History

"The first step of apostasy is to get up a creed, telling us what we shall believe. The second is, to make that creed a test of fellowship. The third is to try members by that creed. The fourth to denounce as heretics those who do not believe that creed. And fifth, to commence persecution against such."^[3]

• In 1872 a pamphlet was produced presenting twenty-five Fundamental Principles^[4] not to "secure uniformity" but "to meet inquiries" and "to correct false statements."^[5]

• In 1931 a list of 22 Fundamental Beliefs^[6] was produced and published in the Adventist Yearbook, and subsequently in the Adventist Church Manual.

• In 1980, the 27 Fundamentals were instituted by the denomination's General Conference. Fritz Guy was the secretary of the original committee which produced the 27 Fundamentals. They were discussed and adopted at the 1980 General Conference Session. Ron Graybill wrote the preamble.^[7] They are expanded upon in the book Seventh-day Adventists Believe: A Biblical Exposition of 27 Fundamental Doctrines.^[8] This elaboration does not constitute the "official" position of the church.

• In 2005 another belief was inserted, fundamental belief number 11 "Growing in Christ", in response to the requests of Adventists in developing nations for a statement on spiritual warfare. It was voted in at the 2005 Adventist General Conference Session held in St. Louis, Missouri, yielding the current total of 28.

Preamble

Seventh-day Adventists accept the Bible as their only creed and hold certain fundamental beliefs to be the teaching of the Holy Scriptures. These beliefs, as set forth here, constitute the church's understanding and expression of the teaching of Scripture. Revision of these statements may be expected at a General Conference Session when the church is led by the Holy Spirit to a fuller understanding of Bible truth or finds better language in which to express the teachings of God's Holy Word."^[9]

Theological beliefs

Doctrines of God

"The Holy Scriptures are theinfalliblerevelation of [God's] will." Adventist theologians generally reject the "verbal inspiration" position on Scripture held by many conservativeevangelical Christians. They believe instead that God inspired the thoughts of the biblical authors, and that the authors then expressed these thoughts in their own words.^[10] This view is popularly known as "thought inspiration", and most Adventist members hold to that view. According to Ed Christian, former *JATS

• editor, "few if any

ATSmembers believe in verbal inerrancy".^[11]

Adventists generally rejecthigher criticalapproaches to Scripture. The 1986 statement Methods of Bible Study, urges Adventist Bible students to avoid relying on the use of the presuppositions and the resultant deductions associated with the historical-critical method.^[12]

The Godhead (Trinity) consists of the Eternal Father, the Lord Jesus the Christ, and the Holy Spirit.^[13]

God, the Eternal Father, is a personal and spiritual Being, who is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient. He is infinite in wisdom and love.^[14]

Jesus, the Christ, is God in varity. He is the same nature and essence as the Eternal Father. In addition he took upon Himself human nature, living as a righteous man on earth, dying for the sins of mankind, raised from the dead and ascended to heaven where he makes intercession for mankind.^[15]

God the eternal Spirit was active with the Father and the Son in Creation, incarnation, and redemption. He is as much a person as are the Father and the Son. He inspired the writers of Scripture. He filled Christ’s life with power. He draws and convicts human beings; and those who respond He renews and transforms into the image of God. Sent by the Father and the Son to be always with His children, He extends spiritual gifts to the church, empowers it to bear witness to Christ, and in harmony with the Scriptures leads it into all truth. (Genesis 1:1,2; 2 Samuel 23:2; Psalm 51:11;Isaiah 61:1; Luke 1:35; 4:18; John 14:16-18, 26; 15:26; 16:7-13;Acts 1:8; 5:3; 10:38; Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Peter 1:21.)

The doctrines of humanity

The Seventh-day Adventist doctrine of creationism is based on believing that the opening chapters of Genesis should be interpreted as literal history. Adventist belief holds that all Earthly life originated during a six-day period some 6000 years ago, and a global flood destroyed all land based animals and humans except for those saved on Noah's Ark. Adventists oppose theories which propose interpreting the days of creation symbolically.^[16]

The Seventh-day Adventist doctrine of creationism is based on believing that the opening chapters of Genesis should be interpreted as literal history. Adventist belief holds that all Earthly life originated during a six-day period some 6000 years ago, and a global flood destroyed all land based animals and humans except for those saved on Noah's Ark. Adventists oppose theories which propose interpreting the days of creation symbolically.^[17]Adventists believe that inorganic matter was created prior to the creation week and was altered into its present form during the creation week. Therefore, the computed radiometric dates of standard geology are irrelevant to dating the creation of life on Earth.^{[18][19][20][21]} Since radiometric dating, says Webster, is an "interpretive science", he believes that for the Christian scientist “it would seem logical, almost compelling, to seriously consider” the Biblical account “for determining the time of Creation."^[18]

The doctrines of salvation

The doctrines of the church

The doctrines of Christian living

The doctrines of the restoration

Shared Protestant doctrine

"In Common With Conservative Christians and the Historic Protestant Creeds, We Believe—

1. That God is the Sovereign Creator, upholder, and ruler of the universe, and that He is eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.

2. That the Godhead, the

Trinity, comprises God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

3. That the Scriptures are the inspired revelation of God to men; and that the Bible is the sole rule of faith and practice.

4. That Jesus Christ is very God, and that He has existed with the Father from all eternity.

5. That the Holy Spirit is a personal being, sharing the attributes of deity with the Father and the Son.

6. That Christ, the Word of God, became

incarnatethrough the miraculous conception and thevirgin birth; and that He lived an absolutely sinless life here on earth.

7. That the

vicarious, atoning deathof Jesus Christ, once for all, is all-sufficient for the redemption of a lost race.

8. That Jesus Christ arose literally and bodily from the grave.

9. That He ascended literally and bodily into heaven.

10. That He now serves as our advocate in priestly ministry and mediation before the Father.

11. That He will return in a premillennial, personal, imminent second advent.

12. That man was

createdsinless, but by his subsequent fall entered a state of alienation and depravity.

13. That salvation through Christ is by grace alone, through faith in His blood.

14. That entrance upon the new life in Christ is by regeneration, or the new birth.

15. That man is

justified by faith.

16. That man is sanctified by the indwelling Christ through the Holy Spirit.

17. That man will be glorified at the

resurrection or translation of the saints, when theLord returns.

18. That there will be a

judgment of all men.

19. That the gospel is to be preached as a witness to all the world."^[22]

See also

• History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church

• The Pillars of Adventism

• Seventh-day Adventist theology