Resurrection

27. The Millennium and the End of Sin

28. The New Earth

Shared Protestant doctrine

In Seventh-day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine (1957), the editors outlined the doctrines that they share with Protestant Christianity.

"In Common With Conservative Christians and the Historic Protestant Creeds, We Believe—
1. That God is the Sovereign Creator, upholder, and ruler of the universe, and that He is eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.
2. That the Godhead, the Trinity, comprises God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
3. That the Scriptures are the inspired revelation of God to men; and that the Bible is the sole rule of faith and practice.
4. That Jesus Christ is very God, and that He has existed with the Father from all eternity.
5. That the Holy Spirit is a personal being, sharing the attributes of deity with the Father and the Son.
6. That Christ, the Word of God, became incarnate through the miraculous conception and the virgin birth; and that He lived an absolutely sinless life here on earth.
7. That the vicarious, atoning death of Jesus Christ, once for all, is all-sufficient for the redemption of a lost race.
8. That Jesus Christ arose literally and bodily from the grave.
9. That He ascended literally and bodily into heaven.
10. That He now serves as our advocate in priestly ministry and mediation before the Father.
11. That He will return in a premillennial, personal, imminent second advent.
12. That man was created sinless, but by his subsequent fall entered a state of alienation and depravity.
13. That salvation through Christ is by grace alone, through faith in His blood.
14. That entrance upon the new life in Christ is by regeneration, or the new birth.
15. That man is justified by faith.
16. That man is sanctified by the indwelling Christ through the Holy Spirit.
17. That man will be glorified at the resurrection or translation of the saints, when the Lord returns.
18. That there will be a judgment of all men.
19. That the gospel is to be preached as a witness to all the world."[10]

All of these doctrines, with the exception of item 11 (regarding the premillennial return of Christ), are widely held amongst conservative or evangelical Protestants. (Different Protestant groups hold varying views on the millennium.)

Regarding salvation, a major statement was the 1980 "The Dynamics of Salvation".[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Growing in Christ". Adventist News Network. 2005-07-04. Archived from the original on 2005-11-29. Retrieved 2006-05-26. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ Seventh-day Adventist Church Fundamental Beliefs
  3. ^ Bates, Joseph; Smith, Uriah (1861-10-08). "Doings of the Battle Creek Conference, Oct. 5 & 6, 1861". Review and Herald. 18 (19): 148. Archived from the original (DJVU) on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2006-11-06. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ Fundamental Beliefs
  5. ^ Schwarz, Richard W. (1979). Light Bearers to the Remnant. Boise, Idaho / Oshawa, Ontario, Canada: Pacific Press.
  6. ^ Online Research Center: Fundamental Beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists, 1931 Archived March 1, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Scofield, Michael (May–June 2000). "How the 27 Fundamental Beliefs Came to Be". Adventist Today. 8 (3). Loma Linda, CA: Adventist Today Foundation: 11. ISSN 1079-5499. Retrieved 2008-09-23.
  8. ^ Seventh-day Adventists Believe... FILE: index.htm
  9. ^ "Fundamental Beliefs". Seventh-day Adventist Church. Archived from the original on 2 September 2006. Retrieved 2006-09-12. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ Seventh-day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine, Review and Herald Publishing Association, Washington D.C., 1957. Chapter 1 "Doctrines We Share With Other Christians."
  11. ^ Adventistbiblicalresearch.org Adventist Review, July 31, 1980
  • General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Ministerial Association (2005). Seventh-day Adventists Believe (2nd ed.). Pacific Press Publishing Association. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
See also Seventh-day Adventist theology#External links

Each issue of Adventist World comments on a fundamental belief. Following is the list to February 2012 inclusive: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 6, 7, 9, 9, 10, 10, 11, 12, 12, 15, 15, 16, 16, 17, 17, 17, 19, 20, 20, 21, 21, 22, 22, 23, 23, 24, 24, 25, 26, 27, 27, 28

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