Preface 3 Report of the Bilateral Conversations 5 List of Papers & Authors: William G. Johnsson - Seventh-day Adventists: A Profile 26 Hans Heinz - Seventh-day Adventists’ Approach to the Bible 42 Erwin Buck - How Lutherans Read The Bible 58 Jörg Rothermundt - The Lutheran Church: A Profile 74 Risto Saarinen - “Justification by Faith ” in the Ecumenical Dialogues of the Lutheran World Federation 89 Angel Manuel Rodriguez - The Adventist Understanding of the Law and the Sabbath 106 Hans K. LaRondelle - The Seventh-day Adventist View of the Relationship of Justification-Santification-the Final Judgment 122 Erwin Buck - The Role of the Law in the New Testament 134 Ole C. M. Kvarme - The understanding of Church Authority in Lutheran Churches 150 Angel Manuel Rodriguez - The Adventist Church and the Christian World 168 Nelson Kilpp - Baptism and the Lord’s Supper in Lutheran Tradition and in Present Dialogue 181 George W. Reid - The Seventh-day Adventist Understanding of Church Authority 201 Hans Heinz - Eschatology in the Adventist Faith 216 Jon Paulien - Eschatology and Adventist Self-understanding 237 William H. Shea - Seventh-day Adventist Teaching on the Judgment 254 Jö rg Rothermundt - Eschatology in the Lutheran Perspective 276 Erwin Buck - Interpretation of Biblical Apocalyptic Literature 291 Nelson Kilpp - A Lutheran Interpretation of the Book of Daniel 306

In an effort to achieve better mutual understanding, the Lutheran World Federation and the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference sponsored bilateral conversations between 1994 and 1998. This book contains the report from the four sessions of conversations, all papers presented are included. The sessions were held in Darmstadt, Germany; Toronto, Canada; Jongny, Switzerland; and Cartignjy, Switzerland. Though the administrative arms of the denominations sponsored the dialogue, they are not responsible for the content of the papers presented nor for the report with its recommendations. By this publication, the report and the recommendations are submitted to the two world bodies. The book you hold in your hand is the result of these landmark meetings.