~Telling delegates that their views on women’s ordination “are between God and you,” he stated emphatically, “if you have heard we are in a state of rebellion, that is simply not true.” ~ Spectrum
There is no law of God that says, “And thou, ‘History’, shalt repeat thyself.”
On the contrary, the ‘Plan of Salvation’, just like the ‘Plan of Creation’, was intended to succeed, not fail. So, also, is ‘God’s church’ – however They define it – intended, by Them, to ultimately succeed, not fail.
Yet, in SDA history there have been periods of rebellion against God that are usually not mentioned in our evangelistic efforts (if they were, there would most likely be more ‘converts’, not fewer, with more ‘staying power’), perhaps because those periods are not yet fully outgrown. Ellen once compared the rebellion of older and supposedly ‘wiser’ SDA leaders against the Bible teachings of 2 younger – NOT older – men to ‘Korah’s Rebellion’.
For this morning’s Sabbath service with my wife, by ‘Skype’ (I’m working away from home, again.) I read to her from Sermon 21 of The Third Angel’s Message series given to the assembled GC of SDAs in 1893 through the fascinating, God-blessed and Ellen-approved mind of Alonzo Trevier Jones . . . BEFORE any taint of rebellion on his own part. Notice how closely the ‘historic’ ideas and words of Jones support the current, ‘modern’ position of Daniel Jackson, who is apparently being accused – again, by too many SDAs – of leading a ‘rebellion’ against the ‘GC’ regarding ‘WO’.
Jones @ 1893 GC session, regarding the ‘Sunday Law’ movement of his day:
"Further than this: the professed Protestant churches of the United States have taken that same course now, and have also exalted Sunday, the day that they place in this government, as the Catholic church did in the Roman empire, and for the same purpose. {March 3, 1893 ATJ, GCDB 468.14}
"Further than this, these professed Protestant churches know that there is no commandment given for that thing. They say that. They say that it began with the primitive church. I do not care how far back they claim to get it in the primitive church. If it be a church institution, a church ordinance, that the church commands men to perform, it is the same thing. It is the same evil thing. Because any church that would attempt to do it, becomes in the nature of the attempt, an apostate church. Trace it to the days of the apostles if you want to, yet the church that did it is, in the nature of things, an apostate church, attempting to save itself and others without the power of God. Therefore whatever church did it, it is in the nature of things a fallen church, because it is not the church’s office in the world to command men. The church’s office in the world is to obey God and not to command men. {March 3, 1893 ATJ, GCDB 468.15}
Any church, therefore, that presumes to command men is, at the very motion of it, an apostate church. The church that obeys God is the church of God. God commands; His is the power. His is the authority. He used the church, that through it He may reflect His power and His glory unto men. But the church has no right to command anybody. It obeys God alone, too. {March 3, 1893 ATJ, GCDB 469.1}
Now I will put that in another way or state it a little more plainly. It is not the church’s place to command anybody, and it is not the church’s place to obey anybody, but God only." {March 3, 1893 ATJ, GCDB 469.2}
Now,
let’s simply replace the issue of a Biblically-false, but ‘traditional’, ‘Lord’s Day’, which Jones was dealing with in his day . . .
with the real possibility of a falsely-derived, but ‘traditional’, ‘Biblical’ argument for opposing Women’s Ordination in our day. . .
Then we find that Jones’ statements are still just as fresh and forceful today, as was that ‘Latter Rain’ experience from which he was speaking yesterday, aren’t they ? . . . except this time we SDAs are in the ‘line of fire’, ourselves – not the ‘Papacy’, not the ‘false Protestants’ – and therefore we had better ‘walk’ very ‘softly’, and avoid carrying even tiny ‘sticks’ . . . which we may have to beat ourselves with, perhaps sooner than later.
So,
. . . if it takes the removal of a few older ‘scab’ SDAs, like myself, to free the fresher, younger generation to avoid my mistakes (and make their own ?)
. . . if it means that Daniel Jackson is to be characterized as the leader of a ‘rebellion’ against SDA church ‘authority’
. . . if it means that God is finally going to realize the success They planned for Their church
. . . then wouldn’t it still be the wisest thing – in the hope of NOT continuing to repeat ‘History’ – to at least stand back with ‘caution’ and ‘moderation’ (as Nicodemus once counselled the Sanhedrin in regard to their management of that ‘rebel’ Jesus, DA 167-168) and give this so-called NAD/WO ‘rebellion’ room to succeed, or to fail,
as God sees fit ?
“Who are you” (we) “to judge another’s servant ?
To his own master he stands or falls.
Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.” ~ Paul Romans 14:4
THEN MAY GOD BLESS THE YOUNG DELEGATES AND DAN ‘NAD’ JACKSON, and . . .
and all of us who are heartily sick of watching the
merry-go-round of ‘History’.
Hope of being delivered from yet another ‘historic’ failure
may be nearer than we know !
‘Rebellion’ – IF it exists in the NAD – against ‘Korah’s Rebellion’ – IF it still exists in the GC – is, after all, right straight on the narrow way back to God, isn’t it ?
‘Double negatives’ and all that . . . .