Scripture and Ellen White on Corporate Responsibility

“The history of the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram is being repeated, and will be repeated till the close of time. Who will be on the Lord’s side? Who will be deceived, and in their turn become deceivers?”—Letter 15, 1892. LDE 173.2 (Added to my original document of 2000, on October 28, 2018).

This document, originally written by Ron Beaulieu in the year 2000, has been plagiarized by World’s Last Chance ministries. They have plagiarized other articles by this author without giving proper credit. This is not an acceptable practice for anyone, let alone a ministry that claims to be Christian. As of October 28, 2018, I have added to my original document.

Corporate responsibility of every member of any church organization is taught in Scripture by the Achan principle. It is also taught by the "one body in Christ" principle. Were corporate responsibility not a fact of Scripture, the entire Protestant Reformation would be an abominable heresy! Separation from Rome would be unnecessary! All one would need do is remain and protest what he/she regarded as error!

1Cor. 6:15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make [them] the members of an harlot? God forbid.

Ellen White on Corporate Responsibility (For Those who Think Corporate Responsibility Applied Only to the Theocracy of Ancient Israel)

Ellen White fully supported the Biblical principle of corporate responsibility. Here are a few of her many statements to that effect:

"The plain straight testimony must live in the church, or the curse of God will rest upon His people as surely as it did upon ancient Israel because of their sins. God holds His people, AS A BODY, responsible for the sins existing in individuals among them" Testimonies, vol. 3, 269.

"I was shown that the pointed testimony must live in the church. This alone will answer to the message to the Laodiceans. Wrongs must be reproved, sin must be called sin, and iniquity must be met promptly and decidedly, and put away from us AS A PEOPLE." Testimonies, vol. 3, 260.

"Should a case like Achan's be among us, there are many who would accuse those who might act the part of Joshua in searching out the wrong, of having a wicked, faultfinding spirit...God's displeasure is upon His people, and He will not manifest His power in the midst of them while sins exist among them and are FOSTERED BY THOSE IN RESPONSIBLE POSITIONS." Testimonies, vol. 3, 270.

Ecumenical linkage to fallen Babylon has been engaged by THOSE IN RESPONSIBLE POSITIONS in the professing SDA church. Every member who is aware of this UNPARDONABLE ACT OF APOSTASY is corporately responsible for it, if he/she remains a member of the church after being apprised of such violation on the part of the corporate church. See our section on the ecumenical involvement of the SDA church to further apprise yourself of this serious apostasy which "removes the eyes and feet from off the Midnight Cry Lighted Path,” after which it is impossible to get back on the path according to Scripture and Ellen White.

"God has not set any kingly power in the Seventh-day Adventist Church to control the whole body or to control any branch of the work. He has not provided that the burden of leadership shall rest upon a few men. Responsibilities are distributed among a large number of competent men.

Every member of the church has a voice in choosing officers of the church [This is why every member is responsible for the actions of their leaders. rwb].The church chooses the officers of the state conferences. Delegates chosen by the state conferences choose the offers of the union conferences, and delegates chosen by the union conferences choose the officers of the General Conference. By this arrangement every conference, every institution, every church, and EVERY INDIVIDUAL, either directly or through representatives, has a voice in the election of the men who bear the chief responsibilities in the General Conference." E.G. White, Testimonies, vol. 8, pp. 236, 237.

The above statement demonstrates that the professing SDA church is not of CONGREGATIONALISTS ORGANIZATION, whereby each individual church is under his/her own cognizance. Thus Corporate Responsibility is transferred to each member in this REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM OF ORGANIZATION. Responsibility for departure from the representative system to that of a HIERARCHICAL SYSTEM still falls on the constituency membership for permitting such a state of affairs to occur! And, when such a state of apostasy occurs regarding any fundamental pillar of the faith, if the leaders have formed such a powerful lobby that members cannot change things (they will allow nothing to stand in their way 1SM 205), that is one of the points at which separation becomes an absolute duty. Surely, when it gets to the point where the membership is supporting a leadership that is teaching antichrist error to the entire world; errors which remove every pillar doctrine of historic Adventism, then the professing church has reached the point where separation becomes an absolute necessity lest any member be responsible for such a departure from truth and the work of the Lord. Here is the principle from Ellen White:

"The Lord Jesus will always have a chosen people to serve Him. When the Jewish people rejected Christ, the Prince of life. He took from them the kingdom of God and gave it unto the Gentiles. God will continue to work on this principle with every branch of His work. When a church proves unfaithful to the work of the Lord, whatever their position may be, however high and sacred their calling, the Lord can no longer work with them. Others are then chosen to bear important responsibilities. But, if these in turn do not purify their lives from every wrong action, if they do not establish pure and holy principles in all their borders, then the Lord will grievously afflict and humble them and, unless they repent, will remove them from their place and make them a reproach.

God is not 'worshipped with men's hands, as tough he needed anything.'" (Acts 17:25). E. G. White, The Upward Look, 131.

"Unless these evils which bring the displeasure of God are corrected in its members, the whole church stands accountable for them" E.G. White, Review and Herald, vol. 2, 453, Dec. 23, 1890.

"....for none are so reckless and go to such lengths in sin as do those who have once had the light, but have resisted the convicting Spirit of God." E.G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, 95.

Ellen White said that the church is a theocracy. In a theocracy there is corporate responsibility because of the fact that the people elect their leaders. They are thus responsible for what their leaders do. The leaders have committed abominations for which we are to sigh and cry, but Ellen White and God both say that “my people” love the false prophesying’s of their leaders, and that they delight in their abominations. God’s people don’t seem to like a theocracy!

The SDA Church is Supposed to be a Theocracy Led Only by Christ as Captain

Theocracy -- "God's people have been called out of the world, that they may be separated from the world. It is not safe for them to take sides in politics, whatever preference they may have. They are ever to remember that they are one in Christ. God calls upon them to enter their names as under His THEOCRACY. He cannot approve of those who link up with worldlings [and churches which cannot be distinguished from the world, Early Writings, 273]. We are entirely out of our place when we identify ourselves with party interests....

God has chosen a people who are to proclaim the third angel's message to the world. They are to be a separate and peculiar people in this world of churches who are transgressing His commandments." E.G. White Manuscript Releases Volume 3, 40, 41.

“The last great work of David in his official position was to call the attention of the people once more to their solemn relation to God as subjects of His theocracy. . . .” {CTr 156.2}

“The people of Israel, in their gratitude at deliverance from the Midianites, proposed to Gideon that he should become their king, and that the throne should be confirmed to his descendants. This proposition was in direct violation of the principles of the theocracy. . . . Gideon recognized this fact; his answer shows how true and noble were his motives. "I will not rule over you," he declared; "neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you." {CC 129.2}

“We are to invite everyone--the high and the low, the rich and the poor, all sects and classes--to share the benefits of our medical institutions. We receive into our institutions people of all denominations. But as for ourselves, we are strictly denominational; we are sacredly denominated by God and are under His theocracy. But we are not unwisely to press upon anyone the peculiar points of our faith.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, p. 109 (1902). The last great work of David in his official position was to call the attention of the people once more to their solemn relation to God as subjects of His theocracy. . . .” {CTr 156.2}

“We are to invite everyone--the high and the low, the rich and the poor, all sects and classes--to share the benefits of our medical institutions. We receive into our institutions people of all denominations. But as for ourselves, we are strictly denominational; we are sacredly denominated by God and are under His theocracy. But we are not unwisely to press upon anyone the peculiar points of our faith.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, p. 109 (1902).

Man's Consolidation or God's Theocracy?—"Stop where you are. You cannot retrieve your past record by seeking to reconstruct, reorganize, and consolidate other institutions with the institutions so defective in Battle Creek. I cry to you in the name of the Lord, No, No. Leave the Pacific Press under God's theocracy, and humble your hearts before God before it is everlastingly too late. The great day of God is coming when every man shall be known as God knows him.”—MS 7, 1897. {PM 152.1}

“The Lord has a work which is above the world's seeking. To those who have not the mind of Christ, the features of our faith and our work, the great object to be accomplished, is far above their comprehension, and unseen. But we are not to come down from our position of ever remaining a people distinct and peculiar from the world. Our vocation is high, holy and elevated. Our faith, if appreciated, will keep all true believers from political strife. We are to work for the spiritual recovery of mankind to God, to bring them under His theocracy. Then only are we a safe people. In keeping ourselves in close sympathy with God, our hearts bound up in love for Him, is our only security. {BTS, September 1, 1908 par. 1}

“... The Lord of heaven is to be the Leader and Guide and Counselor of His people. His institutions are to be managed under His theocracy. His people are to act as a chosen people, a people who are to do a sacred and an unselfish work. {GCB, April 6, 1903 par. 18} & {RH, April 14, 1903 par. 18}

~rwb