A. F. Ballenger
Encyclopedia
A. F. Ballenger was a Seventh-day Adventist
Minister who started the "Receive Ye the Holy Ghost" movement which helped inspired the Holy Flesh movement
in the Seventh-day Adventist Church
, and later was dismissed from the church.
. He inspired the Holy Flesh movement
in the Adventist church. Around 1900, Ballenger started teaching a “new theology” on salvation in Christ, and also that legal justification—universal forgiveness—has already been given to all men. He then came out against the Adventist understanding of the investigative judgment
and believed that the atonement occurred at Christ's crucifixion and that He had entered the Most Holy Place at His ascension contrary to SDA Doctrine, which teaches that the atonement work continued in the heavenly sanctuary
when Christ ascended to the Holy Place, and then in 1844, at the end of the prophetic period of 2300 days, Christ entered the enter the Most Holy Place. He later was removed from his post as superintendent of Irish Missions and dismissed from the church over the teaching.
while in Australia
. S. N. Haskell (1833–1922) and A. J. Breed were sent to the campmeeting at Muncie
to meet this "fanaticism". At the 1901 General Conference Session
, Ellen White criticized the Holy Flesh teachings as "error" on April 17 stating:
"The Holy Spirit never reveals Itself in such methods, in such a bedlam of noise. This is an invention of Satan to cover up his ingenious methods for making of none effect the pure, sincere, elevating, ennobling, sanctifying truth for this time. Better never have the worship of God blended with music than to use musical instruments to do the work which last January was represented to me would be brought into our camp meetings. The truth for this time needs nothing of this kind in its work of converting souls. A bedlam of noise shocks the senses and perverts that which if conducted aright might be a blessing. The powers of satanic agencies blend with the din and noise, to have a carnival, and this is termed the Holy Spirit's working.
Ellen White also came out against Ballenger's 'new light' on Universalism
and beliefs on the heavenly sanctuary
, and implied that satanic forces were directing the work against the Sanctuary
.
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
Minister who started the "Receive Ye the Holy Ghost" movement which helped inspired the Holy Flesh movement
Holy Flesh movement
The Holy Flesh movement was a controversy within the Seventh-day Adventist Church over worship from the 1890s till 1901. It was a counterfeit revival which contained an outbreak of Pentecostal-like phenomena in the U.S. state of Indiana. The movement died out in 1901.- Beginnings :A. F. Ballenger ,...
in the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
, and later was dismissed from the church.
Biography
Ballenger received his ministerial license from the SDA Church in 1885 and began to gain prominence in the late 1880s as a religious liberty advocate. He became a leading advocate for renewed emphasis on the Holy SpiritHoly Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
. He inspired the Holy Flesh movement
Holy Flesh movement
The Holy Flesh movement was a controversy within the Seventh-day Adventist Church over worship from the 1890s till 1901. It was a counterfeit revival which contained an outbreak of Pentecostal-like phenomena in the U.S. state of Indiana. The movement died out in 1901.- Beginnings :A. F. Ballenger ,...
in the Adventist church. Around 1900, Ballenger started teaching a “new theology” on salvation in Christ, and also that legal justification—universal forgiveness—has already been given to all men. He then came out against the Adventist understanding of the investigative judgment
Investigative judgment
The investigative judgment is a unique Seventh-day Adventist doctrine, which asserts that a divine judgment of professed Christians has been in progress since 1844. It is intimately related to the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and was described by the church's prophet and pioneer...
and believed that the atonement occurred at Christ's crucifixion and that He had entered the Most Holy Place at His ascension contrary to SDA Doctrine, which teaches that the atonement work continued in the heavenly sanctuary
Heavenly sanctuary
In Seventh-day Adventist theology, the heavenly sanctuary teaching asserts that many aspects of the Hebrew tabernacle or sanctuary are representative of heavenly realities. In particular, Jesus is regarded as a High Priest who provides cleansing for human sins by the sacrificial shedding of his...
when Christ ascended to the Holy Place, and then in 1844, at the end of the prophetic period of 2300 days, Christ entered the enter the Most Holy Place. He later was removed from his post as superintendent of Irish Missions and dismissed from the church over the teaching.
Ellen White's critique
In January 1900, Ellen White received a vision about the Holy Flesh movementHoly Flesh movement
The Holy Flesh movement was a controversy within the Seventh-day Adventist Church over worship from the 1890s till 1901. It was a counterfeit revival which contained an outbreak of Pentecostal-like phenomena in the U.S. state of Indiana. The movement died out in 1901.- Beginnings :A. F. Ballenger ,...
while in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. S. N. Haskell (1833–1922) and A. J. Breed were sent to the campmeeting at Muncie
Muncie, Indiana
Muncie is a city in Center Township, Delaware County in east central Indiana, best known as the home of Ball State University and the birthplace of the Ball Corporation. It is the principal city of the Muncie, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 118,769...
to meet this "fanaticism". At the 1901 General Conference Session
General Conference Session
The General Conference Session is the official world meeting of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The first session was held on May 20, 1863 with 20 delegates in attendance, and it is now held quinquennially ....
, Ellen White criticized the Holy Flesh teachings as "error" on April 17 stating:
"The Holy Spirit never reveals Itself in such methods, in such a bedlam of noise. This is an invention of Satan to cover up his ingenious methods for making of none effect the pure, sincere, elevating, ennobling, sanctifying truth for this time. Better never have the worship of God blended with music than to use musical instruments to do the work which last January was represented to me would be brought into our camp meetings. The truth for this time needs nothing of this kind in its work of converting souls. A bedlam of noise shocks the senses and perverts that which if conducted aright might be a blessing. The powers of satanic agencies blend with the din and noise, to have a carnival, and this is termed the Holy Spirit's working.
Ellen White also came out against Ballenger's 'new light' on Universalism
Universalism
Universalism in its primary meaning refers to religious, theological, and philosophical concepts with universal application or applicability...
and beliefs on the heavenly sanctuary
Heavenly sanctuary
In Seventh-day Adventist theology, the heavenly sanctuary teaching asserts that many aspects of the Hebrew tabernacle or sanctuary are representative of heavenly realities. In particular, Jesus is regarded as a High Priest who provides cleansing for human sins by the sacrificial shedding of his...
, and implied that satanic forces were directing the work against the Sanctuary
Heavenly sanctuary
In Seventh-day Adventist theology, the heavenly sanctuary teaching asserts that many aspects of the Hebrew tabernacle or sanctuary are representative of heavenly realities. In particular, Jesus is regarded as a High Priest who provides cleansing for human sins by the sacrificial shedding of his...
.