A Short Glossary of Code Words and Phrases for the Seventh-day Adventist Christian

1. "You're a Pharisee." This is a phrase frequently used by those who are unhappy that your moral standards are higher than theirs. There are several things about this phrase that are misunderstood. They have some idea Jesus said bad things about Pharisees but forget he also said similar things about the scribes. Why they don't ever call you a scribe? I don't know. The Pharisees were not the ones following Jesus. They were deceptive in that they claimed to be doing good things they weren't really doing. They knew the law but didn't follow the law. The disciples of Jesus had the high moral standards that they followed. One shouldn't be called a Pharisee for rejecting activities not acceptable for a true disciple of Jesus.

2. "You're too good for us." Another way of being called a Pharisee. In order to prove you're not "too good" you will be expected to engage in some unholy activity.

3. "You're a fanatic." Another way of being called a Pharisee.

4. "You're so pious." Yet another way of being called a Pharisee.

5. "You think you're so holy." Another version of the Pharisee put down and the speaker is apparently a mind reader.

6. "You think you're too good for us." Yet again the mind reader making the Pharisee accusation.

7. "I believe in a short chronology." The speaker is talking about creation and rather than saying they don't believe our Earth is only about 6,000 years old as the Bible says, they say "short chronology" to make it appear they do. Their "short chronology" could be 10,000 years, 50,000 years or even longer. Their chronology is just shorter than maybe 100,000,000 years.

8. "The Bible says..." They many times don't believe there is any one infallible Bible but rather a bunch of bibles from which they pick whatever they like."

9. "They were God's penmen and not His pen." It's true; the holy men of God weren't His pen but that's not usually what is meant. Usually the phrase is used to show there are mistakes in your Bible thanks to the holy men of God who were His penmen and "spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" as noted in 2 Peter 1:21. Of course, as this web site demonstrates, the majority of the bibles in our day have many errors but that's not what they're talking about. They wish to show that NO bible is entirely reliable. That makes it possible to justify teaching error and it makes their erroneous bibles laced with poison appear acceptable.

10. "I think it's the best translation." Another way of saying no bible is perfect.

11. "The translators weren't inspired." That is very true of the translators of the modern versions. Of course, they aren't referring to modern versions but instead are trying to show that the King James Bible is imperfect because of the uninspired translators. In Exodus 31:2-4 it says Bezaleel was filled with the spirit of God to "devise cunning works, to work in gold, and silver, and in brass." I have every reason to believe the translators of the King James Bible WERE inspired. If they hadn't been inspired, they never could have made such a perfect translation.

12. "The original manuscripts..." This implies that the "original" first off manuscripts are available somewhere at this time. The original manuscripts turned to dust long ago.

13. "In the original language..." Most of the speakers that say this could not read a single sentence in any original language of Scripture.

14. "The Greek (or Hebrew) word is..." The speaker rarely can speak or read Greek (or Hebrew) and has done what a precocious 10 year old could do. They look the word up in a Strong's Concordance or a Lexicon. The phrase serves well to make the speaker appear learned and a serious student of Scripture.

15. "The author of Hebrews..." The speaker doesn't want you to know he has doubts Paul wrote Hebrews even though the Spirit of Prophecy says he did. See page 347 of the 1888 edition of The Great Controversy in the chapter titled "Light Through Darkness" where it says, "Paul in the Epistle to the Hebrews."

16. "But you used to..." This phrase is used to get a Christian to engage in a preconversion activity. If you used to beat your wife, she won't say that. If you no longer can consciously go to a movie theater she might.

17. "Where does it say...?" Usually this phrase is used to start an argument about dancing, jewelry, etc. Don't fall into the trap of trying to tell them they're wrong. Have them read their Bibles and let the Spirit guide them. An exception would be when the question is asked sincerely.

18. "That's just your interpretation..." This could be a statement made after you fall for the "where does it say?" trap. The correct answer is, "yes, it's my interpretation and God will hold you responsible for your interpretation."

19. "I feel sorry for you." They don't really feel sorry for you. It's a holy put down so you will feel you're missing some important concept they're trying to press on you. A similar sentiment is sometimes phrased "I'll pray for you."

20. "Take the beam out of your own eye." Another version of the "you're a Pharisee" I forgot to put at the top of the page.

21. "You shouldn't judge." Really? Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:3, "Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life." There is also "Them that sin rebuke before all, that others may fear" in 1 Timothy 5:20.

22. "They're a bunch of hypocrites." This phrase is used to make one feel not so bad about their sins. If their spiritual discernment is so good they can tell someone is a hypocrite, their own standard of holiness should be that much greater. This is where the "judge not, that ye be not judged" of Matthew 7:1 has relevance.

23. "...beat them over the head with Sister White." There are some variants of this phrase. They have in common comparing some evil violent act with one who quotes something from the Spirit of Prophecy. This phrase is used to show Seventh-day Adventists that things written by Ellen G. White under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost in the original English shouldn't be used to rebuke sin.

24. "You're a fanatic." This is a misunderstood phrase both by those using it and by those to whom it is applied. When one is called a baseball "fan," a shortened form of the word "fanatic" is being used and one takes no offense and may even apply that term to ones self. There is nothing wrong in being a fanatic in that sense but that's not usually what is meant. It's usually a pejorative term applied to those who are following the Seventh-day Adventist health message or in some other way are unwilling to stray from the straight and narrow way. It is even applied to those who believe there is one infallible bible in English (called King James Onlyism or Ruckmanism). A contemporary example of a fanatic would be those subscribing to the Sacred Name Movement where one must call Jesus "Yahshua" or "Yeshua" in order to be right. This is notwithstanding the fact that in Acts 2:6 it says, "every man heard them speak in his own language" (count them up, there were at least FIFTEEN languages represented) and I doubt they were all saying "Yahshua" or "Yeshua."

25. "You worship Sister White." There are variants of this such as the telling you that the King James Version is your idol or even your fetish. This will come from someone whose only god is themselves.

26. "It's not a salvation issue." It's true some things aren't salvation issues. The Israelites had a tent that served as their tabernacle. I can't at this time see how what the outer covering of the tent was made of is a salvation issue. In comparing different bibles, and I didn't look at all I have available, I found multiple alleged coverings listed. The King James Bible says the covering was made of badger's skins. Other bibles say things like hides of sea cows (In the desert? Really???), durable leather, goatskins, sealskins, porpoise skins, dolphin skins, fine leather, tanned rams' skins and goatskins, violet colored skins, dugong-hides, tahash skins (an animal that exists only in the imagination), etc. It has now become a salvation issue because you have been taught that none of the translators knew what God said and that all of the bibles have errors. NONE of the listed choices are better or more logical than badger's skins.

27. "Sister White's writings are not a shortcut to Bible study." There are variations of this statement. This statement is almost always made by someone who doesn't believe there is an infallible English Bible anywhere in the world and thinks you should listen to them.

© Martin J. Lohne 2019.