Investigating Adventism: Chapter 1: "Free Will, God’s Love, and the Great Controversy"

In his work “History of the Relationship among Human Free Will, God’s Character of Love, and the Great Controversy,” Nicholas P. Miller argues that “the Great Controversy theme was not invented by Seventh-day Adventists, but rather arose from a long tradition of Protestant reflection” and builds upon earlier debates on free will and divine justice.¹ He traces theological developments beginning with the Reformers, noting that while Luther and Calvin emphasized human inability in reaction to medieval Pelagianism, others such as Melanchthon and the Anabaptists Denck, Hubmaier, and Menno Simons “affirmed the reality of human freedom enabled by God’s grace.”²

This trajectory continued with Jacob Arminius, who sought to revise Reformed theology so that God would not be portrayed as “the author of sin or arbitrary in His decrees.”³ Arminius emphasized conditional election, universal atonement, prevenient grace, and the genuine capacity of humans to respond to God. Building on these ideas, Hugo Grotius introduced the concept of God’s moral government, describing the atonement as a means “to uphold the order of the universe and maintain the authority of divine law.”⁴ This shift in theological reasoning later became foundational to what Adventists would articulate as the Great Controversy framework.

Grotius’s influence extended into England and America, shaping thinkers such as John Milton, John Wesley, and the Methodist revival, which championed free will, universal atonement, and moral government theology.⁵ These ideas also fueled anti-slavery activism and helped form the theological landscape of 18th–19th century American Protestantism. The tradition continued through New Haven theologians and New School Presbyterians like Nathaniel Taylor and Albert Barnes, who taught that Christ died for all, that God genuinely offers salvation to all, and that humans are morally accountable. Barnes’s commentaries were widely read and “deeply influential among emerging Adventist groups.”⁶

Ellen G. White later adopted and significantly expanded these moral government themes, integrating them with a cosmic-conflict narrative that became the hallmark of Adventist theology: the Great Controversy. As Miller concludes, the Great Controversy is not a uniquely Adventist construct but “a synthesis of centuries of Protestant reflection on divine justice, human freedom, and moral governance.”⁷ He notes that this fusion “became the organizing principle of Adventist theological identity.”⁸

FAP APOLOGETIC RESPONSE

SDA Argument#1. “The Great Controversy is the framework of Scripture.”

Response:

The claim that the “Great Controversy” is the framework of Scripture reflects a theological construct imposed on the biblical text rather than one drawn from it. Scripture presents salvation history not as a cosmic drama in which God must defend His reputation before created beings, but as a covenantal and Christ-centered narrative of redemption. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible unfolds a coherent storyline:

Creation → Fall → Promise → Israel → Christ → Church → New Creation. 

This redemptive arc is affirmed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:3–4, where the gospel is summarized as Christ dying for our sins, being buried, and rising again according to the Scriptures. Likewise, in Ephesians 1:3–14, Paul outlines God’s eternal plan to redeem a people through Christ, sealed by the Holy Spirit, to the praise of His glory not to prove His innocence to the universe. Nowhere does Scripture suggest that God is on trial before angels or unfallen worlds. The idea that salvation history is a cosmic PR campaign is foreign to the biblical witness.

At the heart of Paul’s theology is the concept of dikaiosynē (δικαιοσύνη), often translated as “righteousness.” In Romans 3:25–26, Paul explains that God’s righteousness is revealed through the cross not as a defense of His reputation, but as the fulfillment of His covenant promises. This righteousness is not about divine self-justification before celestial spectators; it is about God being both just and the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus. In Paul’s usage, dikaiosynē refers to God’s saving action, His loyalty to the Abrahamic covenant, and His justice in redeeming sinners through Christ. The SDA narrative, by contrast, implies that God must be vindicated before onlooking beings a notion that raises a theological absurdity: if God must be vindicated, who is qualified to judge Him? Scripture is clear: God alone is the Judge (Psalm 75:7; Romans 14:10–12). The idea that angels or unfallen beings must be convinced of God’s justice not only undermines His sovereignty and omniscience, but also anthropomorphizes heavenly beings into skeptical jurors a concept never supported by Scripture.

The “Great Controversy” theme, as popularized by Ellen G. White, is not a product of careful exegesis but of visionary speculation. It reframes the gospel as a cosmic conflict in which God must prove Himself, rather than a covenant fulfilled in Christ. This narrative shifts the focus from Christ’s finished work to God’s reputation management, which is alien to biblical theology. The cross, according to Colossians 2:15, is not a cosmic exhibit but a decisive act of triumph: Christ disarmed the powers and authorities and triumphed over them not to prove God’s innocence, but to defeat evil. Hebrews 1:3 declares that Christ made purification for sins and then sat down at the right hand of God, signaling the completion of His redemptive work. There is no hint of an ongoing trial or cosmic vindication in the biblical text.

In summary, biblical salvation is covenantal, not courtroom drama. God’s righteousness is His saving faithfulness, not His need to justify Himself before creation. The SDA “Great Controversy” narrative is speculative theology not scriptural doctrine. At the center of God’s redemptive plan is not a cosmic trial, but the death and resurrection of Christ, through whom sinners are justified, evil is defeated, and creation is renewed.

SDA Argument#2. “God must be fair before angels and unfallen worlds.”

The claim that God must prove His fairness before angels and unfallen worlds reflects a serious theological misstep it makes God accountable to creation rather than sovereign over it. This idea flips the biblical order of authority, suggesting that the Creator is subject to the scrutiny of His creatures, as if He were on trial before the universe. But Scripture affirms the opposite: “Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases” (Psalm 115:3). When Job questioned God’s justice, God did not offer explanations He asserted His overwhelming authority (Job 40–42). The SDA claim commits a category error, confusing the roles of Creator and creature, and violating the biblical distinction between the One who judges and those who are judged.

Biblical justice is not displayed in cosmic vindication it is revealed in redemption. The Bible never presents salvation history as a celestial PR campaign. God’s righteousness is demonstrated in the cross, where He is both just and the justifier of those who believe in Jesus (Romans 3:25–26). Paul’s use of dikaiosynē refers to God’s covenant faithfulness and saving action not His need to justify His reputation to onlooking beings. Salvation, according to Ephesians 1:3–14, is the outworking of God’s eternal plan, to the praise of His glory not to the satisfaction of angelic observers. God’s justice is about fulfilling His promises, redeeming sinners, and glorifying Christ not winning a cosmic argument. Since when did angels become the Supreme Court of the universe?

Scripture teaches that angels are ministering spirits (Hebrews 1:1), not judges. In heaven, they worship God and the Lamb (Revelation 4–5); they do not sit in judgment over Him. Isaiah 40:13–14 asks, “Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him?” a rhetorical rebuke to any suggestion that God needs instruction or evaluation. To claim that God must be “fair before angels” elevates creation above Creator, reversing biblical authority.

The SDA “Great Controversy” narrative, popularized by Ellen G. White, introduces a speculative framework where God’s justice is on trial. But this is not derived from Scripture it is a theological overlay. It reframes the gospel as a celestial drama rather than a covenant fulfilled in Christ. It shifts the focus from Christ’s finished work to God’s reputation management. It implies that salvation history is driven by the need to convince heavenly spectators, rather than by divine initiative. This speculative theology undermines both the sufficiency of the cross and the sovereignty of God.

Scripture is clear: God is not under scrutiny. Romans 9:20–21 declares, “Who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?’” God is the Potter; we are the clay. Daniel 4:35 affirms that no one angelic or human can stay His hand or question His authority. Acts 17:24–25 reminds us that God is self-sufficient and does not need anything from His creatures, let alone their approval.

In summary: The biblical God needs no vindication. He is sovereign and does not answer to angels or unfallen worlds. His justice is revealed in Christ not in a cosmic PR campaign. The cross is about redemption, not reputation. The “Great Controversy” is a theological fiction, not a biblical doctrine.

SDA Argument #3: “Grotius’s Moral Government Theory Supports the Great Controversy Model”

Response: 

Grotius offered legal insights, but his theory is philosophical not exegetical. Hugo Grotius (1583–1645), a Dutch jurist and theologian, proposed the Moral Government Theory of the atonement. He argued that Christ’s death was not a substitutionary payment for sin, but a public demonstration of God’s moral order meant to deter sin and uphold divine justice in the eyes of the universe. This theory was a reaction against Socinianism, which denied the need for atonement altogether. While Grotius rightly emphasized the seriousness of sin and the moral authority of God, his framework was deeply shaped by Enlightenment rationalism and legal philosophy, not by biblical exegesis. The SDA use of Grotius is not a return to Scripture it’s a return to speculation. The idea that the Father executed Christ primarily to “uphold universal order” is foreign to the New Testament. The apostolic witness centers on substitution, reconciliation, and redemption not cosmic deterrence or moral theater.

Greek Text Check: What the New Testament Actually Emphasizes

When we examine the New Testament’s vocabulary of salvation, we find not a cosmic theater of divine self-defense, but a covenantal rescue rooted in substitution, reconciliation, and redemption. The Greek terms used to describe Christ’s work on the cross are deeply personal and relational not abstract philosophical ideas, but concrete realities grounded in God’s covenant with His people.

The term hilastērion (ἱλαστήριον) in Romans 3:25, translated as propitiation, refers to the turning away of divine wrath through a sacrificial substitute. In the Septuagint, it denotes the mercy seat the place where blood was sprinkled on the Day of Atonement. Paul uses this term to present Christ as the fulfillment of that sacrificial system. Jesus satisfies God’s justice not to make a cosmic point, but to deal directly with sin. The wrath of God is not appeased by a performance, but by a person Jesus who bore our penalty. This is not a demonstration to angels; it is a transaction for sinners.

The word katallagē (καταλλαγή), meaning reconciliation (Romans 5:10–11; 2 Corinthians 5:18–21), emphasizes the restoration of relationship. The cross bridges the gap between God and humanity. The focus is vertical between God and sinners not horizontal, between God and the cosmos. Reconciliation is not a cosmic PR campaign; it is the healing of a broken covenant. Paul’s appeal, “Be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20), is personal, not philosophical.

Likewise, apolutrōsis (ἀπολύτρωσις), translated redemption (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14), is drawn from the slave market and speaks of liberation through a ransom. Christ’s blood purchases freedom from sin not to prove a point to the universe, but to save a people. Redemption is not a cosmic drama; it is a rescue mission. The price was paid not to satisfy the curiosity of unfallen beings, but to satisfy the justice of God and liberate the enslaved.

In contrast, the Seventh-day Adventist framework heavily influenced by Hugo Grotius reinterprets the cross as a moral demonstration to the universe. In this view, God must prove His justice to unfallen beings, as if the cross were a cosmic courtroom drama. But this model introduces serious theological distortions. Substitution is replaced by symbolism the cross becomes a metaphor rather than a sacrifice, and Christ’s death is reduced to a lesson rather than a payment. The audience shifts from sinners to angels, as if the gospel were designed to persuade celestial observers rather than redeem fallen humanity. Yet Scripture never suggests that angels need convincing we do. The gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16), not a spectacle for the heavenly gallery. Covenant is replaced by cosmic decorum, where God’s primary concern becomes maintaining universal order rather than redeeming His covenant people. This elevates moral order above covenant love, turning theology into theater.

But the clear testimony of Scripture says otherwise. Romans 5:8 declares, “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Yes, the cross is a demonstration but to us, not to angels. The audience is fallen humanity, not unfallen galaxies. 1 Peter 3:18 affirms, “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” The purpose is reconciliation, not reputation. Hebrews 9:26 proclaims that Christ “appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” The goal is not cosmic vindication it is the removal of sin and the restoration of relationship.

In short, the New Testament’s language of salvation is covenantal, not theatrical. It is about blood, not performance. It is about Christ crucified for sinners not God performing for the universe. The cross is not a cosmic performance it is a final, effective act of atonement. Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient, complete, and personal. The New Testament does not present the cross as a celestial drama staged for the universe. It presents the cross as the centerpiece of God’s covenantal love, where wrath is satisfied, sinners are reconciled, and captives are redeemed. To reinterpret the cross as a moral demonstration to unfallen beings is to miss its heart. It’s not about proving a point it’s about paying a price. It’s not about cosmic spectators it’s about covenant sinners. It’s not about maintaining order it’s about making peace.

The cross is not philosophical theater. It is divine rescue. It is personal redemption. It is God’s love poured out for you. The most dangerous theological error is not denial it’s distortion. When the cross is reframed as a moral government display, as in the SDA “Great Controversy” model, the gospel is subtly but profoundly altered. The emphasis shifts from atonement to allegory, from substitution to symbolism, and from redemption to reputation management before the watching universe.

The biblical gospel centers on Christ dying in our place bearing the wrath of God we deserved. But the SDA model, influenced by Hugo Grotius’s moral government theory, treats the cross as a public demonstration of justice rather than a penal substitution. Christ becomes a symbol of justice, not a substitute for sinners. The blood is illustrative, not efficacious. The cross is reduced to a courtroom exhibit, not a mercy seat. Biblical salvation is deeply personal. Sin is rebellion against a holy God, and grace is His undeserved favor toward the guilty. But when the cross is interpreted as a cosmic drama, the personal dimension is lost. The sinner becomes a spectator, not a participant. Grace becomes a principle, not a gift. The gospel becomes abstract, not intimate.

The SDA framework elevates the “unfallen universe” as the primary audience of the cross. God, in this view, must prove His justice to angels and other beings. But Scripture never suggests that God is on trial before creation. This is not the gospel of Paul, Peter, or John. It is not the message of the early church. It is not the theology of the cross. It is a philosophical construct masquerading as biblical truth. The cross is not a divine drama staged for the universe. It is the once-for-all sacrifice of the Son of God for the sins of His people. It is not a symbol it is a substitution. It is not a lesson it is a liberation. To preach a cross without blood is to preach a gospel without power. To turn the cross into allegory is to rob it of its saving force. To make angels the audience is to forget who the cross was truly for. The cross is not cosmic theater. It is covenantal triumph. It is God’s justice satisfied. It is God’s love poured out. It is for you.

SDA Argument#4. “Free will is necessary to vindicate God’s character.”

Response: Free will matters but not because God is on trial. The SDA claim that human free will must be exercised rightly to vindicate God’s character presents a distorted view of salvation history one that resembles a cosmic courtroom drama where God’s justice is validated by creaturely choices. This framework implies that God is under suspicion and must prove His fairness before the universe, but Scripture offers a radically different picture: God is not on trial. He is the sovereign initiator of grace. Salvation is not a referendum on God’s character it is a divine gift rooted in mercy and covenant love.

As Titus 2:11 declares, “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.” The foundation of salvation is not human will but divine mercy, as Romans 9:16 affirms: “It depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” God’s choice of Israel, for example, was not based on their performance or potential, but on His love and covenant faithfulness (Deuteronomy 7:7–8). This dismantles the SDA notion that God’s fairness must be proven through human response. Instead, Scripture reveals that God’s character is displayed in His initiative to love, choose, and redeem, not in His need to be vindicated.

The SDA model commits a dangerous theological reversal. It makes God’s eternal character contingent on the fluctuating decisions of finite beings, implying that divine justice is reactive and dependent on human validation. It turns free will into a cosmic measuring stick rather than a relational response to grace. But why would God’s unchanging holiness, justice, and goodness depend on the unstable choices of fallen creatures? Scripture teaches that God’s character is eternally perfect and not subject to review or revision. Human free will is real, but it is not the judge of God’s nature.

In the biblical narrative, free will functions as a response to grace, not a mechanism to vindicate God. The call to choose is relational, not judicial (Joshua 24:15). Receiving Christ is a gift-enabled response, not a cosmic test of fairness (John 1:12–13). Even our willingness to respond is empowered by God’s grace (Philippians 2:13). Free will matters because love must be freely received, but its purpose is worship, not divine vindication.

By reframing free will as a tool to prove God’s fairness before the universe, the SDA framework elevates creaturely autonomy above divine sovereignty, turns salvation into a cosmic debate rather than a covenantal rescue, and shifts the focus from Christ’s finished work to human performance. This is not the gospel; it is a speculative drama that undermines grace.

In summary: God’s character is revealed in grace, not vindicated by free will. He is not on trial. Free will is a relational response, not a cosmic validator. God’s choice is rooted in love, not performance. The gospel is covenantal, not contractual. And the SDA model misuses free will to support a theology that Scripture does not affirm.

SDA Argument #5: “The Great Controversy Theme Is Central to Theodicy”

Response:

Biblical theodicy is centered on the cross, not in Satan’s accusations. The SDA claim reframes the problem of evil as a cosmic drama in which God must vindicate His character before the universe. According to this view, Satan’s rebellion triggered a universal crisis of trust, and God’s actions, including the cross, are primarily aimed at restoring His reputation before angels and unfallen worlds. But this is not the biblical storyline. Scripture presents theodicy, the justification of God’s goodness and justice, not as a cosmic debate, but as a Christ-centered act of redemption.

Biblical theodicy finds its center not in cosmic speculation or Satan’s accusations, but in the cross of Christ, God’s eternal plan of redemption. The crucifixion was not a trap set by Satan; it was the deliberate and sovereign act of God, as affirmed in Acts 2:23, where Jesus was “delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.” This means theodicy begins with divine sovereignty, not cosmic reaction. In Romans 8:31-39, Paul does not appeal to cosmic transparency to answer suffering and accusation; he points to Christ crucified and risen, interceding for us, declaring, “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.” The cross is not a cosmic exhibit; it is a decisive victory, as Colossians 2:15 proclaims: “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him.”

The SDA “Great Controversy” framework commits a theological error by making Satan’s rebellion the interpretive center of all doctrine. This false centering elevates Satan’s accusations above God’s eternal purpose, turning the gospel into a cosmic debate rather than a covenantal rescue. It shifts the focus from Christ’s finished work to God’s ongoing defense, reducing biblical theology to theological theater. If Christ truly “disarmed principalities and powers” at the cross, why would God still be trying to prove Himself 6,000 years later? This question exposes the inconsistency of the SDA model. Scripture teaches that the cross was final, Satan was defeated, his accusations were silenced, and God’s justice was fully revealed. There is no ongoing trial.

True biblical theodicy stands firmly on three unshakable pillars:

1. God’s sovereignty,
2. God’s justice, and
3. God’s grace

First, Scripture affirms that evil exists not as a force outside of God’s control, but within the bounds of His permissive will what others intend for evil, God can and does use for good (Genesis 50:20), and He alone declares, “I form light and create darkness…” (Isaiah 45:7). Second, the cross of Christ reveals God’s justice, not as a response to cosmic curiosity or angelic skepticism, but as the righteous act of satisfying divine wrath and justifying sinners (Romans 3:25–26). Finally, God’s grace is the heart of His answer to evil, not a campaign to manage His reputation, but a redemptive act to rescue and restore through the blood of Christ (Ephesians 1:7-10). In short, theodicy is not about God defending Himself before the universe; it is about God saving sinners and renewing creation through the finished work of Jesus Christ.

The Seventh-day Adventist “Great Controversy” narrative, as popularized by Ellen G. White, presents a speculative reinterpretation of the gospel by framing it as a cosmic conflict in which God’s justice is on trial before the universe. This approach subtly but significantly shifts the theological center away from Christ and His finished work, placing undue emphasis on Satan’s rebellion as the lens through which all doctrine must be interpreted. In doing so, it transforms salvation into a celestial drama rather than a covenantal rescue, and it undermines the finality and sufficiency of the cross by suggesting that God’s character still needs to be vindicated. Such a framework is not the product of careful biblical exegesis, but rather an imposed system that distorts the gospel’s true focus: Christ crucified, risen, and reigning.

In summary, biblical theodicy finds its resolution not in cosmic transparency or celestial debates, but in the person and work of Jesus Christ. God is not on trial. His justice, goodness, and sovereignty are fully revealed and vindicated through the cross. Satan’s rebellion, while real, is a subplot in the grand narrative of redemption, not the interpretive center of doctrine. The cross is not a divine defense mechanism it is a decisive victory over sin, death, and the powers of darkness. By making Satan’s accusations the focal point of theology, the SDA “Great Controversy” model misplaces the center of gravity, shifting attention away from Christ’s finished work and toward a speculative cosmic drama that Scripture does not endorse. True theodicy begins and ends with Christ crucified.

Final Evaluation 

While the “Great Controversy” theme may offer a historically rich and emotionally compelling narrative, it remains a theological system, not Scripture. Its dramatic portrayal of cosmic conflict and divine vindication may resonate with human longing for justice, but it is not the backbone of biblical theology. The New Testament does not center on God defending His government before the universe; it centers on Christ crucified, risen, and reigning. The apostles preached salvation for sinners, not reputation management in the heavenly realms. The gospel is not, “Watch God defend His government in a cosmic trial,” but rather, “Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again”* (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). Assurance does not flow from the resolution of a celestial controversy it flows from the finished work of Christ (Hebrews 10:14), who has already triumphed and secured redemption for all who believe.

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References

1. Nicholas P. Miller, “History of the Relationship among Human Free Will, God’s Character of Love, and the Great Controversy” (Andrews University Seminary Studies, 2019), 112.

2. Miller, “History of the Relationship…”, 114.

3. Jacob Arminius, The Works of James Arminius, vol. 1, ed. James Nichols (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1986), 248.

4. Hugo Grotius, A Defence of the Catholic Faith Concerning the Satisfaction of Christ, trans. Frank Hugh Foster (Boston: Congregational Sunday-School and Publishing Society, 1889), 29.

5. John Wesley, Sermons on Several Occasions (London: Epworth Press, 1872), 52–55.

6. Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament: Romans (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1834), v–vi.

7. Miller, “History of the Relationship…”, 129.

8. Miller, “History of the Relationship…”, 130.

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