Entering Into Controversy Over Truth

Hello Jeff,

I just received a copy of Our Firm Foundation magazine in the mail. I understand that you used to edit this magazine, according to your February Newsletter that I just received. Does this magazine still promote the Truth according to our founding fathers and the Bible or is it an offshoot that I shouldn’t waste my time reading? I have so little spare time for reading; I want to make sure that I am reading Truth and not error. I don’t need to be confused anymore than I am.

The rebuttal from Pastor Pfandl is quite an interesting issue in February’s newsletter. It’s ironic that just yesterday we read in Loughborough’s book—The Great Second Advent Movement— that Sister White encountered an issue on page 325 in “The Messenger Party” (in case you have that book), in the which a group of troublemakers put into print a paper which caused concern to the White’s and others. Some took time to rebuttal the paper’s errors and slanderous statements over the next year and a half until the Lord showed EGW that it was a device of Satan to waste time rebutting when God had given truth. The errors of those who rebuttal truth would soon be manifest and they would argue among themselves and dissipate, while the Truth would grow and their followers would double.

You have taken the time to rebuttal Pastor Pfandl, and you did it well, but is that what the Lord wants you to do? In Loughborough’s book, he stated that “all previous efforts at answering their falsehoods had only resulted in their manufacturing more.” If Pastor Pfandl is dogmatic at believing his own truth, then nothing you can do or say will make a difference. It only brings confusion to others to read such, and we need to be establishing truth in a solid foundation in such a way, that the errors of others will be made prominent and clear—the same principle as when government agents are trained at identifying counterfeit money—they study the Real Money so much that the Counterfeit is made obvious.

So I encourage you, Jeff, to continue expounding Truth as God gives it to you. Don’t worry about those who counter-attack you. If you have the Truth, it will be evident, regardless of their rebuttals. I pray that God will continue to bless you as you bless others. N.

Response

Dear Sister N,

You may be correct about entering into controversy over the truth. My primary motivation was a desire to assist those in Europe to promote this message in the way that they chose. Inspiration has much to say about not exercising kingly power, and in those passages we are informed that we are to assist our coworkers in other fields to accomplish their work, without dictating their every move. I had informed my dear German friends that I did not have the same confidence in their endeavor as they did, but I was willing to help.

The principle of one leader making all the decisions is the primary problem which I ran into when I worked at Hope International and help produce The Firm Foundation magazine. There was very little in that publication which I found to be error, though there were mistakes made. We have made mistakes in our newsletters and audio presentations as well. For complex reasons though I have not received nor read the magazine for several years now. Jeff.

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