Consistent Christianity May Require Changing Doctrine

Men generally prefer traditional Creeds and Statements of Faith, because they give the benefit of safety in a verifiable agreement with a greater body of Godly men. "In the multitude of counsellors there is safety" (Proverbs 11:14).

This doctrinal agreement is not just convenient, but essential in maintaining consistent conduct; however, with the greatest caution and reverence for the opinions of great and good men of the past, "we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20) of the Holy Spirit, as He has illuminated His Word-- even if it may contradict, much less improve upon the understanding of our predecessors, who are rightly and justly esteemed.

"But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the Perfect Day" (Proverbs 4:18). For example, I humbly believe it to be a mistake to conclude that we cannot have any idea of the timing of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ-- though we may not necessarily have any specific date or time-- just because the Early Church was specifically denied the privilege of knowing such information.

"6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of Him, saying, LORD, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

7And He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His Own power" (Acts 1:6-7).

It appears that the LORD Jesus was more desirous of their planting, spreading, and watering the Primitive Church, than wanting them to set down and wait for the unveiling of the Kingdom, for He immediately gives them the same Great Commission marching orders that are in effect today. "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the Earth" (Acts 1:8).

We will surely bear the blame and condemnation of a Holy God for confusing and impeding the progress of the people of God for teaching False Doctrine. "My brethren, be not many masters [Greek, didaskaloi, teachers], knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation" (James 3:1).

Just as we have the power of great harm, we have the opportunity of great good-- and, we are held accountable for our opportunities. "Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required" (Luke 12:48). This writer, who has the utmost respect for Charles G. Finney's Lectures on Systematic Theology(1851), must differ with his understanding of Bible Prophecy in regards to the progress of the Church before Christ's Return. Brother Finney put forth the optimistic view that the enlightenment of the Gospel through the Church will ultimately fill the whole Earth, to which I agree.

But, unlike Brother Finney, I believe that the LORD Jesus Christ will, of necessity, have to return first before such an agreed upon Worldwide Victory for the Gospel of Christ and for the Worldwide Rule of the Law of Love to occur-- though we are all still required to give our lives and utmost in trying to bring it about. In the Autobiography of Charles G. Finney, originally entitled the Memoirs of Charles G. Finney, he recorded in Chapter 27 ("Another Winter in Boston") an interview he had with an American Baptist preacher, William Miller (1782-1849)-- whose preaching prompted the founding of Seventh Day Adventism-- in the fall of 1843. Let it be stated that Finney believed in the Doctrine of the Millennium:

"The state of the world is still such, and probably will be till the millennium is fully come, that religion must be mainly promoted by means of revivals" (excerpted from Charles G. Finney's Revival Lectures, Lecture I, "What a Revival of Religion Is"). Accordingly, his disagreement with William Miller was not simply over Miller's date setting-- Miller's first date, March 21, 1843 was later revised to October 22, 1844 (the Great Disappointment)-- but indicates Brother Finney's disagreement with William Miller's Premillennialism, i.e., that the Second Coming will immediately precede the Millennium. This indicates that Finney had a disposition towards Postmillennialism, i.e., that the Church will usher in the Golden Days of the Millennium before the Second Coming of Christ to Earth occurs.

Finney recounted his interview with William Miller in Chapter 27 of his Autobiography: "In the fall of 1843, I was called again to Boston. At my last visit there, it was the time of the greatest excitement in Boston, on the subject of the second advent of Christ.

Mr. Miller, who was at the head of the movement, was there lecturing... The last time that I had attended his Bible class, he was inculcating the doctrine that Christ would come personally, and destroy his enemies, in 1843. He gave what he called an exposition of the prophecy of Daniel, on the subject.

["34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.

35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the Whole Earth.

44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of Heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever" (Daniel 2:34-35, 44).]

He said, the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, that rolled down and destroyed the image there spoken of, was Christ... I then asked him if he supposed that the kingdom of God would destroy those nations, in the sense in which he taught that they would be destroyed, with the sword, or with making war upon them? He said, no, he could not believe that.

I then inquired, 'Is it not the overthrow of the governments that is intended, instead of the destruction of the people? And is not this to be done, by the influence of the church of God, in enlightening their minds by the Gospel? And if this is the meaning, where is the foundation for your teaching, that, at a certain time, Christ is coming in person to destroy all the peoples of the earth?'... Believing, as they most certainly did, that the advent of Christ was at hand, it was no wonder that they were too wild with excitement, to be reasoned with to any purpose."

Later, Miller humbly acknowledged his error. "Were I to live my life over again, with the same evidence that I then had, to be honest with God and man, I should have to do as I have done. I confess my error, and acknowledge my disappointment" (Memoirs of William Miller, Sylvester Bliss, p. 256).

"And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men" (Acts 24:16).

Though his preaching gained the profession of Ellen G. White, she-- not he-- is the spiritual founder of Seventh Day Adventism. "Render therefore to all their dues" (Romans 13:7).

Seventh Day Adventism does have its doctrinal errors, but William Miller did not contribute to them with his teaching on the Premillennial Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Before Miller, few churches emphasized the Early Church's Doctrine of Premillennialism. It took a Sensationally Wrong Date to get attention for the Sensationally Significant Doctrine of the Premillennial Second Coming of Jesus Christ. A British writer aptly recorded: "We shall all, under Christ, be indebted to Mr. Miller, even if the Lord shall not come in 1843" (from the Christian Messenger and Reformer, 1843, Froom, Vol. 4, p. 716).

"27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are" (1Corinthians 1:27-28).

Returning to Charles G. Finney and the fact that Consistent Christianity may require changing doctrine, Finney recorded a most appropriate passage that illustrates the need to "grow in Grace, and in the knowledge of our LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2Peter 3:18) in the Preface to his Lectures on Systematic Theology (1851): " I have not yet been able to stereotype my theological views, and have ceased to expect ever to do so. The idea is preposterous. None but an omniscient mind can continue to maintain a precise identity of views and opinions.

Finite minds, unless they are asleep or stultified by prejudice, must advance in knowledge. The discovery of new truth will modify old views and opinions, and there is perhaps no end to this process with finite minds in any world. True Christian consistency does not consist in stereotyping our opinions and views, and in refusing to make any improvement lest we should be guilty of change, but it consists in holding our minds open to receive the rays of truth from every quarter and in changing our views and language and practice as often and as fast, as we can obtain further information. I call this Christian consistency, because this course alone accords with a Christian profession.

A Christian profession implies the profession of candour and of a disposition to know and obey all truth. It must follow, that Christian consistency implies continued investigation and change of views and practice corresponding with increasing knowledge. No Christian, therefore, and no theologian should be afraid to change his views, his language, or his practices in conformity with increasing light. The prevalence of such a fear would keep the world, at best, at a perpetual stand-still, on all subjects of science, and consequently all improvements would be precluded. Every uninspired attempt to frame for the church an authoritative standard of opinion which shall be regarded as an unquestionable exposition of the word of God, is not only impious in itself, but it is also a tacit assumption of the fundamental dogma of Papacy.

The Assembly of Divines did more than to assume the necessity of a Pope to give law to the opinions of men; they assumed to create an immortal one, or rather to embalm their own creed, and preserve it as the Pope of all generations: or it is more just to say, that those who have adopted that confession of faith and catechism as an authoritative standard of doctrine, have absurdly adopted the most obnoxious principle of Popery, and elevated their confession and catechism to the Papal throne and into the place of the Holy Ghost. That the instrument framed by that assembly should in the nineteenth century be recognized as the standard of the church, or of an intelligent branch of it, is not only amazing, but I must say that it is highly ridiculous. It is as absurd in theology as it would be in any other branch of science, and as injurious and stultifying as it is absurd and ridiculous. It is better to have a living than a dead Pope.

If we must have an authoritative expounder of the word of God, let us have a living one, so as not to preclude the hope of improvement. 'A living dog is better than a dead lion;' so a living Pope is better than a dead and stereotyped confession of faith, that holds all men bound to subscribe to its unalterable dogmas and its unvarying terminology... I hold myself sacredly bound, not to defend these positions at all events, but on the contrary, to subject every one of them to the most thorough discussion, and to hold and treat them as I would the opinions of any one else; that is, if upon further discussion and investigation I see no cause to change, I hold them fast; but if I can see a flaw in any one of them, I shall amend or wholly reject it, as a further light shall demand. Should I refuse or fail to do this, I should need to blush for my folly and inconsistency, for I say again, that true Christian consistency implies progress in knowledge and holiness, and such changes in theory and in practice as are demanded by increasing light."

Doctrine Not Lived is Doctrine Lost to You and Lost to Others

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