William Miller

William Miller February 15, 1782 – December 20, 1849

William Miller’s belief about God and His Son:

“I believe in God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is a Spirit, omnipresent, omniscient, having all power, creator, preserver, and self-existent. As being holy, just and beneficent, I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, having a body in fashion and form like man, divine in his nature, human in his person, godlike in his character and power. He is a Savior for sinners, a priest to God, a mediator between God and man, and King in Zion. He will be all to his people, God with us forever. The spirit of the Most High is in him, the power of the Most High is given him, the people of the Most High are purchased by him, the glory of the Most High shall be with him, and the kingdom of the Most High is his on earth.” William Miller’s Works Vol 1 (1842) page 33

William Miller’s belief in the Trinity

William Miller, considered the father of the SDA denomination, was reared in a religious atmosphere. His mother was the daughter of a minister who wove into William’s life the religious instruction received in her early years. For three years he served as an officer in the United States Army. Later he became an ardent Bible student. Regarding his study Francis D. Nichol writes:

“He evidently studied the scriptures with a view to formulating for himself a clear-cut belief on every Bible doctrine that affected his salvation. In a small notebook, still preserved, is found a statement of belief in his own handwriting, It is dated “Hampton, September 5th, 1842.” (Francis D Nichol, The Midnight Cry, p. 36

W. Miller was a Calvinistic Baptist, and with the exception of one article concerning his belief in the second coming of Christ, any Calvinistic Baptist would freely affirm his personally established creed.

William Miller’s background and study led him to accept the doctrine of the Trinity, and reject the Unitarian theory regarding the Godhead, He states in article two of his beliefs:

“I believe in one living and true God, and that there are three persons in the Godhead— as there is in man, the body, soul, and spirit. And if anyone will tell me how these exist, I m i l tell him how the three persons of the Triune God are connected.” (James White, Life of William Miller, p. 59)

In article three of his statement of beliefs he continues with this idea:

“I believe that God, by his Son, created man in the image of the Triune God with a body, soul, and spirit; and that he was created a moral agent, capable of living, of obeying, or transgressing the laws of his maker.” (ibid, p. 60)

He goes on to show that he realized that the Holy Spirit had an active part in the salvation of fallen man.

“I believe that through the agency of the Holy Spirit, sinners are made the recipients of mercy in conformity to the divine plan, founded on the wisdom and knowledge of God; the fruits of which are manifest in the recipient by works of repentance and faith; and without which no man, coming to years of discretion, and able to choose between good and evil, can have an interest in the blood and righteousness of Christ.” (Loc. cit.)