Andrew Kang is
not a heretic, the Union announced, and one can add that no one is that is
preaching the biblical doctrine of Perfection as necessary before the Second
Coming of Christ according to Revelation 14 last part. ---There was a shaking back and forth in
South Korea about the view of Salvation and specifically the possibility to
attain Perfection. Some said yes, others said no. ---Andrew Kang is layman from the US that
came to Korea to take the Laymen Ministry Course at Sahmyook and graduated with
a diploma. ---He started a very successful church
ministry online and offline in South Korea. His clicks run over the 200 000! ---As far as I know, he is the largest
collector of Tithe for the Union. ---What the opposition to Andrew Kang’s
view did not know, is that there were in Adventism two conflicting views in the
past up to the present. ---The opposition thought that the one
replaced the other and that the past traditional one is outdated and wrong.
Thus, the person who taught the traditional Adventist view is a “heretic”. At
least some thought that. ---Tension were building high and
agitation as well. Some wanted him declared a “heretic” without delay. ---When everything came to a crescendo,
something happened that send the whole process into a halt. ---BRI meetings in Taiwan this year 2023. ---Many of the professors from Sahmyook
University attended that meeting as well as people from the Union. ---The Union president thought it well to
ask the BRI representatives the question regarding the treatment of someone who
teachers that Perfectionism is possible and others who want to make him a
heretic for doing so. ---Result? The BRI person said that
actually no one should call anyone a heretic on these matters. ---According to the BRI person the church
has not made an official choice on the matter. ---Furthermore they have counseled the
members that there are two views going around in the church and the best
attitude is that the two parties should from time to time debate, discuss, but
not blame each other. With the Spirit they need to investigate and research the
issues. ---Well, the balloon was burst and coming
back the Union issued a statement that Andrew Kang is not a heretic. ---All conferences received the statement
but the statement was not circulated in all its churches for the members to be
aware of that. So many still do not know. Many however do. ---The opposition all know. ---What statement? “Andrew Kang is not a
heretic”. ---Is it right to preach that Perfection
is a must? Yes. ---Is it wrong to call those people
heretics? Yes. ---Should we call a committee together to
stop anyone from preaching that? No. ---What the BRI spokesperson said in
Taiwan was similarly explained by Arnold V. Wallenkampf in 1988. Source: https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1988/06/justification-perfection-and-the-real-gospel ---Two books appeared two or three years
before this Review article of Wallenkampf. --- Dennis
Priebe 1985: Face to Face With the Real Gospel, Dennis E. Priebe,
Pacific Press Publishing Association, Boise, Idaho, 1985, $6.95, paper, 96
pages. ---Helmut
Ott 1987: Perfect in Christ, Helmut Ott, Review and Herald
Publishing Association, Hagerstown, Md., 1987, $14.95, 208 pages. ---Wallenkampf says that the two books are
written in polemical style. ---Priebe and Ott approach the gospel from
two opposite poles, says Wallenkampf. ---Priebe focus on sanctification and
perfection as possible. ---Ott approach the gospel from
justification and perfection as not possible, ever. ---Wallenkampf praises both Priebe and Ott
and in the same article blame both as well. ---He himself suggested a kind of synthesis
approach, or an accommodationist view of both. ---Wallenkampf feel that we should in an
eclectic way pick and choose the good things from Priebe and Ott and use them. ---Is that possible? ---Wallenkampf and others do think so. ---But there are scholars out there saying
that there cannot be two correct answer in this polemic. ---They cannot be both correct. ---You cannot say that you can never
attain Perfection and at the same time proclaim that you can attain it. ---You cannot say that the law cannot be
kept and at the same time say Jesus came to show us how to keep the law. Incidently,
both statements are coming from Ellen White. ---But what Ott did not say is that no one
in their natural state without the Holy Spirit can keep the law or attain
perfection. However, in the process of sanctification working together with the
Holy Spirit that perfection is in fact required, according to Revelation 14 the
last part and indeed advocated by Ellen White and the Pioneers accordingly. Ott
is silent on this. ---Is Wallenkampf the solution? Maybe not.
---Wallenkampf
1988: What Every Christian Should Know About Being Justified, Arnold
V. Wallenkampf, Review and Herald Publishing Association, Hagerstown, Md.,
1988, $14.95, 152 pages. ---Priebe said that the church never
actually defined properly three areas of salvation: sin, Christ and perfection
(Priebe 1985: 9). ---Priebe said that sin is not the way man
is but the way man chooses (Priebe 1985: 17). ---For Priebe sin is not nature so Christ
could inherit our fallen nature (a viewpoint that would make Reformers turn in
their graves if they would hear this). ---Why would Reformers be shocked in
Priebe’s view? Because they clung to the original sin views of Augustine and
make no secret about that. ---For Augustine Christ could not have our
nature for it is sinful due to original sin. And original sin meant death. ---Priebe felt that Christ was born the way
we are reborn (Priebe 1985: 55). ---About Perfection Priebe said: “biblical perfection is total victory over
sin, when, through total submission to Christ's power, sin becomes so repulsive
that we have no desire to transgress God's will. . . . The purpose of biblical
perfection is not primarily to save us but to honor Christ. It is not the
eradication of our sinful nature, but the restoration of that nature through a
relationship with Christ" (Priebe 1985: 19, 20). ---One should really read the full article
by Wallenkampf to see more aspects of the two persons views. ---What is a surprise to me is that in the
Book of Galatians by Martin Luther in
1525 there are similar statements regarding sanctification namely that it is
purported to honor Christ and cannot be overlooked as not important. ---Did your pastor tell you in the church
about this announcement of the Union Conference in South Korea? Why do you not
ask him to do so, so that all members have clarity about that. Correct? When,
immediately. Pick up your phone and call your pastor.