A Reply to Soriano’s “Baptism in the Name of Ellen White”

This article is my response to a recent post made by the founder of the Members of the Church of God International or Ang Dating Daan who is now hiding out somewhere around the globe. The issue is about the SDA’s practice of “Rebaptism”. I responded to all his essential arguments and I pray that this apologetic response would help the readers to understand the real issue and see how deceptive Eli Soriano is when it comes to using our publications to make it appear that we are wrong but the truth proves otherwise as you will see.

ELI SORIANO:
Ministers of the SDA are not qualified to officiate true baptism because they do not teach people all the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ! One example is that they have replaced the law of Christ in “giving” by the law of tithing.II CORINTHIANS 9:7

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.Maybe you know the reason why they prefer tithing than voluntary giving!

The New Testament or New Covenant is very distinct from all laws in the past. Its focal point is the soul and the spirit – not the flesh only!

RESPONSE:
It is not true that the SDA’s do not teach the whole teachings of Christ. It proved otherwise. In fact, I don’t know how Eli Soriano will obey the following teachings of Christ:

And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mat 19:17-19 ESV)

Question #1 to Eli Soriano:
Do you want to enter life? Then keep the Ten Commandments! But Eli Soriano made the false teaching that Christians do not need to obey it! The SDA’s were the most consistent among the Protestant churches when it comes to obeying this moral law of God not because they need it to be saved but because they already had experienced it by God’s grace.

“Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” (Mat 12:12 ESV)

Question #2 to Eli Soriano:
Christ clearly taught here that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. Now the question is, according to your false teachings that Sabbath is done away with at the cross then how will you obey Christ teaching “to do good on the Sabbath?”

The SDA’s could follow this teaching of Christ every time they observed the Sabbath along with their activities in the afternoon.

How about the teaching of Christ regarding the giving of Tithes? Is there any indication coming from the words of Christ himself that He is AGAINST the giving of Tithes?

I think Eli Soriano MISSED the point here and it is his BIGGEST MISTAKE!

Actually even an elementary student of the Bible can easily find the answer for that question. In fact, a Bible concordance can also be a good help. For example, if you have an e-Sword Bible software in your computer just type “tithe” in “Bible Search” then select the radio button “New Testament” the result will give you these TWO verses:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you TITHE mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness, these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.” (Mat 23:23 ESV; Luke 11:42 ESV)

If Eli Soriano could only open up his mind, he will understand here the point that Jesus would like to drive at. Jesus is not against the tithe itself. What He is criticizing at is the IMPROPER way of doing it by neglecting the other matters of faith! Twice in the above passages Jesus made a favorable statement on tithing by saying “these you ought to have done”. “Ought” is not a descriptive term but rather prescriptive. It is an objective moral obligation based on the Word of God, and not from the SDA’s.

In fact, Eli Soriano’s point is correct when he said above “Its (the New Covenant) focal point is the soul and the spirit – not the flesh only!” What the Pharisees forgot here is the “spirit” of tithe-giving because they focus only on the “flesh” or outward giving of tithes.

Therefore, Jesus said “TITHING” is “OUGHT TO BE DONE” but Eli Soriano PROTESTED! So Soriano DOES NOT OBEY THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST!

The passage in II Cor. 9:7 that he uses a lot is not relevant nor even against the law of tithing:

“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor. 9:7)

Does this passage mention anything against tithing? NO! Not at all! In fact, without Eli Soriano’s knowledge it even supports it! What if I decide to give tithe to God from the bottom of my heart without any grudge or complain? Then I become a cheerful tithe giver!

Eli Soriano’s understanding is defective in this instance. He indirectly tells us that the tithing, or even the offerings in the Old Testament, is a forceful act and not coming from the heart of a giver.

The Bible says:

“Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me.”(Exo 25:2 ESV)

“All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart move them to bring anything for the work that the LORD had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the LORD.” (Exo 35:29 ESV)

ELI SORIANO:
The allegation of Ellen G. White, that some of those who were baptized by John the Baptist were not baptized in Christ, is false!

(Seventh Day Adventist Church Manual 17th Edition p.43)
The following examples suggest that rebaptism may not be required. Evidently the instance of Acts 19 was a special one, for Apollos is reported to have received John’s baptism (Acts 18:25), and there is no record that he was rebaptized. Apparently some of the apostles themselves received John’s baptism (John 1:35-40), but there is no record of subsequent baptism. (Emphasis ours)

Paul had recorded it but unfortunately was not understood by Ellen G. White, I Corinthians 12:13, “…are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles”

RESPONSE:
First of all, I would like to ask Eli Soriano where did he get his reference when he said that it is only “the allegation of Ellen G. White, that some of those who were baptized by John the Baptist were not baptized in Christ”? Did he quote any documented reference from the writings of Ellen White herself regarding this alleged allegation?

What he quoted is not the writing of Ellen White but the SDA “Church Manual”! I advise Eli Soriano to be careful next time he use our references because Eli is obviously confused or deliberately telling a lie! SDA Church Manual was not written by Ellen White for Eli Soriano’s information. How can you be the “wise messenger” in the Book of Proverbs if this simple thing you cannot comprehend?

Our Church Manual is just using a valid claim that “there is no record of subsequent baptism” like in the case of Apollos for there really is no record of any event that he was re-baptized aside from the baptism he received from John Baptist. But since Eli Soriano challenged this claim, now the burden of proof is on his shoulder.

Question #4: We can now ask Eli Soriano, is there any passages in the New Testament that Apollos was re-baptized in water?

Regarding 1 Cor. 12:13, there is no problem in this verse, the only problem we have is the wrong application that Eli Soriano used here. The issue about Apollos rebaptism has something to do with “water baptism” while here in 1 Cor. 12:13 the issue is “baptism in the Spirit”! You will notice that when Eli Soriano quoted this verse he deliberately removed the rest of the verse. So for the sake of truth here is what the whole passage is saying:

“For in one Spirit we were all baptized in one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free–and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” (1Co 12:13 ESV)

ELI SORIANO:
In the body or the true church, under the Christian law, there is only one baptism taught by the apostles to the believers!

Ephesians 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism….

Never did the apostles accord another baptism in the same church or jurisdiction. Erring members committing sins that are not worthy of death are being admonished and prayed for, to merit the forgiveness of God, not rebaptized.

RESPONSE:
The problem again here is not on the passage but in Eli Soriano’s careless method of interpretation. We will use Biblical exegesis in this verse so we can easily see how deceiving Eli Soriano is when it comes to handling the Scriptures.

What does “one baptism” here means? Is this verse anti-rebaptism? When we look this passage in Greek the phrase used here is “hen baptisma” NOT “hen baptismos”. What’s the difference?

According to the world renown New Testament Greek expert A.T. Robertson in his book “Word Pictures in the New Testament Vol. 4” on Ephesians 4:5:

“One baptism (ἑν βαπτισμα [hen baptisma]). THE RESULT OF BAPTIZING (βαπτισμα [baptisma]), while βαπτισμος [baptismos] is the act.”

Therefore, the text is not against the ACT of rebaptism (nor it even mentioned it!) “One baptism” has something to do with the “result of baptizing”, so whether one is rebaptized or not, the result is always the same: he became a member of the body of Christ!

ELI SORIANO:
These teachings of Christ and the apostles were ignored by Ellen G. White and commanded her own idea to the members of the SDA to rebaptize an erring member!

(Seventh Day Adventist Church Manual 17th Edition p.43)
Apostasy and Rebaptism—Although apostasy clearly existed in the apostolic church (e.g., Heb. 6:4-6), Scripture does not address the question of rebaptism. Ellen G. White supports rebaptism when members have fallen away in apostasy and have lived in such a manner that the faith and principles of the church have been publicly violated. Then they should, in case of reconversion and application for church membership, enter the church as in the beginning, by baptism. (See pp. 199, 207.)

“The Lord calls for a decided reformation. And when a soul is truly reconverted, let him be rebaptized. Let him renew his covenant with God, and God will renew His covenant with him.”—Evangelism, p. 375. Clearly what is referred to here is not a recurring spiritual revival in a believer’s experience, but a radical change in life.

RESPONSE:
Eli Soriano once again committed a straw man argument here by saying that Ellen White “commanded HER OWN IDEA to the members of the SDA to rebaptize an erring member!”. After using this kind of argument you will notice that in the SDA Church Manual which he quoted above says differently:

“Ellen G. White SUPPORTS rebaptism when members have fallen away in apostasy and have lived in such a manner that the faith and principles of the church have been publicly violated.”

Did you see the deception of Eli Soriano? What he is saying is different from the fact that he actually quoting! You will sense his wrong intention just to prove his case he will distort the facts!

When the church manual said Ellen White “SUPPORTS” rebaptism it is such a big difference in meaning in saying that it is just “HER OWN IDEA”. In order to understand how Ellen White SUPPORTS rebaptism, I would like to quote here some statement from the same Church Manual that I believe Eli Soriano deliberately ignored just to pursue his deception.

“Ellen G. White SUPPORTS rebaptism as the Spirit leads the new believer to request it. THIS FOLLOWS THE DEVELOPMENTAL PATTERN OF ACTS 19.”(SDA Church Manual p. 43)

Therefore, when SDA’s claimed that Ellen White SUPPORTS rebaptism it means not HER OWN IDEAS but she is just following the pattern from the Bible specifically in ACTS 19! What event did happened in Acts 19 that supports rebaptism? The Church Manual goes on saying:

“REBAPTISM IS SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED in only one biblical passage (Acts 19:1-7), where the apostle Paul endorsed it for a group of about 12 believers. Their previous baptism had been that of John, which was a baptism of repentance.” (SDA Church Manual p. 42)

Again, in his attempt to destroy the SDA faith, Eli Soriano failed once again! The more he argues against the SDA beliefs the more you will see how shallow-minded Eli Soriano is when it comes into dealing with the deep things of God as expressed by the Adventist church.

ELI SORIANO:
May God open your minds, poor members of the church that awaits for the seventh day!

RESPONSE:
Our mind is wide open that’s why we can easily dismantle your childish arguments with less effort but with the grace of God through Holy Spirit! The SDA’s do not wait for 7th day Sabbath because it was already given since the creation and we received it already as Adventist. I think Eli Soriano is the one who needs to wait for the 7th day because until now he is still blinded by not accepting it as God’s gift also for him since creation.