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This is the second in a three-part series about how the saints utilize inspired writings. In our last study, “Not A Big Deal,” we saw how biases, especially those present in certain world views like humanism, color the way that readers understand the Scriptures, and make genuine evangelism difficult, if not impossible, even if one’s doctrines are correct. Because humanism is a worship, essentially, of one’s own wisdom, it leads to a minimization of the concerns of others, which becomes a barrier to the expression of divine love.

I would like to continue that theme this week, of the use of inspired material. Specifically, we should know how to respond to a “scholarly” mindset that disputes the plain reading of the Bible in one’s native language, and how we deal with the fact that there are many different variations of the ultimate authority in our lives.

I would also like to expand the principles involved in proper Bible study in order to apply them to the writings of Ellen G. White. As I said last week, this is a rather unusual subject for me, but I think that inspired writings must be treated as separate from those produced by human intellect, and should be subject to the same basic rules and principles in order to be rightly understood. Consistency is the name of the game here. And so, I will be talking a bit about Ellen White, leading into the conclusion next week which will focus specifically on some of her statements, and we will be seeing today how the similarity in source requires a similarity in application.

First of all, let us be clear that CSDAs believe in what is sometimes called “thought” inspiration, as opposed to “verbal” inspiration. The writings of the Bible were not dictated to its authors word-for-word, neither was the material found in the Spirit of Prophecy writings. Ellen White would say things like, “I was shown…” and then she recorded what she saw. The Biblical authors, likewise, wrote according to their understanding of what Yahweh had revealed to them, which was not always clear. In one place, for example, a prophet wrote, “I heard, but I understood not.” (Dan 12:8) This is why, over time, and based on the writer, we see very different styles emerging. John is repetitive. Paul can be long-winded but incredibly deep. King David’s style reflects his musical interests, while Solomon, his son, writes thoughtfully and with the voice of a teacher. Rather than being a “necessary evil,” I want you to understand that Yahweh did it this way on purpose, as an act of love to us, as a way of respecting our freedom.

We are able to say, without insulting our Creator, that we “like” certain books more than others. We can find ourselves drawn to certain styles of wording, and consider that we might have expressed something even more clearly than the traditional reading. We have four different Gospels, each one with a unique take on the life of Christ; and so different are they in places that entire communities of researchers have made a living questioning the authenticity of these sacred writings. Some of the publications on the differences in the Gospels, some of which even demonstrate changes to the text over time, would trouble someone who believed in verbal inspiration, because they would not see it as possible to alter the wording without altering the meaning.

We don’t have that issue. While some of us may prefer the wording or style of one translation over another, any widely-accepted Biblical version is sufficient for us to use to learn and teach the truth about our Father in a way that convicts sinners of their need for Christ, and turns them to His loving acceptance. It is sometimes helpful to know a little about the language that the author used to compose the document we are reading, but that approach is limited, and sometimes it is misused. Ultimately, we believe that our Father preserved His Word for us, whether we are natively speaking English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, or anything else. We read, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God endures forever.” (Isa 40:8) This same Isaiah tells us that the writings of old, the “Law and the Testimony” is the way we are to evaluate any inspired writing down through time. (Isa 8:20)

The New Testament asserts its authority equally, first telling us that the Old Testament maintains its power, as we see: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Rom 15:4) But then this same Paul writes, “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.” (1Cor 14:37) That statement would have been as outrageous in his day as it would be for one of us to say that today… and yet, isn’t it true? Isn’t that what the Holy Spirit is for, to guide Yah’s people into full truth through His servants?

More often than not, historically, these words have been quoted by those who have not been teaching the Gospel, so yes, certainly, the true testimony given here may be adopted by those who do not have the witness of the Spirit… but among the saints, within the Body of Christ, any who are called to minister to Yah’s people must know that it was true of Paul, and it is true of them as well. Said with pride and self-sufficiency, it is a doctrine of devils; but said with an earnest desire to prepare souls for everlasting life, then the words become a blessing. Ellen White might well say, for example, “The church has turned back from following Christ her Leader and is steadily retreating toward Egypt. Yet few are alarmed or astonished at their want of spiritual power. Doubt, and even disbelief of the testimonies of the Spirit of God, is leavening our churches everywhere. Satan would have it thus. Ministers who preach self instead of Christ would have it thus. The testimonies are unread and unappreciated. God has spoken to you. Light has been shining from His word and from the testimonies, and both have been slighted and disregarded. The result is apparent in the lack of purity and devotion and earnest faith among us.” [Testimonies for The Church, Vol. 5, p. 217]

Anyone who cannot say this, or similar, about their own contributions should not be teaching the Scriptures. Christ taught with authority. His people, those in whom He Himself dwells, will teach them as He did.

This is not to say that your understanding is bound to the teachings of any one human being. Here is where the balance lies. We have a Church, with its pastors, and prophets, and apostles, and teachers – all plural. It is their role, their specific role, to explain what the Word means when it is not as plain as one would like. When there is agreement in the Spirit, this is to be understood as authoritative; and yet, it is not to be seen as forceful. Consider what I quoted from Paul in 1 Cor 14: “…let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.” But did he then say, “If any man refuse to acknowledge my authority, let him be persecuted? Let him be disfellowshipped? Let him be branded as a heretic?

No, Paul’s next statement is, “But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.” (1Cor 14:38)

Ellen White’s very next statement after the quote I shared is, “Let each put the question to his own heart: ‘How have we fallen into this state of spiritual feebleness and dissension? Have we not brought upon ourselves the frown of God because our actions do not correspond with our faith?’” [Testimonies for The Church, Vol. 5, p. 217] Note the parallel, and the sameness of spirit.

The Bible teacher according to Yahweh’s calling speaks with authority, but never with oppression, never with anything but a desire to respect the absolute freedom of his hearers. There are warnings against disbelief and disobedience, but ultimately it is up to each individual to question his own heart, his own motives, or else we are at best correcting behavior, not healing the heart and mind. And if anyone desires not to learn, let them alone… perhaps the consequences of their choices will mend their lack of sincerity.

As for me, the words that I speak, or that I write in my notes, are not my own. Yes, they are in my voice, and in my style of speaking or writing, but the understanding that you get from them, the knowledge of Yah that you gain from hearing them, that is from Him to you. I take absolutely no credit for that. If I were not here, there would be another writing, and the message would be exactly what your Father knows you need. This message that you hear with us, it is the same message taught by Christ, by Ellen White, by Jones and Waggoner, and other reformers down through the centuries. It is a message that has become Seventh-day Adventism for this age, that for the born again, it is Christ in you that is your life. It is Christ in you that is your power, your obedience, and your righteousness. Once this simple idea is really understood, all the excuses for the flesh, for temptations, for “the devil made me do it” all fall away. The flesh is subdued by the Spirit of Christ in you, the temptations are infinitely weaker than the love of Christ in you, and the devil finds nothing but Christ in you… into which he can never sink his claws.

Where there was doubt, now there is certainty. Where there was fear, there is perfect love. Where there was ignorance, now there is knowledge of the Father and Son; and where remnants of ignorance cling to the soul, we have the walk of sanctification to cut it away, like bruised spots on a banana. This, also, is Yahweh respecting your freedom.

So, I’ve hopefully made this sound like the best news ever given. Why, then, isn’t the audience for what Yah has given His servants larger? Why are there few, even among those who claim to be believers in this message, who are with us today? It is because many, many who believe that they know the “truth” of the Scriptures do not. It is because many, many, who believe that they understand the message given to and through Ellen White did not.

Most religious folk in Christ's day did not understand His message, and while His following grew over time so that churches dedicated to Him cover the earth, that understanding, for the most part, did not. When Ellen White and our pioneers spoke to little groups over a hundred years ago, they spoke to few... and while the SDA Church has grown over time in terms of its population, the number of those who really understood what they were saying, for the most part, did not.

There have always been few, even within the crowd, that understood life, and the message Yah has for us. He speaks to all, and it is better to have a crowd with few who understand than few with none who understand, but this is why providence brings about testing, shaking. And that testing and shaking is not, at least not at first, going to be about works... it is a testing of the spirits, a testing of faith. Remember that.

It is not about how well you memorize the wording of the Bible, or in which verse what idea is found. There is great value in memorizing the promises of the Scriptures, but the real test is in how well you make what you read a part of your character. In any time-sensitive job, whether you are a soldier, a doctor, or a fire fighter, you do “drills.” You practice activities over and over again so that, when an emergency arises that requires a certain action, time is not wasted in decision making over the obvious responses. The right reaction, the correct answer, has become a part of the person, the personality, and so it is no longer a man doing soldiering, it is a solder. It is not a man doing healing activities at a patient, it is a healer helping someone in need of care.

The Scriptures themselves teach us how to use them: “Therefore shall ye lay up these My words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates, that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which Yahweh sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.” (Deu 11:18-21)

This is the greatest work in which we can engage, learning the Word of Yahweh, its meanings, its principles, so that they become a part of who we are as individuals, and as a Church. This is what drives away the false thoughts. This is what corrects the mind, restoring it after its years-long journey in the lands of sin.

The central theme of the Scriptures is the love of Yahweh toward His creation, and the great sacrifice that He made for our sakes in order to restore us to the life for which we have been made. Once this is understood, grasping the meaning and significance of its passages and verses becomes much easier. And what was really at the heart of Ellen White’s testimony? What was it that she was trying to say, in terms of the principles, the big-picture, regarding her years of service to the SDA Church? If you can answer that, if you can learn that, then all of her many statements will be seen, not as scattered, individual instructions and warnings, but as a part of a single harmony. This is how it is with the Scriptures. If we studied Daniel in isolation, and never connected it with the Gospels and the Book of Revelation, the message given to Daniel would never have been unsealed.

We were speaking last week about truth. Here is perhaps one of the most generally and unconditionally “true” statements that I think Ellen White ever wrote: “Whenever the study of the Scriptures is entered upon without a prayerful, humble, teachable spirit, the plainest and simplest as well as the most difficult passages will be wrested from their true meaning.”

“The whole Bible should be given to the people just as it reads. It would be better for them not to have Bible instruction at all than to have the teaching of the Scriptures thus grossly misrepresented.” [The Great Controversy (1888), p. 521]

I find here a cutting testimony, and it explains much of modern theology, and why it has no power to convert the soul and kill sin in the heart. Whenever the ministers and scholars find a passage that, in its simplicity, runs contrary to their convictions, they manifest something that is not a “prayerful, humble, teachable spirit.” Instead, they begin to rely on their own experiences and understandings, their own intelligence and wisdom, and here they attempt to find a way to read the Scriptures and the writings of Ellen White in such a way as to support their pre-determined views.

Look at our most quoted verse. We should know it by heart at this point: “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for His Seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” (1 John 3:9)

What is the simplest, plainest reading of that verse? What is your understanding of it, just as it reads? It is obvious… the sanctified life does not include the commission of sin. What, in that verse, indicates the need to understand it any differently? There is nothing in that verse, or the surrounding verses, that requires it; therefore, it should be understood just as it reads. We read in the Gospels that Christ said, “Go, and sin no more.” (John 8:11) Here we have John telling us that those who accept Christ indeed “go, and sin no more.” It is consistent… therefore, the only reason one would wish to find an alternative reading would be from some cause outside of the Bible… and that is where the error lies.

We should study the Bible and all its verses with every tool we have. But if the goal is to read it differently than its simplest rendering in our native language, there needs to be a strong reason why, otherwise it is just a “self” seeking to avoid guilt and destruction.

A few weeks ago, Bro. Luke took us through some readings of 1 John 2:1: “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” This has a very simple and plain reading as well that would have been obvious to John’s intended audience, who were aware of what the false teachers were saying – that salvation and sin are compatible. Ironically, over the years this verse has been taken and used to support the very doctrine that John was disputing, used to undermine John’s stated purpose, that Yah’s people “sin not.” Because the flesh seeks a balance to the apostle’s plain testimony, it has made this verse into an excuse for sin that conflicts with 1 John 3:9 and various other places like 1 John 5:18 which says exactly the same thing, but in different words. John wrote in this way specifically because his purpose and meaning are enhanced by his repetitive style of teaching.

Because of misuse, because of an application that retains sin in the heart, certain verses do merit closer study – there is a cause, and therefore we study it in detail in order to again confirm the simplest possible reading that is consistent with the overall principles of the Word.

As Adventists, we know to read the Scriptures as literally as possible. There are exceptions, and they are well known. Parables and symbolic prophecies are not intended to be understood literally. We know the principles, and we know when the principles guide us to make some exceptions in how we understand the wording of the Bible.

The same must be done with all inspired work. We must read it as plainly, and as simply as possible, seeking alternative understandings only when the reading as-it-is is not possible based on the evidence of other passages in their proper context. The flesh, and our inclinations, play no part in this process.

As a quick example: Genesis 1:12-13 describe the creation of trees and other plants on day 3 of the Creation. When we go to Genesis 2, however, we read, “And Yahweh Elohim planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made Yahweh Elohim to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” (Gen 2:8, 9)

This is often cited as a contradiction in the Bible, because in Genesis 1 we have trees made on day 3, while in Genesis 2 we have man, created on day 6, preceding the creation of “every tree.” On a surface reading, it appears that there is a conflict; however, a careful examination shows that after the general creation of the world with its plant life, Yahweh created a specific garden in Eden after man’s creation, placed the man there, and then caused trees to grow in that garden specifically for the use of Adam. There are many other examples I could give, but my point here is not to teach how to resolve every accusation against the Bible. It is to point out that there are always answers to our questions about the Word, and that because of centuries of human tradition and the efforts of evil angels, sometimes those answers require a little digging to obtain.

But now, if our principle is always to read the translation that we have as simply and plainly as possible – if that is the rule – then why do we sometimes go to the Hebrew and Greek wording to “explain” things at times in our Bible studies? Shouldn’t it be forbidden? Shouldn’t it be unnecessary?

The answer is that even though the plain English (I use English as an example) just as it reads IS sufficient, it is also often misread, and for a variety of reasons. For example, most Christians are convinced that Paul told the Romans, “For all sin, and come short of the glory of God.” Paul did not say that. In plainest English, he uses the past-perfect tense to describe a former, completed state of being: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23) Because all have, already, sinned, all are in need of a Savior so that, being reconciled to Him, we “go, and sin no more.” Even this, if rightly read in its properly translated language, brings us right back to the power of the Gospel – Christ has set us free from sin, not merely from the consequences of ongoing sins. We do not go to Heaven “despite” our sinfulness; we go to Heaven because we are cleansed, truly, from all that would keep us from our place in the Kingdom.

In order to lend some weight to the idea that we are not just cleverly twisting the English around, it is sometimes beneficial, sometimes more convincing, to explain that in Paul’s original letter, written in Greek, the meaning has been maintained. What Paul’s audience heard and understood in his original is the same thing that we hear and understand in our translation. That gives us confidence that the simple and plain readings are reliable, and some people do appreciate that assurance. But it is not, it is never, to seek hidden meanings, or to undermine the translation.

Another very common passage assisted by this principle is the one that speaks of Christ “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross.” (Col 2:14) Sunday-keeping Christians generally use this verse to argue that the Sabbath, an “Old Testament Ordinance” was nailed to the cross, and no longer applies to the faithful under the New Covenant. Again, the plain English is enough. The 10 Commandments are not mentioned in this verse; no mention at all, in fact, is made of the Law, and certainly not the Sabbath. The entire passage from which this is taken is describing how Christ’s death sets us free from our past transgressions, by which we are made worthy of death. And so, therefore, the “handwriting” was nailed to the cross… that is, the record of our transgressions and sins. The English makes this very clear, because a single thing (“it”) was nailed to the Cross, not a set of ordinances (“they”). However again, because this verse has been used so often in an inappropriate manner, it is sometimes difficult for the reader to grasp that grammatical element. And so, we can go to a concordance or lexicon, and show that yes, in the language of the manuscripts, just as in English, Spanish, etc., the wording makes it plain that something that was “against” us was nailed to the Cross, not the Law that was violated, or any of its constituent parts, and that the word used in that original language indeed indicated a receipt, a debt that one owes.

Ellen White’s writings are originally in English. You might think that because of this fact we avoid some of these problems… and we do. The issue is that we have so much of it, over time, through her own growth in grace and knowledge, that this presents its own set of pitfalls.

A tradition has arisen within Adventism of reading and accepting certain Spirit of Prophecy statements “non-critically.” By that I mean, the context, intent, even the audience, is often ignored, and her statements are made into rules, practically a creed, without a proper understanding of her prophetic ministry. In our next study, I want to really go into some of Mrs. White’s most often misused statements. I will talk about the conditional nature of prophecy, specifically applied to her writings about last day events, and about four types of statements that we should not accept at face-value from her body of work.

And, before any think that this means four reasons to disbelieve her testimonies, or four ways to disregard her less convenient statements, I will demonstrate that these four types of statements apply to Biblical prophets as well. We do not accept the statements of all the prophets in the Bible as applicable to our everyday lives. Those lives would look very different if we did. But if we will apply these principles consistently to all inspired writings, whether the Biblical authors, or Ellen White, or any post-Biblical prophet, well, then it will be obvious what the “truth” is, and one would seek very quickly to become connected to the CSDA Church… because I can say, with the authority of Paul, that nobody else is doing what we do. Nobody else is teaching the Word in its undiluted power. Nobody else is expressing the agape-love of the Father and Son in such a way that Their perfect love casts out all fear, brings nobility to the soul, and in the words of Ellen White, “kills sin in the heart.”

Here is the passage from which that is taken: “When the doctrine we accept kills sin in the heart, purifies the soul from defilement, bears fruit unto holiness, we may know that it is the truth of God. When benevolence, kindness, tenderheartedness, sympathy, are manifest in our lives; when the joy of right doing is in our hearts; when we exalt Christ, and not self, we may know that our faith is of the right order.” [Thoughts from The Mount of Blessing, p. 146]

The experience of the Christian is continuous victory. When read as simply, and as plainly, as possible, this is the consistent testimony of Scripture. The New Testament believer is a Victory-claiming, Sabbath-keeping Adventist, and that is true of the New Testament in every language. We read for consistency. We read for principle, and so we find the Word of Yahweh to our hearts.

What does it mean for us? Do not be afraid of scholars. They are not super-human. Often, they are not even particularly clever, and I say that as someone with significant academic credentials. I am not saying we should doubt the properly applied scientific process, or legitimate research. Experimentation and recording one’s results is reasoning from cause to effect, and that is a Biblical way of learning the truth about the world. But when speculation about the past, whether it be the creation or the Gospel, enters in, be skeptical, because it is here that the agenda drives the conclusions very often, not the other way around.

We enter Heaven as children. We believe the promises of our Father as children. The Faith of Yahshua is infinitely deep, but it is warm and plain enough for children. As it is written, “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Mat 18:3, 4)

David.

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