Camouflaged SEVENTH -DAY ADVENT ISM
Why I Renounced It, and Why YOU Should Shun It
By E. B. JONES
Believing it to be a part of the ministry of this magazine to ex pose false doctrines in Christian love, we announce a series of four articles from the pen of Mr. E. B. ■Jones, well-known authority and writer on the subject of Seventh- Day Adventism, formerly a mis sionary to India under the aus pices of this cult. Subsequent ar ticles will include Mr. Jones’ per sonal testimony. — Assoc. Editor
Bible-conflicting systems of religion cur rently on the scene. It is significant that when answering His disciples’ anxious inquiry, “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the . . . [age]?” , our Lord first pointed to an extraordinary, increas ing prevalence of deceit within religious circles, as evidence of the dispensation’s approaching end and of His imminent return. Note His words of explicit and solemn warning: “ Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many” (Matt. 24:4, 5). The religious pretenders depicted in our Saviour’s prophecy, also in the proph ecies of His apostles, certainly are in the world today; and their deluded fol lowers are “many,” indeed. All of these religious systems are, to some extent, characterized by deceit, but in none of them is the presence and practice of craft and cunning more conspicuous (to observers with “blessed” eyes) than in the cult known as Seventh-Day Advent ism. Any Bible-believing, Spirit-taught Christian who really observes Seventh- Day Adventism can readily detect there in its pious pretense — sanctimonious camouflage—in practically all phases of the movement’s varied and zealously promoted activities. In fact, undercover craftiness is an ingrained characteristic of the system. To quote a one-time lead er in it (ultimately delivered), “ There is (Continued on Page 17) Page Eleven Deception an Inherent Trait Of Seventh-Day Adventism
thus bringing on themselves swift destruction. Many people will follow their immoral ways, and because of them the true Way will be abused. In their greed they will exploit you with mes sages manufactured by themselves” (2 Pet. 2:1, Williams Tr.). How true to fact! How accurately de scriptive are both this concise historical account and this prophecy of conditions now prevailing within Christendom, in these perilous days of the end time! Crafty propagators of religious error are today operating on every hand, and to an amazing degree are successful in making “ disciples”—that is, proselytes. “By means of ingratiating talk and flat tery they deceive the minds of the un suspecting” (Rom. 16:18, Berkeley Tr.). “Many shall follow their pernicious ways” (2 Peter 2:2). An examination of the latest edition of Census of Reli gious Bodies, published by the Bureau of Census, U. S. Department of Com merce, furnishes evidence that more than fifty million persons in the United States are identified with the numerous
D ECEPTION behind the mask of religion is not by any means pecu liar to our day. Sanctimonious make-believe has prevailed in religious circles down through the ages. But, as a wide-awake Christian editor has re cently pointed out, “ Deceit in a big way has entered the realm of religion in our time. False religions have never before been so active nor so successful as they are today.” By the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul described the self-righteous impostors of his time as “false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ” (2 Cor. 11:13). And the Apostle Peter, also by the Holy Spirit, wrote both historically and pro phetically concerning this same class of religious deceivers: “ There were false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you too, who will insidi ously introduce destructive heresies and deny the Master who has bought them, J UL Y , 1 9 5 1
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