Decoding Jesus / SBPRA (ePub)

Decoding Jesus will forever change your view about Jesus! John Calvin (1509-1564) and Ellen G. White (1827-1915), though divergent in many ways, shared a pivotal common denominator: the Judeo-Christian Bible from Genesis to Revelation as a major template from which they reflected on the close connectedness and radical difference of God, human beings, and the created environment. Calvin encountered a theological conundrum. He was unaware that one cannot hold on to the 16th-century Reformation of employing the biblical historical timeline from Genesis to Revelation (as a reflexive scheme on God's four grand acts: creation, reconciliation [the cross/redemption], renewal [Pentecost/Holy Spirit] and fulfillment/end of time), whilst simultaneously embracing the classical first millennium Trinitarian view. Karl Barth, the great Swiss Reformed theologian of the early 20th century, was aware of Calvin's conundrum. Barth resolved that the dogma of the Trinity is not found in the Bible, but should be used as a good dogma operating as the main starting pattern of one's theology. How further can one go than Barth in giving the notion of the Trinity a biblical vote of no confidence? White treaded softly around the Trinity notion. Her vast ocean of voluminous writings is altogether devoid of the word Trinity. She visited Switzerland, and having read Calvin's doctrines, most likely saw Calvin and the Reformation's contradiction concerning the dogma of the Trinity, and wanted to avoid the same trap.