(Excerpt)
04 THE
ADOPTION OF SONS
IT is
absolutely impossible to exhaust any portion of Scripture. The more one studies
it, the more one sees in it, and not only that, but the more one becomes
conscious of the fact that there is much more in it than appears to view. The
Word of God, like Himself, is absolutely unfathomable. One's understanding of
any given portion of the Scripture depends on the thoroughness of his knowledge
of that which precedes it. Let us, therefore, give a little further attention
to that portion of the third chapter of this Epistle which treats of
The Seed
First of
all, it must be borne in mind that Christ is the Seed. That is plainly stated.
But Christ did not live for Himself, and He is not heir simply for Himself. He
has won an inheritance, not for Himself, but for His brethren. God's purpose is
to "gather together in one all things in Christ." He will finally put
an end to divisions of every kind, and He does it now in those who accept Him.
In Christ there are no distinctions of nationality, and no classes and ranks.
No Christian thinks of any other man as English, German, French, Russian, Turk,
Chinese, or African, but simply as a man, and, therefore, a possible heir of
God through Christ. If that other man, no matter what his race or nation, be
also a Christian, then the bond becomes mutual, and, therefore, still stronger.
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is
neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."
Gal_3:28 It is for this reason
that it is impossible for a Christian to engage in war. He knows no distinction
of nationality, but regards all men as his brothers. But the chief reason why
he can not engage in warfare is that the life of Christ is his life, for he is
one with Christ; and it would be as impossible for him to fight as it would be
for Christ to seize a sword and wield it in self-defense; and two Christians
can no more fight against each other than Christ can fight against Himself. However, we are not now engaged in discussing
war, but are merely showing the absolute unity of believers in Christ. They are
one. There is, therefore, but one Seed, and that is Christ; for, however many millions of true believers
there may be, they are only one in Christ. Each man has his own
individuality, but it is in every case only the manifestation of some phase of
the individuality of Christ. In a human body there are many members, and all
members have not the same office, but differ in their individuality; yet there
is absolute unity and harmony in every healthy body. With those who have put on
the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created
him, "there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free; but
Christ is all, and in all." Col.3:11.
The
Harvest
In
Christ's explanation of the parable of the tares and the wheat, we are told
that "the good seed are the children of the kingdom." Matt.13:38. The
man would not allow the tares to be pulled out of the wheat, because in the
early stage it would be difficult to distinguish in every case between the wheat
and the tares, and some of the wheat would be destroyed. So he said, "Let
both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of harvest I will say to
the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to
burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn."
It is in
the harvest that the seed is gathered. Everybody knows that. But what the
parable especially shows is that it is in the harvest that the seed is fully
manifested; in short, that the seed comes at harvest time. The harvest only
waits for the seed to be fully manifested and matured. But "the harvest is
the end of the world." Mat_13:39 So the time when "the seed
should come to whom the promise was made," is the end of the world, when
the time comes for the promise of the new earth to be fulfilled. Indeed, the
seed can not possibly be said to come before that time, since the end of the
world will come just as soon as the last person who can be induced to accept
Christ has done so; and the seed is not complete as long as there is one grain
lacking. Read now, in the nineteenth
verse of the third chapter, that the law was spoken because of transgression,
"till the seed should come to whom the promise was made."
Gal
3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of
transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it
was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
What do we
learn from that?-Simply this, that the law as spoken from Sinai, without the
change of a single letter, is an integral part of the Gospel, and must be
presented in the Gospel until the second coming of Christ, at the end of the
world. "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise
pass from the law." Mat_5:18
And what of the time when heaven and earth pass, and the new heaven and
the new earth come?--Then the law will not be needed written in a book, for men
to preach to sinners, showing them their sins, for it will be in the heart of
every man. Heb.8:10,11.
Heb
8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write
them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a
people:
Heb
8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his
brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the
greatest.
Done
away?--Not by any means; but indelibly engraved in the heart of every
individual, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. With the truth concerning the seed before us,
and the parable of the wheat and the tares fresh in our minds, let us proceed
in our study. "But I say that so
long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a bond-servant, though
he is lord of all; but is under guardians and stewards until the term appointed
of the father. So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under
the rudiments of the world; but when the fullness of the time came, God sent
forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, that He might redeem them
which were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And
because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts,
crying, Abba, Father. So that thou art no longer a bond-servant, but a son; and
if a son, then an heir through God.
"Howbeit at that time, not knowing God, ye were in bondage to them
which by nature are no gods; but now that ye have come to know God, or rather
to be known of God, how turn ye back again to the weak and beggarly rudiments,
whereunto ye desire to be in bondage over again? Ye observe days, and months,
and seasons, and years. I am afraid of you, lest by any means I have bestowed
labor upon you in vain. "I beseech
you, brethren, be as I am, for I am as ye are. Ye did me no wrong; but ye know
that because of an infirmity of the flesh I preached the Gospel unto you the first
time; and that which was a temptation to you in my flesh ye despised not, nor
rejected; but ye received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. Where
then is that gratulation of yourselves? for I bear you witness, that, if
possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. So then am
I become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? They zealously seek you in
no good way; nay, they desire to shut you out, that ye may seek them. But it is
good to be zealously sought in a good matter at all times, and not only when I
am present with you. My little children, of whom I am again in travail until
Christ be formed in you, yea, I could wish to be present with you now, and to
change my voice; for I am perplexed about you.
"Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the
law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one
by the freewoman. Howbeit the son by the handmaid is born after the flesh; but
the son by the freewoman is born through promise. Which things contain an allegory;
for these women are two covenants; one from Mount Sinai, bearing children unto
bondage, which is Hagar. Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth
to the Jerusalem that now is; for she is in bondage with her children. But the
Jerusalem that is above is free, which is our mother. For it is written:-- "Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not;
Break forth and cry, thou that travailest not;
For more are the children of the desolate than of her which hath the
husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was,
are children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted
him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Howbeit what saith the
Scripture? Cast out the handmaid and her son; for the son of the handmaid shall
not inherit with the son of the freewoman. Wherefore, brethren, we are not
children of a handmaid, but of a freewoman." Galatians 4, R.V.
A
Statement of Fact
It must be
apparent to all that the chapter division makes no difference in the subject.
The third chapter closes with a statement as to who are heirs, and the fourth
chapter proceeds with a study of the question of heirship. The first two verses
explain themselves. They are a simple statement of fact. Although a child may
be heir to a vast estate, he has no more to do with it until he is of age, than
a servant has. If he should never come of age, then he would never actually
enter upon his inheritance. He would have lived all his life as a servant, so
far as any share in the inheritance is concerned. Now for
The
Application
"So
we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the rudiments of the
world." If we look ahead to the fifth verse, we shall see that the state
here known as "children" is that before we receive "the adoption
of sons." It represents the condition before we were redeemed from the
curse of the law, that is, before we were converted. It does not, therefore,
mean children of God, as distinguished from worldlings, but the
"children" of whom the apostle speaks in Eph.4:14, "tossed to
and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men,
and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." In short, it
refers to us in our unconverted state, when we "were by nature the
children of wrath, even as others."
The Glad
Tidings
By E. J.
WAGGONER
(Excerpt- To be continued)
*******
1979 Mar --
Why Our Spiritual Trauma? -- All is not well in the Adventist community. All who have truly
known our historic faith know this to be true. Merely changing "the first
minister" of the church from Pierson to Wilson between General Conference
Sessions has not altered the picture. The Seventh-day Adventist Church today is
not the church we united with about a half Century ago. And this is the
consensus from the numerous letters coming to this desk from others, some of
which have only been in the Church, a decade. Paxton's book - The
Shaking of Adventism - the response to it by many of the laity; the reaction to
it by the hierarchies of the curia on the Sligo; plus the accord given to it by
notable heretics in our midst, all speak the same language. We have a
disordered psyche which is the result of mental and emotional stress. We are in
a spiritual trauma caused by the fact that we are still in this old world, when
over and over again we had been told that we should have been in the heavenly
kingdom. 1
Every
wind of doctrine is blowing through the ivy towers of the church; its gusty
breezes are sweeping through the gothic piles, and architectural splendors in
which the laity worship. The ancient landmarks erected by the pioneers of this
Movement are being removed; the pillars of our historic faith are being
questioned by science falsely so-called and human philosophy. Why has this
happened to us; why are we unable to cope with the present situation? Why do
conclaves called to solve our doctrinal problems, end in the same disunity as
existed before the conferences were called? To find the answer to these
questions, we need to make a brief historical survey.
The Advent Movement was raised up by God in 1844. He blessed
this Movement with the Spirit of divine revelation through the ministry of
Ellen G. White. He looked with favor upon the organizational vehicle by which
this Movement was to be spread into all the earth and the Three Angels'
Messages would be proclaimed to every nation, tongue, and people. To this
vehicle - the corporate entity known and organized as the Seventh-day Adventist
Church in 1863 - God gave precious promises of success and blessings if they would be true to the trust committed
to them. ALSO, through the same messenger, God gave prophetic warnings of what
would happen should the corporate entity prove untrue to its trust. We have
preferred to ignore these warnings, and say they will never happen to us. But
in our evaluation and recognition of these very prophetic warnings can be found
the answer and solution to our spiritual trauma. As we take a good hard look at
these Testimonies, we need to consider carefully, as advised, the "time
and place" (SM, bk 1,
p. 57) or the time of fulfillment as the context would indicate.
In
the Review (July 24,
1888) the lead article by Mrs. E. G. White was entitled "How Do We
Stand?" (Keep in mind that the 1888 General Conference Session did not
p 2 -- convene until October 17 of that year. In answering her own
question, the servant of the Lord wrote: Spiritual death has come upon the people that should be manifesting life
and zeal, purity and consecration, by the most earnest devotion to the cause of
truth. The facts concerning the real condition of the professed people of God,
speak more loudly than their profession, and make it evident that some power
has cut the cable that anchored them to the Eternal Rock, and that they are
drifting away to sea, without chart or compass.
God proposed to restore to the Church, their chart and
compass in the giving of the message of Righteousness by Faith through the
ministry of Elder A. T. Jones and Dr. E. J. Waggoner. But what did we do with
this message? Speaking of the occasion at the 1888 Minneapolis General
Conference session, the servant of the Lord revealed how heaven saw the scene.
She wrote: All the universe of heaven witnessed the disgraceful treatment of Jesus
Christ, represented by the Holy Spirit. Had Christ been before them, they would
have treated Him in a manner similar to that in which the Jews treated
Christ. (Special
Testimonies, Series A,
#6, p. 20)
But this rejection did not stop at Minneapolis. We are told
further: Those
who opened the door of their hearts to temptation at Minneapolis, and carried
the same spirit home with them, will realize, if not now, in the near future,
that they resisted the Holy Spirit of God, and did despite to the Spirit of
grace. (Ibid., p. 21)
Then
the questions were asked - "Will they repent? or will they harden their
hearts, and resist evidence?" (Ibid.)
During
the decade which followed the Minneapolis session in 1888, the Lord bore long
with His people, seeking to lead them by continued messages through Elders
Jones and Waggoner to an acceptance of Righteousness by Faith, and its
practical outworking in church polity. To the messages of these brethren were
added the direct testimonies through the Lord's messenger to His people. 2
Then came the 1901 General Conference Session. When the
Chairman declared the conference officially opened for business, Ellen G. White
moved to the podium and declared: I feel a special interest in the movements and
decisions that shall be made at this Conference regarding the things that
should have been done years ago, and especially ten years ago, when we
were assembled in conference, and the Spirit and power of God came into our
meeting, testifying that God was ready to work for His people if they would
come into working order. The brethren assented to the light God had given, but
there were those connected with our institutions, especially with the
p 3 -- Review and Herald Off ice and the (General)
Conference, who brought in elements of unbelief, so that the light that was
given was not acted upon. It was assented to, but no special change was made to
bring about such a condition of things that the power of God could be revealed
among His people...
Year after
year the same acknowledgment was made, but the principles which exalt a people
were not woven into the work. God gave them clear light as to what they should
do, and what they should not do, but they departed from that light, and it is a
marvel to me that we stand in as much prosperity as we do today. It is because
of the great mercy of our God, not because of our righteousness, but that His
name should not be dishonored in the world. (G. C. Bulletin, April 3, 1901, p. 23)
As her message continued, Sr. White spoke of those men who
sought to manage the work of God, but would not "manage in God's
order." Then she stated: That these men should stand in a sacred place,
to be as the voice of God to the people, as we once believed the General
Conference to be, - that is past. What we want now is
a reorganization. We want to begin at the foundation, and to build upon a
different principle. (Ibid.,
p. 25, Emphasis mine)
Certain changes were made at the 1901 Session, but were
reversed at the next Session in 1903. However, we must note that as the servant
of the Lord came to the close of the year, 1901, there was revealed to her what
the future held for the Church. In a letter to Dr. P. T. Magan - dated Dec. 7,
1901 - she wrote: We may have to remain here in this world because of
insubordination many more years, as did the children of Israel, but for
Christ's sake, His people should not add sin to sin by charging God with the
consequence of their
own wrong course of action. (M-184-1901)
AND
we have been in this world many, many more decades. In fact, we are still here!
Because we refuse to recognize certain clear-cut prophecies which pertain to
our day due to our insubordination, and persist in clinging to certain promises
that might have been fulfilled had we been faithful to the trust committed to
us, we continue to experience a spiritual trauma not knowing what to do, or
where to go. We have again become a ship at sea without chart or compass, even
as we were prior to the 1888 General Conference Session.
If
in 1901, the prosperity of the Church was due only to the "great mercy of
our God," and not because the Church was doing what it should have done,
can we conclude that today after all of these decades, God's mercy to us will
be different than it was toward His ancient people Israel? Will God reverse the
order of history, and lengthen His mercy, while we increase our
insubordination? Let us not deceive ourselves. God does place limits on His
mercy. Have those limits of mercy been overstepped? This question must be
answered, and on the answer hangs the destiny of each member of God's professed
people, as how they will relate to that answer.
p 4 -- 1 There can be no question but the fact
that we are still here in this world, and should be in the kingdom weighs
heavily on those who have administered the affairs of the Church, and those who
are charged with the direction the ministry of the Church should take. The
editor of Ministry, J. R. Spangler, tells of a conversation
he had with Elder R. H. Pierson the day following his resignation as President
of the General Conference. Spangler said to
Pierson: Brother
Pierson, the Lord has greatly blessed your leadership. The advance of the work
during your tenure of service has been nothing short of remarkable.
To
this Pierson replied - "But the Lord isn't here yet, Bob, and anything
short of that is not success." (Ministry,
December, 1978, p. 18) In this, Pierson spoke the truth, and yet he has not yet
recognized the "Why?"
Then
in the next issue of Ministry (January,
1979, p. 19), the editor interviewed the incoming president, Neal C.
Wilson. He asked Wilson - "In your heart of hearts, do you believe it
would be possible for the Lord to return during your administration as General
Conference president?" On this question Wilson "hedged." But the
very asking of the question reveals the inner conflict and trauma that is
plaguing the minds of many even at the level of the Curia on the Sligo. This
over-all picture is tragic - tragic because of the eternal consequences
involved. Yet we cannot bring ourselves face to face with what has happened,
and what God is saying by what He has permitted to take place in fulfilled
prophecy.
2 The Message of Righteousness by Faith is
much more than doctrinal teachings, or arguments over theology - although
theology is involved. In the broadest aspects as it was given to this people,
and understood by the servant of the Lord, it involved church polity. In all
the give and take regarding the theology of Justification by Faith, this aspect
has been overlooked. Even Elder R. J. Weiland in his expositions and research
on the history and aftermath of 1888 has overlooked this major facet of the
issue. Only Elder D. L. Bauer has actually come to grips with this phase of the
message of 1888. And anyone studying the history of this period including the
1901 General Conference session and the "defection" of A. T. Jones
cannot rightly evaluate what took place without taking this facet of the
message into account. In the very same letter in which the servant of the Lord
tells how the "universe of heaven" viewed the "disgraceful
treatment of Jesus Christ, represented by the Holy Spirit" at the 1888
session, the full issue involved in the Message of Righteousness by Faith is
given. This letter was written from "Avondale" January 16, 1896. - It
was addressed to "Dear Brethren Who Occupy Responsible Positions in the
Work." To them, Sr. White wrote: The Lord has a controversy with you. I have no need
to specify the reasons; you have had them laid before you again and again.
The clean hands, the pure, unselfish, holy purposes have not been brought into
your practices, and the benediction of God has not come upon many of those who
handle sacred things. The lifting up of the soul and speaking vanity, and the
lifting up of men to manage their fellow men, body and soul, is all open before
God with whom we have to do. There is no man or set of men that can manage men.
"All ye are brethren." The Holy Spirit of God alone can do this. When
you, because of your position, supposed you could say the word, and it would be
done just after
p 5 -- your idea, you
made a mistake. Truth, honor, and integrity have been compromised to gain
certain advantages. Justice is fallen in the street and equity cannot enter.
Religious
principles have been corrupted. We will either make more pure, noble, and holy
the principles held by God's heritage, or else we will mislead by false
proposition, unholy schemes, saying, "The temple of the Lord, The temple
of the Lord are we." The work and the cause of the Lord are sacred. There
is to be no mingling of human, common, unholy fire with God's offering. This
has been and is still being done; but the men are blind, and see not the result
of their zealous efforts. (Special Testimonies, Series A, #6, pp. 17-18)
And
after seven decades - 1896-1966 - of this continual insubordination, God had
enough of the failure of a practical outworking of Righteousness by Faith, and
let the Scroll of Prophecy unfold in the final and last sign His Son gave in
prophecy from the Mount of Olives.
AS IT WAS IN THE DAYS OF -- On different
occasions, Jesus spoke about the end times. He told about the signs that would
precede the final days of human history. He compared the days before His second
coming to different experiences that had occurred in Old Testament times. It is
interesting to note that Jesus never said that as it was in the days of Jonah,
so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of man. The whole city with
its teeming thousands repented and turned to the Lord.
Instead the Lord chose two other incidents from Old
Testament history. He said: As it was in the days of Noe, so
shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. (Luke 17:26)
And Peter indicated that "the long-suffering of God
waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by
water." (I Peter 3:20)
Again Jesus said: Likewise also as it was
in the days of Lot even thus shall it be when the Son of man is revealed. (Luke
17:28, 30)
The
record in Genesis indicates that four left Sodom and one of these looked back
and became a pillar of salt. Of this Jesus warned - "Remember Lot's
wife." (Luke 17:32)
Jesus in His teachings warned about the "few" and the "many." He told us:
p 6 -- Enter ye in at the strait gate: for
wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many
there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the
way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matt. 7:13-14)
He asked the question - "When the Son of man cometh,
shall He find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8) Within the Greek sentence
is an untranslatable particle - ara - which marks an inferential question to
which a negative answer is expected. Indeed the promise Jesus made gives the
one ray of hope - "Fear not little flock, it is your Father's good
pleasure to give to you the kingdom." (Luke 12:32)
So
the real question at this time is simply are you among the "few" that
have found the strait gate, and narrow way? Are you holding to the
"faith" of Jesus? Only the faith of which He is the author will find
acknowledgment by Him. In other words - Are you a part of the "Little
Flock?"
Interestingly,
this emphasis on the "few" and the "many" which was a part
of the eschatological teaching of Jesus, is also a part of those prophecies
found in the Spirit of Prophecy from which we would like to disassociate
ourselves. We, like the Jewish leaders of Christ's day, cherish the idea that
we are the favorites of heaven, and that we will always be exalted as the
church of God. We are willing to defy earth and heaven to dispossess us of our
rights. But as with the Jews of old, our lives of unfaithfulness have prepared
us for the condemnation of heaven and our separation from God. (See C. 0. L., p. 294 for comparison)
However, we are told at the time when "Jesus is about to leave the
mercy-seat of the heavenly sanctuary," (5T:207)
"when the danger and depression of the church are greatest, the little
company who are standing in the light will be sighing and crying for the
abominations that are done in the land." (5T:209) [The phrase - "in the land" - is
interpreted elsewhere as - "in the church". 3T:267] We dare not overlook the
contrast here presented except at peril to our souls. "The little
company" is presented as a distinct group in contrast to the
"church." The next sentence emphasizes this further - "But more
especially will their prayers arise in behalf of the church, because its
members are doing after the manner of the world."
Now let us continue to read with
care: The
earnest prayers of this faithful few will not be in
vain. When the Lord comes forth as an avenger, He will come as a protector of
all those who have preserved the faith in it purity, and kept themselves
unspotted from the world...
These
sighing, crying ones had been holding
forth the words of life; they had reproved,
counseled, and entreated. Some who had been dishonoring God, repented and
humbled their hearts before Him. But the glory of the Lord had departed from Israel; although man
still continued the forms of religion, His power and presence were
lacking. (5T:210)
Check
the force of the verbs, and the time context. Are we able to face the
conclusion, or will we continue to cherish the idea that we will always be
exalted as the true church of God?
p 7 -- CORPORATE
IDENTIFICATION - ILLUSTRATED -- After
a recent winter snow storm here in the
Ozarks, we found it necessary to go to the valley on business. We put chains on
the pickup and proceeded down the mountain. Ron drove, and the five year-old
grandson, Jonathan, went with us. As we reached the foothills, we overtook a
car also driving with extreme caution. We slowed our already reduced speed. On
the side of the road sat a Meadowlark. As the car approached, the bird
attempted to fly, and the next thing that we saw it was fluttering under the
car, and landing on the side of the road again. As we passed, we noticed its
wings outstretched and moving fitfully. We wondered if it were fatally injured,
or only stunned. We agreed that on the way back up we would check and see if it
was still there.
As we
approached the spot on our return trip, Jonathan turned to me and said
"Pa-pa we didn't hit the bird
did we?" I assured him we had
not hit the bird. Here was a five year old child who understood that although
his father was driving the pickup, we - he and I - shared in the corporate
identification because we were in the truck. Did not Jesus say - "Except
ye become converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the
kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 18:3) In deed, such a conversion on our part
would help us to utilize the eyesalve offered by the heavenly Merchantman so
that we could see our own corporate guilt in the betrayal of the sacred trust
committed to us as a people. It would cause us to cry out - "Men and
brethren, what shall we do?" Perhaps then we could hear Peter's voice say
to us - "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." (Acts 2:40
ARV) And then we would willingly find ourselves identified with the "little company" and the "faithful few" who are seeking to
preserve the faith in its purity. (5T:210)
"LLU - A
House Divided" -- "The
prestigious medical school has been torn apart in a bitter legal fight over the
alleged misappropriation of doctors' funds."
[We
herewith produce in its entirety a special feature appearing in the San
Bernardino newspaper - The Sun -
for December 10, 1978 under the title given above.]
"A
bitter legal battle, with ramifications that could shake a three-million member
church, is pitting a group of Seventh-day Adventist doctors against Loma Linda
University, the hub of Adventist teaching hospitals in the United States.
"From
both sides there have been charges of fraud and allegations that hundreds of
thousands of dollars - and possibly millions - in LLU Medical Center faculty
practice funds have been misappropriated. The legal fight, with a series of
five lawsuits over a span of five years, led to the acknowledgment this year by
LLU that its former medical center chief administrator allegedly embezzled
$900,000 in faculty practice funds from 1970 to 1975.
"Sources
familiar with an audit of the LLU faculty practice accounts say the
misappropriation of radiology practice group funds actually amounted to $1.3
million.
p 8 -- "Asserting
that LLU and Adventist church officials have 'covered up' misappropriations at
the medical center, one doctor's attorney called the situation an
'ecclesiastical Watergate.' Much of the legal dispute revolves around the
faculty practice accounts, lettered and numbered accounts holding income from
the practices of LLU doctors. Teaching physicians at the LLU Medical Center
often have practices in conjunction with the hospital, using its facilities and
personnel, and their fees are pooled in centralized accounts.
"During
the early and mid-70's, when the controversy over the faculty practice funds
first arose, all doctors' fees at LLU went directly to Loma Linda University
Medical Group, Inc. (LLUMGI) a corporation formed to provide trust accounts for
doctors' fees. Some of the doctors' fees remained in the LLUMGI accounts, and a
portion was disbursed under the supervision of the dean of the LLU School of
Medicine to corporations representing individual departments at the medical
school. The directors of departmental corporations then disbursed those funds
as salaries to doctors.
"The
arrangements apparently was not an unusual one. Dr. Thomas Nesbitt, president
of the American Medical Association told the Sun: 'In teaching
institutions where there are a lot of faculty members, it is common practice to
form a faculty fund. There are often funds for pediatrics, surgery and various
hospital functions, or maybe just one fund for the whole school. The
institution takes a percentage and the remaining portion is divided among the
doctors on a prearranged formula,' he said. 'The types of formulas vary all
over the place.'
"The
physicians who have sued LLU maintain that millions of dollars in doctors' fees
were improperly divided after LLUMGI and departmental corporations preempted
doctors' partnerships in controlling the funds. Some of the suits have
attempted to force LLU to give an accounting of and redistribute doctors' fees.
One doctor suing LLU told the Sun that under the LLUMGI 'there was no way to
know what was going into the pool and what was coming out.' But Dr. Harrison
Evans, vice president of medical affairs for LLU said there are 'no ongoing
problems' with the faculty practice accounts.
"The
litigation presents a far different picture of LLU than the outsider's typical
perception of a closely-knit denominational institution. LLU is now a house
divided by controversy. Information disclosed by the suits is being used as
ammunition by dissidents actively campaigning for an ouster of the church's top
leadership in a 1980 Adventist election. [Elder Neal C. Wilson, prior to his
election as President of the General Conference was as President of the North
American Division, Chairman of the Loma Linda University Board.]
"Some
involved in the Loma Linda litigation, though say the lawsuits so far have
raised more questions than they have answered. Only two of the lawsuits have
gone to court. In one suit, an urologist dismissed from LLU, Dr. Richard Kuhn,
won a $141,000 judgment last June against the head of the medical center's
urology department. In the other case, a San Bernardino Superior Court Judge
last August reinstated dismissed urologist Edward Jacobs to the medical center
staff. He had filed a suit claiming he was terminated without good cause and
without a hearing. LLU has settled out of court with two radiologists Dr. Carl
Jansen and Dr. Ronald McCartney.
"In a
turnabout from the previous litigation, LLU in October filed a suit against
p 9 -- its former medical center chief of staff, ophthalmologist Robert
Shearer. LLU maintains that Shearer owes more than $300,000 to a faculty
practice account. Shearer, however, has filed a countersuit against the
university, claiming LLU is indebted to him for more than $200,000 in equipment
and accounts receivable.
"The
suit which has caused the greatest furor is the one filed by Dr. Jansen, now
chief of radiology at the San Bernardino County Medical Center. Jansen in
December, 1975, sued for an accounting of the Loma Linda Radiology Group
partnership funds, claiming he was denied his fair share of the funds when he
left LLU in June, 1975. In the course of the discovery procedures in Jansen's
suit, an accountant employed by Jansen found irregularities in the flow of
funds in and out of the radiology faculty practice accounts. As a result the
Seventh-day Adventist Church hired an accounting firm, Ernst and Ernst, to
conduct an audit of the LLU medical center books in 1977. The audit allegedly
substantiated that medical center administrator C. Victor Way had siphoned off
$900,000 in radiology group practice funds from 1970-75. Earlier this year, LLU
publicly acknowledged the alleged embezzlement, and announced it had obtained a
restitution agreement with Way. The university did not, seek to prosecute him.
"Jansen's
attorney sought to obtain the Ernst & Ernst report as part of the discovery
phase of the lawsuit, but according to attorney Terry Bridges, 'They settled
mighty fast when we asked for that.' Bridges said the report was central to
Jansen's lawsuit, because it indicated how much money was missing from the
faculty practice accounts and when LLU officials knew of the misappropriated
funds. There are indications that LLU officials were concerned about the
faculty practice accounts as far back as 1973, when the Adventist church was
conducting another investigation of Way's activities.
"In
1971 Way formed a computer company - Desert Systems - with offices in Redlands
and Placentia, operating terminals that were connected to the LLU computer
system. Desert Systems employed a half-dozen university computer technicians,
purportedly to do contract work for LLU in their off-time. The Adventist church
General Conference became concerned in 1973 that Way's company may not have
been performing the work it was being paid to do. A team of Adventist church
computer experts was sent to LLU to examine the Desert Systems operation. One
employee of Desert Systems told investigators the computer company was set up
to generate $100,000 worth of business a month. Another former employee of
Desert Systems told the Sun the company was formed by Way 'as a money making
operation' with 'some ideas to use it to make money that would accrue to the
university.'
"An
LLU spokesmen related that the investigation and audit did not indicate the
company was stealing time from the university's computer. Nonetheless, LLU
severed its contract with Desert Systems. Part of the Desert Systems
examination involved an audit of LLU accounts, according to a source close to
the investigation, and the audit raised questions about the faculty practice
accounts. The church's internal auditor had reservations about scrutinizing the
faculty practice accounts, the source said, because by this time many of the
faculty departments had formed medical corporations. The medical corporations,
he said, technically were separate from LLU, and the auditor was concerned he
might not have jurisdiction to examine their books. 'There was always an aura
of mystery around those practice groups,' the source said. 'That (their assets)
was an awfully big pie to slice up.' About a year after the Desert Systems
investigation, Way was demoted from medical center administrator to business
manager - ironically, in charge of the faculty practice accounts.
p 10 -- "LLU officials at some point became convinced that Way had
been manipulating the faculty practice accounts to his own benefit. And the
fallout from the alleged embezzlement reached the former LLU medical school
dean, Dr. David Hinshaw. As chief administrator at the LLU Medical Center, Way
reported directly to Hinshaw. Hinshaw was also a director of LLUMGI, the Loma
Linda Surgery Medical Group, Inc. , and the Loma Linda Radiology Medical Group,
Inc., three of the eight medical corporations formed at LLU between 1973 and
1976. Hinshaw resigned his post as medical school dean to become head of the
medical center's department of surgery in early 1975, a few months after Way
was demoted from medical center administrator to business manager. Earlier this
year, before LLU disclosed Way's alleged embezzlement, Hinshaw was asked to
resign as chairman of the surgery department. While LLU did not accuse Hinshaw
of participating in the alleged misappropriations, the university trustees said
Hinshaw did not properly oversee Way's activities.
"Sources
at LLU indicate Hinshaw and Way worked closely together - and that Hinshaw was
the driving force behind the establishment of the medical corporations. One of
the physicians suing LLU described Hinshaw as the 'king-pin' in the formation
and operation of the LLU medical corporations. Corporate records filed with the
secretary of state on April 21, 1978, indicate that Hinshaw remained a director
of the Loma Linda Surgery Medical Group after his dismissal from LLU. Hinshaw
is now chief of surgery at the Veterans Hospital in Loma Linda, located
adjacent to LLU and which utilizes the university medical center's staff
physicians.
"Way
and Hinshaw also were connected outside LLU. In March 1975, shortly before Way
left the university, Hinshaw and Way purchased a 2,073-acre ranch near
Lakeview, OR, for $525,000. Hinshaw previously has denied that he knew of Way's
alleged financial dealings at the time the ranch was purchased. The two men
also were named as defendants in Jansen's and McCartney's suits.
"McCartney's
suit said the defendants were 'responsible for accounting, receipt of funds,
purchase of assets and disbursement of the funds of the (radiology group)
partnership belonging to the plaintiff.' In July 1974, about a year after the
radiology corporation was formed, 'the defendants conspired together to cheat
and deprive plaintiff (McCartney) of his interest in the partnership and to
this end, defendants have caused the assets of the partnership to be
transferred fraudulently and without consideration to themselves,' the suit
says. McCartney contended that the partnership was defrauded of 'sums of money
in excess of $1 million, together with all other assets of the partnership.' In
answering McCartney's complaint, LLU maintained that the partnership was
reimbursed $270,000 when the partnership was dissolved, and the corporation
formed.
"McCartney
in an interview, said the radiology group partners were not consulted about the
dissolution of the partnership and the formation of the corporation, whose
directors were Hinshaw, and Dr. Melvin Judkins, head of the LLU radiology
department. He also said the radiologists did not know how their funds were
being handled by the corporation's administrators Hinshaw, Way, and Ed Heeb,
the medical center's business manager prior to Way. McCartney received a
$20,000 out-of-court settlement in his suit against LLU.
"Both
McCartney and Jansen said in interviews that they were frustrated in efforts,to
trace funds transferred from their partnership - a factor which figured in
p 11 -- their decisions
to settle. In addition, Jansen said the experience of suing LLU was 'an
emotional and financial drain.' He said he accepted a settlement that was
'about $25,000' less than he expended on his lawsuit.
"Lawsuits
involving two other Loma Linda doctors have not been settled, however, and
these cases may extend the controversy over the administration of the medical
center and faculty practices. These are the cases of Dr. Shearer and Dr.
Jacobs. LLU has sued Shearer, a prominent Loma Linda ophthalmologist and once
chief of staff at the medical center. The suit alleges that Shearer and other
as yet unnamed defendants 'became indebted to plaintiff (LLU) on an open book
account for a balance due in the sum of $303,900 for goods, wares, merchandise,
and services, sold and delivered and money advanced to defendants at their
request. No part of that sum has been paid.' David Gurney, an attorney
representing LLU said the 'open book account' was similar to the charge
account, which Shearer drew off without paying' back. In mid-November of this
year the university revoked Shearer's staff privileges, and Shearer was invited
to discuss the termination with the LLU board of trustees at a meeting early
this month.
"Shearer
last week filed a $200,000 countersuit against LLU, alleging that the
university confiscated personal equipment, medical records and outstanding
accounts when Shearer quit the ophthalmology group practice at the medical
center in 1976. (Shearer left the group practice but retained his staff
privileges at the medical center until they were revoked.) In an interview,
Shearer told the Sun he believes LLU has sued him because he failed to go along
with the management of the faculty practices. He said LLU doctors were asked to
contribute a total of $90,000 for legal fees involved in defending an LLU
surgeon against an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service. Shearer
opposed the idea, and about a month later was asked to leave his faculty
practice, he said.
"In
the other pending case, Dr. Edward Jacobs, who was reinstated to the medical
center staff in a court decision earlier this year, is seeking legal damages
against members of the LLU urology department. Jacobs, formerly, a U. S. Public
Health Service officer, quit his government post in 1973 to join the urology
staff at LLU. According to his lawsuit, Jacobs was told he would gain full,
partnership in LLU urology group within 2 1/2 to 3 years. But, Jacob's suit
says, the urology partnership was dissolved in September, 1976 - after Jacobs
had helped the urology department receive accreditation for resident training
in urology - and the physician was told he was being terminated from his
faculty practice. During October, Jacob says in his suit, he was locked out of
his office, and was denied access to the records, supplies, and equipment of
the urology partnership. Jacob's maintains he was released from his LLU
position because of pressure on LLU administrators from Dr. Henry Hadley, head
of the urology department and one of the urology group partners sued by Jacobs.
"Doug
Welebir, an attorney representing Hadley, said the dispute 'was one of those
typical partnership things that happen.... where partners just decided to break
up their partnership. ' He said Jacobs and Hadley had a written partnership
agreement, and the procedure for dissolution of the partnership was followed.
"Besides
the legal battle itself, the lawsuits have provided fuel for a group of
maverick Seventh-day Adventists who are agitating for top-level changes in the
church at the 1980 General Conference meeting."
p 12 -- Comment
-- It can be summed up in one word a mess! But more significantly
it points up another prophecy which we are reluctant to recognize. This reads
"When God shall work His strange work on the earth, when holy hands bear
the ark no longer, woe will be upon the people. Oh, that thou hadst known, even
thou, in this thy day, the things that belong unto thy peace! Oh, that our
people may, as did Nineveh, repent with all their might and believe with all
their heart,
that
God may turn away his fierce anger from them!" (5T:77-78) But what can we when God permitted expect. All
of the things at LLU have taken place since 1967, the prophecy of Jesus in Luke
21:24 to be fulfilled.
SIGNS OF THE TRENDS -- Loma Linda, Dec. 13, 1978 -
"Although conferences on religion may be nothing new to this center of
Adventism, the university here may be host next fall to an extraordinary
gathering of religious leaders. It is scheduled for the first week in October,
1979, and includes more than 30 leaders of religions around the world."
Baron Fray von Blomberg, the international president of the World United
Religions organization was on campus to arrange for the fall event. When von
Blomberg first contacted LLU President V. Norskov Olsen in regard to LLU
hosting this world conclave, Blomberg said, "President Olsen grasped the
significance and importance of it immediately."
This
October conference "will represent literally millions of the faithful...
including Buddhists, Hindus, Shintos, Sikhs, Moslems, Zoroastrians, Jews,
Catholics, and Protestant." Blomberg said the final day of the conference
will be open to the public and include religious services and music. The Sun, (Redlands) B-2
Fayetteville, AR - Some of the liquor
dealers in Fayetteville, Arkansas, are sponsoring drug education and Five-Day
Plans to Stop Smoking under the direction of Keith McBeth, pastor of the local
Adventist church." Adventist
Review, January 18, 1979, p. 23 Comment:
Do you suppose that the tobacco merchants of Fayetteville will
sponsor our temperance programs to help alcoholics? Perhaps, rather, the pastor
of the Adventist Church in Fayetteville hasn't read lately from Ministry of Healing, p. 340 - "He
who declared to the first murderer, 'The voice of thy brother's blood crieth
unto Me from the ground,' will not accept for His altar the gifts of the
liquor-dealer. His anger is kindled against those who attempt to cover their
guilt with a cloak of liberality. Their money is stained with blood. A curse is
upon it." (This also applies to our Ingathering solicitations.)
