Comment on Northern California Conference Votes to Act Independent of the General Conference by Tongkam.
@Sean Pitman: Many say as you that it is only about “unity.” It certainly is about unity, but not “only,” in much the same manner as the One Project’s focus on “Jesus. All.” is incorrect. There can be no unity apart from truth, just as there can be no love apart from law. Ultimately, if we cannot grasp the plain “thus saith the LORD” of the Bible, and base our doctrines thereon, we have no possibility of finding “unity.”
Paul wrote godly counsel to the New Testament church relative to gospel order. We ignore his inspired writings at our peril. It is commendable that you recognize the need for unity. It would be the more honorable if you did not attempt to divorce that unity from a proper understanding of the Biblical passages upon which the entire issue is based. As Mrs. White stated so well, “None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict. To every soul will come the searching test: Shall I obey God rather than men? The decisive hour is even now at hand. Are our feet planted on the rock of God’s immutable Word? Are we prepared to stand firm in defense of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus?” (Great Controversy, p. 593)
Many today base their doctrines on opinions in place of a “thus saith the LORD.” In this they act unwisely and are out of harmony with the third angel’s message.
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Northern California Conference Votes to Act Independent of the General Conference
@Sean Pitman:
Sean, I’m sure Uzzah was sincere.
Northern California Conference Votes to Act Independent of the General Conference
@S. Heisey: I agree with what you are saying. This is why adding women’s ordination to our doctrinal repertoire is so problematic. There is simply no Biblical support for it. Contrariwise, the scriptures speak plainly of ordaining men.
Northern California Conference Votes to Act Independent of the General Conference
@Sean Pitman: It is not for me or others, of course, to question your sincerity. We all well know, however, the possibility of being sincerely wrong. In place of being sincere, we must study to show ourselves approved unto God–i.e., we should strive to be diligent. I may be sincere, but I would rather be praised for diligence than sincerity.
Diligence in this study requires some linguistic scholarship. Hebrew and Greek must be consulted to ascertain certain facts. For example, the “husband of one wife” passage becomes inescapably clear when a careful study is made of it. One cannot lightly add to the Word of God in twisting the phrase into “wife of one husband.” Nor can one lightly claim there is no distinction made between genders in the Bible on account of Galatians 3:28–doing so would enable homosexuality by the same interpretation. In fact, of course, the context is that of salvation and not of ordination nor of sexuality. But when the context does not suit the post-modern “progressives,” they wrest the lines that they like from it to leverage a thought never expressed in the original, supporting a concept foreign to its author. Thus they fall prey to a deception of their own making.
Mrs. White made clear that the last great deception would include self-deception. We see that happening among many today. The frightening thing with self-deception is that one may be oblivious to the fact. Sincerely self-deceived? How terrible the possibility! None of us can be confident of our own views except as they are based on a PLAIN “thus saith the LORD.”
