Division and disunity have marked the history of the Christian church from at least the end of the first century. Among the reasons for these internal controversies, disagreement over what the Bible teaches is certainly high on the list. Many church bodies have suffered schisms because of it. While not immune from this danger of dissent, Seventh-day Adventists have been relatively free of serious discord, having a remarkable unity on Bible truth. But danger is always present as the enemy of the church seeks in every way possible to bring in variance and disagreement.
Danger
Recent years offer evidence that the unity which has marked the history of the Advent Movement may be facing its greatest danger. More disagreement appears to be evident, even on crucial doctrines. This should be a signal to leaders to give attention to unity.
From the late 1840s when Sabbath-keeping Adventists studied the great truths of Scripture and came together on an understanding of the Bible's teachings, we have had remarkable agreement on these truths, despite occasional efforts by some to introduce new views.
But the danger that faces the church in our generation may be its greatest. At least three broad areas are under attack: the method by which the Bible is to be understood, the ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, and the meaning of the gospel and salvation. While the unity of the church is still strong, we as leaders must recognize the danger that exists.
Pioneers' Method
We can learn much from our pioneers. Our spiritual forefathers were deep Bible students. They viewed the Bible as a unified whole, a message from God through human instruments writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. They believed that the Bible, though written in the language and culture of the writer, was a message from God, a truth from Him untainted by human culture. While the writer and his expression may be imperfect, the truth conveyed is God speaking to us.
To reach their conclusions, our pioneers compared Scripture with Scripture, using one Bible writer to explain what another had written. They saw the Old and New Testaments as complementing one another and the Bible as a unified whole.
To reach their conclusions, our pioneers compared Scripture with Scripture, using one Bible writer to explain what another had written. They saw the Old and New Testaments as complementing one another and the Bible as a unified whole.
Thus today we have a system of truth that has kept us unified for several generations.
It is the beauty of this unified view of Scripture that has been so attractive to so many. It has given us a "world view" that helps to explain the entrance of sin and the terrible curse of conflict and pain that causes so much dreadful suffering. We see all of the truths of Scripture centering in Jesus and fitting into the "Great Controversy," soon to end in the glorious appearing of our Saviour. When seen in this light, the full teachings of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation are impressive and beautiful. This message of hope and truth has sent Seventh-day Adventists around the world as a united body of believers.
And this has brought upon them the anger of the dragon. As leaders, we must recognize the danger and seek God's help to meet it.
Guidelines for Leaders
The following guidelines, while not comprehensive, may be of help.
1) Seek Unity in Jesus and in the Gift of the Holy Spirit. The prayer of Jesus in John 17 reflected His concern for the harmony of His disciples, but not for them alone. It included all of His followers in succeeding generations. Note the following verses:
"Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are" (v. 11).
"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word, that they all may be one" (vv. 20, 21).
"And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them: that they may be one, even as we are one" (v. 22).
This small band of eleven disciples was to become the foundation of the church (Eph 2:20). If they were at variance with one another over their beliefs and driven apart by envy and jealousy, the superstructure of the church would not have a safe foundation. This was the central concern of Jesus. And Jesus' words have relevance for His body of believers today. Only a fully converted church body guided by the Holy Spirit can be a unified church. Only a church body which allows the Scriptures to speak to them as the voice of God will be a harmonious church. This is the awesome burden which leaders have today: to lead the church members into a study of the Bible and into accepting the Holy Spirit's presence in their hearts and lives.
2) Resist Pluralism of Essential Beliefs and Biblical Practices. The followers of Jesus are to believe, live and teach the truth. Jesus declared that He was the truth (John 14:6), and He also said in praying to His Father, "Thy word is truth" (Jn 17:17). Jesus is not divided against Himself; if His church is guided by the Holy Spirit it will be in agreement on all essential truths. Though there will always be peripheral areas of disagreement, in those truths that are crucial to the message of the church the body of Christ must be in agreement. Likewise, there must be harmony in the Biblical practices of the church.
The history of Israel and the Christian church demonstrates the dangers posed by Satan's efforts to divide. If Israel always had good leadership, the results were disastrous. The closing verse of Judges (21:25) summarizes the problems this way: "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes." Under the kings, Israel fared no better. Divisions often ran very deep. Thus, we can conclude that leadership is critical to keeping unity in the church. If church members are to give positive affirmation to the truth as it is in Jesus, without pluralism, leadership will be crucial to that effort.
We can be grateful for such leadership over the past 150 years. However, our greatest dangers may lie ahead as pluralistic views on a number of essential truths and biblical practices are urged upon the church. Now is a time when leaders and church members must study the Holy Scriptures earnestly and seek an infilling of the Holy Spirit.
3) Seek Peace Through Biblical Unity. There is much encouragement found in the counsel of James: "For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace" (James 3:16-18).
In the following statement Ellen White makes a very interesting and challenging application of these verses from James:
"Although possessing different temperaments and dispositions, they will see eye to eye in all matters of religious belief. They will speak the same things, they will have the same judgment, they will be one in Christ."
(Historical Sketches, pp. 122-125)
We have not yet met this ideal. Yet, this is the admonition of both Scripture and the messenger of the Lord, Ellen White. Leaders can do much to lead our people into this spirit of unity.
4) Recognize the Spirit of Prophecy's Role as a Strong Unifying Factor. The precious gift in the person of Ellen White was a critical factor in helping our pioneers to unite in their understanding of the special biblical truths which make us a distinct people today. Her writings will continue to keep us together. The notion that she erred in theology is false. Her theology was based on Scripture and all through her life she advised the church and its leaders to make the Scriptures their guide in all matters of belief and practice. Her work was to keep the church from erring in its understanding of what the Bible teaches and to keep it focused on the Bible itself as an infallible guide to truth.
In 1906 she wrote a most helpful series of twenty articles for the Signs of the Times exalting the study of the Bible. Among many other significant statements, she wrote these two:
"The Bible is God's voice speaking to us, just as surely as if we could hear it with our ears. If we realized this, with what awe we would open God's Word, and with what earnestness we would search its precepts" (April 4, 1906).
"We need not the dim light of tradition to make the Scriptures comprehensible. As well might we suppose that the noonday sun needs the glimmering torchlight of earth to increase its glory. The utterances of priest or minister are not needed to save men from error. Those who consult the divine oracle will have light. In the Bible every duty is made plain" (Oct. 10, 1906).
This devotion to the Bible as the rule of our faith and practice validates Ellen White as God's messenger perhaps more than any other evidence. Leaders who follow her counsel will find themselves exalting Scripture and seeking to lead our people into a renewed study of its marvelous truths.
Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, these efforts will bring unity to the church and prepare a people for the coming of our Lord. In a world of deepening darkness, we have a message of hope, of warning and of truth that will dispel the darkness and prepare a people for the coming of our Lord. The leaders of today have the greatest opportunity in the history of the world to do a work for God. Let us pray for them. And let us give them every encouragement possible to seek to bring the church into unity of belief and practice around the Word of God.