Desmond Ford
Desmond Ford | |
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Australasian Missionary College |
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Desmond Ford (2 February 1929 – 11 March 2019)
Within the Seventh-day Adventist Church he was a controversial figure.[2] He was dismissed from ministry in the Adventist church in 1980, following his critique of the church's investigative judgment teaching. He had since worked through the non-denominational evangelical ministry Good News Unlimited. Ford disagreed with some aspects of traditional
Ford shared the sermon time at the Good News Unlimited congregation, which meets on Saturdays in the Brisbane suburb of Milton,[4] and in periodic seminars on the eastern seaboard of Australia.
Biography
Early life and conversion
Desmond Ford was born in
When Lillian was pregnant with Desmond, an Adventist
Ford was challenged by the strict lifestyle standards presented in Ellen G. White's Messages to Young People, and gave up the cinema and reading fiction. Reading novels had been his main childhood hobby, and became replaced with reading theology.[8] White's book The Great Controversy was a key influence on his conversion. In winter 1946 he publicly responded to a call for commitment to God's service. Ford was impressed by the Christian character of many of the Adventists who had nurtured him. In September he was officially baptised into the church. This was despite strong opposition from his brother; and his mother was also originally resistant to his conversion, having become disenchanted with the Adventist church herself. Ford resigned from his job, and returned briefly to Townsville with his family. He then left in 1947 for the Australasian Missionary College in the Lake Macquarie region of NSW, to train for the ministry.[9][10]
Seminary
Ford found his time at Avondale exciting for mental and spiritual growth. He was an active participant in class discussions, and occasionally taught classes to fill in for the lecturers. He was particularly inspired by Dr. William Murdoch, and carried out research for him. Ford gave talks in nearby churches, and published around a dozen articles for church magazines during this time. He also led students in Bible study. He struggled financially, and worked on Avondale's farm and elsewhere, and also selling Adventist books.[11]
He graduated from the Ministerial Course in Avondale in 1950, with high marks.[12]
Early ministry
Ford lived in a caravan (
He worked as a pastor in various churches and as an evangelist for about 7 years in NSW, in Australian[7][16] rural towns.
In 1952 Ford
Return to Avondale
The
He completed his second PhD in 1972 from the University of Manchester, while on leave from teaching at Avondale.[21] His supervisor was the renowned Protestant theologian F. F. Bruce. His field was New Testament studies, specifically eschatology (end times).[7][23] Ford entitled his thesis, The Abomination of Desolation in Biblical Eschatology.[24] His main expertise was biblical apocalyptic literature, such as Daniel and Revelation, and eschatology.[7]
Tension over theology
Ford was a primary opponent of the perfectionism within the SDA church, especially its form as taught by fellow Australian Robert Brinsmead, a former classmate of Ford's at Avondale.[25]
Ford believed that victory over the guilt of sin (justification) was provided at the cross, victory over the power of sin (sanctification) is the work of a lifetime and victory over the presence of sin (glorification) occurs at the return of Christ Jesus. Ford disagreed with the belief of sinless perfection, and did not hold to the belief that the saints are sealed at the end time, but held that the final removal of sin occurred when mortality changes to immortality at the return of Jesus Christ. Ford held that victory over the presence of sin does not occur during this lifetime, so sin continues among the saints up to the return of Jesus Christ.[26]
Ford held that justification precedes sanctification, because victory over the guilt of sin, precedes victory over the power of sin. Ford taught that while justification is distinct from sanctification, the two concepts are always found together, in the same manner as two railway lines are distinct but never separate. Adventist belief places an equal emphasis on sanctification compared to justification, while still believing both are necessary for salvation.
Ford disagreed strongly with the belief of "eschatological perfectionism", which is the teaching that a final generation of believers must achieve a state of complete sinlessness (or Christlikeness) in the final period just before the
Ford stepped into the debate within Adventism concerning the nature of Jesus Christ, specifically whether Jesus Christ took on a fallen or an unfallen human nature in the Incarnation. This was precipitated by the publication of Questions on Doctrine in 1957, which some Adventists felt did not agree with what the church held.[27][28]
The debate revolves around the interpretation of several biblical texts:
- "For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh." Romans 8:3 (ESV)
- "For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Hebrews 4:15
- "...concerning his Son (Jesus), who was descended from David according to the flesh..." Romans 1:3 (ESV)
- "Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people." Hebrews 2:17 NKJV
and statements made by Ellen White:
- "Notwithstanding that the sins of a guilty world were laid upon Christ, notwithstanding the humiliation of taking upon Himself our fallen nature, the voice from heaven declared Him to be the Son of the Eternal." The Desire of Ages, p. 112.
- "He assumed human nature, with its infirmities, its liabilities, its temptations." Manuscript Releases, Vol. 17, p. 337.
- "But Jesus Christ was the only begotten Son of God. He took upon Himself human nature, and was tempted in all points as human nature is tempted. He could have sinned; He could have fallen, but not for one moment was there in Him an evil propensity." Letter 8, 1895 in Manuscript Releases, Vol. 13, p. 18.
- "Christ did not possess the same sinful, corrupt, fallen disloyalty we possess, for then He could not be a perfect offering." Review & Herald, 25 April 1893
According to Adventist historian George Knight, most early Adventists (until 1950) believed that Jesus Christ was born with a human nature that was not only physically frail and subject to temptation, but that he also had the fallen predisposition and inclination to sin.[29] Since 1950, the "historic" wing of the church continues to hold this fallen view of Christ's human nature. Mainstream Adventists hold to the belief taught by Ellen White[30] that He came with the effects of Adam's sin deep within his nature, that Christ took on the fallen nature but not the sinfulness of man.
In contrast to the "historic" view, Ford believed that Ellen White was clear that Christ took our infirmities and with the weaknesses of fallen man, the sinful nature in the sense of that he had a lessened capacity with respect to the fallen physical nature that he inherited from Adam, including physical weaknesses, frailties and mental, and moral degeneracy and deterioration.[31][32] While Christ was tempted as all other human beings are, Ford noted that the lessened capacity of his human nature did not ever include giving in to temptation or having any evil desires or propensity or predisposition towards sin in his spiritual nature, a position with which Ellen White taught and mainstream Adventists agree.[33][34]
Original sin
According to Anglican Geoffrey Paxton, during the 1960s scholars such as Ford and Edward Heppenstall began to try to highlight a shift in the concept of original sin within the SDA church, away from its foundational belief that Seventh-day Adventists do not believe in original sin.[35]
Robert Brinsmead and debate
Ford in turning Brinsmead from his belief in sinless perfection, urged Brinsmead to study the Reformers. As a result, Brinsmead ultimately rejected perfectionism.
Move to United States
In response to criticisms of his theology, in 1977 the church moved him to the
Increasing tensions with church leadership
In October 1979 Ford was invited to address a chapter meeting of the Association of Adventist Forums (now
Expulsion from teaching and ministry
In August 1980, a group of Adventist theologians and administrators convened at
Ford's mentor, Edward Heppenstall, saw him as moving in some theological areas that his mentor could not agree with. Heppenstall was disappointed when he failed to dissuade Ford from his position at Glacier View, subsequently writing to him that he "was shocked at how far" he "had swung to the left Biblically and doctrinally".[54]
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Glacier View, the Sydney Adventist Forum held a pretend courtroom trial to assess the accuracy of Ford's claim that the Consensus Document has been largely in agreement with him. They concluded, "Ford was found to be substantially correct in claiming that the 114-member Sanctuary Review Committee (SRC) Consensus Document was in agreement with his twelve propositions—while Ministry was judged to have considerably over-stated its case." It concluded, "In retrospect, it is clear that the SRC made—in five days—more progress in understanding this biblical doctrine than the church has typically made in any fifty years of its history."[55]
Reaction to dismissal
In 1980, following Ford's dismissal from the Adventist ministry and professorship, a group of Pacific Union College students along with others at Andrews University founded a sympathetic unofficial journal, entitled Evangelica, in 1980. A group of professors at the college also expressed their displeasure with the General Conference and its then president, Neal C. Wilson, by writing parodies of certain Adventist hymns, an event which became notorious in conservative Adventist circles as the "singing incident". All participants in the unofficial journal Evangelica were fired.[citation needed]
After being dismissed from the ministry, Desmond Ford chose to remain a member of the Seventh-day Adventist church. He founded an interdenominational Christian ministry named Good News Unlimited, which gave him a platform to continue preaching. In 2000, he retired and moved back to Australia from America; in retirement, he continued his association with both Good News Unlimited and the Seventh-day Adventist Church.[56][57]
Personal life
Ford married Gwen Booth, with whom he had three children – Elènne Gwen Ford (born 29 October 1955),[58][59] Paul Wesley Ford (born 20 December 1957),[60] and Luke Carey Ford (born 28 May 1966).[61] Gwen died of breast cancer in April 1970.[62] Ford married Gillian ("Gill") Wastell in November of that year.[63]
Desmond Ford died on 11 March 2019 in Sunshine Coast, Queensland.[56][64]
Publications
Ford has written around 30 books and numerous articles.
- Unlocking God's Treasury, 1964
- Discovering God's Treasures, 1972. Same book as Unlocking God's Treasury.
- Answers on the Way: Scriptural Answers to Your Questions, (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1976)
- Daniel, (Nashville, TN: Southern Publishing Association, 1978) Anvil Biblical Studies series. .
- The Abomination of Desolation in Biblical Eschatology (published version of second doctoral dissertation), (Washington, DC: University Press of America, 1979) ISBN 978-0-8191-0757-2.
- ISBN 978-1-883619-08-4. Also known as the "Glacier View Manuscript".
- Physicians of the Soul, God's Prophets Through the Ages, (Nashville, TN: Southern Publishing Association, 1980) ISBN 0-8127-0262-X. Includes Ford's views on Ellen G. White as a prophetess. It also traces Ford's childhood encounters with Adventists and the influence of Ellen G. White's books on helping him find Christ and becoming an Adventist.
- The Forgotten Day, 1981, about the seventh-day Sabbath
- Crisis, 2 vols., 1982. A commentary on Revelation.
- The Adventist Crisis of Spiritual Identity, 1982
- Coping Successfully with Stress, 1984
- Will there be a Nuclear World Holocaust? 1984
- How to Survive Personal Tragedy, 1984
- A Kaleidoscope of Diamonds: The Jewelled Glories of the Cross Revealed, 2 vols, 1986
- Worth More Than a Million, 1987
- Daniel and the Coming King, 1996
- Right With God Right Now: How God Saves People as Shown in the Bible's Book of Romans, 1998
- The End of Terrorism, 2004
- Eating Right for Type 2 Diabetes, 2004
- God's Odds, 2006
- For the Sake of the Gospel: Throw Out the Bathwater, But Keep the Baby, 2008
- Jesus Only, 2008
- The Time is at Hand, 2009
- The Coming Worldwide Calvary, 2009
- The Final Roller-Coaster, 2010
- How Long, O Lord, 2010
- Jesus Only (abridged), 2013. Abridged by Ritchie Way.
- For more publications see Hook, p. 394, 395
Also:
- Inside Story (written by Gillian Ford)
- Why Believe? Source Book
References
- ^ a b "Dr. Desmond Ford Passes To His Rest". Spectrum. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
- ^ Peter H. Ballis (1999). Leaving the Adventist Ministry: A Study of the Process of Exiting. Praeger. p. 123.
- ^ "What Adventists Believe about the Prophetic Gift".
- ^ "Good News Unlimited". Archived from the original on 5 February 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
- ^ Hook 2008, pp. 9–10.
- ^ Hook 2008, pp. 11–16.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j http://www.goodnewsunlimited.org.au/ Archived 5 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine See the brief biography on the Good News Unlimited website
- ^ Hook 2008, p. 10.
- ^ Hook 2008, pp. 17, 20–24.
- Southern Publishing, 1980), p99–100, 105, 108
- ^ Hook 2008, pp. 26–30.
- ^ Hook 2008, pp. 27, 32–36.
- ^ Hook 2008, pp. 39–43.
- ^ a b Standish & Standish 2000, p. 53.
- ^ Hook 2008, p. 46.
- ^ a b Interview with Desmond Ford Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine by Adrian Zytkoskee in Spectrum 11:2 (November 1980), 53–61
- ^ Hook 2008, pp. 30–32, 39–40, 47–49.
- ^ Archibald Hefren, "Life Sketch of Gwen Ford". Australasian Record (25 May 1970), p14; cited in Hook, p37
- ^ Hook 2008, pp. 50–51.
- ^ Hook 2008, pp. 51–54.
- ^ a b c d e Land 2014.
- ^ Ford, Desmond (1960). A Rhetorical Study of Certain Pauline Addresses. ProQuest Dissertation Express ID: 6101169.
- ^ a b c d e Reflections On Adventism: An Interview With Dr. Desmond Ford by Adventist Today Forum. Accessed 25 October 2007
- ^ Ford, Desmond (1972). The Abomination of Desolation in Biblical Eschatology. British Library EThOS e-Theses Online Service (Ph.D). uk.bl.ethos.500577. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
- ASIN B0006CZ2QO.
- ^ Evangelicals And Adventists Together See Item # 4 in article
- ISBN 1-883925-41-X.
- ^ Questions on Doctrine, page 60, (The Desire of Ages, p.25), He "took upon Himself human nature" (The SDA Bible Commentary, vol.5, p.1128), He "took the nature of man" (The Desire of Ages, p.117), He took "our sinful nature" (Medical Ministry, p.181), He took "our fallen nature" (Special Instruction Relating to The Review and Herald Office, p. 13, 26 May 1896), He took "man's nature in its fallen condition" (Signs of the Times, 9 June 1898).
- ^ Questions on Doctrine, annotated edition, 2005.
- ^ Signs of the Times, 29 May 1901.
- ^ QOD Assumed Liabilities of Human Nature pp. 653-654
- ^ The Review and Herald, 28 July 1874.
- ^ Woodrow W. Whidden II (1997), The Humanity of Christ, Review and Herald Publishing Association, p. 70
- ^ Ellen White on the Nature of Christ by Denis Fortin.
- ^ Pain and Progress: The 1960s, chapter of The Shaking of Adventism by Geoffrey J. Paxton
- ^ E. G. White, Signs of the Times, 29 August 1892
- ^ Are We Born Saved or Lost? Archived 17 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine See quote in article "Willful choice makes one a sinner (1 John 3:4; Isaiah 59:2)".
- ^ "Original Sin in Questions on Doctrine Manuscript by Froom, Anderson" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
- ^ Original Sin
- ^ "Advance and Retreat: The 1970s" chapter in The Shaking of Adventism
- ISBN 0-9677622-1-9 (publisher's page Archived 20 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine). Chapter republished in Samuele Bacchiocchi's Endime Issues Newsletter No. 130. The quote is from the official report, as reprinted in Price's chapter
- ISSN 0161-1119. Retrieved 23 October 2007.
- ^ Adventisarchives.org"DjVu.
- ^ Adventists: Heirs of the Reformation, chapter 1 of The Shaking of Adventism by Geoffrey J. Paxton
- ^ L. R. Tarling, The Edges of Seventh-day Adventism (Bermagui South: Galilee, 1981), 215-16; D. Ford, "The Historical Background of the Crisis," in D. & G. Ford, The Adventist Crisis of Spiritual Identity (Newcastle, Cal.: Desmond Ford Publications, 1982), 23.
- ISBN 978-1523293445.
- ^ Ford, Desmond (1980). Daniel 8:14, the Day of Atonement, and the Investigative Judgment.
- ISSN 0890-0264. Archived from the original(PDF) on 29 August 2008. Retrieved 24 October 2007.
- ^ White, Ellen G. The Desire of Ages. p. 819.
- ISBN 9780828004664.
- ^ Ford, Desmond (1980). Daniel 8:14, the Day of Atonement, and the Investigative Judgment. pp. 27.
- ^ ISSN 0040-781X. Archived from the originalon 9 December 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2007.
- ^ "Sanctuary Debate Documents". Spectrum. Archived from the original on 17 November 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2007.
- )
- ^ Trevor G Lloyd, "Sydney Adventist Forum assesses Desmond Ford and Ministry magazine against Consensus Document Archived 3 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine". Adventist Today online, 12 November 2010
- ^ a b Hook, Milton (10 March 2019). "Dr. Desmond Ford: A Life Sketch". Adventist Today. Adventist Today Foundation. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ Gonzalez, Eliezer (11 March 2019). "Dr Des Ford Rests in Jesus". Good News Unlimited. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ Hook 2008, pp. 54–55.
- Adventist Forum meeting at the Castle Hill Adventist Church (website Archived 14 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine) in 1997
- ^ Hook 2008, pp. 63–64.
- ^ Hook 2008, p. 104.
- ^ Hook 2008, pp. 104–111.
- ^ Hook 2008, pp. 119–121.
- ^ "Desmond Ford: 2 Feb 1929 – 11 Mar 2019". Facebook. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
References
- Hook, Milton Raymond (2008). Desmond Ford: Reformist Theologian, Gospel Revivalist. Adventist Today. ISBN 978-0-9786141-9-5.
- Land, Gary (2014). "Ford, Desmond (1929-)". Historical Dictionary of the Seventh-Day Adventists. Historical Dictionaries of Religions, Philosophies, and Movements Series. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 115f. ISBN 978-1-4422-4188-6.
- ISBN 978-0-8010-7034-1.
- ISBN 978-0-923309-65-7.
Further reading
- Araújo, Glauber S. (2007). Desmond ford e a doutrina do santuário: análise comparativa de duas fases distintas. Kerygma, 3(1), 53-53.
- Bull, Malcolm; Lockhart, Keith (2007). Seeking a Sanctuary: Seventh-day Adventism and the American Dream. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-34764-0.
- Christensen, V.R. (1980). Exegesis of Hebrews 8 & 9: A Critique of Dr. Desmond Ford's Glacier View Position Paper. Glacier View meeting.
- Gane, Erwin R. (2009). An Examination of Desmond Ford's Book Right with God Right Now. Orion Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9744082-7-9.
- Johns, Warren Harvey (1985). Ellen White, Desmond Ford, and Methodology.
- Johns, Warren Harvey (1981). The ABC's of Dr. Desmond Ford's Theology (PDF). Retrieved 8 June 2023.
- Kostenko, Larre B. (1988). Desmond Ford and the Blotting Out of Sins in Acts 3:19. Andrews University, School of Graduate Studies.
- Larson, Ralph (1989). My Reply to Dr. Desmond Ford's Opinions about the Sanctuary. George Burnside.
- Lin, David (1982). A Partial Analysis of Desmond Ford's "new Theology". Author.
- Maiorov, R. E. G. (2018). "La articulación de la teología adventista, Desmond Ford y la doctrina del Santuario". Revista Theologika. 33 (2): 200–211. S2CID 239828365.
- Meyers, H. H. (1996) [1990]. The Evangelical Dilemma (3rd ed.). Hartland Publications. ISBN 978-0-923309-28-2.
- de Oliveira, E. C.; Dorneles, V.; Kunz, V. C. (2017). "Revisitando o juízo: Reações contra dois questionamentos de Desmond Ford aos eventos relacionados ao ano de 1844". Compreendendo A Doutrina E A Cultura Dos Adventistas (in Portuguese). pp. 45ff.
- Pagán de Jesus, Samuel. (2020). Christology of Access: Desmond Ford and FF Bruce on the Book of Hebrews a Comparative Study.
- Pfandl, Gerhard. (2016). Desmond Ford and the Righteousness by Faith Controversy. Journal of the Adventist Theological Society, 27(1), 14.
- Ramírez Molina, H., Rodríguez Jiménez, E. J., Rodríguez Jiménez, D., Londoño, C., Valencia, J., & Carrascal, L. (2014). Apología sistematizada a la interpretación de Desmond Ford en Daniel 8: 14 (Doctoral dissertation).
- Spangler, J. R. (1980). Statement on Desmond Ford document.
- Straub, Kevin (2017). Of the Times and Seasons. Teach Services, Incorporated. p. 467ff. ISBN 978-1-4796-0742-6.
- Wennerberg, George (1979). Desmond Ford's View of the Investigative Judgment.
External links
- https://web.archive.org/web/20110205113113/http://www.goodnewsunlimited.org.au/ This is a 2011 archive of the website for Ford's ministry, Good News Unlimited.