IS JESUS OUR EXAMPLE FOR THE PURPOSE OF SALVATION?
A common teaching about salvation is that Christ is our forgiveness as well as our example for how to live a righteous, law-abiding, life. This teaching presumes that a righteous […]
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Author: 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.
HOW WE APPROACH DIFFICULT PASSAGES IN SCRIPTURE
Every now and then as we study, we come across passages in Scripture that are difficult to understand. I find that there are a few main reasons for having trouble […]
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ADVENTISM’S MARRIAGE AND FAMILY
ADVENTISM’S FUNDAMENTAL BELIEF #23 Marriage was divinely established in Eden and affirmed by Jesus to be a lifelong union between a man and a woman in loving companionship. For the […]
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POST-CHRISTMAS REFLECTIONS ON THE LAMB OF GOD
I sat in church on Christmas Eve thinking about the gift of God to us—God becoming one of us; the King of the universe being born in a lowly manger. […]
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GOD ISN’T FAIR
There is a common belief that God should be fair. We value fairness; we think that fairness is a good thing. Therefore, if God is good, we reason that He […]
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WHAT ADVENTISM HIDES FROM OTHERS
I have read and/or edited a number of different pastoral “reviews” of Seventh-day Adventist doctrine, and I am struck by how many highly-trained evangelical theologians have not been able to […]
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ADVENTISM’S FUNDAMENTAL BELIEF #22: CHRISTIAN BEHAVIOR
ADVENTISM’S FUNDAMENTAL BELIEF #22 We are called to be a godly people who think, feel, and act in harmony with the principles of heaven. For the Spirit to recreate in […]
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ADVENTISM’S FUNDAMENTAL BELIEF #21: STEWARDSHIP
ADVENTISM’S FUNDAMENTAL BELIEF #21 We are God’s stewards, entrusted by Him with time and opportunities, abilities and possessions, and the blessings of the earth and its resources. We are responsible […]
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HOW EPHESIANS CONTRADICTS ADVENTISM #1
In this blog post I will be comparing Paul’s clear theology as stated in Ephesians 1 with Adventist theology as state by Ellen White and as taught by the Seventh-day […]
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THE DILEMMA OF A FALLIBLE AUTHORITY
It is my contention that when it comes to theological authority, the idea that this authority can be fallible is oxymoronic, whether we are talking about the Bible, the Early […]
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WHY I APPRECIATE PUBLIC CONFESSION
It is hard to write on this topic without sounding like I am judging other believers and their practices. Please trust me that I am not. I don’t consider myself, […]
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THE INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT: MAN VINDICATES GOD
I would like to provide a brief description of just how false the investigative judgment doctrine is when viewed closely. Not only are key elements of the doctrine based on […]
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HOW DO WE RELATE TO THE COMMANDS OF CHRIST?
How do we relate to the commands given by Christ—especially the “hard” ones? This might seem like an insignificant question in light of all the theological issues we face, but […]
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What is the Church?
Adventism’s Fundamental Belief #12: The Church “The church is the community of believers who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In continuity with the people of God in Old […]
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Why I DON’T Go to Church on Saturday
Over the past couple of months, multiple friends and family on Facebook have posted an article on why they go to church on Saturday. The article is introduced as a […]
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