23. James White and Uriah Smith denied the deity of Christ.


Answer: These leaders defined Christ's divinity in terms that we view today to fall short of the Scripture evidence. In the years that followed, clearer understanding of the Godhead prevailed.


Resources: For development of Seventh-day Adventist understanding of the deity of Christ, see "Christology" in Seventh-day Encyclopedia, vol. 10, 1996 ed., pp. 352-354.

Also, Elder Gerald Wheeler points out that James White was more undecided than in denial, and even this indecisiveness weakened towards the end of his life as he wrote a letter saying that he was starting to find the arguments for the trinity was making more sence than the arguments against the trinity.

At this point in church history, many protestants were questioning the trinity. Our leaders questioning was merely a reflection of what Protestantism as a whole was doing, so we can critizicise more than our church on this point.

Also, this was not one of our pillar doctrines, it was an optional idea where you could be a member whether or not you were trinitarian.

But even so, one of the signs of a healthy church is the willingness to continue to study and to grow. Innocence arrived at is greater than innocence begun with.

James White NEVER denied the deity of Christ!
You won't find ANYWHERE where He denies the deity of Christ.

Yes, he was against what he understood as "The Trinity" What was it he opposed?

Well, let's let him speak!

Quote:

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"The Father and the Son were one in man's creation, and in his redemption. Said the Father to the Son "Let us make man in our image" And the triumphant song of jubilee in which the redeemed take part is unto "Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, forever and ever.

Jesus prayed that his disciples might be one as he was one with His Father. This prayer did not contemplate one disciple with twelve heads, but twelve disciples, made one in object and effort in the cause of their master. Neither are the Father and the Son parts of the "three-one God," They are two distinct beings, yet one in the design and accomplishment of redemption. (Life Incidents, p. 343

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So basically James is against a concept that would take away Christ's and God the Father's individuality. He is saying that Christ is not the Father, and the Father is not the Son, but they are one in purpose, motives and actions.

Here's another quote:

Quote:

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The way spiritualizers have disposed of or denied the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ is first using the old unscriptural Trinitarian creed, viz., that Jesus Christ is the eternal God, though they have not one passage to support it, while we have plain scriputre testimony in abundance that he is the Son of the eternal God" (The Day Star, J.White, Jan. 24, 1846,

The inexplicable Trinity that makes the Godhead three in one and one in three, is bad enough; but that ultra Unitarianism that makes Christ inferior to the Father is worse. Did God say to an inferior, "Let us make man in our image?" RH, November 29, 1877

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So do you see anywhere that James White is denying Christ's divinity?
No, He is saying He is God's equal, one with God, but a separate BEING FROM GOD.

Now Uriah Smith was more of a problem.
He appears to have started as an outright arian-- saying that Christ was created.

However Uriah changed that concept to--

"This uncreated Word was the Being, who, in the fulness of time, was made flesh, and dwelt among us. His beginning was not like that of any other being in the universe. It is set forth in the mysterious expressions, "his {God's only begotten Son"...Thus it appears that by some divine impulse or process, not creation, known only to Omniscience, and possible only to Omnipotence, the Son of God appeared. (Looking Unto Jesus, 1898)

We know Ellen White countered Uriah's teaching almost word for word--

Uriah wrote:
"With such inspired declarations before us, ought we to say that Jesus Christ is the self-existent, independent, Omnicsient and only True God...? (RH June 12:1860)

Ellen White wrote:

Quote:

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Ev. 615
Christ is the pre-existent, self-existent Son of God....In speaking of his pre-existence, Christ carries the mind back through dateless ages. He assures us that there never was time when He was not in close fellowship with the eternal God.(Signs 09/29/1900

The name of God, given to Moses to express the idea of the eternal presence, had been claimed as His own by this Galilean Rabbi. He had announced Himself to be the self-existent One (The Desire of Ages, p. 469)

It was to save the transgressor from ruin that he who was co-equal with God, offered up his life on Calvary.RH, June 28, 1892 )

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A general comment:

Divinity and deity do not mean exactly the same.

Yes, Smith was probably Arian, and James White probably had leanings in that direction.