History
Adventists have traditionally taught that the Decalogue is part of the moral law of God which was not abrogated by the ministry and death of Jesus Christ. Therefore the fourth commandment concerning the Sabbath is as applicable to Christian believers as the other nine. Adventists have often taught a distinction between "moral law" and "ceremonial law". The moral law continues into the New Testament era, but the ceremonial law was done away with by Jesus.
How the law should be applied came up at the 1888 Minneapolis General Conference Session. A. T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner looked at the problem addressed by Paul in Galatians as not the ceremonial law, but rather the wrong use of the law (legalism). They were opposed by Uriah Smith and George Butler at the 1888 Conference. Smith in particular thought the Galatians issue had been settled by Ellen White already, yet in 1890 she claimed justification by faith is "the third angel’s message in verity."
Ellen White interpreted Colossians 2:14 as saying that the ceremonial law was nailed to the cross. However scholars today typically understand the Greek word cheirographon which was nailed to the cross to be the record of sin.
At the 1952 Bible Conference, Edward Heppenstall’s presentations on the Two Covenants became the normative interpretation on the topic in the denomination to the present day. Heppenstall emphasized the importance of the heart in obeying the Ten Commandments (a position earlier stated by Ellen G. White, but did not become normative until this point). Early Adventists had emphasized legalism (i.e. “obey and live”) and during the early twentieth-century had wandered into a dispensationalist view of the covenants (Old Covenant belonged to the Old Testament). Heppenstall taught that the old and New Covenants are part of an everlasting covenant.
The 1957 publication Questions on Doctrine was a pivotal publication in Adventist history. One follow-up article was "The Law in Adventist Theology and Christian Experience" by Edward Heppenstall.
In 1981 disfellowshipped Australian Adventist Robert Brinsmead published Sabbatarianism Re-examined in which he criticised the Sabbath, arguing the Ten Commandments are not all inclusive.
Norm Young wrote in 1989 that "current Adventist exegesis conceives of the law as a total religious system. The sharp distinction between moral and ceremonial law is denied." Young has published numerous articles on biblical law in reputable Christian theology journals.
Adventists in accordance with the food laws of Leviticus 11, are encouraged to not eat "unclean" meat, including pork and shellfish, yet other mosaic laws regarding clean and unclean are not considered binding. The civil laws regarding punishments for crime are also not considered binding. Adventists oppose homosexuality, which is only prohibited by the civil code of ancient Israel.
Read more about this topic: Biblical Law In Seventh-day Adventism
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