Editorial by Pr. Larry Kirkpatrick published on GreatControversy.org December 11, 2003

QOD 2003 Annotated Edition Series

The Spurned Suitor Returns

There's someone at the door again.

Nervously He stands there. His frayed, plaid suit has been replaced. She remembers him in an embarrassing lime green and brown. Now, he's decked in modest new black and sand color, with dark red highlights in a trendy, newer cut. He looks a bit less sure of himself. The flowers held in his hand tremble a bit. His face is flushed. Peering through the door's peephole, she examines his countenance closely. Yes. It can hardly be, but it is! Its him! She knows who it is wearing the fake mustache. The haircut does not fool her, nor does the shiny earring poked through his left earlobe. She's seen him before. They had first met back around 1957. They had dated awhile, although her close friends James and Ellen had warned her about him. And now he's back.

The spurned suitor has returned.

Forty years wandering in the desolate wilderness of sin have since rolled past. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has been sidetracked into the New Theology cul de sac since first led there via the 1957 book Questions on Doctrine. At that time a book was published which sought to rewire some of the most crucial identifying elements of Adventism.

It was the genesis of major change on the nature of Christ (from biblical post-Fall view to the unbiblical pre-Fall view) and the atonement (from an essential focus on the investigative judgment and the atonement of Christ presently being made in the heavenly sanctuary's most holy place, to a renewed superficial forensic concept especially linking atonement to Jesus' death on the cross, now counted as a “completed atonement”). Of course, its advocates insisted they weren't changing anything, then they said they were just rewording things. Then they claimed it was only a new emphasis that was being offered. Finally, the heat generated was so great they stopped publishing the book. The church and QOD stopped dating.

The doorbell rings again. He's still there. This spurned suitor keeps showing up at the door. For many years he has come in many guises, even once trying an Australian accent. Through the passage of time those who have spotted him and knew what he was have visited town and, for the safety of the church, pointed him out. Uncle Ralph¹ came and knew who he was and had seen him before. He warned the church. On another occasion, young Dennis came and, having spotted this creature in the wild before, stood face to face with him and peeled off his mask.² Just a few years ago grandfather Zurcher visited, and he told us the whole story, step by step.³ So the church's eyes have become clearer, more discerning. She is more often able to spot him through his subtle disguises.

She's thinking now about all the years wasted. She can see he's a loser. The doorbell rings again. What will she do?

The thought occurs to her of taking out a restraining order.

1. Ralph Larson, The Word Was Made Flesh, (Cherry Valley, CA: Cherrystone Publishing, 1986).
2. Dennis Priebe, Face-to-Face With the Real Gospel, Nampa, ID: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1980).
3. J. R. Zurcher, Touched With His Feelings, (Washington D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1999).

Pastor Larry Kirkpatrick is an ordained minister of the gospel. Since 1994 he has served in the American Southwest as pastor to several churches. He received his BA in Religion from Southern Adventist University in 1994 and a Master of Divinity from Andrews University in 1999 with a specialization in Adventist Studies. While in Michigan he was employed by the General Conference at the White Estate Berrien Springs branch office. More important than his scholastic preparation has been his immersion in the biblical and Spirit of Prophecy materials. He is author of the 2003 book Real Grace for Real People. Presently he serves as Pastor of the Mentone Church of Seventh-day Adventists, located near Loma Linda, California. Larry is married to Pamela. The couple presently live in Highland, California along with their two children, Etienne and Melinda.