The Sabbath School lesson for this week reads, "Italian poet Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) wrote his famous work, The Divine Comedy, about a fictional journey of the soul after death. The soul went either to the inferno (hell) within the earth; or to purgatory, where the human spirit can purge itself and become worthy of ascending to heaven; or to Paradise, to the presence of God Himself. Though only a poem, fiction, Dante's words ended up having a great deal of influence on Christian theology, especially Roman Catholic theology." Sabbath School Quarterly Lesson, Saturday, November 26, 2022

In this study we discuss a similar scenario in regard to how the theology of mainstream Seventh-day Adventism became influenced by a book, the Living Temple, authored by John Harvey Kellogg.

Now, it is commonly understood that John Harvey Kellogg ended up becoming a pantheist, and most SDAs don't imagine that modern SDA doctrine has been influenced by his ideas. We compare some of Kellogg's teachings on the person of God with Ellen White's teachings on the same subject.

We note of the following facts. Prior to Kellogg promoting the idea that God is literally and personally everywhere, no Seventh-day Adventist believed in such a doctrine. When Kellogg started promoting this idea, many accepted it and started to promote the same. As the church grew, fewer and fewer people understood the old doctrine of the personality of God and more and more took it for granted that God is literally everywhere. We are now at the point where modern SDAs can read Kellogg's statements about God being literally and personally everywhere present and not think there is anything strange or incorrect about it, while it is a great surprise to read Ellen White and other pioneers explain the pillar doctrine of our very own faith that God is a material person with body and parts and that he isn't personally and literally everywhere.

Ellen wrote, "The new theories in regard to God and Christ, as brought out in The Living Temple, are not in harmony with the teaching of Christ. The Lord Jesus came to this world to represent the Father. He did not represent God as an essence pervading nature, but as a personal Being. Christians should bear in mind that God has a personality [or physical form] as verily as has Christ." Ellen White, 18 Lt Ms, Lt 212, 1903, par. 23.

For further study:

To read about the various forms of pantheism in Britannica's article on the subject, see: https://www.britannica.com/.../God-as-absolute-or-relative

The Personality of God: An SDA Pillar Doctrine (Playlist): https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbPVtTaj0MXEsuRokPxciM7PjCTveaTi1

Omnipresence and Angels: https://youtu.be/ItkJxyDtlwo

For more studies on the SDA teaching that human don't have a non-physical aspect at all (from our other SS studies this quarter), see:

On Death, Dying and the Future Hope: Sabbath School With Branch Davidains (Playlist): https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbPVtTaj0MXGbMtWwT0ljtwb6WdwH672b

Sabbath School Q4 2022: On Death, Dying, and the Future Hope - Week 10,

"The Fires of Hell"

A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.

www.bdsda.com

Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.

The Sabbath School lesson this week looks at bible verses that conflict with the idea of reincarnation. This is great if your audience is made up of people professing to believe in the teachings of the bible, but what if you have an audience that doesn't share that belief, as would most likely be the case if you were witnessing to someone who actually did hold a belief in reincarnation, such as a Hindu?

Peter, in 1 Peter 3:15, admonishes us to be able to give a reason to **everyone** who asks. And as Hindus have different writings they consider sacred, "the bible says so" is just not going to cut it as a defensible reason against the idea of reincarnation.

In this study, we take a look at some arguments from the early SDAs that would work equally well for putting the kibosh on any hope of life after death, excepting resurrection, for a Hindu, Atheist, Christian, and, well, anyone, as long as they had an honest desire to know what is truth. They give defensible reasons from material reality that should be able to persuade anyone, because everyone shares the same material reality upon which their arguments are based.

For deeper study, see:

Sticking a Stake and Refusing to Pull It Up If Evidence Demands? https://youtu.be/ZsxWi41nHPQ

Sabbath School Q4 2022: On Death, Dying, and the Future Hope - Week 11,

"End-time Deceptions"

A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.

www.bdsda.com

Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.

Ellen says that the *purpose* of redemption is to restore in man the image of his Maker, to bring him back to the *perfection* in which he was created. This sure sounds like we are to fully expect, and are fully expected to be equal to the moral character of Jesus, as it is the very purpose of redemption.

It's common for Christians to think we can't be morally perfect in this life - that we can't really have Jesus' character - and Christians also tend to believe that having a perfect character simply isn't necessary.

But in this study we look at the statements by Jesus and Paul that call for moral perfection, and the logical implication that it is therefore necessary for

redemption, and not just a vain request. Christians often overlook these admonitions because they see moral perfection as impossible and unnecessary, and this stems from a misunderstanding of the plan of redemption. So we also take a look at the plan of redemption as it is commonly misunderstood verses the way Ellen, Jesus and Paul understood it.

To say we can't embody the same moral character as Jesus is to limit ourselves by focusing on our own capabilities. But if we're in the business of looking to ourselves and what we can and cannot do, shouldn't we admit we can't do any of it? But let's not look to ourselves. When we look to God and His ability, the word of faith says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

For further study:

The Lost Gospel of Christ, by Trent Wilde:

http://www.bdsda.com/home-3/the-lost-gospel-of-christ/

Justification by Faith - A Sinless Life? by Trent Wilde:

https://youtu.be/7YGsaSd-mqA

Justification - Being Made Righteous, by Trent Wilde:

https://youtu.be/usvbOA8q_sY

Sabbath School Q4 2022: On Death, Dying, and the Future Hope - Week 12, "The Biblical Worldview"

A Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist perspective on the Sabbath School lesson.

www.bdsda.com

Email us at bdsdalit@gmail.com for comments and literature requests.