In early 1977 charges were leveled against Herbert E. Douglass author of “Jesus The Model Man” lesson quarterly of April-June, 1977, that this quarterly contained heresy. The charges were made by Jeoffrey J. Paxton an ordained Anglican clergyman of Australia. 

The introduction to this quarterly makes several statements of note.  “We are to look to the man Christ Jesus, who is complete in the perfection of righteousness and holiness. He is the author and finisher of our faith.  He is the pattern man. His experience is the measure of the experience that we are to gain.  His character 'is our model. Let us, then, take our minds off the perplexities and the difficulties of this life, and fix them on Him, that by beholding we may be changed into His likeness. We may behold Christ to good purpose. We may safely look to Him; for He is all-wise. As we look to Him and think of Him, He will be formed within, the hope of glory.” 7 BC 970. 

He came “as one of us: . . to give an example of obedience. . . . He endured every trial to which we are subject. And He exercised in His own behalf no power that is not freely offered to us . . . His life testifies that it is possible for us also to obey the law of God.”  DA24. 

“. . . The Saviour came to glorify the Father by the demonstration of His love; so the Spirit was to glorify Christ by revealing His grace to the world. The very image of God is to be reproduced in humanity.” DA671. 

It appears to me that the above statements seem to be what Mr. Paxton is attacking, calling it perfectionism. As in his book “The Shaking of Adventism” he is continually attacking the above views of the very important sanctuary teaching. On page 126 of his book he states: “Herbert Douglass has emerged in the 1970's as the one who is seeking to make the Andreasen-Branson perfectionism dominant in Adventist thinking.” Insinuating that there is something wrong with this view, there is nothing wrong with their teachings when properly understood. A misunderstanding of what perfection is, leads to a salvation by works that does not work and is wrong. But a correct understanding of what is expected of us by God, that perfection is maturity, and maturity is that we love God and our neighbor as ourselves. 

When we admire Christ and know Him we want more than anything else to be like Him and to treat people like He did. “. . . That by beholding we may be changed into His likeness.” 7BC970. 

On page 22 of the quarterly, Dr. Douglass made the statement. “When Jesus became flesh, He divested Himself of the powers of deity and became absolutely dependent upon the Father and the Holy Spirit.” Mr. Paxton attacked the use of the word divested in his book on page 133. “In the Quarterly, Herbert Douglass presents the idea that the Second Person of the Godhead divested Himself of His divine powers and prerogatives.  ‘Our Model is not merely an example which beckons us on but is never to be reached.’ (page 96 quarterly - quoted out of context) Jesus was altogether human and possessed a sinful nature common to all men. Hence, Jesus is qualified to be our Example, and the gospel (good news) is that He has proved we can overcome sin and live exactly (sinlessly) as He did.” 

Philippians 2:5-8, Phillips. “Let your attitude to life be that of Christ Jesus Himself.  For he, who had always been God by nature, did not cling to his privileges as God's equal, but stripped Himself of every advantage by consenting to be a slave by nature and being born a man. And, plainly seen as a human being, he humbled Himself by living a life of utter obedience, to the point of death, and the death He died was the death of a common criminal.” 

Hebrews 2:14-17, RSV. “Since-therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same nature. . . For surely it is not with angels that He is concerned but with the descendants of Abraham. Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in every respect.” 

“Letters have been coming in to me, affirming that Christ could not have had the same nature as man, for if He had, He would have fallen under similar temptations. If He did not have man’s nature, He could not be our example. If He was not a partaker of our nature, He could not have been tempted as man has been. If it were not possible for Him to yield to temptation, He could not be our helper.  It was a solemn reality that Christ came to fight the battles as man, in man's behalf.  His temptation and victory tell us that humanity must copy the Pattern; man must become a partaker of the divine nature.” 1SP1408. 

“Christ in the courts of heaven had known that the time would come when the power of Satan must be met and conquered if the human race was ever to be saved from his dominion. And when that time came, the Son of God laid off His kingly crown and royal robe, and clothing His divinity with humanity, came to the earth to meet the prince of evil, and to conquer him. In order to become the advocate of man before the Father, the Saviour would live His life on earth as every human being must, accepting its adversities and sorrows and temptations. As the Babe of Bethlehem, He would become one with the race, and by a spotless life from the manger to the cross He would show that man, by a life of repentance and faith in Him, might be restored to the favor of God. He would bring to man redeeming grace, forgiveness of sins. If men would return to their loyalty, and no longer transgress, they would receive pardon.”  1SM223. 

Sister White in the above comment uses the word ‘laid off’ otherwise saying much the same meaning as Dr. Douglass in his comment using the word ‘divested’. Taking in the full context of what Dr. Douglass is teaching, nowhere does he teach that Christ had a ‘sinful nature.’  In the context that Dr. Douglass made his comment. “When Jesus became flesh, He divested Himself of the powers of deity and became absolutely dependent upon the Father and the Holy Spirit.” In other words Christ gave up the use of divinity and covered it with humanity, BUT HE WAS STILL GOD.  He did not use His divine power, He only used power that is available to us through the Holy Spirit. 

On page 9 of the Quarterly. “Jesus did not begin life as a man and then acquire divinity in some grand display of human achievement. He did not become a great moral leader whom God recognized could be used to educate the human race in regard to human potential. Jesus was the eternal God who took upon Himself human form. The movement was from heaven to earth, not from earth to heaven. In that distinction is the salvation of mankind.” 

A study of the lesson "God With Us" teaches that Jesus was truly God, also that He was truly man.  It teaches that Jesus took human nature, but no where does it teach that He took ‘sinful nature.’ (1SM 244;1SM247; DA 311,312;DA 49;DA 117;1SM 408; DA208;1SM 255,256.)  All of these reference teach that Christ took human nature and became man, there is a great deal of difference between human nature and sinful nature. 

It appears to me that Mr. Paxton took the word ‘divested’ and took it to its extreme meaning and came up with a ‘sinful nature.’  In studying Dr. Douglass’ teaching in the quarterly and his book, “Why Jesus Waits,” he just does not teach that Jesus had a ‘sinful nature’ and to say he did is a misrepresentation of the worst order.  It is too bad this had to happen as there was much truth in these Sabbath School Lessons, that many people missed out on the blessing. 

Page 96 of the Quarterly.  “Jesus came to this earth without the visible prerogatives of divinity.  His purpose was to show the wondering universe, as well as men and woman, that love is not only possible but the only way to live fully, happily, winsomely.” 

“Our Model is not merely an examples which beckons us on but is never to be reached.  Jesus lived a life of love in human flesh.  That demonstration of love is what He expects His followers to reveal to the world as His last invitation of mercy.  ‘There is nothing that Christ desires so much as agents who will represent to the world His Spirit and character.  There is nothing that the world needs so much as the manifestation through humanity of the Saviour’s love.  All heaven is waiting for channels through which can be poured the holy oil to be a joy and blessing to human hearts.’  (COB 419)  How long are we going to keep Jesus waiting?” 

The above two statements from page 96 is an example of what Mr. Paxton left out. This issue is very important to our salvation, and we must understand what God wants us to know and what He thinks of us, and get our attention off self.  The truth that Jesus came to teach is about God, not about us.