第二章 诊断教义上的疑惑

你是否想过，为什么现今在余民教会内有这么多的讨论都是关于教义上的疑惑呢？为什么有如此多的牧师在关于圣所、律法、预言之灵的神学问题上挣扎之后，就放弃了信仰呢？少许教会的人数已经骤减，那些大量退出去的人用自由化的标准与修改了的信念成立了独立的“伙伴关系教会”。其他人则加入了大而通俗的星期日教会，在那里教义与标准几乎完全被忽视。

这些“新复临信徒”们所提出的反对复临教会伟大的、历史性柱石的论据，正和1949年我从神学院毕业出来时候的那些论据一模一样。我不得不再三地对付来自福音派的反对者们的这些同样老套的异议，他们凶猛地抵挡我的公众布道大会。我常常公开地遭到基督教会牧师的挑战，就安息日、圣所、怀爱伦等问题进行公开辩论。有时候就在我自己的帐篷大会里，他们也会站起来试图阐述反对观点。然而，我从没发现哪一位基督复临安息日会的信徒，甚至在教会最软弱的人中，也没发现有人因为那些信仰之敌的攻击而变得糊涂起来。

在那些年代里很少有背道的事，而且几乎没有因为怀疑本会信息而背道的。多年来，我从未遇见一位已经加入其它教会的前基督复临安息日会教友。如果有教友离开了余民教会，也是因为肉体、世界或撒旦的诱惑吸引，而不是因为他们对教义失去了信心。

非常令人困惑的问题就是：为什么今日在我们当中关于这同样老掉牙的争论有了如此搅动呢？它们在40年前连一个人都扰乱不了。我已在圣经那惊人的前后联系中找到了问题的答案。圣经清楚地描述了对教义疑惑的原由，并且被预言之灵所证实。蒙爱的约翰完美地总结了这一问题：“他们是属世界的，所以论世界的事，世人也听从他们。我们是属上帝的，认识上帝的就听从我们；不属上帝的就不听从我们。从此我们可以认出真理的灵和谬妄的灵来。”（约一4：5，6）

这些话使我们确知，那些效法世界之人无法分辨真理与谬误。那区别赝品与真理的敏感优美的能力依赖于保持远离世界的状态。

保罗在罗马书12：2肯定了这同一原则：“不要效法这个世界，只要心意更新而变化，叫你们察验何为上帝的善良、纯全、可喜悦的旨意。”NIV版本翻译为，“这样你们就能试验并赞同何为上帝的旨意。”（NIV直译）请注意这儿有一个可靠的圣经准则，这准则要人与世界分别开来，为的是明白上帝的旨意与忠告。

保罗在写给哥林多人的书信中说，“我们所领受的，并不是世上的灵，乃是从上帝来的灵，叫我们能知道上帝开恩赐给我们的事。”（林前2：12）

你追随了贯穿于那些经文之中的美丽的真理思路了吗？我们无法一面领受世上的灵，一面知道上帝的事。这两者是不相容的。耶稣给这一神圣的原则加上了顶石，“人若有意志要遵行上帝的旨意，就会知道那关于这教训的事∶是出于上帝呢，还是我凭着自己讲的。”（约7：17，吕振中版）。

主在这里强调说，人为了要知道祂的教训是不是真的，就必须“遵行祂的旨意”。什么叫“遵行祂的旨意”呢？约翰写道，“不要爱世界和世界上的事。人若爱世界，爱父的心就不在他里面了…这世界和其上的情欲都要过去，惟独遵行上帝旨意的，是永远常存。”（约一2：15~17）

没有人会看不出这个事实：约翰把遵行上帝旨意的人和不爱世界的人看成是一样的。耶稣说惟有这样的人才能知道这教训是真或不真。

怀爱伦的著作是否支持这一非常重要的因果关系呢？她写道：

“许多人的心思已经因世界的习俗，惯例与影响而变得昏昧混乱了，以致一切分辨光明与黑暗、真理与谬误的能力都似乎被摧毁了。”——《证言卷五》，62面

根据目前教会内神学的发展，这些话呈现出了新的重要性。依照圣经，有两种事态总是共存的——对世俗的妥协与对教义的半信半疑。这就把我们引到一些很有意思的问题上。近年来在基督复临安息日会内岂不是已经观察到这两种事态了吗？岂不是有理由相信我们中间逐渐世俗化的腐化进程，可能已经促成了目前教会中的“新神学”危机吗？

我们反对世俗化的传统态度已经有了削弱，无人能否认这一点。在电视机致命的影响力下，复临信徒的生活方式已经有了严重的破口和妥协。曾经在复临教会机构中不被接受以及无法容忍的做法，现在已不再被当作是否忠于信仰的问题了。大多数情况下，教会并没有提出什么官方立场上的改变，然而其标准却因不实际执行而被降低或不为人知了。这些标准被保留在官方信仰的文件记录里，然而宣讲并在教会会众前高举这些标准的牧师、行政人员、传道人的百分比，却每年持续递减。在服装、饮食、什一、看电影、喝咖啡、遵守安息日和离婚等问题上，我们的信念有了明显的松弛懈怠。

我非常清楚用来为屈从并移向世俗而争辩的话。“社会在变化，”他们这么告诉我们，“为了接近在我们周围的人，我们必须在自己的生活方式上做出调整。”很明显，我们周围的文化发生了巨大的变化，我们的确需要调整传达信息的方法。然而我里面深深地知道，有些事情是决不应该改变的。我有一种不安的担忧：我们正在打着“进步”的名号放弃某种叫“真理”的事——某种上帝从来无意让我们作任何修改或妥协的事物。

当我看到年轻的复临信徒们拥挤进电影院，他们的父母几小时地看有问题的电视节目；当我看到教会里出现人工装饰品和不正派的服装；当我听到讲台上传出巴比伦的音乐节奏；当我看到基督复临安息日会教友的离婚率与世界相当之时——你愿意称之为什么都可以，但请不要称之为“进步”。

悲哀的事实就是，我们作为一个教会已经沾沾自喜地容让了教会内某些势力的增长，这些势力确实地破坏了我们多年来所捍卫的复临信徒原则。我们没有监督好官方出版物中的文章，因此播下了目前在教义上左右为难的种子。

那些文章与讲道狡猾地暗中破坏了历史真理，并且呈现出变异的信仰；它们渐长的影响力已经促使教会中慢性的妥协危机变成了急性恶化的问题。不幸的是，那些本已处在相当大的妥协压力下的年轻人，——他们需要特别的勉励刚强起来，——已经大多成了新自由主义影响的靶子。无论其是从何处开始，如何开始的，现在都已经渗透进教会生活的每一个层面了。教会中已可预见的结果是什么呢？结果已经迅速跟着原因接踵而来了。我们已经播种了风，现在要收割暴风了。（译者注：播种的是风，收割的却是暴风，意思是原无大害的事，后果却不堪设想。参考经文何8:7“他们所种的是风，所收的是暴风；所种的不成禾稼，就是发苗也不结实；即便结实，外邦人必吞吃。”）我们惊人地缺少勇气（与世界）划清界限并高举稳定不变的标准，就因此冲淡了曾经组成我们独特之处与力量的美好原则。但是与世界暧昧不清最严重的后果，就是我们属灵的知觉钝化了。现在是收割的时候了，所收的暴风在我们蒙爱的教会内已经大出风头，其破坏性过于我们所敢承认的。并且尚未结束。除非我们鼓足勇气与力量，抽身退步回到上帝曾划清的界限上来，否则毁坏必将继续。

灵感之言已经告诉了我们，效法世界必然带来相应的对真理识别的无能为力。这就为教义上的疑惑与对真理的半信半疑打开了门路。

这已经发生了吗？我们知道这已经发生了。我们有些教会已经充满了“新神学”，就如他们充满了世俗化一样。

现在这两种情形并肩在教会中出现，无人应对此感到惊奇。这要一直持续到大摇动来到使形势改变。怀姐妹一再详细说明教会在遭受逼迫的危急时刻之后，必要发生的这场不可思议的背道。若你想重温她对此问题的评论以及引起的原因，请思考以下令人惊异的论述及其上下文。在这些流传久远的引文中，每一篇她都详细说明了教会中必有大批人离去之事，是与世界“依附”，或“联合”的结果。

“时候快到，试验要临到各人。那时我们要被强迫遵守伪安息日。争点乃在于上帝的诫命和人的诫命之间。凡业已逐步屈从世俗的要求以致依附世俗习惯的人，必要向这些权势屈服，而不愿忍受嘲笑、侮辱、监禁、或死亡的威胁。那时，精金和渣滓就必分别开来。真实的敬虔与那徒具外表的虚饰，也必清楚地辨明。那时我们素来所敬仰的许多“明星”必要出去陨落于黑暗之中。那些妄自穿着圣所中的衣袍，而没有披戴基督之公义的人，到那时必要露出他们赤身的羞耻来。”——《先知与君王》，188面

“我要说我们正生活在一个最严肃的时期。在最近所赐给我的异象中，我蒙指示这一惊人的事：那些现在自称相信真理的人中只有一小部分会因真理洁净并且得救的。许多人要不屑于这项朴素的工作。他们要与世界同化，怀抱偶像，灵性变为死亡。”——《证言卷一》，608，609面

“在这次暴风雨临近的时候，必有许多素来承认相信第三位天使信息而未曾借着顺从真理而成圣的人要放弃他们的立场，去加入反对真理的队伍。这等人因久与世界联合，已感染到它的精神，以至对于一切问题的看法几乎和世人完全相同;及至试炼临到，他们就要随波逐流拣选那容易走的道路。一些多才多艺，能言善辩的人，一度曾因真理而欢喜，这时却要用他们的才能去欺骗并误导人。他们要成为从前同道弟兄的最狠毒的敌人。当遵守安息日的人被带到公庭上为他们的信仰辩护时，这些背道者要成为撒但最得力的爪牙工具，诬蔑他们，控告他们，并利用明枪暗箭激动官长去反对他们。”——《善恶之争》，608面

“教会在太平顺利之时未曾作成的工，将要在最沮丧而可厌的环境下，在非常的危急关头中作成。由于随从世俗之风而停息不传了的警告，必须于信仰之敌最猛烈的攻击下传开。到了那时，一班肤浅保守的人，其影响已经顽固地阻滞了圣工的前进，就要弃绝信仰，与其公认之敌采取同样的立场了，因为他们的心趋向那些公认的仇敌，对其颇表同情已经很久了。这些叛道者从此必要表现最苦毒的敌意，尽其一切所能地来压迫诽谤自己以前的弟兄们，并激动公怒来反对他们。这种日子就临到我们了。”——《证言卷五》，463面

“那些与世界联合的人正在接受世俗的塑造，并准备领受兽的印记。那些不信赖自己，在上帝面前自卑，并因顺服真理洁净自己心灵的人--这等人正在接受上天的塑造，并准备在额上领受上帝的印。”——《证言卷五》，216面

在此我们看到渐进主义计划的最终后果，它实际上侵蚀了我们教会的命脉。先知的话显明，世俗化的倾向与伴随着它的信仰流失，将导致“大群人”完全与他们的信仰断绝关系。我们现在所看为的涓涓细流必变为背道的大洪涛。随着教会与世界之间分别之墙的倒塌，灵里的疑惑、教义的混乱与背道就不可避免地接踵而来了。

我们现在能理清那再三讲述的真理之有力的、共同的主旨了吗？这真理是洋溢在圣经与预言之灵的陈述中的。我们除非瞎眼才看不见这一点，在几百处能够引用的例证中，以上所引用的这些不过是一个小片段而已。

或许在这些灵感之言中最令人震惊的成分就是关于背道数量的启示。大部分信徒居然都要抛弃信仰，放弃安息日。太令人惊异了，不是吗？撒旦为了在教会内部努力现实这种致命险招的作战计划又是什么呢？

CHAPTER 2 DIAGNOSING DOCTRINAL DOUBTS

Have you ever wondered why there is so much discussion of doctrinal doubts within the remnant church today? Why have so many pastors abandoned the faith after struggling with theological questions concerning the sanctuary, the law, and the Spirit of Prophecy? A few congregations have been decimated by large groups withdrawing to organize independent "fellowship churches" with liberalized standards and modified beliefs. Others have joined large, popular Sunday-keeping church bodies where doctrine and standards are almost totally ignored.

The arguments that these "neo-Adventists" present against the great, historic pillars of Adventism are the same as those which were being used when I graduated from the Seminary in 1947. Repeatedly I had to meet the same stereotyped objections from evangelical opponents who fiercely resisted my public crusade meetings. I was often challenged openly by Church of Christ pastors to engage in a public debate over the issues of the Sabbath, the sanctuary, and Ellen White. Sometimes in my own tent auditorium they would stand up and try to expound their opposing views. Yet I never knew one Seventh-day Adventist, not even the weakest in the congregation, to become confused by the attacks of those enemies of our faith.

There were few apostasies in those days, and almost never because of doubting the message. For years I never met an ex-Seventh-day Adventist who had joined any other church. If members left the remnant church, it was because of the pull of flesh, world, or devil, and not because they had lost faith in the doctrines.

The great puzzling question is this: Why is there such a stirring today among our people over the same tired arguments which upset no one forty years ago? I have discovered the answer to that question in an amazing chain of texts. The Bible clearly describes the reasons for doctrinal doubt, and it is confirmed by the Spirit of Prophecy. The beloved John summarized the issue perfectly: "They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error." I John 4:5, 6.

These words assure us that those who conform to the world are not able to discern between truth and error. The delicate ability to discriminate between counterfeit and true depends upon staying apart from the world.

Paul affirms the same principle in Romans 12:2: "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. " The NIV translation says, "Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is." Please take note that there is a sound rule of Scripture which requires separation from the world in order to understand God's will and counsel.

To the Corinthians Paul wrote, "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that arefreely given to us of God." I Corinthians 2:12.

Do you follow the beautiful thread of truth in all those texts? We cannot know the things of God while receiving the spirit of the world. The two are incompatible. Jesus added the capstone to this divine principle: "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." John 7:17.

Here the Master insisted that one must "DO HIS WILL" in order to recognize that His doctrine was true. What does it mean to "do His will"? John wrote, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. . . . And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." I John 2:15-17.

No one can miss the fact that John identifies the one who does God's will as the one who does not love the world. And Jesus said this is the only kind who can know of the doctrine, whether it is true or not.

Is this tremendous cause-and-effect relationship supported by the writings of Ellen G. White? She wrote:

"The minds of many have been so darkened and confused by worldly customs, worldly practices, and worldly influences that all power to discriminate between light and darkness, truth and error, seems destroyed." Testimonies. Vol. 5, p. 62.

These statements take on new significance in the light of current theological developments within the church. According to the Bible, two things will always exist together WORLDLY COMPROMISE and DOCTRINAL UNCERTAINTY. This leads us to some very interesting questions. Have these two factors been observed in the Seventh-day Adventist church during the recent past? Is there reason to believe that a gradual leavening process of worldly conformity throughout our ranks might have precipitated the present "new theology" crisis in our midst?

No one can deny that there has been a weakening of our traditional posture against worldliness. Under the deadly influence of television, the Adventist lifestyle has been seriously breached and compromised. Practices which were once shunned as unacceptable and intolerable within the framework of Adventism are no longer made issues of loyalty to the faith. In most cases the church has offered no official change in its position, but the standards have been lowered and lost by default. They have remained in the annals of official beliefs, but the percentage of pastors, administrators, and evangelists who preach on them and hold them before the congregations has steadily declined year by year. In dress, diet, tithing, movies, coffee drinking, Sabbathkeeping, and divorce there has been an obvious slacking of conviction.

I know the arguments very well which are used to defend the bending and shifting toward the world. "Society is changing," they tell us, "and we must make adjustments in our own lifestyle in order to reach the people around us." It is very clear that tremendous changes have been made in our surrounding culture, and we do need to adapt our methods of presenting the message. Yet, I know deep inside that some things should never change. I have an uneasy fear that in the name of progress we are yielding up something called truth-something God never intended that we should ever modify or surrender.

When I see Adventist young people crowd the theaters, and their parents watching risqué television by the hour, when I see the display of artificial adornment and immodest dress in the church; when I hear the beat of Babylon's music from the pulpit; when I see the divorce rate of Seventh-day Adventists equal that of the world-call it what you will, but please don't call it progress.

The sad truth is that we, as a church, have been complacently tolerant of forces within the organization which have literally sabotaged the Adventist principles we have defended for years. By a failure to monitor the material in our official publications we have sown some of the seeds of this present doctrinal dilemma.

The growing influence of articles and sermons which subtly undermine historic truth and present variant beliefs has accelerated creeping compromise into a galloping problem within the church. Unfortunately, the youth, who are already under considerable pressure to compromise (and who need special encouragement to be firm), have been the target of much of the new libertarian influence. But wherever and however it started, it has now permeated every level of church life. And what has been the predicted result in the congregation? Cause has been followed quickly by the effect. We have sowed the wind and are now reaping the whirlwind. By an incredible lack of courage to draw lines and hold firm standards, we have watered down the beautiful principles which once constituted our uniqueness and strength. But the most serious consequence of this love affair with the world has been the dulling of our spiritual perceptions. It is now reaping time, and the whirlwind harvest has cut a swath through our beloved church more destructive than we dare to admit. And the end is not yet. Unless we can muster the courage and the strength to pull back to where God has drawn the line, the devastation will continue.

Inspiration has told us that worldly conformity will bring a corresponding inability to recognize truth. This opens the door to doctrinal doubt and uncertainty of faith.

Has it happened? We know it has. Some of our churches are just as riddled with the "new theology" as they are with worldliness.

No one should be surprised to find these two conditions existing side by side in the church right now. And it is going to continue until the shaking takes care of the situation. Over and over again Sister White gave graphic descriptions of the incredible falling away after the crunch of persecution develops. If you want to review her assessment of the problem and what produces it, consider the following startling statements and their context. In every one of these best-known quotations she defines the exodus from the church as the result of "conforming" to the world, or "uniting" with the world.

"The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The observance of the false sabbath will be urged upon us.

The contest will be between the commandments of God and the commandments of men. Those who have yielded step by step to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs will then yield to the powers that be, rather than subject themselves to derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death. At that time the gold will be separated from the dross. True godliness will be clearly distinguished from the appearance and tinsel of it. Many a star that we have admired for its brilliance will then go out in darkness. Those who have assumed the ornaments of the sanctuary, but are not clothed with Christ's righteousness, will then appear in the shame of their own nakedness." Prophets and Kings, p. 188.

"I would say that we are living in a most solemn time. In the last vision given me, I was shown the startling fact that but a small portion of those who now profess the truth will be sanctified by it and be saved. Many will get above the simplicity of the work. They will conform to the world, cherish idols, and become spiritually dead " Testimonies, Vol. 1, pp. 608, 609.

"As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third angel's message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position and join the ranks of the opposition. By uniting with the world and partaking of its spirit, they have come to view matters in nearly the same light; and when the test is brought, they are prepared to choose the easy, popular side. Men of talent and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls. They become the most bitter enemies of their former brethren. When Sabbathkeepers are brought before the courts to answer for their faith, these apostates are the most efficient agents for Satan to misrepresent and accuse them, and by false reports and insinuations to stir up the rulers against them." The Great Controversy, p. 608.

"The work which the church has failed to do in a time of peace and prosperity she will have to do in a terrible crisis under most discouraging, forbidding circumstances. The warnings that worldly conformity has silenced or withheld must be given under the fiercest opposition from enemies of the faith. And at that time the superficial, conservative class, whose influence has steadily retarded the progress of the work, will renounce the faith and take their stand with its avowed enemies, toward whom their sympathies have long been tending. These apostates will then manifest the most bitter enmity, doing all in their power to oppress and malign their former brethren and to excite indignation against them. This day is just before us." Testimonies, Vol. 5,p.463.

"Those who are uniting with the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth, these are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads." Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 216.

Here we see the end result of the program of gradualism which is literally eating away the vitals of our church. The words of the prophet indicate that eventually the worldly bent and accompanying loss of faith will lead "a large class" to renounce their faith completely. What we see now as a trickle will turn into a floodtide of apostasy. Spiritual doubts, doctrinal confusion and apostasy inevitably follow the breaking down of that wall of separation between the church and the world.

Can we now put together the strong, common theme of repetitive truth which flows through the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy statements? We would have to be blind to miss the point, and these are only a small sampling of hundreds which could be cited.

Probably the most shocking element in these inspired statements is the revelation about the number of apostasies. A majority of believers will actually abandon the faith, and give up the Sabbath. Amazing, isn't it? And what is the battle plan of Satan for pulling off this kind of deadly coup within the church?