Fundamental Principles

In 1904 Ellen White wrote:

"Messages of every order and kind have been urged upon Seventh-day Adventists, to take the place of the truth which, point by point, has been sought out by prayerful study, and testified to by the miracle-working power of the Lord. But the waymarks which have made us what we are, are to be preserved, as God has signified through His Word and the testimony of His Spirit. He calls upon us to hold firmly, with the grip of faith, to the fundamental principles that are based upon unquestionable authority." 1SM 208

"The enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposition that a great reformation was to take place among Seventh-day Adventists, and that this reformation would consist in giving up the doctrines which stand as the pillars of our faith, and engaging in a process of reorganization. Were this reformation to take place, what would result? The principles of truth that God in His wisdom has given to the remnant church, would be discarded. Our religion would be changed. The fundamental principles that have sustained the work for the last fifty years would be accounted as error. A new organization would be established. Books of a new order would be written. A system of intellectual philosophy would be introduced." 1SM 204

To what fundamental principles was she referring? In 1872 a pamphlet was printed on the steam press of the Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association in Battle Creek, Michigan. It was entitled, A Declaration of the Fundamental Principles Taught and Practiced by the Seventh-day Adventists. As stated in its opening paragraph, it was "a brief statement of what is, and has been, with great unanimity, held by them." It had 25 points.

In 1874 James White founded the periodical Signs of the Times. The very first issue, Volume I, Number I, June 4, 1874, featured the church's declaration of Fundamental Principles just as it had appeared in the earlier pamphlet. Again, the description was included that this doctrinal statement represented "what is, and has been, with great unanimity," held by "our people."

In the years 1889, 1905, and 1907-1914, the same list of Fundamental Principles was included in the Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. It was prefaced with this comment:

"Seventh-day Adventists have no creed but the Bible; but they hold to certain well-defined points of faith, for which they feel prepared to give a reason 'to every man that asketh' them. The following propositions may be taken as a summary of the principle features of their religious faith, upon which there is, so far as is known, entire unanimity throughout the body."

There can be no doubt, then, that these long-published Fundamental Principles were what Ellen White had in mind when in 1904 she warned against discarding "the fundamental principles that have sustained the work" for so many years.

Below is a link to a digitized archive of this historically important doctrinal summary. You will notice that care is taken to dispel any notion that early Seventh-day Adventists viewed their statement of beliefs as a standard of disciple. It was merely informational.

A Declaration of the Fundamental Principles of the Seventh-day Adventists

What is a Creed?

The difference between a creed and a statement of beliefs is the degree of authority it carries. A statement of beliefs is for informational purposes only. A creed is intended as a standard of discipline.

Some would define the difference in terms of changeability. A statement of beliefs, they say, can be changed. A creed cannot. But history does not bear that out. A review of the early ecumenical creeds shows that, council after council, creeds were changed. A faith statement is a creed when it is designed as a doctrinal test.

Biblical Equality

Old Testament Festivals

Leviticus 23 describes seven yearly sabbath days that, being tied to a calendar date like our holidays, fell on different days of the week each year. Each of these festivals pointed forward to some aspect of the plan of salvation. Like the weekly Sabbath, these holy days were to be sacredly held, no work being permitted for 24 hours from sunset to sunset. They were set apart for holy convocations.

The Jewish ritual year began in the spring. Each month commenced at the first sighting of the new moon. The first three of the annual sabbaths related to the first month, and the last four of them fell within the seventh month of the ritual year. Here's the list as given in Leviticus 23.

To help you visualize what this looked like on the calendar, I've prepared a couple of calendar segments. Think of these as depicting just three days of the week, rather than the whole calendar. It reads just like a regular calendar except that it doesn't show the complete week. I did that because I didn't want to give the impression that these days fell on a particular day of the week. Remember, they are tied to a calendar date, calculated from the sighting of the new moon.

The yellow dates are the ceremonial sabbath days. The gray shaded dates represent week-long festivals: the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the spring, and the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall. Only the first and last days of those week-long feasts were "sabbath" rest days. The Passover day and the Wave Sheaf Offering day, listed here, were not sabbaths unless they fell on a weekly Sabbath. As you can see, the day of Pentecost occurred seven weeks after the offering of the Wave Sheaf.

The Timing of Christ's Sacrifice

Sequence of Events From Christ's Resurrection to His Ascension

1. A mighty angel calls Jesus to life. The Roman soldiers are terrified. They go to report what they have seen. (Matthew 28:2-4)
2. Mary Magdalene arrives at the tomb. She sees the stone rolled away, then runs to tell the disciples. (John 20:1)
3. The other women arrive at the empty tomb and meet two angels. They also go to find the disciples. (Luke 24:1-9)
4. Mary finds Peter and John. They come and find the tomb empty. (John 20:2-10)
5. Mary, who had followed them, remains at the tomb after Peter and John leave. She sees the two angels. Then Jesus appears to her. (John 20:11-16)
6. Jesus goes to heaven to receive His Father’s approval. (John 20:17)
7. Jesus returns and appears to Peter. (Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5)
8. Jesus appears to the two disciples on the walk to Emmaus. (Mark 16:12; Luke 24:13-32)
9. The two disciples return to Jerusalem to tell the disciples in the upper room. There Jesus appears to all of them, Thomas missing. (Mark 16:13; Luke 24:33-49; John 20:19-23)
10. Jesus appears one week later, Thomas being there. (Mark 16:14; John 20:24-29)
11. Jesus meets seven of the disciples by the Sea of Galilee. (John 21:1-23)
12. In the presence of about five hundred believers assembled on a mountain in Galilee, Jesus delivers the Great Commission. (Matthew 28:16-20; 1 Corinthians 15:6)
13. Jesus appears to James (1 Corinthians 15:7)
14. Jesus takes the disciples to the Mount of Olives, and from there ascends to heaven. (Luke 24:50, 51; Acts 1:9-11)

All Truth

What did Jesus promise that the Holy Spirit would do?

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth." John 16:13.

How much truth?

"All truth."

When would that happen?

"When he, the Spirit of truth, is come."

The Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts chapter 2. Jesus' promise was that when the Holy Spirit came, He would guide the church into all truth. The knowledge of truth would not be withheld for hundreds of years after Pentecost, but would come "when he, the Spirit of truth, is come." This means that we should be able to see all truth present in the early apostolic church.

And that is exactly what the book of Acts records. Here is a list of doctrinal truths that were understood in the days of the apostles.

The role of the Scriptures -- Acts 17:11
God -- Acts 24:14
Jesus -- Acts 9:20
Salvation -- Acts 26:18
The second coming of Jesus -- Acts 1:11
The non-immortality of the soul -- Acts 2:29, 34
The resurrection of the dead -- Acts 24:15
An appointed date for the judgment -- Acts 17:31
The cleansing of the sanctuary -- Acts 3:19
The law of God -- Acts 22:12
The seventh-day Sabbath -- Acts 16:13
The church -- Acts 2:47
Spiritual gifts -- Acts 21:8-10
Healthful living -- Acts 24:25
Baptism -- Acts 8:12

What topics did Paul confidently emphasize in his preaching and teaching?

"Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him." Acts 28:31.

Did he leave out any important matters?

"And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house." Acts 20:20.

"For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." Acts 20:27.

What were the results of Paul's thorough teaching?

"And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily." Acts 16:5.

Of what did Paul warn the elders of the church?

"For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears." Acts 20:29-31.

Similar warnings about the introduction of false doctrine were given in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12; 2 Peter 2:1-3; and Jude 3, 4. The church would have to go through a period of terrible apostasy.

But "the times of refreshing" to come would also be "the times of restitution of all things." Acts 3:19, 21. All truth would be fully restored at last.

See also Daniel 8:9-14.