Things I have learned from this Board

On one of the SDA threads DHK asked if I had picked up any information from this board that brought me closer to a Baptist POV.

1. SDAs started their doctrinal views on the Sabbath based on input from Seventh-day Baptists. So it is hard to deny a Baptist influence from the very start.

2. SDAs already hold to the Trinity, Baptism by emmersion, Sola-Scriptura tests for all doctrine, taking the whole 66 set of books not just the 27 of the NT, No drugs or alcohol in the communion service, Communion as a symbol of Christ's death, almost identical church service as Southern Baptists etc.

3. SDAs pioneered the premillennial second coming concept in the 1800's in America and the Scientific Creation Research movement.

So lots of agreemnt with Baptists "to start with".

But since coming to this board I have picked up on some valuable information.

1. Total Depravity - I got a good look at what Calvinists teach here and I see a lot (but not all) in their Total Depravity argument that helps highlight the benefits and essential condition of the New Birth in making right choices.

My views were (and pretty much most SDA views still are) much closer to HP's views on this board when it comes to this topic.

However to HP's credit I have to say that the fact that Pharaoh's heart COULD be hardened (both by God and by him according to Exodus) means that even BEFORE the New Birth man is in a non-dead condition that can either choose the gospel or choose to be hardened. But I would argue that even that applicable-to-all condition exists only by Grace.

2. Soul Sleep.

The typical SDA illustration is that of a box with nails -- take out the nails and "no more box".

But as some on this board have pointed out "the PERSON sleeps" in death - which means that the PERSON exists though dormant.

not exactly immortal-soul-baptist but still not the "non-existant" argument of the box.

3. D.L Moody and the Ten Commandments

I did not know about his views on the Sabbath and the Ten commandments in general until I came here. He had a lot of good material and I now add his quotes to my list of documents.

4. Great Bible arguments - on a wide variety of topics posted by people here - many of which have contributed to my files either as "the best argument I have found against my view on xyz" or as "one of the best arguments in favor of xyz".

And of course - met a lot of great Christians on this board as well.

What say you - learned anything new while on this board?

in Christ,

Bob