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I want to talk about Complexity and Simplicity, what these words mean, and how they are sometimes misused by some in order to accept false teachings, or to reject true ones.

Here are some things we know about the truth, and about the message of the Gospel that we are tasked with teaching to the world.

We say that it must be easy to understand, and we use verses like this one to support the principle: “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” (2Cor 11:3)

We say that the true Gospel is simple enough, in fact, that even a child can understand it. We read, “And Yahshua called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Mat 18:2, 3)

We talk about the “wisdom of the world” as an enemy of spiritual teachings, citing verses like, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” (Col 2:8)

Unfortunately, some have perverted the very real and useful principles here. These verses tell us that we must be open, as a child would be, to new information. We must be able to understand, and explain the truth as it is in Yahshua to anyone, regardless of their level of education or experience. The way that the world thinks is often contrary to divine wisdom, because its assumptions are misinformed, and its motives are impure.

This does not mean, however, that human reason, that human intelligence, is contrary to the will of God. In many places, Christianity is seen as being anti-intellectual, and overly suspicious of scientific discoveries… and it certainly can be at times. But that is not what our Father intended. Here is what the Scriptures say, in a general and universally applicable sense, about simplicity: “The simple believeth every word, but the prudent man looketh well to his going.” (Pro 14:15) It is not right or safe for a Christian to believe every claim he hears, but he is obligated to investigate what the Spirit tells him is important. “For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.” (Pro 1:32) It is possible to be too simple to be discerning, and too naïve, too unlearned, to be an effective representative of Christ. What we must resist at all cost is deliberate, willing, ignorance of anything important to our growth and sanctification. To that end, and perhaps most importantly, we read, “The Law of Yahweh is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of Yahweh is sure, making wise the simple.” (Psalm 19:7)

“Making wise the simple.” I see a parallel here between wisdom and repentance from sin. CSDAs are often misunderstood, because we claim to have complete victory over sin. Those who have not experienced the freedom that we proclaim will say, “If you have overcome sin, you are claiming that you no longer need Christ,” or more simply, “Nobody who is truly humble will say that they have victory over sin.”

They will sometimes point out this passage in support of their position: “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto Heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other, for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” (Luke 18:10-14)

They will say, “You see, the one who claimed to be righteous was actually arrogant, and the one who was truly justified claimed the title of sinner.” What they are ignoring is that this is a passage describing a point in time, and not a description of any ongoing condition. The publican who prayed for mercy did so on behalf of the sins he had committed, but does not describe himself, nor does the Bible describe him, as a continuing or perpetual sinner. The one who humbled himself was justified, according to Yahshua. That is a change. Did he, after being justified, continue to smite himself on the chest and say, “I am a sinner?”

He could not do so without rejecting the very mercy for which he prayed. It is the mercy of Yahweh that invites us to be sinners no more, but saints instead. Those who are free do not claim to be prisoners. Those who are healed do not claim to be sick. Those who know they are justified claim that they are justified. The Pharisee claimed righteousness because he was self-deceived. He had not recognized his need. Should the humble publican accept that he had been made righteous in Christ, as the Scriptures say we are when we are born again, he might say the same words as the Pharisee. Indeed, to the outward appearance, the next day both men may say almost the very same thing… The publican might be mistaken as having the same arrogance as the Pharisee, but one would be exalted by Yahweh because he humbled himself, while the other would be merely engaging in self-exaltation. The Pharisee would claim righteousness, as he did in his prayer, based on his own works and qualities, while the publican would claim instead, “I have been made righteous, not because of what I have done, but because of God’s mercy.”

The people of Yahweh are humble. They are teachable. They are to be “simple” in the sense of desiring plain and easily understood truth concerning spiritual things. But they do not stay there. They grow and mature, no longer relying on merely the milk of foundational teachings. The sinner who repents is no longer called a “sinner” in the Courts of Heaven. The simple man, the foolish man, the naïve man, who comes to the Law of Yahweh is no longer called “simple,” but becomes wise. We are transformed by our experience with our Father; we do not remain as we are when we first came to Him.

Why am I bringing this up? It is because we are going to encounter this argument as we explain the Scriptures. Those who are unwilling to learn will reject truth, and they will attempt to cast the blame for their rejection on the messenger. In one place, Ellen White writes about an “Elijah to come,” a teacher that will prepare the way for the return of Christ, and she indicates that his opponents will criticize him, saying, “Let me tell you how to teach your message.” The critics of the modern Eli-yah people resist what we teach, saying of some things, “No, this cannot be the truth. The truth is to be simple, and your message is too learned, too scholarly, too intellectual, to be valid.”

The truth is simple enough that even a child can grasp it… this is true. Every teaching, every principle, and every conclusion, is simple enough that a child or an uneducated hearer can take it, digest it, and apply it. This does not mean that every argument in favor of that truth can be understood by children or the unlearned.

Consider the Sabbath issue. That is a simple teaching. We believe that God blessed the seventh day, and made it holy. We believe He invited Adam, and through Adam all mankind, to rest and rejoice with the Heavenly Family during those sacred hours. We keep it, because God blessed it and invited us to participate in His blessing. That is simple, isn’t it? That is easy enough to understand for an infant, isn’t it?

But against that simple truth, Satan has made arguments… hard arguments, complicated arguments, scholarly arguments, theologically sophisticated arguments, that attempt to teach us that the blessing of the Sabbath has been shifted from the last day of the week to the first, or that it is now a “fluid” blessing that we can apply to any day, or that it has been abolished altogether at the cross. It doesn’t matter which error we accept; Satan is equally happy with any conclusion that would deprive us of this significant and necessary blessing.

Would we expect a child to hear Satan’s arguments and say, “No, that’s wrong, because in Greek, the word Sabbatismos means, ‘To keep the Sabbath day?’” To meet a complex argument, sometimes a complex response is needed. To deal with misunderstandings that arise from the doctrines of devils, poor translations, and even honest mistakes, we must investigate. We have tools, we have resources, and we would be poor stewards of the Gospel if we did not use them to defend the truth against those who have the subtlety of the very serpent that beguiled Eve.

Not everyone is going to be a scholar. Not everyone is going to specialize in doctrinal defenses and apologetics… but that is why we have a Church Family. That is why some have the gift of speaking, others of teaching, others of finding gems of truth in old, dusty documents from hundreds of years ago. Nobody is called to walk the narrow path on their own. Because we are a Family, because we are united in Christ, the blessings of one become the blessings of all, and every one of us benefits from the gifts given to each of us. This is really about unity, this teaching that seems to be about defending against error.

When it works this way, when the Church is united, and everyone is using the gifts that the Father and Son have granted, there can be no deceiving of the saints. Satan’s temptations in the last days are said to be so powerful that they would “seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.” (Mark 13:22) Have you wondered why the elect escape? It is because they stand together. As I pointed out a study or two ago, the Book of Revelation uniformly represents the saints overcoming the Beast and its image, the Dragon, the False Prophet, and Babylon, as a single Body, whether symbolized by a woman standing on the sun, or a single nation that is drawn together from many languages, cultures, and homelands. It is the unity of the believers that armors them against the last, most terrible attacks of Satan, because where one brother is weak, another is strong. Where one sister has a need, another has an abundance. It is our unity that Satan cannot overcome, because some are eyes, therefore the entire Body can see. Some are ears, and so the entire Body can hear. Some are hands and feet, and so the entire Body can go forth and do righteousness.

Some are called by Yahweh to hear and understand the errors of false teachers, and the complicated attacks, and to say, “No, here is why the simple, easy-to-understand conclusions are correct. Here is why the little children can trust in the Gospel message with their naïve faith. Here is why the foolish and often-erring will not make a mistake on the Highway of Holiness…”

Simplicity is not always a sign of truth. Someone may say, “My Bible tells me that a man named Lazarus died and went straight to Heaven in Luke 16, and a rich man went straight to burning in Hell, so that is what I believe.” It is true that the passage says those things, but it is also true that this passage is a parable that Yahshua spoke in public, where He always spoke in parables, (Mat 13:34) in order to illustrate a teaching about the importance of compassion.

Someone may say, “My Bible tells me that ‘if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,’ so it is okay if I sin once in a while.” That is not what John means in that passage. Someone else may say, “My Bible says ‘Thou shalt not kill,’ so anything that may be labeled as ‘killing’ is contrary to the Law of God.”

These are all simple arguments – but the conclusions here are based on ignorance of context or an inaccurate translation from the original wording used by the authors. The explanations for these things, which make them consistent with other verses in the Bible and edifying to the Church and its saints, is not necessarily going to be a one-sentence answer. It takes an examination of the passages, an accurate concordance, perhaps… and certainly an openness to understand what Yahweh is truly telling us through these verses. Some things can be complex. Some true things can be complex.

So no, simplicity is not always a sign of truth, and complexity is not always a sign of error. If the reasoning is sound, and the conclusions are simple and consistent, then that is often an indication of a proper understanding of the teachings. Unfortunately, those who are not open to the truth, and not willing to repent of error, often have an easy, and righteous-sounding excuse to avoid the voice of the reformer.

Simplicity does not mean ignoring facts. Simplicity does not mean turning away from explanations that seem to be too complex at first glance. Simplicity does not mean relying on the traditional reading of a cherished passage, for example, when there are good reasons to look deeper.

I remember once I was in a Sunday-keeping chatroom as a relatively new CSDA. I was speaking to an individual who seemed very proud of his learning. He had apparently read a great deal of Christian literature about why the first day of the week was the right one for observing sacred time, and I was questioning him on the validity of some of his conclusions.

I remember that at one point he quoted a Bible passage to me, although I don’t remember which one, and I replied by saying, “It is true that it says that in English, but in the Greek, what it means is…”

His reply was that it was a sign of weakness – a poor argument – that I had to “go to the Greek,” rather than relying on the plain and simple English of the Bible that we both read. Now, that sounds like a really good way to reject what I was saying. It can appeal quite effectively to those with an irrational fear of being misled by worldly wisdom. But it is not worldly wisdom that seems to look deeper into the Scriptures as they came forth from the pens of their authors. Am I claiming, arrogantly, to understand the Bible better than the learned men, the translators, who devoted their lives to Biblical languages, and who carefully and wisely chose the best possible wording in English to express the will of the divine mind?

Well… I am not claiming it arrogantly, but the Scriptures do say this: “Thou through Thy Commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Thy precepts.” (Psalm 119:98-100)

Motive can affect perception, and the application of wisdom. If a Bible translator was a Sunday-keeper, he might be ever so honest, but his beliefs will affect the way he sees the Scriptures. Because the commandments are easy to understand, because the meaning of the Law is plain, and simple, those who defend it, and its proper application, are going to be correct. Yahweh blessed the seventh day at the very beginning; that is why the fourth commandment says to remember it. Any argument that seeks to undermine this simple truth, whether it sounds very complicated, or whether it sounds very simple, is going to be wrong. Because I spoke on behalf of the blessing of my Father, my understanding was true. Even though this person’s argument seemed superior because of its simplicity, saying, “I am just reading what the Bible says,” because it runs contrary to the meaning of the commandment, it is incorrect. Because he was not willing to examine the matter honestly, this person remained in his trespasses and sins.

The truth is, I always hesitate to bring up an argument based on language, on a translation issue. I don’t like to say that any version of the Bible is inaccurate, because I think that this can lay a stumbling-block before some people… but it is a fact, it is objective reality, that not all Bible translations are accurate, or even correct, in every passage. Sometimes it is just a matter of incompleteness. It is sometimes necessary to explain what the Bible means by the “Sabbath,” that it occurs during the hours from evening on Fridays to evenings on Saturdays (and yes, ancient writers like Josephus actually do tell us when it begins and ends in more than one passage). It is sometimes necessary to examine the languages of the original authors to explain that “Thou shalt not kill” does not apply to self-defense, the execution of criminals, or warfare, or else all of Ancient Israel would be commandment-breakers for obeying Yahweh’s own prophets.

And I am comforted that the Bible’s own authors will do this from time to time, reflecting on the true meaning of a word in its original language in order to explain a teaching. John does this in several places. He writes, for example, “Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water. Whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.” (John 5:2-4) Why is that important? It’s important because a reader who understands Hebrew would realize that this word, Bethesda, means both “House of Mercy” and “Flowing Water.” It explains where the tradition began, that the water flowing out of this pool represented mercy, and relief from suffering, and why it is written that an angel would at times stir the water, giving it healing properties. This would seem like an incredibly out of place activity for an angel to engage in, this random bit of ministry, but Yahshua never corrected those waiting for the stirring of the water, He only presented Himself as the superior means of relief. There are things written in the Bible that describe unique and wonderful little situations like this, just to remind us, perhaps, that none of us have the full picture of what our Father is doing on the earth for those who believe in Him.

In another place, Matthew, Mark and John point out that the place of crucifixion is called Golgotha in Hebrew, and they explain to their not-exclusively-Jewish readers that it means “The place of the skull.” (Mat 27:33, Mark 15:22: John 19:17)

In yet another place, perhaps even more relevant to the point I am making, John writes, “And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.” (Rev 9:11) John is describing some of the symbols in his grand visions of the end of the world, and he is here identifying the king of some demonic figures sent to trouble the earth. He gives the name in Hebrew and also in Greek, and I believe there is a reason for this.

In Greek mythology Apollyon, or more commonly Apollo, is the god of the sun, as well as prophecy, music, cattle, and also punishment for crimes and sins. He was associated with several other mythological figures, and generally speaking, there was a lot of “borrowing” back and forth between religions regarding who the various divine figures were, and what they did. John is seeing a figure, an angel over a bottomless pit, that could be seen, perhaps identified, as this Greek god. In order to make it clear that he is not describing mythology, but is prophesying actual events involving actual spiritual beings, he says, “This is Abaddon.”

By invoking the Hebrew name for this being, John is identifying him as a specific figure that would be familiar to Jewish readers who know their Old Testament. “Destruction [Abaddon] and death say, ‘We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.’” (Job 28:22) “Hell and destruction [Abaddon] are before Yahweh; how much more, then, the hearts of the children of men?” (Pro 15:11)

Demons impersonating pagan gods, and identifying themselves with abstract principles such as destruction, lust, envy, wrath, and so on are familiar themes in both the wording of the Bible, and ancient and more modern commentaries. In using the language of the Old Testament in describing his vision, John is calling upon very deliberate imagery, and avoiding unnecessary misunderstandings.

There are times when we must do the same. There are times when, even at the risk of challenging those who prefer the “simple” approach, we must examine the context and language of Bible verses in order to avoid being misled by the traditions of men. In a way, it is unfortunate that it is necessary. Yahweh has perfectly preserved His Word, but He has not made every human language adequate to perfectly express His every thought. Remember, the multitude of languages that we now have is the result of a curse, a judgment. As much as I enjoy learning about different languages, I do not forget that they were intended to confuse mankind so that we would not try to build towers to Heaven. (Gen 11:1-19) We cannot, therefore, expect to fully grasp all that divine literature has to offer without doing some work.

We are not handed every doctrine on a silver platter, but we are given the tools necessary to comprehend them. We are given brethren, and resources, so that none need err. But this is not an invitation to spiritual laziness. Those who wish to understand are promised that they will, not because they lean back passively and open their ears, but because their desire to know drives them to search out those things that are hidden. The Prophet Daniel, who well knew our Heavenly Father, said of Him, “He revealeth the deep and secret things; He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him.” (Dan 2:22)

Jeremiah said of those corrupted by error, “And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of My people, to swear by My name, Chai-Yahweh [Yahweh Liveth], as they taught My people to swear by Ba’al, then shall they be built in the midst of My people.” (Jer 12:16) To Yahweh’s people directly, Jeremiah says this on His behalf, “And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.” (Jer 29:13)

What false god ever said those words? What pagan deceiver ever had a messenger write this? The demons pretending to be the gods of the ancient world demanded blood, sacrifice, gold and silver. These things were all a part of the Hebrew religion as well, but Yahweh has always made it known that His worship is not about these things themselves… It is about a repentant heart, a willingness to be purified, and a desire to be perfected. (Isa 1:10-20; Mic 6:7, 8) With these, He brings forth His light into the world, and prepares a people to stand in the judgment.

But it requires diligence. It requires dedication. It requires wisdom, which He supplies in abundance to all who request it. (James 1:5) It requires a steadfast commitment to learning all the truth that He has for us, and turning away from nothing without an honest examination.

As Creation Seventh Day Adventists, we have run away from no doctrinal position, however strange it may have seemed to us at first. We have examined Lunar Sabbaths. We have examined the “God never kills or destroys” doctrine. We have looked at the teachings of the Shepherd’s Rod, the SDA Reform Movement, and a multitude of ideas presented by various teachers, and even independent ministries, which we believe are doing harm to the cause of the Gospel of Christ. We do not despite the message merely because we disagree with the methods of the messenger. We want to know the truth, so we compare teachings and traditions with Scripture… but rarely have we found any light where the Commandments of Yahweh and the Faith of Yahshua are not valued and firmly embraced. Rarely have we found truth among those who turn away from the message of righteousness by faith, and from accepting the light that has thus far been shown to us.

We have learned truth where truth was found, and we have been faithful to our covenant with the Father and Son. Because of that, our teachings are simple, and easy enough to understand that a child may grasp them. This does not mean that every argument, or defense of a teaching is simple. Sometimes they get complicated, as the writings of Paul are complicated. Sometimes they are difficult for people to understand, as the Spirit of Prophecy writings are sometimes difficult to understand. Sometimes they rely on an examination of the Bible’s languages, as the writings of John sometimes do in order to be properly understood. Sometimes they involve looking at, and occasionally rejecting, the theology of early Christian writers, because what they understood to be true in their day has been contradicted by the steadily increasing light.

In all this, we are in Sabbath. We are at peace. We are not distressed when a matter comes to us that may seem to be challenging, or might even require a change in what we accept as true. We would never say, “That is too simple to be true,” or “That is too complicated to be true.” That is not a declaration made by the diligent mind intent on discovering the will of Yahweh.

Our experience is that, as a Church, we run to the light. We do not consider the consequences of our decision, only that our decision is the right one, because we do always those things that please our Father. We are willing to, and those among us have had to, give up family, friends, respect, reputation, and the comfort of familiar traditions. We have come out of fellowships that were not interested in advancing with the light from Heaven, or that have fallen to corruption and sin. Our concern is not the approval of men, or the acknowledgement of those who seem to be great teachers of the Bible. Our concern is the smile of our Father, and the acceptance of our Savior. And so, we run to the light. We accept the challenges as they lie before us, even if it requires us to accept what the world now considers to be strange or unpopular positions.

We ignore no facts, whether they are discovered in vision, or in the halls of human research. We pray for discernment to know when we are being presented with the truth, and when we are being subjected to cunningly devised fables. And we have the discernment we request, because that is our Father’s promise, that as a People, as a united Family, we stand against the Beast and its image, and in Yahshua’s name, we overcome.

Let us continue to walk forward in the light, inviting others to come along with us, and teaching them how to know, how to trust their very souls, to the truth that our Father reveals through His various channels for the sanctification and maturation of His People. I conclude with the promise, again, from Jeremiah, that despite the sometimes intimidating complexity, and the sometimes underappreciated simplicity, of the truth, He tells us, “And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.” (Jer 29:13) Set your heart to this purpose, and you will stand with the saints on the Sea of Glass in the days to come.

David.

An Enduring Witness

“The Jews tried to stop the proclamation of the message that had been predicted in the Word of God; but prophecy must be fulfilled. The Lord says, ‘Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord’ (Malachi 4:5). Somebody is to come in the spirit and power of Elijah, and when he appears, men may say, ‘You are too earnest, you do not interpret the Scriptures in the proper way. Let me tell you how to teach your message.’” [Selected Messages, Book 1, p. 412]

“In places where the truth is not known, brethren who are adapted to the work, might hire a hall, or some other suitable place to assemble, and gather together all who will come. Then let them instruct the people in the truth. They need not sermonize, but take the Bible, and let God speak directly out of his word. If there is only a small number present, they can read a “Thus saith the Lord,” without a great parade or excitement; just read and explain the simple gospel truth, and sing and pray with them.” [Acts of The Apostles, p. 90]

“We should learn to use the Word of God skillfully. The exhortation is, ‘Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.’ There must be diligent work and earnest prayer and faith to meet the winding error of false teachers and seducers; for ‘in the last days perilous times shall come.’” [The Review and Herald, January 10, 1888]

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