religion

1 The Task of Christian Theology Matthew 22:37

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

Colossians 2:2, NEB

I want them...to come to the full wealth of conviction which

understanding brings.

1 Peter 3:15

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to

give the reason for the hope that you have.

Acts 2:42 Titus 2:1 Deuteronomy 32:2 Psalm 1:1-2 Hebrews 5:11-6:2

Hebrews 13:9 Romans 10:14-15

Psalm 19:7-10 Romans 16:17 2 Peter 1:5-7 Ephesians 3:14-19

Ephesians 4:13-14

1 Timothy 4:6

Matthew 28:19-20 John 7:16-17 2 John 9

John 8:31-332

2 Adventist theology," therefore, to THE IMPORTANCE OF THEOLOGY

designate the beliefs of this particular religious group. In another sense, "theology

Nothing is more important

to a

religious community

than what it

believes. This is not the only thing

that matters, of course. The way

it

worships and the kind of life it

leads

are important too. But what it

believes is basic to everything else.

This is particularly true of

Christianity. This book is an introduction too

Christian beliefs from a Seventh-day

Adventist perspective. It seeks to express the faith of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Since this is an

refers to the activity of reflect ng on our religious beliefs. Broadly speaking, we all do theology when we think or talk about what we hen believe. More specifically, theolog is the activity in which we exam

our religious beliefs and seek to express them in a clear and logical way.

As used in the subtitle of this book, the word "theology"

incorporates both senses of the tem because the purpose of the book is twofold. It summarizes what

Seventh-day Adventists believe, and it also attempts to examine these beliefs in a careful and methodical

exercise in theology, it will be helpful to begin by explaining what theologY is and why it is important.

The meaning of "theology" The Greek roots for "theology" are Iheos, meaning "God," and logos, meaning "speech" or "word," among other things. Literally, then, theology is "God-talk," or "language about God." Any use of the word "God," or any reference to divine beings, would then qualify as theology. But "theology" usually has a more specific meaning.

In one sense, "theology" refers to the beliefs of a religious community. We use the word in this way when we speak of "Roman Catholic theology." of "Protestant theology," or perhaps of "Jewish theology" or "Buddhist theology." We may use the expression "Seventh-day

way.

Objections to theology Many people have a negative attitude toward religious beliefs, or "doctrines," as they are often called, so they approach the study of theology with misgivings. One reason for this suspicion is the

widespread conviction that religion 1s

largely a matter of practice rather than belief. In the view of some, what's really important is how you

live. What you think is strictuly

secondary. Other people object to theolo8

on the grounds that religion is

primarily emotional in nature. They

Tind that intellectual activity often THE TASK OF CHRISTIAN THEoLOGY

3

fails to produce the kind of feelings

they are looking for in religion. In fact, sometimes it interferes with

those feelings

abstinence from tobacco and

alcoholic drinks. Sometimes Adventists are remembered for

Sabbath observance, or for their medical or educational work. But

Theology and religious experience It is true that behavior and emotions

are part of religious experience.

Religion includes ethical and affective dimensions, we might say. But it also includes a cognitive dimension: it involves believing

something. This is why theology is important: it gives these beliefs a

careful examination.

whatever the distinctive practice is,

behind it lies some specific religious

belief, or doctrine. The commitment to healthful living, for example, arises from the belief that our physi-

cal condition affects our spiritual1 condition. This belief follows from

the Adventist doctrine of humanity. with its view of the person as a

physical, mental, and spiritual unity. What we believe, therefore, deter- mines to a large extent how we live.

Our doctrine affects our practice.

Turning to the other aspect of

It is clear from the history of

Christianity that beliefs are central to the life of the church. lts early

advocates, the apostles, presented Christianity by making certain claims religious experience mentioned about Jesus and arguing for their

truth. In his sermon on the day of Pentecost, for example-the first

Christian sermon ever preached Peter asserted that Jesus was the

above, we find a similar relationship to belief. We identified this aspect as "emotional" or "affective." A better

word might be "relational." It

involves people's attitude toward God and their perception of God's attitude toward them.

Messiah. He appealed to his

resurrection from the dead to prove it

(Acts 2:14-36). So from the

beginning, being a Christian involved believing that certain things were

This dimension of experience will have an important influence on belief. On an individual level, your experience of God will affect your

beliefs about him. If God seems true.

Beliefs are not only essential to Christianity; they are also closely related to the other dimensions of religious experience just referred to.

Seventh-day Adventists are probably best known by the general publie tor

Some of their distinctive practices. Many people identify Adventists by the things they don't do, such as their

especially close to you during difticult circumstances, then you will find it natural to believe that he is

loving and compassionate. On the other hand, if you feel utterly alone when you need help, then you may find it ditlicult to atuibute these qualities to God.

REIGN OF GOD

FAITH AND REASON On the

corporate, or

community,

level, this relation

between belief and

experience is even

more significant.

The doctrines

of the church express

the experience of its

members on the

grand scale. This

was certainly true

of the earliest

Christians. The claims

Since theology involves the application of reason to the contents of faith, we need to explore the relationship between faith and

reason. Faith and reason in tension Many people feel that faith. in sense of personal trust in Go n the reason, or serious intellectual ac. stand in conflict with each other They fear that the close application of reason to our religious beliefs will weaken our conviction, so they are suspicious of theology.

Perhaps we can illustrate this view of faith and reason with the graph below. Here faith and reason stand at opposite ends of a line, in tension with each other. And, as mathematicians would say, they are "inversely proportional." That is, the more you have of one quality, the less you have of the other. As the

diagram shows, the closer you come to one end of the line, the farther you

move from the other. According to

this view, the strongest religious experience would be one in which

there is a good deal of faith, and

consequently very little intellectual

activity. If we try to embrace botn

faith and reason, the best we can

do

1S maintain an uneasy balance

between them.

they made for Jesus

expressed the

impact his life had made

on them.

Their doctrines expressed their

experience. Similarly, the great

doctrines of Christianity are those

which express the experience of

believers in every age. This interchange between

, and

ctivity,

doctrines and experience flows in the

other direction, too. Doctrines not

only express experience; they also

influence and shape it. To a great

extent, what you believe about God

will determine the quality of your

relationship to God. An inadequate doctrine of God will have a negative

effect on your religious experience. If you have always thought of God as

a stem judge, preoccupied with your

mistakes, than you will find it difficult to love and trust him.

Happily, the converse is true as well. Good doctrine can have a

positive effect on religious experi- ence. A woman I know once said that she had the happiest Sabbath of her life shortly after she studied the meaning of the Sabbath in one of her religion classes. A more adequate doctrine of the Sabbath made possible a richer Sabbath experience. So religious beliefs and religious experience are closely related.

-REASON

FAITH

THE TASK OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY

5

This view of faith and reason forces us to make a choice between

the two. We have to decide between

reason may be related in a person's life. It is possible to have a great deal of faith and relatively little

trusting in God and thinking carefully understanding (Position A). This is

about our beliefs, because we cannot do both effectively. But we have just

seen that understanding plays a very

important role in religious

experience. We observed that inadequate doctrine has a negative

effect on religious experience, while

good doctrine has a positive effect. So we cannot accept the idea that faith and reason are opposed to each

other. We must find another way of

expressing their relationship.

typically the case in the early stages of religious experience. Just as a

young child has great affection for

his or her parents, though

understanding very little about them, people may have enormous confidence in God even though they know relatively little about God.

On the other hand, a person can

know a great deal about God and not

have much of a relationship with him

(Position B). Someone with a Ph.D. in nutrition may have unhealthful

eating habits. An avid sports fan

may be in poor physical condition.

Similarly, someone could know a great deal about the Bible, theology, and church history, and still have

very little trust in God. Knowledge alone certainly doesn't guarantee

faith.

Faith and reason in balance Let's exchange the line graph for one

that's a bit more complicated. Instead of placing faith and reason at

opposite ends of a single line, make them the coordinates of a graph like the ones we study in algebra. Let's

put "faith" at the side of the graph and "reason" along the bottom, like this:

As this graph illustrates, the

options are not limited to faith without reason, or reason without

faith, or to some unattractive

compromise between them, like Position C, where a person has very

little of either faith or understanding.

Ideally, a person's experience should be somewhere in the vicinity of Position D, where both faith and

FAITH

B

REASON reason abound. In a healthy religious experience,

faith and reason complement, rather

than compete with, each other, just as

knowledge and affection reinforce With this graph, we can describe a

number of ways in which faith and

REIGN OF GOD

as we run into fficulties. The solution is to keep on think each other in important human

relationships. People in

love

naturally want to find out

more about

each other-where they grew up,

what they like to eat, and so on. If

the relationship has real possibilities,

the more they learn, the stronger their

feelings for each other grow.

In a similar way, people who tust

God will want to keep learming about

him. And the more they learn, the

work our way through the problems that arise. Typically., people who become disillusione when they examine their faith have not thought The proper espons

to theological difficulties is more

enough about it.

theology. We cannot eliminate problems by ignoring them, by pretending they do not exist. Careful more heir trust and love for God will reflection will help us to answer many of our questions.

Furthermore, if it is risky to think about what you believe, not to do so can be fatal. It is not only that an unexamined faith is not worth having, to paraphrase Socrates famous maxim. An unexamined faith can be downright dangerous. It can give us a false sense of security, and it can lead us to be intolerant of

grow. In one of his letters, Paul

expresses the desire for his readers to

come to the full wealth of conviction which understanding brings" (Col 2:2, NEB). Serious intellectual activity has an important role to play in religious experience. Good theology will strengthen our confidence in God.

Solving theological problems But haven't people lost their faith as a result of asking questions about it? sn't there a danger in thinking too much about religion? Won't you kill a religious experience by over- analyzing it?

It is true that there is a risk in

people whose views differ from ours. Although careful thinking can

help to solve many of our questions, it is unlikely to answer all of them. In the event that certain questions persist, it is helpful to remember this: in the final analysis, our faith is not in a doctrine, but in a Person. It is Christ who saves, not our

thinking carefully about what you believe. Doing so, people occasionally discover that what they always believed lacks adequate evidence or no longer makes sense. There is no guarantee that our ideas will never change if we think about them carefully.

The solution, however, is not to avoid thinking, not to give up as soon

understanding of him. In the last letter he wrote, Paul declared to Timothy, "I know whom I have believed" (2 Tim 1:12). The great apostle never claimed that his enavior was perfect (Phil 3:12),or that his knowledge was pertect Cor 13:9). He wasn't looking to these things for salvation. He wa THE TASK OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY

7

looking to Christ. With our confidence firmly rooted in Jesus, we can face the questions that arise in our attempt to understand what he

has done for us, without being afraid that they will unsettle our faith.

We have examined the general importance of intellectual activity for viewed, Christians accept it as au- religious experience. Now we need to take a closer look at the

character. Christians universally associate the Bible with divine revelation. Some regard it primarily as a source of supernaturally imparted information, others as an expression of authentic human ex- istence. But however the Bible is

thoritative. The basic purpose of

theology is to express the contents, or the message, of the Bible reliably. Faithfulness to the Scriptures is the

most important criterion for evalu-

ating any theological work. The mere intention to be faithful to the

theological task itself.

THE NATURE AND PURPOSE OF THEOLOGY

Bible, of course, does not guarantee

that a theologian's work will be. But

the intention is indispensable. During the centuries of Christian history, people have described theology in many different ways. One of the happiest definitions is that

of Anselm, the eleventh-century

bishop of Canterbury. He identified theology as "faith seeking understanding."I In his view,

theology is the attempt of Christians to make sense out of what they

believe. This fits nicely with what

Theology is rational A second feature of theology is its

attempt to be rational, or intelligible.

Theology seeks to make sense of what the Bible says. This is not a

departure from its biblical character,

although people sometimes think so. It is really an extension, or a

corollary, of it. As expressed in

Scripture, the message of salvation is addressed to the whole person, the

we have said about the relation of

theology and religious experience. We could list other definitions of

mind as well as the heart. From the theology, or formulate one ourselves and then comment on its parts.

Instead, let us work toward a definition by considering some of the essential characteristics of the

beginning, Christians have

maintained that there are good

reasons for believing the gospel. So

in accepting the authority of the

Bible, theology presupposes that the

Bible makes sense. enterprise.

Theology is biblical Without question, the most important feature of theology is its biblical

As it seeks to express the message

of the Bible, theology searches for

the most adequate concepts available.

REIGN OF GOD

8

It strives for clarity

and coherence;

it

seeks to avoid

confusion and

must always be the principal of our religious knowledor understanding of the Bible : source le is shapod by long centuries of biblical shan interpretation, whether w

contradiction.

Since theology is by

definition

rational, its natural

currency is

concepts, or

ideas. It applies

methodical reflection to the

contents

or not. Just think, for exam le, of the alize it

way the Protestant

influenced the interpretationha Reformation has of faith, and

expresses its findings

in

carefully formulated propositions.

This is a worthy enterprise, we

have

argued, but its value needs to be

qualified. While concepts and

propositions are the language of

theology, they are not the natural

language of faith. Faith comes to

expression in stories, symbols, and

metaphors-the sort of literature and

language that fills the pages of the

Bible.

writings. This isn't something learn a lot from previous

tempts to

au's negative. To the contrary, We

understand the Bible. It would be foolish to ignore the help they can give. At the same time, we must be critical of views that depart from the Bible. We can never be content to accept something Simply because it has a long tradition behind it.

Theology is contemporary As an outgrowth of its historical character, good theology is also contemporary. This means, first of all, that it arises out of the present experience of the Christian

community. Every generation faces the task of theology anew, because its

experience is unique in certain ways. The notion of "present truth'"

played an important role in the thinking of early Adventists. They accepted much of what earlier Christians believed. But they

The translation from biblical story

and symbol to theological proposition is never precise, never complete, and

never entirely satisfying. There is a

complexity and power to the foundational documents of Christianity that theological propositions can never fully capture. So, however profound its concepts or cool and rational its formulations, theology at its best only approximates what the Bible says to human beings. Theology can contribute to our reading of the Bible, but it can never be a substitute for it. Theology is historical Good theology must also be historically sensitive. We are fortunate-in fact, we are blessed-to have ready access to the Bible. It

emphasized other doctrines, such as

the Sabbath, because they were convinced that God was uniquey

active in their experience and tna

they had something new and important to share.

Accordingly, good theology 13

THE TASK OF CHRISTIAN THEOLoGY

creative and constructive. It brings to the task of interpreting the biblical

message the conviction that our

present experience may enable us to

see things that have never been as fully appreciated before.

Because the faith of a religious

to consider revising it. Another is

comprehensiveness. For people in certain religious groups, the official

creed states all that is worth

discussing. Ifa topic isn't mentioned

in the creed, they are unwilling to

give it any consideration. A third

connotation of the word "creed" is community 1s dynamic, the work of

theology is never completed. The 1980 statement of Seventh-day

Adventist beliefs includes this

authority. People often hold certain

things to be true simply because they are formally stated in a creed, not

because they have examined the issues for themselves.

important sentence: "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 truths or have avoided developing a creed.

finds better language in which to

express the teachings of God's Holy

This brings us to some other

reasons why Seventh-day Adventists

Word2

Truth doesn't change, but our

perception of it does. So does the

situation in which we are called on to should examine for himself or herself

They insist that nothing replace the

Bible as the supreme authority in the church. "The Bible is our creed,"

early Adventists were fond of saying. They believed that every person

what the Bible teaches. express it, as we noticed

above. For

these reasons, the work of theology is Theology must be contemporary

because the challenges it faces are

new in every age. The problems

confronting the church today are not

the same as the ones it met before.

never done once and for all.

Problems with creeds

This is one reason why Seventh-day Adventists have always avoided the formulation of a creed to express

their beliefs. On a purely linguistic level, a "creed" is simply a statement of beliefs. Historicaly, creeds were

intended simply to summarize the

teachings of the Bible. But the word "creed" has certain connotations

Theology must speak to these

problems, if the Christian message is to be heard.

This means that Christians must

be willing to revise their terminology

in order for their message to be

understood. The task of theology is

to communicate the gospel; and communication requires translation,

not mere repetition. As Francis Schaeffer says, "You have to preach

the simple gospel so that it is simple

which have made Adventists wary One is finality. Once a creed is

formulated, people tend to regard it as definitive. They become reluctant

REIGN OF GOD

10 and proclamation. It arises from the community's worship of God and to the person to

whom you are

talking, or it is no

longer simple."3

This is why we

have sermons

as well

as Scripture reading in

our worship

services. We need to hear

the Word,

to be sure, but we also

need to hear

the Word interpreted for us by

its proclamation of the contributes to

80s gospel. Theology is thoughtf,the

prayer, prayer that takes the form of careful reflection on the glory of God. Ideally, it exudes the profound wonder and adoration tha lie at the heart of sincere prayer.4

Theology also plays an important role in the church's communication of the gospel. On one level, it is one of the forms that this communication takes. The gospel deserves the most thoughtful expression that human minds can give it. Good theological reflection leads people to a deeper

someone who is familiar with our

spiritual needs.

Theology is for the church

From what we have just said, it is

apparent that theology is the task of

the whole church, not merely of the

individual Christian, theologically trained or otherwise. Theology

attempts to express the faith of a

religious community. It speaks out of understanding of the gospel. On the experience of the community, and

it intends to enrich the life of the

community. As an exercise in Seventh-day

Adventist theology, this book seeks to express the faith of the Seventh- day Adventist Church. I hope that any Adventist reader would recognize it as a statement of his or her own faith. At the same time, it is not just a summary of traditional Adventist doctrines. It contains

another level, theology contributes to preaching, to what we often call "the

spoken word." To some extent every preacher is a theologian and every sermon has theological content.

Theology is systematic Finally, good theology is systematic. In fact, the discipline as a whole is often called "systematic theology." It seeks to organize the various Christian doctrines in a logical way, so the discussion of one topic leads naturally to the consideration of the

occasional suggestions for rethinking our beliefs in ways that may enrich our corporate experience, recover overlooked biblical themes, and next.

increase the effectiveness of our witness to the world. As an expression of the church's religious experience, theology is closely related to two other activities of the Christian community--prayer

There is a traditional sequence o doctrines that appears in theological works. Most systematic theologians either follow it or explain why they don't. Here is the list of major theological topics:

THE TASK OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY

11

Doctrine of Revelation

Doctrine of God (Theology) Doctrine of Humanity

(Anthropology)

are not like building blocks, having exactly the same size and shape, capable of any sort of arrangement. They are more like the pieces ofa puzzle. They fit together one way better than another, and it is only in

Doctrine of Salvation

(Soteriology) Doctrine of the Church

(Ecclesiology) Doctrine of Last Things

(Eschatology)

relation to the others that the value of each piece emerges. This analogy breaks down, however, because the

pieces of a puzzle have only one way of going together, and there is no one

patterm to which Christian theology conforms. At least, no theologian claims to have found the perfect

Along with a traditional

arrangement of the central Christian

doctrines, theology also has its own terminology. The words in pattem yet.

As it interrelates the different parentheses above are some of the

most common theological terms. Most of them come from Greekk

roots, such as eschatos, meaning

"last," and ekklesia, meaning

Christian doctrines, theology also shows the relative importance of each

aspect of faith. All the doctrines are

important, and each of them has an effect on the others, but they are not church." Since the doctrinal of equal importance. Certain beliefs

are absolutely central to faith. There would be no Christian experience if

they were absent. Other beliets are peripheral; they are not quite so

important. This does not mean that they are inconsequential, or that our experience would be just the same without them. But their importance is derivative, rather than fundamental.

Take the doctrine of God, for

discussions in this book follow this

general outline, it will be helpful for

you to be familiar with it as we

proceed.

The interrelation of Christian

doctrine The systematic character of theology involves more than arranging the

different Christian doctrines.

Theology also seeks to show how the ditterent aspects of Christian faith are related to each other. Everything we

believe has an influence on

example. Belief in God is clearly

basic to Christian experience. Remove it, as certain people

suggested years ago, and Christianity

drastically changes. In contrast, consider something like infant dedication. For many Christians the

practice is very important. It has

everything else we believe. What people think about God, for example, will affect their view of the end of

history, and vice versa. The different Christian doctrines

REIGN OF GOD

None of them is any more. or less important than nother. Second, ea rest. It would be what it is

nt

Tegardless Of

12 theological and psychological

significance.

But it is not

central to

Christianity

People can,

and do,

disagree as to

what it means

and

whether it

should be

observed,

while

still regarding

each other as

Christians.

So here we

have a

bead is essentially independ ndent of t of the other beads around it. ardes

Similarly, in this view of ther

f the

each doctrine is an independent unit wi doctrines. Third, all the beads ona

ogy each teoral relation to othe with no integral

practice that is

"Christian," but not a

fundamental aspect of our

faith.

There are two pitfälls

we need to

on a string could slip away just a easily as one of them could. In the same

all way, any doctrinal change rend

the doctrines vulnerable. ers al

avoid. Either does

violence to the

nature of Christian faith

and leads to

theological distortion. One is

to in-

sist that each item of belief is just

as

important as every other. The second

is to maintain that anything not abs0-

lutely central to faith is inconsequen-

tial, and we might as well throw it

out. Strange as it may seem, these

errors tend to go together. I once heard a mother argue

against a minor change in the dress code of the church school her

Organic model for theologv To do justice to the nature of Christian faith, we need to exchange this model for one that recognizes that the doctrines are interrelated, vet some of them are more basic than others. We might call this an "organic" model of Christian doctrine. All the parts of a living organism are connected, and each has an important role in its activities. But not every one is equally vital to its existence. A theology conceived along such lines can do justice to the true nature of the Christian faith, without either exaggerating or slighting the importance of each element.

daughter attended. She feared that it would undemine the girl's confidence in all that Christians believe. The daughter attached equal importance to everything she had been taught, her mother indicated; so if one item changed, she might easily conclude that all the others could slide away, too.

Doctrinal summaries sometimes String-of-beads model for theology

convey a string-of-beads concept or We might call this a "string-of-beads" "Statement of Fundam Tially concept of doctrine for three reasons. First, just as beads on a string have the same size and shape, this view gives all the doctrines equal value.

theology. This is true of the "Statement of Fundamental Beliets or

Seventh-day Adventists," officially voted by the General Conference 1980. It contains a list of twenty" Seven items, beginning with "Ine

THE TASK OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY

13

Holy Scriptures and ending with

The New Earth." There is a certain logic to the progression of themes

But there is no attempt in

not a full-fedged theological system, but an "introduction'" to theology. Nonetheless, because it has theological aspirations, it seeks to

resented.

the document itself to call attention to meet the criteria of theological work this progression or t show how the different ideas are related to each

other. In contrast, theology takes the various beliefs of the religious community and explores their interconnection. It seeks to determine the underlying unity, as well as the complexity, of Christian

conceived on a grander scale. Before tuning to the different Christian doctrines, therefore, we need to select a theme that will guide us in our work.

THE REIGN OF GOD faith.

In the attempt to be systematic, theology not only relates different Christian beliefs to each other. It

Our theme must be sufficiently comprehensive, or fundamental, to help us pull together all the major Christian doctrines. Because this is a

also seeks to draw the individual beliefs together by means of a comprehensive theme, or a central idea. There may be more than a

single unitying concept, and many themes and ideas may emerge along the way. But good theology certainly great theology-exhibits a dominant theme, or motif, that permeates its various parts. The best indication of a theologian's importance is the grandeur of the

themes which characterize his or her work. An important test of

theological skill is the task of drawing the different aspects of Christian faith together to form a

Seventh-day Adventist theology, it should also reflect some of the distinctive concerns of the Seventh- day Adventist Church. Among several ideas that could serve these purposes, I have selected the "reign of God" as the guiding theme for this introduction to Christian thought. Several factors make this an appropriate choice.

In the Bible

One is the significance of this theme in the Bible. The idea of the "kingdom of God" dominated the ministry of Jesus. It was the central topic of his preaching, and his various miracles were object lessons intended to demonstrate its reality and its character. Scholars tell us that

unity.

In view of such a formidable challenge, it is not surprising that few people have attempted theological systems in recent years. The present work reflects this reluctance. This is

the biblical expression "kingdom of God is more accurately translated

REIGN OF GOD

dventist writers. Her most Ad "kingship of God,"

or "reign of important book is The Great

termitory over which God rules,

as to

his ruling activity itself.S

The theme of divine rule or

Controversy. It is the fifth and final volume in the Conflict of the Ages

God." Ii refers not so much to

the

Series, which has probably "8es

contributed more to the thinking Seventh-day Adventists than any or lordship is equally

prominent in other

portions of the Bible. Israel's

deliverance from Egypt and

miraculous conquest of Canaan

demonstrated Yahweh's supremacy

over the gods worshiped by other

peoples.

other source outside the Bible So the reign of God is a

reasonable choice to guide our review of Christian doctrine

om a Seventh-day Adventist perspective To set the stage for what follows. us summarize a fev of the elements in this important concept.

let In church history

In the history of the church, the

theme of God's reign figures

prominently, too. The sovereignty of God, especially in the work of salvation, was central to the concerns of the Protestant Reformers. It is the

How God reigns

As the Bible describes the reign of God, its most impressive featureis the quality, or content, of God's rle. The Bible affirms the unrivaled

dominant idea in John Calvin's great work, Institutes of the Christian Religion.

The reign of God has been of great interest to Seventh-day Adventists throughout their history. The Advent Movement originated with the expectation of Christ's soon retun to establish his kingdom in the mid-nineteenth century. From their beginning, Seventh-day Adventists have found their principal reason for existing in the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. These books

superiority of God's power. But it is more interested in the kind of person God is. It is his love and concern for his creatures, his commitment to their best interests, and his willingness to sacrifice for their well-being that dominate the biblical portrayal of the divine reality.

Because God's relations to his

describe the coming of God's reign as a cataclysmic event. The sovereignty of God establishing itself against the opposition of evil powers permeates the thought of Ellen G. White, by far the most influential of

creatures are motivated by love, he does not establish his reign by the imposition of sheer power. His reign depends upon the willing acceptance of his subjects. The situation which God seeks-in fact, the only situation which will satisfy him-is the glad acceptance of his lordship that arises from an appreciation of his loving character. Consequently, God gives

THE TASK OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOG

15

his creatures the choice of serving

him or not. He allows them time to

eNAmine the altematives and make an

day Adventists have given over the years to such matters as physical health and religious education, and it

calls us to extend the sovereignty of intelligent decision.

God into other areas as well. When God reigns

From the present situation of our world, it is apparent that the reign of

God is not fully realized; its arrival still lies in the future. God is now working in the world to overcome the

forces that oppose his reign and to restore human beings to his kingdom. The idea of God's reign emphasizes God's initiative in the work of human

The concept of God's reign effectively draws together some ot

the characteristic interests of

Seventh-day Adventists.It encourages us to give our attention to some issues we have neglected in

the past. And, perhaps most

important, it relates Adventist

theology to some of the historic concerns of the Christian faith.

salvation. We have described the task of

But even though the full realization of his reign is yet to come,

God is still sovereign of the world right now. This has two implications for the various structures of human authority. On the one hand, the

reality of God's reign legitimizes the structures of human power.

Governments ultimately derive their

authority from him, and he exercises his sovereignty through them. On the other hand, however, the reign of

God relativizes the significance of

these same structures. They have no

right to claim our ultimate allegiance. That belongs to God alone. They must be resisted when they overreach

their bounds and fail to serve the

theology, and found a reference point to guide us in our study. We will begin our work by considering

the doctrine of revelation.

interests of their people. On another level, the reign of God

reminds us that God's lordship is

universal. Every aspect of lifeis subject to his sovereignty. This Justifies the attention that Seventh-

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16

STUDY HELPS

Questions for review

. What meanings

does the word

"theology" have?

2. What is the

relation between

religious beliefs and religious

Dracs:

feelings?

and

nce?

3. How are faith and

reason related ina

mature religious experience?

4. What are the

characteristics of good

Christian theology?

5. What are the major Christian

doctrines ana now are they related to eack

other?

each

Questions for further study

How should a Christian congregation

respond to someone who enjoys the

social life of the church but shows no

interest in its doctrines? 6.

What doctrinal beliefs lie behind things Seventh-day

Adventists are often

7. known for, such as a vegetarian diet, not wearing jewelry,

Sabbath-keeping,

operating a private school system, and not bearing

arms in military service?

Under what circumstances should a denomination change its

"statement of 8

fundamental beliefs"? Who should make such a change, and

what steps

should they follow?

The chapter suggests "the reign of God" as a theme that unifies the

various 9.

beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists. What other theme(s) would serve this

purpose?

10. 10. Which are more important to Seventh-day Adventists---their distinctive

beliefs, or the beliefs they hold in common with other Christian groups?

1. Draw three concentric circles on a sheet of paper. Read the Seventh-day Adventist Statement of Fundamental Beliefs and place the number ot e

belief in the inner, middle, or outer circle to indicate how you assess Is

importance. (Put the most important beliefs in the center.)

THE TASK oF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY

17

Suggestions for Bible study

John 3 and 4 record Jesus' conversations with Nicodemus and the 12

Samaritan woman. Among other things, these important chapters illuminate

the relation between religious ideas and personal religious experience. Read these two passages and answer the following questions: What

erroneous religious ideas did these two individuals have? What effect did

their inadequate theology have on their experience with God? What new ideas did Jesus suggest, and how did he apply them to their experience?

13. According to the Bible, sound doctrine is important for a number of reasons. What are some of the reasons suggested by the following

passages?

1 Peter 3:15 Colossians 2:2 Hebrews 5:12

1 Corinthians 3:1-3 Timothy 2:15 Ephesians 4:11-14

14. According to the Bible, sound doctrine will exhibit certain characteristics. What characteristics of sound doctrine do the following passages indicate?

I Timothy 4:1-2 Galatians 1:6-9 John 8:32

15. The preaching of the apostles gives us insight into what is central to

Christian faith. What theological concepts figure prominently in the following apostolic sermons, or summaries of apostolic preaching?

Acts 4:8-12

Acts 17:22-31 Acts 2:17-36 Acts 3:12-26 Acts 10:34-43 Acts 13:16-41

I Corinthians 15:1-11

16. Traditionally, Seventh-day Adventists have regarded Revelation 14:6-12 as

the prophetic mandate for their existence and the description of their specific mission. What themes or concerns characteristic of Seventh-day

Adventism does this passage summarize?

16.

SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING

On Adventist theology

Seventh-day Adventism still awaits a comprehensive, scholarly interpretation of its theology.

he closest thing currently available to an official expression of the church's position is the

widely distributed book, Seventh-day Adventists Believe: A Biblical Exposition of 27

REIGN OF GOD