Commentary on "The Work of the Prophets"

STEVE PITCHER

 

Day 6: Thursday, February 12, 2009

The lesson that starts today and concludes with Friday's study is about Ellen White's prediction of the joint effort between Protestantism and Catholicism. The quarterly quotes, “When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism . . . then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near.” Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 451.

The lesson claims that in 1885, when these words were penned, the ecumenical movement was a long way in the future, but that in 1994, there was “a stunning fulfillment of prophetic trends.”

There are several problems with this claim. First, the ecumenical movement was not a long way in the future. The ecumenical movement had been an effort among some Christians from the time of the Protestant reformation. This ecumenism was being pursued in 1885 when Ellen White penned these words it was the original effort of Martin Luther to not divide the church that he loved but to unite the warring factions that existed in the Catholic church long before he was born, and it will be an effort amongst individuals and some groups to the end of time. It does not take a prophet but an historian to see these facts.

Second, the document that is mentioned in the lesson, Evangelicals and Catholics Together, was, as is stated, signed by 39 leading evangelical Protestants and Roman Catholics. Thirty-nine is not a very large number. Given the size of the two movements, Protestantism and Catholicism, these thirty-nine are not representative of many individuals, and then only of portions of the organizations from which they come. This number is even smaller when taking into account the orthodox churches and other Christian communities in this world.

Third, the fact that a number of the original signers of this document have subsequently met and discussed the very real differences between Protestants and Catholics, particularly the differences in understanding of justification, is completely ignored. These individuals prayed for one year and met October 6 and 7, 1997, in New York City, where they admittedly had even more to discuss and clarify than what they began with. Also in 1995, three of the Southern Baptist signers have met and attempted to resolve misunderstanding and be more explicit.

Fourth, so many Protestants and Catholics have reacted negatively to this document, that they far outnumber the signers, those in harmony with the intention of the document, or those they claim to represent. Even Pope John Paul II, in his encyclical Ut Unum Sint, stated that for true ecumenism to work, the Protestants must come back to the mother church and recognize their need of and dependence upon her.

Protestantism and Catholicism have never been further apart. For these two movements to be brought together, something much more sinister and Satanic must be at work than merely the mending of a 500-year-old divide. If a one-world religion is in our future, it is not the factions within Christianity, regardless of the incorrectness of some very important Christian doctrines, that should be feared.

Before we move onto Friday's lesson and the conclusion of this study, a question from the Teacher's Quarterly must be addressed. On page 87 a seemingly innocent question is asked. “How do you or should you respond to changes the church at large or your local church makes in regard to the order of service? Evangelism methods? Music? Methods of teaching?”

This question and its derivatives are addressing practices, not doctrines. Often, the experience of Adventists has to do with division in the church over these practices. There is a deception inherent in this question. The deception is that these practices are what must be addressed before doctrinal issues can be tackled. It is again putting the cart before the horse, or asking “what does this mean to me” rather than “what does this mean” or “is this true?”

To continue entertaining these types of questions is just that: entertaining. Where are the Daniels, the Josephs, the Abrahams and Esthers who, regardless of consequences, are ready to stand up for the truth of the Word of God. Who are ready to say with Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” (Dan 3:16-18) Or with Esther, “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:16)

Whether the Lord delivers us or not, or whether we perish or not, is not important. Making much of God and little of ourselves is the only thing that matters in this short life.

 

Summary

• The ecumenical movement has been alive for much longer than is presented in the lesson. It was not a future event in 1885 as is presented. It is an effort that has been going since the time of the Reformation. There were even Reformation efforts going on in the Catholic church long before the time of Martin Luther, since at least the year 1000 AD.
• The modern effort by a small number of Evangelical Protestants and Catholics is not indicative of a large movement by Protestantism reaching across the gulf to Rome. Protestantism and Catholicism are strongly divided and they will remain so. Many involved in that effort have since written statements of clarification regarding their positions. The lesson author ignores these developments that have been going on for more than ten years.
• Christians must stop making much of human effort and start making much of God. Like Esther, Daniel and others, whether God delivers us or not, whether we perish or not, is irrelevant. We must start ignoring the efforts of man to destroy the work of God and begin glorifying God in all things.

 

Copyright 2009 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised February 5, 2009. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.

The Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and the corresponding E.G. White Notes are published by Pacific Press Publishing Association, which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The current quarter's editions are pictured above.

 

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