Let's talk about it.
IS THE ADVENTIST TRINITY THE SAME AS THE CATHOLIC TRINITY?
I often hear anti-Trinitarians claim that Adventists adopted the Trinity from the Roman Catholic Church. So let's be clear and answer this charge openly and honestly.
Adventists discovered the Trinity in the Bible. Catholicism had no influence on its development in Adventism. Neither Ellen White nor any of the pioneers had any dialogue with Catholicism in any shape or form as this important foundational doctrine took shape in our movement. That is a historical fact.
Catholics and Seventh-day Adventists certainly share the central Christian belief that there is one God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All three are divine. All three are distinct Persons. The Son is eternal and uncreated. The Holy Spirit is a divine Person, not merely a force.
But there are differences in how the two churches explain this, and I think they are significant.
Catholic theology goes into the mechanics of the Trinity - how God works. They make conclusions that are beyond the scope of Scripture. I think that some of their terminology about the eternally begotten Son and how the Holy Spirit comes forth from the Father and Son opens their theology up to anti-Trinitarian conclusions. Adventism does not go there, and I am glad we don't. Best to stick strictly to Scripture.
Adventists generally don't attempt to define the inner relationships of the Godhead in the way Catholics do. Our Fundamental Belief simply says: "There is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of three coeternal Persons." Adventism leaves the mystery of God a mystery. And I think that is a biblically healthy and spiritually correct thing to do.
Adventists did not become Catholic when we accepted the Trinity any more than we became Catholic when we accepted the virgin birth, the resurrection of Jesus, or the Second Coming. These are not "Catholic doctrines" simply because Catholics believe them.
We do share doctrines in common with them, as we do with many other religions and denominations. It's not compromise to acknowledge that.
The real question is not: "Do Catholics believe and teach the Trinity?" The real question must be: "Does the Bible teach it?"
I believe it does teach the Trinity - and so do the Seventh-day Adventist and Catholic Churches.
Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 1:1-3; Acts 5:3-4
IS THE ADVENTIST TRINITY THE SAME AS THE CATHOLIC TRINITY?
I often hear anti-Trinitarians claim that Adventists adopted the Trinity from the Roman Catholic Church. So let's be clear and answer this charge openly and honestly.
Adventists discovered the Trinity in the Bible. Catholicism had no influence on its development in Adventism. Neither Ellen White nor any of the pioneers had any dialogue with Catholicism in any shape or form as this important foundational doctrine took shape in our movement. That is a historical fact.
Catholics and Seventh-day Adventists certainly share the central Christian belief that there is one God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All three are divine. All three are distinct Persons. The Son is eternal and uncreated. The Holy Spirit is a divine Person, not merely a force.
But there are differences in how the two churches explain this, and I think they are significant.
Catholic theology goes into the mechanics of the Trinity - how God works. They make conclusions that are beyond the scope of Scripture. I think that some of their terminology about the eternally begotten Son and how the Holy Spirit comes forth from the Father and Son opens their theology up to anti-Trinitarian conclusions. Adventism does not go there, and I am glad we don't. Best to stick strictly to Scripture.
Adventists generally don't attempt to define the inner relationships of the Godhead in the way Catholics do. Our Fundamental Belief simply says: "There is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of three coeternal Persons." Adventism leaves the mystery of God a mystery. And I think that is a biblically healthy and spiritually correct thing to do.
Adventists did not become Catholic when we accepted the Trinity any more than we became Catholic when we accepted the virgin birth, the resurrection of Jesus, or the Second Coming. These are not "Catholic doctrines" simply because Catholics believe them.
We do share doctrines in common with them, as we do with many other religions and denominations. It's not compromise to acknowledge that.
The real question is not: "Do Catholics believe and teach the Trinity?" The real question must be: "Does the Bible teach it?"
I believe it does teach the Trinity - and so do the Seventh-day Adventist and Catholic Churches.
Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 1:1-3; Acts 5:3-4
Let's talk about it.
IS THE ADVENTIST TRINITY THE SAME AS THE CATHOLIC TRINITY?
I often hear anti-Trinitarians claim that Adventists adopted the Trinity from the Roman Catholic Church. So let's be clear and answer this charge openly and honestly.
Adventists discovered the Trinity in the Bible. Catholicism had no influence on its development in Adventism. Neither Ellen White nor any of the pioneers had any dialogue with Catholicism in any shape or form as this important foundational doctrine took shape in our movement. That is a historical fact.
Catholics and Seventh-day Adventists certainly share the central Christian belief that there is one God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All three are divine. All three are distinct Persons. The Son is eternal and uncreated. The Holy Spirit is a divine Person, not merely a force.
But there are differences in how the two churches explain this, and I think they are significant.
Catholic theology goes into the mechanics of the Trinity - how God works. They make conclusions that are beyond the scope of Scripture. I think that some of their terminology about the eternally begotten Son and how the Holy Spirit comes forth from the Father and Son opens their theology up to anti-Trinitarian conclusions. Adventism does not go there, and I am glad we don't. Best to stick strictly to Scripture.
Adventists generally don't attempt to define the inner relationships of the Godhead in the way Catholics do. Our Fundamental Belief simply says: "There is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of three coeternal Persons." Adventism leaves the mystery of God a mystery. And I think that is a biblically healthy and spiritually correct thing to do.
Adventists did not become Catholic when we accepted the Trinity any more than we became Catholic when we accepted the virgin birth, the resurrection of Jesus, or the Second Coming. These are not "Catholic doctrines" simply because Catholics believe them.
We do share doctrines in common with them, as we do with many other religions and denominations. It's not compromise to acknowledge that.
The real question is not: "Do Catholics believe and teach the Trinity?" The real question must be: "Does the Bible teach it?"
I believe it does teach the Trinity - and so do the Seventh-day Adventist and Catholic Churches.
Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 1:1-3; Acts 5:3-4
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