Andrews University

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Is Matthew 25:31-46 in contradiction with the adventist

doctrine of salvation?

A Research Paper

Presented in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements of the Course GSEM 620

Master of Arts in Religion

by

Rareș Lazăr

October 2016

i
 Table of contents

Introduction..............................................................................................................................3
Literature review...................................................................................................................3
History of interpretation...........................................................................................................4
The universal interpretation..................................................................................................4
The classic interpretation......................................................................................................5
The exclusive interpretation..................................................................................................6
Evidences of saving grace in Matthew 25:31-46......................................................................7
The adventist doctrine about salvation and Matthew 25:31-46.................................................8
Conclusion................................................................................................................................9
Bibliography...........................................................................................................................11

ii
 Introduction

It is well known that the salvation by works concept is widely spread in

christianity. A lot of christians do believe that they will be judged only by their deeds.

At the first sight Matthew 25:31-46 is encouraging this theology and could be seen as

an evidence for this concept. Until it is understood how this passage is in harmony

with the Seventh-Day Adventist Church’s view about salvation and judgment, there

will still be voices that will raise questions. It appears that after a better analysis, the

Matthean view and the adventist view about judgment and salvation, are the same.

For this purpose, the text’s history of interpretation will be reviewed, the

adventist’s view about salvation will be stated and after that a comparison between

the biblical text and the adventist view will be made.

Literature review

About the topic of this research paper I didn’t found any specific writings but I will

briefly mention the Bible Commentaries that I have used and the books that helped

me along. The Luz Ulrich’s Bible commentary is one of the main books that are used

to comprehend the different interpretations of Matthew 25. Also Fredrick’s Bruner

commentary that is published in 2007 brough new and different meanings to the

process of this research. For stating the adventist view of salvation the romanian

version of doctrines written by Wilhelm Moldovan was used.

3
 History of interpretation

Even if this passage contains parabolic element (the shepherd, the process of

sorting, the sheep and the goats) it is not a parable. Here in Mt. 25 it is presented an

apocalyptic image about the day of judgement, a real event in the future history.1

There are three popular interepreations of this text:

The universal interpretation

The universal interpretation states that the judgement presented in Matthew 25

has one criterion: the works of charity and mercy done to the suffering people of the

world. Also this judgement will be applied to all human creatures. An important

element here is the surprise motif. Both, the sheep and the goats are surprised at the

king’s verdict.2 But why is this so important? Because it brings us to the conclusion

that it was something natural for the elected ones to do good deeds. The astonishment

of the righteous is the best evidence that their thoughts were far away from any idea

of merit on their behalf.

“They kept no record of their works, they trusted solely in grace and forgot all

their works. means”3

1
Stuart K. Weber, Matthew Holman New Testament Commentay,. 1. Nashville, TN: Broadman &
Holman Publishers, 2000.

2
Luz Ulrich and Helmut Koester, Matthew 21-28: A Commentary. (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 2005),
Logos electronic version.

3
R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Matthew’s Gospel. (Minneapolis, MN.: Augsburg
Publishing House, 1961), Logos electronic version.

4
 This view corresponds with the interpretation made by Immanuel Kant, for

whom the World Judge choses “as the true elects to his kingdom those who extended

help to the needy without it ever enetering their minds that what they were doing was

also worthy of recompense. The idea of Kant influenced the universal interpretation.

Before Kant, Pascal had already formulated that “the elect will be ignorant of their

virtues and the outcast of the greatness of their sins. 4

In my opinion this interpretation is the most convenient because it is clearly

showing that the judgment presented here in Matthew 25 it is an universal one. Also it

is important to repeat that only through faith in Jesus Christ these good works will be

accepted.5

The classic interpretation

In contrast with the universal vision, the classic interpretation brings up the

exclusivity motif. The meaning here is clear: in the final judgment from Matthew 25,

only the christians will be judged by their works of compassion that they have done

for the poor members of the church.

The purpose of this interpretation is usually the encouragement of the

churches to do the works of mercy. Here the identification of Christ with the needy

ones is not important. 6

4
According to Luz Ulrich and Helmut Koester. Matthew 21-28: A Commentary. (Minneapolis:
Augsburg, 2005), Logos electronic edition.
5
See the astonishment of the cursed ones: “Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we
see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?”
6
John F. Walvoord, Matthew: Thy Kingdom Come-A Commentary on the First gospel (Grand Rapids,
MI:Kregel, 1998), 199-204.

5
 Because this interpretation was embraced until 1800, the following

considerations are important and deserve attention.

In the time of Reformation the character of the works of mercy as works of

merit became a point of contention. Commenting on verse 34, Calvin says that the

inheritance provided in this passage is for those with good works that aim at the prize

of the heavenly calling. This has encouraged the church until 1800 to believe in

justification by works.7 But also Calvin emphasized that the blessed ones were saved

by the free grace of God that God has determined for the saved above all human

works. The reward is a reward of grace; in verse 35 γάρ (“for”) does not mean that the

works are the actual basis for salvation.8

The exclusive interpretation

In the eighteenth century a new interpretation appeared that was advocated

occasionally in the nineteenth century and that has been advocated with increasing

frequency since about 1960. It understands πάντα τὰ ἔθνη to mean not “all nations”

but “all pagans.”9

In the nineteenth century, when many in the church engaged actively in

foreign missions and at the same time recognized that the world could not be

completely christianized, information on the fate of non-Christians in the last

judgment was meaningful. Non-Christians are not necessarily lost; they too have a

chance. God will judge them not on the basis of their faith but on the basis of their

7
Fredrick Dale Bruner, The Curchbook Matthew 13-28 (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2007), 576.

8
Conform John Calvin Institutio Christianae religionis .

9
According to E.g Winandy Scene; Haufe Soviel; Cope Matthew XXV:31-46; Ingelaere “Parabole”,
32-56

6
works of charity—that is, according to a standard that applies in all cultures and that

can be expected.

Evidences of saving grace in Matthew 25:31-46

Even if this passage shows only the works, which are seen as the evidence of

being saved or not; nothing is said about grace, faith or Christ’s atoning death. Here it

is more important the whole view over the book of Matthew and the placement of this

passage. The scene in discussion is in the end of His ministry, in the seal of death, and

just before the beginning of a new era when people will be separated by their response

at the crucial event of Jesus’s death.10

But the fact that grace is not part of the present picture doesn’t state that that it

is less significant. But if we will pay a close attention to the words “Inherit the

kingdom”, Jesus is drawing attention to an important aspect of the blessed ones

salvation. Anything that is inherited comes to one as a gift and not as a direct result of

one’s earnings or works. This kingdom was “prepared” by God and it is given by Him

as a gift.11

As a conclusion to this section I might state that this passage presents the

saving grace even if it’s not directly. Also it is superficial to believe that Matthew

who has written from the beginning of his Gospel that Christ will “save people from

10
W.F. Albright, C.S. Mann, Matthew The Anchor Bibile (New York, 1971), 308,9.

11
Leon Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1992), 634-637.

7
their sins”12 forgot about what he stated about grace and salvation that comes from

Christ.

The adventist doctrine about salvation and Matthew 25:31-46

The adventist doctrine about salvation is centered on the atoning death of

Jesus Christ. Led by the Holy Spirit we sense our need, acknowledge our sinfulness,

repent of our transgressions, and exercise faith in Jesus as Saviour and Lord,

Substitute and Example. This saving faith comes through the divine power of the

Word and is the gift of God’s grace. Through Christ we are justified, adopted as

God’s sons and daughters, and delivered from the lordship of sin. Through the Spirit

we are born again and sanctified; the Spirit renews our minds, writes God’s law of

love in our hearts, and we are given the power to live a holy life. Abiding in Him we

become partakers of the divine nature and have the assurance of salvation now and in

the judgment.13

At the first reading of this passage and without a deep analysis there might be

an inclination to interpret this parable as an evidence for the justification by own

merits. The key element that makes the difference and change the point of view is the

surprise motif. Both the righteous ones and the cursed ones are astonished. “Lord,

when did we see you hungry and give you food? “14

12
Matthew 1:21; conform also 11:25-30; 20:28)

13
Wilhelm Moldovan, Manualul doctrinelor biblice A.Z.Ș. (București: Viață și Sănătate, 2010), 76-89.

14
Matthew 25:37, NIV translation.

8
 This means that because the love of God exists in their hearts and they have a

good relationship with Christ, helpfulness and mercy have become natural for

them. .15

According to the adventist doctrine, they have understood the love of God

manifested through the death of Christ . Now their daily lives are abided in Him and

they are partakers of the divine nature by exercising the faith in Jesus.

On the other hand, the attitude of the deemed is important to be analyzed.

They’ve had their eyes on prestige, rewards and recognition and forgot to internalize

the love of God. For them the religion was just a form to be proud of their deeds.16

So, by comparing the adventist doctrine of salvation and the interpretation of

the passage in Matthew 25:31-46 we may draw the conclusion that both of them are

speaking about the same idea of salvation.

Conclusion

This study raised the problem of correlation between the salvation view stated

in Matthew 25:31-46 and the adventist doctrine of salvation.

After the analysis of the history of interpretation the conclusion is that the

universal interpretation it is the closest to the message of this passage and it is also the

most convenient for the purpose of our study.

15
George R. Knight, The abundant life Bible Amplifier-Matthew (Boise, ID: Pacific Press, 1994), 249.

16
Fredrick Dale Bruner, The Curchbook Matthew 13-28 (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2007), 576-
579.

9
 Also by comparing the adventist doctrine of salvation and the message from

the Bible section it have been demonstrated that they are both talking about the

salvation by faith in Jesus Christ.

So, the purpose of this research paper have been completed. It was

demonstrated that there is a strong relation between the adventist doctrine of salvation

and the message found in Matthew and that the salvation by grace is present in the

passage.

10
 Bibliography

Weber, Stuart K. Matthew Holman New Testament Commentary, 1. Nashville, TN:

Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000.

Ulrich, Luz. Matthew 21-28: A Commentary. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 2005, Logos

electronic version.

R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Matthew’s Gospel. Minneapolis, MN.:

Augsburg Publishing House, 1961, Logos electronic version.

Walvoord, John F. Matthew: Thy Kingdom Come-A Commentary on the First gospel
. Grand Rapids, MI:Kregel, 1998.

Bruner, Fredrick Dale. The Churchbook Matthew 13-28 Grand Rapids, MI:
Eerdmans, 2007..

Calvin, John Institutio Christianae religionis .

Moldovan, Wilhelm Manualul doctrinelor biblice A.Z.Ș. București: Viață și

Sănătate, 2010.

Knight, George R. The abundant life Bible Amplifier-Matthew Boise, ID: Pacific
Press, 1994.

Augsburger, Myron S., and Lloyd J. Ogilvie. The Preacher’s Commentary Series :
Matthew. Vol. 24. The Preacher’s Commentary Series. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas
Nelson Inc, 1982.

Albright, W. F., and C. S. Mann. Matthew: Introduction, Translation, and Notes. New
Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008.

Spence-Jones, H. D. M., ed. The Pulpit Commentary: St. Matthew. Vol. 2.

Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2004.

Albright W.F., Mann C.S., Matthew The Anchor Bibile , New York, 1971.

Morris, Leon , The Gospel According to Matthew, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans,
1992.

11