A ministry dedicated to bringing you answers to common objections against Adventist beliefs. 

Advent Defense League

THE CHARGE: 
 
Galatians 3:17-19 says that the Law began to exist 430 years after the promises made to Abraham! Therefore, the law started after the promise to Abraham. 
 
THE SHORT ANSWER: 
 
This argument claims the law did not exist prior to the giving of the Decalogue from the top of Mt. Sinai, but that is nonsensical. How did individuals get punished prior to Mt. Sinai if there were no law condemning their actions? In fact, "where no law is, there is no transgression (Rom. 4:15), therefore, there was law that was transgressed before Mt. Sinai since there was sin and transgression before Mt. Sinai. Examples such as the incident of the Manna in Exodus 16, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the Flood, the punishment of Cain for killing and lying, and the punishment of Eve for coveting and stealing the forbidden fruit, all point to the fact that there were principles, or laws, forbidding those actions. 
 
A closer look at the texts in questions reveal this fact. Verse 19 says the law was added "because of transgression." Therefore, laws were being "transgressed" prior to the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai. Romans 4:15 reveals that wherever there is transgression, there is law, and so, law already existed. But why was it "added?" It was added, first, because it was being broken (transgressed) and second, because sin needed to be amplified. People needed to see they were sinning, so the law "entered that the offence might ABOUND..." (Rom. 5:20). But "adding" does not always mean it didn't exist prior. Souls were "added" to the church, but those souls existed prior (Acts 2:41). Adding table salt to your meal doesn't mean it didn't exist prior. The Greek word for added is translated "spoken" in Hebrews 12:19. In other words, the Ten Commandments were already being transgressed, but God added it or spoke it in a special sense, to reveal to His people their sins and need of salvation. Thus Paul can write that the Law revealed his sin, and he is specifically talking about the Ten Commandments (see Rom. 7:7). 
 
In conclusion, what came 430 years after the promises to Abraham was the Decalogue as it was spoken and written down on stones from Mt. Sinai in order to reveal sin, but its principles were being "transgressed" prior. This is all Paul is trying to communicate in Galatians 3:17-19. As for whether the Law ended or not, is for another conversation which will soon show up as we record this series. 
 
THE LONG ANSWER: 
 
For a longer, more detailed answer to this charge, visit this link: https://adventistdefenseleague.com/2022/08/part-1-point-by-point-response-to-an-adventist-critic-galatians-317-18.html 
 
ABOUT THIS VIDEO SERIES: 
 
A new challenge has recently surfaced by a critic of Adventism named Chris Tucker, asking Adventists to openly answer questions like this one, which he believes no SDA can answer. The questions are nothing actually new, and Adventists have been responding to challenges like these for many years now. However, this challenged opened up an opportunity to provide a public answer with some fresh insights. 
 
Edwin M. Cotto has accepted the challenge, and various Adventists have joined him. A Zoom meeting was set up and the link was sent to the challenger to join. He didn't, but we did the study anyway, and it has now become a series which we will be responding to for the next few weeks. 
 
This begins Part 1 of our series. The first question is: When was the Law established? And Gal. 3:17-18 is quoted. 
 
READ THE CHALLENGER'S FULL ARTICLE: 
https://hearhisvoice.today 
 
TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION: 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/adven... 
 
VISIT THE ADVENT DEFENSE LEAGUE WEBSITE: 
http://www.adventistdefenseleague.com 
 
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https://www.apologetics.store/ 
 
HELP US CONTINUE TO PRODUCE MORE VIDEOS LIKE THESE FREE TO THE PUBLIC! 
 
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Or give a one time donation here: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/adventdefenseleague 
 
CREDITS 
 
_Edwin M. Cotto, Founder, Advent Defense League 
_Jason Thomas, Instructor, Advent Defense League 
_Douglas Mcdonald, ADL Group Member 
_Dave Bass, ADL Group Member 
_Wences Arboleda, ADL Group Member 
_Mixkit.co 
_Bensounds.com

THE CHARGE:

Galatians 3:17-19 says that the Law began to exist 430 years after the promises made to Abraham! Therefore, the law started after the promise to Abraham.

THE SHORT ANSWER:

This argument claims the law did not exist prior to the giving of the Decalogue from the top of Mt. Sinai, but that is nonsensical. How did individuals get punished prior to Mt. Sinai if there were no law condemning their actions? In fact, "where no law is, there is no transgression (Rom. 4:15), therefore, there was law that was transgressed before Mt. Sinai since there was sin and transgression before Mt. Sinai. Examples such as the incident of the Manna in Exodus 16, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the Flood, the punishment of Cain for killing and lying, and the punishment of Eve for coveting and stealing the forbidden fruit, all point to the fact that there were principles, or laws, forbidding those actions. 

A closer look at the texts in questions reveal this fact. Verse 19 says the law was

Part 1: A Point by Point Response to an Adventist Critic: Galatians 3:17-19.

PERIODIC LESSONS ADDRESSING SPECIFIC OBJECTIONS 
 
In this lesson we address the objection that Jesus violated the seventh day Sabbath when He healed a man and told him to pick up his mat on the Sabbath. John 5:18 read that Jesus had "broken the Sabbath." Critics use this to claim that it was allowed to break the Sabbath in certain occasions. But did Jesus violate the Sabbath when He healed this man on that day? Was this Sabbath healing an example of why the Sabbath is not moral or was the healing in accordance with the very essence of what the Sabbath was all about? In other words, was it legal, or illegal, to do good deeds on the Sabbath day? And if it was legal, what did John mean by the word "broken?" 
 
____________________________________________________ 
This video appeared a week earlier in our Facebook training group: Exclusive Members of the Advent Defense League. Train in apologetics through weekly lessons, monthly workshops with invited guests, and downloadable apologetics materials. Members can also: 
 
-Enter the Zoom conference during the LIVE weekly lessons. 
-Download and keep the PowerPoint that was used. 
-View the weekly lessons a week in advance. 
 
Train in apologetics with the Advent Defense League! Click: https://www.facebook.com/groups/adventistdefenseleague 
 
The best way to be prepared, is to train, 
The Advent Defense League 
____________________________________________________ 
Music by: Bensound

PERIODIC LESSONS ADDRESSING SPECIFIC OBJECTIONS

In this lesson we address the objection that Jesus violated the seventh day Sabbath when He healed a man and told him to pick up his mat on the Sabbath. John 5:18 read that Jesus had "broken the Sabbath." Critics use this to claim that it was allowed to break the Sabbath in certain occasions. But did Jesus violate the Sabbath when He healed this man on that day? Was this Sabbath healing an example of why the Sabbath is not moral or was the healing in accordance with the very essence of what the Sabbath was all about? In other words, was it legal, or illegal, to do good deeds on the Sabbath day? And if it was legal, what did John mean by the word "broken?"

____________________________________________________
This video appeared a week earlier in our Facebook training group: Exclusive Members of the Advent Defense League. Train in apologetics through weekly lessons, monthly workshops with invited guests, and downloadable apologetics mater

Advent Defense League Videos

Part 1: A Point by Point Response to an Adventist Critic: Galatians 3:17-19.

ADL Lesson #1: Did Jesus break the Sabbath in John 5:18?

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Part 1: A Point by Point Response to an Adventist Critic: Galatians 3:17-19.

ADL Lesson #1: Did Jesus break the Sabbath in John 5:18?

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