Biblical law in Seventh-day Adventism

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Interpretations of the law in the Bible within the Seventh-day Adventist Church form a part of the broader debate regarding biblical law in Christianity. Adventists believe in a greater continuation of laws such as the law of Moses in the present day than do most other Christians. In particular, they believe the 10 Commandments still apply to today, including the Sabbath in particular.

1 Official belief
2 History
3 See also
4 External links
5 References

[edit] Official belief

One of the official 28 fundamental beliefs of the Adventist church states:

19. Law of God:

The great principles of God's law are embodied in the Ten Commandments and exemplified in the life of Christ. They express God's love, will, and purposes concerning human conduct and relationships and are binding upon all people in every age. These precepts are the basis of God's covenant with His people and the standard in God's judgment. Through the agency of the Holy Spirit they point out sin and awaken a sense of need for a Saviour. Salvation is all of grace and not of works, but its fruitage is obedience to the Commandments. This obedience develops Christian character and results in a sense of well-being. It is an evidence of our love for the Lord and our concern for our fellow men. The obedience of faith demonstrates the power of Christ to transform lives, and therefore strengthens Christian witness. (Ex. 20:1-17; Ps. 40:7, 8; Matt. 22:36-40; Deut. 28:1-14; Matt. 5:17-20; Heb. 8:8-10; John 15:7-10; Eph. 2:8-10; 1 John 5:3; Rom. 8:3, 4; Ps. 19:7-14.)^[1]

[edit] History

Adventists have traditionally taught that the Decalogue is part of the moral law of God which was not abrogated by the ministry and death of Jesus Christ. Therefore the fourth commandment concerning the Sabbath is as applicable to Christian believers as the other nine. In the past Adventists have often taught a distinction between "moral law" and "ceremonial law". The moral law continues into the New Testament era, but the ceremonial law was done away with by Jesus. The first major questioning of this view occurred at the 1888 Minneapolis General Conference Session, and many scholars today also question it, believing that such a distinction is somewhat arbitrary.

At the 1952 Bible Conference, Edward Heppenstall’s presentations on the Two Covenants became the normative interpretation on the topic in the denomination to the present day. Heppenstall emphasized the importance of the heart in obeying the Ten Commandments (a position earlier stated by Ellen G. White, but did not become normative until this point). Early Adventists had emphasized legalism (i.e. “obey and live”) and during the early twentieth-century had wandered into a dispensationalist view of the covenants (old covenant belonged to the Old Testament). Heppenstall taught that the old and New Covenants are part of an everlasting covenant.

The 1957 publication Questions on Doctrine was a pivotal publication in Adventist history. One followup article was "The Law in Adventist Theology and Christian Experience"DjVu by Edward Heppenstall.^[2]

In 1981 disfellowshipped Australian Adventist Robert Brinsmead published Sabbatarianism Re-examined^[3] in which he criticised that doctrine, arguing the Ten Commandments are not all inclusive.