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Relationship Between Access to Adventist Education and Belief in the Spirit of Prophecy
No full textAdventist education prepares students for service in this world and in the world to come, focusing on the mental, physical, social, and spiritual dimensions. This study based on the Global Church Member Survey (2023) investigated the relationship between access to Adventist education and belief in the Spirit of Prophecy of the members of the members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Effect of African Communal Values on Christian Discipleship in Mwanza City, Tanzania
No full textThis study investigated the effect of African community values on Christian discipleship in Tanzania, using the descriptive- correlational design, 306 participants and descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA and regression. While the age of 46 to 65 registered higher participation, selected communal values enhanced the discipleship engagement. The study yielded a discipleship model
A Comparative Analysis of Current Understandings of the High Priestly Ministry of Jesus in the Heavenly Sanctuary
No full textProblem
Seventh-day Adventists consider the subject of the sanctuary to be the kingpin that interconnects all of the other doctrines. Both Adventists and non-Adventists agree that it is the Adventist understanding of the sanctuary that sets them apart from other Christian denominations. Almost since the inception of the Church, there have been many critics of the Adventist doctrine of the sanctuary and its associated teachings, both from within and from without the Church. Former Adventists and non-Adventists alike have discredited the significance of the sanctuary. However, numerous books on the sanctuary have been published recently by Christian scholars; these books deserve to be evaluated carefully to identify possible points of similarity, ascertain the significant differences, and be sensitive to developing trends suggesting future research.
Method
This thesis will compare and contrast the specified works of Seventh-day Adventist and non-Adventist authors. A predetermined set of five questions will be used to evaluate the chosen authors’ positions as described in their respective books. The five questions deal with the ontology of the heavenly sanctuary, the amount of the high priestly ministry and heavenly sanctuary imagery in the New Testament, the relationship between the earthly and heavenly sanctuaries, atonement as a process or as a past act, and the significance of Jesus’s high priestly ministry. A chapter is dedicated to each author to determine their answers to the questions above. Chapter 6 ends with a summary and a conclusion, identifying areas in common, noteworthy differences, and suggestions for further study.
Results
The results of the evaluation of these authors indicate unanimity in their understanding of the ontology of the heavenly sanctuary. Both Seventh-day Adventist and non-Adventist authors believe in a literal, spatio-temporal sanctuary. They all agree that the sanctuary imagery is found throughout the New Testament, although they differ in the degree to which they see it. Regarding the relationship between heavenly and earthly sanctuaries, Adventist authors emphasize a more comprehensive typology in which the earthly sanctuary and its services typify a sequential order of events within salvational history, whereas non-Adventists believe in qualified typology, where the Yom Kippur service serves as the central framework for understanding the high priestly ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. All the authors except one (Nicholas Moore) believe that the atonement is an ongoing process that includes Christ’s ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. Finally, the insights of all the authors contribute to a holistic understanding of soteriology and Christology.
Conclusion
This study concludes with the observation that there is a common consensus when it comes to the ontology of the heavenly sanctuary and the presence of the heavenly sanctuary imagery in the New Testament, and partial agreement regarding the extent of the typological relationship between the heavenly and earthly sanctuary. There are also differences in how Seventh-day Adventists and non-Adventists view the nature of the atonement. These differences suggest possible areas for further research and dialogue with the non-Adventist community
The State of Man in Romans 7:22-25: Historical and Exegetical Approaches
No full textProblem
This thesis addresses the question as to the identity of “I” in Romans 7 and the related spiritual experience. Romans 7 is a very complex chapter that has elicited multiple discussions, which still do not answer the theological problems satisfactorily. Such theological pluralism has also led to various views regarding sin and salvation. Since understanding sin and redemption are fundamental to one’s salvation, there are strong feelings related to the different positions taken. This has also been the case in Adventism, and, unfortunately, this has affected the unity of the church. Part of the problem is seeing the regenerate-unregenerate state of this man as the only two options, or, in turn, as mutually exclusive. Another major problem is the identification of the “I.” Those who affirm that the “I” is Paul in a regenerate or unregenerate state do not satisfactorily offer a solution for the identity of the “I” since no other Pauline passage describes Paul in this way in his pre-Christian or post-Christian experience. Other positions have been suggested that do not see the “I” as Paul, but as Adam, Israel, or Paul as a representative of all humanity, again without satisfactorily resolving the problem. Still others see two states in Rom 7:7-25: unregenerate in 7:7-13, which relates to Paul’s past, and regenerate in 7:14-25, which relates to Paul’s present. This study does not ignore the current controversy and sees some valuable points in every position. In an attempt to bring clarity to the ongoing debate, this study focuses on the identification of the “I” and its related spiritual state. Since the identification of the “I” and the tenses are the most problematic aspects in the interpretation of this passage, this study shows that both the “I” and the change of tenses are only literary devices used by Paul to exhort the believers concerning the impossibility of obeying the law.
Methodology
This investigation begins with a brief historical approach to the law in Judaism in Paul’s days, the place it had in salvation, and how this sheds light on the understanding of Romans 7. In addition, the concept of sin and the law will be examined in light of the first eight chapters of Romans, as this offers helpful insight in our discussion. With this background, an exegetical study will be provided, focusing on Rom 7:22-25 since these verses summarize well the spiritual struggle of this man, and the reason for his failure. They also act as a springboard for chapter 8.
Conclusions
This study concludes that the man of Romans 7 is a Christian who has come under the dominion of the law. With the use of common rhetorical devices and theological motifs of his time, it is evident that Paul is addressing an audience that has a knowledge of the law, and who are believers who desire to do God’s will, but who are in danger of failing in their best efforts to do what is right. This danger is due to a misunderstanding of the role of the law in salvation and a self-dependence on their efforts to live a sanctified life. The language of this chapter and the few references of Christ and the Holy Spirit provide a marked contrast with its preceding and following chapters, leaving no doubt that this description does not represent a converted person, but someone who is trying to keep the law by his own resources
Theological Foundations of Modern Empirical Science
No full textAs observed by C. S. Lewis, “Men became scientific because they expected Law in Nature, and they expected Law in Nature because they believed in a Law Giver.” This belief is foundational to the basic assumptions of modern empirical science: the universe exists, is orderly and follows mathematical laws, and may be understood by humans. Through the examination of the faith of three founders of modern physics, Johannes Kepler, Isaac Newton, and James Clerk Maxwell, we can see how belief in a Creator influenced their science. This provides a theological warrant for the efficacy of science to provide genuine knowledge regarding the nature of reality and can provide needed perspective when legitimate conflicts between science and theology arise
