by Robert Folkenberg
Originally appearing in From the G.C. President Jan 22, 1996 through Mar 13, 1997 under the title Off the Back Burner.
In Segment #21, we noted how the ellipse of truth brings together the great truths that have divided the Christian church for centuries. Principles, which if misunderstood appear to be contradictory, find harmonious resolution in the context of The Great Controversy theme. Ellen White's unique development of this theme brings together the two poles of thought that seem so paradoxical and inherently contradictory. These two poles depict the relationship between God and human beings. We call these two poles in the ellipse of truth "divine authority" and "human responsibility."
The strength of those who emphasize divine authority lies in the security of God's Word as expressed in the Bible. Their weakness, born of a one-sided emphasis on the sovereignty of God, is that they frequently minimize human responsibility. In doing so, they misunderstand God and His plan for our salvation. This misunderstanding is revealed in (1) "faith" becoming merely mental assent and in (2) some degree of human passivity in the salvation story. Such singular emphasis on the sovereignty of God, for example, reduces or eliminates choice, free will and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in the salvation experience.
The strength of those who emphasize human responsibility lies in the conviction of experience and a dependence on the transformational power of the gospel. Their weakness, also born of a one-sided emphasis--on human responsibility--is subconsciously considering obedience and victorious living as acts of grace which contribute to salvation rather than the inevitable result of the repentant sinner who, filled with a sense of his/her depravity and eternal loss apart from Christ, submits completely to the power of God.
There is yet another group who, downplaying both the sovereignty of God and human responsibility, absorb and reflect the values of modern, godless society. Symptoms of the dominant societal sin of self-worship include accepting only one's own opinion as authoritative and misusing the valid tools of experience (such as reason, feeling, intuition, historical research, etc.) to justify shifting subjectivism. Relevance and meaning often become only what seems to be true for the moment. Absolutes are rarely admitted. Each generation sets its own sails and drifts with whatever philosophical wind is prevailing.
Analyzing the ellipse of truth may be fascinating, but to be caught up in making circles out of either pole of the ellipse can be devastating. What value is there in listening to extremists of either pole, conservatives or liberals, who accuse each other of error when they are both right in elements of what they cherish and both wrong in ignoring the value of what the others have to offer? If Seventh-day Adventists overlook The Great Controversy theme and how it transcends the so-called tensions and paradoxes of conventional theology, we will continue to reflect the age-old controversies seen in most other denominations.
In Segment #23, we will see how clearly Ellen White perceived the basic problem that is resolved by the ellipse of truth.
In Segment #22, we showed how The Great Controversy theme transcends age-old controversies between traditional conservatives and liberals. The Great Controversy theme transforms the respective circles of conservatives (emphasizing authority) and liberals (emphasizing autonomy) into an ellipse with its two foci. Ellen White's use of The Great Controversy theme brings together within this ellipse of truth the shades of various "orthodox conservatives" and "liberated pluralists," as perhaps no theologian or philosopher in 2,000 years.
Note how Ellen White perceived the conventional tension: "The progress of reform depends upon a clear recognition of fundamental truth. While on the one hand, danger lurks in a narrow philosophy and a hard, cold orthodoxy, on the other hand, there is great danger in a careless liberalism. The foundation of all enduring reform is the law of God. We are to present in clear, distinct lines the need of obeying this law" (MH:129). Only keen insight into the underlying issues of The Great Controversy theme could produce such a statement.
Note how Ellen White understood the mind of Paul: "The apostle [Paul] showed that religion does not consist in rites, ceremonies, creeds and theories [objective authority]. If it did, the natural man could understand it by investigation, as he understands worldly things. Paul taught that religion is a practical, saving energy, a principle wholly from God, a personal experience [subjective meaning and relevance] of God's renewing power upon the soul." (AA:451). In this last sentence we see the full dimension of the gospel story--the interaction of God's authority and human responsibility.
The problem becomes more complicated when the respective poles of the ellipse are broken apart in order to form separate circles--using the same biblical words but with different definitions. For example, words such as faith, grace, sin, justification, righteousness, etc., meant something different for Calvin than they did for Wesley. Some may try to settle arguments using "selected" quotations from favorite theologians, not realizing those authorities, not to mention their audience, may assume a vastly different understanding of those same cherished words.
In segment #24, we will note how the word "faith" has been at the root of most all theological controversies. Only The Great Controversy theme can resolve these fractures.
In the last segment I promised to discuss how the misunderstanding of "faith" has been the root of many theological controversies. But in the meantime I have been thinking about those readers who may have picked up these segments only recently and may not understand their purpose. By referring to Ellen White repeatedly and quoting her frequently, I may have raised questions with some people. As mentioned earlier, the reason for this approach is not to imply Ellen White is either our final or our only theological authority. This would be wrong and contrary to the position our denomination has held since its beginning. The Bible has been and will always remain the primary and final authority for Seventh-day Adventists.
My endeavor has been to 1) outline the contributions of Ellen White in the development of Adventist doctrine and 2) review how her contributions, when heeded, have saved this church from the doctrinal impasses and/or errors found in so many other churches.
We have noted that her contributions rest largely upon the integrated theological principle we call "the Great Controversy theme." This theme unfolds the circumstances surrounding the beginning and the end of rebellion within the universe and clearly articulates the Bible's teachings on how human beings should relate to the controversy.
However, Ellen White's role as God's messenger to clarify these great truths has not always been understood. If, for example, we examine all the physical characteristics of a prophet in vision and all the human characteristics of a prophet interacting with others we would have examined only the container, not the content. When we think of an Isaiah or Paul, we know very little--scarcely anything about their personal lives, their human imperfections or how they did their work of speaking for the Lord. What we do know is the content of their message. This inspired content is the basis of their authority. We focus on the content, not on the container.
The abiding authority of Ellen White rests on the freshness and coherency of her theological principles. We recognize this distinctiveness as we note how these principles became the conceptual framework for her counsel in areas such as education, health, church organization and evangelism. We have only to reassess what her writings have meant to, and done for, each of us personally through such books as Steps to Christ, The Desire of Ages, The Ministry of Healing and Education.
Only this kind of authority, with a theological coherence transcending conventional paradoxes and prevailing impasses, is true and self-authenticating. Thus the impact of Ellen White's authority transcends the container in which it is borne and our eyes are kept on the message instead of the messenger.
Earlier I mentioned that we would soon focus on 1) how misunderstanding "faith" lies at the root of most theological controversies and 2) how the Great Controversy theme resolves these impasses. Two thousand years of church history reveal that at the heart of controversies over "how to be saved" is a misunderstanding of faith.
Some people feel that in recent years the church has spent too much time discussing the doctrine of righteousness by faith (RxF).They tend to think that the subject is either boring or divisive. The controversies that arise in the discussion of RxF usually focus on terms such as "justification," "sanctification," or even "righteousness" assuming that "faith" is well understood by all! That is a dangerous assumption! In fact, misunderstanding faith has actually distorted what is meant by "justification," "sanctification," and "righteousness!"
Further, misunderstanding "faith" has contributed to the great divisions of Christianity over subjects such as predestination, the nature of sin, the value of the sacraments, the purpose of Christ's atonement, and even the nature of preaching.
In addition to these more theoretical conflicts, most Christians believe they have faith. But what kind of faith? 1) "We don't have enough information--we must go ahead on faith." 2) "He doesn't belong to the Methodist faith." 3) "Keep the faith, baby!"--the battle cry of the 1960s and early 1970s. 4) "I have faith that medical science will find a cure for cancer." 5) "My faith recognizes what God has done for me and leads me to say 'Yes' to whatever He wants me to do."
In the formula, "RxF," try plugging in any one of these various uses of "faith." We soon see that faith is more than a leap in the dark, more than theological content, more than a surge of feeling, more even than trust. Faith is the New Testament word that describes the Christian's response to the gospel. Nothing more is required than faith! Paul wrote: "For by grace you have been saved through faith" (Eph. 2:8).
The question arises: Why did Luther condemn the Catholic Church's understanding of that verse? And why did many Protestants disagree with Calvin's understanding of faith? What of Wesley's interpretation of this verse which added to the Christian dilemma over how men and women are saved? And finally: How does the Great Controversy theme provide a biblical solution to the virtual impasse among many churches, an impasse built largely on a misunderstanding of "faith?"