And the Spirit & the bride say, come.... Reveaaltion 22:17

And the Spirit & the bride say, come.... Reveaaltion 22:17
And the Spirit & the bride say, come...Revelation 22:17 - May We One Day Bow Down In The DUST At HIS FEET ...... {click on blog TITLE at top to refresh page}---QUESTION: ...when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? LUKE 18:8

Friday, August 25, 2017

SDA Issues - Johnsson & PUC

"On August 1, Brad Newton (Ministerial Secretary of the Pacific Union (PUC)) sent a copy of the book "Where Are We Headed?" (William G. Johnsson) to every pastor in the PUC.

In the book, Johnsson decries the recent General Conference Session vote on female ordination,
saying that he is "ashamed of what happened there."  By his own admission, he "moped and grumped around the house" for a couple weeks after the GC Session--such was his resentment towards the vote outcome.

Johnsson is also critical of General Conference leadership---which we might expect from someone who resents the outcome of three GC votes.  But, I have a question.  Where, in all the rhetoric, is the spirit of Paul--who acknowledges that he besought the Lord three times and then humbly accepted the outcome? (2 Corinthians 12:18).  

Johnson enthusiastically criticizes the Church's teaching on "Remnant Theology" (calling it "remnant arrogance") and denounces fundamentalism (code for non-progressivism) and "flat literalism" being used to read Scripture.  Under such criticisms, lies a stratum of academic snobbery which stubbornly clings to the notion that Adventist elites have the final word on theology.  "You wanna know what the Bible means?  I'll tell you!  I have the training.  I have the authority."  

In page 120 his book, Johnsson is openly appreciative of a theology teacher that he had at Andrews Seminary (Dr. Sakae Kubo).  Kubo, was eventually removed from classroom teaching by Dr. Richard Hammill due to a plethora of complaints about his liberal approach to Scripture.   Says Johnsson:
"I will always be grateful for those classes [liberal hermeneutic] from Kubo.  Not only did they open my eyes, they fixed in me a determination to be true to the text, listening to what it says and let the chips fall where they may."
I can tell you where some of those chips have fallen.  Dr. Sakae Kubo's approach to Scripture has led him to endorse homosexuality:
The Church should get rid of the statement, “We hate the sin but love the sinner,” with respect to alternative sexualities and should treat everyone the same. The church must let people do what is natural for them — even if that means marrying someone of the same sex."  Fulcrum7

 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,...
1 Timothy 4:1