Part 1: Words and Definitions

At a gathering this past summer of pastors, administrators, and laypersons in the North American Division, two prominent professors from the SDA Theological Seminary at Andrews University offered major criticisms of the doctrinal construct that has come to be known as Last Generation Theology. What follows is the first installment of an assessment of these criticisms based on Scripture, the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy, and other sources.

The publication during the past few years of several major books on this subject by denominational presses [##1|Jiri Moskala and John C. Peckham (eds.), God’s Character and the Last Generation (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press Publishing Assn, 2018); ]George R. Knight, End-Time Events and the Last Generatiobn: The Explosive 1950s (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press Publishing Assn, 2018); Martin F. Hanna, Darius W. Jankewicz, and John W. Reeve (eds.), Salvation: Contours of Adventist Soteriology (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 2018).##] has brought this cluster of issues into a prominence not seen in the church for some time. Those who, like the present writer, believe these issues to be central to the message and mission of the great Advent movement, have rejoiced at the increased attention these issues have lately received. Investigation into these topics as presented in the inspired writings can only bring greater blessing to the church as, like the Bereans of old (Acts 17:11), believers compare what they read and hear from ministers and teachers with the written counsel of God (Isa. 8:20).

We will consider the two respective lectures at the aforementioned conference on the basis of the various issues addressed, together with relevant Bible and Spirit of Prophecy evidence. The reader will note that references to each of these lectures are in the form of audio recordings, which is why the citations at the close of each of this and succeeding articles refer to the point of time in each lecture when the referenced observation is made.

Terms and Definitions

One of the two lecturers speaks early in his presentation of Last Generation Theology being “a system regarding how to interpret Scriptures based on specific biblical verses and selected quotations of Ellen G. White” [2]. We invite the readers of the present response to decide, based on the collective weight of inspired evidence, which system—that of Last Generation Theology or those systems crafted by its opponents—more accurately reflect the consensus of Holy Scripture and the writings of Ellen G. White.

The same lecturer correctly states that Last Generation Theology is “a theological construct” using special terminology like “last generation, sinless perfection, sinful nature of Christ, sin as willful, your choice, etc” [3]. He is again correct when he states that a major problem in current discussions over this theology is the different meanings applied by different perspectives to terms commonly used (e.g. sin, perfection, justification, sanctification, salvation, role of obedience, atonement, great controversy) [4]. The present writer holds, in common with other advocates of Last Generation Theology, that the inspired writings explain themselves (II Peter 1:20-21; I Cor. 2:12-14; Isa. 28:9-10) [##5|Ellen G. White, Fundamentals of Christian Education, pp. 187-188; Counsels to Teachers, p. 462; Our High Calling, p. 207; Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 171; vol. 8, p. 157; Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 42; Loma Linda Messages, p. 55; Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, p. 346.##], and that the above terms (and others) must be understood and employed as the inspired writings determine they should be.

The above lecturer makes a notable misstep when he claims such terms as “last generation” and “sinless perfection” are not Biblical terms [6]. The fact is that neither are such terms as Trinity, virgin birth, bodily resurrection, or investigative judgment strictly Biblical expressions, though the concepts represented thereby are clearly taught in the Bible. Neither is original sin a Biblical phrase, though both lecturers in the presentation under review give strong evidence of embracing a view of the human condition which many would call original sin.

Few, even among the strongest adherents to Biblical theology, would claim that all theological terms must be explicitly stated in the Biblical text. The question before us is whether the concepts represented by a particular term or phrase are faithful to the Biblical message.

The lecturer in question offers the present writer’s summary of Last Generation Theology in five (5) points [7], offering brief comments of his own which we will later cite, and to which we will respond, at different points throughout this series of articles:

1. That human beings become sinners by choice, not by merely being born with a fallen nature.

2. That Jesus was born into this world with a fallen human nature, and in that nature lived a perfect life through the same divine power available to you and me.

3. That salvation is accomplished by both the justifying and sanctifying righteousness of Jesus.

4. That justifying (forgiving) righteousness both declares and makes us righteous.

5. That through the same divine power used by Jesus while on earth, human beings in this life can live without sinning, and that when a generation of believers achieves this experience through God’s power, God’s character will be vindicated before the universe and Jesus will return [##8|Kevin D. Paulson, What is . . . Last Generation Theology? (Ukiah, CA: Last Generation for Christ Publications, 2021), p. 5.##].

This particular lecturer cites the late M.L. Andreasen as teaching three phases of the atonement process: (1) Christ’s incarnation and sinless life; (2) His agony in Gethsemane and death on the cross; and (3) His ministry in the heavenly sanctuary and its application to earthly believers [9]. But while these three phases represent the heart of the antitypical atonement, a careful study of the typical ritual reveals seven (7) phases of atonement, which enable us to better understand atonement in the antitype. These phases are as follows:

1. The laying on of hands by the sinner on the sacrificial victim (Lev. 4:4,15,24,29).

2. Confession of sin by the sinner (Lev. 5:5).

3. Forsaking of sin, the absence of guile, and a forgiving spirit on the sinner’s part (II Chron. 7:14; Psalm 32:1-2; Prov. 28:13; Isa. 55:7; Matt. 6:14-15; Rom. 4:6-8; I John 1:9).

4. The slaying of the sacrificial victim by the sinner (Lev. 4:4,15,24; 5:8; 7:2).

5. The mediation of sacrificial blood by the priest (Lev. 4:16-20; 25-26,30-31,34-35; 5:9-10; 7:1-7).

6. The afflicting of the soul and its cleansing from sin on the annual Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:30; 23:27-30).

7. The exile and death of the scapegoat, also part of the Day of Atonement ritual (Lev. 16:10).

As atonement is another word for reconciliation, it can be seen that each of the above phases play a role in the reconciliation of human sinners to a holy God. But none of these phases would be possible without the incarnation, sacrifice, and heavenly mediation of Christ. Thus Andreasen’s list of atonement phases forms the heart of the atoning process, though his list is not comprehensive.

The final term used by these lecturers which merits some time is perfectionism. One of these lecturers states that “LGT (Last Generation Theology) advocates perfectionism, maintaining that humans can become absolutely (or completely) sinless” [10]. Popular as this definition of perfectionism has become in modern and contemporary Adventism, it runs counter to the use of this term in the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy.

Only once is the word perfectionism found in Ellen White’s writings—in the following statement:

God will not entrust the care of His precious flock to men whose mind and judgment have been weakened by former errors that they have cherished, such as so-called perfectionism and Spiritualism, and who, by their course while in these errors, have disgraced themselves and brought reproach upon the cause of truth. Although they may now feel free from error and competent to go forth and to teach this last message, God will not accept them. He will not entrust precious souls to their care, for their judgment was perverted while in error, and is now weakened [##11|White, Early Writings, pp. 101-102.##].

In her description of those who taught what she describes here as “perfectionism,” it becomes clear that the theory she is describing is far removed from the doctrine of sinless living taught in both Scripture and the consensus of her own writings, as well as in the teachings of those in contemporary Adventism who adhere to what is called Last Generation Theology. A passage which, in another of her books, identifies the misguided “perfectionism” noted in the above statement, is worth quoting in full for the sake of clarity on this point:

During family prayer that night, the Spirit of the Lord rested upon me, and I was shown many things in vision. These men were presented to me as doing great injury to the cause of God. While professing sanctification, they were transgressing the sacred law. They were corrupt at heart, and those in union with them were under a satanic delusion, obeying their carnal instincts instead of the word of God.

They held that those who are sanctified cannot sin. And this naturally led to the belief that the affections and desires of the sanctified ones were always right, and never in danger of leading them into sin. In harmony with these sophistries, they were practicing the worst sins under the garb of sanctification, and through their deceptive, mesmeric influence were gaining a strange power over some of their associates, who did not see the evil of these apparently beautiful but seductive theories.

Terrible was their power over the people, for while holding their attention and winning their confidence through a mesmeric influence, they led the innocent and unsuspecting to believe that this influence was the Spirit of God. Therefore those who followed their teachings were deceived into the belief that they and their associates who claimed to be wholly sanctified, could fulfill all the desires of their hearts without sin.

Clearly the deceptions of these false teachers were laid open before me, and I saw the fearful account that stood against them in the book of records, and the terrible guilt that rested upon them for professing complete holiness while their daily acts were offensive in the sight of God.

Some time after this, the characters of these persons were developed before the people, and the vision given in reference to them was fully vindicated.

“Believe in Christ,” was the cry of these claimants of sanctification. “Only believe; this is all that is required of you. Only have faith in Jesus.”

The words of John come forcibly to my mind. “If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” I John 1:8. I was shown that those who triumphantly claim to be sinless, show by their very boasting that they are far from being without taint of sin. The more clearly fallen man comprehends the character of Christ, the more distrustful will he be of himself, and the more imperfect will his works appear to him, in contrast with those which marked the life of the spotless Redeemer. But those who are far from Jesus, those whose spiritual perceptions are so clouded by error that they cannot comprehend the character of the great Exemplar, conceive of Him as altogether such a one as themselves, and dare to talk of their own perfection of holiness. But they are far from God; they know little of themselves, and less of Christ [##12|——Life Sketches, pp. 83-84.##].

The three most obvious differences between the perfectionism described in the above statement and the doctrine of divinely-empowered sinless living taught by Last Generation Theology are as follows:

1. Claiming to be sinless. The perfectionism described above by Ellen White includes the human claim to sinlessness. But no such claim is ever possible on the part of mortal beings, not because God’s power isn’t capable of enabling humans to achieve such conduct, but first and foremost because “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). And because only God knows our hearts (I Kings 8:39), no fallible mortal can claim to know that all sin has been eradicated from one’s heart or life. Hence the Biblical prohibition against declaring that we have no sin (I John 1:8,10).

But a multitude of Bible verses are equally clear that sinless obedience is possible for the earthly believer through heaven’s power (e.g. Psalm 4:4; 119:1-3,11; Zeph. 3:13; Rom. 6:14; 8:4; I Cor. 15:34; II Cor. 7:1; Eph. 5:27; Phil. 4:13; I Thess. 5:23; I Peter 2:21-22; 4:1; II Peter 3:10-14; I John 1:7,9; 3:2-3,7; Jude 24; Rev. 3:21; 14:5). Ellen White echoes these verses in such statements as the following:

In our world, we are to remember the way in which Christ worked. He made the world. He made man. Then He came in person to the world to show its inhabitants how to live sinless lives [##13|——Evangelism, p. 385.##].

Paul writes to the Corinthians, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” When you come into this position, the work of consecration will be better understood by you both. Your thoughts will be pure, chaste, and elevated, your actions pure and sinless [##14|——Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 83.##].

To everyone who surrenders fully to God is given the privilege of living without sin, in obedience to the law of heaven [##15|——Review and Herald, Sept. 27, 1906.##].

But it is God’s purpose that man shall stand before Him upright and noble; and God will not be defeated by Satan. He sent His Son to this world to bear the death penalty of man’s transgression, and to show man how to live a sinless life. There is no other way in which man can be saved. “Without Me,” Christ says, “ye can do nothing.” Through Him, and Him alone, can the natural heart be changed, the affections transformed, the affections set flowing heavenward. Christ alone can give life to the soul dead in trespasses and sins [##16|——Youth’s Instructor, April 16, 1903.##].

Thus He (Christ) placed us on vantage ground, where we could live pure, sinless lives. Repentant sinners stand before God justified and accepted, because the Innocent One has borne their guilt. The undeserving are made deserving, because in their behalf the Deserving became the undeserving [##17|——Signs of the Times, June 17, 1903.##].

Christ bore the sins of the whole world. He was the second Adam. Taking upon Himself human nature, He passed over the ground where Adam stumbled and fell. Having taken humanity, He has an intense interest in human beings. He felt keenly the sinfulness, the shame, of sin. He is our Elder Brother. He came to prove that human beings can, through the power of God, live sinless lives [##18|——Signs of the Times, Aug. 9, 1905.##].

The Saviour is wounded afresh and put to open shame when His people pay no heed to His word. He came to this world and lived a sinless life, that in His power His people might also live lives of sinlessness. He desires them by practicing the principles of truth to show to the world that God’s grace has power to sanctify the heart [##19|——Review and Herald, April 1, 1902.##].

In the day of judgment the course of the man who has retained the frailty and imperfection of humanity will not be vindicated. For him there will be no place in heaven. He could not enjoy the perfection of the saints in light. He who has not sufficient faith in Christ to believe that He can keep him from sinning, has not the faith that will give him an entrance into the kingdom of God [##20|——Selected Messages, vol. 3, p. 360.##].

But like the Bible (I John 1:8,10), Ellen White forbids human beings to claim such an attainment:

We cannot say, “I am sinless,” till this vile body is changed and fashioned like unto His glorious body. But if we constantly seek to follow Jesus, the blessed hope is ours of standing before the throne of God without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, complete in Christ, robed in His righteousness and perfection [##21|——Selected Messages, vol. 3, p. 355.##].

When the conflict of life is ended, when the armor is laid off at the feet of Jesus, when the saints of God are glorified, then and then only will it be safe to claim that we are saved, and sinless. Let the Lord proclaim the truth of your character [##22|——Signs of the Times, May 16, 1895.##].

Despite the way these statements are often used, neither they nor others state that sinlessness is beyond the reach of the earthly Christian. Rather, they simply forbid the Christian to claim such a thing, because God alone knows every heart (I Kings 8:39). We can know if we’ve made progress in the Christian life, but only God knows when the purification process is complete. That’s why Ellen White says in the above statement, “Let the Lord proclaim the truth of your character” [##23|——Signs of the Times, May 16, 1895.##]. That’s why only He can declare, “Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Rev. 14:12).

In another statement Ellen White describes how imperceptible, yet very real, will be the reflection of Christ’s character in the lives of those who submit fully to His will:

It is the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, which Jesus said He would send into the world, that changes our character into the image of Christ; and when this is accomplished, we reflect, as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord. That is, the character of the one who beholds Christ is so like His, that one looking at Him sees Christ’s own character shining out as from a mirror. Imperceptibly to ourselves we are changed day by day from our own ways and will into the ways and will of Christ, into the loveliness of His character. Thus we grow up into Christ, and unconsciously reflect His image [##24|——SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1097.##].

Thus the perfectionism condemned by Ellen White involves claiming to be sinless, not believing that we can in fact become sinless on earth through heaven’s power. Claiming versus being is the key to understanding Ellen White’s statements about sinlessness and the earthly believer.

2. Trusting one’s natural affections and desires. Perfectionism as defined by Ellen White in the above statement includes the belief that one’s feelings can be so purified here on earth as to become trustworthy. But while the affections and desires of the lower nature are not a source of guilt in themselves (James 1:14-15), they must nevertheless be subdued by the higher nature (I Cor. 9:27) [##25|——Ministry of Healing, p. 130; Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 114; The Adventist Home, pp. 127-128; Messages to Young People, p. 237; Review and Herald, Aug. 11, 1887.##]—a victory demonstrated for the Christian in the life and experience of Jesus (Luke 22:42; John 5:30; Rom. 8:3-4; 15:3; Heb. 2:14-17; 4:15). We’ll address these points further in this series of articles in our discussion of the nature of sin and the human nature of Christ.

According to the writings of Ellen White, the struggle against the fleshly nature will continue till Jesus comes [##26|——Acts of the Apostles, pp. 560-561; Counsels to Teachers, p. 20; Prophets and Kings, p. 84; SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 1032; Selected Messages, vol. 2, p. 33.##]. By contrast, the perfectionism condemned by Ellen White in the above statements promised its adherents a purification of their fleshly urges so that these could be safely trusted. The Bible/Spirit of Prophecy doctrine of divinely-empowered sinless conduct teaches no such thing.

3. “Only believe” as the condition of salvation. Here again the advocates of the “perfectionism” described by Ellen White departed from inspired teaching. Both Scripture and the writings of Ellen White are clear that both forgiveness for our sinful past and practical obedience accomplished through divine grace are the prescribed conditions for Biblical salvation (Rom. 3:24; Eph. 1:7; Matt. 7:20; 19:16-26; Luke 10:25-28; Rom. 2:6-10; 8:3; Heb. 5:9) [##27|——The Desire of Ages, p. 523; Testimonies, vol. 2, pp. 561,679,694; Signs of the Times, Nov. 24, 1887; Dec. 15, 1887; Nov. 15, 1899; Review and Herald, June 22, 1890; Oct. 26, 1897; June 26, 1900; SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, pp. 920,972; This Day With God, p. 72; From the Heart, p. 181; Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, pp. 73-74.##].

Conclusion

In light of the above, to define perfectionism as was done in one of the lectures under review in this article—as the belief that “humans can become absolutely (or completely) sinless” [28]—is both false and confusing. In speaking negatively of perfectionism, Ellen White is describing a teaching fundamentally different from what Scripture, her own writings, and the vast majority of Adventist Last Generation Theology advocates have taught since the start of our history, and continue to teach today.

The lecturers in question are correct that the terminology used by both sides in the Last Generation controversy is both the same in many respects, but defined differently by the respective camps. If unity is to be achieved by God’s people on this or any other subject, language used by the inspired writings must be defined by those writings themselves. In Ellen White’s words:

The testimonies themselves will be the key that will explain the messages given, as scripture is explained by scripture [##29|——White, Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 42.##].

REFERENCES

1. Jiri Moskala and John C. Peckham (eds.), God’s Character and the Last Generation (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press Publishing Assn, 2018); George R. Knight, End-Time Events and the Last Generation: The Explosive 1950s (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press Publishing Assn, 2018); Martin F. Hanna, Darius W. Jankewicz, and John W. Reeve (eds.), Salvation: Contours of Adventist Soteriology (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 2018).

2. Moskala, “God’s Character and the Last Generation,” Part 2, 0.30 http://www.lastgenerationforchrist.org/articles

3. Ibid, 0.59.

4. Ibid, 1:02, 1:40.

5. Ellen G. White, Fundamentals of Christian Education, pp. 187-188; Counsels to Teachers, p. 462; Our High Calling, p. 207; Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 171; vol. 8, p. 157; Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 42; Loma Linda Messages, p. 55; Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, p. 346.

6. Moskala, “God’s Character and the Last Generation,” Part 2, 1:05 http://www.lastgenerationforchrist.org/articles

7. Ibid, 11.00.

8. Kevin D. Paulson, What is . . . Last Generation Theology? (Ukiah, CA: Last Generation for Christ Publications, 2021), p. 5.

9. Moskala, “God’s Character and the Last Generation,” Part 2, 3:30

http://www.lastgenerationforchrist.org/articles

10. Peckham, “God’s Character and the Last Generation,” Part 1, 9:44 http://www.lastgenerationforchrist.org/articles

11. White, Early Writings, pp. 101-102.

12. ----Life Sketches, pp. 83-84.

13. ----Evangelism, p. 385.

14. ----Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 83.

15. ----Review and Herald, Sept. 27, 1906.

16. ----Youth’s Instructor, April 16, 1903.

17. ----Signs of the Times, June 17, 1903.

18. Ibid, Aug. 9, 1905.

19. ----Review and Herald, April 1, 1902.

20. ----Selected Messages, vol. 3, p. 360.

21. Ibid, p. 355.

22. ----Signs of the Times, May 16, 1895.

23. Ibid.

24. ----SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1097.

25. ----Ministry of Healing, p. 130; Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 114; The Adventist Home, p. 127-128; Messages to Young People, p. 237; Review and Herald, Aug. 11, 1887.

26. ----Acts of the Apostles, pp. 560-561; Prophets and Kings, p. 84; Counsels to Teachers, p. 20; SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 1032; Selected Messages, vol. 2, p. 33.

27. ----The Desire of Ages, p. 523; Testimonies, vol. 2, pp. 561,679,694; Signs of the Times, Nov. 24, 1887; Dec. 15, 1887; Nov. 15, 1899; Review and Herald, June 22, 1890; Oct. 26, 1897; June 26, 1900; SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, pp. 920,972; This Day With God, p. 72; From the Heart, p. 181; Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, pp. 73-74.

28. Peckham, “God’s Character and the Last Generation,” Part 1, 9:44 http://www.lastgenerationforchrist.org/articles

29. White, Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 42.

Pastor Kevin Paulson holds a Bachelor’s degree in theology from Pacific Union College, a Master of Arts in systematic theology from Loma Linda University, and a Master of Divinity from the SDA Theological Seminary at Andrews University. He served the Greater New York Conference of Seventh-day Adventists for ten years as a Bible instructor, evangelist, and local pastor. He writes regularly for Liberty magazine and does script writing for various evangelistic ministries within the denomination. He continues to hold evangelistic and revival meetings throughout the North American Division and beyond, and is a sought-after seminar speaker relative to current issues in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He presently resides in Berrien Springs, Michigan