How Ephesians Contradicts Adventism #11 – Proclamation! Online Magazine

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love (Eph 4:7-16).

The core Seventh-day Adventist teaching on this passage appears consistent with mainstream, conservative Christian understanding. It is important to understand that there are several schools of thought within Christianity on the continuation or cessation of spiritual gifts. It is beyond the scope of this blog to address that question; rather, the focus is whether Adventist doctrine and teaching on the subject fall within common Christian understanding and agree with the teaching of Scripture.

I don’t know of any mainstream school of Christian thought that takes issue with the continuation of evangelists or shepherds and teachers. These roles continue in the church. The question between the schools of thought mentioned above focuses on the question of apostles and prophets (along with the gift of tongues and healing). On the surface, Adventist teaching would appear aligned with the continuation of these gifts. The Adventist Fundamental Beliefs affirm a continuation of the gifts. Adventist Bible studies for both evangelism and member education also instruct people about the continuation of the gifts. Since that is the case, why would I introduce the caveat, “on the surface”?

In practice, the Adventist understanding of spiritual gifts is considerably more nuanced and complicated than it is presented on the surface. With the glaring, singular exception of Ellen White, the Adventist organization is cessationist. While Adventism allows the theoretical possibility that God may raise up another prophet in the future, the organization does not officially acknowledge anyone except Ellen White as having the gift of prophecy after the first century. While claiming to teach that the spiritual gifts continue to this day, this claim is only made so that the writings and teachings of Ellen White can be added.

Adventism also denies the continuation of other spiritual gifts, including the gift on tongues, the gift of healing, and the gift of being an apostle. Within Adventist practice, Ellen White is the one and only person to have a spiritual gift (apostle, prophecy, tongues, or healing) bestowed upon them in well over 1900 years. It should be noted that Adventists believe that two other contemporaries of Ellen White were given visions, but their failure to share those visions disqualified them from being prophets.

A biblical case can be made for both cessationism and continuation. However, there is no argument that can be made from Scripture or plain reasoning that would support the Adventist viewpoint of Ellen White being the lone historical exception to cessationism. The desire to hold on to Ellen White repeatedly forces Adventists to ignore, to contradict, and even to re-write Scripture.

The implications of this passage from Ephesians are remarkably different within Adventist teaching and practice.

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Rick Barker

Rick Barker is a native of Southwestern Ohio and led a weekly Bible study for former SDAs in the area for over 10 years. Rick graduated from Andrews University in 1987 and received a Masters degree from the University of Dayton. He previously served on the staff of the Thomas Bilney Institute for Biblical Research and volunteered on the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry website. He is an active member of his local Lutheran church, having served as an elder as well as both an adult and youth Sunday school teacher. Rick was a volunteer for 6 years and remains a participant on the discussion boards. Rick and his wife Sheryl formally left the SDA church in 2004. Prior to this they had been active in the Miamisburg and Wilmington Ohio churches.

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